Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts

Saturday, 24 February 2018

Fab Author, New Book (review)

February 24, 2018 0 Comments
SPOILER-FREE BOOK REVIEW

Title: Goodbye Perfect
Author: Sara Barnard
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Publication date: 13 February 2018
RRP: $16.99

Synopsis:
Eden McKinley knows she can't count on much in this world, but she can depend on Bonnie, her solid, steady, straight-A best friend. So it's a bit of a surprise when Bonnie runs away with the boyfriend Eden knows nothing about five days before the start of their GCSEs. Especially when the police arrive on her doorstep and Eden finds out that the boyfriend is actually their music teacher, Mr Cohn.
Sworn to secrecy and bound by loyalty, only Eden knows Bonnie's location, and that's the way it has to stay, There's no way she's betraying her best friend. Not even when she's faced with police questioning, suspicious parents and her own growing doubts.
As the days pass and things begin to unravel, Eden is forced to question everything she thought she knew about the world, her best friend and herself.

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After reading A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard, I wanted to jump on the opportunity to read Goodbye, Perfect, eager to read more from the author. The synopsis had me very intrigued, having not read a story much like this before.


The plot itself was an interesting one and likely to some, a sensitive or taboo topic. I think Barnard delivered this incredibly well so the reader doesn't accidentally romanticise student-teacher relationships. While I don't have a lot of experience in knowing much about the subject, I felt that it came across quite realistic how all the characters involved treated it.

The story, for the most of it, was easy to read and I felt very involved. It unfortunately fell short for me towards the end - I felt the build up was leading to a crazy and intense moment however, I felt kind of 'meh' about it. In saying that, it was only the end and I thought the rest of story was actually pretty good.


Our main character, for me particularly, was easy to read from the perspective of. I'm always wary of reading from a character of that age (15-16 years), simply because of my own age but I really enjoyed reading from Eden's point of view. And her boyfriend?! He (Connor) was my absolute favourite (sorry Eden!) He was such a great addition to the story and I honestly cannot see the story without him. I also really loved Eden's older sister, Valerie, too, so I was really happy that we got to know her a bit more - maybe because she was closer to my age and also a university student??

Barnard's writing is to die for, so I would highly recommend this book based simply on that. How she includes diversity into her story is perfect; there is a flow about it that makes it smooth but also known - I hope this makes sense but essentially I think some readers will relate with some of the characters and it'll make them feel good rather than judged.


If you're into Sara Barnard's style (and who isn't?!) then I definitely recommend this book. I think this is a great read for teenage readers and lovers of young adult fiction - I think my little sister will love it! Overall, an awesomely written book with a mostly great story, enjoy it!

Rating: 4/5

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*This book was sent to me by Pan Macmillan Australia in exchange



. All opinions are my own.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:

Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
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Monday, 23 October 2017

A heart breaking novel (review)

October 23, 2017 2 Comments
Spoiler free review

Title: Moonrise
Author: Sarah Crossan
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: September 2017
RRP: $16.99

Synopsis:
Joe hasn't seen his brother for ten years, and it's for the most brutal of reasons. Ed is on death row.
But now Ed's execution date has been set, and Joe is determined to spend those last weeks with him, no matter what other people think...


Firstly, let me thank the book gods for another floppy paperback - I enjoy these. Secondly (another thanks), this cover is damn beautiful and I could have it forever on display.

Moonrise is written in what I think is a poetry layout - it isn't poetry but at a glance, it looks like it, does that make sense? It's from the perspective of Joe and flips between the present and the past as his memories which made for a more well developed and insightful story.

I've never read a fictional story like this before and it was interesting to read about a boy who has a brother on death row. This was an emotional read and I found myself crying towards the end. It makes me even more emotional that people actually go through this kind of situation on a daily basis - it's heartbreaking. Our main character, Joe, was a well developed character and I enjoyed reading from his point of view. The other characters in Moonrise were a great addition that helped the story continue.


The writing seemed simple but compelling and beautiful. I loved the structure of the book, it made it so easy to read and to be drawn in and to never want to put it down. I finished this in about 24 hours and wish I could rewind and read it all again for the first time - something only a few books have made me feel.

I highly recommend Moonrise, more so if you're looking for a quick read - though you may want to try and devour this as slowly as you can.

Rating: 4/5


*This book was sent to me by Bloomsbury unsolicited. All opinions are my own.




WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:

Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
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Twitter: @erenareads
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Friday, 29 September 2017

Blog Tour: Take Three Girls

September 29, 2017 5 Comments
Title: Take Three Girls
Authors: Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell and Fiona Wood
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
Publication date: September 2017
RRP: $18.99

Synopsis:
Ady - not the confident A-lister she appears to be.
Kate - brainy boarder taking risks to pursue the music she loves.
Clem - disenchanted swim-star losing her heart to the wrong boy.
All are targeted by PSST, a toxic website that deals in gossip and lies. St Hilda's antidote to cyber-bullying? The Year 10 Wellness program. Nice try - but sometimes all it takes is three girls.
Exploring friendship, feminism, identity and belonging, Take Three Girls is honest, raw and funny.


I'm part of the blog tour hosted by Pan MacMillan (thank you!) for Take Three Girls and I'm very excited to tell you my thoughts on this book. Whenever I get contacted about #loveozya books I almost immediately say yes however, I make sure I read the synopsis first and then I can say 'yes' to my heart's content.

As you may (or may not) have noticed, this book has three authors and is told in the perspective of three different 16-year-old girls all attending the same school (in Australia!). Each author wrote a character each which I felt was smart even if it seemed like the normal thing to do anyway. Either way, it was written really well. I would say a downside though was that sometimes it would be in the present and suddenly switch to the past so fast and abruptly that I had to read the paragraph again (this happened a few times).
This book is centred around bullying, in particular, cyber bullying and how these characters deal with it and just you know, their lives really.

 This book took almost 300 pages for me to get really into it which was unfortunate BUT, I felt that it was worth it because after I reached that point, I didn't stop reading until I was finished and it honestly made me so happy (so happy that at one point, I had watery eyes from happiness).

I felt that the characters and situations were so realistic (I was that age 10 years ago - wow, am I old? -  and can tell you now, that most of this happened either to me or around me). I loved how some of the characters, mainly Clem I think, were so naive, even if it seems annoying, it was so damn real.


My favourite character was Ady, I simply adored her and she was who I had tears of joy for that I mentioned earlier. Though I felt like I related to each main character in a little way somehow, whether something relevant now or in my past - it was nice.

There was a little insta-love in the story but I didn't spend much time worrying about it because so much other stuff made up for it. I loved the message this book gave me and how important and relevant it is (fat-shaming, slut-shaming).
This might be a little random but I just wanted to emphasise something in the book how females are in a way, punished for who we are and choose to be. I am not one to usually say something like that but this book made me realise that with certain aspects in life, many women are degraded in a way that most men will never experience in their lifetime.

Okay, anyways... Overall, this book while it started slow, ended up being a good story and had a great message and I really enjoyed it.

Rating: 4/5

*This book was sent to me by Pan MacMillan as part of the blog tour and

in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.




WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:

Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

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Thursday, 10 August 2017

SPOILER FREE REVIEW: STARGAZING FOR BEGINNERS BY JENNY MCLACHLAN

August 10, 2017 2 Comments
Title: Stargazing for Beginners
Author: Jenny McLachlan
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: June 2017
RRP: $14.99

Synopsis:
Meg adores space. She is fascinated by science, loves logic and wants nothing more than to be an astronaut. Stargazing for Beginners sees Meg left to look after her little sister for ten days after her free-spirited mum leaves suddenly to follow up yet another of her Big Important Causes. While Meg may understand how the universe was formed, baby Elsa is a complete mystery to her.
Plus, mum's disappearance has come at the worst time: Meg is desperate to win a competition to get the chance to visit NASA headquarters, but to do this she has to beat close rival Ed. Can Meg pull of this double life of caring for Elsa and following her own dreams? She'll need a miracle of cosmic proportions.


Let me begin by saying how stunningly beautiful the cover of this book is, I love watching the light reflect off it at different angles. This book is a great teenage read but as a 26-year-old, I very much enjoyed it. I'm so thankful that Bloomsbury sent it to me because it's not something I would usually pick up - though that could potentially be a lie if I did a 'cover buy'.

Firstly, Meg is an incredibly likeable character. She is hardworking, smart and likes to keep to herself. With the situation she's been put into (shame on you, mother!), as well some things that happen at school, she's had to change her ways quite a bit and I seriously admire her for how she takes it. I empathised with Meg a lot in this story and am grateful for it.


The story itself, I found very interesting, I mean, who just ups and leaves their kids because 'there is a greater cause that I must help out with' (not a quote from the book, but you gist right?). Anyway, their mum f***s off to Myanmar and I'm here like WTF? But that is the main reason for this story. Meg is plunged into this chaotic life and because of that, it really helped develop her character. I loved so many aspects of this story and I LOVED that she loved space.

The side characters were great. Her grandpa is hilarious, and the biscuit club grew on me pretty quickly (you'll understand if you've read it/once you read it). Annie was a great character to have in there and I loved her bluntness.

Stargazing for Beginners brought out so many emotions in me and while I didn't entirely resonate with Meg, there were so many parts in this book that reminded me of my own experience in high school. Thank you Jenny McLachlan for writing a brilliant story that made me feel.

I'll leave you with one of my favourite lines of the book:
"Wish me luck"
"No way. You don't believe in that rubbish"
"You're right. Wish me a logical outcome"

4/5


*This book was sent to me by Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.




WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:

Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

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Monday, 12 June 2017

SPOILER FREE REVIEW: THE NAMES THEY GAVE US

June 12, 2017 2 Comments

Title: The Names They Gave Us
Author: Emery Lord
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: 2nd June 2017 (Australia)
RRP: $17.99

Synopsis:
Lucy has her perfect summer planned out: perfect boyfriend, perfect job and quality time with her perfect parents.
Then her mom's cancer comes back, and suddenly life makes no sense.
Before she knows it, Lucy finds herself agreeing to volunteer as a counsellor at a camp for troubled kids, where lives are more different from her own than she could have imagined possible. Here Lucy meets the dashing but mysterious fellow counsellor Jones, who will change the way she sees the world forever.
With tragedy hovering at the edges of Lucy's life, this summer she must find out who she really is and what it means to love.


I started reading The Names They Gave Us after already reading two other contemporaries - something I don't do often, so without realising it, I was already comparing it to those two other books as they were amazing reads. For me, this book started off slow and I wasn't really sure where it was headed or it would get any better but I'm glad I stuck with it because it got to a point where I did not want to put it down, eager to know everything that happened next.

I liked Lucy the whole way through the story, she was an empathetic character who seemed very understanding and mostly assertive, though as we got deeper into the story I found that I really loved her. She made me feel what she was feeling and the heart strings were constantly being tugged. I found her so easy to read from, which was an absolute delight. As someone who isn't religious, I was first nervous as to how I would go reading from someone who is, but yet again I was surprised with the way it was written without having the main character change from who she really is.


We meet a diverse range of characters in this book who come from different backgrounds and hardships and if you're anything like me, there is definitely going to be a character you don't like to begin with. Further on into the story though when different relationships start to develop you find that you really need that character you didn't initially like. I loved all the different relationships in this book, be it the romantic kind, or friendship, even the ones they have with the kids in the camp. Thinking of it now, it was such a delight having the younger children involved in the story - they added a sort of whimsical feel to the book.

The story itself was amazing. Like I said earlier, it started off slow for me and I wasn't sure I was going to like it or not but it develops really well and I honestly think that slow start was relevant - others may not find it slow like I initially did. After reaching that point, I really started to feel the flow of the story and I think Emery Lord has done an amazing job in writing this book. I loved getting to know the backstories of the other characters as well as see Lucy develop. I think there's something for everyone in this book; while we only read from Lucy's point of view, you might find yourself connecting with some of the other characters.

There were so many things I loved about this story - if you couldn't already tell, and I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy young adult stories. The Names They Gave Us was an emotional story, both fun and incredibly heart wrenching, and absolutely not predictable. I am so, so happy I read this story as I think it's definitely my favourite contemporary read of the year so far (oOoh!)

Rating: 5/5

PS - How beautiful is this book cover?!

*This book was sent to me by Bloomsbury Australia in exchange for an honest review
. All opinions are my own.



WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:
Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

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Wednesday, 31 May 2017

COUNTLESS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK

May 31, 2017 0 Comments
SPOILER FREE REVIEW

**This book may potentially trigger those suffering or recovering from an eating disorder or disordered thoughts about eating. It does not talk about numbers but contains many behaviours and may affect you if you are not in the right mind to read this.

Title: Countless
Author: Karen Gregory
Publication date: 1st June 2017
RRP: $16.99

Synopsis:
When Hedda discovers she is pregnant, she doesn't believe she could ever look after a baby. The numbers just don't add ip. She is young, and still in the grip of an eating disorder that controls every aspect of how she goes about her daily life. She's even given her eating disorder a name - Nia. But as the days tick by, Hedda comes to a decision: she and Nia will call a truce, just until the baby is born.
17 weeks. 119 days. 357 meals.
Surely she can do it, if she takes one day at a time?


In many countries across the world, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate within the mental illness spectrum. You probably weren't expecting that.

Books that cover eating disorders can be very hard to write. Sometimes they come from real experiences and sometimes, completely fictional. They can also be very triggering for a reader; though as long as they come with a trigger warning it is up to the reader to decide whether to continue or not. I think this book really got it right.

I found Countless incredibly interesting in the sense that it was a good story but also perhaps a very real one. What readers need to keep in mind is that those suffering from an eating disorder go through it very differently to others. What you might read in one story will be very different to another however, both may be what sufferers actually go through - it is never a one specific way. Karen Gregory managed to write this novel in a way that could help those who don't know a lot about these mental illnesses have a better  understanding of how a sufferer thinks in a perhaps, more broad sense.


Our main character, Hedda, falls pregnant while in the grip of an eating disorder - something I've definitely never read about before. It follows her life through different types of relationships, but the one most important to her is her eating disorder. Hedda's character was written really well and I was constantly feeling empathetic with her as the story drew me in with each page. One of my favourite aspects of the book is that it sends a message of what is truly required for recovery - I don't want to mention my specific thoughts since it could be somewhat of a spoiler.
The writing flowed very nicely and I always in tune with what was happening, in fact, eagerly awaiting more.

The other different characters we meet were very important to the story and I felt that every single one of them was necessary and relevant. I enjoyed every single chapter no matter who the other characters around Hedda were. It was always intriguing to know what was happening and I was never bored.

I really enjoyed Countless and highly recommend it to those interested in picking it up. It's an emotional story and one that more people should know about. I feel like this will definitely be one of my favourite contemporaries of the year and I'd love to know your thoughts if you read this one as it comes out tomorrow.

4.5/5

That's all for now, I'll see you soon for another book review very soon!

xx


*This book was sent to me by Bloomsbury Australia in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.



WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:
Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

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Monday, 29 May 2017

WHY YOU SHOULD READ QUEENS OF GEEK

May 29, 2017 0 Comments
SPOILER FREE REVIEW: QUEENS OF GEEK BY JEN WILDE

Title: Queens of Geek
Author: Jen Wilde
Publication Date: 1 May 2017
RRP: $16.99

Synopsis:
Charlie likes to stand out. She's a blogger and actress promoting her first movie at SupaCon, and this her chance to show fans she's over her public breakup with co-star Reese Ryan. When internet-famous cool-girl actress Alyssa Huntington arrives as a surprise guest, it seems Charlie's long-time crush on her isn't as one-sided as she thought.
Taylor likes to blend in. Her brain is wired differently, making her fear change. And there's one thing in her life she knows will never change: her friendship with her best guy friend Jamie - no matter how much she may secretly want it to. But when she hears about a fan contest for her favourite fandom, she starts to rethink her rules on playing it safe.




I'm part of the blog tour for Queens of Geek and I am so, so excited to be bringing you this review.

After reading loads of fantasy novels, I decided to give myself a break and pick up what I heard was a great, diverse contemporary; and what a perfect time to do so. I read Queens of Geek in about a day because it had drawn me in deep and I did not want to put it down.

This book takes place in America and is about three characters almost graduating high school and hailing from Australia, told in two perspectives of the female characters. It's set in America, with the three friends going to SupaCon together, one as a celebrity guest and the others as fans and geeks. Yes, we get to see some fangirling/fanboying and you will love it.

Jen Wilde has written a perfectly balanced novel full of geekiness and diversity - diving into mental health, different cultural backgrounds and the LGBTQ community. This year I've been trying to seek out more diverse books and this has been done so well, I didn't feel like it was forced into the story like some other books are. The story was cute and flowed very well between the two perspectives. I was constantly engaged and definitely emotionally involved with the story.


Our two main characters. Charlie and Taylor, are very likeable and make it a breeze to read from their views. This is actually really important to me, especially when they are almost 10 years younger than I am and despite the age gap, I would absolutely want to be friends with them. Our other main-ish character is Jamie, and I love him too. He's loyal and protective, and just a dang angel.
Of course, you get a couple of douche-y characters but not only is that part of the story, it really adds to it as well. It means our main characters do and say things you want them to and you're constantly rooting for them.

I highly recommend this contemporary novel, though I suggest you clear your schedule for the next couple of hours because you might not be able to put it down. What the characters go through are very relatable for many people and I think (or at least for me) this is somewhat comforting. Some will read it and think "Okay, this person is somewhat similar to me and it's not abnormal like I thought it was". Queens of Geek was an absolute joy to read and an important one at that.

4.5/5


*This book was sent to me by Pan Macmillan Australia for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:
Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

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Friday, 6 January 2017

WHAT I READ IN 2016

January 06, 2017 0 Comments

I'm just going to start this post right off with the amount of books I read in 2016: 47. I began my first year of university (which was incredibly stressful for me) which meant less leisurely reading, so I set my reading goal to 40 books for the year.

There was definitely a few times during the year where I fell into reading slumps, if not for those I think I could have certainly reached 50 or more. Ah well, I'm pretty happy with the amount I read. Not only did I read some great books, I also read books that I now consider some of my favourites.



Books marked * are rereads.

1. Soundless - Richelle Mead
2. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
3. Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo
4. A Thousand Pieces of You - Claudia Gray
5. Slaughterhouse-five - Kurt Vonnegut
6. Siege and Storm - Leigh Bardugo
7. Ruin and Rising - Leigh Bardugo
8. You - Caroline Kepnes
9. Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone Illustrated Edition - J.K Rowling
10. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - J.K Rowling
11. Angelfall - Susan Ee
12. Heir of Fire - Sarah J Maas
13. World After - Susan Ee
14. End of Days - Susan Ee
15. We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
16. Glass Sword - Victoria Aveyard
17. An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
18. The Yearbook Committee - Sarah Ayoub
19. Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets - J.K Rowling*
20. A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J Maas
21. The Crown - Kiera Cass
22. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K Rowling*
23. Cinder - Marissa Meyer
24. Hidden Bodies - Caroline Kepnes
25. Me Before You - Jojo Moyes
26. Flawed - Cecelia Ahern
27. Demon Road - Derek Landy
28. The Fray Theory: Resonance - Nelou Keramati
29. Harry Potter and The Cursed Child - John Tiffany & Jack Thorne
30. Switched - Amanda Hocking
31. Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
32. The Crown's Game - Evelyn Skye
33. Queen of Shadows - Sarah J Maas
34. A Work in Progress - Connor Franta
35. Empire of Storms - Sarah J Maas
36. The Fall of Butterflies - Andrea Portes
37. Disruption - Jessica Shirvington
38. Corruption - Jessica Shirvington
39. Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo
40. This is Where the World Ends - Amy Zhang
41. A Torch Against the Night - Sabaa Tahir
42. The Unexpected Everything - Morgan Matson
43. Falling Into Place - Amy Zhang
44. Rebel of the Sands - Alwyn Hamilton
45. Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson*
46. Desolation - Derek Landy
47. American Monsters - Derek Landy


And that concludes my 2016 reads. Let me know in the comments below or on Instagram if you've read any of these books and what you thought of them :)

See you soon for more bookish posts and be sure to check out my YouTube channel (Erena Reads or link down below).

xx


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:
Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

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Monday, 5 September 2016

Erena Reviews: August 2016 & September TBR

September 05, 2016 0 Comments
You may or may not have noticed that I didn't post a wrap up for July. I did my video on my channel and just couldn't be bothered writing it out so I'm trying much better for this month.
That being said, if you'd rather watch my video for this month's wrap up & TBR click here! Or you can keep this as your written reference :)



Anywho... In the month of August I read four books - which I'm pretty happy with. I didn't read one of the books on my TBR but I'm definitely okay with that. I put said book down so I could try finish some other books I really wanted to finish. I also finished a book that I DNF (did not finish) years ago, so while I didn't really enjoy that story, I was happy that I completed it and can 'unhaul' it.

Ok... On to the books.

AUGUST WRAP UP


1. Harry Potter & The Cursed Child - John Tiffany & Jack Thorne
Ahhh... I'm one of those people who deep down inside get really excited about things I care about however, sometimes I rarely show it (I don't know ok?!) So the buildup to this release for me, was just waiting for it really. When I got the book and started reading is a different story; within the first one or two pages I had to take a short break to get all my feelings in place because I was so damn excited to be reading something new from the Harry Potter world. Now, you may have many people were disappointed by this story but I want you all to remember that this is a script that has been bound into a book so everyone else can enjoy it that don't get to watch the play. This has to be very different to a normal book ok? I have definitely rambled enough.... Alright, so this was a super quick and fun read and I enjoyed it thoroughly! A must for all HP fans
5/5

2. Switched - Amanda Hocking
So I started reading this YEARS ago and it was okay at first, I was determined to continue reading hoping I was nearing the really good part of the story and it just never came... I felt that the story was absolutely far too slow for a first book (this is a trilogy) and it wasn't interesting enough for me. It seemed a bit too childish or 'teenagery' for me and I just had no desire to continue reading this fantasy novel. I've heard the next two books are much better but that isn't enough improvement for me to read them. For whatever reason I felt really motivated to finish it in early August so I did that and now I don't have to worry about it ever again. If you've thought of reading this trilogy, I would recommend reading someone else's review for a better insight.
2/5

3. Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
I read the Grisha Trilogy earlier this and LOVED it; Six of Crows partakes in the same world but is a different story (you don't need to read the Grisha Trilogy first if you don't want to!) This story focuses on the lowly lives of Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina and Matthius trying to break in to one of the most secure places in the world to rescue an important scientist. While there was much less 'Grisha-ness', I did not mind one bit. Six of Crows is so detailed and I fell in love with all the characters so quickly and while I was eager to know what was going to happen, I never wanted it to end! Lucky book two: Crooked Kingdoms is released later this month. This is a YA fantasy that is written with so much talent and care and you MUST read it!
5/5



4. The Crown's Game - Evelyn Skye
Oh my lord, this book... Another YA fantasy that isn't 'too much fantasy' - if that makes any sense. It's about two enchanters named Vika and Nikolai who must display their power in the Crown's Game in order for one of them to serve the tsar as Imperial Enchanter, the other must die. Sounds brutal, yes however, from beginning to end, I was constantly immersed in the story and I went through all the emotions in this book trying to figure everything out and I was unsure how it was going to end. I won't say anymore as to not give anything away but you can view my full spoiler free review here for more info.
5/5

 SEPTEMBER TBR

While I've got a couple of books I want to read, I'm not sure what else to put on my TBR, though this is a good thing - less pressure perhaps.

I'm currently reading Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas as I will aim to pick up Empire of Storms maybe next month.
I definitely want to purchase then read A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir as I need to be back in that world.
I'm also thinking of picking up The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson and either Disruption by Jessica Shirvington or Desolation by Derek Landy; WHO KNOWS?!


Anyways, that is it for now. I hope you enjoyed this post and make sure to check out my YouTube channel - link is below or search Erena Reads.

Goodbye for now!



WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:
Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
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Monday, 4 April 2016

Erena Reviews: March and April TBR

April 04, 2016 0 Comments
Good morning! "And if I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening and good night!"

Sorry, I've recently re-watched The Truman Show and it popped into my head.

Welcome back to my little blog baby, I hope you've been well. I've been super busy with uni (I also need to be studying right now but I'm on holiday and not in study mode). With that, I haven't read as many books as I usually would in a month, sad I know - they were good books though! I'm hoping to at least read two books in April but my main focus is uni, especially with exams coming up. I really want to get myself properly organised and want to find good motivation to stay on top of everything but still stay sane and be able to do things I want to do.

Here is the total two books I read this month:


1. Heir of Fire - Sarah J Maas
Book three in the Throne of Glass series; I finished Crown of Midnight last year and because I wanted to read so many other books, I didn't pick this one up until recently. I had heard a few people didn't like this book near as much as the first two but each to their own - I friggen loved it. CoM is still my fave so far but I still very much enjoyed this one and loved getting to know Aelin - I feel there is massive character development in this one (not only Aelin) but god damn, the King of Adarlan is an a-hole. If you haven't started this series yet and you've thought about it - do it!!! No regrets. 5/5



2. World After - Susan Ee
Book two in the Penryn & the End of Days trilogy with the handsome Raffe and the badass Penryn and her crazy mother and sister. This was another one that I heard it wasn't as good as book one and three but I still reeeeeally enjoyed it. Penryn is one of my favourite heroic female characters - she knows what's most important to her even if that handsome angel is constantly on her mind. 5/5



April TBR

Now this might be a bit ambitious since I said how busy I am with uni but there is just so many books I want to be reading as soon as possible! And I've also just ordered a couple of books from Book Depository so I'm not really helping myself.

1. Cinder - Marissa Meyer
I've finally bought the first book in The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder, which I'm pretty excited about. I constantly hear the series being talking about and I try to avoid knowing anything extra as much as possible.

2. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets - J.K Rowling (re-read)
I'm re-reading the series again this year and have already started this one :)

3. Glass Sword - Victoria Aveyard
The next book after Red Queen which was amaaaazing!


This wasn't originally planned but I bought We Were Liars (E. Lockhart) on the weekend and took it to uni with me and started reading when the tram decided to be 15 minutes late. It's a smaller book which is what enticed me to pick it up before anything else.


And that is all! I hope you've enjoyed reading my little reviews and what I'm planning to read in April. Until next time...

xx


Where you can find me:

Contact: erenabennett@gmail.com
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