Month: August 2018

Wrap Ups

August Wrap Up

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on August Wrap Up

This month I’ve had a lot going on and I haven’t been able to read as many books as I would have preferred. That being said I did complete 6 books this month that I absolutely loved and haven’t been able to stop talking about for the last couple of weeks. I do have reviews on all of these books up on my blog at the moment so feel free to click on the titles and check them out!

Ever the Brave by Erin Summerill – ⭐️4/5 stars

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner – ⭐️4/5 stars

Poison Study by Maria V Snyder – ⭐️4/5 stars

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo – ⭐️4/5 stars

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas – ⭐️5/5 stars

Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli – ⭐️4/5 stars

All in all it was a pretty great reading month for me. I lucked out and ended up pretty much loving every single book that I read. There is usually one or two books where I’m kind of like ‘eh’, but I honestly enjoyed my time reading every single one of these. Fingers crossed my luck continues onto next month and the rest of the year!

Happy Reading 📚

TBR

September TBR

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I’ve decided that September is going to be kind of a catch up month for me. I’m going to try to finish some books that are highly popular in their respective genres that a lot of people absolutely love that I just haven’t gotten around to reading yet. My goal for this month is 10 books, hopefully I’ll get through a good majority of them as they have been on my TBR for a long time now and the time if rife that I give them a read and see if they live up to the hype.

lunar-chroniclesThe first 4 books in my TBR for September are Cinder, Scarlett, Cress and Winter all by Marissa Meyer as part of The Lunar Chronicles. I don’t know a lot about these books other than it’s a YA fantasy/sci-fi fairy retelling of different fairy tales. That alone gives me cause to pick them up and start reading, and I’ve found that this series is really a staple in the YA community and a lot of people really love them. I also don’t read a lot of sci-fi so my interest has been piqued and I’m excited to get stuck in and see what these books are all about.

27883214The 5th book on my TBR is Caraval by Stephanie Garber. Another fantasy YA novel that I’ve been hearing a lot about since it came out earlier last year. A YA fantasy story featuring a carnival setting really brings to mind The Night Circus which I read earlier in the year and was kind of underwhelmed by, so I really want to read Caraval and see how it compares.

1265703The 6th book I would like to read this month is Magic Study by Maria V Snyder. A book I am highly anticipating reading as I just completed Poison Study last month and was blown away by it! I’m excited to continue on in the narrative and see what happens after Yelena is pretty much forced to flee to Sitia after having that execution order placed on her head. Cannot wait to read on and see what happens next!

28421168The 7th book I’m hoping to complete is also by Marissa Meyer and it is Renegades. This is another YA fantasy/sci-fi novel that a lot of people have been talking about and it has piqued my interest. I’ve heard it’s sort of similar to x-men? Human’s with extraordinary abilities and a lot of action. This premise is really interesting to me and I believe there is a sequel coming out at the end of this year so I definitely want to pick it up!

illuminae-filesThe last three books on my TBR are The Illuminae Files, Illuminae, Gemina and Obsidio written by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. All I really know about these books is that it’s a sci-fi trilogy that is written in a unique format that takes place in outer space. I’m trying to dip my feet into the sci-fi genre and I’ve heard nothing but good things about the Illuminae Files so I figure why not, I may fall in love.

Updates

Words of Radiance Update

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Unfortunately life has gotten in the way and I won’t have time to finish Words of Radiance by the end of this month. I am currently on page 535 and I am loving every word! I will continue to read on throughout the rest of this month and continue on through to next month but I just don’t have the time to sit down and read this 1000 page tome and give it the attention it deserves.

I am in love with Brandon Sanderson’s writing style and the world’s he comes up with are so epic and expansive it’s amazing to me. The characters are so well developed and the descriptive nature of his writing really makes the action leap out of the pages. Already so much has happened and I’m a little less than half way through… I have so many thoughts and theories so far and I am looking forward to continuing on in this series over the course of the next few months.

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Book Lists

Book Releases I’m Anticipating

by amyleighreads3 Comments on Book Releases I’m Anticipating

These are the top 5 book releases of the second half of 2018 that I am eagerly anticipating. I cannot wait to get my hands on these books and I am excited to be continuing on in some of my favourite series.

37486213The 1st book I’m excited to be released is Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake. I believe this is the third and final book in the Three Dark Crowns series that I also read earlier this year consisting of Three Dark Crowns and One Dark Throne. This is a dark, atmospheric fantasy series that I flew through when I read them. I loved the characters and their growth and the twists and turns that occur are very entertaining to read. Released September 25th 2018

29386918The 2nd book I cannot wait to read is Wildcard by Marie Lu. I read Warcross earlier this year and absolutely loved it. Emika as a character was one of my favourite female protagonists I’ve read this year, she’s clever, she’s street savvy but also tenacious and persistent. I enjoyed the gradual relationship she shared with Hideo and after that cliff-hanger at the end I can’t wait to get stuck in and see what happens next. Released September 17th 2018

51iEa42ZjfL._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_The 3rd book on my list is Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor. I actually have Strange the Dreamer as one of my top 10 books of 2018 so far, so I am excited to jump straight back into that world and continue on in the story. Strange the Dreamer is lyrical and whimsical and different than anything I’ve read before. Released 2nd October 2018

33590260The 4th book I am anticipating for the second half of this year is Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas. This is the seventh and I think last book in the Throne of Glass series. I just finished Tower of Dawn and that really catapulted me right back into the story and hyped my back up for this series. I loved reading Throne of Glass and I can’t wait to see how Aelin works her way out of her current predicament and we finally get the outcome of the war. Released 23rd October 2018

81GINBuWPOLThe last book on my list that I can’t wait to get me hands on is Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare. This is the third book in the Dark Artifices series and oh my goodness have I been waiting. Lord of Shadows really broke me emotionally after that ending and I honestly don’t know what is going to happen next. How Emma and Julian and the rest of the Blackthorns are going to deal emotionally as well as the ramifications felt throughout the rest of the clave. This is probably my most anticipated book of 2018 and I’m excited that the release date is getting closer and closer. Released 4th December 2018

Reviews

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda Review

*Non Spoiler Review*

Oh Simon…

51YD0qrSr6L._SX328_BO1204203200_This book follows Simon a 16 year old boy who is gay but hasn’t told anyone yet. Another boy in his grade finds out and makes thinly veiled threats about outing him unless he sets him up with one of Simon’s best friends.

This was a very fast paced, fluffy, feel good kind of book. However, there was also an undercurrent of emotional turmoil and anguish. I thought it was very well written and really evoked the frustration and confusion that Simon was experiencing at the time.

I loved the dialogue and the conversations used in the book, I thought it was witty and humorous and kept me thoroughly entertained. The characters were very well thought out and there was a depth to all of them, they all served a purpose in the novel and really added layers to the narrative. I also enjoyed the pop culture references and the use of music to help evoke how Simon was feeling.

There were times when Simon kind of got on my nerves, just a little too self absorbed but I think we definitely see him grow and realise his flaws and work towards being a better person which I appreciated. I also loved how he came into himself towards the end of the book especially when he finally shows how comfortable he is in his sexuality.

I liked the mystery aspect that Becky Albertalli added with the emails between Simon and Blue. I think it really allowed Simon to open up and express himself and show the softer, true side of him that he doesn’t really show to the world. It also was a fun way for the reader to try and dig through the list of characters to try and figure out who Blue is.

I also thought Simon’s sisters were fantastic. They were really supportive of him throughout this transition period in Simon’s life and the fact that they didn’t treat him any differently after he came out and just accepted him for the person he is really showed how much they love and trust him.

All in I thought it was a great book; I actually finished it all in one sitting so it is a very quick read. I loved that we see this in Simon’s perspective as a young gay man and how difficult it is for him in today’s cyber society and in a social environment like school.

⭐️4/5 stars a fun, quick, important read!