Harry Potter Covers from around the World: Spanish Edition

These are not my favourite covers but they do have a certain childish charm to them. I would be happy if I had grown up with these on my shelves. I especially like the fifth one. I also kind of like the fact that the 6th one has a black border, showing darkness it in, possibly at the upsetting death at the end.

Would you like these books on your shelves?

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Review: The Captive Maiden

Happily Ever After…Or Happily Nevermore?

Gisela’s childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father’s death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela meets the duke’s son, Valten–the boy she has daydreamed about for years–and learns he is throwing a ball, she vows to attend, even if it’s only for a taste of a life she’ll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten’s eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.

This book got off to a strong start but steadily got worse and worse, the ending was a little better but not enough to redeem it. There was too much religion, praying, repetition and dawdling. How many times can two characters get themselves into the same situation and luck themselves out again and again.

It was a very loose interpretation of Cinderella, which is why I was interested, so I was a little disappointed.

I am getting sick of the ugly pretty girl/plain pretty girl cliche. There are other ways to make a character.

Overall this was an okay book with brilliant hook but it didn’t live up to expectations for me.

3 out of 5 stars

Review: Everblue

She wanted her life to change… he wanted his to stay the same.

Best friends share everything with each other. Or do they? Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Spending time with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissing Tatiana’s twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively are her only sanctuary. The girls plan to leave their drab lakeside town far behind for college. But when Tatchi fails to return home after a family emergency, and no one knows where the family has gone, Ash chooses to do something drastic to find them.

Ashlyn is about to discover what she’d thought to be true her whole life, wasn’t, and the truth, too fantastical to imagine. Secrets lurk beneath the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe, secrets that will change Ashlyn’s life forever.

This was an interesting book. I loved the setting and the two different POV’s. Fin and Ash were great main characters. Although I would have preferred there wasn’t so many love interests. I almost put it down because I felt like some of the story was unnecessary.

It was a nice easy fun read, that was had a very teen feeling and some adults will probably struggle reading this even if they read YA.

I want to know more about the mer-world. The dynamics intrigued me and I want to know more. I am looking forward to next one, although I have heard bad things.

4 out of 5 stars

ARC Review: A Magic Dark and Bright

She meant to help a ghost…not unleash a curse.

Amelia Dupree hasn’t seen the Woman in White since the night her brother died.

The ghost seems to have disappeared from the woods surrounding Asylum, Pennsylvania—that is, until Charlie Blue moves into the creepy old MacAllister House next door. Amelia can’t help liking him, even though she spent her childhood thinking his grandmother was a witch. And she definitely can’t ignore the connection between his arrival and the Woman in White’s return.

Then Amelia learns that the Woman in White is a prisoner, trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Devastated by the idea that her brother could be suffering a similar fate, Amelia decides to do whatever it takes to help the Woman in White find peace–and Charlie agrees to help her.

But when Amelia’s classmates start to drown in the Susquehanna River, one right after another, rumors swirl as people begin to connect the timing of Charlie’s arrival with the unexplained deaths. As Charlie and Amelia uncover the dark history of Asylum, they realize they may have unleashed an unspeakable evil. One they have to stop before everything they love is destroyed.

I received a free copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the start of this book, it was engaging and inviting, but it just got a little mixed up and confused as I kept reading. It was like the author could not decide the genre or storyline and mixed a few up and hoped for the best. Well it didn’t quite work.

I saw on other reviews that people did not like the insta-love in this, but I didn’t find it too bad. I think with the ages it kind of worked it was slow enough that the start was just attraction.

The characters were good but not sure they all work together. It’s hard to see Amelia ever dating Ben. I also think the adults were a little over protective of names for the teenagers especially since I cannot see why.

I think I would try the author again but not sure I would read the second book in this series.

3 stars out of 5

Review: Crush

His precious touch could prove deadly…

When Taylor Sparks moves from New York City to Big Bear Lake, California, her life is forever changed when she meets a hot guy with winter-blue eyes named Jesse. Their attraction is instant, the chemistry undeniable. But sadly, things aren’t adding up. Taylor wonders what her ‘crush’ is hiding. When her new friend, Fred tells her his suspicions about Jesse being a paranormal creature, Taylor laughs. But when Fred turns up dead, she believes every warning he ever told her.

Taylor is shocked to learn that Big Bear Lake isn’t just glittering lakes, towering pines, and breathtaking mountains…there’s more…way more than meets the eye.

Will Taylor dive into a paranormal world she knows nothing about? To be with the one her heart can’t live without?

I enjoyed this book, it was fun and a nice easy read. But I just wish there was more of the paranormal element for me, the cover has wolves in it but they only showed up at the start then stopped. The other paranormal elements were not in it enough for me either, it started with the right amount then tapered off and left me feeling like I was reading a romance book.

I liked the characters but I did not know enough about them. Half way through I realised that I did not know much about them, didn’t really know what they liked or disliked, music, tv shows etc. These details make books feel more real.

Overall it was a nice quick read and I will read the second book just to find out some of the mysteries left open.

3 out of 5 stars.

Ron Weasley Lied!!! -Bad Wizards in Harry Potter

Do you remember at the start of the first film that Ron tells Harry that “There’s not a witch or wizard gone bad that wasn’t in Slytherin”?

I am currently watching the film, I started thinking if it was still true after the this was said then realised it wasn’t true to begin with. Everyone thinks that Sirius Black killed Peter Pettigrew and about 12 muggles and got himself sent to Azkaban, that’s pretty bad in my view. He is also classed as one of you know who’s biggest followers.

If you do not remember Sirius Black was actually in Gryffindor. Making Ron’s statement false. Although Sirius did not actually commit the crimes to was convicted of, his friend Peter Pettigrew was, who was also in Gryffindor. Peter was instrumental in bringing Voldemort back to power.

Was Peter Pettigrew the only death eater not in Slytherin? I do not know but it seems unlikely, the amount there seems to be, they cannot all be from one house. I am currently rereading the books so if I find any more I will be sure to do another post.

ARC Review: Silk

It is the time of Jack the Ripper, the widowed Queen Victoria sits on the throne of England. The whole of London is on edge wondering when or where Jack will kill next. The Palace, Parliament, and the press are demanding the police do more to find him.

In another part of London, rough-around-the-edges war hero, Metropolitan Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone has his own serial killer to find. Inter departmental rivalries, politics, and little evidence to go on hamper the investigation at every turn. In a battle of wills, Bloodstone presses forward following his instincts in spite of the obstacles.

Adding to those problems, away from the strains of the investigation, he is engaged in the ups and downs of a new relationship with a lovely hat maker.

I received a free copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderfully written crime novel with plenty of intrigue and suspense. I lapped up every page. I liked reading from numerous points of view, William, a Lord who is used to having the best things in life and Bloodstone who is a copper married to his job.

I thought the characters were well written and I found myself liking them. The setting was exactly what I think it would be in Victorian London. There were points that made me laugh and points that me angry that the characters were being slow and not working them out quicker. All of which I love.

My main downer on this book is that I expected it to be about Jack the Ripper and it isn’t he comes up in the last chapter but that’s all. That was a big disappointment for me. If it’s in the synopsis it should be in the book. Misleading, trying to people to read it for the wrong reasons. Which is a shame since it’s a perfectly good book that does not need that gimmickry. I will read the next one in the series but if it does the same thing, it will be the last time I read this author.

4 out of 5 stars.

Harry Potter Covers from Around the World: Russia

These are dark and beautiful. It took me sometime to work out what 3 and 6 were of and I still haven’t worked out what 7 is meant to represent. But since they are so pretty I will forgive it. These are books I would happily have on my shelves and be proud to read them in public.

What do you think of these covers?