Wednesday, May 31, 2017

May 2017 Wrap Up


This is going to be a pretty short wrap up since I was unable to access my blog for a few weeks this month (laptop & email issues). I read all month but was unable to finish many books. I started Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon and got about half way, read more of The Falconer but didn't finish that either. I did finish ACOWAR and a graphic novel though. 
I didn't reach my writing goal this month (first time this year) because LitLift decided to stop working and still hasn't been fixed so the majority of my writing is lost and I have no way to get this month's word count. :( 
Anyway, I have so much catching up to do so expect a busy month ahead! 

Books I Read

Total Pages Read This Month: 885

Started But Didn't Finish:


Reviews & More
I was unable to wrap up April so I will add some of that content here so it's more than just the one review I posted in May.  :)

Top Ten Tuesday
My Reading Wishlist

Can't Wait Wednesday

Other

Challenge Updates


N/A (April or May)

7/40


April
1. Norse Mythology
2. A Court of Mist and Fury

May 
1. A Court of Wings and Ruin
Not Sure: Redwall by Brian Jacques

12/25

14/26


Wish me luck on catching up in June! 

Sunday, May 28, 2017

The Sunday Post #62 - Memorial Day Weekend

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things you received, share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead, and more.

Hey there, bloggers! I feel like I've been gone for ages.
I had some issues with my ancient laptop as well as my email but I'm back and hoping to catch up on everything as soon as possible! I have so much to do now that it's overwhelming. I'm just going to take baby steps though.
My garden is doing great but we are in a drought so I've had to water by hand twice a day all month. Very time consuming considering that I have hundreds of plants. We finally did get some rain earlier this week and it was a plant-saver.
I have no plans for Memorial Day this year but we did set up the pool yesterday so I imagine we will be swimming a lot!


Recent Posts
I've only recently had access to my blog again but I did get a review of A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas up! 

New To My Shelves
A post shared by Lazy Day Lit (@lazydaylit) on

Recently Read

Currently Reading

Currently Watching
I've been seeing some of you guys mention this show and it's on Netflix now so I dug right in. I'm already hooked.

I'm also watching Into The Badlands with my hubby. We're not very far but it's pretty good. 

Have a great week, readers! :)

Friday, May 26, 2017

Book Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #2
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Romance
Length: 626 pages
Format: ebook
Source: Gifted

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Synopsis: 
Feyre survived Amarantha's cluthes to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people. 

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a great evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.

My Thoughts: 

WARNING. Possible spoilers ahead. 

After the 'Under the Mountain', Feyre and Tamlin have gone back to their lives at the Spring Court. Except things are not the same. Feyre cannot forget those horrid events or the lives she took and spends every night vomiting up the memories. Despite now being High Fae, her human heart is tormented and she's but a shell of what she used to be. Tamlin requests the help of priestess Ianthe to prepare everything for the wedding and Feyre stands in the shadows while Ianthe takes care of everything. But she feels trapped and when Tamlin repeatedly refuses to allow her to leave the house Feyre falls into a dark pit of despair. Rhysand, feeling that despair through their special bond swoops in and rescues her, setting off a chain events that may affect all of Prythian and beyond. 

I enjoyed this a lot more than A Court of Thorns and Roses but Feyre was even more annoying this time around. I understood and sympathized with the ptsd that she displays but it was excessive and the whining just seemed neverending. I felt like this book could have been amazing if the vomiting and woe-is-me had been toned down a bit. It was extremely repetitive and if it wasn't for Rhysand, I would have given up on Feyre early on.

Rhysand steps out of the dark in this sequel and we learn more about him, his friends, family, and his world overall. We learn that he is not as bad as he makes himself out to be and it just makes sense that he is the 'book boyfriend' of this series. He's dark and mysterious and dreamy.
We are introduced to lots of new characters, a few old, and we travel through more of Prythian and it's 'Courts' in ACOMAF. There's also a whole new set of possible couples to 'ship'.
 I'm not rooting for anyone in particular since Maas doesn't go into much detail on these other character's relationships with each other but I'm interested in seeing how they turn out in the next book. Especially with what happened at the end! 

Romance is a big factor in this series but there's still plenty more to keep my interest. Having been turned into a High Fae, Feyre has many new magical gifts (something from each High Lord that brought her back to life) and it was interesting to read about her trying to control these new powers and use them to her benefit. 
There's also the looming war on the horizon with Hybern. I always look forward to a good fantasy 'war'. Plus the Illyrian army with their wings is just fascinating and I hope there's a good scene or two with them fighting in the future (but we'll see...).

Overall, I'm still on the fence about this series. I'm not in love with it and I don't particularly like many of the characters, especially Feyre at times, but I'm curious about what will happen to these characters and this world. Maas has a way with stories, even if I don't love them all 100%. 

My Rating:  4 stars

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday #104 - My Reading Wishlist


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Ten Things On My Reading Wishlist


Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairy Tales - I want this so bad but when I have a little $ it's out of stock. Every. Single. Time.
A Conjuring of Light by VE Schwab - I'm pretty disappointed that I don't own this one yet because these books are soooo good!
Jim Kay's illustrated HP & the Prisoner of Azkaban - I've been getting these for Christmas each year so I'm obviously looking forward to this. 



The Graveyard Book (graphic novel) - I honestly don't even own the original Graveyard Book but I wish I did. 
Stardust (illustrated by Charles Vess) - I actually bought this once but it never actually made it to me and I couldn't get my money back. I still really want it though. Vess is one of my favorite artists as well. 
The Sleeper and the Spindle (artwork by Chris Riddell) - Another awesome artist. I read this one in Trigger Warning but I definitely want this illustrated version. 


The Cats of Ulthar by H.P. Lovecraft, told through the macabre art of Abigail Larson - Abigail has been one of my favorite budding artists for over a decade. I adore her stuff and was so excited when she came out with this since she usually just does covers. This might need to be a birthday present this year. 


And since the prompt was 'things', I also really want a nice long-lasting book light and a time turner necklace, to be honest. Alas, we'll see if I can fit them into the budget this Christmas. :)

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Can't Wait Wednesday #11 - The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell


Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings and spotlights the books we are excited about and have yet to read. This meme is based on Waiting on Wednesday which is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

I Can't Wait For... The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell



Expected Publication: July 18th, 2017
by Simon Pulse
Goodreads

Synopsis: 
Stop the Magician. 
Steal the book.
Save the future.

In modern day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic--the Mageus--live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their ower--and often their lives.
Esta is a talented thief, and she's been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order  that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even knows she's there. And all of Esta's training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order--and the Brink--before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.
But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.


Why I Can't Wait: 
Modern day magicians, a badass time-traveling female thief, and a diverse cast of characters very much makes me want to read this right now. Plus, that cover reminds me of AURYN (the intertwined snake necklace) from The Neverending Story so much that I was immediately interested in this book, even if it doesn't sound anything like The Neverending Story.
This honestly seems to have a little of everything I love though.
Fantasy. Urban fantasy. Historical fiction. 

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday #103 - Detailed Covers


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Cover Theme Freebie! 


I was looking through my Goodreads TBR using the covers option and realized that I love intricate covers. Especially if they are illustrated. So I rounded up a bunch of my favorites.

I'm leaving this all 'big' so you can see the details! 


The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman & illustrated by Chris Riddell - This is just gorgeous. Riddell is such an amazing artist and does an awesome job with Gaiman's work. 
Unnatural Creatures by Neil Gaiman - I love the border art on this. Both of these are on my wishlist because Gaiman is one of my top faves. 


The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly - This cover drew me in a few years ago and I've been on the lookout for it ever since.


Summer and Bird by Katherine Catmull -  I love the swan and all of the other birds perched on the border. 
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier - Lots of gorgeous swirls and whorls. 



The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo - This one isn't out yet but gosh this cover makes me want to pre-order. 
Delphine by Richard Sula - This one is pretty simplistic in a way but I still love the vines.


Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho - I'm not actually sure what this one is about but I love that cover.
The Marvels by Brian Selznick - I love the colors in this one. Plus, Selznick's books always have amazing artwork.


Have you read any of these? Do you like busy covers or do you like minimalist covers more? 

May 2017 Most Anticipated New Releases



May looks like it will be an awesome month for new releases!
Here are a few of the ones I'm most anticipating. 

May 2nd


A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas - (YA/NA) 
I only just finished ACOMAF recently and really want to continue this story even though I'm not in love with it. 
The Black Witch by Laurie Forest - (Young Adult) I was originally psyched about this just by that title. A witch with no powers with powerful enemies? Yeah, I want to know how that turns out. 
Dreamfall by Amy Plum - (Young Adult) I basically love anything to do with dreams and nightmares so this sounds awesome.


The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey - (Adult) I loved The Girl With All the Gifts and am excited to read more from that world. 

May 16th


The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye - (Young Adult) I've been dying for this! The Crown's Game was really good so I'm hoping the sequel is even better!
Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh - (Young Adult) 
This one sounds fantastic and I've seen so many people mention it!

May 30th


Dark Breaks the Dawn by Sara B. Larson - (Young Adult) 
This is another one that I've seen mentioned so many times that I'm purely interested from the pre-hype.
House of Furies by Madeleine Roux - (Young Adult)
I love a good horror story and Madeleine Roux seems to be pretty good with them so I definitely want to read this one! 

What books are you looking forward to?

Monday, May 1, 2017

May 2017 TBR


This is sort of a broken record of a TBR list since I didn't really get a chance to read any books in April. I'm hoping to catch up though. 

Struck out = Finished reading
CR = Currently Reading


For Review:
1.
The Dragon of the Month Club by Iain Reading
2. Jorie and the Golden Key by A.H. Richardson
3. A Gathering of Ravens by Scott Oden


For Fun: 
1. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
2. And I Darken by Kiersten White
3. Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller



Borrowed/Library Holds:
1. The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey
2. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon