Hello again!

Video version of this here.


I'm back again today with another bookish post (surprise, surprise). If you're interested in what I read in 2016, I have a post for that here, it's basically just a list of what I read and it doesn't go into detail - you'll need to check out my monthly wrap ups for that!

2016 was an incredible reading year. Being a lot more involved on the Bookstagram community means you hear about so many books you've never heard of and lots of interaction with other bookstagrammers who recommend you amazing books.

It was incredibly hard to narrow down my list to 10, even now as I write this I still haven't decided the last few. I feel as though I'm cheating the other books that also deserve a spot in there.
One thing I decided to was group series together as one. Meaning, if I read books from the same series and I really enjoyed all/most of them then I'm counting them as one. That's okay, right?

I tried ranking these and couldn't for the life of me actually do it. I will number them from 10 to 1 but don't take any notice of it until you get to the top three because those I was certain about!
I shall also tell you that not all of these books were released this year and I won't include any rereads in this list. Anyway, without further ado... Here is my Top 10 for 2016:


10. You - Caroline Kepnes
Sympathising with a sociopath isn't something you'd read everyday and was certainly a first for me. That is what makes this book so unique and I loved every bit of it. It was a thrilling read that keeps you on your toes and while this book isn't for some people, it is an incredible read and you should consider checking it out.

9. Angelfall Trilogy - Susan Ee
I started reading Angelfall because it was short and I wasn't sure what else to read at the time, all of a sudden I was finished and needed to read the next two books (lucky I already had them on my kindle!) In a post apocalyptic world filled with angels invading the Earth and taking it for their own, Penryn is a strong, badass female character whom I feel really makes this series great for me.

8. The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
The Darkling; need I say more? If you haven't read this series yet and are anything like me, you're gonna need all the books because once I finished Shadow and Bone (book one), I couldn't deal with life until I had the rest of the books. I am obsessed with this series! While I didn't like the way the book ended (personal preference), I loved our main character Alina and the Darkling is seriously my favourite villain of all time and I love him so deeply that I might explode. Okay, I'll stop there.

7. Empire of Storms - Sarah J Maas (and Queen of Shadows)
I read Heir of Fire (book three) earlier in the year and while I enjoyed it, it was Queen of Shadows and Empire of Storms that really blew me away. When I started reading these it was so damn hard to put down (especially when you read during uni time, oops). My love for Manon blossomed and to be honest, went a little bit crazy - she is one of my favourite female fictional characters.

6. Rebel of the Sands - Alwyn Hamilton
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book when I started reading it but I was instantly addicted. Another strong female character, Amani, knows what she wants and will do whatever it takes to get it. It has bouts of supernatural-ness in it which I freaking loved because, hello I am fantasy lover. I am currently reading Traitor to the Throne (book two) and can't wait to get more into the story.

5. A Thousand Pieces of You - Claudia Gray
A sci-fi novel you never knew you needed. I put this story off for a bit because it seemed kind of daunting but once I picked it up I was so immersed that it didn't take long to finish. I had no idea what to expect after a few chapters but it went in whatever was the right direction and didn't look back. I'm still yet to read books two and three (terrible, I know!)

4. Corruption - Jessica Shirvington
Book two in the Disruption duology was amazing. I really enjoyed the first book but this one was next level! Corruption is set in a dystopian world ruled with controlling and invasive technology. Our main character Maggie, is super badass and I really loved her character. It was a thrilling, fast paced novel that makes me love this author even more than I already do. Full review here.

3. A Torch Against the Night - Sabaa Tahir
Book two in the An Ember in the Ashes - which I also read this year and really loved, is my third favourite book of the year. Continuing on with Elias and Laia's story, it gets a little more crazy and much more interesting. The addition of Helene's chapters and the new character Avitas Harper was what made me love this book a whole bunch, along with the actual story of course. I am ready for book three!

2. Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo (and Six of Crows)
I started this duology this year with fairly high expectations and fell in love with all the characters and the story almost immediately. Crooked Kingdom was on a whole other level and there were so many unexpected events that me laugh and cry. The writing is so intricate yet easy to read and understand. I felt like I was actually there when I was reading it. Highly recommend!

And finally, drum roll please....

1. A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J Maas
This is without a doubt not only my favourite book of 2016 but also one of my all time favourites. I really enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses (book one) but holy heck was I not prepared for this story. When we met Rhysand in book one I was obsessed but little did I know... This book was perfect for me and afterwards put me in the biggest book hangover I've ever had (wait until book three eh!) I absolutely loved the inner circle and I can't wait to see more of them and basically everything else in A Court of Wings and Ruin.

And that's it! In my video version of this (link here), I also mentioned a couple of other books briefly because I couldn't bare to not include them somehow.

Let me know some of your faves in the comments below or DM me on Instagram (@erenareads) because I'd love to chat.

See you soon!
x


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:
Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads

Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!

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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!

Hello!

With not only December coming to an end but also 2016, I wanted to add more books to my total books read for the year so I managed to scrape in 5 books in December which I am extremely happy with. The previous months I wasn't reading as much because of university and I also fell into a slightly small slump. But I should also mention that the books I did read were of pretty good quality, some of them being possible favourites of the year! If you're interested I have a video version of this on my YouTube channel, click here for that. Otherwise keep reading...


DECEMBER WRAP UP

1. Falling Into Place - Amy Zhang
Last month I read my first novel from this author and thoroughly enjoyed her writing and was very keen to dive into this one. The chapters are based on the before's and after's with a girl who is in a car accident at the beginning of the book. It has multiple points of views and I didn't mind one bit. Each chapter held little bits of information that really added to the story and it made me crave each chapter and it was extremely hard to put down; this fact made me read it in about three sittings (which is reaaallly great for me!) Despite being based around high school aged characters, I loved the way it was written. Highly recommend this novel!
5/5


2. Rebel of the Sands - Alwyn Hamilton
I had seen this floating around the book community for a while, even after I bought it, so I finally started reading and this was yet another book that I didn't want to put down. Amani is eager to move out of her crappy desert town and on to better things. She meets a foreign boy who is in trouble with the law and they set out together to find whatever it is they wish to find. The story is an interesting one that has bits of fantasy and diversity in it and incredibly easy to read. I am eagerly awaiting the release of book two, Traitor to the Throne.
5/5


3. Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
This was a reread for me; I first read the book a few years ago from the library and finally purchased my own copy. This was a quick read because I once again, found it hard to put down. It follows Lia, a girl with anorexia, whose old best friend just died (who also had an eating disorder). It delves into the mind of disordered eating and how this mental illness can affect all aspects of life. You need to go into this book with an open mind, you cannot be mad at the main character when she doesn't do what she should and it may take some time for you to start to understand that mental illnesses can control the host. I shall also give it a trigger warning for those struggling with disordered eating. Nonetheless, it is one of my favourite books ever.
5/5

4. Desolation - Derek Landy
Book two in the Demon Road trilogy; I wasn't actually expecting much from this book because the first one was pretty average, but after getting through a few chapters I found myself enjoying it immensely. I felt that everything that was wrong with Demon Road was improved in this book. It had plenty of action and a good story. I've already started book three because I need to know what happens next! For a full review of Demon Road click here, and for a full review of Desolation click here.
4/5


5. American Monsters - Derek Landy
The final instalment of the Demon Road trilogy; I was eager to get to this one as I really enjoyed the previous book. This book had quite a clear storyline/plot which I felt wasn't as clear in the first two, so that was a plus. I didn't find it as interesting as Desolation but still a fun and enjoyable read for teenage and some young adult readers. There were a few events I was surprised by - both good and bad. There was one particular thing that happened where I felt it wasn't written about enough so I kind of felt cheated almost. But overall, I enjoyed this trilogy.For a full review click here.
3.5/5


JANUARY TBR

1. Illuminae - Jay Kristoff & Amy Kaufman
2. Kiss of Fire - Rebecca Ethington
3. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire - J.K Rowling


That's all for my January TBR at the moment, no doubt I'll add more to it but I'm waiting to see what I'm in the mood for.
Be sure to check out my YouTube channel because I upload there regularly (Erena Reads or click the link below).

See you soon for more bookish posts!

x


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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!

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.

Book: American Monsters (Book three in Demon Road trilogy)

Author: Derek Landy

Publisher: Harper Collins

Synopsis:
Bigger, meaner, stronger, Amber closes in on her murderous parents as they make one last desperate play for power. Her own last hopes of salvation, however, rest beyond vengeance, beyond the abominable killers - living and dead - that she and Milo will have to face.
For Amber's future lies in her family's past, in the brother and sister she never knew, and the horrors beyond imagining that befell them...



Review for book one here.
Review for book two here.


I was eager to jump into American Monsters right after finishing Desolation (or more honestly, I started it the next day). I also had the motivation that I wanted to finish it before the new year so I could include it in my 2016 book count, and I did! This is officially my last blog post of 2016 so enjoy!

My main problems with the previous two books in this trilogy was the fact that I felt it too much when it wasn't needed. I didn't feel that as much with this book, yes there were a couple of times that I was like "okay, get on with it" but it was literally only a couple of times and it didn't last very long (thank you Derek Landy).

I really liked the storyline/plot in this book. I felt like I was on track with what was happening throughout the whole story - something that wasn't always clear for me in the first two books. However, it just wasn't as interesting as Desolation but I definitely still enjoyed it. Does that sound contradictory?

As this was the last book in the trilogy, I was constantly trying to figure how all of it was going to play out. I felt I knew the final outcome in a way, but I really had no idea. I really liked the ending except for perhaps one certain aspect, but that's what the author wanted I guess *le sigh*.
There was one particular event that happened that was skimmed over even though it deserved a whole damn chapter, so that made me a bit sad (if you've read it I'm sure you'll know what part I'm talking about).

I enjoyed the range of characters in this trilogy. While there wasn't a whole lot of diversity in these books, there was a little and that made me like the trilogy more. I enjoyed Amber's character more so in books two and three, the fact that she is actually this crazy, strong demon was actually kind of cool. She gets overconfident a number of times but I really started to like it in book two and three.

Throughout the series, Amber's parents didn't really bother me until about halfway through American Monsters. A crazy event that took place really threw me back and I had to close the book for a short while to let my heart break a little (it's hurting now just thinking about it).

Overall, I enjoyed the author's concept for this trilogy. They are fun and sort of spooky reads that are great for teenage and some young adult readers. I haven't read his more popular Skulduggery Pleasant series and therefore cannot compare his series. An enjoyable read!

3.5/5


*This book was sent to me by Harper Collins Unsolicited 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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Book: Desolation (Book two in Demon Road trilogy)

Author: Derek Landy

Synopsis:
Reeling from their bloody encounter in New York City at the end of Demon Road, Amber and Milo flee north. On their trail are the Hounds of Hell - five demonic bikers who will stop at nothing to drag their quarries back to their unholy master.
Amber and Milo's only hope lies within Desolation Hill - a small town with a big secret; a town with a darkness to it, where evil seeps through the very floorboards. Until, on one night every year, it spills over onto the streets and all hell breaks loose.

Review for book one here.



I'll be honest here, after reading book one (Demon Road) earlier this year, it definitely didn't give me the feeling that I 'needed' to pick up book two straight away, so I left it and read other books. I should not have done this because a) this is a review copy and I should've had it as a priority and b) it actually turned out to be pretty good and much better (in my opinion) than the first one. In saying that, I did somehow manage to misplace this book but found it last month and got to work.

Much like the last book, Desolation starts off with an interesting chapter. Perhaps not as exciting as the previous book but a bit of mystery from a point of view of a new character, which I liked. And yes, new points of views, there a more than just Amber and Milo in this novel and I found it very easy to follow and the author definitely picked the right times and the right characters to do so.

There were quite a few new characters introduced and I think it added to the story really well. There were two elderly men - WHO WERE ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS, and a group of young adults on a mission to save the population from supernatural evil. I felt that there was some unnecessary dialogue from some of these characters but didn't dwell too much on it since it didn't happen all that often. I felt Amber's character developed really well in the sense that she was more mature and I found myself enjoying her chapters much more than the first book. And Milo, well I love Milo, like we all should. But seriously, those elderly men that I was talking about earlier were gold. It was their bickering I think that was actually making me laugh out loud and the sincere kindness in (one of) their hearts.

My main problem with book one was that I felt it had too much going on which it made it drag out a bit. While this book seemed to have a little of that, it improved immensely and made it much more enjoyable to read. Sometimes I had to go back to the previous paragraph and read over it again because I feel like some things happened so fast I didn't understand what was happening, but all in all, I was okay with it.

The story itself is great, I reckon. I honestly had no idea how they were going to do it after book one - it definitely left an opening but I was just unsure. It has plenty of fantasy elements that I liked and were easy to read. There was a sort of 'twist' I guess you could say, that I REALLY liked. It makes me crave what happens next (lucky I have the third and final book in my hands).

Sorry if I seem a bit vague about the story but it can be hard with sequels because you don't want to give spoilers of the previous book/s. I would recommend checking out my review for Demon Road, where it all starts with Amber's crazy parents. The synopsis for this book (above) actually gives a goo description of it I think, as well as the little bits I've added on to this review.

I would honestly highly recommend this story to middle grade to the younger adult age, and for those older (I'm 25 if that helps?), if you enjoy teenager to young adult I would recommend picking up Demon Road just to get to Desolation. I was pleasantly surprised by this book and thoroughly enjoyed myself - very much picking up book three after this blog post so stay tuned for that review also!

Make sure to leave a comment letting me know your thoughts on this trilogy or send me a message on Instagram. Be sure to check out my YouTube channel (see below) as I post videos on there all the time. See you soon for more bookish things!

4/5




*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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Hello! Yes, I'm still around...
My November was somewhat busy with my end of semester uni exams (thank god that's over) and at the end of November I jet setter off to the other side of the international date line to the West Coast of America. In the time that I wasn't doing either of those things, I kind of just slowly read and watched lots of TV, thus bringing my book count of the month to three. I'm not really bothered that it was little, I did what my brain/heart/body wanted to do. So, are those three books...
Check out my video for my November Wrap Up here. And my December TBR video here.





NOVEMBER WRAP UP 

1. This is Where the World Ends - Amy Zhang
This story gave me an All the Bright Places vibe but I still very much enjoyed it and loved reading it. This is told in alternative points of view and in different times. The story starts with Micah in 'after' and switches to Janie with 'before' with small snippets of Janie's journal. This story tells the heartbreaking story of Micah waking up in hospital with no recollection of the past month (I think??) and his best friend Janie, missing. Despite the story being about high school aged characters, I felt that it was written in a much more mature way which is a must for me to enjoy the book. I enjoyed the format of the book - I also think this made it more addicting to read as I needed to know what happened. But beware, this book may give you all the feels! Full review here.
4/5

 2. A Torch Against the Night - Sabaa Tahir
I received this book in the middle of my exam week so I had to hold off for a couple of days but I dove straight into when I could. Book two in the An Ember in the Ashes series, the story continues with Elias and Laia on the run and I didn't realise how much I missed Elias. In this book we get point of view chapters from Elias, Laia AND Helene which I loved reading from (mainly because my new fave character Avitas Harper was in almost all her chapters). Each chapter kept me wanting more and I highly recommend this series. I loved this more than book one too!
5/5

3. The Unexpected Everything - Morgan Matson
I had been meaning to get around this for a while now and I'm so glad I finally picked it up because this was such an enjoyable read. This starts off as a fun and light contemporary but it transitions into so much more than that. I found myself wanting to live the story and there were plenty of times where my heart wanted to lurch out of its place. This is definitely a read for teenagers, young adults and lovers of YA fiction. A really great read and I absolutely recommend!
5/5

With these ratings, I'm happy with only reading three books. These are the books I'm hoping to read in the month of December:

DECEMBER TBR

1. Falling into Place - Amy Zhang
2. Rebel of the Sands - Alwyn Hamilton
3. Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson (reread)
4. Desolation - Derek Landy
5. Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire - JK Rowling (reread)

See you soon for more bookish posts! Make sure you check out my Instagram and YouTube channel :)



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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!