I received a copy of the 10th anniversary edition of City of Bones from Walker Books Australia to review.
I’ve read City of Bones a couple of times noI received a copy of the 10th anniversary edition of City of Bones from Walker Books Australia to review.
I’ve read City of Bones a couple of times now. The first time I read it I couldn’t put it down and it was the same this time too. I don’t know what it is about this book but I still really enjoy reading it.
Because I’ve read this more than once I don’t feel like I can review the story again. I think I have a review of City of Bones on my blog. But I will say that for me the story is still addicting and if I still had copies of the rest of the series I probably would have read them all again too. I especially want to read The Infernal Devices again. From what I remember of them I think they were my favourite out of Clare’s books. Although I haven’t read her new series yet.
I loved the illustrations in this edition, especially the full-coloured ones at the front and back of the book. I also liked the Inquisitor’s notes at the end of City of Bones. They were a great addition to the story and an insight into what the Inquisitor and what she actually thought of certain characters.
If you haven’t read Clare’s books and love fantasy then I definitely recommend picking up a copy of City of Bones. And if you are a fan of The Mortal Instruments then the 10th anniversary edition is a great addition to your shelves. Plus, the cover is gorgeous! ...more
I received a copy of A Journey Through a History of Magic from Bloomsbury Australia to review. This edition is, I think, a family edition and has someI received a copy of A Journey Through a History of Magic from Bloomsbury Australia to review. This edition is, I think, a family edition and has some activities to try. I didn’t do any of the activities so obviously I can’t say how good they are or if they even worked.
I don’t visit museums often but when I do I find myself getting bored easily and not reading all the information (if any) and it doesn’t help that there’s always a lot of people too. Which happened to me last weekend at a Lego exhibition. Too many being and not enough air conditioning… But I do wish I could see this one in person.
I found A Journey Through a History of Magic a really fast read. I loved all the illustrations and notes from J.K. Rowling’s archives. It was also great to see some of the changes she’d made and how she’d mapped out the story. And I loved seeing all the pieces of magic from other cultures and history. But at the same time I did feel like this edition was definitely aimed towards younger readers and their parents (especially for the activities). I think A History of Magic will be better for me/adults. It looks like it has a lot more information. Well, fingers crossed anyway.
I do recommend getting a copy of this for kids that are fans of Harry Potter or the Wizarding World so they can see some of J.K. Rowling’s illustrations and there are other things in the book I’m sure they’d like too. I don’t want to give too much away. I did like it but I think I’m going to prefer the other edition more. ...more
I received a copy of the Northern Lights graphic novel from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review. This is the first book from the His Dark MaterI received a copy of the Northern Lights graphic novel from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review. This is the first book from the His Dark Materials trilogy.
I have read the book, Northern Lights, but it was a few years ago now. I did really enjoy it but I never did get around to reading the other two books in the trilogy. And then I’d left it too late and forgot most of what happened. So when I saw that a graphic novel was going to be released I thought it would be a great way to refresh my memory and also read a graphic novel. I haven’t read a lot of graphic novels.
I will admit that I thought the story jumped ahead out of nowhere. I get that this is a graphic novel and not everything from the book can fit but it just changed scenes with no warning and I also felt like conversations were cut off and didn’t come to an end. I can’t say how much of the story is missing from the book but I did feel like the biggest parts were included. Maybe it’s just me and the fact I haven’t read a graphic novel in years…
I did enjoy the illustrations. I thought they added to the story and made me think of the movie. I have only seen the movie once and all I remember from that is the actors and that insane orange monkey. I loved the detail in the illustrations. I do wish I’d taken some photos for my review but it just slipped my mind.
Overall I did enjoy reading this edition of Northern Lights and it did bring enough of the story back for me to pick up the next book. Which is great! Now I just have to actually pick it up. I want to know what’s next for Lyra and Pan.
If you’re a fan of the His Dark Materials trilogy and haven’t checked this out then I definitely recommend picking up a copy! ...more
I received a copy of The Language of Thorns from Hachette New Zealand to review. I’ve never read any of the books in the Grishaverse before this but II received a copy of The Language of Thorns from Hachette New Zealand to review. I’ve never read any of the books in the Grishaverse before this but I’d heard that anyone could pick this up so I wanted to give it a chance.
It took me longer than I thought it would to read this. I think it was mostly due to the reading slump I was in at the time (I read this last year but totally forgot to post my review) but the red text didn’t help either. After a while it started to hurt my eyes and I’d have to put the book down to give my eyes a break. Not every story had red text, there was also blue which didn’t hurt my eyes, but I don’t think I managed to read a story that had red text all the way through with out breaks. So if I book has red text I will not be reading it.
I can’t remember if I had a favourite story or not. I did like the ending of The Little Knife and The Soldier Prince though. But the only story that I can still remember is When Water Sang Fire. That one didn’t have a “good” ending but because it’s the only story I can actually remember more than just the ending then I’ll say it’s my favourite. Maybe. I just wish it had ended a little differently.
So, it’s not that I didn’t like The Language of Thorns or the stories in the book but I just didn’t love it. I mean, for a collection of stories they were all pretty good. I don’t know if I should blame the reading slump or it was because I had to put the book down so much? It’s not like I can go back and read it to see if I like it better now that I’m not in a reading slump because it would just hurt my eyes again. Do all the editions have red text?
I still want to read the other books in the Grishaverse. I don’t know when I’ll get to them but I finally have copies of the Shadow and Bone trilogy so I have no excuse now! Other than the fact my TBR is huge! ...more
I received a copy of Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review.
I love how diverse the Magnus Chase books aI received a copy of Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review.
I love how diverse the Magnus Chase books are! Alex is gender fluid and Samirah is Muslim. In Ship of the Dead Sam is celebrating Ramadan (is celebrating the right word?) so I got to learn about that. I’m assuming that Riordan did his research or already knew about Ramadan and Sam’s religion. And I really love that a Muslim character was included in these books. Sam is my favourite character. I loved that she was true to who herself and what she believed in while also being a Valkyrie. I think she got the best of both worlds. Maybe not the best father though…
I also enjoyed the friendship between Alex and Magnus and that Magnus could tell just by looking at Alex which pronouns they were using. And the fact that their friendship/relationship – whatever they have – didn’t seem forced.
I didn’t know when I picked up Ship of the Dead that this is the last book in the trilogy? I was expecting a longer series. I guess the story wrapped up but I was expecting an end of the world type battle – like Ragnarök I guess. But then if Ragnarök actually happened then everyone would die and the plan was to stop it. Or prevent it. So I was kind of disappointed with how the story ended but it was still good. And with Magnus being Annabeth’s cousin I’m hoping he’ll be mention in other books? Who knows.. I am glad Annabeth and Percy were in this one, even if it wasn’t for long.
I love Riordan’s books and can’t wait to read the next one to come out. I think it’s part of the Trials of Apollo series. If you haven’t read any of Riordan’s books then I can’t recommend them enough. ...more
I received a copy of Godsgrave from HarperCollins New Zealand to review. This is the second book in The Nevernight Chronicles.
I really enjoyed GodsgrI received a copy of Godsgrave from HarperCollins New Zealand to review. This is the second book in The Nevernight Chronicles.
I really enjoyed Godsgrave. Mia is on a different path in this book but still has the same goal – vengeance for her family. There were so many things that came out this the book. Things about Mia’s family and the Red Church. Which has Mia going behind the Church’s back and trusting someone she isn’t sure she can actually trust.
Speaking of that person, I wasn’t really sure what to think of them helping Mia. Or if they were actually helping her and not just setting her up. I didn’t like what they did in Nevernight but at the same time they were helping Mia when they didn’t have to. Although I think they made some kind of deal at the start of the book but I’m not 100% sure…
I really liked the new characters in Godsgrave. Well, most of them anyway. There was one guy at this college place where Mia was who drove me nuts. But I liked all the other gladiatii, especially Bryn, Bladesinger and Sidonius. Then there was this weird dark thing that Mia encountered at the start of the book. I didn’t know what to think about that thing… But what happened at the end of the book? What the hell was that? How can you just leave it there!! Oh my god.
I can’t do a review of Godsgrave and not mention the narrator. I actually love whoever’s telling this story just because of their sarcasm. I don’t care who it is anymore. I just love how they’re telling the story. I know some people don’t like the footnotes but I enjoy them just as much as the story.
I cannot wait for the next book to come out! That twist at the end was so good! Well, there was more than one twist at the end… But they were all so bloody good! If you haven’t read Nevernight and Godsgrave then you’re really missing out. ...more
I received a copy of The Wonderling from Walker Books Australia to review. This isn’t the kind of book I usually read but I wanted to give it a chanceI received a copy of The Wonderling from Walker Books Australia to review. This isn’t the kind of book I usually read but I wanted to give it a chance because I’d heard good things about it.
I’m just going to come out and say it, I think this may have been a little too young for me. I don’t know if it was the reading slump I was in when I read this but I felt like the story dragged on a bit. I did like some of the characters and I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened to them.
I also liked the illustrations. They were adorable and my favourite part of the book. I’m sure younger readers will enjoy them too. And I liked that this was a story of acceptance and belonging. I think this will be a great book for kids.
I really wish I’d gotten into The Wonderling. It sounded good when I read the synopsis. I just can’t tell if it was me, the reading slump or it just wasn’t my kind of book....more
I received a copy of I Hate Everyone But You from Allen and Unwin New Zealand to review.
I liked that there was diversity in this book was but I didn’I received a copy of I Hate Everyone But You from Allen and Unwin New Zealand to review.
I liked that there was diversity in this book was but I didn’t like how judgemental one of the characters seemed. I did realise that she wasn’t that great at getting her point across or voicing how she felt or what she thought very well. And sometimes she just didn’t know what to say. But by the end of the book I did think her intentions were good. She just seemed awkward – kind of like Brennan in Bones but her best friend, Angela, is more understanding that Brennan doesn’t always know the right thing to say or how to react in some situations.
I did like that she didn’t want to give up on her friend and their friendship. Knowing me I probably would have walked away from all that silent treatment and not looked back. But maybe she’s a better person than me in that way?
I found I Hate Everyone But You a really fast read. Probably because the story is told in emails and texts.. I kind of wish there would have been more background to Ava and Gen’s friendship as they grew up. I mean, I get this was taking place in their first semester at college and there were stories about when they were younger. But I just felt like because it was only told through their texts and emails that things were left out. Especially at Christmas? I think it was Christmas break… I can’t remember what holiday it was but I didn’t feel like I could connect with whatever happened because it wasn’t really in the book.
I can’t say this was my favourite book of 2017 but I didn’t hate it. Yes, I read this book last year and completely forgot to review it… But better late than never, right? ...more
I received a copy of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe from Walker Books Australia to review.
This is the third book by Lauren James that I’ve read. II received a copy of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe from Walker Books Australia to review.
This is the third book by Lauren James that I’ve read. I enjoyed her duology so when I heard she was releasing a sci-fi book I knew I had to read it. Not that I’ve read a lot of sci-fi books.
So The Loneliest Girl in the Universe had me hooked from the start. I felt really bad for Romy. She was stuck in a situation she didn’t choose but she also didn’t really have a choice other than complete the mission. I was sure that there was more to the story than a girl falling for a guy she’d never met but I did not see that twist coming. It was a really good one!
I love sci-fi books and I will admit I was kind of expecting something else. Not that this was bad but it’s just not what I was expecting. I was left guessing until the end of the book though. I think The Loneliest Girl in the Universe may be my favourite book of Lauren’s. It’s up there with The Last Beginning, which I loved.
I can’t say much about this book without spoiling it so I’m just going to say that if you like sci-fi books or enjoy books with a great twist then I recommend picking up a copy. ...more
I received a copy of Invictus from Hachette New Zealand to review. This is the fourth book of Ryan’s that I’ve read. I think my favourites are still hI received a copy of Invictus from Hachette New Zealand to review. This is the fourth book of Ryan’s that I’ve read. I think my favourites are still her Wolf by Wolf duology.
I was in a reading slump when I read this so I’m not really sure if it was that of the fact that I couldn’t really connect to Far – who was the main character – and his massive ego that drove me nuts and put me off him and the book. I mean, it could have been both? I don’t think the book dragged but it did feel like it took a long time for the story to get interesting to me. I think because it took so long for the reason behind Eliot joining the crew of the Invictus to come out as well that I just got bored waiting. But when it all came out the story did seem to pick up and finally caught my interest. I can’t remember how far into the book I was when that happened though.
As you can probably tell I didn’t really like Far all that much. I did respect the choice he made at the end but by then I think it was just too late for me to actually like him as a character. I did like Imogen, Gram and Pryia though. I think Eliot was a little too much like Far for me to like. Maybe less arrogant but I can’t really remember. I think my favourite character in Invictus was Imogen, she was funny and a pet red panda!
Anyway, even though it took me a while to get into the story, I did like it. I do love stories about time travel. And the twist to this story was so good! Oh and I did like the ending, even though it was a little cheesy.
I think Invictus was a stand alone but if there ever was a sequel, and I don’t see why there would be, I’m not sure I’d read it. I liked the ending of Invictus and feel like a sequel could ruin it. But at the same time I could be interesting to see if Far had changed… Probably not though.
If you enjoy time travel and some pretty good twists then I recommend picking up a copy of Invictus. ...more
I received a copy of Genuine Fraud from Allen and Unwin New Zealand to review.
This is the second book I’ve read by Lockhart. The first one was We WerI received a copy of Genuine Fraud from Allen and Unwin New Zealand to review.
This is the second book I’ve read by Lockhart. The first one was We Were Liars. I did like Genuine Fraud more but it was still only three stars for me. I don’t think the reading slump I was in at the time helped but it was also the way the story was told that kind of put me off too. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book told this way, backwards, and from this one experience I don’t want to again. But I’m not going to say anything else because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it yet.
The main reason I didn’t put the book down was that I wanted to know what happened to Imogen and Jule. Not because I liked any of the characters because I didn’t but I just want to know what happened and how the book would end.
I will say that there was a pretty good twist to the story and it came out right at the end of the book. I did click to it before it came out but only just. It wasn’t obvious from the start of the book. Well, for me anyway.
I don’t think Lockhart’s books are for me. Of the two I’ve read I didn’t like any of the characters. I did read We Were Liars a few years ago so I can’t really remember much other than I couldn’t stand Cadence. So I’m not sure I’ll be reading any more of her books. Unless the story really draws me in… ...more
I received a copy of Wonder Woman: Warbringer from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review. This is the first book in the DC Icons series.
I love thI received a copy of Wonder Woman: Warbringer from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review. This is the first book in the DC Icons series.
I love the DC TV shows that are on tv now (Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl) and I used to watch Smallville. I loved the Wonder Woman movie so I was really excited when I heard about the DC Icons series.
It did surprise me that Warbringer was set in out time but then this is a different story from the recent Wonder Woman movie. When I got used to a young Diana in our time I found myself enjoying the book.
And I loved Diana. How could I not though? And I loved that she didn’t want to just let Alia die to save the world but wanted to actually save Alia and end the line of warbringers. Yes, Diana wanted to prove herself to her mother and sisters but I don’t think that really mattered to her in the end. She’d proved to herself what she was capable of.
I also really liked Alia and her best friend, Nim. I thought they had an amazing friendship and Nim was so funny and unique. They were my favourite characters after Diana. And I also loved how accepting they were of each other. But then that’s what friends are supposed to be.
There was a twist to this story that I didn’t see coming at all. It was so well done that I was completely taken by surprise.
Overall I really enjoyed Warbringer and I think fans of Diana/Wonder Woman may enjoy it too. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series, Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu. I loved her Legend trilogy so I cannot wait to see what she has in store for Bruce. ...more
I received a copy of Because You Love to Hate Me from Bloomsbury Australia to review.
I don’t usually like these kinds of books because most of the tiI received a copy of Because You Love to Hate Me from Bloomsbury Australia to review.
I don’t usually like these kinds of books because most of the time I only like a couple of the stories and the rest are just meh. Especially when there is more than one author. Doesn’t stop me reading them though. But I really enjoyed this book.
Yes, there were a few stories that I didn’t really like or connect with but there were more that I liked. Which is why I gave the book four stars. Some of the stories are retellings and others were original.
I’m not going to talk about all thirteen stories in Because You Love to Hate Me, that would just take too long. I liked ten of them which has never happened before. So I’m just going to mention three here. I won’t say what the stories are about because the way the book is set out the challenges from Booktubers are revealed at the end and I don’t want to spoil them for anyone.
The first story I’m going to mention is The Sea Witch by Marissa Meyer. You can probably guess what this one is about from the title. I had an idea when I first picked the book up. This one might actually my favourite because of the twist it had.
The second story is Indigo and Shade by April Genevieve Tucholke. I loved Tucholke’s retelling of this fairytale. I’ve never read anything by Tuchilke before this. Indigo and Shade did start off slow but once it picked up I really enjoyed it.
The last story I’m going to mention here is Shirley and Jim by Susan Dennard. This one was told in emails and I really liked the twist on two fictional characters. I wish I could talk about these more but I just don’t want to ruin them for anyone. I do try to do spoiler free reviews.
There were a few authors in this book that I’d never read anything from before I picked up Because You Love to Hate Me. Out of the thirteen authors in this book I’d read books by only six of them. Which is more than I thought but also not a lot. It has made me want to pick up some books by the other authors though.
I really enjoyed Because You Love to Hate Me and cannot recommend it enough. If you love fairytale retellings and villains then you definitely need to pick up a copy. ...more
I received a copy of Moonrise from Bloomsbury Australia to review. This is the second book I’ve read by Crossan. I read One a few years ago and loved I received a copy of Moonrise from Bloomsbury Australia to review. This is the second book I’ve read by Crossan. I read One a few years ago and loved it. When I received Moonrise in the mail to review I was excited to read it.
I’m just going to get this out of the way now. Not a lot of books have made me cry but I’ll admit that I was actually crying at the end of this book. Actual tears! Which for me means it was a really good book and one of the reasons I gave it five stars. I just got so attached to Joe and Ed and I wanted them to have a happy ending.
In Moonrise, Ed is on death row for a crime he says he didn’t commit. I’m going to admit that I was a little skeptical at first. I know it’s supposed to be innocent until proven guilty but Ed was in prison. No one wants to think the justice system screws up and that innocent people are, right now, sitting in prison for something they didn’t do. And especially not on death row. But the justice system isn’t perfect and mistakes are made. Innocent people have been executed and are imprisoned. This isn’t related to the book but, for example, Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey. I believe they’re both innocent. If you haven’t seen Making a Murderer then I highly recommend it. Although it made me very angry. This book shows what happens when the justice system fails.
But it also shows what one family is willing to do for someone they love. Even if they’re aren’t sure what to believe. Ed’s family wants to be there for him at the end, when he needs them the most. Especially if it might be the last time they see each other.
Moonrise is told in verse. I’ve only read one other book told this way and it was also by Crossan and I loved that too. Even though it was sad. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to connect with the story or characters with the book being written this way but both Moonrise and One was amazing and so, so sad.
I think I might have to pick up more of Crossan’s books. This isn’t the kind of book I usually read but I could not put it down. ...more
I received a copy of The Cause of Death from HarperCollins New Zealand to review. It’s been so long since I read a true crime book. But when I heard tI received a copy of The Cause of Death from HarperCollins New Zealand to review. It’s been so long since I read a true crime book. But when I heard this was set in the area where I live I was excited to read it (can I say that with a book about death?).
There’s one case in this book that I’d heard of before I picked up the book. I think most people in New Zealand have already heard of the Mark Lundy case. I was too young when Christine and Amber were killed to see it on the news but I do remember watching a TV show that examined the evidence a few years ago. But reading the case from a pathologists perspective and someone who examined some of the evidence was interesting. I still don’t understand how people think he’s innocent.
It was really weird reading about places I’ve actually been to instead of just seeing on the TV or in movies. Some places, like the Junction Motel in Sanson, I won’t be able to look at the same again.
A lot of the cases in this book were really sad, especially the one with the baby on the plane and the old man in Foxton – I felt really bad for him. But then guess most of the stories in The Cause of Death were sad because they dealt with death. Some were even kind of shocking, like the case with the babysitter and the spontaneous combustion. I was a bit skeptical when I read that there was a case of spontaneous combustion in this book. I’m not sure that case can be called spontaneous combustion because there was something there that started the fire but the fact that only the body burned was really crazy. I’d always assumed that spontaneous combustion was something that happened out of nowhere and that there was nothing in the area that could start a fire… But there was with this person so I was left a little confused.
I liked that the science and medical stuff was explained so someone like me who hated science could understand. The only medical terms I knew were picked up from TV shows and movies but I was glad that there was also explanations for things that I didn’t know. Like how the guy was found with burns but nothing else around him was burned.
I also liked Dr. Temple-Camp’s sense of humor. There were parts of the book where he’s questioning someones logic (or lack of) and when someone said that a piece of brain was uncooked lamb or something like that and he made me laugh. There were other things he wrote that I found funny but that might be because I have dark humor… I don’t know.
Anyway, I really enjoyed The Cause of Death (can I say that about this kind of book?) and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of true crime books. And another great reason to pick up a copy is all royalties from the book go to the Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter....more
I received a copy of I Am Traitor from Hachette New Zealand to review.
I was so excited to pick this up because I love stories with alien invasions. I I received a copy of I Am Traitor from Hachette New Zealand to review.
I was so excited to pick this up because I love stories with alien invasions. I don’t know why. But there was just something about this story that I just didn’t click with. I don’t know if it was because I found some (or most) of the characters annoying or if the reason these aliens were abducting teens was just so disgusting and wrong or just all of it. I don’t know. I just know that it was just okay.
So I think the biggest shock for me was the reasons these twisted aliens were taking teenagers and then just expecting them to be grateful. Like “we’re giving you food, water and allowing you to live” but you just have to do this one thing for us. Which by the way was just too gross to even think about. But I guess that shouldn’t be so shocking considering these freaks have no empathy or even any emotions. I didn’t like them at all and just didn’t care that their species were facing extinction. What a shame.
And then there were the human characters and they annoyed me during most of the book. But I did finish I Am Traitor because I wanted to know what happened to them all. Maybe with the exception of one. I would have left him with those aliens.
I think the ending was kind of left open for a sequel but I haven’t looked into it to see if there will be one. Because to be honest I’m just not interested in reading it if there is another book. I guess this book just wasn’t for me. I think the story was okay up until the motivations of the aliens was revealed and then I was just like no. But, like I said, I still finished the book because I wanted to know how it ended....more
I received a copy of Tell It to the Moon from Walker Books Australia to review. This is the sequel to The Moonlight Dreamers which I reviewed a coupleI received a copy of Tell It to the Moon from Walker Books Australia to review. This is the sequel to The Moonlight Dreamers which I reviewed a couple of months ago.
I love how diverse these books are and how accepting and understanding the Moonlight Dreamers are of each other. Maali’s family are very religious and in Tell It to the Moon, Maali has a crisis of faith (is that the right saying? I’m not really sure…) while her family is going through something difficult. Amber is having a hard time with her writing and figuring out who she is. Sky is juggling high school for the first time and a new relationship and Rose is dealing with new feelings and being open about who she is.
Like all friends, Sky, Rose, Maali and Amber don’t always agree and have arguments or fall out, whatever you want to call it, but at the end of the day these girls are there for each other, no matter what they’re going through. I do wish some of them (or one in particular) were just honest at the start with how they were feeling about something because there would have been less drama. I mean, I thought it was kind of obvious what was going on with Sky before it all came out so it was kind of annoying to me how long Sky dragged it out instead of just telling her friends the truth. I know people handle things differently, some people are open and others choose avoidance, but they were her friends.
Anyway, both The Moonlight Dreamers and Tell It to the Moon have great messages for young women/teens. I’m sure people will take different things from them. They’re diverse and have strong young women too and always comes back to the friendships between Rose, Maali, Sky and Amber. So I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves diverse books with great characters and friendship....more