#abooknerd

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Six Degrees of Separation - October 2021

Six Degrees of Separation – October 2021

This is a monthly meme I came across, hosted by booksaremyfavouriteandthebest. The idea is to use the book chosen as the starting point for the month to create a chain of books linked in some way. Sounds fun, so I thought I’d give it a go. This month’s book is The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. This is the first time I hear of this book, but apparently it’s a well known short story. Based on the…

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(OMG) I was tagged by toetoro

The 11 questions tag thing Rules Rule 1: always post the rules. Rule 2: answer the questions the person who tagged you asked and write 11 new ones Rule 3: Tag 11 people and link them to the post Alright, let's do this~ 1. What's your favorite color? Purple! :D 2. How many ships do you have? @.@ I....have no idea.... I get a number and then I remember more... 3. Favorite fandom? I don't think I could possibly choose one! 4. Favorite song? Oh... My list of favorite songs is endless... but one i'm listening to a lot lately is "†he Epilogue" by ††† ([Three]Crosses) it's hard to figure out what to call tgem, all three are technically right 5. Favorite sport to play? Maybe volleyball or soccer. 6. Favorite sport to watch? I don't really watch sports, but it's fun to watch baseball with friends around here. The fans get really into it, but not so into it that it is scary most of the time and it's really a lot of fun. 7. What color(s) are your bedroom walls? They're a really weird color... and the same color they've been for about 8-9 years....It's like a purple-ish, gray-ish, tan-ish, light color... I dunno... 8. Have a "lucky" piece of clothing? If so, what is it? Uhh.... I don't think I have any. Unless you count the orange hairtie I wear almost all of the time. I wear it to remind me of my boyfriend—his school's colors are orange and black... I've never admitted that to anyone before. Huh. 9. Do you collect anything? If so, what is the collection of? I have a small collection of Japanese soda bottles, and another small collection of Jones' soda bottles. I also have some seashells. My collections are useless xD 10. Favorite candy? Yes. 11. What color sheets do you have? White with pink flowers, but I was going to change them to my deep red ones soon. 2. Who's your favorite singer/songwriter? (I'm pretty sure there's a mistake, but I don't mind. Questions are fun~) I've been a big fan of the Gorillaz since I was little, so I might have to go with Damon Albarn :3 My questions! 1. Do you have a dream vaccation? If you do, tell us a little about it! 2. What is your favorite TV Show (anime can count too)? 3. Absolute favorite type of music? 4. Do you have any siblings? 5. Favorite animal? 6. Favorite movie? 7. Do you play any video games? If so, what are some of your favorite games? 8. Do you like your name? 9. (Still on the topic of names) Have you ever met anyone with the same first name as you? 10. What kind of phone do you have? 11. Do you have a favorite something that comforted/comforts you? (Like I have a stuffed animal dog that I have never slept a night without in the 10 years I've had it... A long time, I know.) Tags: j-e-s-s-i-c-4 Achibi-chi Abooknerd mikkeli-suohhh nalukima fandomsandshiz Hannahxgrengar datenshi1 Freerangecommunist Nepetatier Sinclaritinker Also, if you guys ever have any other questions/opinions for me, don't be afraid to ask! :3 I literally have 10 new notes. It's new year's and we're all blogging. XD

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Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco - Review

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco – Review

Rating: 4.5 stars Published: 2020 Genre: Fantasy, NA Author: Kerri Maniscalco Synopsis: One sister.Two sinful princes.Infinite deception with a side of revenge…Welcome to Hell.After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge…

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Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Rating: 4.5 stars Published: 2020 Genre: Fantasy, YA Author: Kerri Maniscalco Synopsis: Emilia and her twin sister Victoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Victoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out…

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August 2019 Wrap Up

August 2019 Wrap Up

August was a super slumpy month for me. It’s probably the least I have ever read in one month in a while. I have completed only one book in August. I did start several other books, but because of the slump, I didn’t progress very much with them. The last week or so of the month, I started enjoying reading again, and that’s when I read my one and only book for the month. So let’s talk about it.

To…

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I did this in 2016 and 2017 and then I skipped it last year, but I think it’s a nice way of reflecting on the books I’ve read so far this year. And it’s really interesting to see what my answers were like in previous years and how my reading tastes have changed. As of writing this, I have read 35 books this year.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2019

I’ve read so many good books this year. However, some of them were re-reads so I will give this one to Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence. This has become one of my favourite series. I’ve talked about it a lot, it’s amazing and I can’t wait to see what Mark lawrence has for us next in this world.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019

Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel. This is another one of my new favourite series and Waking Gods was my favourite book in the series. Again, I’ve talked about this a lot already. It’s definitely worth checking out if you enjoy sci-fi.

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

Limited Wish by Mark Lawrence. I’ve read the first book in May and the second book has now been released with the third one upcoming later this year. These are very short and i really enjoyed One Word Kill. I think I’m going to wait for the third one to come out and just binge read them though.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff. It’s interesting that my answer for 2017 was Godsgrave. So it’s nice to see that some things haven’t changed.

Biggest disappointment

I’ve been pretty good about picking books I really enjoy this year, but I think the book I was most disappointed with was Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I had a lot of issues with this and I was expecting to really enjoy it. So it really disappointed me. I recently reviewed it so you can check that out for more details.

Biggest surprise

I think for this, it’s a tie between Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst and City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty. I enjoyed both of these way more than I was expecting and I’m glad I read them.

Favourite new author (Debut or new to you)

Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples. I started reading Saga this year and man was that a great decision.

Newest fictional crush

I don’t know, I don’t think I have one.

Newest favorite character

Nona from The Book of the Ancestor by Mark Lawrence. Technically, I was introduced to her last year, but since I didn’t do this tag last year, i think it’s fair and I don’t really have anyone else.

Book that made you cry

I don’t think any books have made me cry so far this year.

Book that made you happy

The Martian by Andy Weir. It genuinely brightened my mood. I loved it so much.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

Some of my faves I got this year.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

All of my owned TBR, really.

Mid Year Book freak Out Tag – 2019 Edition I did this in 2016 and 2017 and then I skipped it last year, but I think it's a nice way of reflecting on the books I've read so far this year.

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I’ve always been a reader, but I’ve only been a part of the online bookish community for the past 5 or so years. Becoming a part of the bookish community has definitely introduced me to a lot of books, authors and genres. But there are a few series that are wildly popular in the bookish community (or at least were at that time) that I read without actually knowing they were super popular.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

This is probably the most popular and the one that is still super popular now. I started this series when there were only 3 of them out. By that point, I was already on the fringes of the book community. I had joined goodreads and that’s how I found out about it. But I didn’t realise it was so popular until after reading it. I was just browsing Goodreads and the synopsis of it intrigued me so I read it and then binged the remaining two books. And then I found out that everyone was talking about it.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Another one that I just found on Goodreads but was unaware of its popularity until later. I had read The Hunger Games, so I was looking to books similar to that on GR and this came up as one, so I read them and then found out they were even making a film.

The Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore

By the time I really got into the bookish community, these were already losing popularity because of all the controversy surrounding the author. But as I was reading them, I was unaware of both their former popularity and their fall from grace.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I actually originally started reading this series years ago. Like way, way back probably around when it first came out. But I wasn’t really fussed about it. I then re-read it (I didn’t even realise I was re-reading it until I started remembering things that were happening). I was unaware of its popularity on both occasions.

Books I didn’t know were popular when I read them I've always been a reader, but I've only been a part of the online bookish community for the past 5 or so years.

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Top 10 sequels I read in 2018

Top 10 sequels I read in 2018

It may come as no surprise to you that I am pretty bad about reading sequels. But actually in 2018, I did quite well on that front. So much so that talking about all of the sequels I read would be too much. Therefore, here is a top 10 list of sequels I read last year.

10. Golden Son by Pierce Brown

I started this series in 2018 and got as far as the second book. I put this series off for years…

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November-December 2018 Wrap Up

November-December 2018 Wrap Up

The end of 2018 was pretty tough for me. I had a lot of work and also a lot of personal things going on. So I didn’t get to read as much as I would have liked. I still managed to finish 8 books in the final two months of the year, which is not too bad.

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

This is the sequel to The Blade Itselfwhich I read earlier in the year and still haven’t reviewed.…

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Over the past few months, I’ve been getting into audiobooks and I’ve gathered a little collection of audiobooks. I’ve never included any of them in my book hauls, so I thought I’d make a separate post to share my collection with you. Some of these, I also own physical copies of.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins | Ships and Strings and Wedding Rings by Jodi Taylor | The Very First Damned Thing by Jodi Taylor | Roman Holiday by Jodi Taylor | Christmas Present by Jodi Taylor

When a Child is Born by Jodi Taylor | Red Sister by Mark Lawrence | Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence | Golden Son by Pierce Brown | The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll | The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin | The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris | Life of Pi by Yann Martel | The Power by Naomi Alderman

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman | The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton | Uprooted by Naomi Novik | A Breach of Security by Susan Hill

Audiobook Collection Over the past few months, I've been getting into audiobooks and I've gathered a little collection of audiobooks.

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Blogger Tag I was tagged by SapientReader. Thank you for tagging me. What is the biggest reason you read?

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Diversity in media - Discussion

Diversity in media – Discussion

This post is brought to you by Children of Blood and Bone, which is my current read. I’ve talked a little bit about this in my review of The Broken Earth series by N. K. Jemisin (which btw, if you’re looking for diverse or just good fantasy and you’ve not read it, what are you waiting for?), but I want to take the time and discuss it properly.

As I said, I’m currently reading CoBaB and the more I…

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Books I'm glad I listened to on audio

Books I’m glad I listened to on audio

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This month, I’ve read 10 books. Which I am well impressed with considering what a year this has been and also that this month is shorter. Admittedly, some of these books are quite short, but still. It’s been a long time since I’ve read this much.

Everless by Sara Holland

Despite all the buzz it’s been receiving I thought this was a pretty meh book. It wasn’t particularly original or well written or interesting. The time magic thing was cool, but other than that… meh. I did really enjoy it though. I was just in the mood for something easy and quick to read. Mindless entertainment. And this book was well written and just interesting enough that it didn’t bore me out of my mind and it provided just that: mindless entertainment. So this was by no means an un-enjoyable experience. It’s not a bad book, it’s just not a great one either. 3/5 stars

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Unlike the previous book, this one 100% deserved the hype in my opinion. It was dark, it was atmospheric and seductive in that opulent and surreal fae way, it was cruel and brutal, it was fast paced, the characters were ruthless and interesting… it was basically anything you could possibly want from a dark fae book. I loved it. Read it in one day, cannot wait for the next one. 5/5 stars

The Obelisk Gate & The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin

For once, I actually finished a series within 2 months of starting it, which… wow, I’m proud of myself. This series was awesome. I have a full series review, if you want to check that out. I cannot recommend this series enough. If you’re an SFF lover and you haven’t yet picked this series up, just do it. You won’t regret it. 5/5 stars for both books. Also, can I just bring your attention to how beautiful those covers are?

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Finally, finally I have read this book. This series has been hyped up and down for as long as I have been part of the online book community and I finally jumped onto the bandwagon. I really liked it. Dystopia is not really my cup of tea anymore these days, but this is a good one. This is worth reading. It was so full of action, it just kept you on your town. You don’t get a break with this book. It’s one thing after another. 4.5/5 stars.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

I was disappointed by this book. I had heard some amazing things about it, but it was pretty boring. Most of it was just… people travelling and having irrelevant conversations and eating. Pretty much 2 thirds of the book is taken up by that. the ending, does make up for it somewhat and sets up for a much more interesting story in future books, but not enough to make this book a good one. I ended up giving it 3/5 stars, although in all honesty, it’s probably more of a 2/5 star book. But I did really enjoy the main character and the ending, so…

This Savage Song & Our Dark Duet by V. E. Schwab

I finished two series in one month? That’s got to be some kind of record for me. As with every Victoria Schwab book that I’ve ever read, I loved these. I just devoured them and I need more in my life even though they hurt me in my soul. This is such a creative and beautiful and heart-wrenching story and I loved it. Victoria Schwab is the best. 5/5 stars for both.

Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel by Eoin Colfer

If you’re new here, I love Artemis Fowl. It’s one of my favourite series and I don’t understand why more people aren’t reading it and talking about it. That needs to happen. Because it’s awesome. And I just found out recently that there’s also a graphic novel version of them that was adapted by Eoin Colfer himself, so it’s time for me to re-read Artemis Fowl. I loved it this time around as well and I really enjoyed seeing the things instead of just reading about them. 5/5 stars.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Another sorely under-appreciated series. This one was another re-read for me and I loved it even more than I did the first time. I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about this, because it’s amazing. It’s funny, it’s clever, it’s full of adventure and mystery and snark and I love it. It deserves more recognition than it’s getting. 5/5 stars

February 2018 Wrap Up This month, I've read 10 books. Which I am well impressed with considering what a year this has been and also that this month is shorter.

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Adult/YA Books Without Romance Recommendations

Adult/YA Books Without Romance Recommendations

Some petitions you should check out:

Justice for Toyin | Justice for Tony McDade | Justice for Sheku Bayoh

Some UK resources. I feel like a lot of people in the UK are saying “Oh, well that doesn’t happen here.” It does.

https://www.blacklivesmatter.uk/

https://www.blackthrive.org.uk/

https://www.stophateuk.org/

A booktube channel I’ve discovered recently and I think is dope:

https://www.youtube.…

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Foundryside by Robet jackson Bennett - Book Review

Foundryside by Robet jackson Bennett – Book Review

Rating: 4.75/5

Genre: Fantasy, adult

Pubilshed: 2018

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett

Synopsis: Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle.

But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artefact of unimaginable power.Now someone wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for…