Orbelli

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

 

Goodreads

Throne of Glass is a book of which, I think, everyone has heard. The book community loves it, and for good reason!It can be difficult to pick up a book this hyped but for Throne of Glass it is definitely worth it.

 

The main character, Celaena Sardothien, is clever, funny, and bad-ass. Yet she also shows fear, anger, and doubt making her character as interesting as the synopsis. And it's not just Celaena who's intriguing. The crown prince Dorian Havilliard, the captain of the guard Chaol Westfall, and the foreign princess Nehemia Ytger are not only immensely intriguing on their own but also in their relation to Celaena. I can't wait to see how the friendship between Celaena and Nahemia develops further. 

 

The world is also wonderful. The ban of magic, the disappearances of the fea and other creatures, the in-between worlds. I want to learn more about Erilea.

 

The story is told 3rd person from different point of views, mostly from Celaena's. I normally don't like the switching of POV that much, but this was really well done. It's also how the depth of the other characters is shown. 

 

All in all, I highly recommend this. (That is, if you like fantasy!) 

 

 

Hello! This is my wrap-up for June and July 2015 :) 

I've had a great time reading all these books, 17 in total. Not all were lighthearted but that is also what makes books exciting! 

 

His dark materials-Phillip Pullman

 

This trilogy is the absolute favorite of a good friend of mine. She praises it so much and this I had pretty high expectations. And I have to say I was a little disappointed. For me it was quite hard to get through even though it was really interesting and really well thought out. I understand the high praises for this and I did like it, but I might have to re-read before I can fully appreciate it. Favorite book of the three was the third one. 

Fav Character: Will

  

Gone-Micheal Grant

The first in a series of six books. Can't wait to get to the rest of the series. The first book was really compelling and I can't for the life of me imagine what will happens next. 

Fav Characters: Sam, Astrid, and Lana

 

The Bane Chronicles-Cassandra Clare

This was so much fun! It consist of ten short stories about Magnus Bane from TMI and TID. These stories take place all over the world and all through time. Long before either TMI or TID and also during these series. 

Fav (guest) Character: Alec (so cute)

 

Simon vs the Homo-sapiens Agenda-Becky Albertalli

I enjoyed this so much! During the final part, I just could not stop smiling. This book really is a pick me up! Of course there is some drama but it is written in such a way that it is still lighthearted :) 

 

All the Bright Places-Jennifer Niven

This book spoke to all the feels. It was heart-wrenching and so beautiful but so so sad. I loved the two point of views and how they kind of mirrored development. Not a pick me up but sill a must-read.

 

The Mara Dyer trilogy-Michelle Hodkin

I don't think I've read many books with unreliable narrators and I always thought I would get confused because of it, but this was awesome. I think it helped that Mara knew that she didn't know for sure what was real and what was not. As the reader you are a bit confused but that's okay because the character is also confused. I love how Noah's character developed. I loved how Noah protected Mara, how he believed her even when she didn't completely believe herself. I love Noah. 

 

World After & End of Days-Susan Ee

The second and the last parts of the Angelfall series. I liked the first one the best and felt the ending was rushed and not completely believable. There is a lot that's unresolved about the world and it feels that there would be more consequences for certain action. The take on Beliel I found surprisingly interesting (but then I do love time travel or whatever this was). I really enjoyed this series but I do think it did not completely live up to potential.   

 

A Breath of Snow and Ashes-Diana Gabaldon

The sixth book in the Outlander series! And it was so much fun. Again. The previous volume was, in after thought, not that exciting. In this one, the time travel element is expanded and I loved it. Also the political stuff was kept to a minimum and we saw more from different perspectives. More of Jamie's thoughts and more of the Brianna/Roger dynamic. Diana Gabaldon also took some risks in bigger plot twists again, making this book so much more exciting than The Fiery Cross. :) 

 

An Ember in the Ashes-Sabaa Tahir

 

 

Precious Stone Trilogy-Kristen Gier

 

 

 

Since You've Been Gone-Morgan Matson

 

 

For August I will focus on rereading Harry Potter! 

 

Happy Reading!

-S

 

So in the month of May, I bought quite some books, 7 in total. And my birthday was at the beginning of June, for which I got a lot of books as well! AND IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY!!

 

Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book -Jane Smiley

 

These are all my new books!

 

In May I bought the stack on the right: 

 

-A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

-Alice's adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

-Angelfall by Susan Ee

-Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

-Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

-Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass

-The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

 

And for my birthday I got the rest!: 

 

-Harry Potter Boxset by JK Rowling!!

-Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

-All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

-End of Days by Susan Ee

-Since you've been gone by Morgan Matson

-The 100 by Kass Morgan

-The Help by  Kathryn Stockett

 

  and three Penguin Classics:

 

-The beautiful Cassandra by Jane Austen

-The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

-A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin

 

I am so glad that I have summer break already! Really excited to start reading these! 

 

 

This month I read a total of 13 books... I KNOW. I had some free time. I started reading the mortal instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I'd heard so many great things about this series and had been wanting to pick it up for some time. And I was not disappointed! The series is heart-wrenching, but also so much fun. There are so many great characters next to the main characters and they were all awesome! Before I started the final book though, I decided to first read the Infernal Devices trilogy also by Cassandra Clare. AND IT WAS EVEN BETTER. It was so so so beautiful. And then when I read City of Heavenly fire there were all these cross references and it was great. 

 

I also read 2 contemporary's and they were both such feel-good books! Fangirl was just awesome. The main character is so relatable and overall it is just so cute. Anna and the French Kiss was also super cute. I do think I liked Fangirl a little better!

 

This month I went to Paris and ofcourse visited Shakespeare and company! I bought a copy of Alice's adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, which I read on the train ride back home, and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (which I haven't read yet). Alice was a delightful read. I only ever watched the movie but reading the story gave me a whole new appreciation for Alice. 

 

The final book I read was Angelfall by Susan Ee. Which I thought was way too short! I'm looking forward to reading the next 2 books. 

 

All in all, I don't think I've ever read this many books in one month before. Cassandra Clare books apparently just draw you in!

 

I really loved this series! I binge read the eBooks in a couple of days and was obsessed. Still not over it. These books got me super involved and I wish I was still in the middle of it. 

 

The first book is Obsidian, in which Katy first meets Daemon and his sister Dee. Dee is a sweetheart and incredibly likable, while Daemon (of course) is a jerk. Katy really can't stand him but from the moment Katy flips him off, it is totally obvious that something is going to happen between them.Then she finds out that Daemon and Dee are aliens and the fun can really begin. 

 

These books really take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride. SO MUCH HAPPENS. The Arum, Katy's mutation after Daemon healed her, the DOD, Dawson and Beth, Blake, the Origin program, Luc, Matthew's betrayal, Vegas, and then of course the Lux invasion... and so much more heartbreaking moments.

 

This was a delicious escape and I would recommend the Lux series to anyone really. Jennifer L. Armentrout is definitely an author I will be reading more from.