It's been a while but I'm back!

So.. it's been a while, least to say, but I'm back! It's been a hectic year so far with just about, oh, I don't know, a thousand and one exams or so but here I am *pushes stacks and stacks of textbooks from the table*

Since I've been gone for quite a while, I thought I might do a quick sum up of the books I've read since I last posted (I'm so excited for this - I've picked up some really, really good books recently that I've really loved!) Some aren't quite my usual genre, but I still really enjoyed them (you'll see)

Without further ado, here's what I've read in the last few months or so:

1. Winter by Marissa Meyer 

I didn't actually enjoy the first book of the series, but as I read on, I grew to like each book more and more! - I loved this last installment of the series of the most, partly because it was when all the little parts of the story came together and all the characters met, and partly because my OTP for this story finally came together : Cress & Thorne! But if you haven't read it yet, I won't spoil it for you :) 

2. Colleen Hoover 

So as you can see I may/may have not gone on a little Colleen Hoover reading spree - it was just so hard to put down after the first book! I'll admit, I wasn't too sure about the books at first but once I started I just couldn't stop! I read Ugly Love and Hopeless in addition to the books above, but I'd have to say out of all of them my favourite would be either Maybe Someday or Confess. I love the characters so much and all of Colleen Hoover's books are a great romance to read! Some of them are a little more serious than the others, be warned. 

3. This Shattered World/Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner 

 
Again, I don't quite remember loving this series as much as I did when I read it this time round. I thought the first book was okay ; it wasn't terrible but it wasn't very striking to me but this series is one of those that the magic only starts to come in around the second or third book. By the second book you start to see how the story comes together and how everything is related, and I really like that about this book!

4. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

Okay so this is the book that is a little different from what I read - it's not the usual YA book by any means. Wait actually, scratch that. It's not a YA book at all, it's a fiction book but I just couldn't resist putting it on here because it's so, so, so good! The characters, the plot, the depth of the characters..... the list could just go on and on!

I have so much more to say about this book, so I'll leave it here for now but I'll definitely post a review later!









5. Stolen by Lucy Christopher 

Again, not my usual type of book. When I first read it actually, I was a teensy weensy bit disturbed by it if I'm honest. The book is written as a letter from this girl who was kidnapped by this boy, and she recounts everything that happens as she writes a letter to him the night (or day? Never mind, doesn't really matter) before he goes to court to receive his sentence.

I felt like it was a bit of a tough book to take initially, but the second time I read it I absolutely loved it. It's quite intense and heavy, but I love the plot and characters and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a good read. - mind you, it may not be for everyone but it's worth a try!

Waiting On A Wednesday: Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Every Last Breath by Jennifer L.Armentrout

Book 3 of the Dark Elements Series


Some loves will last ’til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

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Haven't done one of these for a while! So if you've been reading my blog for a while and following me on my social media, you know how excited I was for this book - the second the book came out I bought the e-book and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I won't spoil it for you (a review of this book is coming soon!) but it was freaking amazing and I loved every second of it. I had the biggest and worst book hangover after I finished Every Last Breath, and I may or may not have been found on my bed stuck in a fetal position clutching the book when I finished.

Every Last Breath is the last book of the Dark Elements trilogy by Jennifer L.Armentrout, and is centered around this girl called Layla, who is supposedly half-Warden half-demon who is in love with Zayne, the Warden she can never have and be with because of her soul-sucking ability. That's when Roth, the Crown Prince of Hell comes in and she discovers that Lilith, a very very powerful demon is her mother and she is the key to releasing the Lilin and Lilith, and the story unfolds from there.

The whole series is heart stopping, with just the right mixture of romance, fantasy and supernatural-ness to draw you in completely and this last book was an epic conclusion for a fantastic series. The book could not have ended in a more perfect way!
 I definitely would recommend this if you enjoyed JL.A's other books or if you're looking for a good read.

“I, Astaroth, Crown Prince of Hell, am in love with you, Layla Shaw. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. A hudred decades from now, I will still be in love with you, and it will be as fierce today as it will be a decade later.”

Waiting On A Wednesday: An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Book 1 of the An Ember In The Ashes series

Synopsis: 

Laia is a slave.

Elias is a soldier.

Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
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I read this book a while book and absolutely loved it- it's definitely a must read. It's full of suspense, drama and the plot is incredible, not to mention the great character development and each and every word written was perfect and fit in beautifully and the way the dystopian world is set up is incredible. The story alternates from different POV's, which I really like and there's a good dense of action with just the right touch of romance to tone it down. Review soon to come, but in the mean time here are some of my favourite quotes: 

“There are two kinds of guilt. The kind that's a burden and the kind that gives you purpose. Let your guilt be your fuel. Let it remind you of who you want to be. Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It's damaged but it's there. Don't let them take it from you.”

“You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.” 

Book Recommendation Of The Week: The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare

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The book of the week (okay more like series of the week but it's impossible to choose!) is The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis for Book 1, Clockwork Angel: 

Magic is dangerous; but love is more dangerous still. 

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London's dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters; including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. 

Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

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There are no words to express how good this book is and how much I love it - think epic romance , fantasy (shadowhunters!) and action. Clockwork Angel was released first in 2010, and from there it's just gotten more and more popular. The story focuses on a young girl (around 17 years old) named Tessa Gray, who goes to London to find her brother, only to find out that she herself is a supernatural being! - half Shadowhunter and half warlock, and has the ability to shift into anyone's body provided she has an object of theirs. The story has lots of twists and turns, and along the way she finds love with the 2 boys living at the institute that could no be more different yet are as close as brothers: the soft spoken but gentle and determined Jem, and the fiery, outspoken and confident Will with a curse haunting him. This book is deinitely worth your time and you will be on the edge of your seat the whole time - once you've finished the book I promise you'll have the biggest book hangover ever, and may, or may not be stuck in a fetal position for days. Not that that happened to me.