sampagnereads

[sampagnereads]

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher of this book for giving me a chance to read an e-ARC of Winterwood! I've really been behind on reading my arcs, thanks to a reading slump and me, generally being a mess, but I am oh so glad I started picking them up again and that I started with this one, because WOW. This book just....... It hooked me in, straight from the get go, you know? As early on as the first page, I knew this would be the book that'd get me out of my reading slump, and that I'd actually look forward to picking it back up after I put it down to do things I had to do. 'Cause, believe you me, had I not had reasons to put this down a few times, I'd have read it in one go. Thing is, whilst I would and do recommend this book to everyone, I'm not entirely sure it's going to work for everyone as well as it worked for me. The ending, in particular, is most likely a "love it or hate it" kind of thing, and whereas I loved it, I'm sure others might feel completely differently about it. Of course, I can't exactly tell what kind of people would love it, as that would spoil things, but just know that I thought it was wonderful. The one reason I didn't give this five stars was the epilogue, really, which I'm not counting as part of the ending. The thing is, I just didn't see the point of it? It was a huge let down after the rest of the book, and even the writing just didn't feel as good within it as it did in the pages that preceded it? I just... I don't get it? I'm sure there might be some deep meaning behind it or whatever, but it 100% went over my head, and I high key wish there just hadn't been an epilogue altogether. But yeah, that was honestly the only thing I didn't like about this book? Honestly, at times, this book made me feel somewhat unsettled, due to the way certain things happened and certain characters acted, and looking back on it now, I think that shows just how powerful Shea Ernshaw's writing is. The atmosphere was also *chef's kiss*, and I could have honestly highlighted practically this whole entire book if I was reading it physically and annotating it. All in all, this came out of left field for me (as I'd only seen negative reviews so far) and surprised me in the best way possible. I loved loved loved this book, and I'm oh so glad it exists. Seriously, like, I wish I could thank Shea Ernshaw for writing it because it was exactly what I needed to remember why I love reading so much.

[sampagnereads]

Hi again, lovelies! You might be wondering why I’m putting out three TBRs in the month of July (this is only the second one), and the reason for that is quite simple: I’m doing three month-long readathons next month. Now, it might be a bit intense, but it’s summer, and I always tend to read more during the summer, and so I’m really, really excited! A few days ago, I posted my TBR for the DND Readathon - Race Edition, and now it’s time to post my TBR for The Book Junkie Trials! This is, as mentioned earlier, a month-long readathon, and is hosted by the wonderful Rachael Marie, who you can find on Twitter right here. 

The goal of the readathon is to get the Bookie Grail, which you can get by completing challenges based on the team you’re a part of, as each team has a different path on the map. I took the test and got “Mage” as who I’d be, and so I decided to join that team! That means that I can start the readathon three days early, but also that I must read a book outside of my comfort zone. For more information, as I highkey suck at explaining things, I recommend checking out the Twitter account for the readathon as well as Rachael’s announcement video (which is linked on Twitter)!

Without further ado, you’ll find my TBR under the cut!

MAIN MAGE TBR

ORC GROVE: A BOOK THAT IS GRUESOME, GORY OR GRITTY.

For this challenge, I decided to read I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 2: Fluff my Life, by Skottie Young. This is the second volume in a vibrant but gruesome series of comics, and after having read the first volume not too long ago, I’ve been dying to get to the second one. Basically, this is about a woman who got stuck in Fairyland when she was a child. Problem is, she’s stuck as a 37 or 40 (I can’t remember) years old woman in the body of a ten-year-old. To put it simply, she’s pissed. And so she wrecks havoc and kills people and creatures left and right as she looks for the key that could let her finally leave Fairyland. It’s gory, gruesome and gritty, in my opinion, and so it fits perfectly! Though, since I want to start with this book, which I’ll be reading on Hoopla, and I don’t have Internet on the 28th and 29th, that means I’ll only be able to start the readathon one day early. I’m not complaining, though, as it’s better than nothing!

OL’ PIRATE COVE: A BOOK THAT TAKES PLACE, AT LEAST IN PART, ON SEA.

For this challenge, I will be reading Cursed Pirate Girl, Vol. 1, by Jeremy Bastian. This is the collected edition of the first three issues of Cursed Pirate Girl, which follows, obviously, a cursed pirate girl. Said girl’s story starts in Jamaica in 1728, and apparently takes place both over and beneath the waves. From what I understand, it has fantastical and mythical elements as well as historical ones, and the main focus of the story is the main character trying to find her lost father, who was a pirate too. Honestly, I feel like this is the perfect book for this challenge, and I’m so thankful I found it on Hoopla. I’m not usually a huge fan of pirates, but I saw a sample of what the art looks like inside this comic, and, like... Wow. It looks absolutely gorgeous, and I simply cannot wait to read it.

GLIMMER: A BEAUTIFUL OR COLOURFUL BOOK.

For this challenge, I’ve decided to read Prince Charming, by Rachel Hawkins. This book follows an American teenage girl whose older sister is marrying the (fictional) Prince of Scotland. Problem is, our main character has a huge personality, and the royal family want her to work on that. Therefore, they hire a guy to pretty much teach her how to chill. Problem is that, at the same time, the prince’s younger brother is trying to lead her into a ton of scandals, and she’s torn between those two options. I’m also reading this for the DND Readathon, in fact for another challenge based on a book’s cover, and so I was ecstatic when I realized that I could also make it fit in with this readathon. The cover, to me, is not only beautiful, but also colourful and bright, and so I think that it works perfectly for this challenge.

DRACONIC ISLE: A BOOK THAT FEATURES DRAGONS.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Shatter the Sky, by Rebecca Kim Wells. From what I understand, without reading too much of the synopsis, this is about a girl who steals a dragon to save her girlfriend. Basically, it’s a dream come true for me. I love dragons, I love all things sapphic, I love fantasy, and I was lucky enough to get an e-ARC of this book through Netgalley. This fits the challenge perfectly, and on top of that also works for a challenge for the DND Readathon - Race Edition, as one of the challenges for that readathon is also to read a book that features dragons. All in all, I’m super excited for this book, and cannot wait to get to it.

THE BOOKIE GRAIL: THE GROUP BOOK. 

For this challenge, I’m going to be reading The Gilded Wolves, by Roshani Chokshi. Now, the official group book for the readathon is Stardust, by Neil Gaiman, and I really really wanted to read that due to how much I loved the movie when I was younger, but it’s not available at any library close to where I live, and so I cannot read it. Luckily enough for me, Rachael was kind enough to let us choose another book that has to do with an adventure to find something lost, in case we couldn’t get our hands on Stardust in time. And since The Gilded Wolves is literally a historical fantasy adventure novel about people going on a quest to find a lost artefact, I thought that it would fit perfectly! Am I bummed not to be able to read Stardust? A little bit, yeah. However, I read a few chapters of The Gilded Wolves a few months ago (I’ll re-read them, though), and I highly enjoyed what I read, so I am really looking forward to it.

MORE CHALLENGES IN CASE I HAVE TIME

CRIMSON PEAKS: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling. QUEENDOM STONE: Le Roi de fer, by Maurice Druon. THE WEEPING FALLS: Sadie, by Courtney Summers. DWARF MOUNT: Wild Savage Stars, by Kristina Pérez. APOTHECARY TOWERS: The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman. THE GREAT LIBRARY: La Reine étranglée, by Maurice Druon. THE DROWNING DEEP: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling.  THE ELVEN GUARD: Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis, by Kelly Sue DeConnick & David López. ON THE HALLOW ISLE: Unnatural, Vol. 1: Awakening, by Mirka Andolfo. EMPTY BARREL INN: Giant Days, Vol. 5, by John Allison & More. GIANT SQUID: The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon.

[sampagnereads]

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for letting me read an advanced copy of this book! My friend has a saying that goes like “dessert isn’t for your stomach; it’s for your heart” and I feel like, if you were to replace “dessert” with this book, and “stomach” with head, this would 100% apply for The Tea Dragon Festival. The main thing with this book is that it’s soothing. It’s not complex, and it won’t make your brain work at a hundred miles an hour to figure out what’s going on. This is meant to be beautiful and soothing and nice, and it shows in the most wonderful of ways. The colours in this graphic novel are, to put it simply, to die for. They’re soft yet vibrant, and you want nothing more than to just lose yourself in them. And that’s without saying just how gorgeous the illustrations are, in and of themselves. Truly, I doubt I’ll ever find a book or series cuter than the Tea Dragon series. It’s so… Wonderful. I feel like I’m floating when I’m reading it, and find myself smiling without even realizing it. This book in particular made me really emotional because the main character is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. As a non-binary person who uses they/them pronouns in English, that made my heart swell to at least three times its normal size. I felt like crying when I first realized it, but those tears would have been happy and far from sad. And the use of they/them pronouns is just one small bit of the diversity in this novel. Just in this book, there’s what appears to be a male/male (I think, though I don’t think their genders were ever specified) couple, people of colour, sign language use, and probably a ton of other things I didn’t even notice due to how natural they felt in the story. I know this book is for all ages, but reading it has made me want to have a kid really, really bad so that I can get them to read this series too. It’s so beautiful, soft, soothing, diverse and entertaining, that I don’t see how this could be a less than the absolute perfect gift for a child. It’s already a great gift for an adult, but children deserve to have the chance to read this wonderful series too, and so I know for a fact that I’ll be giving these books to my cousin’s children for Christmas. They’re unfortunately the only children I know, but I do think they’ll love it. Or at the very least, their parents will love reading it to them. All in all, this book made so so so so soft. It’s the most soothing thing I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, and I simply cannot recommend it enough.

[sampagnereads]

Hi, lovelies! In July 2019, I’ll be hosting my first ever readathon, which is the DND Readathon, Race Edition! Basically, an edition of this readathon will take place about every two months (they won’t all be one-month long, though), and the main goal is to build up a DND character based on knowledge that can be found in the Fifth Edition Player’s Handbook! If you don’t have access to that, though, this website has a lot of information about DND that can be helpful. For more information on the readathon itself, I recommend following its twitter account right here! And just in case, here’s the thread that explains everything, and to which information will be slowly added throughout the month of June!

Basically, for this readathon, you need to complete all three challenges associated to a race for your character to be part of that race. You can try to complete as many challenges as possible, though, so that you have more options. Plus, if you read at least one book for a race, you’ll have an advantage when it comes to choosing your companions’ races! But, yes! Enough explaining! Let’s talk about my TBR now! I’m going to try to complete four races altogether, which are dragonborn, gnome, half-orc and tiefling! I’ll also be doing my best to read at least one book for all the other races. And so, below the cut, you can find all that I plan on reading for the readathon during the month of July!

DRAGONBORN

INVOLVES DRAGONS.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Shatter the Sky, by Rebecca Kim Wells. To put this summary really simply, it’s about a girl who plans on stealing one of the empire’s dragons to save her girlfriend, and basically, it sounds right up my alley. I was lucky enough to receive an eArc of it through Netgalley, and I honestly cannot wait to get to it. Obviously, there are dragons, or at least one dragon in this story, and so it fits perfectly for this challenge!

RECOMMENDED BY A PARENT/GUARDIAN/MENTOR.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Le Roi de fer, by Maurice Druon. This is called The Iron King in English, and is the first book in Les Rois maudits series (The Accursed Kings). It’s about a line of kings descending from a king who killed templars, and on whose family was placed a curse by one of those templars. It’s historical fiction, very much romanticized, and I’m oh so excited to read it. My mother has been trying to get me to read it for years now, and I’m so excited for us to be able to talk about it together. 

BUDDY-READ.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Girls With Sharp Sticks, by Suzanne Young. This is a book about girls who go to this academy where they’re taught to be docile, obedient, and not have any opinions of their own, until one day they realize there’s more going on than they had originally realized. As for the buddy-read, I’ll be buddy-reading this book with two of my favourite people, aka Sage ( sageshelves ) and Kat ( stardustreviews )! 

DWARF

FOIL ON THE COVER. 

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Mirage, by Somaiya Daud. This is a moroccan-inspired sci-fi fantasy about a girl who’s forced to become the body double of a princess who’s very much so hated by her subjects. Problem is, the main character starts to get used to life at court. This has foil both on the dusk jacket and underneath it (as I have the Owlcrate exclusive edition), so I think it’s a perfect fit for this challenge!

ELF

UNDER 200 PAGES.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Giant Days, Vol. 5, by John Allison & more. This comic series follows three young women who became fast friends in university, and I’ve been loving it so far. It’s a lot more interesting than the premise leads you to believe, and I cannot wait to get to the fifth volume! It’s only 112 pages, too, so that works perfectly for this challenge!

GNOME

BRIGHT COVER.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Prince Charming, by Rachel Hawkins. This follows an american teenage girl whose older sister is marrying the fictional prince of England, and who has a temperament that could lead her into some trouble, hence why the crown appoints a guy to help her like, chill! I don’t know if everyone would consider this cover to be bright, but I do, so! Yes!

5-STAR PREDICTION. 

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis, by Kelly Sue DeConnick & David López. This is the last volume in this particular run of Captain Marvel, who’s a superhero who mostly helps out in space. She’s my favourite superhero, and though I have given the first two volumes only four stars, I have a feeling like the third volume will get a higher rating than that!

CALLED UNDERHYPED AND/OR UNDERRATED. 

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Wild Savage Stars, by Kristina Pérez. This is the sequel to Sweet Black Waves, which is a retelling of Tristan and Iseult told through Branwen’s perspective, who happens to be Iseult’s lady in waiting, cousin and best friend. The first book is my favour of all time, and it is way too underhyped, in my opinion. I was lucky enough to get an arc of the second book, Wild Savage Stars, and so I’ll be reading it in July!

HALF-ELF

ONLY ONE POV. 

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling. It is definitely at least 99% told from one POV, so it definitely counts. I’ve decided to re-read the Harry Potter books physically this year, and so I’m planning on reading two of them in July! One of which you’ll hear about a bit later on in this list. 

HALF-ORC

THAT ISN’T IN PRISTINE CONDITION. 

For this challenge, I’ll be reading The Collapsing Empire, by John Scalzi. This is an adult sci-fi novel about three people who are trying to salvage what they can from an empire on the brink of collapse. It comes highly recommended, and I cannot wait to get to it. It fits this challenge due to the fact that there’s a tear in the hardcover; I got it from BookOutlet and so I didn’t fuss about it, which worked out well for me since I can now use it for this challenge!

WITH A MORALLY GREY PROTAGONIST.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Sadie, by Courtney Summers. It’s a book about a girl who sets out on a revenge quest after her younger sister has been killed, and a podcast that talks about her and what happened. I heard a few people describe the main character of this book as morally grey, considering what she’s doing, and so I’ll be counting it for this challenge!

OVER 500 PAGES.

For this challenge, I’m either going to read Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon OR A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin. Both are well over 500 pages long, and I know I’ll go for one of the two for this challenge. I’m currently reading A Game of Thrones, and so I feel like I might want to read the sequel next month, but also, I’m super excited for Priory, so! We’ll see!

HALFLING

WITH A POV THAT DIFFERS FROM YOUR OWN. 

For this challenge, I’m going to be reading Blanca & Roja, by Anna-Marie McLemore. This follows latinx characters, and as I’m not latinx myself, it works perfectly for this challenge! Basically, this book follows two sisters who come from a family where, out of every two girls born to a woman, one will eventually be turned into a swan. Anna-Marie McLemore’s one of my favourite authors of all time, and I can’t believe I haven’t read this yet!

HUMAN

BORROWED AT THE LIBRARY.

This might change depending on whether or not it’s available at the library, but if it is, I’ll be borrowing I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 2: Fluff My Life for this challenge. This is an adult comic that will also work for The Book Junkie Trials, a readathon I’m also reading in July and for which I’ll post a tbr asap!

TIEFLING

BANNED BOOK.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter is one of the most banned series in the world, and so I feel like it will work perfectly for this challenge! I’m not reading the first book in July, though, because I read it just a few months ago. However, I am counting this as the start of my physical re-read of Harry Potter in English! 

FOLLOWS A HUMANOID (BUT NOT FULLY HUMAN) CHARACTER.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Unnatural, Vol. 1: Awakening, by Mirka Andolfo. I’m not exactly sure what this is about, as I think it’s nice to go into some comics without knowing too much, but I do know that it follows a pig girl, and therefore a humanoid, but not fully human character, which is perfect for this challenge!

RECOMMENDED TO YOU BY SOMEONE YOU TRUST.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading La Reine étranglée (The Strangled Queen in English), by Maurice Druon. This is the second book in Les Rois maudits (The Accursed Kings in English), a series of historical fiction novels that are heavily romanticized. It comes highly recommended from my mother, and as I’m already reading the first book of this series for the readathon, and I’ve heard that I’ll want to continue straight away, I decided to add this book to July’s tbr!

[sampagnereads]

Thank you to Netgalley & BOOM! Box for granting me a wish and letting me read an advanced copy of this book!

I'm gonna start off by saying that I really enjoyed this. It was fun, entertaining, diverse, and very aesthetically pleasing. The thing is, it felt like the first volume in the series. And I tend to like those less than the rest of the volumes in a comic series. The only exception to that is probably Saga, and that series is an exception in a ton of ways for me, so. Yeah. What I mean, exactly, by saying that "it felt like the first volume in a series" is that it felt like it was placing things for the rest of the series, and that not much happened. We got introduced to characters I now adore, yes, but we didn't go in depth when it came to any of them, except maybe Olivia. Who, by the way, is my favourite along with Jay. I just... This was too short. Not enough happened, simply because there weren't enough pages. I loved the characters, but I found the plot to be a little bit lacking. It was cute, but no more. However, I have a very strong feeling that the rest of this series will only get better and better, as it seems to have a lot of potential. I wish I had liked the first volume more, but alas, I did not. Will I still pick up the next volumes? Definitely. And I'll definitely recommend this first volume to my library, because I could see a lot of people enjoying this more than I did.

[sampagnereads]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an advanced copy of this book! Okay, so. I have never played Dream Daddy in the past, and therefore, though I was really excited about this comic, I was a bit nervous I'd be lost within the story. However, I didn't need to worry at all, because this worked extremely well for me. Both illustration-wise and story-wise. Basically, this was one of the cutest things I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It was comprised of different stories following different people, but they all intertwined together in a way, and I loved loved loved that. There was also a lot of diversity amongst the characters, which I really appreciated. Now, the reason why this didn't get a higher rating is simply because I wanted more of it all. I wanted to keep on reading about these characters more and more, and so I was really disappointed when it ended. I also really appreciated how all the stories were different enough from each other, but still fit with the other stories perfectly. I especially loved the first story and the DND one, mostly because the first one was adorable and because I love DND. Honestly, it's hard to review a book you enjoyed so much. All I can really say is that, if you're looking for something cute, funny, well-written and well-illustrated, this might just be the book for you! It's oh so lovely, and I still can't believe I was lucky enough to get an arc of it. Like, seriously, thank you Oni Press. So, yes! Please do yourself a favour and check this book out because I seriously doubt you'll regret it!

[sampagnereads]

Evening (or whatever time of the day it is where you are), everyone! I’m participating in way too many readathons in May, but one of the ones I’m most excited for is definitely the SailorMoonAThon! It’s going to last from May 1st to May 20th, and for more information about it, I recommend checking out the twitter account for the readathon right here! Also! Very exciting fact: I’M ON TEAM SAILOR MARS! But, yes. You can find my TBR for the readathon under the cut!

THE HUNGER GAMES, BY SUZANNE COLLINS. ( TEAM BOOK + SAILOR PLUTO )

I’m going to be 100% honest with you: I’ve read this in the past, and rated it one star. However, I have a very strong feeling that I’ll like it a lot more now than I did back then. This is one of the original YA dystopian novels, and a book that shaped a lot of people’s reading lives, and I’m genuinely curious to see what I think of it now, at this stage of my life. I remember that the thing that bothered me most about this book when I first read it was the writing style, and I tend to get used to different writing styles more easily now, so yes. I’m hopeful. The only problem is that I’m borrowing this from the library, and though I have a hold on it, it’s not guaranteed that I’ll get it on time. (It’s counting both for the team book AND the Sailor Pluto challenge, aka to read a dystopian book.)

THE PRINCESS DIARIES, BY MEG CABOT. ( SAILOR MOON )

For this challenge, we need to re-read one of our favourite books, and so I decided to go with the first book of the series I loved most as a child. I have to admit that, growing up, I loved The Princess Diaries even more than I loved Harry Potter. It didn’t stick with me the way Harry Potter did (though J.K. Rowling’s doing a good job of making HP unstick - but that’s another story), and I remember awaiting every translation with bated breath. The only book I haven’t read in this series is Royal Wedding, which came out a few years ago, and though I own it, I want to re-read the entire series before I get to it. Therefore, it makes this the perfect fit for this challenge, and I cannot wait to get to it!

THE LOVE & LIES OF RUKHSANA ALI, BY SABINA KHAN. ( SAILOR MERCURY )

This challenge is to read a book that challenges you, and since homophobia is a tough subject for me to read because of personal reasons, I thought I’d read a book that deals with that! I know maybe it’s not the best idea to read a book that could upset me, but I’m highly anticipating this book, and I think I’m going to love it, no matter how tough it might be for me to read. Also, Sabina Khan will be at MTLYAFest on May 26th, and I’d love to have read the book before possibly meeting her!

WILD SAVAGE STARS, BY KRISTINA PÉREZ. ( SAILOR VENUS )

This challenge is to read a book with a character that has special abilities, and I thought that this book would work perfectly for it! I can’t really explain why that is, as this is the sequel to Sweet Black Waves and I don’t want to risk giving away spoilers, but, um, this is my most anticipated book of the year and I CANNOT wait to finally read it. I got the arc in an auction for Christchurch as an added gift to the personalized copy of the first book, and I’m just! So so so so so so so so so so so so excited to read it. I think this might end up being my favourite book of the year, just like Sweet Black Waves was my favourite book of last year, and just!!!!!!!! I’m so excited!!!!!!!

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT SWEETIE, BY SANDHYA MENON. ( TUXEDO MASK )

For this challenge, we need to read a romance novel, and so I decided to go with one of my most anticipated books of the year, which I was lucky enough to get an e-arc of on NetGalley. Honestly, I’m still in awe about it, because I never thought I’d get approved for such a popular book. But I was, and I therefore want to read it before it comes out so I can encourage other people to purchase it. Plus, it features an Indian-American plus-sized main character, and though I’m not of Indian descent, I am plus-size and I cannot wait to see that kind of rep. I loved Sandhya Menon’s previous two books, and I honestly can’t wait to get to this one.

DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES, BY SEANAN MCGUIRE. ( CHIBI-USA )

For this challenge, we need to read a novella, and so I decided to go with the next novella in the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire. Now, I didn’t love the first book and originally didn’t plan on continuing, but three very important factors finally got me to want to read the second book. First of all, I can’t think of any other novella. Second of all, they have it on OverDrive at my library. Third of all, my friend told me he thought I’d like it more than the first book. So, yes. I’m taking a chance and reading it, and though I don’t know if it’ll be a new favourite, my hopes are pretty high.

BROKEN THRONE, BY VICTORIA AVEYARD. ( SAILOR MARS )

For this challenge, we need to read a book that has to do with fire, and since there are people with pyrokinetic abilities in this series, I thought that this would fit perfectly! I actually received this book yesterday even though it’s coming out next Tuesday (I pre-ordered it), and so I’m most likely going to read it first! I even hope to finish it within a day, as I plan on doing a mini 12-hour readathon today. I’m not going to beat myself up over it if I don’t manage it, of course, but I’d be really pleased with myself if it were to happen.

SORCERY OF THORNS, BY MARGARET ROGERSON. ( SAILOR JUPITER )

For this challenge, we need to read a book with more than 400 pages, and since this book is 464 pages long, I think it’s going to be perfect for it! Basically, I was lucky enough to get an arc of this book on NetGalley, and having heard amazing things about it so far, I’m highly looking forward to it. On top of that, it has to do with a magical library, and as someone who’s studying to become a library tech, that’s something that really appeals to me. Also, it’s coming out on June 4th, so I’d like to have read it before then!

THE LOST COAST, BY AMY ROSE CAPETTA. ( SAILOR SATURN )

For this challenge, we need to read a stand-alone, and as far as I know, this book is a stand-alone, so it works perfectly for this challenge! This is another arc that I got from NetGalley, and I really, really want to read it before it comes out on May 14th. Also, this is about queer witches in Northern California, and that ticks a lot of my boxes. I still can’t believe I got approved for an arc of it, to be honest.

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY, BY BRIGID KEMMERER. ( SAILOR URANUS )

For this challenge, we need to read a book with a gorgeous cover, and though I know this cover doesn’t exactly please everyone, I personally really like it. Not necessarily for the design, but instead for the colours. I was going to read this in April after I got it for my birthday (March 29), but I instead decided to push it back to this month since real life problems got in the way of me reading all that much last month.

BELLY UP, BY EVA DARROWS. ( SAILOR NEPTUNE )

For this challenge, we need to read a contemporary novel, and I chose this one in particular because it’s one of my most anticipated releases of the year. This has been compared to Gilmore Girls and Juno, but more diverse, so like... That sounds perfect for me. I’m also like, 99.9% sure that this is pure contemporary, and so it fits this challenge perfectly! Also, I have an arc of it until the end of May so it’s about time I read it!

BEDS ARE FOR FLOWERS, BY R.K. GOLD. ( GROUP BOOK )

This is the group book for the readathon, and I’m oh so excited to read it! Not only because this counts for three times the amount of pages, but also because I never heard of it before, and I love finding out about things I’d never encountered before! To be completely honest with you, I have no idea what this is about, but I heard that it’s really diverse, so I’m highly looking forward to it!

[sampagnereads]

Hi, lovelies! It’s the most exciting time of the year again, aka the O.W.L.s readathon! This readathon is hosted by G over at BookRoast, and the main idea of it is that you’re reading books to pass your Ordinary Wizarding Levels. This year, though, G added another side of it and created a document full of magical careers and the exams you’d need to pass to achieve them, and so I’m even more excited than I was last year! For more information on the readathon, please check G’s announcement video right here. 

Just so you know, I’ve decided to become a healer, which means that I absolutely need the following O.W.L.s: Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, Transfiguration, and three other subjects up to me. However, my goal is to complete all the exams, and so I’ll be aiming to read at least 12 books this month! 

Under the cut, you’ll find my tbr!

( LOW PRIORITY ) ANCIENT RUNES — RETELLING

For this class, I’ve decided to read Kissing the Witch, by Emma Donoghue. This is a collection of short fairy tale retellings that focus on women, women saving themselves, and women saving each other. It also apparently has sapphic relationships, which I’m really excited to read. Also, this is a pretty short book, which makes it perfect for a readathon. Add to that the fact that it’s a collection of short stories, which I usually read quickly, and you’ve got the best readathon book, basically.

( MEDIUM PRIORITY ) ARITHMANCY — WORK WRITTEN BY MORE THAN ONE AUTHOR

For this class, I’ve decided to read Lumberjanes, Vol. 10: Parents’ Day, by Shannon Watters, Kat Leyh, Ayme Sotuyo & Maarta Laiho. This is the tenth volume in the Lumberjanes series, which is a series that follows a group of girls and non-binary folks who go to a summer camp to become Lumberjanes, aka something akin to girl scouts. I’ve rated the first six volumes of this series somewhere between a 3 and a 3.5 stars, but ever since the 7th volume, they’ve been getting very strong four stars from me. Therefore, I’m highly anticipating reading this volume for the readathon, and I already have it borrowed from the library, which means that I can for sure get to it in April!

( LOW PRIORITY ) ASTRONOMY — “STAR” IN THE TITLE

For this class, I’ve decided to read The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson. Honestly, I don’t know much about this book. I know it’s a mystery, possibly a paranormal one, and that’s about as far as my knowledge of it goes. I don’t currently own this book, but I’m like 90% sure I’m getting it for my birthday on March 29, and worst case scenario? I’m pretty sure I can borrow it from the library or buy it on my Kobo for cheaper. And even then, I have another book with “star” in the title in my physical TBR, and though I’m not SUPER excited about it at the moment, I’m keeping it as an option! (That second option book is Catching Stars, by Cayla Keenan, by the way.)

( MEDIUM PRIORITY ) CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES — LAND ANIMAL ON THE COVER

For this class, I’ll most likely be reading The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power, by Ryan North & Erica Henderson. This comic literally has a squirrel on the cover, which I’m sure you’ve guessed thanks to the name, and so it fits perfectly with this challenge. To be completely honest with you, I don’t know much about this comic, except for the fact that it seems amazing. They have it at my library, too, so I should be able to get to this one quite easily! Problem is, I don’t have it out from the library yet, so I might not be able to get to it in April. Worst case scenario, I’ll be reading The Storm Runner, by J.C. Cervantes, which has a dog on the back of the cover! (EDIT: There’s a slight chance I’ll instead read Catwoman: Soulstealer, as I still haven’t read it even though I borrowed it from the library last week.)

( HIGH PRIORITY ) CHARMS — ADULT BOOK

For this class, I’ve decided to read Daydreams of Angels, by Heather O’Neill. This is a collection of short stories that have been described as “fable-like tales”, so to say that I’m excited to read it would be an understatement. My mother read the French translation of it last year, loved it, and thought that I would love it too. Therefore, she bought it for me in English last Christmas, as she knows I prefer reading a book in its original language if possible, and now I get to read it for this readathon! Honestly, I’ve been itching to get to this book for a while now, and I can’t wait for April!

( HIGH PRIORITY ) DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS — TITLE STARTS WITH “R”

For this class, I’ll be reading Royal Wedding, by Meg Cabot. This is the last book to have come out in The Princess Diaries, and is the only adult book out of this whole series. This series follows Mia, a regular girl who one day finds out that she’s the princess of a small European country. This was my favourite series when I was younger, even more so than Harry Potter, and I absolutely cannot wait to see these characters again! It feels like it’s been so long since I last read a book in that series, and I am thoroughly excited to get back into it.

( LOW PRIORITY ) DIVINATION — SET IN THE FUTURE

For this class, I’ll be reading Queen Song, by Victoria Aveyard. This is a prequel novella set in the Red Queen universe, and though I’ve read all the books that are out already, I’ve yet to read the novellas. Fortunately for me, this particular novella is available at my library through OverDrive, so that’s where I’ll be reading it! And though I won’t be prioritizing this class, as I don’t really see how useful Divination would be to me, as a healer, I’ll probably read it pretty early on in the month since it’s so short. 

( HIGH PRIORITY ) HERBOLOGY — PLANT ON THE COVER

For this class, I’m planning on reading Frida, c’est moi, by Sophie Faucher & Cara Carmina. This is a children’s picture book about Frida Kahlo, and I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it from basically everyone around me. It’s also 30 pages long, with very little text, which makes it perfect for a readathon. Also, since Herbology is one of the classes I absolutely need to become a Healer, I’ll definitely be prioritizing this book, and it might even be my first read of the readathon.

( MEDIUM PRIORITY ) HISTORY OF MAGIC — PUBLISHED 10+ YEARS AGO

For this class, I’m definitely going to be reading Les Trois mousquetaires (The Three Musketeers), by Alexandre Dumas! This is a French classic, and though it’s been a while since I read in French, it is my first language, and I will therefore be reading this book in its original language! I honestly watched the movie version of it so often when I was little, that I’m thoroughly excited to get back into this story. Also, it’s the book of the month for the Classics’ Support Group I’m hosting, so it all works out perfectly!

( MEDIUM PRIORITY ) MUGGLE STUDIES — CONTEMPORARY

For this class, I’ll be reading Belly Up, by Eva Darrows. I was lucky enough to get an e-ARC of this book, and since it’s coming out at the end of April, I thought it’d be perfect for me to read it during the readathon. This book follows a teen who becomes pregnant, and has been compared to, not only Juno (which I liked), but also to Gilmore Girls (which I adore and re-watch often). Therefore, to say that I’m excited to read this book would be quite the understatement. 

( HIGH PRIORITY ) POTIONS — SEQUEL

For this class, I shall be reading Gone Rogue, by Marissa Meyer & Stephen Gilpin. This is the sequel to Wires and Nerve, a graphic novel that takes place in the world of The Lunar Chronicles after the events of the last book, Winter. I really, really liked Wires and Nerve, which surprised me since I had picked it up on a whim, and can’t wait to get to this one! Problem is, it’s a library book, so there is a slight chance I won’t be able to get my hands on it during April. If that happens, I’ll instead be reading A Swiftly Tilting Planet, by Madeleine L’Engle. 

( HIGH PRIORITY ) TRANSFIGURATION — SPRAYED EDGES OR RED COVER

For this class, I’m planning on reading Heart of Iron, by Ashley Poston! Both because it’s the only book I own with sprayed edges that I haven’t read yet, but also because I’ve been itching to read it for a while now. I had actually started the book last year, but since I remember very little of it, I will be re-starting it all over from the beginning. I do remember the fact that I really liked what I had read, though, and am therefore very pumped to get back to this book!

Aaaaand, that’s it! Here are all the books I’m planning on reading for the 2019 O.W.L.s! I might end up reading more books than those twelve during the month, but either way, I’ll have had a very good reading month! School does come first, though, so there is a chance I won’t be able to get to all these books, but let’s hope I manage to organize my free time well enough so that I can read all of these.

[sampagnereads]

I was supposed to write this review about three weeks ago, but I took a lil break from reviewing due to how exhausted I've been, so I'm really sorry this is coming so late! Okay, so, first of all. I hesitated to read this for a long time; way too long, in fact. Thing was, I had seen the illustration style, and I wasn't sure I'd like it for the length of an entire graphic novel. And that's not to say that the illustrations aren't gorgeous, because they totally are! The problem is that this is coloured in shades of blue, and I tend to prefer multi-colour illustrations when I'm reading comics or graphic novels. Still, I was at the library one day and saw it there, and went "Why not?" and I'm oh so glad I did, because I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This takes place after the events of The Lunar Chronicles, and though it's been a while since I read that series, I was never confused whilst reading Wires and Nerve. And I'm easily confused, so that's a pretty big deal. I thought this was a really nice continuation of the previous series, and since we were following my favourite character from the previous books in this universe, I really, really enjoyed this. The pacing felt just right, and so did the main plotline. In fact, I liked the story so much that I didn't even mind that the characters didn't look like I had pictured them. Like, seriously. The story was so action-packed, without making you feel like you were out of breath once you finished it, and I'm having difficulty finding negative things to say about it. Still, it's a four stars because whilst I didn't see anything wrong with this graphic novel, I don't feel like I enjoyed it quite enough for it to get a higher rating. Still, a four stars is a really good rating, and I think it represents how much I enjoyed this book quite well. All in all, if you've read The Lunar Chronicles, I highly recommend picking Wires and Nerve up. It's a highly enjoyable graphic novel, and I think that, if you liked the original series, there's a very high chance you'll enjoy this too.

[sampagnereads]

I first decided to buy this book when I saw someone complain that it was too "man-hating", and having seen tons of people I trust rating it highly, I knew this would be right up my alley. Do I hate men? Not particularly. But I do hate the patriarchy, and I do believe that this book is a great social commentary on how girls and women are treated under the patriarchy. Sure, it's a bit heavy-handed. I loved the message, but I felt like, at the end, there were huge, flashing arrows pointing at it, and I was a bit put off because I thought that it was very clear already? Then again, from some reviews I've read, I guess that was a necessity for some. And even then, some people didn't get it, so... Which, like, I'm not judging them. No one reads the same book. But if what you take from this book is that it's "man-hating 101", then I definitely don't think we read the same thing. Thing is, I live on an island. And this is a horror book that takes place on an island, so... To say that I was terrified at times would be an understatement. Still, it wasn't too scary. It was still an enjoyable read, and toed the line between horror and contemporary very well, in my opinion. I just... It's hard to put into words how atmospheric this book was, and how much I loved it. The only reason why this isn't getting a higher rating is because I felt like it dragged a little bit towards the middle of the book. However, the beginning and ending? Simply breathtaking. Then, there are the characters. Who, to be completely honest with you, I adored. They were all very well fleshed out and interesting, and even the side characters managed to grab my attention. I loved how friendships, romantic relationships and family relationships were dealt with, and adored the bonds that were created between the main characters. Also, the diversity was amazing. All three main characters were part of the LGBTQIAP+ community, and that was like... A dream come true. Plus, one of the main characters is black, which adds some more diversity and is, all in all, amazing. I can't speak for the ace or black rep in this book, but I haven't seen any ownvoices reviewers talking negatively about it, so I have a feeling it was done well. Though, to be sure, you'd have to ask ownvoices reviewers. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept my attention all the way through (except maybe for a few pages in the middle), and I honestly don't have any complaints except for part of the middle dragging a TINY bit. It's a book I definitely recommend, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did, because I know people tend to either love or hate this!

[sampagnereads]

Alright, so! The Booktube Games has challenges every week, and this week’s challenge (which is ending today) is to do a 24 hours readathon, and so I shall be doing so today! I started my readathon at midnight but fell asleep and just woke up, so I decided to write down a lil tbr for the rest of the day to hold myself accountable! So, yes! Under the cut, you’ll find all the books I’m planning on reading today!

01. TOIL & TROUBLE: 15 TALES OF WOMEN AND WITCHCRAFT, EDITED BY TESS SHARPE & JESSICA SPOTSWOOD. 405 PAGES

This is an anthology about, you guessed it, women and witchcraft! I was supposed to read it in October, but was in a huge reading slump back then, and therefore didn’t. I was going to keep it for next October, but I’m re-re-re-re-re-re-re-watching Charmed right now, and am therefore in a very witchy mood! I’ve heard mixed things about this anthology, but there are tons of authors I love in it and I’m trash for witches, so I have a feeling I’m personally going to love it. Also, I read the first story right before writing this TBR, and I really liked it, which I think is a good sign.

02. ON A SUNBEAM, BY TILLIE WALDEN. 533 PAGES

This is a pretty big graphic novel, but it doesn’t seem that daunting due to the fact that the story sounds fascinating, and I therefore expect to fly through it. This graphic novel follows two stories (or timelines? I’m not completely sure). One about two girls who fall in love at a boarding school, and another one about the ragtag crew of a space ship. The illustrations, from what I’ve seen so far, look gorgeous, and I’m really really excited to finally get to this book.

03. THE POET X, BY ELIZABETH ACEVEDO. 357 PAGES

This is a book told through poetry that follows a girl who comes from a very strict and religious family who joins a slam poetry club at her school and falls for a boy, both things which I think her parents don’t exactly approve of. I borrowed this book from the library, and I need to read it before March 8th, but I feel in the mood to read it right now, and so I shall do so! I’ve heard nothing but good things about this one, so to say that I’m excited about it would be quite the understatement.

04. STAIN, BY A.G. HOWARD. 516 PAGES

This is a Princess and the Pea retelling that I’ve already started, and am loving so far. Thing is, I’m not particularly in the mood to read it today, which is why I don’t think I’ll be able to finish it today. Still, I’ll try to read at least a little bit of it, and hey! I never know! I might actually end up being in the mood for this book and finishing it today. I mean, I hope I will because that would mean a lot of pages read, but I don’t want to get my hopes too high.

[sampagnereads]

I was given an eARC to review from NetGalley and the publisher, but this does not affect my opinion in any way. TW: Death & animal death. Okay, but like... Wow. The book that first got me passionate about reading was Eragon, and this book gave me really nice Eragon vibes, so this felt very nostalgic to me. Still, even if that hadn't been the case, I still think I would have loved this book. The beginning was a bit slow and filled with information, which I know may not work for everyone, but I personally adored it. I loved learning about the fascinating world this story took place in, and was especially interested by the history of the world. The characters? They were all so fascinating, and even those I didn't like remained thoroughly interesting to me. Even the characters from the past, who we only saw glimpses of, were impossible not to get attached to. This follows three main points of view, with glimpses of documents from the past, and I never felt confused about who I was reading about, which is always nice when reading a story told through multiple POVs. The plot? Amazing. I thought the pacing of it all was really good, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story overall. At first, I was a bit hesitant about the whole "girl pretending to be a boy" thing because that's not a trope I tend to enjoy (except for Mulan, and now this book), but I personally found it really interesting. I'm trying to stay vague as to not spoil anything, but like... The ending. THE ENDING. I had foreseen something similar happening, but I wasn't entirely right, and was therefore pleasurably surprised when it came around. The world building? Amazing, in my opinion. I fully understood the world and what was going on, and loved learning about its history. Every time there was info dumping (which there was some of), I was actually excited to read it because I loved learning about this world and its history. There was one thing that didn't make a lot of sense to me, but I think that has more to do with me not understanding easily than it has to do with the book. All in all, I really loved this book, and I'll forever be grateful that I got an ARC of it. The characters were lovely, the plot was super entertaining, and the world building was fascinating. This was actually a very hard review to write due to how much I enjoyed the book, and although I wish reviews were always easy to write, if they're all difficult to write due to the fact that I'm loving the books I'm reading, then I definitely won't complain.

[sampagnereads]

Alright, so. Let me start this review by saying that I'm 100% biased. The Grisha Verse holds a very, very special place in my heart, and has done so ever since I first read a book in it, that I can't be neutral when it comes to it. With that out of the way, let's talk about what I thought of this book. I've heard some people say that they thought the first third of the book was a bit slow, and I've got to agree with them. It was a bit slow in the beginning. Thing is, I love slow books. I love character-focused books, and books where things aren't too fast-paced, so... I really, really didn't mind it. I thought it was nice for us to be re-introduced to the characters before being shoved right into the action, and I do believe it was a very smart move from Bardugo. Still, I know some people don't like slower stuff, so please be warned that the beginning of the book is a bit slow-going. If you're absolute trash for these characters like I am, though, you probably won't mind it. Talking about the characters, um, WOW. It was so much fun to see more of some of the characters we met in The Grisha Trilogy and the Six of Crows Duology (I'm not saying who because I'm trying to stay vague - I know some people want to go into this book not even knowing who it's about), and I loved seeing how they had grown and evolved. I also really, really enjoyed seeing how what had happened to them in the previous series had affected them, and how they'd reacted after the big things (tm) had taken place. This book basically followed my top three favourite characters from the Grisha Verse, so to say that I was trash for all of them is a bit of an understatement. And the new characters we got to meet? Holy shit, did I get attached to them! I mean, there were some I didn't really like, but I still loved reading about them. Leigh Bardugo has a way of writing characters that makes each and every one of them fascinating to me, and she really didn't disappoint in King of Scars. Now, the plot. I loved seeing how the events of the previous series affected Ravka and its neighbouring countries, and really enjoyed all of the political talk. It wasn't too heavy handed, and definitely didn't take away from the story, but it was very interesting to read about, and I can't wait to see what happens next with all of it. This story mainly follows two timelines, and though I know some people preferred one over the other, which makes sense since it's rare to love things equally, I personally adored both. I thought that things went in directions I did not see coming, and though I saw the ending coming, there were little plot twists throughout the story that I really could not have guessed were coming. Okay, so. Usually, I'm not the biggest fan of romance. However, the three main ships in this book? They own my whole entire being. I don't even have words to explain how much I love them. I identify to a lot of characters in this book (well, three of them), and I was over the moon to see them going towards or being into healthy relationships. All in all, I can't believe I have to wait for at least another year before I can get the second book. This was... This was indescribable. I simply don't have the words to express how much this book means to me, and how deeply it affected me. Just writing this review, I'm almost crying due to how emotional this all makes me. So, yes. I definitely, definitely recommend diving into the Grishaverse.

[sampagnereads]

Honestly, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to go and write a review for this absolute gem of a book. First things first, this book made me cry. Not because it was upsetting or anything like that, but because a character goes by they/them pronouns, and it's not treated like it's an oddity or a huge deal. And to see that, as someone who goes by they/them pronouns, well... It made my heart soar. Now, you might say: "Well, that character already went by they/them pronouns in the first book." And maybe you're right. To be honest, I don't remember much of the first book except for the mystery aspects. Still, the use of they/them pronouns in this book made me cry, and I'll forever be thankful for it. Now, the characters. Honestly, even though I'm suspicious of pretty much every single one of them, I love them all immensely. They're all so different from each other, and so different from the characters I'm used to reading about, that they've carved themselves a very special place in my heart. Especially Stevie, our main character, to whom I greatly identify (even though I'm not into true crime like her). Not only because she suffers from anxiety, like me, but also because the way she's an introvert is quite close to my way of being introverted. Her family situation's very different from mine, though, just to be clear. I'd be constantly rioting if my parents were like hers, to be honest, but that's a conversation for another day. So, yes. The plot. I just... Wow. I was frustrated at the end of the first book because nothing was revealed, but The Vanishing Stair more than made up for it. It was so so so so so so so so good. Like, okay, so. I had some ideas about who could have done... Something, and whilst I was wrong about one thing, I think I'm still right about some other things that haven't been revealed yet, and I love it! I usually spend so much time guessing who did what that it takes me away from the story, but that wasn't the case here, and I'm oh so happy about it. I loved the twists and turns this story took, and how things unfolded, and I absolutely can't wait for the third book, although I highkey don't want it to end. And there's also the writing, which is beautiful, without stealing the spotlight away from the story. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but, sometimes, the writing of a book is so intense that it kind of overshadows the actual story for me. And that really wasn't the case with The Vanishing Stair. I do love writing I notice from time to time, but it's also a lot of fun to read something without even feeling like you're putting an effort into reading said something due to how amazing it is. All in all, this was an excellent sequel, and I'm so glad I decided to buy and read it. I can't believe I'll have to wait a year or probably more for the sequel, because I need it like... Right now. Maybe it helped that I read this in one sitting during the 24in48 Readathon, but still, I'm pretty sure that this will end up in my top 19 of 2019. Now, let's cross our fingers and hope they'll translate Truly Devious and its sequel in French so that my Dad can read it, because I have a strong feeling he'll love it.

[sampagnereads]

I have mixed feelings about this book, to be quite honest. To be fair, I read most of it during the 24in48 Readathon, which might have affected my enjoyment. Luckily enough, I think it affected it positively. I had started this book in the summer, put it down, picked it back up again two weeks ago, put it down once more, and finally finished it last weekend. So. Kvothe, the protagonist, might be one of my least favourite protagonists I've ever read about. Which, like... Logically, that should make my rating lower, but everything else in the book is so damn enjoyable that I still feel confident in my 4-star rating. Okay, okay, I did give it 4.5 at first, but thinking back on it, I think that was mostly because my dad wanted me to love it so much that I pressured myself into thinking I enjoyed it more than I did. I mean, I still gave it four stars, so I definitely did enjoy it, but maybe just not as much as some other people do. My main problem with Kvothe was that, at the beginning, he literally had no flaws. He did get some throughout the novel, but even those were forgiven because of some reason or other. Also, Kvothe's relationship with women was kind of... Not that great. I'm not sure why, and I'm not sure how to explain it, but the way women were represented in this novel made me feel uncomfortable. I won't get too much into that because I don't think it'd be fair since I can't even word my feelings regarding that properly, but still. It made me feel uncomfortable. There were very few women in this novel, and the treatment they got was... Questionable, in my opinion. Still, this was the first book, and it was told from Kvothe's perspective (I know the others are as well, but I assume that he... grows and gets better about it, somewhat?), so that won't stop me from reading the second book. Now, I've been quite negative so far, but that doesn't mean I did not enjoy this book. The world building felt natural and fluid, and if there was any info dumping, I didn't notice it. I always had a clear image in my head of where Kvothe was and what was going on, even though descriptions were not at the forefront of the story, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. Also, the magic system was interesting, without being too complicated. Which is quite hard to achieve, in my opinion, and therefore impressed me. I also liked the little moments where we got to see Kvothe take breaks from telling his story, and I'm very curious concerning what's going to happen with the three involved in the story-telling at the moment. Also, the ending? Amazing. It didn't leave off on a cliffhanger, yet made me yearn for more, which doesn't happen all that often. I wish I was rich so I could buy the second book straight away, but alas, I'll have to wait until the one (1) library copy in all of Montréal becomes available again. So, yes. I had some problems with this book, but overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read that left me craving for more. Patrick Rothfuss has a distinctive and beautiful writing style that left me gasping a few times, and whilst I hope that some things do get better in the following books, I do think this was a high quality fantasy novel. For me, at the very least. Taste is subjective after all, and I have a feeling this won't work for everyone. Still, I recommend giving it a go if the summary sounds at all interesting to you!

[sampagnereads]

Okay, so! This weekend, aka January 26 and 27 2019, there will be another round of the 24in48 readathon, which may be my favourite readathon, to be completely honest. Last time I participated, I succeeded in reading for a total of 24 hours within the weekend, and it felt thoroughly satisfying! Therefore, now that it’s back around, there’s no doubt in my mid that I need to participate. This time, I’m also aiming on succeeding, and therefore built myself quite an ambitious tbr pile. Honestly, it’s not super realistic, but it’s to give me a chance to pick up what I’m in the mood to read and switch between books if I’m not in the mood for the one I’m currently reading.

Under the “read more”, you’ll find the books I’m planning on reading for this readathon!

01. THE NAME OF THE WIND, BY PATRICK ROTHFUSS.

This book is a high fantasy novel that follows an innkeeper who tells his life story to a chronicler. This innkeeper was no ordinary person, though, and did quite a lot of remarkable things, which makes the story quite interesting.

I gave my dad this book in French (he doesn’t read in English) last Christmas, and he adored it. Since then, he’s been pressuring me to read it as well (though I’ll be reading it in English), because he wants someone with whom he can talk to about the book and who can suffer with him whilst waiting for the third book to come out. I’ve already started this one and am 185 pages in, so I’m pretty certain I’ll be finishing it this weekend. According to Bookly, I have 8 hours left of reading for The Name of the Wind, so yes. It might take up a third of my reading time this weekend, if I don’t feel like switching books too often, but it’ll be worth it, I think. So far, I’m really enjoying it.

02. CROWN OF FEATHERS, BY NICKI PAU PRETO. 

This book follows a girl who disguises herself as a boy to become a phoenix rider in a world that’s been changed ever since a conflict between two sisters. It also follows her as her sister, who had betrayed her trust, comes back and reveals some very troubling things to her. That’s all I know so far, and that’s all I want to know, since I prefer going into those books without knowing too much. 

I got an eArc of this, and I consider myself extremely lucky. I already started this book and am 55 pages in at the moment, and it’s giving me strong Eragon vibes, but better (in my opinion - and that’s saying a lot because Eragon is the book that got me into reading), in a really good way. So far, it’s really well written and captivating, and though I have some difficulty reading eArcs because I can’t transfer them to my eReader, and reading them on my computer can be difficult, I do think I’ll be able to finish this book within the readathon this weekend. Which is good, because the book is coming out on February 12th.

03. PRINCE CASPIAN, BY C.S. LEWIS. 

Prince Caspian is the second book, or fourth depending on whether you look at it in order of publication or chronologically, in the Chronicles of Narnia. I don’t really want to tell you what it’s about, since it’s not the first book in the series, but I remember it being one of my favourite Narnia books when I read it for the first time as a child!

I received the Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics edition of The Chronicles of Narnia this Christmas, which I’ve been wishing for for YEARS. I’m honestly over the moon with it, and my goal was to read all of it in January. Now, I’m not sure that’s going to happen, but I want to at least try. Therefore, I’ll try to read at least one of the Narnia books during the readathon, and I chose Prince Caspian since it’s the next one I need to read chronologically. I seriously love Narnia, and I know I’ll most likely fly through this book.

04. GIRLS MADE OF SNOW AND GLASS, BY MELISSA BASHARDOUST. 

Girls Made of Snow and Glass is, from what I’ve heard, a Snow White retelling that focuses on the relationships between women. It mainly follows a girl and her step-mother, and how things that happen around them affects them, but also the girl and another girl she falls in love with. 

This is Kat’s favourite book, and since she and I tend to like the same books, I’m highly anticipating reading this one! Also, I was supposed to finish this in December for a book club I’m hosting, so I really need to finish this ASAP. Plus, I really think I’m going to love this. I read the first chapter already, and it really caught my attention, which makes me believe I’m going to fly through this. And since I was supposed to finish this in December, I AT LEAST want to finish it in January.

05. THE GILDED WOLVES, BY ROSHANI CHOKSHI.

This is a novel that takes place in Paris in the 19th century, and follows a group of young adults (teenagers, I think) who go on a quest to find a lost artefact. It’s apparently super diverse and very well written, and I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it.

I’m going to receive this book in a book box I’ll be opening tonight, and I honestly could not be any more excited about it. I’ve been highly anticipating this book since 2017, and I can’t believe that later on today, I’ll actually have the chance to get my hands on it. Everything about this book calls out to me, from the setting to the era to the characters to the plot, and I truly believe I’m going to love it with my whole entire heart. 

So, yes! There are all the books I’m planning on reading during the readathon! Some others I might get to if I’m not in the mood for those are the latest Aurélie Laflamme novel, as well as the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia.

[sampagnereads]

So! One of my main reading goals for 2019 is to read more diversely, so when Sage told me about the Year of the Asian reading challenge, I pretty much started jumping up and down repeatedly out of joy. It’s no secret to anyone that I’m absolute trash for reading challenges, and this one is one of the most motivating ones I’ve ever seen. So, yes! Below the cut, you’ll find all the books I’m planning on reading for this readathon! I didn’t write down lil summaries for them because there are 25, but I’ll be writing reviews for each that one that I read! I’m just so so so excited about this readathon, and yes! 

To join as well, which I highly recommend, just click this link right here! Through the link, you’ll find all the information you need, as well as links to all of the amazing hosts’ blogs! 

Also! I’ll be aiming to read 25 books by Asian authors this year, which means I’ll be using the Malayan tapir badge! This is very, very ambitious for me considering the fact that I haven’t been reading much lately, but I feel like this challenge will help motivate me to read more, so! 

Okay, so. The little hearts next to the books will become filled in when the books have been read, and a link will be added towards reviews I’ve written for said books! I’m not sure if that makes sense the way I’m saying it, but it’ll probably make more sense when I start doing it.

The Gilded Wolves, by Roshani Chokshi. ♡

Girls of Paper and Fire, by Natasha Ngan. ♡

The Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, by Julie C. Dao. ♡

The Star-Touched Queen, by Roshani Chokshi. ♡

Aru Shah and the End of Time, by Roshani Chokshi. ♡

The Serpent’s Secret, by Sayantani Dasgupta. ♡

The Way You Make Me Feel, by Maurene Goo. ♡

The Poppy War, by R.F. Kuang. ♡

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, by Jenny Han. ♡

There’s Something About Sweetie, by Sandhya Menon. ♡

Want, by Cindy Pon. ♡

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune, by Roselle Lim. ♡

Shadow of the Fox, by Julie Kagawa. ♡

For a Muse of Fire, by Heidi Heilig. ♡

The Tiger at Midnight, by Swati Teerdhala. ♡

Wicked Fox, by Kat Cho. ♡ 

Spin the Dawn, by Elizabeth Lim. ♡

Descendant of the Crane, by Joan He. ♡

The Weight of Our Sky, by Hanna Alkaf. ♡

Tell Me How You Really Feel, by Aminah Mae Safi. ♡

The Downstairs Girl, by Stacey Lee. ♡

The Dragon Warrior, by Katie Zhao. ♡

Blood Heir, by Amélie Wen Zhao. ♡

Dragon Pearl, by Yoon Ha Lee. ♡

Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood, by Marjorie M. Liu & Sana Takeda. ♡

So, yes! Here’s my tbr! It’s a bit ambitious, especially considering the fact that I haven’t been reading much lately, but I’ll do my best! I think that this is an amazing reading challenge, and I’m so happy it exists!