#jon skovron

[galamurphy]

"If you don't have faith in your own abilities, it's never going to be anything more then potential."

"Misfit" by Jon Skovron

[booksandboba]

TBR 2024

My goal for my GoodReads 2024 Reading Challenge is a lofty 200 books because I'm hoping to tackle my massive To Be Read pile this year. With the vision and concentration issues caused by my chronic condition, it's much harder to focus on reading a solid book, and so frequently default to light novels, webcomics, and manga nowadays. But... I'm still forever buying books that look great even if they just sit on my shelves in vain. I know that May is already almost over, but I'm hoping that by doing the note-taking method of summarizing each chapter as I go, it will help with the memory and focus issues and I can crack open some of these bad boys!

*Just a note to specify because I'm not sure it's the same for others, but my TBR is my list of books I already own but haven't read; books that I want to read and don't have yet, including new releases go on my Wishlist. :)

Strike the Zither (Joan He)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Shirley Jackson, Jonathan Lethem)

Soul Mountain (Gao Xingjian, Mabel Lee)

The Art of Prophecy (Wesley Chu)

The Ranger of Marzanna (Jon Skovron)

Blood Heir (Amélie Wen Zhao)

Six of Crows (Leigh Bardugo)

A Magic Steeped in Poison (Judy I. Lin)

A Venom Dark and Sweet (Judy I. Lin)

The Burning God (R.F. Kung)

The Wicked King (Holly Black)

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter (Brandon Sanderson, Aliya Chen)

Descendant of the Crane (Joan He)

Vampire Weekend (Mike Chen)

Winter (Marissa Meyer)

Cress (Marissa Meyer)

A Bright Heart (Kate Chenli)

The Grace of Kings (Ken Liu)

The Spear Cuts Through Water (Simon Jimenez)

Pachinko (Min Jin Lee)

The Priory of the Orange Tree (Samantha Shannon)

Peony in Love (Lisa See)

Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel)

A River Enchanted (Rebecca Ross)

Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Mizuki Tsujimura)

It Didn't Start With You (Mark Wolynn)

The Night Ends With Fire (K.X. Song)

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods (Molly X. Chang)

[koribon]

“If you believe you will succeed, there is always a chance you might. But if you believe that you will fail, then you will always fail. Never allow yourself to lose before you begin.”

― Jon Skovron, Hope and Red

[buscando-que-leer]

La brisa veraniega trae consigo encuentros inolvidables

5 frases

"Algunos tenemos corazón, Otros cargamos con él a cuestas"

"Cuesta entender por qué saltamos a los brazos de ciertas personas y nos alejamos de otras en distintos momentos de la vida, por qué perseguimos con tanto ardor es que estamos buscando y luego escapamos a toda prisa cuando lo encontramos"

"Pero lo bueno de las marcas es que, por más que nos machaquen, también nos hacen más fuertes. Reúne una buena cantidad de cicatrices y conseguirás una capa de piel extra, y gratis"

"Pues nadie proclama con tanta insistencia las virtudes del amor como aquellos que ya se han precipitado a sus redes"

"La respuesta es: tan real como quieran y tan falsa como esperen"

Nombre: Días de sol y noches de verano

Editorial: Alfaguara

Autor: Leigh Bardugo, Francesca Lia Block, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Brandy Colbert, Tim Federle, Lev Grossman, Nina LACour, Stephanie Perkins, Veronica Roth, Jon Skovron, Jennifer E. Smith

Año: 2016

Titulo original:  Summer days and summer nights

PDF

En papel: Gandhi, Casa del libro, Amazon, Book depository

[umlugarparaliberdade]

[booksoanahasread]

Zile și nopți de vară coordonată de Stephanie Perkins

This book took me way too long to read. It isn’t a bad book, but I’m so used to series and long novels that short stories seem simplistic. I love the way the way the book looked, its cover is fantastic and illustrations at the beginning of each story are so fitting.

I’m not sure how to write a proper review about this book. It doesn’t have any fixed characters, none of the stories overlapped. Every setting was different, each plot was unlike another. It was odd to read so many different love stories in so few pages. 

I loved how diverse the stories were, there were multiple LGBTQ elements which I think were well-written. I loved how many of these stories left a short shadow on my heart, forcing me to wonder how I would have reacted in the same situations. 

Although love stories have now become tedious and annoying to me, it’s probably due to over saturation. While the stories are fascinating and full of variety, I must admit that I couldn’t wait to finish this novel.

I liked the stories where everything doesn’t end well, where heartbreak happens and it is ok. I loved the stories with slight elements of fantasy or science fiction played a part. I loved Stephanie Perkins' story, it was memorable with some revelatory sequences. 

To conclude, this is actually a great collection of summer stories and I’m glad I read it. I would recommend this to all my friends who are slightly interested in romance novels because they will surely find at least one story that they’ll fall in love with.

[clumsybookworm18]

I really like your blog and I was wondering what your favourite books are or if you had any book recommendations? ♥️

Awww you’re too nice! Thank you ☺️💕

You made my night! Asking for book recs while letting me gush over my favorite books at the same time? Hell yes!!!

Ok ok so my absolute favorites are:

A Court of Thrones and Roses by Sarah J Mass

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin--one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin--and his world--forever.

Anyone who’s been following me for a while knows how much I love this series, especially the second book, A Court of Mist and Fury. The first book is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast (one of my favorite tropes) and surprisingly I found it so boring that I almost didn’t finish it BUT after getting to the second half I was completely hooked. Getting through ACOTAR was so worth it because I got to read ACOMAF, which had more of a Hades and Persephone vibe (++A). ACOMAF is my ultimate comfort book, I love it so much that I own it physically, on my kindle and on audiobook. It may be cliche and the writing can be ridiculously funny sometimes but I still love it!

The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski

They were never meant to be together. As a general's daughter, seventeen-year-old Kestrel enjoys an extravagant and privileged life. Arin has nothing but the clothes on his back. Then Kestrel makes an impulsive decision that binds Arin to her. Though they try to fight it, they can't help but fall in love. In order to be together, they must betray their people . . . but to be loyal to their country, they must betray each other. Set in a new world, The Winner's Curse is a story of rebellion, duels, ballroom dances, wicked rumors, dirty secrets, and games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

These books hold a special place in my heart. They got me out of a HUGE reading slump and reminded me why I fell in love with books in the first place! This trilogy has everything- beautiful writing, fantastic world building, clever plot twists, forbidden romance, and most importantly, ANGST. The main female character, Kestrel, is one of my favorite heroines ever; she is a badass and doesn’t need a sword or fists to fight given that her greatest weapon is her mind (unlike most YA heroines nowadays).

Hope and Red (Empire of Storms series) by Jon Skovron

Hope's old life ended the night her entire village was massacred by the emperor's forces. Now, trained in secret by a master warrior, her new life is centered on only one goal: vengeance.

Red lives by the skin of his teeth and sharpness of his wit. An expert thief and a brilliant con artist, he cares for only one thing: a good time. But when the empire's soldiers start to encroach on his territory, taking down his friends with it, he may have to re-prioritize.

Together, they will take down an empire.

A fantasy trilogy that is so UNDERRATED. It’s has amazing characters, diversity, action, wit, PIRATES! It has a unique storyline, the characters and dialogue are so funny, and the female characters are amazingly badass. I stumbled upon this book so randomly while I was at Cotsco and it looked interesting so I bought it (mostly because I thought the cover was cool 😂) but never gave it much thought. One day boredom got the best of me so I started reading it. Next thing I knew it was 3am and I was freaking the fuck out cause I had read this amazing book in one sitting that ended with a cliffhanger and I needed more pronto! Much to my delight, I discovered there were 2 more books and ordered them immediately.

Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith.A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

A team formed of 6 very different but compelling characters that go on a heist. *chef’s kiss* Also Squad Goals. Needless to say I REALLY enjoyed these books.

Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine

Pixie and Levi haven't spoken in nearly a year when they find themselves working―and living―at the same inn in the middle of nowhere. Once upon a time, they were childhood friends. But that was before everything went to hell. And now things are... awkward. All they want to do is avoid each other, and their past, for as long as possible. But now that they're forced to share a bathroom, and therefore a shower, keeping their distance from one another becomes less difficult than keeping their hands off each other. Welcome to the hallway of awkward tension and sexual frustration, folks. Get comfy. It’s going to be a long summer.

I don’t like NA a lot so I went into this thinking it was gonna be another NA cliché read so believe me when I say I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. I fell in love with Pixie and Levi’s relationship. I loved their banter, their complicated history, the angst, the love-hate and UST. The author’s writing style is so good and quirky, and the inner monologues are hilarious. She does a great job managing humor and drama! The side characters are great too. She wrote 2 more books with some of the side characters (which sadly I haven’t got the chance to read yet) but this could also be read as a stand-alone. I listened to the whole audiobook on YouTube (100% recommend!).

Honorary Mentions:

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

The Witchlands Series by Susan Dennard

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

[euinsisto]

Quero navegar pelos mares! Ver o mundo!

Império das Tormentas #1 | Jon Skovron

[katsreadingcorner]

Misfit by Jon Skovron

Misfit, by Jon Skovron, was a really good book. Granted, it took me a while to get into it. I found Jael slightly annoying, but I also understood some of the choices she made. I know I would have been just as headstrong and sure of myself when I was 16, especially if I was denied everything as long as she was.

The characters were interesting, but some felt flat. Rob and Brit, Jael's best friends, didn't feel as developed as her dad, uncle, herself, and even her dead mother. That was a little sad, because I spent majority of the book wondering if I (as the reader) should be suspicious of Rob just because he felt like he was hiding something from not being fully fleshed out.

The action was pretty good, I never felt confused by what was happening, save for one scene in Hell, but I think that was meant to be jarring for the reader because it was for Jael. But besides that scene, everything else seemed to flow. The final "boss battle" was slightly anti-climatic, but I can also see where the idea was coming from and I do appreciate it.

By the end of the book, I really enjoyed the way the story went and was excited to keep reading because it stopped at an open ending for more, but sadly there is no more. This book was written in 2011, and no talk has been made of a sequel, but I do hope there will be one.

I give this book a 3.5 stars out of 5 ⭐

[beneathathousandskies]

Book Review: The Queen of Izmoroz (The Goddess War #2) - Jon Skovron

Book Review: The Queen of Izmoroz (The Goddess War #2) – Jon Skovron

Hello! Continuing with my netgalley catch-up I am delighted to be reviewing The Queen of Izmoroz by Jon Skovron, which is the second book in the Goddess Wars series and was one of my most anticipated books for 2021. You can read my review for the first book in this series – The Ranger of Marzanna HERE. Disclaimer – I received an e-arc via netgalley in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts…

[german-quotess-blog]

Die, die alles verloren haben, sind frei, jemand zu werden. Sie bezahlen einen hohen Preis, aber so verhält es sich immer mit wahrer Größe.

Empire of Storms - Pakt der Diebe – Jon Skovron

[bookishfreedom]

last peaceful day of reading before move-in

[amandaklwrites]

Book Review: The Ranger of Marzanna (The Goddess War #1) by Jon Skovron

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Rating: 3.5

Book Review:

This book was really interesting, and good, honestly. I loved that it featured Polish/Slavic folklore, so that was what drove me toward it in the first place.

And that was my favorite part. The mythology and folklore infused in this story was so interesting and well done. The world and its system were well thought and not at all confusing to me. It was clear and constructed, and I felt like I could follow everything. It was different and new, and that was the best part of the book, in my opinion.

However, I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters. I liked Sonya the most, while the others didn’t really stick out to me. I mean, I saw some interesting aspects in them, and they did develop a bit, but I would have liked more. Maybe there will be some in the next book?

What slowed the book for me was the scenes and conversations. It felt… slow, honestly. I found myself skimming through bits of it, and I wanted it to hurry along to something fantastical. This was definitely a political fantasy, which I only like certain ones, so that may have been a turn off to me.

However, with all that in mind, I do want to try the next book when it comes out. I will probably follow the series. There are such intriguing concepts, and I do want to know what happens.

Plus, I’m a sucker for mythology. And that damn cover!!!!

[bluefanguy]

Bluefanguy’s Book Thoughts

Hope and Red by Jon Skovron (Empire of Storms #1)

Good day all and welcome to another edition of Bluefanguy’s Book Thoughts! Today’s book is Hope and Red by Jon Skovron. It is the first book in the Empire of Storms series.

Hope is the sole survivor of a village being used by an Empire biomancer’s experiments and she eventually makes her way to a patriarchal order where she is taught in secret to become a warrior for vengeance.

Red is the orphaned son of a famous artist and he soon gets caught up with a pirate crew and eventually becomes a highly skilled thief and con artist whose loyalty lies in the community he was brought up in.

The two have different beginnings yet they have a shared dislike for certain aspects of the Empire and when they meet, they soon realize how deep the Empire’s strength and corruption goes and will work together not only to aid the other’s goals but to fill an emptiness the other has felt throughout their life.

I found this book while searching in the library. The synopsis got me hooked and I can honestly say that it delivers. Well defined characters draw you in and readers follow Hope and Red through their childhoods to the age when a series of events culminates in their meeting and even then the two still have a mission that involves a tough but necessary decision for their survival. There’s even a trans character which is something I never expected in a fantasy story. The actions scenes flow very well and by the end of the novel, I was already primed for the next book!

If you love well defined characters, protagonists with goals of vengeance and power, and the start of an epic, then you just may love this book!

Thanks for reading! Likes, reblogs, comments, questions, and followings are all appreciated. Until next time.

Bluefanguy, out.

[hopeandred]

As youth and innocence give way to experience, doubt clouds the mind. Those who find renewed purpose in the complexity will thrive instead of falter.

Book of Storms

[mana-the-book-reviewing-demon]

Title: Misfit Author: Jon Skovron Genres: Teen/ YA, paranormal, fiction, mythology, and 'coming of age'. Synopsis: (via Goodreads) Jael Thompson has never really fit in. She’s changed schools too many times to count. The only family she’s ever known is her father, a bitter ex-priest who never lets her date and insists she attend the strictest Catholic school in Seattle. And her mother—well, she was a five thousand year old demon. That doesn’t exactly help. But on her sixteenth birthday, her father gives her a present that brings about some unexpected changes. Some of the changes, like strange and wonderful powers and the cute skater boy with a knack for science, are awesome. But others, like the homicidal demon seeking revenge on her family? Not so much. Steeped in mythology, this is an epic tale of a heroine who balances old world with new, science with magic, and the terrifying depths of the underworld with the ordinary halls of high school. Review: (spoiler free) I first read this book when I was 12-13 years old and I loved, I've re-read it several times since then and thought it was just as, if not better than before. This book is amazing! I couldn't put it down, the story is great, and Jael(the main character) is so awesome. The pacing perfect and the mythology of the story is skillfully weaved throughout. Every part offers something new/interesting to pull you in, there's irony and action, adventure and romance, and mystery as mythology. It pulls at you're heart and min d at all the right times. I've gotta talk about Jael Thompson, she is an overall great character, both believable and kickass. She is smart and strong and loyal and het growth throughout the story is exponential. She is made relateable through the underlying coming of age theme, seeing her become empowered, and more confident is one of the greatest parts! Recommend 10/10