Book Lists – Page 85 – Amy Leigh Reads

Quarterly Reading Recommendations

June 28, 2019June 28, 2019by amyleighreads1 Comment

This is my second installment of my quarterly reading recommendations for 2019. Every 3 months I will be looking over all the books I’ve read in that time and picking out my top 10 favourites. Then at the end of the year I will compile my lists and pick my top 10 overall from the books I’ve selected where I will be going a little more in depth! If you want to check out my first quarterly reading recommendations click HERE.

So in no particular order my reading recommendations for April-May-June are:

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

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Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard

Red Sister & Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

Vampire Academy & Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Book Lists

❄️ Books on my Winter TBR ❄️

June 26, 2019June 26, 2019by amyleighreads1 Comment

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday prompt is Books on my Summer 2019 TBR list. Well over here in Australia it’s winter at the moment so this is really the time of year I get stuck into more epic fantasy and series with some mystery/sci-fi thrown in. All of these books have been on my TBR for ages now and I really want to knock them all out this winter!

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

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The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

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The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

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Finale by Stephanie Garber

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The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

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Vengeful by V.E. Schwab

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Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

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The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X.R. Pan

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Book vs. Movie

📚 Book vs Movie 🎥

June 25, 2019June 20, 2019by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment

This month I thought I would catch up on the hype and pick Crazy Rich Asians.

I had seen the hype for the movie back when it was released last year and then it seemed like everyone was picking up the books and reading them as well but I didn’t know if I was going to like it so I put off buying the series for the longest time. That was until I seen that my local library had a copy of Crazy Rich Asians so I immediately went in and borrowed it, then I thought may as well see how the movie compares as well!

These were my thoughts on Crazy Rich Asians:

Pros: I was highly engaged throughout the course of the book. I loved the South East Asian influence of the book with the addendum’s as a great learning resource which helped to give the book more depth and realism. I loved how colourful the movie was and there was some gorgeous shots of Singapore in there as well (definitely made me want to visit). They pretty much stayed right along with the original storyline of the book which I appreciated as well.

Cons: There are a lot of characters in this book and at the start I had a little trouble keeping track of everyone and how they relate back to Nick; the family tree at the start really helped. With the movie the cut out some pretty important scenes or just merged a few scenes together which made me feel like the whole build up and eventual conflict was a little rushed. Some of the portrayals of the characters was a little skewed in my opinion as well. You didn’t really get in in depth look at any of the other family members either it just mostly about Rachel and Nick.

Overall thoughts: I was very entertained throughout the course of the book. I loved the plotting and the scheming of this one massive family and how they will stop at nothing to prevent ‘gold diggers’ from marrying into their dynasty. The movie was very entertaining as well, it just lacked a little depth in my opinion.

My Recommendation: Although the movie was fun and entertaining I have to say I definitely preferred the book!

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Book Lists

5 Mystery/Thriller Books Update

June 20, 2019June 11, 2019by amyleighreads5 Comments

This year I really wanted to branch out from fantasy and get into some other genres and mystery/thrillers always interested me, I just never picked any up. So back in February I posted 5 mystery/thriller books I wanted to read in 2019 and I thought since we are now in mid-June I would give an update on what I’ve read and some of my thoughts on these books!

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

I liked the twists and revelations that occur in the book as well. I am not really an avid reader of mysteries or thrillers so all the tropes are relatively new to me. I enjoyed the steady progression of suspense and the flashbacks really helped to establish Anna’s frame of mind and why she is so adamant in finding out the truth. It definitely kept me intrigued and eager to read on and see what was going to happen next. I couldn’t predict any of the plot points so I was definitely surprised when the truth was finally uncovered.

My Rating: ⭐️4/5 stars

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The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware

The overall tone of the book was very dark and foreboding and also very cold, be it the weather or the house and even Mrs. Warren. I finished this book in basically one sitting and I was swept into this story by Ruth Ware’s immensely detailed and descriptive prose. I loved every second of this book. The mystery elements really kept me on my toes; the pacing was perfect and the plot twists… OMG! I did not see anything coming and I was very much surprised and satisfied with how this book ended!

My Rating: ⭐️5/5 stars

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Never World Wake by Marisha Pessl

This book was super obscure and very interesting! I liked the slow buildup of tension throughout the plot and how things started unraveling as the storyline progressed. I didn’t really know what to expect from the premise but I enjoyed the direction the book went with.

My Rating: ⭐️4/5 stars

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The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendriks & Sarah Pekkanen

I love how we are always misdirected in this book. It says it in the blurb to not make assumptions about this love triangle but of course I thought Vanessa was just another alcoholic housewife whose husband has left her and moved on to greener pastures. I was so invested in the storyline that I almost forgot that it was a thriller and when that first plot twist hit me I was thrown.

My Rating: ⭐️4/5 stars

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Book Lists

Anticipated Releases (Second Half of 2019)

June 18, 2019June 18, 2019by amyleighreads4 Comments

This weeks Top 10 Tuesday prompt is my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2019!

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Expected Publication Oct 1^st) – I have loved every book I have read from Leigh Bardugo so I am highly anticipating this read! The premise sounds very engaging and I am interested to see how she can take on different genre than the usual fantasy that I’ve read from her.

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Dark Dawn by Jay Kristoff (Expected Publication Sept 3^rd) – I have been loving the Nevernight Chronicles so far! I binged both books last year and I have been itching to find out what will happen next, especially after that massive twist at the end of Godsgrave.

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The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware (Expected Publication Sept 5^th) – I read The Death of Mrs Westaway earlier this year and absolutely LOVED it! I have since not read another Ruth Ware. I know she has a few back list books for me to one day peruse through but I wanted to try another of her new releases before I start any of her other books!

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Supernova by Marissa Meyer (Expected Publication Nov 5^th) – I am so invested in this series! I love the whole premise, I think the characters are all very distinctive and entertaining and there is just so much action and schemes. The storyline has gotten more intricate over the course of the book with so much more at stake and I feel like this ending is going to go out with a bang!

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Vow of Thieves by Mary E Pearson (Expected Publication August 6^th) – I fell in love with Dance of Thieves when I read it back in January! The storyline was fantastic, especially with all of the history of the town and the family and all of the secrets that really kept me intrigued and eager to read on. I really made a connection with these characters and I was highly invested in their missions. Definitely a step up from the Remnant Chronicles in my opinion and I very excited to continue on with the sequel!

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