August Wrap Up - September TBR

The end of August is here, which means it is time to do a wrap up and a TBR blog post. I managed to read 6 books in August, which is an OK amount. I was hoping to get through more considering it was the bout of books read-a-thon this month, as well as I had my three weeks vacation. But I was more busy then I expected.
I'm still happy with the books I got through though, and without further adieu, lets get started with the wrap up.

The first book I read was My Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty:

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book a lot, and it definitely made me want to pick up more of Liane Moriarty's books.

I did a book review for this, so if you would like to see what I thought about the book, click HERE.









I ended up giving this book:

The second book I read was Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead:

My thoughts:
This is the third book in the Vampire Academy series. This was fast pace and a lot of stuff happened. I still enjoy the characters a lot, and the story and mystery is great.
It ended with quite a heartbreaking cliffhanger.










This book got:

Then I read Blood Promise by Richelle Mead:

My thoughts:
The fourth book in the Vampire Academy series. This was actually kind of a disappointment to me. I felt like it was too slow, and not a lot of exciting things happened. The stuff that did happen was interesting, but I felt like the book dragged out a lot, and it got boring at times.









I gave this:

I then read Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher:

My thoughts:
I needed a break from the VA series, and I'm so glad I chose to pick up this book. I loved everything about it, the plot, the characters, the writing style. I also did a book review, which you can find by clicking HERE.










Of course this book got:

The next book I picked up was Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead:

My thoughts:
This is the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series. After a little break I decided to pick up this series again, cause I still wanted to know how it continued. And this book was definitely better then the last one.
This was filled with action, mystery and love drama. And I enjoyed all of it.








This book got:

The last book I read during the month of August was Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol:

My thoughts:
This is a graphic novel, which is something I haven't read a lot of.
It was a really quick and fun read, and I read it in one sitting. It also had a bit of a shocking twist, which I enjoyed.
It definitely made me want to pick up more graphic novels, cause it gives you a very different and fun reading experience.








The book got:

So all in all it was a really great reading month, where I've had a lot of super enjoyable reads.

When it comes to the September TBR, this will not be a list that is set in stone. I might change what I want to read and pick up other books then what I plan. But I do have some books I think I will definitely read.

First of all I will be reading Torn Away by Jennifer Brown:

I am currently reading this book, and I am very intrigued by the story so far.

I am starting work again on Monday, and this means sitting in traffic, which again means time for audiobooks. This month I am planning on listening to the Legend series by Marie Lu:

I also want to finish the Vampire Academy series, which means I will pick up the last book, Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead:

Other then that I will just pick up whatever I feel like. I hope to start a new series, but I have a couple of different to choose from so I don't know which one it will be yet. I'm also hoping to read more stand alones. 

….

Elin

Series Review: Caster Chronicles

This will be my spoiler free book review of the entire Caster Chronicles series by Kami Garcia and Margareth Stohl.
It is 4 books in total, and that is Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption.

I really enjoyed this series, and ended up giving the first two books 4 stars, and the last two 4.5 stars. I love when series just gets better and better.

Short synopsis:
These books follow the ordinary small town boy Ethan, and a new girl in town Lena. Lena is a caster, which is another word for witch. She is cursed, and when she is turning 16 she will be claimed for either the dark (bad) or the light (good) side.
We follow Ethan and Lena as their lives intertwine, and they must together fight against the curse.

My thoughts on the plot:
I think the plot of the books were interesting, and original. In the first book they fight against the curse that Lena will have to deal with when turning 16. In the other books they run into a lot of other obstacles. The last book was more adventurous than the other 3, and that was also one of the reasons why I liked that one the most.
So much happened throughout the books, so even though the books are pretty big, I flew through them.
The one negative thing I will say about the story in the books, is that it was a bit predictable at times. There weren't really any shocking moments that made me feel taken aback, and I missed that.

My thoughts on the characters:
I did to like the two main characters, Ethan and Lena. Ethan wasn't tough enough, and Lena was just annoying and whiny. I didn't like their relationships either, it was just to "lovey-dovey" for my taste. I will say though, that in the last book you get to read from both Ethan's and Lena's point of view, and that actually made me like Lena a little bit better.
But besides the main character, the books contained a lot of other enjoyable people. I love Link and Ridley, I think they are hilarious. Macon is also great, he's just such a good person. Liv, who is introduced in the second book, was also a really great character. She is the type of girl character I enjoy reading about in books.

All in all
This is a very fun magical and action packed read. I would not recommend seeing the movie, because that just isn't that great, and these books are so much better. If you like young adult novels, you will probably really like these books as well. Again, a really great series, and combined I'm giving this series:

Wishlist Wednesday #2

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly meme posted by Pen to Paper, where you share a book that is on your wishlist.

The book I have chosen for this wednesday is Legend by Marie Lu

Goodreads synopsis:
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. 

Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. 

Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. 

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. 
Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

My thoughts:
This book has been out for a couple of year now, and it has been on my wishlist since it started being popular in the book community. This is the first book in a trilogy, and all three books have very good reviews on goodreads. That, and the fact that i love dystopian books, and that it also sounds super exciting makes me really want to get this book. I also mentioned this in my last Top Ten Tuesday list, and there I wrote that I will probably get this book as an audiobook and listen to it when I start work on monday. Can't wait :)

If you would like to see others wishlists, just click HERE.

….
Elin 

Top Ten Tuesday #4

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week it's a new topic, and then you share you're top ten list for that specific topic.
This weeks topic is:

Top Ten Books I Really Want To Read But Don't Own Yet

1. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

This book is high on my list, and I have been wanting to read it for ages. I just simply need to get a hold of the trilogy and read them. Haven't heard a negative word about these books, and it just sounds amazing. Don't really know why I haven't picked it up yet, but it is going to happen very soon for sure.

2. Fallen Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

I mentioned this book in my Wishlist Wednesday post a couple of weeks ago, which you can find HERE.
It sounds awesome, and I am really digging fantasy at the moment, so this just fits right in there.

3. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Again another fantasy book. I want it because I'm into fantasy, it sounds really good, and people are raving about it. It just has to be great then.

4. Doon by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon

It's not that long ago since I came over this book. And my first reaction was to suggest it to my sister, which is in love with Scotland. And the books takes place in Scotland. But I also think it sounds like a super fun read, so I definitely want to read it for myself. I think the second book just came out as well.

5. The Archived by Victoria Schwab

When I read the synopsis for this book I knew right away that I wanted to read it. It just sounds so unique and different. It is also very popular in the book community.

6. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Again, another fantasy book. This one has been super popular amongst readers lately, and I feel like everybody is picking up a copy. I need to do that too. It sounds like a great story, that I wanna take a part of.

7. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

I haven't read many books about dragons, but I do wanna read more of them. And I think this one is a good choice. It sounds interesting from the plot, and the reviews on Goodreads is really good. Also the second book is coming out sometime next year.

8. Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

This book is just one of those books that everybody just has to read. And I really want to read it, cause I think it will be a great and really fun adventure. And people LOVE this series so much.

9. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

This is probably the book on this list I mostly want to get my hands on. The plot is awesome, and the main character sounds really badass. This is also a book with tons of good reviews, which can sometimes be scary, but I think I will enjoy it.

10. Legend by Marie Lu

I love dystopian books, and this one has been on my wish list for a while. Again a book with good review and a great plot. I think I'm gonna get this as an audiobook and start listening to it when I go back to work in a week. Hopefully it will make the time in the traffic a whole lot more fun.













Click HERE to check out other people's Top Ten list, or go and share your'e own list.

….
Elin

Bout of Books 11, Wrap Up

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is over, and I finished my first ever read a thon. It was a lot of fun, but I didn't get to read as much as I wanted, but I'm still pleased with the amount that I got through.

The challenges I gave myself were to read:

• 3 books
• and/or at least 1000 pages

Sadly I didn't finish any of these challenges. But I still had a great time, and I got through some pages still.

First of, I did finish Blood Promise by Richelle Mead:

Pages read: 338

I had already started this book before the read-a-thon began, and that is why the pages are not more. I did enjoy the book but it wasn't my favorite in the series, and I kind of felt like it dragged out a little bit and got a bit boring at times.

The next book i started and finished was Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher:

Pages read: 288

After reading Blood Promise, I was in the mood for something totally different, so I decided to pick up this book. And I'm so glad I did. I flew through it, which is always handy in a read-a-thon. 

I loved this book, and I did a book review for it, which you can go to by clicking HERE.

The last book I started was Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead:

Pages read: 167

My goal was to finish the Vampire Academy throughout this read-a-thon. That didn't exactly happen, but I still got a lot further through it. I haven't gotten very far into this book, and to be honest after Blood Promise I haven't been very eager to pick it up.

But I am hoping and wishing this book will be a lot better, and get me really into the series again.

Pages read in total: 793

I am so glad I participated in the Bout of Books, and it definitely made me want to do more read-a-thons in the future. Hopefully next time, I might be able to finish my goals as well :)

….

Elin

Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Short Synopsis:
This book is about a girl named Hanna Baker, who have committed suicide. Before she took her life she recorded cassette tapes, which contains 13 reasons why she decided on going through with it.
Clay Jensen receives these types, and finds out that he is actually one of the thirteen reasons.

If you would like to read the Goodreads synopsis click HERE.


My thoughts on the plot:
This was such an original book. I have never read anything like it. I thought the way it was written was just brilliant. It was a thrilling story, which i flew through. The way Asher conveyed both Hanna's and Clay's feelings were amazing, and I got sucked into the story right away. I was hooked from beginning to end, and I almost couldn't put it down, cause I just had to know how and why it all happened.

My thoughts on the characters:
I really liked the two main characters Clay and Hanna. I felt so bad for both of them. What they had to go through was so tragic and sad. I could feel the desperation and the hopelessness that Hanna was feeling, and I could definitely feel the frustration and sadness Clay went through. He wanted to help her so bad, but he knew it was to late.

All in all:
This book dives into a very serious and heavy subject, suicide. It definitely made you think about how you can affect other people, small things can have huge impacts on others, it can even change their lives. The book also shows how important it is to show people that you care. Even though people doesn't ask for help, it doesn't always mean they don't want and need it.
Such a strong book, and I loved every part of it. So without a doubt this books get a solid:

….

Elin

Friday Reads #3

It is Friday, and time for another Friday Reads blog post. I am working this weekend, but I still hope to get some reading done. It is still the Bout of Books read-a-thon so I need to do my best the last days that are left.

This weekend I will be reading two books, and the first one is Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher:

I am currently reading this book, and absolutely loving it. I get why it is so popular, and why it has gotten so many good reviews. I will probably finish this book tonight because I only have about 40 pages left of it.














When I finish that book I will dive into Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead:

This is the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series. I have to be honest, I am not super thrilled to start this book, because the last book was a bit boring. But it definitely ended with a cliffhanger, and therefore I need to continue on with the series to see how it will progress.
I really hope this book picks up a lot, and gets me hooked again.












….
Elin

Waiting on Wednesday #2

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. The is a way to share upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating. A great way to discover new books, and maybe add them to your TBR list.

This week I have chosen The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Release date: October 7th, 2014

Goodreads Synopsis:
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

My thoughts:
This book sounds so interesting, and original. It is a dystopian, and that is one of my favorite genres. I have not read Marie Lu's other series, Legend. But that one has gotten super good reviews on goodreads, and therefore I am hoping, and believing that this one will also be great. Need to get this in my life now :)

To read others waiting on wednesday picks, click HERE.

….
Elin

Top Ten Tuesday #3

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week they choose a new topic, and they invite others to join in and share their lists. This weeks topic is:

Top Ten Books People Have Been Telling You That You MUST Read

I don't have that many people around me who reads a lot, and especially not the same type of books that I read. Therefore my list will contain some books that has been recommended directly to me, and some books that blogers, and book tubers have raved about and recommended readers/watchers to read.

1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

This book was recommended to me by my sister. She really enjoyed it, and I believe I will to cause it sounds really good. The last book just recently came out, and it has been a series that has been raved about a lot. It is definitely on my TBR for sure.














2. The Fault in Our Star by John Green.

This is a book I think everybody has heard about, and nearly everybody has read. I feel like everybody loved this book, and I haven't heard a bad word about it. I mentioned this book in my last top ten post HERE, where I said I probably wont pick it up because I have already watched the movie, and therefore feel like the whole book has been spoiled.












3. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

I see this series mentioned in the book community all the time. And the third book is going to be released very soon. I am super intrigued by the synopsis of this book, and it sounds super awesome. It is a bit scary because of all the hype, and I am afraid to be really disappointed. But I know I can't stay away from this series, and I hope it will live on my shelf very, very soon.












4. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare.

This is the first book in the sequel series to The Mortal Instruments series, which is a super popular book series, and now also a popular movie.
Many people who have read both of these series, have this one, The Infernal Devices, as their favorite, and because of that I really want to read this series as well as The Mortal Instruments.











5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

Another hyped up series, which just seems so great. Three books are out so far, and the fourth one is coming out sometime next year. The synopsis sounds very good and original, and this is also a series I haven't heard any negative words about.















6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

I feel like this is one of the most popular contemporary YA novels out there, and so many people loves it. I am not sure I am that intrigued to read it though. I might have to give into it one day, just to see if it is as good as people say it is.














7. Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan.

I feel like I am one of the few people that has not read this series yet. I really, really need to get these soon and read them. I'm imagining them being fast pace, and a really fun read, like Harry Potter.














8. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.

This one has such an original and unique plot, and it has been on my TBR for a long time. The last book came out not that long ago, and I am dying to get the whole trilogy and just read through them all.














9. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

The last book in this series came out recently, and therefore it has been mentioned a lot in the book community. And people just seem to LOVE this series so much. Don't know to much what it is about, but I know I want to read it still.














10. The Selection by Kiera Cass.

Again, another book series that has recently been completed, and therefore has been talked about a lot. This trilogy has more mixed reviews, but I am really intrigued by the unique plot.
















Any of these I should be reading right away? :)

If you would like to read others Top Ten list, click HERE.

….
Elin