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Top 5 Wednesday: Authors we look up to for inspiration!

As hardcore bookworms we always come across great books. But how often is it that we come across many books by the same author that are equally amazing? And the authors also tend to be super cool people? The answer (for us at least) is “rarely” but that doesn’t mean there aren’t enough to be put into a top 5 category.

So here’s our list of authors we look up to. Because if we can write stories…

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Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer [A sequel where shit hits the fan]

It’s absolutely impossible for me to talk about the plot of this book without giving away major spoilers of the first book (review here) AND this book. So in an attempt to keep this review SPOILER FREE, I’ll try to be as vague as possible.

I won’t be certain who the killer is until I meet them, but if it’s Mycroft, be merciful. Keep them alive, and safe, and working. You need them. If you have lost me, you need them. There are things I leave undone that only Mycroft Canner can complete.

-APOLLO MOJAVE

The Terra Ignota series is written as a history book by our protagonist, Mycroft Canner. However, it’s the “history” of the year 2454.

In the first book, we followed the life of Mycroft Canner (a criminal), Carlyle Foster (a religious sensayer) and Bridger (the boy who can bring anything to life). In this book, we drop in on almost everyone we met in Book 1.

We get more info on all the important political figures, the Saneer-Weeksbooth bash and of course JEDD Mason, the apparent leader of the entire world.

DISCLAIMER: This book WILL offend everyone and anyone. It touches all the sensitive buttons, politics, religion, gender and there are some really trigger heavy scenes, such as sexual assault, and extreme and graphic violence.

In Book 1 we were introduced to the world of the future. Mycroft Canner speaks to the readers themselves, explaining to us how different the world is. How different yet similar.

In Book 1 I had trouble flowing with the archaic writing style. Even though the book is set in the future, the writing is heavily influenced by the past. Which makes sense as the author, Ada Palmer, is a renowned historian.

In Book 2 however, I didn’t have this issue at all because I knew what to expect. But knowing didn’t necessarily help with the shock that I felt while I was reading this book.

While Book 1 focused on building their world around us, book 2 just breaks all the boundaries. Everything that we knew about the future is questioned.

It’s safe to say that I loved this book. Despite being heavy in prose I finished this book within a week. The pacing of the book is perfect. Things are constantly happening throughout the book but not once did it feel overburdening.

The Characters (all of them) are so complex. And even though it’s Mycroft who narrates the whole thing to us, there are so many things that we finally find out about him.

This book is essentially a futuristic political thriller. So, a thing to keep in mind is that maybe a few things might just go over your head. But personally, I feel that’s the purpose. Because we are after all reading the history of a future we don’t truly know.

The ending of this book moved me to tears. I really wasn’t expecting that, well I wasn’t expecting what happened to happen in the whole book, but that really does take a whole different route now. I can’t wait to read the third book. (It’s releasing next month guys!)

If you’re wondering whether or not you should pick this series, consider this: Do you like sci-fi mixed with politics? With a dash of unbelievable fantasy? Complex characters with brutal humanity? Basically questioning your own life?

If you answered yes to the above then you should definitely pick it up.

LET’S CHAT!

Have you read this book? Did you like it? Do you plan on reading it if you haven’t yet? Let me know what your favourite sci-fi book of the year was down in the comments!

Lots of love and existential crisis,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon [cute, but not so satisfying]

I read this book right after Age of Swords which left me an empty shell, so naturally, reading a light and fluffy book helped. However, in all honesty, it didn’t satisfy me as much as I’d have liked.

Natasha is Jamaican. She and her family moved to the US illegally therefore, they have no citizenship. So when her father is caught in a DUI, they get deported. But this deportation is going to ruin everything Natasha has built for herself in this country and she will not go back to a country she hardly knows without a fight.

Daniel is Korean. His family has built themselves a comfortable life in the US but Daniel is tired of living up to his parents’ expectations. He cannot bear the thought of leading a boring life as a Doctor while his true passion lies in poetry. A big believer of faith and destiny, he is determined to find his path before it’s too late.

I love Daniel. He’s absolutely adorable and a super dork BUT his ridiculous outlook on life and destiny felt really naive and silly to me. Maybe because while I do believe everything happens for a reason, I’m not the one to believe that we have some calling we need to look for. And reading Daniel talk constantly about destiny and love really got on my nerves.

Natasha was someone I could relate to a lot. I saw a lot of myself in her. From her curly hair to her love of science fiction and time paradoxes. From her practicality to her disbelief in love at first sight. I was in love with her… until she fell in love with Daniel.

If people who were actually born here had to prove they were worthy enough to live in America, this would be a much less populated country.

It was inevitable that she would fall for him sooner or later. But it was waaaay too soon. After all, this whole book surrounds the events of ONE DAY! And while Daniel fell victim to insta-love (regardless of what he says):

There’s a Japanese phrase that I like: koi no yokan. It doesn’t mean love at first sight. It’s closer to love to love at second sight. It’s the feeling when you meet someone that you’re going to fall in love with them. Mayeb you don’t love them right away, but it’s inevitable that you will.

Once Nat fell in love, she became the sappiest, love-sick person EVER! Suddenly she was believing in fate and the cosmos and the freaking planets aligning perfectly to form mickey-mouse. I swear, the book just got more silly and unbelievable as it got to the end.

I already dislike the way romance is portrayed in the media and this just added to it.

I do want to mention that I did up end up crying at one point of the book. No, it was not for Nat and Daniel, it was for Nat and her father. The scene where she confronted him really resonated with me and I was pretty much reduced to tears.

And I’m not a satellite. I’m space junk, hurtling as far as I can away from him.

The only reason I finished this book is because I loved the Jamaican and Korean culture I was getting to learn. And with “the Donald” on the loose, the topic of immigrants was something I took great interest in.

Overall I’d give this book a three-star rating. Daniel made me laugh a lot and I did cry so in terms of emotions felt, this book is really good. Way better than Everything, Everything. But I just cannot digest the issues I have with the book.

I hope you guys liked the review. Do let me know if you’ve read this book, and what you felt about it down in the comments below!

Lots of love and space,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

Age of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan [The EPIC high fantasy sequel I needed!]

“Funny how things that shouldn’t matter actually meant so much and how things as permanent as homes moved”

THIS. BOOK.

I haven’t cried like a baby for a character in a VERY long time but then this book comes along and BAM! My emotions are scattered in the wind and so is my emotional sanity.

Before I begin, here’s where you can find my review of the first book and don’t worry, this review is completely SPOILER FREE!

Age of Swords starts almost immediately where we left off.

The war that a Rhune named Raithe had started with the Fhrey by killing one of them and hence proving that they weren’t God, is still in the works.

The leader of one of the Rhune clans, Persephone, has decided that the only way to win the battle against the Fhrey is to unite all the clans.

But Persephone, Raithe and the rest of the clans are all aware that neither great numbers nor training from a group of soldier Fhreys can help them win the war. And so a small band of misfits end up in the depths of Elan, a dwarf land, where they hope they can find some help.

On the other hand, a gifted young Suri is being trained by a Fhrey, a sorceress named Arion, who hopes that once the rest of the Fhrey realise that Rhunes are just like them, they would seize the war and accept peace.

Michael J. Sullivan has become one of my favourite authors. Even though I’ve only read two of his books so far, the way he weaves his stories, the way the characters are built, it’s just beautiful. His writing is so phenomenal. It’s almost impossible for me to stop reading it once I begin.

Let me list down some really important reasons why you should consider reading this book:

A female character who was previously seen as nothing but the Chieftain’s wife is finally seen as the true leader that she is.

A female character who was previously seen as nothing but being beautiful has finally become the warrior and scribe she was bound to become.

Accurate and insightful representation of disabled people and how they are usually treated by the abled who are clearly a-holes

A female character, who cannot stand being touched because she grew up being physically and emotionally abused by her father, becomes a strong survivor. One who doesn’t let her past ruin her from being the master crafter that she is.

Acceptance of different races for who they are and NOT intentionally offending them.

Internalised misogyny and how it needs to die.

THE BEST FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN A HIGH FANTASY EVER!

I mean honestly, if these don’t pull you in already I cannot possibly imagine what will.

Maybe knowing that that one part of this book will make you cry like a baby? Because when I reached that part I was pretty much bawling. I went through hundreds of tissues and oh god my heart still aches just thinking about it. I even went crying to Beez (who is in India right now so I was basically cry-texting her).

While I love each and every character in this book, my heart beats for Suri and her wolf the MOST.

I also love how the book tackles a LOT of topics that are relevant in our world right now. It tackles, sexism, racism, classism, power-hungry dominance, family, love, friendship and just GAH! Reading this book made me feel like I was home. Great, I’m gonna cry again.

One thing you need to know is that the Rhunes are like past us. WAAAAAAAY past us. They are still discovering things like wheels, barrels, wagons and writing. And it’s those things that make me love this book even more if that’s even possible. I feel this excitement when they figure out something new. It’s like watching your sims reach success without your help.

My favourite part is definitely when Persephone and her group went into the deep caves of the dwarf land because SO MUCH happened there.

No.

I have always worshipped heroes in stories. I had no idea I was surrounded by them.

-THE BOOK OF BRIN

And that’s my review! Do let me know if you’ve read this book and what you felt about it. If you haven’t read it yet, DON’T delay! Get yourself a copy right now because I know for sure what series I’ll be buying soon.

Lots of love and empowerment,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon [Kind of cute but over-rated]

Do you ever feel that sometimes you just have a fall out with a book? This is what it was like for me when I read Everything, Everything. No, I won’t be hate reviewing but I’d definitely like to discuss what parts made me feel that way.

The Plot: Madeline has SCID, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency. It means, EVERYTHING and ANYTHING could kill her out in the real world. Which is why her mother cocoons her and makes sure she never leaves the house.

Olly is the boy next door. Wearing all black, and being athletic, she knows she will fall in love with him sooner or later.

The writing was easy. I pretty much finished the entire book within a couple of days. I breezed through it.

I really liked Olly. He was adorkable and cute and I could see why everyone who reads this book fawns over him. Even the actor who portrays him in the movie is pretty good looking.

There were many moments between Maddy and Olly that were sort of cute but I think we all know what it really was…

As I was reading this book I thought that I had pretty much figured out how this book would end but then that plot twist hit me out of nowhere and suddenly the book got 10x more interesting and then BAM it was over.

Madeline felt like every other contemporary fiction girl. I don’t know if it was because a majority of the books try really hard to make the male characters appealing and in the process, leave the female protag to just while away or if it’s something else that I’m not aware of.

Also, the characters don’t sound like teenagers?? I mean, I’ve had this issue ever since (you guessed it) I turned into not-a-teenager. Every teenager just sounds like a twenty someone. I mean when I was the age of Olly and Maddy I was a freaking baby. But of course, everyone grows at their own pace so I can’t really judge that.

The plot was basically a bunch of nothings happening until the very end! Which annoyed me so much.

I’m aware that I’m always let down by hyped young adult novels but this one left me defeated. There’s nothing that I greatly disliked about this one, just the general way it was executed. Which is why it makes obvious sense why some people would like it and some won’t.

“It’s not you, book, it’s me.” 

I am an Earth girl…

And so, because of being constantly disappointed by books like these, I’ve decided that I won’t be reading more contemporaries. Probably a couple in a year but not more because I feel like it really just drags me down. And then I just stare at my ceiling and wonder when I grew out of such books and then before you know it I’ve turned into freaking Gandalf.

However, I’ve already read The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, so keep an eye out for that review.

Bipply boo! And with that we come to the end of my review. Let me know if you’ve read this book and do let me know what you thought about it down in the comments below. I always love hearing from you guys.

Lots of love and nonsensical words,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

My day @ The Sharjah International Book Fair 2017

November is my FAVOURITE month! Every year, in November, a wonderful book fair is hosted at the Sharjah Expo Centre. An amazing opportunity for bookworms to meet up* and buy cheap books! This year was the 36th, a self-explanation of just HOW popular it is.

*But I hardly ever do meet ups because then everyone would know just how much of a child I look like and I have enough social anxiety as it is.

Anywho, I’m always looking forward to this month. Specifically, the first two weeks, the usual time the fair is hosted. As soon as it ends, I wait for the March Emirates Lit Fest, which is a WHOLE different thing. But if you want a gist of it, here’s our post from when we visited it last time. And as soon as that ends, it’s back to waiting for November.

Here’s a gif of me every time one of these events comes close:

Yes, I turn into John Green.

Now that we are done with the introductions, let’s get to the crux of the issue here.

I did not take any pics while I was there…

I’m extremely sorry! I kept telling myself that I should but OBVIOUSLY, I forgot for OBVIOUS REASONS. The books overwhelmed me so much! It was all I could do to not scream with joy. While there weren’t a lot of massive discounts, a majority of the books were available for much cheaper prices.

Apologies if the above picture looks a bit weird. I had taken a video of the entrance to put up on my Instagram story and it was only later that I realized that I hadn’t taken a picture. So after a few screenshots and photo stitching later, we have this. Still looks pretty though.

The only thing I regret is not having saved enough so I could go full blast. Knowing that there’s going to be a book fair every year is really useless when it comes to my crazy book buying issues. I seriously might need to go to therapy for it.

Coming to my haul, I bought two books from DC Books situated in Hall 5. They were selling their classics for half price and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to add some more classics to my shelf.

These were the books that were on sale. It’s literally the only picture I took there.

After a lot of searching, I finally happened to come upon WHSmith. My saviour and my love. They always have a HUGE discount at the fair. Selling a majority of the books from various genres at prices around AED10-15. My entire haul was from there because I’m a cheapo when it comes to spending way too much money on books.

WHSmith was situated in Hall 7 (Booth 18ZB). Here’s a pic of my haul!

Full Disclosure: This pile also includes about 4-5 books that my sister bought but who am I kidding? I’ve pretty much conditioned my sister to have the same taste as me so at this point, it literally doesn’t matter who bought which books because we both read it anyway.

Also, my sister ended up going to the Bookfair again, but this time from her school, and she bought me Legion: Skindeep by Brandon Sanderson (not pictured above) and I’m absolutely in love with that hardcover beauty.

If after reading my post, you feel awful about not having visited the Bookfair for yourself, fret not! The fair is still ongoing. In fact, it will be open until the 11th of November. So drop everything and make your way there right now!

Also, if you want to be kept up-to-date on all the weird stuff I get up to every day or if you want to know all the crazy book buying sprees I go on, then definitely follow my Instagram. #Shamelesspromo

And with that, we’ve come to the end of this post. If you live in or around Sharjah, then definitely consider dropping by at the Expo Centre. You WILL not regret it. It’s a great place where you can meet authors, bookworms and of course, buy books at a discounted price.

LET’S CHAT!

Have you read any of the books pictured above? If yes, what did you think about it? And have you ever been to the Sharjah Book fair?? Give me all the details my peeps!

Lots of love and cheap books,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

Top 10 Tuesday: If our future kids don't read these books we'll disown them!

Top 10 Tuesday: If our future kids don’t read these books we’ll disown them!

You know how sometimes you read a book and you just know that this book will forever hold a special place in your heart? It’s such a strong feeling that being the loners that we are we also vow to make everyone read it including our unborn children. And so this Tuesday we would like to share with you, a list of 10 books that we would definitely be making our kids read.

#1 Flipped by Wendelin Van…

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Endless Night by Agatha Christie [The ending had me shook]

I have read very few Agatha Christie novels. This being the third one. So far, my rating of her novels has been ranging from 2-3 stars but this one was a 3.5.

In Endless Night we follow the character named Michael Rogers. In want of better life, he’s been doing odd jobs all his life. But an accidental meet-up with an heiress ends up changing his entire life around. He marries her and builds the perfect home for the two of them.

Unfortunately for him, the land his home is built on is cursed and it all goes downhill soon enough.

The whodunnit in this novel baffled me to no end. I was partially correct about the whole thing but I felt like an utter fool by the end of the novel.

The problem with writing a review for this one is that I cannot talk much about it without giving away key points. All I can say is that don’t trust everything you read. GAH! I think I’ve given away too much already.

The best thing about this novel is its plot and mystery. It kept me on my toes and when I reached the end I was practically screaming because I couldn’t believe my eyes. The main character too was one of the best mystery protagonists I’ve ever read.

I don’t know why but I’ve never been able to connect with ANY of Agatha Christie’s characters.

Maybe it’s because her novels are super old or maybe because her novels focus mostly on the mystery and very little in fleshing out the characters. However, I still loved the protagonist in this one.

Regardless, I was able to invest myself in this mystery, simply because I was so engrossed in solving it myself.

The novel also started off pretty slow. Even though I’ve read only 3 of her novels so far, I feel like 50% of the book is always boring and it’s only the end that has any juice.

And that’s all I have to say about this one. A super mystery but lacking in engrossing characters. Let me know if you’ve read this one and what you felt about it!

Lots of love and suspense,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

Review of The Seventh Sentinel by Yolanda Ramos

Before we begin my review, here’s a little something about the book:

Moments before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the seven Archangels remove powerful, ancient artefacts from the Jewish temple. These are given into the safekeeping of seven men. Throughout the ages, these men and their descendants become known as the Seven Sentinels.

In medieval times, the Seven Sentinels formed various military Orders as a cover for their activities. Today, of the Seven Sentinels, two are dead and two have turned rogue, which means only three remain to carry out their roles.

A war rages between Heaven and Earth. It is up to the newly empowered Seventh Sentinel to stop the rogues and Fallen Ones, from using these artefacts to gain control of the souls of mankind. Can the Seventh Sentinel endure? [Goodreads]

The writing is absolutely intriguing. I loved how easy it was to get into her book. The descriptive writing pretty much created a virtual world around me.

The plot is unique, to say the least. I loved the characters and the journey that they took the reader in. Also, be warned that the story is heavily influenced by the Bible (as is obvious by the blurb above).

It’s a great take on fantasy. A perfect way to spend your evening if you are in the mood for an Urban fantasy with rich details.

The story did feel really long to me, but that could be a personal issue as I was really rushing to finish this off. (Why must we study more after school??) And I also found the beginning to be very slow. It really took me a while to immerse myself in this book.

The dialogues felt a little uneven at times, but besides that, this book is a good read. A definite three stars from me.

Have you guys read this book? Do let me know if you get around to reading it!

Lots of love and paladins,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

Now I Rise by Kiersten White [We revisit the Stabby Queen]

I refuse to categorize this book as a young adult novel because:

a) The characters don’t sound like teenagers at ALL!

and

b) The book is pretty graphic in terms of sex and violence. Definitely, something I wouldn’t recommend to the younger audience (unless they can handle it).

In this book, we return to the cruel world of Lada, Radu and Mehmed. We start pretty much right after the events of Book one and I was surprised I remembered a majority of the things that had happened in it. In an effort to keep this book SPOILER FREE I’m going to just say that the plot was basically, travelling, alliances, war, lots of killing, character conflict and some sex.

So if you enjoyed the first book, you’ll like this one too.

The action in this book was fabtastic. The gore in this book is high. I absolutely loved how cruel some of the scenes were because wow if I was there I would have wanted to do the same (haha I’m normal, why do you ask??)

I also loved how the war scenes were not over-exaggerated and kept very true to real-life. The real war, back in the times, would always stretch out for days or weeks or sometimes even months.

I love Lada and how ruthless and done she is with everyone’s sexist shit. She has zero chill in this book and it made me laugh and cringe. I love Radu too. I mean, how can I not? His character conflict is the saddest.

The way the book ended blew my pants off! I absolutely loved it and I cannot wait for the third book. Everything in this book is so stabby and cruel and ugh me loves

And I continue to dislike Mehmed. I didn’t see his appeal in the first book and I still don’t see it.

The plot was very slow around the beginning. They were just moving around and doing things, nothing important. This book fell into the trap of almost very second book trope, where it ended up basically being a filler novel. Its sole reason is to bridge the gap between the first and final book.

Another thing I want to warn the readers of this book is that while this book is historical fiction, it’s not very accurate. Please don’t depend on the historic teachings of this book. Read this more like a historical retelling.

Overall this was a great read and I would definitely recommend it to people who want to read about a strong and ruthless female protagonist.

Lots of love and murder,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

Spider’s Web: A play by Agatha Christie, novelized by Charles Osborne

If you’re like me a.k.a you’ve hardly read many Agatha Christie novels then it might come as a surprise to you that she used to write plays… and romance novels under a pseudonym, but I’m not interested in that.

Alibi was the first play to reach the stage. It was an adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd but it wasn’t written by her and she didn’t like it either. The first play that was written by her and staged was Black Coffee. She has a written a total of 19 plays, adding to her impressive list of 82 detective novels.

This book was also a play written by Agatha Christie but it was later novelized by Charles Osborne.

But let’s not derail anymore. Here’s my review of Spider’s Web:

Our protagonist, Clarissa, is a spider. She weaves webs of lies to almost everyone. And considering her history as an actress, she successfully fools everyone too. So when she finds a body in her library, she lies to her house guests in order to persuade them into becoming her accomplices in hiding the body.

And when an inspector arrives at the scene, she lies through her teeth! Saying a different story each time she is persuaded to tell the truth.

I was impressed with how quickly I finished this book. Once you go through the first 50-60 pages of drab introductions, it was easy to go through and hardly required a lot of brain power.

This book, even though it was novelized, read very much like a play. And I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.

Yet again, I wasn’t able to solve the mystery but I had my doubts regarding the murderer and I turned out to be right.

I really disliked the fact that the characters were once again very drab and one-dimensional. An issue I found even in the Murder on the Orient Express.

And while Clarissa was pretty humorous, I found her to be super annoying around the end. Yes, the final reveal shocked me but besides that, I really didn’t like much of this book. I’m sure the lies were supposed to make us feel shocked or… something but all I felt was an annoyance.

While the mystery unravelled I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at certain scenes. It felt so unnecessary and kiddish.

Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this to any new Agatha Christie fans (like me) because it really put me off, but if you are a huge fan of Christie then maybe you would enjoy it.

Lots of love and lies,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

Retrograde by Peter Cawdron [The Best Sci-fi book I’ve read this year]

Retrograde’s blurb caught my attention quicker than cake and that’s saying something. It’s about a colony of humans from all walks of Earth settling on Mars for research. But how will things turn out when nuclear war devastates everyone back home?

This book revolved around such an interesting concept. A far as I know, The Martian by Andy Weir deals with a short-term journey to Mars gone wrong but this book deals with the long-term situation with not one but a whole group of 120 scientists, astronauts, medical staff, and engineers.

The story is told from the POV of Liz, a US colonist. The book doesn’t shift POV’s and despite that, we were able to get a perfect idea of the situation in all the 4 modules on Mars, which included the US, the Russians, the Eurasians and the Chinese. I was amazed at how well this was done. To be writing from one character’s perspective but to be able to accurately gauge the other characters around them in such a way that I was able to connect with them all.

As mentioned before, the characters were on point. Usually, sci-fi book characters aren’t easy to connect with because the characters seem very detached and machine-like but Peter Cawdron has written great characters, all of whom I fell in love with.

The writing is so simple, which is odd when it comes to science fiction because people lose themselves among all the big and mighty science words. However, I never once felt confused.

The plot in itself is so unique. The concept not only blew my mind but also filled me with dread. I couldn’t NOT think about being in a nuclear explosion. Even though I know that there is no way I would feel anything because I would be dead within seconds, it’s still a jarring thought. And the thought of being on Mars amidst all that? Unimaginable.

This book is so detailed about how one would go about surviving on Mars. And as someone who loves science and sciency books, I knew just how much research the author must have done to get the sciency bits so accurate and realistic. It added a perfect touch to this fabulous book.

I also love how this book, while being categorised as science-fiction deals a LOT with the psychology of the human mind too. Which was very interesting because I think that had a huge role to play for the reason why I got so attached to the characters.

The research on the cultures was also done perfectly. Being an Indian myself, I have always loved the Asian culture and to see the various cultures of our continent being positively represented in such a good book filled me with pride.

Last but not the least, I loved that plot twist. I didn’t see it coming and once I read it I had to re-read it because I couldn’t believe my eyes. And just like that, I felt like I was reading a whole different novel, which was not a bad thing at all!

There is hardly anything I didn’t like in this book. But on scrutinising it for a while I think I’d have to say the change of pace from the beginning to the end could be one. The start was action-packed and intense all the way to the end, where the conclusion was a bit of a loose-strings style. Something that didn’t really put me off, but did leave me wanting to know more.

So I guess it isn’t really a con since I really wanted more of this book. And I’ve heard that Peter Cawdron is working on a sequel so *squeal* I can’t wait to get my hands on that one. In fact, I loved this book so much that I personalized it a bit by painting a clip-art version of Mars on the cover.

Thank you so much to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for sending a copy of Retrograde my way!

And that was my review! Let me know if you’ve read this book. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for? It’s an absolute delight. The best sci-fi book I’ve read this year without a doubt.

Lots of love and Mars dust,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E.Schwab [A beautiful sequel but a little lacking]

I’m a huge fan of V.E.Schwab even though I’ve only read the first book of this series. The review of which you can find here. Nevertheless, this review is definitely SPOILER FREE!

In this book, we pick up a few months after where we left off in A Darker Shade of Magic.

This time, the sequel predominantly focuses on Red London and it’s outlying areas. The world-building of Red London was done beautifully! I loved the politics (which there wasn’t much of), the Essen Tasch (a tournament to show off the power of the kingdoms) and of course the magic itself.

The characters I continue to be in love with. With that fabulous movie-style opening I felt a deeper love for Lila Bard, and with Kell’s continuing brotherly protection I find myself still STUCK in his wonderful coat pocket that I’m extremely jealous of. Rhy came off as a bit whiny in the beginning but knowing what he’s been through it was expected but thankfully he shrugged that off as soon as the games began.

The new character that I absolutely adored was Alucard Emery. An absolute gem of a character. He is hilarious, mysterious and down-right arrogant a.k.a the apple of my eye.

V.E.Schwab’s action scenes always blow me away. They are done so well! The witty banter was always on point and the feels were always broken.

What more could I possibly ask for?

A no-cliffhanger ending would be one thing for a start.

While I definitely loved this book, I felt like it read more as a filler novel. Like this entire book was just written to sort of bridge the plot of book 1 and book 3, which is not necessarily a bad thing but it’s definitely not the best thing. I mean yes I love living in this world so I can’t really complain but the few negative reviews I found for this book, do make sense.

And another thing that was a little sad was that the other Londons were pretty much abandoned in this book. Something I hope changes in book 3.

Ta-da! And so we come to the end of my review. Do let me know what you thought of this book. Liked it? disliked it? Whatever the feels, lemme know in the comments. Also, don’t hesitate to link me to your review of this book~

Lots of love and pirate-y moves,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

Please make me read these 10 books before (I die) 2018

Hello people! I come to you today, trying to make some sense of my ridiculously numbered (over 1100) TBR on Goodreads. God help me.

*sounds of perpetual screaming*

I know a lot of us have the problem of excessively adding to our TBR but believe me mine is worse. 1100(+) + the books I keep buying for some reason. And I hardly ever read physical books! (I read on eBook, maybe will do a post on that?) Yet, books are the only thing my mind justifies buying (with my money, other peoples money is for other trash). I’m not sure if my brain knows logic.

This means I have a SURPLUS of books I want to read. And the thing is I really want to? But alas life. So for this post, I’ve accumulated few books that I would really love to get to by the end of this year. But I probably won’t so screw me.

Sourdough by Robin Sloan

I came to know of this book, not more than a few days ago and doesn’t that tell you what kind of a person I am. Anywho this book is about fooood. And a secret society and a whirlwind of stuff. Colour me intrigued. I really like the idea of delving into a completely new world within the world we occupy which we think we know. The intricacies of little obsessive groups and how the meaning of a thing takes a completely new form for them is fascinating to me. Also, Sloan is the author of Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore which according to a review I read, is kinda like this but about book nerds. So yeah.

What I talk about when I talk about running by Haruki Murakami

Raven and I have forever been talking about hitting Murakami together. And this year, I hit it. But I read his short story collection, The elephant vanishes, and while I did like his writing and vibe, they very much left me unfulfilled because all his stories are about hyper vague things and end on hyper vague notes. I have a few stories still left to complete because by the end I was so sick of it. So I really want something meaningful from him. And this book sounds so up my alley. I think Ariel Bisset mentioned in one of her videos that this book might be about running in the title, but in fact alludes to much more, which is something I very much like. Also, this sounds like a very readable non-fiction book and yes, please.

A taste for monsters by Matthew J. Kirby

You need to read the synopsis of this, and you’ll get it.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

I actually have the actual physical graphic novel of this and that does not happen very often. It’s so iconic and if I have it, WHY HAVEN’T I READ IT?? Also, want to watch the movie!

Any other works of Nina Lacour

Not long ago I read her We are okay and I fell very hard in love with it. And yes I’m a little terrified that her other books won’t do the same for me, but I still want that essence of another of her books so.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

Alice Oseman might be the cutest person on earth. And also I am completely certain her book is going to be great, so fight me. I also say also a lot.

Welcome to the monkey house by Kurt Vonnegut

It. is. high. time. i. read. some. Vonnegut!! When will I realize that owning a book is not the final step, R E A D I N G IT IS. (I was so happy that I brought my first Vonnegut, how does leaving it unread make sense to me? And yes, I do want to read Vonnegut because of the perception of it but how is it bad to want to know what’s behind that perception. Yes, I’m a blind sheep and I admit to it.)

All the Lives I Want: Essays about My Best Friends Who Happen to Be Famous Strangers by Alana Massey

I probably really need to read this book just because of my toxic brain but current celebrity culture is very interesting?

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman

This book sounds so cute! And fun! And some other things. My brain has turned to jelly.

The thing around my neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The last time I walked into a bookstore (3 days ago) I picked up this and read a few pages. And I’ve been meaning to read some CNA for sooo long. And I liked it! So guess who’s going to go back and pick the book back up?

I’m going to end this by saying I just remembered another book which is The lovers dictionary which I want to read because Lorde highly praised it and also adding that I’m probably never actually getting to these books. So, yay me!

Real talk: I’m just really bad at reading. I read A LOT of news and articles because someone is in school to become a journalist or something and by the end, I’m just really drained and can’t handle anymore input. And also my brain keeps pulling the cord on me and parachuting off, which renders me a little incapable of doing anything. i.e. I’m left terrible at everything, not just reading. And I really wish I could say I should get points for trying, but most of the time I admit defeat long before that.

But sometimes, I appear!! And hoping is nice, right?

[Raven and I are currently buddy reading Turtles all the way down by the Green man. Aren’t you excited?? Temme below.]

Lots of love and perpetual angst,

Beez

[raven-and-beez]

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie [Soon to be released as a movie]

I read this book a while ago but considering how a movie will be based on it soon, I thought it was high time that I post my review on it.

“The murderer is with us – on the train now…”

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.

Isolated by the storm and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer amongst a dozen of the dead man’s enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again… [Goodreads]

A little something to know about Hercule Poirot. He is a fictional Belgian detective, created by Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie’s most famous and long-lived characters, appearing in 33 novels, one play, and more than 50 short stories. Needless to say, he is well loved among all the Christie fans.

Which is why I had high hopes for this book as it was my first Agatha Christie novel.

I loved the mystery. It was absolutely mind-boggling.

Usually, I’m not able to immerse myself in the beautiful crime stories that authors build but this one was easy to get into. It’s probably why I continue to read Agatha Christie novels. I’ve read three this year.

Hercule Poirot quickly became one of my favourite detectives. He is smart, intelligent and mysterious. The way he conducts the interviews jogs my mind into wanting to solve the mystery for myself.

I think it goes without saying that I couldn’t solve it. I could’ve never predicted that ending!

A thing I disliked was the constant pause I had to put on myself because of my lack of knowledge of French. I love languages and while I can read/write/speak about 7 languages, French, unfortunately, isn’t one of them. I only know some basic hi-hellos.

The characters, for me at least, weren’t distinct enough. I constantly found myself confused between a large number of names. Their personality wasn’t much different either.

While I couldn’t solve the mystery for myself, it doesn’t mean I loved the way it ended. It was a really unsatisfactory ending I was expecting some huge detailed unravelling of the murder but what I got instead was just… meh. For all the hype the novel had built up, it really led me down.

I wouldn’t tell you to NOT read it since I know many who loved it. I think this book varies from reader to reader. So do give it a try and let me know what you think of it.

Lots of love and moustaches,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

Mini Comic/Graphic Novel Review #2

It’s been a LONG while since I’ve reviewed some of the Graphic Novels I’ve read. And unfortunately I haven’t read that many this year but here’s a short list of the three I have read.

#1 Username Evie by Joe Sugg

I’m sure 95% of you are aware of who Joe Sugg is but for those who aren’t- he is a youtuber and like every other youtuber he too has written a book. I’m giggling because anyone who’s followed us long enough can probably hear the rant coming.

Well before I do rant, let me mention that I tried reading Girl Online by his sister Zoe Sugg. Keyword: TRIED. It was awful but I’m never reviewing it because there are some books that I can hate review and some books that I just cannot because WOW WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN?

This is one of those books too, but here’s my trying to attempt a review anyway.

In Joe Sugg’s Graphic Novel, that I finished within 10 minutes (so I’m super glad that I borrowed instead of buying), you have a stereotyped nerd girl who everyone hates and who wishes to escape to a better world, popular jerk couple, nerd guy with acne who loves nerd girl but obviously she can’t see that, and of course let’s not forget the DEAD PARENTS because what do you mean YA can have PARENTS IN IT???

CONS: WHERE WAS THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT? She was a different person at the end but I couldn’t see it anywhere?? THERE WERE SO MANY LOOPHOLES IN THE SCI-FI-UNIVERSE-INSIDE-COMPUTER CRAP THAT I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN. The graphic design gave me diarrhoea and there was literally zero continuity in the comic panels.

Also, the end was shit and I CANNOT BELIEVE THERE IS A PART 2 AND I FEEL SO BAD FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO PAID 99 BUCKS FOR THIS CRAP.

PROS: NOTHING

RECOMMENDATION: DON’T READ IT, DON’T TOUCH IT, BURN THE HEART OUT OF IT!

#2 Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi

This was a graphic novel my sister had purchased last year at a book festival because it just looked so pretty and let me tell you that the story does not disappoint. It’s a middle-grade fantasy comic series about a girl and her brother who lost their dad in a car accident, move to their grandad’s house and discover a hidden doorway to another world.

PROS: Beautiful designs. I’m absolutely in LOVE with the artwork. The plot is super unique and I love the humour. Even though it’s a middle-grade novel, the messages it passes on about racism, power, equality, morality, friendship and so much more is just phenomenal. It really reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender in the way that it handled all of these topics so well.

CONS: At some points, it got a bit slow and the story felt slightly dragged but since it’s a graphic novel, it hardly made a huge difference.

RECOMMENDATION: Anyone who wants to read a meaningful yet entertaining graphic novel.

The first 7 books in this series are already out and I cannot wait for the last two to release.

#3 Saga by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Literally, everyone knows about this series so I don’t even know why I decided to review it but here is me after reading the first 8 issues:

PROS: Absolutely beautiful artwork by Fiona Staples. She has just made every moment worth remembering. I mean hell yeah the plot of this series is one of the most amazing ones I’ve ever read but without her artwork, it would’ve been lacking.

The characters I fell in love with on THE FIRST PAGE because dang it! They are just that good. I’ve adopted all of them and they are now my children and if anything happens to them blood will be spilt.

The graphic novel doesn’t shy away from many adult scenes SO DEFINITELY ONLY FOR GROWN UPS. TRUST ME THERE ARE SCARRING THINGS IN THERE.

CONS: I literally cannot think of anything I didn’t like in this book.

RECOMMENDATION: ALL humans and aliens.

And that marks the end of my mini review. Do let me know you’re thoughts down in the comments if you’ve read any of these, and if not then don’t shy away from recommending me some of your favourite comics/graphic novels

Lots of love and Moonlight,

Raven

[raven-and-beez]

Top 10 Tuesday: Book Boyfriends/Girlfriends

Today’s topic is one that we hardly ever discuss because we are not quick to make a fictional character our boyfriend/girlfriend. Instead, we adopt them… But nevertheless, here’s a list of 5 of our book boyfriends and 5 book girlfriends.

Enjoy!

Book Boyfriends

Levi Stewart from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

The minute he smiled in the book we had lost our hearts. He is just such a sweet and kind character. If we ever met him in real life, we’d melt into goo. But honestly, it breaks our heart to admit this, but we don’t think anyone can ever be this nice and adorable. He is just one of a kind after all.

Richard Gansey III from The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

Can we really compile a book tag that does not mention something of The Raven Boys? IMPOSSIBLE!

While we love ALL of the boys, if we had to pick it would be Gansey. He is just such a sweet and kind-hearted soul that understands everyone and is driven by a beautiful passion.

I guess you can see our pattern pretty clearly now. It’s nice boys.

Kelsier from The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

I repeat, how can we possibly compile anything without mentioning the overlord of Fantasy Brandon Sanderson??

Of course, we love Kelsier. He is a role model and someone we would protect with all our heart. (Which is why it hurts to even think about him. Not going to spoil anything but GAH MAH HEART!)

Leo Valdez from The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

And here we have a DORK. While he tinkers away with gears, he has tinkered his way into our hearts as well. How can we not love this absolute goof?

Kell Maresh from Shades of Magic by V.E.Schwab

If you’ve read Raven’s review of A darker shade of Magic then you know just HOW hard we’ve fallen for this guy here. He is the perfect husband material. Loyal, protective, fierce AND kind.

Book Girlfriends

Vin from Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Who can NOT love this fierce little girl? With her quick learning skills and abilities, she has paved a way through the hearts of thousands of readers. She is absolute #badass goals.

Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter by J.K.Rowling

Loony Luna is someone we’ve always wanted to be. She is such a curious and care-free soul. Kind and nice and loyal, yet fighty when need be. An absolute inspiration for young girls everywhere.

Samira Al Abbas from Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan

THERE IS NO WAY that we are ending this list without mentioning our favourite Hijabi badass. We hardly see ourselves represented in the popular fantasy books and when we met her we were completely in love. Thank you, Rick Riordan, for giving us this gem of a Valkyrie.

Lila Bard from Shades of Magic by V.E.Schwab

While we fell in love with Kell in the blink of an eye, Lila took us a while to warm up to. But when she finally did, we were in love. She can be so cunning and deceiving yet so loyal and fierce. Did anyone say they wanted a Pirate thief?

Blue Sargent from The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

This eccentric girl was a love at first line. She is tiny, petite and a total lion. No one messes with our girl. #Feministgoals Love her and want to be her.

And that was our quick list! If you’ve participated in today’s topic then do not hesitate to comment your link below and do let us know what you think of ours.

This is Raven & Beez,

Signing out~