waiting on wednesday: house of earth and blood

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I’m really excited to share this book with you. I wanted to post this as my second waiting on wednesday post but the cover wasn’t released yet. I’m literally writing this review hours after it was revealed.

My most anticipated book of the week is:

House of Earth and Blood

Crescent City #1

by Sarah J. Maas
published on 28 January 2020

Half-Fae, half-human Bryce Quinlan loves her life. By day, she works for an antiquities dealer, selling barely legal magical artifacts, and by night, she parties with her friends, savouring every pleasure Lunathion—otherwise known as Crescent City— has to offer. But it all comes crumbling down when a ruthless murder shakes the very foundations of the city—and Bryce’s world.

Two years later, her job has become a dead end, and she now seeks only blissful oblivion in the city’s most notorious nightclubs. But when the murderer attacks again, Bryce finds herself dragged into the investigation and paired with an infamous Fallen angel whose own brutal past haunts his every step.

Hunt Athalar, personal assassin for the Archangels, wants nothing to do with Bryce Quinlan, despite being ordered to protect her. She stands for everything he once rebelled against and seems more interested in partying than solving the murder, no matter how close to home it might hit. But Hunt soon realizes there’s far more to Bryce than meets the eye—and that he’s going to have to find a way to work with her if they want to solve this case.

As Bryce and Hunt race to untangle the mystery, they have no way of knowing the threads they tug ripple through the underbelly of the city, across warring continents, and down to the darkest levels of Hel, where things that have been sleeping for millennia are beginning to stir…

I started reading Sarah’s books when she first published them in 2012 but I only truly delved into her writing in 2018 (after an extended reading slump). Having loved ACOTAR, I’m extremely excited for Crescent City. I really hope that it lives up to the hype that comes from being an SJM book!

book review: ugly love

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Ugly Love

by Colleen Hoover
published on 5 August 2014
New adult, Contemporary, Heartbreaking

#1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with a new heart-wrenching love story.

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn’t think it’s love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past. 
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated. 
Promises get broken. 
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

This year seems to be the year of new adult novels for me. In particular, I’ve been craving good contemporary romance books with characters who are 20 years old and above. I suspect that it’s because I am able to resonate with these characters better, since I’m turning 20 in a few months.

Colleen Hoover is an author who is famous for cry-worthy contemporary novels. I remember reading Ugly Love back in 2017 so this book isn’t actually new to me. However, I don’t remember much about it so rereading it was still quite an experience. It gained a well-deserved 4 star rating.

First, I liked that reading Ugly Love made me cry. Couples in YA contemporary romance novels usually have very superficial (for the lack of a better word) problems. I’m glad that with NA books, the issues start becoming more complex. I like feeling that the situation is hopeless for the characters because it forces the author to seriously examine the feelings that each person goes through. Colleen Hoover definitely excels in writing about emotions because she knows how to leave both the book characters and reader feeling heavy-hearted and devastated by events happening in the book.

Another thing I enjoyed about Ugly Love is it’s duo perspective. This is one of the few books in which I understand and support the author switching between character POVs because it is so significant for character and plot development. It ensures that the heart-breaking issues are developed oh-so-slowly but when the book reaches its climax and these problems must be faced, they hurt your soul in such a good way. (LOL – You definitely need to read the book to comprehend what I’m trying to say.)

Finally, Tate and Miles are extremely convincing characters in what I consider an ‘impossible romance’. I liked that their love wasn’t exactly insta-love (insta-attraction maybe but not love). I was delighted that they had to learn about each others ugly backstories and their mistakes and flaws before gaining their happily ever after. I definitely enjoyed the push and pull within the pairing, due to the challenges that they faced. As someone who wanted more than a superficial contemporary romance, this couple ticked off all the right boxes for me.

If you are ever in need of a tear-jerker romance novel, this might be the one for you. It’s a book that will suck you in quickly and keep you around wanting so much more. Bring along a box of tissues when you delve in, you will need it!

waiting on wednesday: spin the dawn

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How do I talk about a book that is this good? I actually had the fortune to read the ARC and I loved it so much that I’m still anticipating the day that I can hold a hardcopy of it!

So this week’s most anticipated read is:

Spin the Dawn

The Blood of Stars #1

by Elizabeth Lim
published on 9 July 2019

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.

First of all, have you stared at that cover? I have – for a long long long time. It’s gorgeous and officially my favourite cover of the year. Nothing comes close.

Next, the premise of Project Runway meets Mulan, hi hello if that doesn’t interest you already what will? Fashion and female guts yes add that to be tbr pile immediately.

Lastly, Elizabeth Lim is a Chinese author and I definitely believe that diverse books matter. Read this novel to help her and the Asian book community, but also delve into a world rich with our culture and history. I promise you won’t regret it!

My full review of Spin the Dawn will be out when the book is officially published. Writing this blog post has convinced me that I should reread the novel all over again. I’ll let you know how it goes 🌸

waiting on wednesday: natalie tan’s book of luck and fortune

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I started my ‘Waiting on’ Wednesday series just a week ago. This week I decided to pick a more contemporary novel to introduce to you.

My most anticipated book of the week is:

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune

by Roselle Lim
published on 11 June 2019

Lush and visual, chock-full of delicious recipes, Roselle Lim’s magical debut novel is about food, heritage, and finding family in the most unexpected places.

At the news of her mother’s death, Natalie Tan returns home. The two women hadn’t spoken since Natalie left in anger seven years ago, when her mother refused to support her chosen career as a chef. Natalie is shocked to discover the vibrant neighborhood of San Francisco’s Chinatown that she remembers from her childhood is fading, with businesses failing and families moving out. She’s even more surprised to learn she has inherited her grandmother’s restaurant.

The neighborhood seer reads the restaurant’s fortune in the leaves: Natalie must cook three recipes from her grandmother’s cookbook to aid her struggling neighbors before the restaurant will succeed. Unfortunately, Natalie has no desire to help them try to turn things around–she resents the local shopkeepers for leaving her alone to take care of her agoraphobic mother when she was growing up. But with the support of a surprising new friend and a budding romance, Natalie starts to realize that maybe her neighbors really have been there for her all along.

I am particularly excited about this book because it is a diverse book that I can identify with. As someone who is Chinese, I can’t help but feel elated that a book written by a Chinese author, which explores my culture is being published. I hope everyone who reads the book learns more about Chinese food and people and its rich heritage. I will definitely pick it up as soon as it is published – just a few more days!

book review: red, white & royal blue

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Oh boy oh boy oh boy, how do I start on this book. I literally finished reading it 5 minutes ago and I’m still trying to grasp all these feelings. Okay first what’s the book:

Red, White & Royal Blue

by Casey McQuiston
published on 14 May 2019
New adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+ romance

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

There’s some pressure from posting my first book review and giving it 5 stars. I honestly didn’t expect to love Red, White & Royal Blue as much as I do. But this book though, phew, this book is hands down the cutest, sweetest, most amazing contemporary romance I’ve read in 2019.

Red, White & Royal Blue is at its heart the truest romance because it gives the reader two individuals who have vastly different lives, who face crippling circumstances, and who fight hard and finally FINALLY have their happily ever after. But more than that, this book is a great contemporary because it is realistic. The reader is forced to seriously consider the challenges that characters face, and think that maybe they won’t be together in the end. And only then, at that final moment, does the writer swerve in to fix everything, not using the most cliché rom-com tactics, but with smart, realistic, appropriate methods.

Another part that Casey McQuiston, the author, did well in was to enhance the story with political elements. She could have just done basic research and offered readers the bare minimum of politics since the book is inherently ‘just a romance’. But McQuiston chooses to emphasize international relations and royal obligations and diplomacy to make the story so much more convincing. This was definitely a plus to me.

Finally, I’m proud that the book has so many flawed characters. Romance novels, in particular, can be very simplistic if the couple is ‘perfect’ already. Humans need weaknesses – to develop as a person and grow closer to another in a relationship. Both Alex and Henry are perfectly imperfect and I’m so glad that they have each other.

If you are ever in need of a pick-me-up, this is the book for you. If you just want some fun-loving reading hours, this is the book for you. It’s out there waiting for you, pick it up. You will NOT regret it!

waiting on wednesday: wayward son

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I have many books that I’m eagerly anticipating so I decided to start my own ‘waiting on’ Wednesday series. This was one of my favorite posts to create when I posted on my old book blog and I thought I would try it again.

This week’s most anticipated book is:

Wayward Son

Simon Snow #2

by Rainbow Rowell
published on 3 October 2019

The story is supposed to be over.

Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after…

So why can’t Simon Snow get off the couch?

What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light…

That’s how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.

They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place…

With Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell has written a book for everyone who ever wondered what happened to the Chosen One after he saved the day. And a book for everyone who was ever more curious about the second kiss than the first. It’s another helping of sour cherry scones with an absolutely decadent amount of butter.

Come on, Simon Snow. Your hero’s journey might be over – but your life has just begun.

Wayward Son has the honor of being the first book that I am ‘waiting on’. I really enjoyed Carry On (Simon Snow #1) because it was about magic and mages and it was so similar to Harry Potter in the setting and such but the themes and the characters are completely different. I’ve been looking for a series like this because I feel that authors fear writing books with similar aspects to Harry Potter but I as a reader would like to read more about wizards and magic schools and the like. Carry On has done well in using all the same elements as Harry Potter but has created an entirely new world and set of characters that I love. I anticipate that Wayward Son will be as good thematically. Moreover, I am also excited to know what happened to the characters. I am someone who loves ‘what happened to the hero’ kind of stories and Wayward Son seems to promise me that. Can’t wait for October 2019!

*I included both the US and UK covers because I love them equally. Baz in a flower suit yesss

may round-up

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This month I read 5 books. Considering that I’m still in some kind of a reading slump it’s something I’m proud of!

1. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

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Rating: 4/5 stars

2. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Rating: 4/5 stars

3. The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel Vol 1 by Cassandra Clare (art by Cassandra Jean)

Rating: 4/5 stars

4. The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel Vol 2 by Cassandra Clare (art by Cassandra Jean)

Rating: 4/5 stars

5. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Rating: 5/5 stars
Check out my review for this amazing book on Friday 31st May 2019!

From my ratings, you can tell I loved these month’s books quite a lot. If I didn’t enjoy them I would have dropped them really quickly due to my reading slump. If I could only choose one book to reread I would always choose Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston so do pick that up if you can 🙂

book-writing: the very beginning

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I decided that I wanted to write a book before I turned 20. So that’s what I’m aiming to do. Since early May 2019, I’ve been thinking about this fantasy hero world and I finally took the plunge to start it yesterday – 26/5/2019.

I’m filled with many emotions.

I’m unsure how the writing will turn out. I’m scared that I will give up halfway and I won’t achieve my dreams. But I’m also excited at the prospect of writing. Altogether, I know that it will take hard work and I have hope that I’ll put that in but I fear this the most, that I won’t.

This is the start of a book writing series of blog posts, as a way for me to journal my adventures even as I write the stories of others.

I’m filled with ambition and anticipation. Here’s to living up to my expectations!

UK, December 2018 – January 2019

the best of sports manga

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I’ve read manga for a really long time and consider myself some kind of an expert by now. In particular, sports manga is something that I have lived and breathed over the past few years. This is a list of my favorites (and then some).

In general, I consider sports manga well-written if it explores themes of friendship and sportsmanship in complex ways, where characters and plots are given growth arcs to fully develop. I also expect that the main characters face setbacks and even lose matches because it is unlikely for characters to always succeed. After all, sports manga is meant to be realistic to a certain degree.

1. Haikyuu!! by Haruichi Furudate

Haikyuu!! is the epitome of a sports manga. It encompasses everything I expect to see in a sports manga . In particular, Furudate excels in creating detailed backstories for each character that you feel connected even to the smallest insignificant teams. In fact, my favorite team isn’t even the one that the main character belongs to (ahem it’s Seijou and I’m still devastated that they…). Read Haikyuu!! if you want the full sports manga experience. I always feel like playing volleyball after reading it!

2. Chihayafuru by Yuki Suestsugu

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Chihayafuru isn’t your typical sports manga since the characters don’t actually play a conventional ‘sport’, instead they compete over a traditional Japanese card game. However, I still consider this series a sports manga (and a great one at that) because it explores the themes of friendship and sportsmanship as other mangas do, and the mangaka does this well. It is also the only manga in this list with a female lead (and the art is amazing), so you should definitely check it out!

3. Kuroko no Basuke by Tadatoshi Fujimaki

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Before Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basuke was the sports manga that everyone was into (including me). It’s about basketball and all the characters were guys and they were tall and good-looking so you understand why. I do think that the mangaka might have run out of steam by the end because the manga became over-complicated and unrealistic (as in it seemed as if there were superpowers and stuff). I probably like Kuroko no Basuke less as well because character development was almost entirely on the main characters, which yes does make basic sense, but I would have liked to understand what drove other characters to play basketball as well amirite?

4. Prince of Tennis by Takeshi Konomi

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Prince of Tennis is probably the oldest in this list since it came out in the late 1990s or 2000s? This doesn’t make it a bad manga though. In fact, I really enjoyed it when I initially read it (when I was a sports manga newbie) and it got me into sports manga in the first place. I put this lower down on the list mainly because I don’t think many readers would share my sentiments. First, the art is a style that was popular in the early 2000s so it might be off-putting for new readers of sports manga today. Secondly, the development of characters is unfamiliar because in Prince of Tennis, the characters are already good at the sport. Instead of becoming good at the sport like in most other mangas, the characters are interested in getting better. Also, this manga took a twist at the end and there were also like superpowers and stuff which can be a little confusing.

Special Mention: Daiya no Ace by Yuji Terajima

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I have to admit that I haven’t read Daiya no Ace in a long time. This is a manga about baseball and I have many friends who enjoy it. I admit that the mangaka has developed the story well based on my criteria above. However, I do remember becoming bored near the end because it felt like the story was never ending. I also felt that the mangaka wasn’t great at explaining the sport either so I was confused for a period of time and that messed with my reading experience. You might want to read this later after you have gained an introduction to this genre through other sports mangas.

If you do intend to start reading sports mangas, I definitely recommend you delve into Haikyuu!! first. It is such a great experience which you will never forget. I hope you enjoy sports manga as much as I do!

* The 5 mangas listed in this post have been made into animes as well. However, I have not watched the shows yet and hence am unable to comment on the animes. This is my solely my opinion of the mangas themselves.

tbr: may/june 2019

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I thought it would be most appropriate to begin this blog with hope. Hence, my first post will have to be a list of the books that I definitely want to read by June 2019.

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

I’ve been trying to read ADSOM since 2018 but I never got past the first 100 pages. I know it’s a good book and I’m in love with everything already (from the writing to the characters and the world building) but I can never read it fast enough so here’s hoping that I’ll finish it by June 2019.

2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I recently finished Carry On by the same author and since the books have a little bit of connection I decided to give Fangirl a reread. I’m quite excited because I’ve been in the mood for some sweet contemporaries.

3. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I’ve attempted to read Illuminae for a really long time but the epub file always crashes my phone and alas there was finally a copy available at the library which I quickly snatched up. I should at least finish Illuminae given that it is due pretty soon.

4. A Study of Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about this book but I saw it at the library and it seemed interesting enough so I do have hope. At the very least, I’m sure it will be an adorable read (plus a touch of mystery).

My TBR will probably change rapidly and I may update this list as I see fit. Or I might just post a round-up at the end of May and June and see which adventures I’ve delved into during each month.