july round-up

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July was a really slow month. I wasn’t in the mood to read novels but I did read lots of manga. So I’m including those in my round-up too because I would love to talk more about manga too~

1. One Piece by Eiichiro Oda

Rating: 5/5 stars
Ongoing Series

I love One Piece. It’s on my top 3 favorite mangas of all time for a reason. It brings me on the best journeys each time I read it. This took a while but it was so worth it. My review of the ongoing series will be out soon~

2. Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet by Yamamori Mika

Rating: 5/5 stars
Completed Series

I liked this ending much more than the mangaka’s previous work (might reread that too). This is one more my favorite slice-of-life rom-com shoujos :)) It just ended and now the extra chapters are being released! I’m hoping there’s a wedding chapter hehe

I was in the middle of 2 books when July ended so I decided to name them as well! I hope I’ll actually finish them soon :))

1. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E.Schwab

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I’ve been in the middle of this book forever (like a year). I love the start already (like LOVE) — from the plot to the characters to the setting. But it’s been a really slow read for me. This month I managed ton get quite far into the book, further then I’ve ever been and I hope to finish it soon!

2. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

This is a reread but I can’t remember the last time I actually read The Heroes of Olympus series. I finished the Percy Jackson series again last year but never got to its sequel so I’m really happy to have the time and motivation to do so now!

That’s all for July 2019! Let me know what books you read in the last month or any you are currently reading 🙂

waiting on wednesday: the last olympian graphic novel

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In all honesty, I never planned to make this post because I haven’t read the graphic novel series at all. But the cover sold me because I love how Percy (and Luke) turned out. So I’m anticipating this book almost completely because of the cover art — yes, I’m judging this book by it’s cover 😉

The Last Olympian: The Graphic Novel

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Graphic Novels #5

by Rick Riordan and Robert Venditti
art by: Orpheus Collar and Antoine Dode

published on 13 August 2019

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Krono’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.

In this epic finale to the New York Times best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate. Relive the showdown in this all-new graphic novel adaptation.

The Last Olympian is my favorite book of the Percy Jackson series. Knowing that the graphic novel has such an amazing cover that matches the story will of course make me super excited!! Honestly hope that the inside art is as good as the cover art so I’m gonna wait and grab a copy when it’s out!

If you’ve always wanted to try the Percy Jackson series and you love graphic novels, you might want to give this series a try! Leave a comment and let me know if you will pick this book up as well 🙂

ny times ‘by the book’ tag

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Hullo hullo. I’ve decided to try a different blog post today, my very first tag!

This tag is called the NY Times ‘By the Book’ tag, and it was created by booktuber Marie Berg. (I tried to search for her video but it doesn’t seem to exist anymore?) I first found out about this tag through lostinpages, so here’s the link to her post.

Without further ado, let’s do this!

1. What book is on your nightstand now?

I mostly read ebooks but I have been trying to get back into physical novels. So the book on my nightstand now is A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim is amazing. It’s the best Mulan retelling that I have read. The characters and the world-building are culturally accurate and very detailed and vivid. Definitely one of, if not the best, read of 2019 for me.

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?

There are many writers I want to meet but some of them might not want to meet me (and also not all authors are nice eek). Natalia is someone I’ve followed for a few years. She is really amazing with readers, she’s down-to-earth and someone I feel like I could have great conversations with!

I would definitely want to know what Poet’s real name is, it’s killing me. FYI, Poet is the main male character from her novel Trick. It’s the best fantasy new adult romance novel that I’ve read. The writing is whimsical and so different from anything else I’ve ever read. I’m always telling people to read the book (or any book of Natalia’s TBH), it’s so so worth it!

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

Maybe because it’s not super age appropriate for me now but I have the first 70 or so books of the Rainbow Magic series! This was my childhood and I have such fond memories of it!

5. How do you organize your personal library?

I have 4 shelves. I keep one shelf for contemporary novels and the others for fantasies. Books I love are kept in the front and those I am merely okay with are in the back!

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?

Oh wow there are so many books I’ve meant to read but never got to. One of them is The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I tried, like really really tried, but never got into it. I don’t feel embarrassed per say but sometimes left out because book twitter definitely loves the book and it’s main pairing.

7. Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you were supposed to like but didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

I’ve had such a long and difficult history with Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi I read it when it was first released in 2012 (yes, I was an OG) and I didn’t like it. I reread it again this year and I only gave it 2 stars out of 5. Lots of people love it but I was never truly sold on the story. I have to acknowledge though that the 3rd book Ignite Me is amazing. So it’s specifically this book of the series that I feel that I’m supposed to like but don’t.

The last book that I put down without finishing is A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro. I’ve never been into the mystery genre much so I kinda expected it but I also didn’t like the main characters much. I felt very distant from them and I wasn’t hooked as quickly as I wanted to. I tried reading this in May 2019 and stopped really quickly.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?

I love contemporary romance novels and fantasy stories. With paranormal fantasy, I am drawn mainly to faeries, vampires, witches/warlocks while staying clear of werewolves and zombies (really strongly dislike zombies IDK why).

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

I don’t think the books I read are ones that I would recommend the president. FYI, I’m not American so my president isn’t you-know-who.

10. What do you plan to read next?

I’m currently in the middle of Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover. As per my last review on Ugly Love, I am in a mood for NA contemporary romance novels so I expect that I’ll be binging Colleen’s books for a while. I do intend to read the books on my May/June TBR as well, including A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Scwab, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and Illuminate by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff but we’ll see!

abc book challenge: a

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Hello! Today I wanted to do something different, I first saw this on lostinpages and decided to try it as well 🙂

With this challenge, I will essentially share memorable books and books I want to read which start with the letter I have chosen. This week, it’s the alphabet ‘A’.

Memorable Titles that Begin with ‘A’

TBR Books that Start with ‘A’

This was harder that I expected but quite fun as well! It was fun looking at covers and finding the ones that I wanted to post here. I hope to get to another letter soon so see you then!

waiting on wednesday: the tyrant’s tomb

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This week I am anticipating:

The Tyrant’s Tomb

The Trials of Apollo #4

by Rick Riordan
published on 24 September 2019

In his penultimate adventure, a devastated but determined Apollo travels to Camp Jupiter, where he must learn what it is to be a hero, or die trying.

It’s not easy being Apollo, especially when you’ve been turned into a human and banished from Olympus. On his path to restoring five ancient oracles and reclaiming his godly powers, Apollo (aka Lester Papadopoulos) has faced both triumphs and tragedies. Now his journey takes him to Camp Jupiter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the Roman demigods are preparing for a desperate last stand against the evil Triumvirate of Roman emperors. Hazel, Reyna, Frank, Tyson, Ella, and many other old friends will need Apollo’s aid to survive the onslaught. Unfortunately, the answer to their salvation lies in the forgotten tomb of a Roman ruler . . . someone even worse than the emperors Apollo has already faced.

I’m excited for Tyrant’s Tomb even though I never actually read the Trials of Apollo. It’s on my TBR list but it’s still pretty far down (I want to reread Heroes of Olympus before I start this series which is why I’m slightly reluctant). But of course, because this is still a Percy Jackson book, I will continue to anticipate it and the next book. In particular, this novel intrigues me and might even motivate me to start the series because I know many old characters will appear. I mean, just look at the US cover and see Reyna in all her glory, if that doesn’t inspire you (or well, me) to read the book IDK what will 😛

book review: more than forever

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More Than Forever

More Than #4

by Jay McLean
published on 11 July 2014
New adult, Contemporary, Childhood friends to lovers, Soulmate love

-LUCY-
There is a love so fierce it cannot be measured.
A heart so strong it will never slow.
There is a promise so sure it can never lie.
He promised me that love forever.
Even when it wasn’t enough.

-CAMERON-
Forever. Everlasting. Eternal.
There is no measure of time.
No sounds of the ticking of a clock.
Just the rising and falling of the sun.
And our own sense of forever.

But our forever isn’t always.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2

Surprise surprise – I’m reading another New Adult romance novel. This time I decided to try the More Than series by Jay McLean. I was told by friends to start with book 2 and I did but I fell in love with side characters Lucy and Cameron. So I decided to read book 4 first huehue. Holy hell, More Than Forever did not disappoint. In fact, I loved the book so much that I added it to my All-Time-Favorites shelf on Goodreads and CameronLucy are now one of my OTPs. Here’s why.

CameronLucy are THAT couple who makes you believe in soulmate love. They met when Lucy was at the worst point in her life with Cameron selflessly taking care of her and her entire family without even knowing exactly who she was or what he was getting himself into. Cameron learned about Lucy’s fears and struggles and he didn’t just want to fix her, he made Lucy want to fix herself. He became her “reason for everything” and she became his too. I loved learning about their relationship since the start, when they were 15, until they were in college and beyond. They are truly such a soft couple who just melted my heart and made me want a childhood friend to lover too LOL 😂 (If you read the Addicted series by Krista & Becca Ritchie, they kinda have Lilo vibes.)

The plot wasn’t entirely unique BUT Mclean managed not to make it cliché. I loved loved loved that Mclean explored the aftermath of the Hope tragedy and gave CameronLucy time to heal individually and THEN together. I’m glad that it wasn’t just a quick closure for the book with immediate happiness for the couple following their struggles. CameronLucy learned to voice their unhappiness and worked through the issues one step at a time. The resolution was a hard journey to reach but it was well worth it in the end.

The only reason I rated More Than Forever 4.5 stars and not 5 full stars is that I wasn’t very satisfied with the writing style. Perhaps because it was a self-published novel, the editing isn’t as clean as traditionally published books. This is not a criticism of the writer, I just want to inform readers who are not acclimated to non-traditionally published books. I do applaud McLean for not being repetitive in her writing throughout such a long novel. Books that have many sentimental moments often become monotonous when authors excessively use certain metaphors and phrases. McLean did well here by exploring different perspectives and different sides of the key problems.

More Than Forever is truly a good book. It made me laugh, then rage, then cry and all over again. My emotions were just all over the place. To me, this means that this is a book worth reading. I was never bored and I always wanted to find out what happened next. I was also rooting for the main couple throughout. If you want to read an exemplary childhood friends-to-lovers book, More Than Forever is definitely the one for you! I hope you will love CameronLucy as much as I do 🙂

tbr: july/august 2019

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I didn’t get through any of the books in my May/June TBR, although I’m still holding on to hope that I might! I’ve included the 1 books that I really want to read to this list again!! I shortened my TBR to 3 series this time because I don’t want to pressure myself too much but I also want to try.

1. A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Still desperately hoping I’ll get through ADSOM because I love the world after reading the first 100 pages but why can’t I get through it IDK

2. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

I wanted to read this as soon as I realised it was about assassins! I’ve also heard great things about the writer and the rating on Goodreads (above 4.3) tells me that this almost definitely will be a good book. I have such high hopes~

3. The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

I read a review that this had an early Harry Potter vibe. I’m usually doubtful of such claims but I’m also very interested in the blurb so I’m going to try it out.

Again, I might not get to any of these books. I told myself that ultimately I read to feel happy. If ticking off my TBR list is burdensome at any point then I would just leave it. But it’s still always fun to make these lists and hope!!

waiting on wednesday: capturing the devil

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If you follow my blog, you’ll realize that I did not post a waiting on wednesday last week. I decided that it would be a biweekly (every 2 weeks) post instead since there are only so many books I can anticipate! I will of course post substitute these posts with others such as tags and challenges and the like!

My most anticipated book of the week is:

Capturing the Devil

Stalking Jack the Ripper #4

by Kerri Maniscalco
published on 10 September 2019

In the shocking finale to the bestselling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved, elusive killer known as the White City Devil. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has them fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer—or see their fateful romance cut short by unspeakable tragedy.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World’s Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.

Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thomas begin their investigations, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they’ve heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him—and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device—is another.

Will Audrey Rose and Thomas see their last mystery to the end—together and in love—or will their fortunes finally run out when their most depraved adversary makes one final, devastating kill?

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! So I have to put out a disclaimer because I’ve only read the first book in full and browsed the 2nd and 3rd books. BUT I am still extremely excited for Book 4 because I am super invested in the main pairing aka Cressworth (the ship name for Audrey Rose and Thomas). They are such a good couple and they’ve been through so much so I can’t wait to read about their Happily Ever After (I hope they get it at least!)

When this book is out, I expect that I will try to read the series again and hopefully get to book 2 and 3. Even if I don’t, I would still read book 4 for closure. As someone who doesn’t like mystery novels much, I am hoping so desperately that I enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the first one! Super excited for September already!

june round-up

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Surprise surprise! I’ve read more books in June compared to May! It’s been a while since I’ve read so much so that’s exciting 🙂

1. A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

Rating: 3/5 stars

2. Breath of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

Rating: 3/5 stars

3. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Rating: 4/5 stars

4. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Rating: 2.5-3/5 stars

5. Maybe Not by Colleen Hoover

Rating: 4/5 stars

6. Maybe Now by Colleen Hoover

Rating: 3/5 stars
Check out my review for the Maybe series here!

7. More Than Forever by Jay McLean

Rating: 4.5/5 stars
My review for More Than Forever will be out soon!

I was really into New Adult books this month! From fantasy to contemporary romances, I was just delving into any NA books that I could get my hands on!

If you saw my May/June TBR post, you might realise that I haven’t actually read any of the books on my TBR. I tried so hard to get through A Study of Charlotte but I DNF it in the end. And I’m still trudging through A Darker Shade of Magic! I won’t give up on ADSOM for sure so maybe you’ll still see it in my next TBR for July/August – See you then!

book review: maybe series

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As mentioned, I’ve been in a mood to read contemporary romance novels recently, particularly those of the NA genre. Colleen Hoover’s books are thus really easy for me to delve into.

Maybe Series

by Colleen Hoover
New adult, Contemporary, Romance

☆ ☆ ☆

This is not a spoiler-free review.

3 out of 5 stars. That’s how I would rate the Maybe series as a whole. I liked the books – after all I did finish the series, but I didn’t love it. (Perhaps I had higher expectations after reading Ugly Love – check out my review for that here.)

This series comprises of 2 novels and 1 novella. Maybe Someday follows Sydney and Ridge, Maybe Not focuses on characters Warren and Bridgette and Maybe Now is a mix of everyone and new pairing Maggie and Jake.

Book #1 Maybe Someday had lots of potential. It started simple and well-reasoned throughout the building of the emotional affair between Sydney and Ridge. I truly enjoyed the first part of the story because I felt that the pace and the romance was believable. I didn’t like the cheating trope but every moment and obstacle was explored slowly and realistically. I was more disappointed with the end of the book. I believe that Ridge and Maggie should definitely break up, but not for the reasons that they did – these reasons were not explored sufficiently throughout the book. The break-up was hence expected but considerably abrupt to me. I give Maybe Someday a 3 stars rating.

Maybe Not is a novella, considered book #1.5 of the series. It was my favorite book of the series though. I found Warren and Bridgette to be funny, interesting, sexy, and very compatible with each other. Because Maybe Not is sold as a novella, I didn’t rate it based on its plot since I know there isn’t space for a complex backstory. Even then, Colleen Hoover still gave the characters and the relationship sufficient depth to be compelling. For her efforts, this novella deserves its 3.5 stars.

Finally, we have Maybe Now – the last book of the series (3rd book but 2nd novel). I didn’t like Maggie much in the first book because I was inclined to support the main couple. But this book changed my opinion of Maggie. Maggie was the saving grace of Maybe Now. She was smart, beautiful, strong-willed and so much more, and even then she had amazing moments when she was forced to be vulnerable and insecure in relationships, her illness, her life. I was happy to read about her facing her fears and also very glad that she found Jake – who is a much better fit for her than Ridge. While I did enjoy Sydney and Ridge’s POV in Maybe Someday, I would have rather that this book be entirely focused on Maggie. I found Sydney and Ridge’s viewpoints to be repetitive because it was mostly about them reaffirming their love for each other and facing issues that they had already conquered. But for Maggie and the Sydney and Ridge moments that were necessary to the book, I give this novel 2.5 stars (maybe 3 on a good day).

Ultimately, I liked this series enough to finish it and award it 3 stars. At the very least, the characters and couples definitely had huge potential and there were numerous redeeming moments. If you’re ever in the mood for a series that you can read without being super emotionally invested, while still wanting your characters to suffer just a tad – the Maybe series is one that you should definitely consider.