August Releases

A bit late, but but at least you can already get most of these releases now, right? ;)

Enter Title Here, by Kanakia Rahul

As the end of summer approaches, so does the time where we grab for the last contemporary book on our TBR-Piles. But which book would be better to chime in the beginning of fall/the start of the new school year than a combination of contemporary and school. Rashmi is the typical over the top-perfect-in-everything kind of student, who just wants to go to Stanford. So to get herself a head start she gets herself a literary agent. But to write a more relatable novel she starts doing all the typical American girl things like get a boyfriend.

Published August 2^nd

GR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22060619-enter-title-here

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Enter-Title-Here-Rahul-Kanakia/dp/1484723872/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470843968&sr=1-1&keywords=enter+title+here

It Ends With Us, by Colleen Hoover

Have I ever read a Colleen Hoover book? Well…. no. But with such a huge following, like she has I would think it is safe to say, that her books are quite enjoyable. From what I have heard so far it seems as it is another crowd pleasing favourite, which is enjoyed better the less you know about it, so we are going to leave it at that.

Published August 2^nd

GR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27362503-it-ends-with-us

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ends-Us-Novel-Colleen-Hoover/dp/1501110365/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470843950&sr=1-1&keywords=it+ends+with+us

Attack on Titan, Volume 19

I have by no means caught up with this series yet, but it is always nice to have another volume of this AMAZING series. After Titans destroyed most of humanity, Humanity has withdrawn into one last city. The story picks up five hundred years later, when suddenly a colossal titan appears, who destroys the saving wall. I would highly recommend this series, especially if you liked the Mistborn series, by Brandon Sanderson.

Published August 2^nd

GR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833731-attack-on-titan-volume-19

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Attack-Titan-19-Hajime-Isayama/dp/1632362597/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470843929&sr=1-1&keywords=attack+on+titan+19

Nevernight, by Jay Kristoff

This book! It has everything I could ever want (except for maybe dragons and ice cream, but I haven´t read it yet, so who knows?): an assassin, a boarding school AND magic? Heck yes, sign me in! But I am still a bit anxious, as the reviews so far have been really split. It seems that people either love or hate this book, so we will see.

Published August 11^th

GR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114463-nevernight

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Nevernight-Jay-Kristoff/dp/1250073022/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470843559&sr=8-1&keywords=nevernight+by+jay+kristoff

The Bronze Key, by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

I read the first book, called “The Iron Trial”, a couple of months ago. It is a fun Middle Grade series, in which the main protagonist Callum goes to this magic school. It reminded me a bit of Harry Potter, so if you have already finished the Cursed Child and can´t let go this one offers a similar premise.

Published August 30^th

GR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13612965-the-bronze-key

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bronze-Key-Magisterium-Book/dp/0545522315/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470843589&sr=8-1&keywords=the+bronze+key

Furthermore, by Tahereh Mafi

Tahereh Mafi is best known for her bestselling Shatter Me series, which once again: I have not read yet! So I can´t go off that but the synopsis sounds cool. Apparently colour plays a big role in this one so that will be a new concept, that I have never seen done before.

Published August 30^th

GR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28110143-furthermore

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Furthermore-Tahereh-Mafi/dp/1101994762/ref=pd_sim_14_70?ie=UTF8&dpID=614dj-RRpOL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR106%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=JM4AZW6JPHZM2RWR150D

July Wrap-Up

If I were to summon up my reading habits this month the only way I would be able to describe it were: Weird.

Hey guys, how are you? Long-time no see. I am sorry, but my computer had to be repaired and it took longer than I thought it would. But at least I read a lot! Especially during my vacation, but after that things got strange. I fell into a reading slump, but only kind of. I wanted to read, but no book grabbed my attention so I started I think five different ones until I finally committed and finished a book. But since then the only thing I have read this month are graphic novels/comics. Nothing wrong with that, but it I would rather read novels. Anyway, moving on to what I actually read:

City of Lost Souls, by Cassandra Clare          4/5 Stars

Once again a great book by Cassandra Clare, really liked the plot (Review to come)

The Neverland Wars, by Audrey Greathouse           2.5/5 Stars

Got this one as an ARC, this one just kinda fell flat. Pretty forgettable

The Well of Ascension, by Brandon Sanderson       4.5/5 Stars

While not as good as the first book, this was a really great high fantasy book (Review to come)

Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella     5/5 Stars

ReadbyZoe on YouTube read these books a while ago so I wanted to pick them up as well. LOVED it. Really fun and fast read with loveable characters

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, by Sophie Kinsella    4/5 Stars

This one repeated lots of things from the first book, so while still enjoyable, it just wasn´t as refreshing and fun

Shopaholic Ties the Knot, by Sophie Kinsella          4.5/5 Stars

The plot goes into a different direction and shopping takes the backseat, once again really great (I think I might review the series as a whole, or maybe in pairs, not sure yet)

My Life Next Door, by Huntley Fitzpatrick            2.5/5 Stars

This was the book that helped me start reading again, but it wasn´t pretty good to be honest. The characters were really cliché and the plot felt unnecessarily stretched out. (Review to come)

Graphic Novels:

Attack on Titan Vol 1, by Hajime Isayama    4/5 Stars

I started watching the anime again, so I knew what was going to happen; While really great, the art style was confusing at times

Attack on Titan Vol 2, by Hajime Isayama    4/5 Stars

I really appreciated the scene that was left out of the anime, it gave me a better understanding of Mikasa; I think I still prefer the anime though because the manga isn´t as suspenseful and emotionally gripping

East of West Vol 3: There Is No Us, by Jonathan Hickman         3.5/5 Stars

I took too much time off this series, so I was quite confused by what was going on, but I got back into it by one point; Finally, the threads are intertwining!

East of West Vol 4: Who Wants War? by Jonathan Hickman      4.5/5 Stars

Loved the information (maps, history etc.) at the beginning. Some of the story arcs are becoming understandable, but there is still lots of mystery around what´s really going on; Can´t wait for Volume 5!

Fables Vol 1: Legends in Exile, by Bill Willingham          5/5 Stars

Great first instalment, I can definitely see myself becoming obsessed with this series

Fables Volume 2: Animal Farm, by Bill Willingham         5/5 Stars

This volume was even better!

Seconds, by Bryan Lee O`Malley        4/5 Stars

A really quirky and cute graphic novel. The art style portrays the characters similar to chibis, which is sweet. The dynamic between Katie and the narrator is unlike anything I have read before. Recommend especially for people who want to get into graphic novels!!!

Sweet Tooth Vol 1: Out of the Deep Woods, by Jeff Lemire        3/5 Stars

Didn´t really like the artstyle, but it does fit the story well

Sweet Tooth Vol 2: In Captivity, by Jeff Lemire      3.5/5 Stars

I liked this one better; Also we got some backstory, which is always nice

Sweet Tooth Vol 3: Animal Armies, by Jeff Lemire          3/5 Stars

Didn´t like it as much as the second volume

Chew Vol 1: Taster´s Choice, by John Layman       3/5 Stars

This was a difficult one, I appreciate the plot and the characters, but I wasn´t a fan of the art and it is just a bit too gross for my taste (pun intented), I´ll probably read Vol 2 and then decide if I really want to continue on, I would still recommend it though, because it is by no means a “bad” comic

Y: The Last Man Vol 2: Cycles, by Brian K. Vaughan      4/5 Stars

Even though I didn´t like it as much as the first Volume, I still really liked it! It wasn´t as humorous and I can´t comprehend Hero´s actions. Also: Not cool Yorrick! What about Beth?

Y: The Last Man Vol 3: One Small Step, by Brian K. Vaughan   4/5 Stars

I think this is my least favourite volume in this series yet, it was great until that part with the theatre. That turned me off a bit, but apart from that: Great Volume, great series!

Y: The Last Man Vol 4: Safeword, by Brian K. Vaughan  4.5/5 Stars

The beginning was strange, but after they leave 711 this volume did everything right again.

As you can see, I was pretty busy this month. Do you want me to review any book/comic in particular? Let me know down below and we can discuss it together!

Read on xx

Lena

The Neverland Wars, by Audrey Greathouse

*Disclaimer* I was provided with an eARC in exchange for an honest review by Sara from YA Bound Book Tours.

Title: The Neverland Wars

Author: Audrey Greathouse

Pages: 302

Published by: Clean Teen Publishing

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Magic can do a lot—give you flight, show you mermaids, help you taste the stars, and… solve the budget crisis? That's what the grown-ups will do with it if they ever make it to Neverland to steal its magic and bring their children home.

However, Gwen doesn't know this. She's just a sixteen-year-old girl with a place on the debate team and a powerful crush on Jay, the soon-to-be homecoming king. She doesn't know her little sister could actually run away with Peter Pan, or that she might have to chase after her to bring her home safe. Gwen will find out though—and when she does, she'll discover she's in the middle of a looming war between Neverland and reality.

She'll be out of place as a teenager in Neverland, but she won't be the only one. Peter Pan's constant treks back to the mainland have slowly aged him into adolescence as well. Soon, Gwen will have to decide whether she's going to join impish, playful Peter in his fight for eternal youth… or if she's going to scramble back to reality in time for the homecoming dance.

I love Peter Pan. I really do. And I love retellings even more, so it is really sad that this is a book that is best described as forgettable and just ok. Nothing too special and not worth recommending or even remembering. While it is a fast paced read with fun aspects like e.g the mermaids (really enjoyed those) and it does have a nice modern twist on the Peter Pan store I just had lots of problems with it, the biggest one being the characters, especially Gwen. Apart from being a naive girl, the only thing Gwen is the perfect shining star (pun intended) and she is oh so special. Yes, she "sees behind the glamour" of growing up, contrary to all the teenage robots around her, but apart from that she has about zero personality. She justifies lots of her behavior with how her parents treat her, which by the way is NOT how parents treat their kids these days. It is only used as another device to get the authors message across, but while yes, I got what she wanted to achieve, but there is hardly any way around that if the reader is hit over the head with what they should be feeling. Another example for that are the lost boys. They are depicted as these really, once again, naive children, who are so centered around the idea of adventures that they completely shuffle off their families to be in Neverland. I can´t comprehend these actions, but at least they had more character than Gwen did. Also I smell a love triangle coming, which I am not a fan of.

This book just tries to be/do something it does´t have the skill to do. It tries questioning the meaning of growing up and how age and puberty affect us, but really all it does is making me roll my eyes on a seemingly desperate added depth to an already forgettable YA book. I would say if you look for a fast paced read and are willing to over lacking characters, this book might be for you, but it just wash´t for me.

Do you guys know of any other Peter Pan retellings you would recommend? If so I would be really interested in reading them!

Read on xx

Lena

Me and Ear and the Dying Girl, by Jesse Andrews

This is a non-spoiler review

Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Author: Jesse Andrews

Pages: 304

Published by: Atlantic Books

Rating: 3/5

“Highschool sucks.” This is an universally acknowledged truth, which Greg Gaines lets the reader know as soon as you start the first chapter of this book. Greg managed to get through high school keeping a low profile, so at least his high school experience doesn´t suck as much. Everybody knows Greg, nobody dislikes Greg and he and Earl can continue making mediocre to bad movies. Until the first day of senior year, when his mom forces him to become friends with the Jewish girl, who has just gotten cancer. This inevitably brings destruction in his life.

This book was fine. I can see why so many people love it, but it just isn´t something for me. Maybe this is another case of me having too high expectations, since it got hyped up a lot on booktube etc.

I found the main character Greg to be quite unsympathetic and unlikeable. Even though he was quite realistic and dorky, which lead to a lot of funny moments, he was also really stuck up and I couldn´t relate to him at all. Also I wasn´t a huge fan of the story itself, due to the issues I had with Greg. The things he said/did were really rude, for example: He just didn´t care about Rachel. Like at all. Apart from Earl she is his only friend and he just sees her as a burden.  Also Rachel has like zero personality. It´s like she is a robot. But probably the most annoying thing was the story. You want to know why? Because there is none! Just like there is no character development, which is a pity, if you, like me, dislike Greg. Yes, Greg says at the beginning that there is no point in this story, but I expected at least a bit more, seeing how beloved this book is. You would think that being auround Rachel and becoming friends with her would have an impact on Greg, but no. 

But on the contrary there were a couple of great things in this book as well.

1.       The humour.

The humour in this book is great. It´s just so funny. Even though it didn´t make me laugh out loud, which is admittedly really hard, it had lots of big smiles on my face. I am in love with Greg´s father, Mr. Gaines. He is the best person on earth and I aspire to be like him one day, as should everybody else in this universe

2.       The formatting

This book is written in a very different way to most books. 50%, or maybe even more, is not normal text, but rather scripts, bullet points etc. It broke the fourth wall very well and engaged the reader into the story. (As far as possible because there is basically no story) It made the book so much more enjoyable and hadn´t it been for the formatting, I probably wouldn´t have finished the book.

3.       It isn´t a “Typical cancer book”

This book doesn´t romanticise cancer, or illness in general. It isn´t even a love story. It is an honest book about friendship (Again not very well done because Greg doesn´t even really like Rachel, but you get the point) It takes a different spin on the whole “sick girl with cancer” trope, which I haven´t read before.

All in all, pick it up if you are want a light read, with a bit of a more serious topic/ have a desire for a new take on an illness YA book. Just don´t expect too much from it, like I did (but still the formatting is REALLY cool) I am still excited to watch the movie, as I think some of my issues will be solved in it.

What about you guys? Have you read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl? And if so what did you think of it? Can you recommend me any other books with an unique formatting? Tell me down, in the comments below!

Read on xx

Lena

Me and Ear and the Dying Girl, by Jesse Andrews

This is a non-spoiler review

Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Author: Jesse Andrews

Pages: 304

Published by: Atlantic Books

Rating: 3/5

“Highschool sucks.” This is an universally acknowledged truth, which Greg Gaines lets the reader know as soon as you start the first chapter of this book. Greg managed to get through high school keeping a low profile, so at least his high school experience doesn´t suck as much. Everybody knows Greg, nobody dislikes Greg and he and Earl can continue making mediocre to bad movies. Until the first day of senior year, when his mom forces him to become friends with the Jewish girl, who has just gotten cancer. This inevitably brings destruction in his life.

This book was fine. I can see why so many people love it, but it just isn´t something for me. Maybe this is another case of me having too high expectations, since it got hyped up a lot on booktube etc.

I found the main character Greg to be quite unsympathetic and unlikeable. Even though he was quite realistic and dorky, which lead to a lot of funny moments, he was also really stuck up and I couldn´t relate to him at all. Also I wasn´t a huge fan of the story itself, due to the issues I had with Greg. The things he said/did were really rude, for example: He just didn´t care about Rachel. Like at all. Apart from Earl she is his only friend and he just sees her as a burden.  Also Rachel has like zero personality. It´s like she is a robot. But probably the most annoying thing was the story. You want to know why? Because there is none! Just like there is no character development, which is a pity, if you, like me, dislike Greg. Yes, Greg says at the beginning that there is no point in this story, but I expected at least a bit more, seeing how beloved this book is. You would think that being auround Rachel and becoming friends with her would have an impact on Greg, but no. 

But on the contrary there were a couple of great things in this book as well.

1.       The humour.

The humour in this book is great. It´s just so funny. Even though it didn´t make me laugh out loud, which is admittedly really hard, it had lots of big smiles on my face. I am in love with Greg´s father, Mr. Gaines. He is the best person on earth and I aspire to be like him one day, as should everybody else in this universe

2.       The formatting

This book is written in a very different way to most books. 50%, or maybe even more, is not normal text, but rather scripts, bullet points etc. It broke the fourth wall very well and engaged the reader into the story. (As far as possible because there is basically no story) It made the book so much more enjoyable and hadn´t it been for the formatting, I probably wouldn´t have finished the book.

3.       It isn´t a “Typical cancer book”

This book doesn´t romanticise cancer, or illness in general. It isn´t even a love story. It is an honest book about friendship (Again not very well done because Greg doesn´t even really like Rachel, but you get the point) It takes a different spin on the whole “sick girl with cancer” trope, which I haven´t read before.

All in all, pick it up if you are want a light read, with a bit of a more serious topic/ have a desire for a new take on an illness YA book. Just don´t expect too much from it, like I did (but still the formatting is REALLY cool) I am still excited to watch the movie, as I think some of my issues will be solved in it.

What about you guys? Have you read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl? And if so what did you think of it? Can you recommend me any other books with an unique formatting? Tell me down, in the comments below!

Read on xx

Lena