Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts

Tuesday, 31 January 2017

January Wrap Up & February TBR

January 31, 2017 0 Comments
Hello everyone,

The beginning of the year always seems to be my better reading months. I feel motivated and focused and really into whatever I'm reading - it helps when you read great books! This month I read 8 books, woohoo!!! Majority of them were incredibly good, with my first read and the last read being my favourites of the month. If you want to watch the video version of my January Wrap Up, click here!
Otherwise keep reading...




BOOKS

1. Illuminae - Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman
I bought Illuminae almost a year ago and have just let it sit on my shelf with every means to read it but never picking it up. After talking with a couple of Bookstagram friends about it, I was easily convinced to pick it up soon. It can seem an intimidating book because it's so big but it's written in different formats where on some pages there's hardly any writing and there's lots of instant messaging and emails that you read. After the first 100 pages I was seriously addicted, it is so FREAKING GOOD and intense and written in a way I've never come across before. You 100% need to read this epic sci-fi ok? Ok.
 5/5

2. Kiss of Fire - Rebecca Ethington
I got this ebook free on Amazon (it might still be free!) and because it was on my kindle, I started reading it when I was in America. I had left it for a while and picked it back up again this month and was easily back into the story. This took a while to get into the actual interesting part of the story but I still found it easy to read and it's not a very big book. It's a fantasy YA about magical beings and there's good and evil and all that. When the main character knew what she was, I felt it wasn't explained enough and her learning the magic she has was really rushed. But overall it was still an enjoyable read and I've book two is better!
3/5

3. A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness
If you watched my December Book Haul you would have known I purchased this beautiful illustrated edition. I picked this up because the movie comes out soon and it was also a short book. I finished it really quickly and absolutely loved it. It was quite a unique story and really pulled on the heartstrings (perhaps wrenched them off?) If you want to buy this book, I strongly suggest purchasing the illustrated edition as the amazing pictures really added to the story. They're also illustrated by the same person who does the Harry Potter illustrated versions (Jim Kay).
5/5

4. Our Chemical Hearts - Krystal Sutherland
I wouldn't say I had high hopes for this one, but I'd heard it was really good from the Bookstagram community so I was thoroughly disappointed with this one. Overall, the story was kind of enjoyable though the relationship of it all was toxic and a let down. The two main characters, Henry and Grace were both interesting but it would've been better if it didn't involve one or the other as much, does that make sense? I didn't like them together in the story. I really liked Lola (one of Henry's best friends) but I also didn't like (actually - really hated) that for his other best friend who hails from Australia, the author overdid the commercial Australian thing. In parts it was meant to be some sort of joke but it was so overdone, it made me loathe anything that came out of his mouth. Also the author is Australian?! Anyways, I think this book would be better suited for a younger age group.
3/5 (maybe 2?)

5. Yellow - Megan Jacobson
Now here is an Australian author that got it done right. This is set in like the early 90's maybe?? and it was so on point with Australian culture in the story. This is about Kirra, who is going through a rough time in her life and ends up picking up a ringing phone to an old telephone box and when she answers, the person on the other end was actually murdered 20 years ago and is stuck in a sort of limbo until his murderer is caught. Interesting right? This was a phenomenal story and I highly recommend this book! The only thing that pissed me off was what happened in chapter 3, it was unnecessary.
4.5/5


6. The Diabolic - SJ Kincaid
Another sci-fi novel this month, is about a world where 'Diabolics' are created for the protection of the people who buy them. Nemesis is sent in her 'protectee's' place when she is summoned to the royal court and has to act as the royal heir she is seen to be. This book was fast paced and interesting and I enjoyed myself immensely. It was also very unpredictable and I had no idea what was going to end up happening - I had my theories and they were all wrong but in such a good way. I loved how this book ended up and I am looking forward to book two.
4.5/5


7. Sidekicks - Will Kostakis
Another YA Australian author brings you a story about three boys who all had the same best friend who died. It's told in three parts - one part for each boy, and goes through their grief process and what happens next. This was a really enjoyable read and I'm so, so glad that I finally got round to reading it. My favourite character was Harley, 'the rebel' of the story. He was such an interesting character and I enjoyed reading from his point of view. My least favourite was Miles, he wasn't very likeable but I think that was intended. Overall, a really great story and I'm looking forward to reading more from the author.
4/5


8. My Sister Rosa - Justine Larbalestier
Oh my lord. This book is insane. In the view of 17 year old Che, he and his family move around a lot and his main focus in life is keeping his sister Rosa under control. Rosa is a 10 year old psychopath and holy heck. I've never read anything like this before and it was absolutely incredible. Rosa is creepy and twisted and like no character I've read about before. It was a nice change to read from a different view to do with mental disorders. I seriously need to scope out more books like this as I may be addicted! The only downside to this story was that there was a bit of 'instalove' which I wasn't keen on, but other than that SO, SO GOOD!
4.5/5


What an incredible reading month! I hope to continue this 'incredibleness' into February before I go back to uni (YOU CAN DO THIS ERENA!).

FEBRUARY TBR

1. City of Glass - Cassandra Clare *I am trying to finish this one that I started over a year ago - oops!

2. Scarlet - Marissa Meyer *Buddy reading this one! Come join me @erenareads on IG

3. Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake

4. Gemina - Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

5. Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire - JK Rowling *This is constantly on my tbr but I'm trying to make a really dent in it this month.


And that's it! I hope you enjoyed reading about what I was reading and it inspires you to pick up one (or more) of these books. Make sure you check out my Instagram @erenareads for daily posts and chats and my YouTube channel for bookish videos and lifestyle vlogs.

See you soon!
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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Wednesday, 5 October 2016

Erena Reviews: September & October TBR

October 05, 2016 0 Comments
Welcome back my beautiful people.
Here today is my September Wrap Up and October TBR, I do have a video up for this which you can view here. I read for books this month, which I was pretty happy with since two of them were not only really good but they were also both over 600 pages long!
Ok, here we go...




SEPTEMBER WRAP UP




1. Queen of Shadows - Sarah J Maas
With the release of Empire of Storms looming over me, I decided to start book four in the Throne of Glass series. I started off with a chapter here and there and then all of sudden I found myself fully immersed in the story and it was so damn hard to put it down to do those other necessary things humans must do. For me, Queen of Shadows is where everything really picked up for me. I felt that the story flowed really nicely and I thoroughly enjoyed all of Aelin's cunning antics. Manon (our fave witch wing leader), soon became my favourite character in the entire series after her first chapter and I could seriously read about her all day. If you're a fantasy/action lover, you should definitely consider picking up this series (book one is Throne of Glass).
5/5

2. A Work in Progress - Connor Franta
Let's be honest here, I picked this book up because of the cover (see above picture), it's nice isn't it? Connor Franta is a YouTuber I've never watched before and this book is his memoir of the past...22 years? Something like that. After finishing this book, I searched for him on YouTube and watched the shortest video I could find - hmmm perhaps not for me right now. People, if you actually watch and like Connor Franta then you can consider picking up the book, do not fall for the pretty cover. I gave the rating I did because I'm sure it would be interesting if I liked him. Also, he switched a lot between years... Why?
A generous 3/5

3. Empire of Storms - Sarah J Maas
Book five in the Throne of Glass series is almost 700 pages long, and oh my lord did I enjoy every part of it. So much so that once I finished it I lay face down on the couch for a good 10 minutes reminiscing (that wasn't even a long time). Personally, this was even more enjoyable than Queen of Shadows. I loved Elide and Lorcan doing their thing together, I loved Aelin and Rowan doing their thing together, I loved whatever is brewing between Lysandra and Aedion, and most of all I loved my Queen Manon and Dorian - whatever is happening between them. My favourite character developments have been Elide and Dorian, they are both just so much better characters - and I already liked their characters before. And Manon... my love.... She is honestly, probably my favourite female character of all books I've ever read (big thing to say!!!) I won't babble too much more, I have a video book talk/review of Empire of Storms that you can watch here if you'd like.
5/5



4. The Fall of Butterflies - Andrea Portes
I decided to go with an easy contemporary as a break from all the fantasy I've been reading. Within a few pages of this book, I didn't really like it and was dreading continuing it. It's written as if the main character, Willa, is speaking to the reader with her thoughts and it felt quite middle grade for me - bit of a no go for me. It follows Willa's journey at her new private fancy rich kid school (she is not rich, but her mother whom she doesn't like nor speak to has connections). I continued reading because it was honestly really easy to read and surprisingly it got better. I felt it matured a little and with the introduction of a couple of other characters it became a lot more interesting. When I finished the book, I was pretty happy with it and would recommend to lovers of contemporaries aged maybe 13 - 21 years old, maybe... I'm not sure. I have a full review here if you want to check it out.
3.5/5



OCTOBER TBR



1. Disruption - Jessica Shirvington
2. Corruption - Jessica Shirvington
3. Nevernight - Jay Kristoff
4. Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo
5. A Torch Against the Night - Sabaa Tahir


Those last two books I haven't got my copies yet and I am praying that they come to me soon because they are two of most highly anticipated reads!!
I have been trying to keep my TBR short and then read whatever my mood wants me to read but I've already finished Disruption and I just REALLY want to read the others so... hopefully I'll get through them all :)

See you later!


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, 4 July 2016

Erena Reviews: June and July TBR

July 04, 2016 0 Comments
Hello everyone!

I had all these plans for blog posts in June and then I decided to make a YouTube channel and I ain't even mad! My channel is here, and I will posting videos to do with both books and lifestyle, I would love it if you subscribed!

Ok, down to business... You can watch my video here of my June wrap up and my July TBR however, this will be here if you would rather read it or just have a written version to come back to.
I read a total of five books this month which was actually quite good considering I had all my end of semester uni exams. And all very enjoyable reads!


BOOKS

1. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K Rowling
I won't go too much into this one other than it is one of my most favourite series of all time and always will be. I continued my reread of the series in June with one of my faves out of the seven books. If you haven't read Harry Potter, what the heck are you waiting for? 5/5 

2. Cinder - Marissa Meyer
I heard of this series through Bookstagram and I am so glad I finally purchased it earlier this year. While I didn't pick it up for a while, it was worth the wait. Cinder is a Cinderella retelling that follows a half cyborg, half human mechanic living in New Beijing. Cinder discovers she is immune to a deadly virus that has killed so many and is sent to the palace to be tested on. The story flowed really well and I was eager to continue reading. This was a fantastic retelling where I knew that it was stemmed from the classic Cinderella however, it was still an original story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely be getting onto book two: Scarlet soon. 5/5

3. Hidden Bodies - Caroline Kepnes
Following on from the first story You, comes the next part of the story of the crazy Joe Goldberg. Honestly, the story didn't call for a second book but I definitely enjoyed reading into what Joe was up to. He moves to LA to find someone who's wronged him and bring them down. He finds many hiccups along the way and when I say hiccups, I mean he continues his ways of killing those who are in the way. I read this pretty quickly and enjoyed the book overall however, it didn't give me the same feeling when I read You - still brilliant though and I really enjoyed the ending. 4/5

4. Me Before You - Jojo Moyes
I started reading this in anticipation of the movie being released (which I just watched actually - all the tears!). This is about Lou being hired to care and be company for Will Traynor, a quadriplegic who has no wish to continue living. This was written beautifully and I loved how emotional it got and there was definitely a lot of ugly crying going on. While this book is kind of big, the chapters started and ended perfectly and I just wanted to keep on reading. I LOVED Me Before You and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book. 5/5



5. Flawed - Cecelia Ahern
As the author's first YA novel, she has done a brilliant job with this dystopian novel keeping it original and a great page turner. Celestine North lives the perfect life because she follows the rules, until she helps a dying man to a seat. Celestine finds herself in a bit of a pickle and may face a prison sentence or worse - to be found Flawed. There is a lot of potential for good character developments and I'm excited to read book two next year. I felt that the beginning of the book started a bit slow, but it then reached a point where I couldn't wait to continue reading. My full review can be found here. 4/5

JULY TBR

1. Demon Road - Derek Landy
2. The Fray Theory: Resonance - Nelou Keramati
3. Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
4. Queen of Shadows - Sarah J Maas
5. Disruption - Jessica Shirvington

And.... if I manage it, I hope to get started on my reread of Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire but that is definitely ambitious for me.

And that's all the books for my wrap up and TBR. I hope you enjoyed reading my mini reviews. Head over to my YouTube channel and subscribe for book and lifestyle videos.
Until next time!

xx


Where you can find me:

Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
YouTube: Channel link here
Twitter: @erenareads

Goodreads: @erenareads
Society6: @erenareads

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Monday, 6 June 2016

Erena Reviews: May 2016 & June TBR

June 06, 2016 0 Comments
Hello friends,

I hope you've been spectacularly well and that you've read plenty. The month of May was a busy one, as will June be (oh lord, I cannot wait for holidays), but I still managed to fit in a few books and I'm on track with my 2016 reading challenge! Two of the books I read this month were sent to me to review (I've linked the full reviews below if you're interested), another was a book I've been waiting to read for months which also left me depressed because I have to wait another year for the next book, and another was a reread. Perhaps a bit all over the place, but I think a good mix. So without further ado...


BOOKS



1. The Yearbook Committee - Sarah Ayoub
I had heard a few good things about this one and I saw it had short chapters and when you are a busy uni student, that is very appealing. The Yearbook Committee is about five very different teenage students in their last year of high school who must come together to produce their yearbook. The attitudes and personalities of the characters constantly collide which is actually quite enjoyable and while you may get annoyed at the arrogance of some of the other minor characters, you also get to experience the good things. I think this book is better aimed at teenagers (especially if in high school) and younger adults as the bigger picture is the stigma of bullying. You can read my full review of The Yearbook Committee here. 3.5/5



2. Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets - J.K Rowling
I'm currently rereading the whole series which I've done multiple times already but I can never get enough Harry Potter. I won't say much about this one but if you haven't read it, you need to read it. Don't ever tell me you haven't read Harry Potter but you've read Twilight or Divergent etc. This series is always 10/10



3. A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J Maas
My biggest anticipated release for 2016 comes book two of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. The story follows on after Feyre's escape and saving of Tamlin from Under the Mountain however, she's having trouble living her life in the Spring Court. We get to see a lot more of my beloved Rhysand (who could quite possibly be #1 Book Boyfriend!!) and the Night Court, as well as new Night Court characters that are charming, hilarious and super badass. A Court of Mist and Fury was my perfect novel; it has fantasy, action, romance, comedy and I'm gonna use the word again, badass-ness. I did a very messy review/discussion here. I give this one a million stars/5.



4. The Crown - Kiera Cass
The final segment in The Selection series. Last year, you may have seen that I read the first four books in about a week, as they are so easy to read, and left me wanting more. The previous book (The Heir) and The Crown is all about Princess Eadlyn, daughter of America and Maxon, and her own Selection. Like the previous books, this one is very easy to read and flows nicely however, I felt it needed a little more... surprise or 'the bad things that happen in stories' to be more... bad? All in all, this book is not perfect but it was pretty much what I hoped for and I'm happy with that. Also, it's a lot better than The Heir. I did a full review here. 4/5

JUNE TBR



1. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K Rowling
Continuing my reread of the series. Because I started this in May, I've actually finished this already.

2. Cinder - Marissa Meyer
This was actually on my May TBR but I put it down as I didn't want to continue reading after A Court of Mist and Fury as I was in a massive book hangover and didn't want to not enjoy it, you know?

3. Hidden Bodies - Caroline Kepnes
I started this in May as well but was only reading it when I was at work - which isn't much. This is the second book to 'You' which was friggen brilliant. I'm not sure why Kepnes wrote a second book because it honestly didn't need one BUT, I am enjoying it so far.

4. Me Before You - Jojo Moyes
I've heard great and sad things about this one so I'll make sure to get under a blanket with my box of tissues for this one.

I think I'll also pick up another book this month, but I'm unsure of what it'll be at the moment.

And that's all for this post! I hope you enjoyed my mini reviews for the month of May, feel free to check out the full reviews I did for 3 out of 4 of the books I read - much appreciated.
Let me know what you read in May and what you plan to read in June, I'd love to know!

See you soon!
x



Where you can find me:

Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Bookstagram: @erenareads
Instagram: @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Snapchat: @erena_b

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Tuesday, 3 May 2016

Erena Reviews: April & May TBR

May 03, 2016 0 Comments
Hello friends,

How we all doing? I'm definitely feeling much better after passing all my mid semester exams for uni as I was honestly struggling! I've started taking books to uni so when I have the time I'm able to read, even if it is for ten minutes... You take what you can get sometimes.
I read a total of four books this month which makes me happy considering I only read two last month (let's hope that doesn't happen again!) And they were definitely are good four! Read on book lovers...




BOOKS

1. End of Days - Susan Ee
The final book of the Angelfall trilogy was not a let down. Having Raffe back in my life (sorry, Penryn's life) made my heart beat a little faster! Whilst you may think the previous two books were pretty full on, this one was super intense with a lot more action and deaths and crazy humans & angels alike. I found the trilogy to be very easy to read and it's definitely not too long so if you're interested, check out the first one. 5/5


2. We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
Talk about pulling on the heartstrings, ripping them off completely and throwing them out to sea. I bought this one early April when I was felt like spending money (not always the best idea as a full time student) and I picked it up to read pretty quickly mainly because it was small and I didn't have a whole heap of time to read. I started reading this while waiting for the tram to university or back home, or if I was waiting for a lecture to start and I was completely hooked. This book has short chapters - this may appeal to some (it does to me!) which I feel makes it much easier to read. This is about four cousins/friends whom spend the summers together on their families island when an accident happens and Cadence (the main character) starts to feel separated from the others. I could feel some emotion coming on, but dear god I didn't see that twist. This story is very easy to read and I would recommend to many - especially those who have trouble keeping up with a book. If you're in Australia - $9 at Kmart! 5/5


 3. Glass Sword - Victoria Aveyard
Following on from Red Queen comes Glass Sword, book #2 in the series. After racing through Red Queen last year and absolutely loving it, my first initial thought when picking up Glass Sword was that I didn't like the way it looked - stupid I know. I didn't start reading straight away and when I eventually picked it up, it took me a long while to get into it. Eventually I kept reading and found myself really enjoying it, so if you're finding it hard - hang in there!
Some people haven't liked Mare's character development however, I'm half and half; there are parts where she just annoyed me and made me really dislike her and then times when I felt I would do some of the same things - though I don't think I'll be developing lightning powers any time soon.
Despite Maven being the douchebag he is, I still a have a soft spot for him. And then I love Cal too, I don't really like Kilorn though - sorry!
All in all, a somewhat enjoyable read for me. I'd say... a low 4/5


4. An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
Holy heck. This has definitely been one of my fave reads of the year so far. You get both main characters views (which I love!); Laia is a slave and Elias is a soldier. *How do you pronounce Laia? I say it like "liar" Tell me!* I pretty much fell in love with Elias straight away. This book had all the feels for all the characters - love, hate and "what the eff are you thinking?!" It's not a heartbreaking story but I fell so in love with this book that it kind of feels like I have no soul now (because I have to wait for book two). An Ember in the Ashes is kind of 'an ember in the ashes', this book will not disappoint. Can I give 6/5 ?


MAY TBR

1. The Yearbook Committee - Sarah Ayoub
2. Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets - JK Rowling (I already began my reread last month and didn't finish - oops!)
3. Cinder - Marissa Meyer
4. Demon Road - Derek Landy


I would love to also read A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas (book two after A Court of Thorns and Roses) and The Crown by Kiera Cass (book five and final in The Selection series) which were both released today (May 3rd). I'm making myself read my May TBR first and be on top of my uni work before I get these books though (excellent motivation I think!)


And that is the end of this ride today my friends. I've got full reviews coming up for a few books, hopefully soon! I'm thinking of doing a quick little April book haul for you later this week too. Until then, happy reading!

x


Where you can find me:

Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Bookstagram: @erenareads
Instagram: @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads


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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
Bookstagram: @erenareads
Instagram: @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads

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Thursday, 10 December 2015

Erena Reviews: November

December 10, 2015 0 Comments
HELLO!

I've been absent as of late as I have been super busy and I should've pre written blog posts but did I do that? No... My bad!

November was a good reading month with a total of six (6) books read. Four of these books I rated 5/5! I collected quite a few books this month: Red Queen, Snow Like Ashes & Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda I won from a giveaway; Magnus Chase x 2 - one I bought on special, a signed copy I won at Penguin Teen Australia Live event in Brisbane; Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children full priced and a box set of six classics from QBD for only $15! So, I didn't spend too much money but I'm definitely going to need to pick up my reading game!



Anyways, here are my November reads...

1. The Heir - Kiera Cass
The fourth novel in The Selection series moves on to Maxon and America's sassy daughter Princess Eadlyn, the future queen! I was sad to read it wasn't America's story however it was still an enjoyable and easy read. It finished on an emotional cliffhanger which I feel like Cass hasn't really done in the other books. 4/5



2. Crown of Midnight - Sarah J Maas
I was so ready for Crown of Midnight after reading the first in its series: Throne of Glass, last month. In this story, the true and ever so badass Celaena came alive with an incredible assassin scene which I loved! There was also crazy emotional chapters in Crown of Midnight as well though and pulled on the heart strings. This book is definitely in my top 5 of 2015! 5/5 plus another 100

3. Happily Ever After - Kiera Cass
This is a selection (no pun intended) of novellas from The Selection series. It includes The Queen (Amberley), The Guard (Aspen), The Prince (Maxon) and a few other scenes. I enjoyed reading from others point of views especially Queen Amberley. I think this is a good way to have other point of view novels - a collection of different characters in the one book. 4/5



4. Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
I've finally got myself into this series, if it wasn't for the Bookstagram community I don't think I would have. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Percy is a demi-god finding himself on a mission to find Zeus' lightning bolt which he apparently stole and return it - along with fighting off creatures of the Underworld. Suitable for a wide range of people; this was such an easy read and I enjoyed it immensely. 5/5



5. Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
I took a break from The Mortal Instruments and gave The Infernal Devices a go instead. It took me a while to get into but I love it much more than Clary's story (Clary annoys me a bit too much). I loved how it is set in the 1800's and of course Jem and Will! I am still trying to warm up to Tessa but I definitely prefer her story and interesting background. I am keen to read Clockwork Prince and hopefully will get to it in the next couple of months. 5/5



6. The Assassin's Blade - Sarah J Maas
This is a collection of novellas set before 'Throne of Glass' however, it's pretty much one whole story with a couple of gaps in between. You get to meet and know Sam Cortland and if you've read Throne of Glass you will pretty much have anxiety issues whenever he's around. You get the badass Celaena again in The Assassin's Blade which I loved! I don't think it really matters when you read this book along with the Throne of Glass series, though I've only read the first two. 5/5 !


And there you have my little reviews for my November reads. Sorry it was late... I'll try better next time. If you have any questions or thoughts on this post please comment below or message me on my Bookstagram. Stay tuned for my 2016 reading list!



Currently Reading: Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Email: erenabennett@hotmail.com
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Friday, 4 September 2015

Erena Reviews: August

September 04, 2015 0 Comments
Welcome back to another edition of 'Erena Reviews'!
This month started off slow; the first book I read just wasn't screaming "Keep on reading!!" but I got there in the end and managed to finish two books in the last couple of days of August.

BOOKS

1. The Sky is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson
I saw this book recommended quite a bit on Bookstagrams (Book Instagrams) so naturally I wanted to read it. Sorry to the lovers of this book, but it's not something I'd personally recommend. It wasn't bad - it was fine, I just wasn't that interested in the story and some parts annoyed me, but in saying this, there was definitely parts I enjoyed. I'm looking forward to Nelson's other novels. 3/5




2. Attachments - Rainbow Rowell
Yes! This book was hilarious, serious, emotional and I loved it a million times more than Fangirl (though I didn't really enjoy that one). At first I kept getting confused with Beth and Jennifer on who was who - but easily enough got on track. Lincoln has to read their 'flagged' emails for the company they all work for but never does anything about them and just continues to read them. Sounds creepy, but I don't think so. Definitely recommend this one! 5/5






3. The Enemy - Charlie Higson
Another one recommended on the Bookstagram world. It's set in modern England and zombies take over ze world!!!! Or England as far as the first book goes. It seems as though the kids under 14 haven't been affected by the disease and they call the diseased ones 'Grown Ups'. It's actually quite entertaining - though emotional - to read. I wouldn't recommend this series to older adults (unless you're into the Young Adult genre) because all the characters are kids and I find it very 'teenish/kiddish' at times. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it and am onto book two. 4/5


4. The Best of Me - Nicholas Sparks
I've read a couple of Sparks' novels and I can't say I read any of them in two days. From the first page I was drawn into the story and didn't leave it until I literally finished the book. Of course, it was a love story and was super emotional - the usual Nicholas Sparks stuff, but there's a reason he writes these stories - he's god damn good at it. I absolutely loved 'The Best of Me' (even if it tore me apart) and I'm hoping to watch the movie adaptation very soon! 5/5






'The Best of Me' was definitely my favourite of the month and it definitely makes me want to read another Sparks novel this month.

Earlier I was speaking of 'Bookstagram' (Instagram of everything book related) and I have actually just made an account. If you want to follow me I'll leave my user name down below and if you're an active Bookstagrammer I'll definitely follow you back!

I hope you've enjoyed my reviews this month and I'll see you next month for some more!



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Wednesday, 5 August 2015

Erena Reviews: July

August 05, 2015 0 Comments
Hello everyone.

Some of you may have noticed (or not) that I have changed this segment title to 'Erena Reviews'. I decided I wanted to include all the books I read in the month and give them a 'out of 5' rating. I'm sure none of you will mind, because why would you?

I'll also include a TV show in this post, so stay tuned (or keep scrolling after the books).
Enjoy!

BOOKS


1. Lola & The Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins
This is the second book following Anna & The French Kiss (reviewed in last months segment) and once again I really enjoyed this novel. I enjoyed the small parts which included Anna and St. Clair from the first novel even thought the story wasn't about them. This story focuses on Lola and a boy named Cricket Bell who returns from her past. Well written and enjoyable the entire book. 4.5/5






2. Isla & The Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins
The third and final in this contemporary series finds Isla & Josh back at the 'School of America in Paris'. Josh was in the first novel (Anna) but never went in to depth of his character. At first I found the story to seem quite cliche and to be honest... kind of stupid (sorry) however, as the story kept building and characters developing I found myself immersed in the book until it was over. I definitely liked it but Anna & St. Clair are my favourite! 4/5





3. The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
I had no idea what this book was about when I got it, I saw little pictures of the front cover forever coming up on websites and in stores that it's a must read. I never read a blurb or review, I simply started reading it and finding that I'm not sure if I would have ever picked it up if it wasn't popular. I would label this drama/crime/thriller kind of book and probably the best one I've ever read (the list isn't that long). It starts off with Rachel - a raging alcoholic who can't let go of her past and constantly finding herself in some sort of trouble. You'll get to read from other point of views but I won't get more into it. Definitely a great read! 5/5




4. Maybe Someday - Colleen Hoover
I went back to read some more Colleen Hoover since they were there and on my TBR. Maybe Someday is written in both main characters point of view - Sydney and Ridge. You'll experience all the emotions with this one but what I really want to say is: this is my favourite Colleen Hoover novel to date! I really enjoy reading from both characters views and watching the development of them unravel. 5/5






5. Losing Hope - Colleen Hoover
Another Hoover novel. Last month I wrote about the first in this series - Hopeless - and how much I loved it. I'm very glad I read this one after reading a few other books in between because it may have affected how I felt about this story. This one is in Holder's point of view with the same timeline as the first book. Yes, Hoover did it again (last month I talked about the Slammed series). I cannot stand the fact that she did the same story but in a different characters head. Holder is a fairly interesting character and there were actually interesting parts of this story that you didn't know in Hopeless so that, I shall semi forgive. I recommend reading this novel a few books or month later than the first, you won't forget anything - they go over it again. 4/5 (but still annoyed)


TV SHOWS


1. The Returned - 2015
From what I've read online (not much), I think this series is a remake help produced by Netflix - which is where I watched it. It looked interesting while I was flicking through new TV shows so I started watching it and decided I really liked it and continued. The Returned is not a zombie series though it may sound like it. People that died start showing up again in their hometown like nothing is wrong and they haven't been gone for years after being buried in a grave. That's all I'll say... I really enjoyed this series and found out soon after that apparently they aren't making a second season :( I'm hoping they'll change their minds. Definitely check it out 4/5


And that's all I have for you this month. I hope you enjoy my mini reviews and ratings. If you read any of these books or watched The Returned let me know what you thought of them in the comments below.
In the mean time, I best get reading some more books for next months segment.
Au revoir!

PS - You may see a new Goodreads widget to the right here. It is my 'currently reading' section.







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