Hey there! So lately I've been trying not to buy so many books, as I have soooo many that I haven't read yet. But of course, we all know the struggles of being a book addict, so here I have the books I picked up over the February-March period.
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
Of course this book has been absolutely everywhere since it was announced, and every review I have read or watched of it has raved about it!! I recently read Alexandra Bracken's The Darkest Minds and adored it, so am super super excited to delve into Passenger.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
After being crazy late to the bandwagon with Throne of Glass, I am trying to catch up with Sarah J. Maas' novels and be ready for the release of the second in this series, A Court of Mist and Fury.
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Continuing by obsession with Outlander and Scotland, I am now up to the third novel in the series!! I found this in an amazing second hand book show in Brisbane and cannot wait to pick it up!
L'Analphabete by Agota Kristof
This is one for uni, wooo. I am in my second year studying French, and part of our compulsory course is to read this French autobiography.
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
This is an oldy that I saw in an op shop when I was home for the holidays and remembered hearing about it when I was still at school. I adore Melina Marchetta, and am very intrigued by the description.
Forever More by Cindy Miles
I heard Sasha from abookutopia talk about this in a video ages ago, and saw it in an op shop too. It is set in Scotland and has a hot ghost in it, what is not to love??
Tatiana and Alexander/The Bridge to Holy Cross by Paullina Simons
The second novel in the stunning Bronze Horseman series, I am so excited to continue following the story of Tatiana and Alexander. If you haven't read The Bronze Horseman yet, please please do yourself a favour and pick it up!!
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
I already had a copy of Wuthering Heights but saw a super pretty one when op shopping for $2 and couldn't resist!!
Let me know in the comments what books you've picked up recently, and which of these you think I should read first!!
Love always,
Ari
Saturday, 5 March 2016
Friday, 4 March 2016
Some of My Favourite Booktube Channels!
Hey! As I'm sure all of you are, I am absolutely obsessed with booktube!! I love sharing my favourite booktubers with fellow book lovers, so I thought what better way to do so than here. In no particular order...
abookutopia
PeruseProject
polandbananasBOOKS
Aprilius Maximus
A Clockwork Reader
Little Yellow Bookshop
Between Chapters
Reads and Daydreams
readbyzoe
vincentvanstop
If you love booktube, or if you've never watched it before, I highly recommend you check these channels out.
I'll be posting little booktube and blogger recommendations every now and then, and please let me know some of your favourites in the comments!!
Love always,
Ari
abookutopia
PeruseProject
polandbananasBOOKS
Aprilius Maximus
A Clockwork Reader
Little Yellow Bookshop
Between Chapters
Reads and Daydreams
readbyzoe
vincentvanstop
If you love booktube, or if you've never watched it before, I highly recommend you check these channels out.
I'll be posting little booktube and blogger recommendations every now and then, and please let me know some of your favourites in the comments!!
Love always,
Ari
Monday, 29 February 2016
February Wrap Up!
Hi there!
It hasn't been the biggest reading month for me in February, due to being super busy with college leadership things. So only four books read! Nonetheless, I have thoroughly enjoyed most of the novels I read this month so I thought I'd share them with you anyway.
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
I'm hoping to read one of the Outlander series at least every two months until I get through the series, and it is going fantastically so far! See my (spoiler) review here for my detailed thoughts on the second in the series.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
I'd heard all about this novel on booktube, and thought it was finally time to pick it up. I know a lot of people don't really like Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver series but I actually loved it when I was in high school and read it so many times! And likewise, I adored The Raven Boys! I literally cannot deal with how much I enjoyed this novel. I need to own it and read it again and again and read the rest of the series and I can't even. Really.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
I also have a review for this one, here, if you'd like to check it out. This is another one that absolutely blew me away. I'd never read anything of Ruta Sepetys before and now I am so keen to pick up Between Shades of Grey. So so good!
Counting Stars by Jordan Deen
This novel was a bit of a disappointment for me, however I did find the plot quite interesting. A good contemporary to open your eyes to the lives of extremely wealthy teens. Review here!
Let me know in the comments what you read in February, or if you've read and loved any of the book I read this month!
Love always,
Ari
It hasn't been the biggest reading month for me in February, due to being super busy with college leadership things. So only four books read! Nonetheless, I have thoroughly enjoyed most of the novels I read this month so I thought I'd share them with you anyway.
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
I'm hoping to read one of the Outlander series at least every two months until I get through the series, and it is going fantastically so far! See my (spoiler) review here for my detailed thoughts on the second in the series.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
I'd heard all about this novel on booktube, and thought it was finally time to pick it up. I know a lot of people don't really like Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver series but I actually loved it when I was in high school and read it so many times! And likewise, I adored The Raven Boys! I literally cannot deal with how much I enjoyed this novel. I need to own it and read it again and again and read the rest of the series and I can't even. Really.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
I also have a review for this one, here, if you'd like to check it out. This is another one that absolutely blew me away. I'd never read anything of Ruta Sepetys before and now I am so keen to pick up Between Shades of Grey. So so good!
Counting Stars by Jordan Deen
This novel was a bit of a disappointment for me, however I did find the plot quite interesting. A good contemporary to open your eyes to the lives of extremely wealthy teens. Review here!
Let me know in the comments what you read in February, or if you've read and loved any of the book I read this month!
Love always,
Ari
Counting Stars by Jordan Deen - non-spoiler review
Hey!
So I was lucky enough to be given access this novel by Smashwords Publishing through Netgalley. It is set to be released in April this year and is available on ebook.
I found this a very interesting read, and very different to the contemporaries that I have read before. Counting Stars follows Madison, a teen legacy whose life revolves around escorting bachelors to parties as a means of increasing her and her family's social status. This all changes when her father is involved in a terrible accident and thus requires her to escort someone rather different to her usual male companions.
Throughout much of the novel, I found Madison a very difficult character to relate to, due to her constant focus on material items and social status. However, as the story progresses you are able to view her more intricate character quirks and flaws. This is also the case with the minor characters in the novel, including Maddie's best friend Tisha.
Jordan Deen's writing style is very straightforward, and doesn't leave much room for the reader to make their own character judgments. I found this a bit of a let down, as the novel had more of a middle-grade writing style, despite it's older themes.
Overall, Counting Stars had an interesting storyline and was definitely a change from the YA novels I am used to reading. While it's not something I'd read again, I am glad that I gave it a go and would recommend picking up the ebook for a new perspective on the extremely wealthy in our societies.
Rating: 2.75/5
Love always,
Ari
So I was lucky enough to be given access this novel by Smashwords Publishing through Netgalley. It is set to be released in April this year and is available on ebook.
I found this a very interesting read, and very different to the contemporaries that I have read before. Counting Stars follows Madison, a teen legacy whose life revolves around escorting bachelors to parties as a means of increasing her and her family's social status. This all changes when her father is involved in a terrible accident and thus requires her to escort someone rather different to her usual male companions.
Throughout much of the novel, I found Madison a very difficult character to relate to, due to her constant focus on material items and social status. However, as the story progresses you are able to view her more intricate character quirks and flaws. This is also the case with the minor characters in the novel, including Maddie's best friend Tisha.
Jordan Deen's writing style is very straightforward, and doesn't leave much room for the reader to make their own character judgments. I found this a bit of a let down, as the novel had more of a middle-grade writing style, despite it's older themes.
Overall, Counting Stars had an interesting storyline and was definitely a change from the YA novels I am used to reading. While it's not something I'd read again, I am glad that I gave it a go and would recommend picking up the ebook for a new perspective on the extremely wealthy in our societies.
Rating: 2.75/5
Love always,
Ari
Sunday, 28 February 2016
Zombie Apocalypse Book Tag
Hey!
So I've seen this tag all over booktube and book blogs and it always looks like so much fun so I've given it a go!
How it works:
1. Pick 5 books
2. Turn to a random page
3. The first name you see gets to be on your zombie survival team (yay?)
4. Apply the characters to the 10 situations and types of people in the order you got them 5. Fret over how doomed you are.
My books:
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Ruby Red by Kirstin Gier
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Doon by Cary Corp and Lorie Langdon
Aaaand the results are:
1. The first person to die: Simon (Carry On)/ Nooo, Simon!!
2. The person you trip to get away from the zombies: Aunt Fiona (Carry On). Not super upset about this one, haha!
3. The first person to turn into a zombie: Nathaniel (Clockwork Angel). Again, not overly sad about this, to be honest...
4. The person that trips you to get away from the zombies: Tessa (Clockwork Angel). Why, Tessa?!
5. The idiot of the team: Gideon (Ruby Red). Gideon is many things but an idiot, haha! He can be very stubborn though so I guess that would work against him sometimes in this situation.
6. The brains of the team: Lucy (Ruby Red)
7. The team medic: Augustus (TFIOS). I could see Augustus being a good medic, he is pretty level-headed and super loyal.
8. The weapons expert: Kaitlyn (TFIOS). Kaitlyn as a weapons expert...this would not go down well whatsoever.
9. The brawler: Fiona (Doon). Fiona is seriously the least likely person to start a brawl I could think of! She is so sweet!!
10. The team captain: Jamie (Doon). I could totally see this! Jamie is a wonderful leader in Doon and would hopefully help the team survive a bit longer.
So, not gonna lie, this is a pretty weird team! I doubt that I'd last very long, although there are some strengths in there.
Let me know in the comments if you've done this tag, I'd love to check it out! And if you haven't done it yet, I tag you! It's super fun.
Love always,
Ari
Saturday, 27 February 2016
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon - review (SPOILERS)
Hi there!
So my obsession with Outlander is well known, and I have now completed book two in the series! It was in no way a disappointment, still furthering my love for Scotland and Diana Gabaldon's magical writing style.
This review will be a spoiler review, obviously as Dragonfly in Amber is the second novel in the Outlander series.
When I began the novel, I was super super confused when Jamie and Claire's daughter Brianna appeared straight away! I had a total freak out that we weren't going to see what happened to Claire and Jamie in between that time, but of course Diana would never do that to us! While I am obsessed with the Scottish highlands thanks to Outlander, I adored the change of scenery we got for a while in this novel. The characters in Paris were just as rich and fascinating as those back in Scotland. I was slightly concerned when it seemed that Claire was going to have problems with being called a witch again, but that was luckily avoided. Also, how agonising was it when Claire wasn't speaking to Jamie after the incident with Black Jack? I wasn't sure how everything was going to go down with them, but I was fairly certain that Black Jack could not be killed, as then Frank would never exist. My theory is that they cannot change anything in history as what has happened has happened, right?
I also adore the characters introduced in the future setting, including Brianna. She's just as incredibly stubborn and beautiful as you'd expect of Jamie and Claire's daughter, along with her own little quirks and flaws. Her relationship with Roger is heartwarming and I found it a lovely addition to that aspect of the story. Their relationship is so different to Jamie and Claire's, so it is, in a way, a refreshing change for a little while.
Some people have said that the ending was an unexpected turn, but I did see it coming from the very beginning. I mean, Jamie couldn't just disappear from the series, could he?! That didn't bother me though, the story was still full of Diana's classic twists and turns. Her storylines are so intricate yet easy to follow, and I am so so excited to continue with the series soon.
Rating: 5/5
Let me know your thoughts on the Outlander sequel. Did you like it as much as it's predecessor? I'd probably still say Outlander was my favourite, but Dragonfly in Amber comes super close!
Love always,
Ari
So my obsession with Outlander is well known, and I have now completed book two in the series! It was in no way a disappointment, still furthering my love for Scotland and Diana Gabaldon's magical writing style.
This review will be a spoiler review, obviously as Dragonfly in Amber is the second novel in the Outlander series.
When I began the novel, I was super super confused when Jamie and Claire's daughter Brianna appeared straight away! I had a total freak out that we weren't going to see what happened to Claire and Jamie in between that time, but of course Diana would never do that to us! While I am obsessed with the Scottish highlands thanks to Outlander, I adored the change of scenery we got for a while in this novel. The characters in Paris were just as rich and fascinating as those back in Scotland. I was slightly concerned when it seemed that Claire was going to have problems with being called a witch again, but that was luckily avoided. Also, how agonising was it when Claire wasn't speaking to Jamie after the incident with Black Jack? I wasn't sure how everything was going to go down with them, but I was fairly certain that Black Jack could not be killed, as then Frank would never exist. My theory is that they cannot change anything in history as what has happened has happened, right?
I also adore the characters introduced in the future setting, including Brianna. She's just as incredibly stubborn and beautiful as you'd expect of Jamie and Claire's daughter, along with her own little quirks and flaws. Her relationship with Roger is heartwarming and I found it a lovely addition to that aspect of the story. Their relationship is so different to Jamie and Claire's, so it is, in a way, a refreshing change for a little while.
Some people have said that the ending was an unexpected turn, but I did see it coming from the very beginning. I mean, Jamie couldn't just disappear from the series, could he?! That didn't bother me though, the story was still full of Diana's classic twists and turns. Her storylines are so intricate yet easy to follow, and I am so so excited to continue with the series soon.
Rating: 5/5
Let me know your thoughts on the Outlander sequel. Did you like it as much as it's predecessor? I'd probably still say Outlander was my favourite, but Dragonfly in Amber comes super close!
Love always,
Ari
Thursday, 18 February 2016
Books that I loved during my childhood/early teen years!
Hey there!
Hope you're having a fantastic day! Today I thought I'd discuss some of the series and stand alone novels that I loved during my childhood and early teens. I've always been the type of person to re-read books over and over again. For example, I've read the Harry Potter series around 13 times! So there are many books like these that I continually re-read while I was still in school.
So, here are the top ten books/series that I loved during my childhood/early teens (in no particular order, except the first one):
1. Harry Potter series (duh) by J.K. Rowling
As usual when I mention Harry Potter, no explanation required.
2. Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
This seems to be a series that loads of readers loved when they were young. Looking back on it, they seem like they should have creeped me out way more than they did, but I still adore these books!
3. North Child by Edith Pattou
I haven't heard anything on book blogs or booktube about this book, but I've read it so many times, even as I've gotten to my late teens. This novel is loosely based on The Beauty and the Beast, and is incredibly touching, a little eery and super adventurous!
4. Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman
This is a series that I feel could be enjoyed by both children and adults. Based in an alternate Italy, it is filled with mystery, culture, romance and adventure. Absolutely beautiful.
5. Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Another super popular series, and for a very very good reason! The Percy Jackson series teaches you loads about Greek mythology whilst following Percy on his exciting adventures in Camp Half-Blood and beyond.
6. 39 Clues series
This is another series that taught me loads about history. I read it so so many times and still love it! The 39 Clues follows a brother and sister in a race around the world to find clues left by their ancestors to a secret treasure.
7. Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage
This is one that I think all Harry Potter lovers would adore, though it is completely different in plot and characters! Beginning with Magyk, the Septimus Heap series explores a fantasy world of magic which is extremely intricate and very entertaining.
8. Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke
I always loved this series because I would pretend I was the main character, Maggie, and could read characters out of books too! What an awesome power that would be, hey?
9. His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman
I adored this series when I was younger, and last year re-read it to see if it still held it's magic. I actually found that I enjoyed it even more this time as I was able to understand so much more of the underlying themes and symbols. I highly recommend that you read this as an adult, as Pullman's atheistic beliefs really come out in this series, particularly the final book, The Amber Spyglass. I definitely enjoyed this one the most as everything came together and you could finally see what was really driving the whole 'dust' notion. Super interesting!
10. Rondo series by Emily Rodda
This trilogy warms the cockles of my heart! I still love to go back and re-read it, re-immersing myself in the beautiful world of Rondo. It is such a lovely, funny series that reminds you of all that is good in the world.
Let me know what books were your favourite in the comments!
Love always,
Ari
Hope you're having a fantastic day! Today I thought I'd discuss some of the series and stand alone novels that I loved during my childhood and early teens. I've always been the type of person to re-read books over and over again. For example, I've read the Harry Potter series around 13 times! So there are many books like these that I continually re-read while I was still in school.
So, here are the top ten books/series that I loved during my childhood/early teens (in no particular order, except the first one):
1. Harry Potter series (duh) by J.K. Rowling
As usual when I mention Harry Potter, no explanation required.
2. Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
This seems to be a series that loads of readers loved when they were young. Looking back on it, they seem like they should have creeped me out way more than they did, but I still adore these books!
3. North Child by Edith Pattou
I haven't heard anything on book blogs or booktube about this book, but I've read it so many times, even as I've gotten to my late teens. This novel is loosely based on The Beauty and the Beast, and is incredibly touching, a little eery and super adventurous!
4. Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman
This is a series that I feel could be enjoyed by both children and adults. Based in an alternate Italy, it is filled with mystery, culture, romance and adventure. Absolutely beautiful.
5. Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Another super popular series, and for a very very good reason! The Percy Jackson series teaches you loads about Greek mythology whilst following Percy on his exciting adventures in Camp Half-Blood and beyond.
6. 39 Clues series
This is another series that taught me loads about history. I read it so so many times and still love it! The 39 Clues follows a brother and sister in a race around the world to find clues left by their ancestors to a secret treasure.
7. Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage
This is one that I think all Harry Potter lovers would adore, though it is completely different in plot and characters! Beginning with Magyk, the Septimus Heap series explores a fantasy world of magic which is extremely intricate and very entertaining.
8. Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke
I always loved this series because I would pretend I was the main character, Maggie, and could read characters out of books too! What an awesome power that would be, hey?
9. His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman
I adored this series when I was younger, and last year re-read it to see if it still held it's magic. I actually found that I enjoyed it even more this time as I was able to understand so much more of the underlying themes and symbols. I highly recommend that you read this as an adult, as Pullman's atheistic beliefs really come out in this series, particularly the final book, The Amber Spyglass. I definitely enjoyed this one the most as everything came together and you could finally see what was really driving the whole 'dust' notion. Super interesting!
10. Rondo series by Emily Rodda
This trilogy warms the cockles of my heart! I still love to go back and re-read it, re-immersing myself in the beautiful world of Rondo. It is such a lovely, funny series that reminds you of all that is good in the world.
Let me know what books were your favourite in the comments!
Love always,
Ari
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