'Allo!
October was a very busy month for me, sadly it won't stop just yet, but we are close! I had so much uni going on that it was hard to read everything I wanted. I only managed to finish three books this month but they were stellar reads and I'm incredibly happy with my reading month. If you want to watch my YouTube video version of this click here!




OCTOBER WRAP UP

1. Disruption - Jessica Shirvington
By an Australian Young Adult author whom also wrote one of my fave series ever (Embrace/The Violet Eden series) comes this YA dystopian set in a world ruled by technology. I've been really getting into the dystopian genre in the last couple years and when I come across books like this, it really doesn't disappoint. Within the first few chapters, I felt like I really had a grasp on what was going on in the story which made it not only easier to read, but I wanted to keep reading as well to find out more. The flow of this story was really spot on and you weren't left wondering "Wait, what just happened?" or "I can't remember who that is..." - you know that kind of feeling? I really enjoyed this story and while it didn't end on a cliffhanger, I was glad I already had the next book because it was kind of a 'I need to know what happens next' ending. Full review here!
4.5/5

2. Corruption - Jessica Shirvington
Straight into book two was a must for me. I won't go too much into the story as I don't want to give anything away however, this one was even better than book one. I found myself filled with anxiety over what was going to happen to the characters, I was angry at others and I just fell in love with this story even more. It is once again, action packed and there were so many times I just had no idea what was going to happen next. This story keeps you on your toes and is begging to be read until it's finished. I have a full review here if you want to know more.
5/5

3. Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo
After reading falling in love with Six of Crows and all its characters, I couldn't wait to get into not only book two but sadly, the last book *sobs*. When I'm really looking forward to a book I try not have too many exceptions (to avoid disappointment) but I couldn't help myself. I was so damn excited to be back in this world that I was almost planning out futures I wanted for all the characters. This novel exceeded my exceptions and I felt so involved  in the story. The story itself has so much character and so much thought put into all its characters. Leigh Bardugo did a damn fantastic job and I can't wait to see what else she writes. I highly recommend this YA fantasy novel. It goes to place number #2 on my 2016 list (I don't think anything will beat ACOMAF but this was close!).
ps - I cried like a baby (a quiet baby though).
5/5

So uhh, yes... that is it for my wrap up. Like I said, stellar reads; quality over quantity this month.
In just over a week I'll be done with uni for the year (the thought, while exciting, is scary because that means four exams that are going to do my head in) and that means relaxing and reading and going on holiday. Yes, I'm going on holiday (West Coast USA) and while I plan to take my kindle loaded with books, I also am gonna focus on the fact that I'm travelling in a new country and I'll be doing fun things, such as going to Harry Potter world at Universal Studios. ANYWAYS, here is my November TBR...

NOVEMBER TBR

1. This is Where the World Ends - Amy Zhang
2. Nevernight - Jay Kristoff
3. The Unexpected Everything - Morgan Matson
4. A Torch Against the Night - Sabaa Tahir


If you want to know more about these books check out my YouTube video as I talk a bit more about them there.

That's all from me! Happy reading :)



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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"How do you live with yourself when you've deceived the one you love?
How do you move on when the person you've been fighting to save betrays you?
Two years ago, Maggie Stevens began the hunt.
Four weeks ago, Maggie's world fell apart when she finally found what she'd been looking for. And when Quentin, who had blindly trusted her, unravelled her web of lies.
Now, Maggie lives in the dark. But she's not about to stay there. Not when she still has to bring M-Corp down. Not when there is still a chance she could win him back.
In the exhilarating conclusion to Disruption, Maggie must do whatever it takes to show the world the truth. And the price for her quest?
Everything.
But who for?"


The second part of this thrilling duology, comes Corruption. You can read my spoiler free review of book one, Disruption, right here.

As you may remember, as soon as I finished book one, I immediately started book two and I think I lost myself in it. Within the first chapter, I had gone through a multitude of emotions and the story had me in its grasp.


Much like book one, Corruption is action packed, full of surprises and very easy to follow the story. Once again, the flow of the story is spot on and this made it so much easier to be hooked and be involved in the story. Australian YA author, Jessica Shirvington is a writing queen! Having read her other YA novels (and loving those), I am seriously impressed with this dystopian novel.

I don't want to give away too much of the story seeing as this would spoil you if you're yet to read book one. The story is still based around the controlling M-Corp technology and Maggie's desire to stop them but they're are many hiccups on their adventures and it still has a little of that witty humour we got to see previously.

A few new characters are introduced and we get a bit more background on other characters we only saw a little of last time; as well as our beloved Maggie, Quentin, and my personal favourite, Gus. The character development is brilliant. I already fell in love with our main characters in Disruption and I somehow fell even more in love with them in this book.

I had some idea of the plot (you will too after reading book one) however, there was so much more to it as the story continued on. One minute I would be thinking "Okay, I understand that this would happen" and then some whiplash-giving stuff would go down and I would need to calm myself before continuing to read on.

You'll experience a lot of different emotions whilst reading this book: curiosity, nervousness, happiness, anxiety, tragedy... You'll constantly be wary, wondering what is going to happen next, who to watch out for, you may also find the need to crawl in the ball at times; BE PREPARED!

Now I am sorry I don't go into too much detail in this review, but I absolutely refuse to spoil any one of you - I cannot give even a snippet away!

Disruption set the bar high for book two, it exceeded. This is a must read and definitely a favourite of mine this year.

A brilliantly written book: 5/5

*This book was sent to me by Harper Teen 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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"What if a microchip could identify your perfect match?
What if it could be used against you and the ones you love?
Nine years ago, Mercer Corporation's M-Bands became mandatory. An evolution of the smartphone, the bracelets promised an easier life. Instead, they have come to control it.
Two years ago, Maggie Stevens watched helplessly as one of the people she most was taken from her, shattering her world as she knew it.
Now, Maggie is ready. And Quentin Mercer - heir to the M-Corp empire - has become key to Maggie's plan. But as the pieces of her dangerous design fall into place, could Quentin's involvement destroy everything she's fought for?
In a world full of broken promises, the ones Maggie must keep could be the most heartbreaking."


First of all, author Jessica Shirvington is Australian (woop woop!) and she's also the author to one of my favourite series, Embrace/The Violet Eden series so I was very much interested in starting this duology.

This is a young adult dystopian novel where the population must wear 'M-Bands' that are used in everyday life: used as ID, money and even used for ratings with other people to see if you could potentially have a future together. Though for some, they rate as negatives and are taken away to rehabilitation camps where they're never seen again. Maggie's father was a negative and she's on a mission to rescue him back and prove his innocence.

As soon as you pick up this book you jump straight into the story. You understand everything that's happening in the first few chapters which can be uncommon these days. It kind of feels like being in control and perhaps that is why I like it, though it seems ironic as M-Corp (the company that made this tech) wants to control the world with their M-Bands.

I'm very drawn to the main characters in this book. We get to meet the gorgeous Quentin Mercer, heir to the M-Corp industry and someone who Maggie has been keeping an eye on and brings him into her master plan to find her father. And someone you meet early on in the story is Gus, who just so happens to be my fave character so far. Gus and Maggie have this strange relationship that started with blackmail and their bickering is great, I love it. You obviously meet those other characters who you have to hate but they're necessary to the story and written really well.

While this story has a similar layout to many other dystopian novels, this is also like no other that I've read in this genre. I liked that it was to do with technology - while fictional, a possible realistic insight to the future? Probably not to that level but interesting nonetheless.

The flow of the story was spot on. There was action when we needed action, the aftermath of said action, the calm when we were allowed to be calm and the nerves. I found myself so immersed that I was feeling anxious when risky things were about to go down - this happened a lot. I was never bored and it was honestly hard to put down.

As I said earlier, I've read Shirvington's Embrace series which I absolutely fell in love with and so I wasn't really sure what to expect from this dystopian novel. Well she definitely doesn't disappoint and you should definitely pick this up. You might want to pick up the second novel as well, Corruption, while this first book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it'll surely leave you wanting more.

Keep an eye out

for my review of book two, coming soon!

4.5/5


*This book was sent to me by Harper Teen 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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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...








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






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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"Willa Parker, 646th and least-popular resident of What Cheer, Iowa, is headed east to start a new life.
 Did she choose this life? No, because that would be too easy - and nothing in Willa's life is easy. It's her famous genius mother's idea to send her to ultra-expensive, ultra-exclusive Pembroke Prep, but Willa has no intention of fitting in at Pembroke. She's not staying long, she decides. Not at this school - and not on this planet.
But when she meets peculiar, glittering Remy Taft, the richest, most mysterious girl on campus, she starts to see a foothold in this foreign world - a place where she could maybe, possibly, sort of fit in.
When Willa looks at Remy, she sees a girl who has everything. But for Remy, having everything comes at a price. And as she spirals out of control, Willa can feel Remy spinning right out of her grasp.
In Willa's secret heart, all she's ever wanted is to belong. But if Remy, the girl who gave her this world, is slip-sliding away, is Willa meant to follow her down?"
- Andrea Portes



 Let me begin by saying that the cover for this book is beautiful - a great choice for attracting eyes.
When I started reading this book I kind of slumped my shoulders; it is written in a way that I wasn't expecting and I didn't like it.
It follows Willa, who is I assume a senior in high school who moves across the state to a super fancy rich kid school because her mother (whom she doesn't speak to) has connections despite Willa and her father having next to no money. She meets a girl named Remy who is everything that Willa seems to need.

The entire story is in Willa's point of view and it's written in a way that is all her thoughts spoken to the reader. At first it felt quite middle grade and that is why I was sort of dreading the rest of the book. It was a lot of 'babble' and I started skimming over a few sentences because I didn't need to read a whole paragraph on her describing one thing when I got it in the first sentence. Then I read the first swear word after a few chapters and I was actually shocked, because it felt middle grade and I didn't expect it.

This story seems to be full of surprises because it actually got better. I realised I was really interested in what was going to happen and I just kept reading and reading and reading. Willa does and says things that I don't really expect from her - not that it's outrageous or anything, I was just, once again, not expecting it.

This story involves drug use multiple times, so if you are easily offended or triggered by that then maybe stay away but I don't think it's that bad. It is fiction after all - and it doesn't talk about too much bad stuff. Now this may sound strange, but if the drugs part wasn't in there, the story wouldn't have been a story, it would have been a waste of my time. I felt like it was a very good and stable building block of this novel.

They didn't introduce a whole lot of characters which was great, it made it much easier to really focus on the story and not backtrack at all. I liked all the characters except for Milo, I don't ever think he was meant to be a very likeable character though. Willa was with him a few times and I felt like there should have been a little bit more about him though it's hard when you're reading through Willa's thoughts only. Another thing I was surprised about was the freedom these school kids have on the weekends and holidays, seemed a little unrealistic but it made for a better story anyways.

The Fall of Butterflies was a very easy read for me. Every now and then in between chapters I was suddenly transported to a couple of days later and not realising until a couple of paragraphs in, but honestly that was okay, it ain't a 5 star read.

I would definitely recommend this book to those aged 13 - 21 years old, though I'm 25 and found it to be okay and read it within a couple of days. The reason I read this was because I wanted a quick break from all the fantasy I was reading and I'm glad I did.

3.5/5


*This book was sent to me by Harper Teen 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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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
Goodreads: @erenareads

Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

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"Vika Andreyev can summon the snow and turn ash into gold.
Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air.
They are enchanters - the only two in Russia - and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side. And so he initiates the Crown's Game, an ancient duel of magical skill. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar's most respected advisor. The defeated is sentenced to death.
Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter - even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown's Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with - beautiful, whip smart, imaginative - and he can't stop thinking about her.
And when Pasha, Nikolai's best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.
As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown's Game is not one to lose."



Now I don't blame you if you didn't read all that, it's all bold and italic words that seem mushed together. So, here it is short and in my words:
The tsar needs an Imperial Enchanter to advise him on all the important stuff going on in the world however, there is two and the tsar needs the strongest one at full strength (think Harry Potter here: "Neither can live while the other survives" - technically that isn't true but it sounds good!) The Crown's Game is a duel of magic where each enchanter shows off their strength whilst possibly aiming to kill the other (the tsar can declare a winner at any time and automatically kill the other if they fail to do so to one another). And it goes on from there...

This book has multiple points of views but they seem to mesh together well; the only slightly negative thing in this entire book was that there was one chapter early on from the Grand Princess and this was her only chapter, which makes it hard to keep track of early on in the story - I would've left it in the tsar's hands. ANYWAY, I very much enjoy multiple POV's as the reader almost feels like a God - we get to know everything, sort of...

Evelyn Skye is a new author on the block and writes absolutely beautifully in this story. The story flows really nicely and draws you in and you'll want to take a day or two off of life because you ain't doing anything else but reading.

The first main character we meet is Vika, a very strong and powerful enchantress (I'm loving the word enchantress right now) who has been trained by her father to become the best she can so she can fulfil the duties of the Imperial Enchanter for Russia. We then meet Nikolai, who was orphaned at birth but was isolated by those he lived with because of the strange things he could do; until his slightly wretched mentor took him to her home to train him to also become the next Imperial Enchanter. He is trained in more of a mechanics sort of way - not visibly as strong as Vika but equally as powerful.


So the problem here, is that there can only be one Enchanter and they must duel against each other (the Crown's Game) to show off not only their power, but to potentially kill the other - because one MUST die. My problem? They are both incredible characters and I love them both.

We also meet Pasha, the tsarverich (crown prince) whom has been excited by Vika's secret magic and falls in love with her; he is also Nikolai's best friend, which could cause some problems.
Throughout the story, the relationship between Vika and Nikolai develops; are they really prepared to kill one another?

The author's writing is captivating and brilliant. She knows how to keep you reading and uses all the right words to get you right in the feels. You'll fall in love with the characters and this is a massive page turner - so get comfy!

Whilst this YA novel is fantasy, those who aren't always keen on the genre will definitely still enjoy this as it isn't too much. That being said, fantasy lovers (like me) will still very much enjoy this incredible story. Please, please, please make sure you read The Crown's Game - it is a must and I'm eagerly awaiting book two in 2017.

I gave this brilliant book 5/5


*This book was sent to me by Harper Collins YA 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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