Tag: readinglist

My FINAL TBR of 2020

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Today, I wanted to share my final TBR of 2020.

This is a list of all the books I want to read before the new year, which I cannot believe is almost here.

Even though I am mostly out of my reading slump, I haven’t been reading very fast, or much at all, lately. I think I have been working on Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare for over a month now, however, in my defence, it is a beastly book. I have also started a few other books along the way which I will include in my TBR, but there are a couple new books that I am itching to pick up before 2021 too.

Fingers crossed that since school is wrapping up and I get a break from work for the holidays, I will be able to finish the year strong reading-wise!

Here is my final TBR of 2020.

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

Last I checked, I have 250ish pages of this book left which I am fairly confident I can get done this December. I don’t know why I picked this book up after my reading slump because 1) it is my least favourite in The Dark Artifices trilogy, and 2) it is almost 900 pages! But, I have been enjoying myself as I always do when I am in this Shadowhunter world so that counts for something.

Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Robin Wasserman, Maureen Johnson, and Kelly Link

Ghosts of the Shadow Market: Amazon.ca: Clare, Cassandra, Rees Brennan, Sarah, Johnson, Maureen, Link, Kelly, Wasserman, Robin: Books

I call myself a massive Cassandra Clare fan, yet I haven’t picked this book up until now! Well, anyways, I have it and suddenly decided it was time to read it. While I am only 80 pages into it, I have been loving it. Reading more about the main characters in Chain of Gold is my new favourite past time because I am a huge fan of them all –especially Matthew. I have no doubts about finishing this book before 2021 because I have only sat down once or twice with it, and I am already almost 1/5 of the way through. However, like ALL of Cassandra Clare’s books, it is a chunky one.

The Round House by Lousie Erdrich

The Round House: A Novel: Erdrich, Louise: 9780062065254: Books - Amazon.ca

The Round House is a book I was assigned for school and even though classes are finished and I am supposed to be done this book by now, I don’t think I am even 100 pages into it. The thing is, it is such an amazing and important book. But, once again, it is the fact that I have to read it for school that is holding me back from picking it up and reading more than 10 pages at a time. That, and it deals with some very intense content matter. However, I do want to finish it. I am hoping that since school is almost over, I will be inspired to pick it up more often.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Renegades: Amazon.ca: Meyer, Marissa: Books

I may have splurged on books this past weekend and one of the books I picked up was Renegades: a book I’ve heard marvellous things about. I had no initial intent on buying this book, but it was a good price for the used copy and something suddenly inspired me to read it. This is another BIG book, which might come back to bite me later on when I am half done every single one of the books on this list and then suddenly it is January 1st… Although, even if that happens, I think I am okay with that.

Song of the Dryad by Natalia Leigh

Song of the Dryad by Natalia Leigh

Okay, this is a book I do not plan on finishing in 2020, but I really want to start it over Christmas break. I bought the ebook version (because I have been led to believe I am getting a Kindle for Christmas…) over Black Friday because I have been meaning to pick up this book. Natalia Leigh is an author and also a YouTuber (AuthorTuber) who I have been watching for years. I thought it was about time to support her writing and I am also just excited to see what I think of this book! Maybe I will even do a book review. We will see.

Those are all the books I plan on finishing, or at least will try to finish, before the new year. I am really excited to have more time to spend on reading because at first, I neglected it because I was in a slump and then I neglected it because I was just too busy! I want to end the year on a positive and productive note by spending time doing what I love, which is reading, in the hopes it will start 2021 on a positive note as well.

Make sure you check out recent blog post and follow me on social media; the links are all down below. Also, don’t forget to let me know what books you plan on reading this month! Thanks for reading 🙂

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April Wrap-Up + May TBR

Check out my April reading wrap-up and May TBR!

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Happy Friday and May 1st!

I hope you all had an excellent reading month, because I know I did. April was the OWLs Readathon, as well as the #StayHome Reading Rush, so there was lots of motivation to read all the books.

Today, I will be sharing all seven books I read during April as well as my May TBR because I plan and hope that May will also be a productive month.

The question is, did I complete all the reading challenges for the OWLs Readathon?

Yes! Now, let’s see what I read to do so.

April Wrap-Up:

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bone - Wikipedia

I finished reading this on April 1st, after spending all of March trudging through it. I have voiced my opinions on this story before, and how I personally believe this book is very overhyped… This was not for any readathon, but for my children’s literature class and while I am glad I finally read it, I do not plan on continuing on with this series.

The Toll by Neal Shusterman

The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3) by Neal Shusterman

This was a book I started at the end of March but since I still had over 400 pages left to read in April, I decided to use it for the OWLs’ “Defence Against the Dark Arts” challenge, which was to read a book that takes place at sea. A majority of this book is spent sailing the ocean and we are even introduced to a captain and their crew, who becomes an important character to the story. This is the third and final book in the Arc of a Scythe trilogy which overall, I really enjoyed! It was a satisfying conclusion and I flew through it despite its size.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel (Volume 1): Amazon.ca: Clare, Cassandra: Books

I swapped this book in place of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas because after reading Chain of Gold, I needed to re-visit the London Institute and Shadowhunter universe. I read this book for the “Transfiguration” challenge, which was to read a book with a shapeshifter. One of the main characters is a shapeshifter so I was very happy I had an excuse to re-read this book. I think the last time I read it was 2016, so I had definitely forgotten a lot that happens in it. My first time reading it, I was not a huge fan but I knew re-visiting it would make me love it…and I did!

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of ...

Since I had 100 pages of this book left to read going into April, I decided a few days ago that I am going to use it for the “Potions” challenge to read a book under 150 pages. This was a nice change from my usual YA fantasy reads because I had never read anything like this book before. I watched the movie first too which really did help me grasp the unusual storyline and characters. While it follows a gonzo journalist, it inspired me to work on my own writing and creative process. Shoutout to my boyfriend who lent me this book!

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell

While this book took a bit to get into, once I was in, I was in. I read this book for the “History of Magic” challenge, which was to read a book with witch and wizards and while in The Last Magician, they are not exactly called that, they have magical powers so it counts! I loved the atmosphere of this book, which came from the 1920s New York setting and the flawed and morally gray characters. I am super excited to dive into the next book sometime soon, The Devil’s Thief, and continue on with the story. Especially after that ending!

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes - Wikipedia

I will not bore you all with more of my drooling over this book and series because we all know I love it! This was not read for the OWLS readathon, but the #StayHome Reading Rush. I believe the challenge was to read a book with a house on the cover, and this cover has Blackcliff Academy where the students live and sleep so that is basically a house. Right?

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince, Book by Cassandra Clare (Paperback) | www ...

The seventh and final book I read this month was the sequel to Clockwork Angel, and once again, I enjoyed it much more than the second time around. I forgot how close two certain characters get and even though I know what happens in the end, it is still killing me! I am guessing that since the last challenge for the OWLS readathon was “Charms”: to read a book with a white cover. I am using this book for it. Clockwork Prince has white lettering on the cover so that counts! I also just really wanted to read it so…

May TBR:

  • House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
  • Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
  • A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

Those are all the books I read in April and plan to read in May. I hope you enjoyed! Don’t forget to let me know what you read and plan on reading, because I’d love to know.

Make sure you check out my last blog post as well as my social media accounts which are linked down below. I have been posting a lot and will be giving more hints as to what my secret project is on them, as well when I can release more info on it. I know I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts that I could announce what it is on May 18th, but that has been pushed back to early or mid-June now. Hopefully, I won’t have to push it back even more!

Anyways, thanks for reading 🙂

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Books I’m Reading for School

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Hellooo,

As you can assume from my sudden 16 day hiatus, school is once again in full swing. This semester was a little easier to get into than the first, but I can say confidently that the reading list a whole new challenge in itself. This semester, I am in two 2nd year English classes. One of them focuses on literature from Romanticism and the Victorian period. The other English class I am in focuses on young adult literature and is one I am very excited about. This list will just include the novels I need to read, not the short stories or poems.

Anyways, here are the books I have to read this semester!

Matilda by Roald Dahl

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I actually just finished this book for class yesterday, and it was really interesting to read it at this age for the first time. While it did not blow my mind, I had a fun time reading this beloved story of both children and adults. This book is a good reminder that books are not meant for one age group, but for everyone. That is one of the topics we are tackling in my young adult literature class and is really important to address in my opinion. Anyways, I am happy to have finally read this book after liking the movie as a kid!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling

Harry-Potter-and-the-Chamber-of-Secrets-Mary-Grand-Pre

Not only was I excited to see this book on my class reading list because I’ve been meaning to give Harry Potter a re-read, but also because I already own the book so it saved me a couple of dollars which is always nice. I thought it was interesting that my professor chose the second book in the series and not the first because I have a friend in the class that has never read any of the books! Harry Potter always takes me a bit of time to get through. Not because it’s boring but the world is a lot to absorb. Since I’ve read it a couple times already, I will hopefully get through it in the two weeks I have to read it.

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

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Like Matilda, I watched the movie but never even considered reading the book. Honestly, The Neverending Story movie terrified me as a child. It was a mixture of the story itself and the poor visual effects of the 80s, but nonetheless, I watched it once and had no plans of watching it again. Now, here I am, around 10 years later and planning on reading it in the next month or so. I’m curious though. Curious if I will like it or not since I have such strong feelings towards the movie. If I end up liking the book I don’t think I’ll be able to help but re-watch the movie.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

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This book was everywhere in the early 2010s when middle grade and YA were at their beginning peak. However, I never picked it up! Maybe it was the size or the overwhelming amount of hype surrounding it, but for whatever reason, this is the first time I’m getting around to it. Or, so I thought…When I first bought the book for class, I decided to try out the first 50 or so pages. While I was reading them, I had the very faint feeling that I had read those pages before. Now, I’m wondering if I maybe read the book and completely forgot. Or, at least, started it and never finished. I did watch the movie, like all of these other books though, so maybe that has something to do with it. Nonetheless, I cannot wait to get into this classic middle grade.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

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Now, this is probably the book I am most excited to read for class. Ever since I got this book a year ago, I have been meaning to get to it but as always, got distracted by other books. Since it’s on the reading list for class though, I will finalllly get around to it. I am dying to see if this book is worth the monumental amount of hype surrounding it. I am also ready to read this book so I can catch up and read the sequel before the movie comes out (whenever that is)!

Awake and Dreaming by Kit Pearson

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I have never heard of this book or author, probably because she is a local author to the city I live in. The mystery surrounding this book though is keeping me excited for it, and I do not plan on reading any synopses before diving into it. Kit Pearson is also visiting my class while we’re reading it so that just adds to the growing excitement for this novel! I am pretty sure this is a middle grade which is nice because the amount of middle grade in my life is lacking.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

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Finally, we are moving into the novels I am reading for my Romanticism/Victorian class and first up, is A Christmas Carol and yet another classic I have not read! Thankfully, this book is very, very short because accompanied by the books I am reading for my YA class, the last thing I need is a thick novel written in Victorian English…something I do not read easily.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

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Along with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, this is the only other book on this list that I’ve actually read before! I read this novella during this past summer and I…liked it enough. It wasn’t awful but it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. Hopefully, re-reading it will go by quicker but I do know this will be a fun story to dive into with my class.

Well, those are all of the books I have to read this semester and it is a lot more appealing than last semester’s list I’ll tell you that. If you want to see what kind of books I had to read semester, check out that blog post right HERE. If you want to check out my last blog post or any of my social media accounts, you can check them out below. Anyways, thanks for reading!

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9 Anticipated Releases for 2019

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There are quite a few books I am dying to have in my hands in the new year and today I am sooo excited to be sharing them with you because I am sure there are a few on my list some of you are excited for too. Anyways, let’s just get into it!

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer – January 29th, 2019

Image result for a curse so dark and lonely

I haven’t heard anything about this book other than what I read on Goodreads, but it sounds pretty awesome if you ask me. This is re-telling of Beauty and the Beast but for part of the book, it takes place in our world before our main character is sucked into a fantasy world to save the prince who is destined to destroy his entire world if someone doesn’t help him break his dreaded curse. One thing that caught my eye when reading this book’s description was that the main character, Harper, has cerebral palsy. It’s really great to see that kind of diversity in a novel and it is something we need to see more of! Hopefully, this book is as good as it sounds though!

Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi – April 2nd, 2019

Image result for defy me tahereh mafi

After Restore Me, the sudden fourth addition to her Shatter Me series, I am so, SO ready for Defy Me. I love Warner…a lot, and without him I doubt I’d love these books as much as I do, to be honest. Since I don’t want to spoil what this book is about, the first book, Shatter Me, follows our main character Juliette who has a deadly and terrible curse that kills anyone she touches. She has been locked away for years because of this until she suddenly gets a new roommate named Adam and he helps break them both out. This is a dystopian series and while I’m not a huge dystopian fan, I do enjoy these books and am looking forward to Defy Me!

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston – April 2nd, 2019

Image result for the princess and the fangirl

I read Geekerella by Ashley Poston when it came out last year and really liked how quirky and relatable it was, so you bet I am looking forward to The Princess and the Fangirl this spring. This book follows two characters, Imogen who is a die-hard fangirl of the TV show Starfield, and Jessica who is an actress in Starfield who wants out. When the script for the new season of Starfield leaks, Jessica is put to blame and after unlikely events push the two look-a-likes together, Imogen and Jess work together to find the real snitch. I think this book will be a fun ride and I cannot wait for this fangirl-filled story.

The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesely Chu – April 2nd, 2019

Image result for the red scrolls of magic

April 2nd is going to be a busy day for book releases, and while I am excited for them all, I think I am most excited for this one. This is another book set in the Shadowhunter world, and it follows the adventures of Alec and Magnus after the events of the Dark War. While Alec has never been one of my favourite characters, as more books with him in it come out, I’ve learned to like him a lot more than I did in City of Bones. Maybe this book will help me really like him, but nonetheless, I am so excited to hear about what happened to Magnus and Alec after the Dark War. I can’t really say much about the plot because of spoilers, but yeah!

Again, but Better by Christina Riccio – May 7th, 2019

Image result for again but better

I have been watching Christine (Polandbannasbooks on YouTube) for years and years now, so of course, I am going to support her and check out her book. Also, it genuinely sounds like something I would enjoy reading. This is a contemporary book that follows Shane, a girl in college who has felt like she was doing it all wrong, her daily routine consisting of her dorm, class, dining hall and repeat. Hoping to right her wrongs, she signs up to study for a semester in London but when she gets there, she realizes she hasn’t left the things that were holding her back at home like self-doubt. I think I will really relate to Shane and I am curious to see how much I like the story overall!

There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon – May 14th, 2019

Image result for theres something about sweetie

To be honest, I was not a big fan of From Twinkle, With Love, Menon’s last contemporary novel. I really did not like the main character, but I did really enjoy the overall story so I am willing to give this new book a try when it comes out this spring! It follows two characters, Ashish who was recently dumped by his girlfriend and whose parents are frantically trying to set him up with an Indian-American girl, and Sweetie who is tired of her parents saying she’s lacking because she’s fat and is determined to show them and the world how awesome she really is. Ashish and Sweetie don’t plan on it, but when they are thrown together sparks fly and they can’t help but fall for each other. This sounds really cute like Menon’s other novels, and I’m excited about all the mushy, gushy goodness.

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal – May 14th, 2019

Image result for we hunt the flame

This book sounds so epic and again, I haven’t heard much about it, but I cannot wait to get my hands on it! The world in We Hunt the Flame is inspired by ancient Arabia and it follows Zafira who is a well-known hunter that has disguised herself as a man, braving the cursed forest to feed her people. We also follow Nasir who is a prince that assassinates anyone foolish enough to deny his father, avoiding any sense of compassion to stay alive and sane in his crazy world. Their paths cross when Zafira embarks on a quest to retrieve a hidden artifact and Nasir is sent after her, not to retrieve the same artifact but to kill Zafira. This book sounds sooo awesome and I cannot wait to sit down and devour it when it hits the shelves!

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare – November 19th, 2019

Image result for chain of gold by cassandra clare

Chain of Gold could very well be my most anticipated release of the year but I am not 100% sure yet. In this new Shadowhunter series, we follow the children of Will and Tessa from The Infernal Devices trilogy in Edwardian London, James and Lucie Herondale. We follow them as the Blackthorn and Carstairs families suddenly arrive in London, but they are not all that arrives because the plague comes too. Action, adventure and romance are inevitable for Shadowhunters, and they are no different when dark secrets are unravelled and the price of being a hero is made blatant. Actually yeah, this is my most anticipated release of the year.

The Toll by Neal Shusterman – Release Date Undetermined…

This is the third (and final?) book in the Arc of a Scythe series and if this is the finale, I know it is going to be one hell of a ride. If it’s not, it will still be one crazy rollercoaster. Thunderhead left me BROKEN and eager for more, and I am itching to get my hands on The Toll but who knows when that is going to be. The first book, Scythe, takes place in a future dystopian world where humans have conquered everything from death to disease. To keep the world in balance though, there are Scythes who choose people to kill every week at random. Our two main characters, Citra and Rowan are chosen to be the apprentices to a well-known Scythe but it is a burden neither of them thought they wanted. Neal Shusterman crafts such an interesting and terrifying world in these books and I am curious and nervous to see what he does in this next one!

There you have it! Those are 9 most anticipated releases for 2019 and I hope you enjoyed. Don’t forget to let me know what books you are looking forward to next year because I would love to know. Also, make sure you check out my last blog post as well as my social media accounts which will all be linked down below. Thanks for reading 🙂

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