Book 22 - Graceling by Kristin Cashore

So I loved this book and I want to know what it is about the books we love that get us hooked so quickly. As i think i knew from the first or second page that it would have me hooked and I wasn't wrong!

I thought the characters were really cool. I really liked Katsa, she did remind me of Celaena though, although not annoyingly so...and Po, oh Po...love him! 

I used my new Karen bookmark too, which I thought was cool. 

I've already downloaded Bitterblue so that I read it once I've borrowed Fire off you. ;o)

I thought the setting was really cool, and again it was the kind of book I wish I could write! 

I really liked the idea of the different Graces, I wonder what mine would be if I had one. I really liked Po's brothers too, 

As you've already reviewed this one, there's not much point me saying much about the plot, but needless to say I loved it, read it really quickly and can't wait to read the others and am glad to hear that we get to meet up with the characters again in Bitterblue. 

*****

Will definitely be buying for people, always a good bench marker!

Rach x

Harry and YALC = Happy Days!

A few photos from our cool evening at the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Was cool seeing so many people from YALC there, and I thought the amount of effort Waterstones had gone to was great!

Need to see the prop photos again ;o)

Sorry for feeling rubbish and spacing out a bit through the night (guess it was just a long and hard weekend in ways when you're pregnant). I shall tell baby G H about that when they are older when we are no doubt taking them to some Harry related event or other!

Anyway, here's to more to come I'm sure...

....oooh yeah, not long until Fantastic Beasts is out.

Rach x

Fab Author Meets

Just a few photos from YALC meeting fab authors..yes there was a lot of queueing and a fair amount of worry, in particular with Maggie, but definitely worth it.

Rach x

Book 21 - And I Darken by Kiersten White

So this book has me a little conflicted!

Potential spoilers, maybe don't read until you've read! 

I really enjoyed it, i did, and i wanted to know what happened etc and liked the characters, but there was something about it that meant i didn't really ever read too much of it in one go etc, compared to other page turners we've read. 

I've given it 3*, because i think i don't think i'd buy it for others and that would have taken it up to 4* maybe. 

Lada was cool, albeit harsh at times, she reminded me a bit of Celaena with her hard exterior. 

Actually i won't write anymore yet, but the ending wasn't what i expected,  or maybe it was, I'm not sure! 

***

Rach x

Book 20 - The Graces by Laure Eve

So this one has a special place for me as i have never had an ARC copy before and to have got it by being chosen from the Earth witch list at #Yalc is even more cool. Plus I'd been looking forward to this coming out for a while, so was great to be able to read it the month before it came out! 

Loved the copy. Cool cover, the black edged pages (you know how we loved coloured edged pages) and it had a really nice feel to it. 

I read this one really quickly, i found it was really easy to read and a page turner etc. 

Thought it was cool to read about a character called Thalia, as I'd only heard the name once before we got our own Thalia in the family. 

I also really liked that until she said about her real name being River i hadn't even realised we didn't know her name at that point. 

Towards the end i felt like it turned very quickly and could maybe have been dragged out a little more but really liked it and am looking forward to the next. 

****

Rach x

Books 16, 17, 18 and 19 - Raven Boys / Dream Thieves / Blue Lily, Lily Blue / The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

I'm going to take your advice and write about these as a series, as in truth because i read them so close together I'm not sure i can differentiate them really. 

I randomly gave Raven boys 5* and the rest 4*

I don't think I've EVER read a series so quickly, but as you know i wanted to get them finished before we heard Maggie talk... Although we needn't have worried as she didn't talk about the books at all,  but I'm still glad i read them in time!  Although it might have been a bit nicer to take my time over them a bit more. 

On a side note... How freaking cool is Maggie...she was like Eddie Izzard when she spoke and the way she moved around the stage etc, I'm just going to say it, i have a bit of a girl crush on her, she seemed awesome!!! 

Ok, back to the books. Really liked all of the characters and feels weird to me that i read them thinking Gansey was pronounced differently.  I love the name Blue :-) 

Ronan and Adam are also both really complex and i really liked all of them.  I think maybe it would have been cool not to have guessed so quickly about Noah though. 

Think i would definitely get these for other people too.

Rach x

Book 15 - Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

There's a theme here, as again i really enjoyed this book. 

I've also since bought it for quite a few people for Christmas and think i still need to buy one more making it a present for 5 people :-) 

I thought about this book a lot while reading it and for quite a while afterwards. 

Especially based on one of the revelations, which i won't put, but which you'll know as i feel like i looked back on the book differently and tried to remember how that all tm fitted together, very clever. 

I liked the setting, different to what I'm used to and i liked how it was written. Very much looking forward to the next in the series. 

Plus Alwyn seems really cool. 

****

Rach x

Book 14 - Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury

I really enjoyed this book. I liked that it was about completely different characters, at least to start with.

It made me sad, as I remember telling you, when we realised that what had happened in the Epilogue of Sin Eater's Daughter was actually Errin knocking and not Leif ;o(

Speaking of Leif, I was surprised as to his role later in the book so will be interested to see in the last book how that develops etc.

I really liked Silas, guessing you did too!!

And loved the last sentence. 

Plus the covers are stunning, some of my favourites. 

****

Rach x

Books 11, 12 and 13 - Shadow and Bone / Siege and Storm / Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Sadly I only have book 1 physically, so have only taken a photo of this one, as i read the other two on my phone...which was cool as meant I could read them a lot quicker.

I really enjoyed this series, thank you for buying me book one as part of Sisterly Advent Swap last year.

I gave Shadow and Bone ****
Siege and Storm ****
Ruin and Rising *****

which surprises me actually!! as i know i felt like i preferred the first and third to the second one, but am surprised I only gave the first one 4*.

I think the characters were really cool, they remind me of others i've read but i still can't put my finger on who.

I would definitely buy this series for other people, which always a good sign!

Was pleased with how it ended.

Rach x

Book 10 - A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

ACOMAF,  ACOMAF,  ACOMAF!

What can i say, i adored it.  I thought i loved ACOTAR but i loved ACOMAF even more.

Truly one of my favourite series!!!

***spoilers coming up (for anyone besides us) ***

At the beginning when she's being treated so differently by Tam and she isn't happy and i felt like she was more of a booty call sometimes than anything else i didn't like it and i was worried about how that would play out etc.

I also knew i didn't trust Ianthe from the beginning and i love it when my gut gets it right!

I feel like i always likes Rhys, even when Feyre didn't and he was so awesome in this book and the night court is perfect and he's sacrificed so much to ensure it stays that way. I really don't think i could have been so honourable and have everyone think what they do of him etc.

The interactions between her sisters and the Fey were really cool i think and I loved the touches back to what she'd painted before she had even met Rhys etc.

The ending!!!!  When they broke the bond i was really worried, because especially when he called her name so the last few pages were very exciting and i can't WAIT for the next one and glad to hear there's more to come!!!!

*****

Rach x

Book 9 - The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

I loved The Winner's Kiss.

I feel like there are lots of books that we really want the next one to hurry up and come out, but i feel like this was definitely one where i was eagerly awaiting it and it didn't disappoint.

I feel like I'm really pleased with how the trilogy concluded... And wish in a way that Kestrel wasn't such an "out there" name otherwise it'd probably be on my baby name list at the moment :-)

I thought the start when she's a prisoner was very well done as i really felt how she'd been broken and how she came to thaw towards Arin again etc is the stuff we love isn't it really.

Have bought this series for a few people and they've all loved it which is always very satisfying and a true mark of a 5* book to me.

Rach x

*****

Book 8 - Night Study by Maria v Snyder

I can't believe i read this book back in APRIL!!

I've just looked back at Goodreads and turns out i gave it ****, which surprises me, although now I'm trying to write about it i can't actually remember the specifics.

Although clearly am a big MvS fan and love Valek and Yelena.

One bit that stood out was their marriage service and how i thought it was so sweet as so simple and just about vows etc, which as our wedding was coming up i really liked!!! And i remember thinking how risky what he does to his chest is.

Clearly looking forward to the next one although if it's the last I'll be sad as i feel like going into their world is like putting on a comfy pair of slippers or a nice hoodie and I'll miss it!

Rach x

****