Countdown Survey

Note: hello, I thought I'd start my return from my hiatus with a tag, so there

10 - Books already released on your wishlist
- Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
- The Martian by Andy Weir
- The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
- The Raven Boys by Maggie Stievater
- The Assasin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
- The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
- The Diviners by Libba Bray

9 - Favorite Covers 
(God, it was hard to choose)

 

8 - Not yet released books that you can't wait for
- Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes
- Untitled Throne of Glass book 5 by Sarah J. Maas
- Heartless by Marissa Meyer 
- A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir 
- Stars Above by Marissa Meyer (a lunar chronicles novella bind-up? hell yes!)
- Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories by Stephanie Perkins (this is the summer equivalant to My True Love Gave To Me, which I loved, so of course I need this)
- Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
- The Last Star by Rick Yancey (I love this series so much and can't wait for the answers)

7 - Auto-buy Authors
- Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Merissa Meyer
- Laini Taylor
- J.K. Rowling,
- Anders Björkelid
- Sarah J. Maas
- Leslye Walton

6 - Book Boyfriends
- Archer Cross (Hex Hall)
- Chaol Westfall (Throne of Glass) - I would say Rowan, but his heart belongs somewhere else
- Damon Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries)
- Warner (Shatter Me)
- Magnus Damora (Falling Kingdoms)
- Ziri (Daughter of Smoke & Bone)

5 - Books you recommend the most
- Harry Potter (obligatory answer haha)
- The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (this series just gets better and better and I rarely see anybody talking about it - but it's one of my top favorite book series of all time. The plot and characters are so cleverly written, always keeping you on the edge of the seat and making you think and theorize without having to pause the ride, and they are impossible to put down!)
- I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
- Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (don't worry if you don't like the first book - just please keep reading or you will miss out)
- Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (I need more people to read these books and obsess with me)


4 - Books you thought you'd like but didn't
- Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (I read the entire series though, and while I didn't dislike it I didn't love it either)
- Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson (it's all because of the "love triangle" and I am not ashamed)
- World's End by Susan Ee (idk it just wasn't the ending I was hoping for I guess. I can't pinpoint it)
- Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier (I loved the first book and the sequels were great, but I just lost interest and felt like I had to drag my way through them)


3 - Books that made you cry
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (duh)
- The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (don't touch me)
- Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor (damn you Ziri)

2 - Books you never plan on reading
- Divergent (sorry, I couldn't power through the first book, plus I've been spoiled, so I'm just gonna watch the movies *shrugs*)
- Fifty Shades of Grey (I have actually heard good things from my friends, but the whole smut thing just isn't me)

1 - Favorite genre at the moment
- Fantasy! I always fall into the beautiful abyss that is fantasy when it's fall/winter.

Book review - Dreams of Gods & Monsters

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor
Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on November 6th, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance,Young Adult
Pages: 513
Goodreads • Good Books • Amazon

When I first held this book in my hands and I saw how friggin' massive is was...I was not scared off by any means: the larger the amount of pages the larger the amount of genius, I thought.

And I was right, of course. Even though some bits were harder to get through than others, Laini's imagination and cleverness and humor just kept knocking my breath away.

Halfway through I was desperate for the book to end - NOT because it was horrible or anything - I just wanted the characters to get the happy endings they deserved and see the bad guys vaporize into eternal evanescence - though a burning hell would be preferred. Because Laini masters this thing called 'villains' so you feel just the right amount of seething hatred towards them, but she also masters another thing called 'lovable characters' so you desperately need want them to succeed and see it happen.

The series is a perfect blend of grief, action, love and hate, all mixed together to concoct a masterpiece.
And this final book in the trilogy wrapped it all up in a perfect, but still loose-ended way - because it ended with a happy middle instead of a happy ending (well, that sentence was confusing).

Overall, I gave this series a 5 out of 5 stars, so it's safe to say that I highly, highly recommend this series!


xoxo, Maria

Book review - Days of Blood & Starlight

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor
Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on November 6th, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance,Young Adult
Pages: 513
Goodreads • Good Books • Amazon

(★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★)

Reading Days of Blood & Starlight was hard. Not in the oh-god-this-book-is-bad-how-am-I-gonna-get-through kind of way, but in the ouch-my-heart kind of way. It was exhausting and life-giving, breathtaking and heart-throbbing, tears and joy--blood and starlight.


As a result, it feels like I've been moving the entire time, struggling alongside the characters, feeling what they felt, doing what they did and I have this strange notion that my breath should be ragged, my legs and arms heavy and throbbing from exhaust--except the only muscle in my body that is aching is my heart.


Oh, the deep-felt pain I had to endure...one character in particular, the last of the Kirin, had my heart in his scarred hands and crushed it until it bled several times - not that he's to blame. I cried inconsolably each time and I am not ashamed for they were well-earned tears.


And then there's the other stab to my heart, that I'm not going to mention because I'm still healing from its sting. And this review is supposed to be spoiler-free.


Having read this book I feel like I've been part of something magical and secret and sacred, although I'm all-too-aware that I am far, far from the only person to have read this and even farther away from being the first.


If I thought Daughter of Smoke & Bone was fantastic, I don't even know how to describe this sequel in one word. Can I just give it a gazillion stars out of five?

Grand arrival!

*sky opens*
*angels sing*

In a small town in a small country in a big world, on this this day, a young girl received mail - BOOKS. The two sequels to Daughter of Smoke and Bone has finally found a home on mah bookshelf an' it looks beauh-tey-ful!

 Just luk at deese covers *faints*

Have a look at the spines as well...just because?

Anyway, I'm beyond excited right now so I'll apologize beforehand for any absence and anti-social behavior - cuz I'll be diving into these as soon as I've finished with this post...which is now. Bye!

xoxo, Maria

Book review - Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on September 27th 2011
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance,Young Adult
Pages: 418
Goodreads • Good Books • Amazon 

This first installment of the trilogy is - sorry for sounding like a cheeseball - nothing short of a masterpiece. 

I cannot fathom my love for this book into words, but I can tell you why I loved it so much.

First of all, the writing. Holy smoke (pun intended) the writing kept wowing me as I read, it's so poetic and yet manages not to be pretentious at all. 

The worldbuilding is also A+, and Laini does a nice job of weaving it in so you don't get stuck on page 20, unable get through it. It's really inventive and genius.

Everything about it is really clever, and the few things that bugged me (trust me there were close to zero) were explained later on so I went like "Ohhh, oh my god! It totally makes sense now." But I also love how she puts out these tiny breadcrumbs and allows you to think for yourself. When realization hits you it hits you hard and I love it.

The characters are really complex and intriguing - especially Karou, the main character, I really like her. The ending gained her a complete new dimension, making her all the more interesting and layered. 

The point is, I really love this book and I so recommend it to everybody who haven't read it yet. 

I finished it this morning, and I've ordered the next two in the trilogy and the wait is already killing me...