Most Anticipated Books of 2016

So we're nearing the end of 2015 - where has the time gone? I hope you all had a good Christmas! As we get to the end of the year, what better time to look forward to some of the upcoming releases for 2016. And there are some good ones coming! All of the images, synopsis' and publication dates are from Goodreads, so I don't own them and they could change.

 LADY MIDNIGHT BY CASSANDRA CLARE (Dark Artifices #1) ~

Los Angeles. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.

Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.

The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

We're heading back to the Shadow world and I'm so excited. I'm currently reading Clockwork Princess (yes, finally!) so I'm more than excited for this new series. I believe there's also going to be a follow-up to the Infernal Devices series which is coming in a couple of years so there's plenty of opportunity to delve back into Cassandra Clare's amazing world.
 According to Goodreads, the expected publication date is March 8th 2016.

A COURT OF MIST & FURY BY SARAH J. MAAS (ACOTAR #2) ~ Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches 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 greater 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.

If you've read my review of A Court of Thorns and Roses then you'll know I'm slightly hesitant to pick this sequel up (purely because I ship Feyre and Tamlin so hard) but it does sound amazing and I will likely pick it up when it comes out next year.
 According to Goodreads, the expected publication date is May 3rd 2016.

THE RAVEN KING BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER (RAVEN CYCLE #4) ~ All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

I am so excited for the conclusion to this series. It was supposed to come out this year but was pushed back to next year because Maggie wanted more time to make it right. This series is one of my favourites and if you've been put off reading Maggie's books because of the Shiver trilogy, pick this series up and give her another try. As seen by the synopsis on Goodreads (and therefore above), we don't really know much about what is going to happen in this final book but it promises to be epic!
 According to Goodreads, the expected publication date is April 26th 2016.

HEARTLESS BY MARISSA MEYER ~ Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favourite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king's marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.

Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

I'm waiting for Scarlett and Cress to come to my local library (they're popular books!) so that I can finish reading that series but this is a brand new series(?) from Marissa Meyer and it sounds really interesting. Another take on a classic story and I'm really intrigued to see her take on this world.
 According to Goodreads, the expected publication date is November 8th 2016.




YELLOW BRICK WAR BY DANILLE PAIGE (DOROTHY MUST DIE #3) ~

Amy Gumm’s mission to take down Dorothy Gale is not going according to plan. Dorothy has found a way to bridge the worlds of Oz and Kansas, and if the power-hungry dictator of Oz has her way, Kansas will be destroyed forever. Now, Amy has to team up with the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked to save her home, restore the balance between the magic and non-magic worlds, maybe get the guy—and kill that not-so-sweet Kansas farm girl once and for all.

I was a very luck girl this Christmas and got a lot of books (and I'll post something about that soon) and one of the books I got was Dorothy Must Die which is a book I've been dying to read for such a long time. Now with the third book coming out in 2016, it feels like the perfect time to delve into this series.

 According to Goodreads, the expected publication date is March 15th 2016.

 

THE LAST STAR BY RICK YANCEY (THE 5TH WAVE #3) ~ We’re here, then we’re gone, and that was true before they came. That’s always been true. The Others didn’t invent death; they just perfected it. Gave death a face to put back in our face, because they knew that was the only way to crush us. It won’t end on any continent or ocean, no mountain or plain, jungle or desert. It will end where it began, where it had been from the beginning, on the battlefield of the last beating human heart.

The 5th Wave is a book that has been sitting on my TBR pile for a while now and with the movie AND this third instalment coming out in 2016, I can't wait to read this series.

 According to Goodreads, the expected publication is May 24th 2016.

 

These are just a few of my most anticipated books of 2016. I wish all of you a very happy new year and may 2016 bring you all the books (and things in general) that you want! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! :)

All Images, Synopsis' and Publication Dates come from the relevant Goodreads page ~ no Copyright Intended 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 4.8 stars

Synopsis: When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Review: If you remember, many months ago, I did a blog post of some of my most anticipated books of 2015 and one of them, was this book. It came out in May and, embarrassingly, it's taken me until now to read it. This is my first trip into Sarah J Maas' writing (Throne of Glass IS on my Kindle, I just need time to read it!) and, I really enjoyed it.

Now, this book was inspired in part by Beauty and the Beast and, maybe it was just me, but, until I found an interview with Sarah where she explained her inspiration, I didn't really see the connection. Our 'beast' Tamlin wasn't very beast like (on the contrary, he was really sweet) and there were no dancing teapots (although that might just be Disney's movie coming into play). Despite this though, I really enjoyed the book. The world that Sarah has created is so intriguing and different. The numerous courts and their corresponding 'High Fae leaders' was really interesting and I actually would have liked to have seen more of them.

It took me a while to warm up to Feyre. Yes, she supports her family (which, as the youngest is really not fair) but, she did seem to repeat herself a lot, especially in the first 100 or so pages. She questioned everything Tamlin did and said, despite him assuring her that she was safe and her family was being looked after. I can understand you might not trust him to begin with; but after a while it does get annoying. To be fair to Feyre though, she's never had a reason to trust anyone, not even her own family. So, that does get her a few bonus points; and she does make up for it in the final portion of the book. That was the best part in my opinion, those last 100-150 pages where Feyre really came into her own and started showing signs of being the kind of heroine I wanted her to be from page 1.
On a quick side note, I loved how Sarah used Feyre's 'weakness' in one of the challenges. I think it was something a little different and her love of painting and art that come from that weakness is intriguing and different and I really enjoyed it. I would have liked some more time spent on the particular challenge but, apart from that, I really enjoyed that aspect of Feyre's character.

Tamlin - oh Tamlin. I do love him. He's so sweet and caring and protective and everything I think Feyre needs. She's had to look after everyone else for so long, that I think Tamlin will be good for her. I can understand why some people don't like him. While I wouldn't say he's a pacifist (he does play the role of the beast after all, and so does have an aggressive nature) he's very good at controlling himself and reigning himself in which doesn't make for the most stand out character. But I loved him and I want a Tamlin. Which brings me onto my next point - I really don't want Feyre to end up with Rhysand! Rhysand is an intriguing character and I would love to learn more about him, but I really don't want him and Feyre to end up together, not after everything she's done in this book to end up with Tamlin. Yes, I ship Feylin and I'm not even sorry.

All of the characters in this book I could learn more about those. Lucien, for starters, was an amazing character and was a complete contrast to Tamlin with his sarcastic comments. He's stubborn and loud and infuriatingly sarcastic, but, he does come through for Feyre in the end, and tries to help her when Tamlin can't. Amarantha was an intriguing villain and I kind of wish we'd met her earlier. There was a lot of build up about her, throughout the book, but because of the curse, it took a while to learn about her. I really liked the idea that her and Tamlin used to be friends, but she fell in love with him. While it's not a new idea, Sarah made it feel like it was which was a pleasant surprise.

The curse itself was incredibly specific. It was almost a thinly veiled prophecy to me. Not only must you fall in love with a human but the human must kill a fey out of pure hatred and hate all of fey-kind. It did make me laugh a little when I read it but hey, I guess fey HAVE to be incredibly specific when making deals. The riddle as well wasn't particularly complex. I'm awful at riddles and I knew what the answer would be but, knowing that didn't detract from the book.

All in all, I really loved this book. It was intriguing and interesting and I loved the characters and the world. I'd really recommend this book and it's made me even more excited to start the Throne of Glass series!

Image and Synopsis from Goodreads - no Copyright intended

Oblivion by Jennifer L. Armentrout

So this is less of a review than it is just me getting really excited about this amazing book! If any of you have read any of my blog posts you will know that the Lux series is my favourite series of this year, possibly ever. Now, when Opposition came out, we all thought that that was the end of the Lux series but we were wrong. Because, on December 1st, Oblivion was released. Oblivion is Daemon's POV of Obsidian - the entire book from his POV which is awesome BUT if you buy the e-reader edition you not only get Obsidian but you also get Opal AND Onyx in Daemon's POV as well.

Now, I've had Oblivion pre-ordered since June, and if you've visited my blog recently, you'll have seen the countdown to release day so it's fair to say I was a little bit excited. And, OMG this book did not disappoint. Not only do we get three whole books in one from Daemon's POV but within that, you also get to see some never before seen scenes, for example, Daemon getting Kat to make him pancakes which I loved.

I loved getting to see some of my favourite scenes from the first three books from Daemon's POV. One of my favourites is in Opal, where Kat gets sick - I've always wondered what Daemon was thinking in that moment and...argh I loved it. I loved it all! Jennifer's writing style in these books is amazing and well...we get more Daemon Black and who doesn't want that!

Seriously, you need to read this series because it's amazing. If you want to buy Oblivion then I would recommend buying it online if you have an e-reader because you get all three books in one. If you don't have an e-reader, then you can buy a printed copy that just contains the first book in Daemon's POV. Either way, the book is incredible and I would recommend it to anyone!

Image from Goodreads - no Copyright Intended

Book Inspired Christmas Gifts!

I love Christmas - absolutely love it. The magical nature of it has never (and will never) disappear for me. Of course, one of my favourite presents to get is a new book, but there are so many other book inspired gifts you can give to loved ones this year and here are a selection of my favourites. All the links are correct at the time of posting - if they don't work just let me know! Lots of thanks to the hosts of the sites for letting me use their images and link to their sites. None of the images belong to me, I'm just using them to show you guys the amazing products on offer! The links to each individual product featured will be underneath the picture, so just click the caption to take you to that particular products page. If you just want to browse the company's website, the main link will be at the start of the each company's 'section'.




Books Before Boys Necklace, £12.00

First up, we have the The Literary Emporium. The first thing that caught my eye were their jewellery designs. As with many of the websites featured, they have an amazing selection of jewellery inspired by books but, if you don't want to be limited to a specific book, or aren't sure what the recipient's favourite book is, then I thought their Books Before Boys Necklace was really cute and, for £12.00, it's not going to break the bank! It's perfect for Christmas or Valentines Day (if you're exceptionally organised!) and is handmade with a silver plated charm and trace chain.

Keats Dewdrop Earrings, £16.00

 




Another elegantly simple piece of jewellery from this company are their Keats Dewdrop Earrings. They come on a cardboard plaque with a printed quote from Keat's poem Sleep and Poetry. They are slightly more expensive than the necklace at £16.00, but I think they're gorgeous! They come in either silver or rose gold and have sterling silver posts.

Magic Notebooks, £4.00

Finally, they also sell stationary, so for any aspiring writers out there this could be a perfect stocking filler. The notebook that caught my eye were the Magic Notebooks which are £4.00 and look like something straight from Harry Potter so it's a win win! They're A5 notebooks, with 48 lined pages and, if you can't decide which one to get, you can get all three for £10!









Custom Bookplate Stamp, £25.00

Next up are some companies I found on Etsy. First up is Papersushi and a really cute gift for anyone wanting to stake a claim on their books (and the book boyfriend's accompanying them) is their Custom Bookplate Stamp which is £25.00 plus shipping. It's a handmade wooden stamp and is made to order so it's personal to the recipient. They do ship worldwide and I think it's a different kind of gift for the book lover in your life.





Hebel Design creates jewellery based on YA books and they are amazing. There's a large selection to choose from and each collection's jewellery is based on the book series. My three favourite collections are the Lux collection (we all knew that was coming), the Iron Fey collection and the Shadowhunter collection, but they have collections based on other series such as the Grisha series and The Selection series so go check them out!

Beta Quartz Pendant, $30.00

From the Lux collection, I love this Beta Quartz Pendant. It's a little pricey at $30.00 but it really is gorgeous. It's a real Quartzite stone encased in a sterling silver case. The chain isn't provided but you can choose from the necklace options available. I just think it's so pretty and unique that it's worth the extra cost and, it's from the Lux series which is my favourite series ever. This is definitely on my wish list!

Ash's Amulet Pendant, $30.00

From the Iron Fey collection, comes another pendant, this time in the shape of Ash's pendant. Personally, I like the more subtle
desgins like the Beta Quartz pendant and this one. Again, this is $30.00 and again doesn't come with the chain. It's silver plated bronze and is so unique and different that you'll definitely get comments over it!

Witchlight Candle, $12.00

Finally, we have the Shadowhunter's collection. If you want something to set the atmosphere in these cold, dark evenings then take a look at this Shadowhunter candle. It's a plastic, battery operated tea light which flickers. For $12.00, this would be a nice stocking filler maybe?

Angelic Power Rune Tiny Earrings, $24.00

The other thing that caught my eye in this collection were this Angelic Rune Tiny Earrings. These tiny 6mm earrings are so cute and sit on sterling silver posts. For $24.00, they're small enough that you could wear these everyday.

Winnie the Pooh Real Fragment Bracelet, £32.00

Scribbelicious hand make jewellery from old books and create book themed gifts. I love looking through their designs, they're so easy to personalise and are something a little different to give as a gift this year. Now, I grew up with Winnie the Pooh and, even now, those characters have a special place in my heart. I love this page fragment bracelet with the characters names on it. It's £32.00 but it's so beautiful that it's completely worth it. It's a silver plated sweetie bracelet so that the bracelet will fit most wrist sizes and the charms are made from real page fragments. For anyone who loves these characters as much as I do, this would be a beautiful gift.

Mischief Managed Bookmark, £12.00

I think my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series are Fred and George (closely followed by Sirius) - I love those twins! I love how they are the next generation of pranksters, following on from Sirius & co. and the phrase 'Mischief Managed' just sums them up! This bookmark comes in either Bronze or Silver and is £12.00. Spread the mischief people!

Now you can also personalise the gifts you give from Scribbelicious. Simply click this link to go to the Customisable Archives to take a look at the products you can have customised. If you can't find what you're looking for, or have a specific quote or lyric in mind, then you can email them and they will sort it all out for you.

These are just a selection of fabulous products on offer this Christmas and I hope that it's given you some inspiration for your gifts this year! Thank you again to all the companies who have let me feature their products and I wish you all a Merry book-filled Christmas!

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.
Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realise that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....  

Review: I really enjoyed this book, which surprised me. When I picked it up, the blurb sounded interesting but I wasn't sure I was going to buy into the storyline with all the characters involved. In reality, Morgan Rhodes balanced all the characters and their individual story lines really well and it made the book really unique.

The book has multiple Points of View which I know a lot of people (including myself) are wary of, but it really works here. Each character has their own story and, each time we get their chapter we get to understand their motivations more. A lot of books that use multiple POV favour one character over another but each character has an equal balance of screen time which is actually really refreshing to see.

The characters themselves are all really interesting. They all have strong personalities in some way and the way they behave and think really propels the story along. This book is heavily character driven but I thought it was really interesting to see why each character behaves in the way they do. We see a lot from Magnus and Cleo - the royalty of two of the kingdoms. When I started the book I thought I would hate Cleo and favour Magnus, but in reality, Cleo became one of my favourite characters. To begin with she's self centred and obnoxious but, as the story progresses, you understand that she's been sheltered from hardship her whole life so she is selfish because she's never had reason to be anything else. As we get even further, you see her realise how privileged her life is and she quickly grows and becomes a better character and princess because of it.

Magnus on the other hand, is the most tricky character of the bunch because you're never entirely sure what to make of him. He can be cruel like his father, but he does have a softer side which he often shows to his sister. He reminded me of Sebastian from the Mortal Instruments - following his fathers orders while fighting to protect his sister in his own special way. You can understand his thought process, and his dislike of his father, once you learn his past, but he is definitely one to watch for in the rest of this series.

The world building and the politics of this world was also really well done. Each kingdom is completely different both in environment, economic status, and the beliefs of the population. It was really interesting to see how the conflicting beliefs and values of each kingdom worked with and against the rulers and the power players and made me want to learn more about the world. In terms of the world, it did remind me slightly of the Queen of the Tearling in that, that book was really centred on the world. I think I actually preferred this world though, because we got to see how each kingdom worked whereas in TQoTT we really only focused on the one.

While one or two of the plot points were predictable, they didn't detract from how much I enjoyed this book and I would really recommend it to those of you who enjoy fantasy novels, or who enjoyed TQoTT. Now's the perfect time to read the series as the latest book is being released in the next few weeks!  

Image and Synopsis from Goodreads - no Copyright Intended

Top Ten Tuesday

So I'm hoping this blog post is going to kick off a long, long list of posts on this blog for the remainder of the year. I have so many books to read (which means a whole lot of reviews to write!) and I'm determined to make the remainder of 2015 as 'bookish' as possible. Saying that, we'll start off easy with this Top Ten Tuesday (on a Wednesday because I'm currently losing track of my days!) which is Ten Quotes from Books I've Read in the Past Year or So.

1. There are moments that you'll remember for the rest of your life, and there are moments that you think you'll remember for the rest of your life, and it's not often they turn out to be the same moment. ~ The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
2. You are an exceptional, talented, and brilliant young woman. Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you’re less. Do not ever let anyone make you feel invisible. Do not let anyone—not even a teacher who constantly sends you for coffee—push you around. ~ Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead
3. "You missed World Hist."
   "Did you take notes for me?"
   "No. I thought you were dead in a ditch." ~ The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
4. So I was thinking, there're eighty-six thousand, four hundred seconds in a day, right? There're one thousand, four hundred and forty minutes in a day...There're one hundred and sixty-eight hours in a week. Around eighty-seven hundred and then some hours in a year, and you know what?...I want to spend every second, every minute, every hour with you...I want a year's worth of seconds and minutes with you. I want a decade's worth of hours, so many that I can't add them up. ~ Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout
5. “I am not a child, and I know plenty of love. Love is wanting to be with that person for the rest of your life no matter of the consequences. Love is being willing to sacrifice your life for somebody else.” He met his father’s eyes, “Love is seeing the good in somebody regardless of their title or station in life. Love is so painful and yet so wonderful that it is worth it!” Emane pushed himself back up again from the table speaking deliberately. “Love is understanding that someday you might lose the person that you love, but that every day you get to spend with them is worth the risk. Love is taking the good with the bad.” His voice rose with each sentiment. “Love is trust. Love is wanting to understand even when you don’t.” Staring at his father, Emane added, “I know of love, Father, and I did not learn it from Ciera.” ~ Wings of Arian by Devri Walls
6. Every hero is the villain of his own story ~ The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

So these are my top 6 quotes from books I've read this year - what are yours?

On Writing: National Novel Writing Month

For as long as I can remember, I've loved to write stories. English has always been my favourite subject and my love of reading definitely has something to do with that. I want to write books like the ones I read and review on this blog. I want to write books that someone else will read over and over again and, for the past few years, I've taken part in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). This post will be the first in a series of posts about my writing process, how I write and, how NaNoWriMo 2015 ends up going.

For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo is a yearly event where writers all over the world, attempt to write 50,000 words in the 30 days of Novemeber. Which is a crazy thing to do, but it's something that I look forward to every single year. Now, 50,000 words is not a complete novel - a completed novel is usually between 80,000-100,000 words but, by the end of November, you'll have at least part of your novel completed, which is a lot more than you have at the start of the month!

Now, if writing a novel in 30 days isn't your thing, then there is something called National Blog Posting Month I think - where you write a blog post every day for 30 days. I don't know too much about this actually - it's a relatively new discovery for me, but if you do run a blog and fancy a challenge, then maybe this is for you!

National Novel Writing Month isn't just for adults. There's also a Young Writers Programme (which for the last four years is the programme that I've done - 2015 is the first year I've progressed to the adult version!) and, as the name suggests, this is where young people write a novel. Unlike the adult programme, the word count can be changed to suit ability and, I know in the US a lot of schools make NaNoWriMo a part of the curriculum and students really enjoy it.

If you're interested in joining up for 2015 (there's still a little time left!) then go to the NaNoWriMo website to sign up and create your novel. If you're interested in the Young Writers Programme, then head to the Young Writers Programme website where there's information for both young people and educators.

I hope you enjoy this series - if there's something you want to know about writing then ask away and I'll try to answer it!

Image from NaNoWriMo - no Copyright Intended