books – Page 211 – Amy Leigh Reads

Covers that Captured my Attention

January 28, 2020July 11, 2020by amyleighreads11 Comments

For the Top 10 Tuesday prompt this week I decided to go with 5 books that I bought specifically because of the covers! This post is completely subjective as everyone has their own preferences when it comes to book covers, but these are a few books I’ve acquired in the last year that have captured my attention!

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

This illustrated edition of The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien

Reviews

Red Rising Review

January 27, 2020by amyleighreads4 Comments

23360729 Earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a miner living on Mars, extracting precious elements in order to make the planet hospitable for the rest of humanity. What Darrow doesn’t know is that Mars has been hospitable for generations now and his people the Red’s have been used as slaves, being exploited and worked to death by the Gold’s.

I loved everything about his book. The pacing was excellent, the world building was meticulous and the characters were fully developed and interesting. I am so mad at myself that I didn’t pick this series up sooner!

Darrow is a wonderful character. He is loyal to a fault and has done the unimaginable in order to free his people from their constraints. He goes through quite the transformation over the course of the storyline and I love that we see him fall quite spectacular and still rise again against all odds. I think he is well on his way to becoming one of my favourite male protagonists ever! His drive and ability to not take no for an answer and the way he uses his logic and cunning to overcome all of his obstacles, despite being a red at heart!

I never trusted Mustang. I knew she was too good to be true, especially considering the circumstances, but she pleasantly surprised me. Her secret definitely threw me and I honestly didn’t anticipate any of her actions. I thought the big twist at the end was that she was going to stab Darrow in the back, but the way things all worked out was just so much better than what I was expecting!

Usually long drawn out war sequences can get quite tiresome and boring for me but this really had me invested from the start. I love a good school setting in fantasy/sci-fi and the added twist of the war games really kept me entertained! We are right on the ground with Darrow and there really isn’t a whole lot of just sitting around talking and strategising, which can get a bit blah.

This was also a lot darker than I anticipated. There is a lot of gore and blood involved. I like that Pierce Brown didn’t shy away from killing characters off and displaying the bloodlust some of these characters have. It raises the stakes to another level and keeps the tension at an all time high.

⭐️5/5 This will have you on the edge of your seat!

Reviews

The Hate U Give Review

January 24, 2020January 23, 2020by amyleighreads2 Comments

32075671._SY475_ The Hate U Give revolves around 16 year old Starr who witnesses a fatal shooting of her close friend at the hands of a policeman.

Sometimes when I’m reading YA a lot of the female protagonists either read a lot younger than what they are supposed to be or come across a lot more mature. Starr however, feels very realistic. She is resilient, authentic, and embraces all the adversity she has had to face. I liked how we see her continually struggling to define who she really is, and learning accept her ‘hood side’ and allowing those two worlds to coincide.

I also loved the family dynamic in the story as well. They are all so committed to each other and always have each other’s backs! Starr and her siblings fight all the time yet they will not hesitate to jump in if they ever need help. Her parents fight all the time yet there is always that underlying love that connects them and their willingness to do absolutely anything for their children.

I liked the fact that Angie Thomas added Hailey’s character into the mix because these sorts of people exist in the world and their casual racism most often goes unnoticed and unchecked. As a person of color I very much related to what Starr had to deal with having a person like Hailey as your supposed best friend. The offhand remarks and unapologetic nature needs to be challenged in society and I am glad that Starr chose to stick up for herself and not allow her back into her life.

This was a fast paced, impactful book that challenges your thoughts and perception of the world and highlights racism, police brutality, discrimination, and prejudice that the black community has to deal with. It wasn’t a particularly entertaining book to read and I wouldn’t necessarily say I loved it… I would however highly recommend this book; it will definitely leave an impression on you!

⭐️4/5 stars If you can, read this book!

Book Lists

5 Books I Want to Read in 2020

January 23, 2020January 14, 2020by amyleighreads5 Comments

These are the five books from varying genres that I would really like to prioritize and read this year! They have all been on my TBR now for a while and I figured it was time I bit the bullet and gave them all a read!

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Reviews

Loveboat, Taipei Review

January 22, 2020January 22, 2020by amyleighreads2 Comments

45730524 Loveboat, Taipei is about an 18 year old Chinese American named Ever who just wants to dance. However, her very strict parents won’t hear of it and insist that she goes to school and becomes a doctor. They decided for the summer before college to send her to Taipei to study Mandarin. Little do they know this the program is actually an infamous teen meet-market nicknamed Loveboat, where the kids are more into clubbing than calligraphy and drinking snake-blood sake than touring sacred shrines.

I actually really enjoyed this book. I had a feeling after seeing the cover and reading the synopsis that I would enjoy this book and it was exactly what I had envisioned. It was a quick, entertaining, fun read full of mischief and antics.

Ever was a little too naïve at the start of the book for me. She really lets her parent’s walk all over her and won’t stand up for herself at all. I understand there are cultural differences and the expectations that Ever’s parents have put on her would have weighed her down over the years. I did appreciate transformation she undertakes over the course of the plot, where she finally finds her voice and passion and decides to pursue what she loves.

I found the romances progress a little too quickly. Ever definitely comes across as quite innocent and wholesome, so the fact that after only knowing these boys for a few weeks she makes the decision to sleep with them didn’t quite make sense to me. I think she mentions that she hasn’t even had a boyfriend before so it was just a little strange. Other than that detail I enjoyed the banter between them all. I mean it was a little bit predictable to be honest but the entertainment factor kept me from being too bothered!

I loved all of the culture that is interwoven with the plot. From all the different foods that Ever discovers and the nightlife over in Taipei as well as meeting all the other Chinese Americans and how they all differ. It definitely adds a layer of realism and depth to the story and I really enjoyed seeing these differences from Ever’s point of view.

⭐️4/5 stars Kind of like a YA version of Crazy Rich Asians