October 2019 – Page 4 – Amy Leigh Reads

The Readers Problems Book Tag 🏷

October 10, 2019October 10, 2019by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment

I’ve seen this tag going around the blogosphere and I definitely had to give it a try! I couldn’t find the original post but I seen it first at Let’s Get Galactic!

My first thought was to pick a book out of a TBR jar!

I would say 9 times out of 10 I am committed but I am really not gelling with the book I have no qualms with putting it down!

Well last year I actually got to 99 books and it was the last day of the year and I really struggled with just speeding through a book and not enjoying it or leaving it at 99 which killed me. I didn’t end up reading the book and I just told myself to cut me some slack, 99 books is still an amazing number and I’ll try again next year. I am actually well over 100 books for 2019 so I am very happy with my progress!

This has happened so many times to me now! At first it’s a struggle to see them all mismatched on my shelves, so I either just deal with it or try and wait for like the paperback set to come out and replace them. Depends on how much I love the series.

I’m not shy about voicing my opinions if I am in a minority in terms of loving a book or not. There are usually one or two people that I come across either online or IRL that share my feelings and we can discuss together.

I usually close the book for a few seconds and take a few deep breaths.

No, I will either read my review and that will spur my memories or I will just read a summary online.

I honestly don’t mind if someone borrows my books as long as the return it when I ask and in the same condition. They get one chance, if they misplace or damage then I let them know they can’t borrow anything else, sorry!

I would maybe try a different format of book, like I might try an e-book or an audio book, if this still doesn’t work then I usually take a full week or two of not even thinking about or touching any books, giving myself a time out in order to refresh.

Only the ones I am absolutely DYING to read, otherwise I like to check my local library or try and wait until I see some reviews to know whether or not it’s worth it!

If I am super excited about them I like to get stuck straight in, but if the book is just super hyped then it’s just all about what I feel like at the time. Could be a week or two, could be a couple of months.

Reviews

The Girl the Sea Gave Back Review

October 9, 2019October 9, 2019by amyleighreads1 Comment

42867937 I need more!!!

This book is a standalone about 10 years after the events of Sky in the Deep takes place. We are following two perspectives of Tova and Halvard. For as long as Tova can remember she has been shunned among the Svell people because of her abilities. When a reading she makes is interpreted in a way she wasn’t expecting she is led right to Halvard, the young leader from a rival clan.

I like that we are given some new perspectives as well as some of the old characters. As far as companion novels go I would say you definitely don’t have to read Sky in the Deep to enjoy this book but it was nice to know some of the people and have that context in place before diving in. Even though I had only read Sky in the Deep a few months ago I found this book a little hard to get into at the start. You are kind of thrown straight into the storyline and the different names of the tribes and people were a little disorientating. I made it kind of hard to get immersed into the book.

I wasn’t that big of a fan of Tova at the start. I found her to be a little too meek for my standards. She really let the Svell people treat her like dirt and she still did the readings for them. I wanted a little more rebellion and opposition from her in order to do what was right and it wasn’t until after the half way mark that I got what I wanted from her.

I kind of struggled to deal with the fact that Halvard is now a young man, chosen to become the next leader of the clan. I still think of him as the little kid who Eelyn saved. I can see he also struggles stepping up into the role that is really thrust upon him by the other leaders. I enjoyed his character a lot. I thought he was very dedicated and committed to saving everyone from the Svell.

I just needed a little more information about the magical side of Tova and why the sea and the Spinners saved her. Her connection to Halvard was never really explored either and I found it a little frustrating. I wanted to delve more into their possible romance and the reasons why they are destined to be together. I felt this whole storyline was kind of skated over in preference for all of the fighting scenes. Granted they made the stakes a lot higher and I was on the edge of my seat throughout, I just wanted a little more time for their relationship to blossom. I was just feeling a little underwhelmed.

⭐️3/5 Liked didn’t love as much as Sky in the Deep

Top Ten Tuesdays

Character Traits I Hate

October 8, 2019July 11, 2020by amyleighreads2 Comments

I decided to do a little spin on this week’s Top 10 Tuesday prompt and instead of characters traits I like I thought I would go with character traits I dislike!! There is usually a commonality between all of the characters I tend to dislike in books and when I really sat down and thought about it this was the list that I came up with!

There is just something about naïve main protagonists that just gets on my nerves.

Example: Charlie from Save the Date by Morgan Matson

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Those characters that are just all me, me, me!

Example: Billy from Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Characters that have no backbone and just let everyone walk all over them.

Example: Elle from Geekarella by Ashley Poston

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I really don’t like characters that judge other character without knowing/talking to them!

Example: Zuri from Pride by Ibi Zoboi

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Characters who think they are better than other people!

Example: Jude from The Wicked King by Holly Black

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Reviews

Daughter of the Burning City Review

October 7, 2019October 4, 2019by amyleighreads1 Comment

30237061 This was a total spur of the moment pick up and I wasn’t disappointed!

This book follows the story of Sorrina who is an illusion caster in the travelling festival of Gomorrah. She is the daughter of the proprietor of the festival which kind of makes her a princess of Gomorrah. However, Sorrina was born without eyes and a lot of people view her as a freak. When someone starts to murder her illusions, Sorrina needs to figure out who, why and how!

I was really drawn into the story right from the beginning. It starts out pretty fast paced which I enjoy and all the information is provided quite organically in the course of the plot. I like that there are so many different, diverse characters scattered throughout the story line, it made it a lot easier to distinguish between everyone.

Sorrina I found to be a little naïve and a bit on the lower range of her age. I get that she is only 16 but I feel like she’s been quite sheltered her whole life and I thought she would know a lot more about Gomorrah than what she actually does. In terms of the whole plot I guess it makes sense that she doesn’t know a lot of people but that was one thing that stuck out to me. I love how committed she is to her little family and the depths of the grief and loss that she feels after each death. She is also quite honest and upfront about her emotions as well which I appreciated in her.

I thought the dynamic between Sorrina and her illusions was very intriguing and the way that she comes up with each one and almost unconsciously makes them freaks like her was a nice element to the story, it really enabled Sorrina to be able to relate to them all. It was interesting that even though she created them, they are all able to think for themselves, all she is really able to control is when they appear and disappear. I like that there are limitations to what she can do and it is made evident in the story.

I thought the world building in the book was fantastic; the whole situation between the Up Mountain and Down Mountain people and how they differentiate. I liked the religious aspect with the zealots and claiming all the illusionists to be devil workers. It added a layer of depth to the book and was a good foundation for the story to build upon. Especially when it came to all the Up Mountain political climate scheme that is uncovered.

There was a real sense of urgency and suspense woven throughout the story line which kept me highly engaged in the book. The stakes were always at an all-time high and trying to figure out who was behind everything was very entertaining!

⭐️4/5 stars dark and murderous and magical

Reviews

Bunny Review

October 4, 2019October 4, 2019by amyleighreads1 Comment

42815544 This was a strange one!

Bunny is an urban fantasy/horror story revolving around a cult of girls in a prestigious writing college who all call each other Bunny. Samantha has always hated the Bunny’s but when she is invited to one of their parties she can’t help but be a little intrigued and decided to go.

I liked Samantha’s character, she felt genuine to me! She wasn’t a perfect, strong, empowered female protagonist that I am used to reading in fiction these days. She’s very judgmental and standoffish and kind of quirky which I enjoy. I like that she isn’t censored throughout the book and the language is on the more explicit side. Again it just adds a layer of authenticity and uniqueness.

The plot was highly original and to be honest a little hard to keep up with. Samantha has a tendency to go on tangents and I found during those times I would kind of skim through most of what she was saying. The whole scenario with the Bunnies was highly engaging to me though. I was definitely on the edge of my seat every time they were all together and I didn’t know what to expect each time!

The fantastical element I am kind of on the fence about. I’m not opposed to a little gore in my books, but I can see that would almost be polarizing to a lot of people, especially since there are quite a few scenes of animal abuse. In the context of the story it didn’t bother me at all, I just know it could be sensitive topic. The way that the actual ritual works to make these ‘bunnies’ wasn’t explained enough for me. I like rules and limitations in my fantasy and this one was really open to interpretation. Why are these four girls so special and why especially is Samantha able to make them better? I guess I just needed a bit more background information. How did these four girls come together and what made them decide to try these experiments? Are they so close because of the ritual or is it just how they are? Why didn’t they experiment on other animals, why just stick to bunnies? Is it because of their nickname?

I’m just left with a lot of questions and feel a little unfulfilled I guess.

All in all I found it to be quite a fascinating read and definitely not like anything that I have read before. I kind of already want to reread it just to maybe let it sink in a bit more and I might be able to gel with it a bit better?

⭐️3/5 stars B-A-N-A-N-A-S