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WWW Wednesday

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on WWW Wednesday

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday!

1 copyI am currently about 30 pages into Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman. I marathoned their Illuminae Files last year and absolutely loved them. So when I seen they teamed up again for another sci-fi series I was definitely intrigued. I’m not far enough in yet to have formed any opinions but I am excited to see what they have come up with!

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2 copyI just recently finished Highball Rush by Claire Kingsley & Lucy Score. This was the 6th book in the Bootleg Springs series, which is a smutty/romance series centered around a small town in West Virginia. I thought it was highly entertaining and the mystery aspect woven throughout the series was very engaging.

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3 copyI think my next read will be China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan. Its about time for me to continue on in this series and see where it will go next. I loved Crazy Rich Asians and I think I’m in need for a little crazy, fun, entertaining, colorful read which is exactly the vibes I get from these books.

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Top Ten Tuesdays

Books I’ve Been Avoiding

by amyleighreads6 Comments on Books I’ve Been Avoiding

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt aligns perfectly with my TBR for September. I am using this month to catch up on all of the books I physically own that have been sitting on my shelves for quite a while now. I guess I am about to out myself on why I have been procrastinating on these books, but I will be trying to push myself to get through at least 50% by the end of the month!

So this is 10 books on my TBR I have been avoiding and why:

The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

This one is just purely the size of the book and the fact that the whole mystery/thriller genre is still relatively new to me. I am really highly anticipating this book but I know it’s going to be a bit of a commitment to finish so I have been putting it off!

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The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

I have heard so much about this series over the last year and it’s been nothing but good reviews, though a lot of people have said it’s a little slower paced. I much prefer fast paced, high action fantasies so that has really deterred me from picking this series up!

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

I think every single person who has read this book has loved it from what I gather. Again I’ve heard that it’s a bit of a slower paced book and that it’s quite sad as well, which really makes me pause. I can handle sad stories but I really need to be in the right mind frame to be able to cope and I just haven’t been there yet…

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The Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks

Again the only reason I haven’t picked these books up yet is because of the size. Now I really don’t mind long books especially in fantasy series, I mean I marathoned The Stormlight Archives late last year and they are all over 1000 pages each, so usually length doesn’t cow me away from books. However it’s more so the premise/concept that isn’t really pulling me in and that along with the size has put me off a little!

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The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

This book at one stage this year was super hyped and I impulse bought it when I saw it at a bookstore and now it’s just been sitting on my shelves ever since. When I bought it I didn’t really know much about it and then after reading the blurb and seeing some not very good reviews it made me put it on the back-burner. I still do want to read it and see whether or not the hype was justified, I just haven’t felt the need to yet.

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Reviews

The Flatshare Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Flatshare Review

41436031._SY475_Tiffany has just recently been dumped by her boyfriend and is in dire need for a place to stay. Funds are short and in a moment of desperation she decided to accept a flatshare with a man she has never met before. From the times of 9am – 6pm Leon has the flat and the rest of the time it’s all hers.

I thought this was such a unique concept! Sharing your life and bed with someone you have never met at different times of the day. I enjoyed all the rules that Tiffany had to comply with and the fact that Leon’s girlfriend was adamant that he was not to meet Tiffany. Gradually coexisting quite well together and getting to know each other through the notes was incredibly cute and highly engaging for me.

I originally thought it was going to this fluffy little contemporary romance that would be a nice palate cleanser for me but the book actually went in an explored some deeper tones that I was not expecting. Case in point was the whole evolution of Tiffy realizing that her ex-boyfriend wasn’t who she thought he was and the way he was manipulating and gas-lighting her throughout the course of their relationship. There was times when I would get so frustrated with how much she would be swayed by him but then just thinking of how for two years she has been second guessing herself and being manipulated by this sociopath who wants to own her basically. I thought she clawed her way out of his clutches so well and I was so glad that she decided to get help and figure out what was happening.

I like the way Leon’s perspective was formatted throughout the book. It really went a ways in demonstrating how little he actually talks and the weight of his thoughts and how he expressed himself. We really see him come out of his shell in the book and get a look into his mind and how he manages to process everything that is changing around him. Leaving his girlfriend after realizing he wasn’t in love with her and developing feelings for Tiffy before he even really met her and dealing with all of the drama with his brother and understanding how much it means to him that people think he’s innocent.

I love that Tiffy and Leon are such contrasting characters that somehow mesh so well together. It was a little insta-lovey I will admit but there was so much back and forth between them that it seemed inevitable really.

It was never easy for Tiffy and Leon at any stage of the book which made me appreciate the ending so much more. It did tie together a little conveniently but at that point I was beyond caring and just was so invested in these characters and the story that I loved every minute of it!

⭐️4.5/5 stars almost perfect!

Reviews

The Poet X Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Poet X Review

y648This was wonderful!

The Poet X follows the story of Xiomara (X) who has had her guard up her entire life. Ever since she developed curves living in her Harlem neighborhood she has had to literally use her fists and fight for her right to be heard.

I loved the concept of this book and the way it was formatted. I think this was the first time that I read a book that was written entirely in verse and even though there wasn’t as many words on the page I feel that I got more of a grasp of the story and X’s feelings through the way she expressed herself in her poems. It really painted a picture in my mind of what X had to deal with on a daily basis and how through her passion for writing and poems she was finally able to find her voice.

X is such a relatable character. I can see so many young girls picking this book up and seeing themselves reflected in the words being written. There is a real feeling of isolation for many young girls out there that X evoked so well throughout the course of the book. It honestly brought me back to my own teenage years and had me reflecting on how I felt at that time of my life.

Even though it was a relatively short book there was a lot of growth shown in all of the characters. At the start X seems really angry with the world and almost resents being a girl and is jealous of her brother even though she is the strong one who always fights for him. She subtly softens throughout the course of the plot line and even though she has to endure so much through her mother and her religious beliefs she really comes out of the other side stronger and more at peace with herself.

It was really fascinating to see the way that something as innocent as writing down your innermost feelings in poems and kissing a boy on the subway could be construed as such a shameful act that literally brought Xiomara’s whole world down around her. I would have liked to see her brother stand up for her a little more seeing as how she was his protector for so many years, especially since her mother loves him so much. But I can understand why, he also had this whole other life that he was trying to protect for himself and he didn’t want to have that exposed like how X’s was. I just felt like she took most of the brunt of her mother’s wrath and he could of lessened it a lot more had he said something.

I adored this book, I loved the diversity of the characters, the setting, the concept, it all really come together beautifully into what I think is a compulsory read for everyone!

⭐️5/5 A MUST Read!!!

Updates

🎓 Hogwarts Graduation 🎓

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on 🎓 Hogwarts Graduation 🎓

I am now eligible to become a Charms Teacher!! As you can see from my N.E.W.T.S Wrap Up I managed to complete all of the exams and have officially graduated from Hogwarts! I had sooooo much fun with this read-a-thon and credit to Book Roast for coming up with the concept and putting in so much effort! She has done a great job and I will be 100% participating in future read-a-thons to come!

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