May 2019 – Dee’s Reading Tree

My Favorite Book Covers

May 31, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

When the cover for this book was announced I almost burst into tears. Let me tell you I am not usually a crier, but I had been waiting for this book for two years. Also, yellow is my favorite color, and look at how beautiful she looks. This book was the perfect ending to one of my favorite series. It gave each character and each sub-plot the closure they needed. It was amazing and I could not put it down.

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

All the covers for this series are gorgeous, but this one and the upcoming novella Reveal Me, are my favorites. I can’t wait to own all of these, so they can adorn my shelves. Currently, I only own Shatter Me, the first one in the series, which is one of my comfort books.

The Wicked King by Holly Black

This is one of those covers that you can’t fully appreciate until you read the book. I thought this book was absolutely amazing, and that ending! What a shocker. You can read my full review here. I can’t wait for the next book The Queen of Nothing, which is coming out November 19, 2019.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

I don’t usually like real people on book covers, but I made an exception for this one. The beautiful dresses on the covers make up for it. Reading these books was like watching the Bachelorette on television; fun and entertaining, but not life changing. It definitely does keep you guessing until the end.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

This is one of my favorite stand alone books. The cover is unique and colorful, just like the story. I recently went to see the movie and I was very disappointed. I feel like the producers must not have read the book, and if they did, then they completely missed the message. For me this book was not only a love story, but a people story. A story depicting how we are all interconnected. How our actions, even the small ones, can shape and change the lives of others. Mostly, that we as individuals are not the center of the universe, and neither is the Sun.

What are some of your favorite book covers, and why?

Uncategorized

May Wrap-up

May 30, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

Book-haul

Did I go a bit book-buying happy this month? Yes, I definitely did. I’m going to blame it in part to Mother’s day. Also, trying to complete some of my favorite series that I don’t own yet and finding a sale on Amazon. Finally, the fact that I subscribed to three different book subscription boxes so I can compare them might also have something to do with the amount of books sitting on my bookshelf right now. But mostly, books make me happy 😊

On Mother’s day I got:

📖 Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

📖 Illuminae by Amie Kaufman

📖 Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

📖 Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

📖 To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

📖 A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (which I’m currently reading).

All of these I read samples of before I bought them, and they were all highly recommended by both my Bookstagram friends and my Goodreads friends.

I’m happy that I finally own all the Throne of Glass books by Sarah J. Maas, which was on my bookish bucket list. I also bought the first of the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi, which is one of my comfort books, and the second one of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor, which is another series I want to complete. All of these were on sale on Amazon for less than $8 and I could not resist.

I got We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal and Romanov by Nadine Brandes from my owlcrate and shelflovecrate boxes, along with some very nice book merchandize. I’m still waiting on my last box from faecrate so that I can do a comparison post for all three boxes.

Books I read

I actually made a small dent on my physical TBR this month which I’m very proud of. I read a hardback of Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller, and half paperback/half audio of One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake (I did a mini review of these yesterday). Unfortunately, these were a three and a two star read respectively, which was sad since I’ve had such good luck lately with my books. It was bound to happen I guess.

When it comes to e-books and audio books, I read/heard:

📖Legendary by Stephanie Garber (e-book) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare (e-book) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa (e-book/audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (e-book) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas (e-book/audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖The Sparrow by Denna M. Davis (e-arc) ⭐️⭐️

📖The Space Between Time by Charlie Laidlaw (e-arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I can’t wait to read what all my fellow book bloggers accomplished this month 😊

Uncategorized

Mini Reviews

May 29, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.” ~Synopsis from Goodreads

There are different kinds of fathers. Those who love unconditionally, those who love on condition, and those who never love at all.”
Riden

I found this adventure very entertaining. The banter between Alosa and Riden was fun to read. I quite enjoyed how full of herself Alosa was, she reminded me of Celaena from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I docked a few stars because I found the story became a bit repetitive after a while. Also, I really disliked how Riden kept calling Alosa “lass” when he is only one year older than her. Overall, it was a good story but not life changing. I’m told the next one in the series is much better, Daughter of the Siren Queen, and I will definitely give that one a try.

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

⭐️⭐️

“The battle for the Crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other.” ~Synopsis from Goodreads

I really wanted to like this book. I started reading the actual paperback, and about four chapters in I couldn’t take how dry it was any longer so I stopped. A few weeks later I downloaded the audio book, and it was better but still not good enough. I kept telling myself it would get better, like the first book in the series which only got better towards the end, but it never did. I felt like the story was too slow at times and then too rushed in others. Honestly, the only reason I kept reading was because I love Arisinoe and I really wanted to see what happened to her. I don’t think I will continue with this series.

Have you guys read these? What did you think?

Uncategorized

WWW Wednesday

May 28, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where you answer three questions: What are you reading now? What did you just read? What will you be reading next?

What I just read

This past week I read Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas, and finally got done with Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. Both of those were great reads, so it makes sense that when I tried reading Wonder Woman: War Bringer also by Leigh Bardugo, it was a DNF for me 😦

Maybe I shouldn’t have read Catwoman before this one? Catwoman had good reasons for doing the things she did, and sometimes most of her choices were taken away from her. I just can’t see Wonder Woman choosing the life of one person over the lives of her people, and the overall wellbeing of the world just so she can go on a quest to prove herself? Nope. Okay rant over 🙂

What I’m reading now

I’m currently reading/listening to One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake, which is the second installment in the Three Dark Crowns series. Her writing is a bit dry sometimes and the audio book really helps.

I’m also reading The Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller, it’s a hardcover I acquired a while back and I’m finally getting to it. It starts right in the middle of the action as the main character’s ship is surrendering to enemy pirates and it’s great for now.

What I will be reading next

Definitely A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. Ever since I read the sample I’ve been really excited to dive into this one. Also, that gorgeous cover has been staring at me from the top of my bookshelf for a while now. I also might listen to the Sky in the Deep audio book by Adrienne Young, which is narrated by Khristine Hvam. It has been sitting on my Audible app since I used my free credit to download it.

What are your WWW’s?

Uncategorized

My Comfort Books

May 27, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

I’m sure we are all familiar with reading slumps. We have all been there at some point in our lives. For me, these usually happen when I’m feeling depressed or just relatively low. The first step for me is recognizing that I’m just in one of those moods, and also repeating to myself over and over that shopping on Amazon is not going to make it better 🙂 Then, like a child reaching for a favorite blanket, I go for my comfort books.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, and J.K. Rowling

I’m a big Harry Potter fan, but whenever I’m in one of these reading slumps it’s this screenplay that makes it better. Scorpius, Draco Malfoy’s son, makes my heart happy. He is just one of those characters. He is so full of light and laughter, and everything he says makes me smile. I also think the book has a really nice message.

People say parenting is the hardest job in the world -they’re wrong- growing up is. We all just forget how hard it was.”
Draco

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Poor Juliette, sometimes a character’s life has been so terrible and heartbreaking that it makes me feel better about mine. Nothing like the post apocalyptic Shatter Me series to make all my problems seem small and insignificant in comparison. Also, the writing is so poetic it’s almost hypnotic, and I find it very soothing.

I just read anything I could find. Fairy tales and mysteries and history and poetry. It didn’t matter what it was. I would read it over and over and over again. The books…they helped keep me from losing my mind all together…”
Juliette

I always know I’m at an all time low when I don’t even have the will to read, but these books always help get me out of it. I have both paperback copies and e-books, and I just read them over and over until I feel like reading something new.

What do you when you’re in a reading slump?

Uncategorized

Monday Cleaning Day

May 27, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

I’m so proud I’ve kept my TBR this week at a steady 64 books when it used to be more than 100. I’ve been adding only the first book of a series, because really if I haven’t read the first book in the series yet how do I know I will like the rest? Also, mostly all the books that have less than a four star rating are gone, unless something or someone convinces me to put them back on there. In case this is your first time reading my Monday post, I usually order my Goodreads TBR list in reverse chronological order, I skip the books I kept on other Mondays, and then I pick the first five books. I then decide whether to keep them on the list, or delete them.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (A Curse So Dark and Lonely, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

I actually read a sample of this book and loved it, so I bought a hard copy of it. You may have seen it on my Mother’s Day book haul post on my bookstagram. I can’t wait to read it since it seems to be a Beauty and the Beast re-telling and this is my favorite fairy tale of all time, except instead of the prince I always yearned for the giant Library.

Keep 🙂

Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

I’ve heard a lot of great thing about this one, and I hope it’s not one of those over-hyped books that end up being disappointing. I’ve never read a book by these authors, although the Illuminae Files have also been highly recommended and I recently bought the first one. I will keep this one until I read the Illuminae Files and then make a more educated decision.

Keep 🙂

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

I have a paperback copy of this book I really need to read. Everyone has recommended this to me. The reviews on Goodreads are a bit mixed when it comes to my friends, but the overall rating is a 4.26/5 stars which is great. I liked the sample I read, and I am interested in this unique story about a girl who lives her life mostly online and must choose to face the real world.

Keep 🙂

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) by Amie Kaufman

I don’t know why I added this book after Aurora Rising and not the other way around, but I will definitely read this one before I read Aurora. This book comes highly recommended by all YA/Fantasy fans I’ve met, and I should really get to reading it soon.

Keep 🙂

Skyward (Skyward, #1) by Brandon Sanderson

A ship with a soul, a teenager who wants to be a pilot, and alien starfighters, all set in a post-apocalyptic world. Sign me up! This book has great reviews on Goodreads, an impressive 4.55/5 stars, and I can’t wait to read it.

Keep 🙂

I’m so happy I didn’t have to delete anything this time, and I am excited to dive into all of these books soon. Have you read any of these? What are your opinions on them?

Uncategorized

Top Five Additions to my TBR

May 25, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

It’s Saturday, and therefore I don’t have to worry about cleaning up my TBR until Monday 🙂 So here are my favorite latest additions to my never ending, ever changing TBR list.

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

Someone mentioned this on my bookstagram. Thank you to whoever it was, and sorry I don’t remember you. To those of you who don’t have a bookstagram your TBR probably thanks you as well. It is so hard not to add all these books to my list after seeing people talk about them and how much they loved them, and looking at all the pretty pictures they post. Anyways, back to the book. I love fairy tale retellings, and with the new Aladdin movie coming out I couldn’t help myself. It has great reviews on Goodreads. Also, look at that awesome cover!

Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #1) by Mark Lawrence

This one was recommended by a friend from work who is also into Fantasy/ Sci-fi books. It also has good reviews on Goodreads, and it is part of a series. I love stories with strong female characters and this seems to be one of those.

Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern, #1) by Anne McCaffrey

I’ve found myself in a bit of a dragon withdrawal phase ever since Game of Thrones ended. I haven’t read a good dragon book since the Eragon series by Phillip Pullman more than six years ago. Also, I’m waiting for George R.R. Martin to finish writing the series before I even attempt to read it. This book promises to scratch my dragon itch. It is pretty old, but it has great reviews on Goodreads and it was recommended by a friend who has similar tastes in books.

Cinder and the Prince of Midnight by Susan Ee

Susan Ee is the author of Peryn & The End of Days series. I loved this series, and I cannot wait to read another book by this author. This new book seems to be a Cinderella fairy tale re-telling which is another plus, as I mentioned above I love these. It releases soon on June 3, 2019.

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

I recently had an audio book credit on my Audible App, and I decided to spend it on this book. It had good reviews, and I learned from my mistakes and listened to a sample of it before purchasing to see if the narrator’s voice would annoy me. It seems like a great book with a strong female character, and I can’t wait to listen further.

Have you guys read any of these? Would you recommend them?

Uncategorized

Catwoman Review

May 24, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking. Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing’s undoing. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

Don’t leave me alone in the darkness. This place where we both exist, yet serve different callings.”
cATWOMAN

Catwoman: Soulstealer was written by Sarah J. Maas, and the audio book was narrated by Julia Whelan. I read it in my down time, and listened to it on my work commute, as well as in the shower and while doing house-work. Honestly, I found myself looking for any possible excuse to listen to this book. This narrator was the best I’ve heard yet, she did all the male and female voices perfectly and even did their accents. The only problem when it comes to audio books for me is the fact that it’s harder for me to save the quotes I like, notice I only have one quote in this review 🙂

I’ve never been much of a fan of Catwoman, but this book made me fall in love with her anti-hero character. Her relationship with her sister was so sweet and pure, their love for each other almost made me cry a few times. Luke’s relationship with his parents, especially his dad, was very refreshing to read. As I mentioned before, good father-son relationships have been hard for me to find in YA/Fantasy books lately. I recently talked about Jesper’s relationship with his dad in Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, and I’m glad these types of healthy supportive relationships are becoming more prevalent.

Maas is a master at keeping her characters’ schemes under wraps until the very end, and once again she does not disappoint. As the story progresses we know Selina is back in Gotham on a secret mission which mostly involves her causing a lot of chaos, but we don’t know what her whole plan is. I have to admit I never anticipated the full scope of her plan. This is book was full of action, fighting scenes, with a little romance and friendship thrown into the mix. I really enjoyed it.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

Uncategorized

Crooked Kingdom Review

May 23, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The really bad monsters never look like monsters.”
Wylan

The most resounding thought I had throughout this book was that I’ve never loved a group of characters this much since the Shadowhunters series. This book comes after the events of Six of Crows, so I won’t go into the plot too much in case you haven’t read the first one yet. All you have to know is that this plot involves Kaz Brekker and his crew of misfits pulling off the most intricate con yet. They’re not only fighting for their lives, but the lives and freedom of many others. Also, Kaz wants revenge…as always.

He had sometimes wondered how people survived this city, but it was possible Ketterdam would not survive Kaz Brekker.”
Matthias

If you love stories with a good heist in them, then this is the book for you. It is told from six different points of views, but Leigh Bardugo does it seamlessly so that it never becomes an issue. Each character is unique and fleshed out, even if their names weren’t at the top of each chapter, you could still probably tell who was narrating every time.

When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyways.”
Inej

This story was fast paced and action packed. In Six of Crows, Bardugo had to do a lot of world building before getting to the action. In this second book, she drops us right in the middle of it knowing we would have no problem keeping up. The way it all came together in the end was pure genius, and there were many plot twists I did not see coming and I love being surprised.

I don’t hold a grudge. I cradle it. I coddle it. I feed it fine cuts of meat and send it to the best schools.”
Kaz

Jesper’s relationship with his dad was one of my favorite things in this book, mostly because I believe good father-son relationships are so scarce in YA/Fantasy books. His father supported him and loved him. He came all the way to Ketterdam to find him and make sure he was okay. Then, after finding out the truth about what his son had become and what he had done with their money, he still helped him and his friends until the end.

Matthias had lost his family to war. Nina had been taken from her family to train when she was just a little girl. Wylan had been as good as evicted from his father’s house. Kuwei had lost his father and his country. And Kaz? She didn’t want to know what dark alley Kaz had crawled out of. But Jesper has somewhere to go, someone to take care of him, somebody to say, It’s going to be all right.”
Nina

This was a great second installment to this series, I do believe there will be a third book. Per Goodreads, Leigh Bardugo confirmed that her long-term plan for the Grishaverse involves a third Six of Crows book “many years down the line.”

Have you read this book? What did you think?

Uncategorized

WWW Wednesday

May 22, 2019February 8, 2022 Dee’s Reading Tree

This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where you answer three questions: What are you reading now? What did you just read? What will you be reading next?

What I just read

The Space Between Time by Charlie Laidlaw was amazing. It was a five star read for me. You can read my full review here.

What I’m reading now

I’m currently in one of those reading phases where I am reading multiple books at once. I am finally reading Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, and I am almost done. It is great, and dare I say it better than Six of Crows? It definitely has a lot more action from the beginning. I’m guessing because in Six of Crows she had to do a lot more world building.

I’m also listening to the Catwoman: Soulstealer audio book narrated by Julia Whelan, and written by my favorite Sarah J. Maas. I’ve been listening to it while on my commute to and from work, and I confess it’s so good that I’ve also been finding other random times to listen to it…like in the shower and while doing housework. 🙂

Reviews on both of these coming soon!

What I will be reading next

My next priority is Wonderwoman: Warbringer by Leigh Bargudo. I have the e-book and it has been waiting for me for a while. I also have hard copies of One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake and Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller that I need to get to as well. I think after these are done I will stop requesting library books and read the ones I already have, which will make reading less stressful. I feel like I’ve been down an overwhelming slippery slope lately, and I don’t like to feel that way when it comes to reading.

What are your WWW’s?