20 Books of Summer: June Wrap Up

I started this late and haven’t managed to read as much as I would like, but still got two months to go where I can catch up hopefully. 9 books each month is do-able, although I have been reading a few other books that I have needed to read too, hopefully less that that soon. This month I have managed to read 2 books, not great but better than 0.

One I loved one I really didn’t enjoy, but both reviews books that are now reviewed so good progress in my book. I am away on holiday in a few days and probably won’t get much reading done then, too much fun to be had, there’s going to be pools and theme parks and water parks, cannot wait.

Hows your 20 books of summer coming along?

20 books of Summer 2016

I haven’t seen anyone sign up for this, this year but I have been a little MIA, hoping to get back to much more blogging soon. I know I am a little late in posting this as it’s technically already summer but with 2 and 3/4 of a month to go I should manage.

So I hoping to get through more than 20 books over the summer but since I have never managed to do all the ones I wanted to, I am crossing my fingers that I will manage this year. I have lucky dip box for all my review books and paperbacks and some of my other kindle books. I chose some of the new netgalley books that I do not want to get behind on then the other 17 at random. Enough babbling from me, let’s see the books.

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A lot of good looking books, really looking forward to getting stuck in. I probably won’t be reading them in order, especially since I seem to have a lot of historical fiction in this bunch, I love it but I cannot read too much at once.

Have you read any of these? What did you think? What books are you reading this summer?

Happy Reading

Emma

Review: The Gallows Curse

A vengeful King John has seized control of the Church, leaving corpses to lie in unconsecrated ground, babies unbaptized in their cradles and the people terrified of dying in sin. And in Gastmere, the consequences grow darker still when Elena, a servant girl, is dragged into a conspiracy to absolve the sins of the Lord of the Manor.

This is the first book I have managed to finish for 20 books of summer, shocking I know. I have been a little put off by how terribly my first two attempts went and I have been trying to read as many review books as possible. I am still going to try and read more from this list though. I will get there (I hope).

I love this author, this is the third book I have read by her and I own two more.

The story is complex and riveting. You start with one mystery and before you know it, you have 20 expertly woven into the story and you cannot stop until you know all the answers. I was hooked from the prologue, trying to work out who the little girl was, it made perfect sense when I found out but I was way off in my guessing.

The setting was life-like and felt like I had jumped straight into a history book. The characters were great and very relatable. Elana especially was a great character to follow the story with. She never stopped fighting no matter how much trouble she was in.

The ending was good, it wrapped things up nicely but left some intrigue, not a ambiguous ending like the author usually does, for that I was grateful.

I am looking forward very much to reading more from this author.

4 out of 5 stars

20 books of Summer : June Update

I sadly did not read one full book on my list last month. I started two and didn’t really enjoy them, so gave up. I hope to do better next month. Finish those two books and read a fair few more. I am away on holiday for a week, I was planning some posts but never got around to scheduling them. Therefore I will just have to catch up loads when I am back.

I am taking the only paperback on my list, The Gallows curse by Karen Maitland with me for plane and train reading. 🙂

How are you all getting on?

Emma

30 day Challenge: Day 2

Day 2’s topic is a book I have read more than 3 times. I can only think of a few books that fit into this category and since I am trying my best not to mention Harry Potter (because it would be an answer for just about everything. Also trying not to use duplicate answers.

So I have settled on Graceling.

It’s been a few years since I have read it, but I remember it being amazing and full of adventure.

Which books have you read more than 3 times?

20 books of Summer

20 books of summer is run by Cathy at 746 books, I took part last year and do think I did very well, but this year I am going to try and combine books for other challenges and books that I have started but not yet finished. I was thinking about doing ARC’s but I am doing a lucky dip sort of thing, so I will try and read one lucky dip book and one 20 books of summer book, unless that gets too much.

I have to thank Books are my favourite and best, for reminding me out this. I will be reading the books in no particular order, and click on the picture to get a link to the goodreads page.

Have you read any of these books, what did you think of them? What books will you be reading this summer?

Emma

 

Review: Miss Mabel’s School for girls

Never underestimate the power of a determined witch.

Letum Wood is a forest of fog and deadfall, home to the quietly famous Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, a place where young witches learn the art of magic.

Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has inherited a deadly curse. Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrolls in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.

Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?

Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is the first novel in The Network Series, an exciting new fantasy collection. A gripping tale about the struggle to survive, it will take you to a new place and time, one you’ll never want to leave.

I took me a while to get around to reading this book. Not sure why. It was amazing.

The setting was brilliant and the story even better. I was kept guessing the whole way through. I read it in a few days (quick for me just now). The magic was really clever and original. I was very unsure of Miss Mabel, was it all an act or was she truly like that. Bianca was a great lead character. She was strong and spunky.

All the different types of magic was engaging I was not bored even for a line. It’s frustrating that I cannot out into words how much I enjoyed this book. It was magical, enchanting and overall just a great read. I am very much looking forward to the next one.

5 out of 5 stars. (I wish I could give it more).

Review: Athena the Brain

Athena has always been above average. She has never quite fit in at Triton Junior High, but who would’ve guessed that Athena is actually a goddess? Principal Zeus’s daughter, to be exact.

When she’s summoned to Mount Olympus Academy, Athena thinks she might actually fit in for the first time in her life. But in some ways, school on Mount Olympus is not that different from down on Earth, and Athena is going to have to deal with the baddest mean girl in history: Medusa!

I loved this book, it was short but it was very sweet. I loved all the characters we know from mythology portrayed as teenagers, it was fun, original and very exciting. The whole concept of the school and how it was run was amazing. There was so much I loved about this book and I cannot think of one thing I disliked apart from it ending, thank goodness there’s more books in the series.

I loved the character Athena, she was one of the mythological characters I knew less about, it was fun to see her grow and interact. Medusa lived up to her reputation, how she got the snakes was a brilliant idea.

I am not sure what else I can say, other than read it 🙂

5 out of 5 stars

Review: Gossip Girl

Welcome to New York City’s Upper East Side, where my friends and I live, go to school, play, and sleep—sometimes with each other.

S is back from boarding school, and if we aren’t careful, she’s going to win over our teachers, wear that dress we couldn’t fit into, steal our boyfriends’ hearts, and basically ruin our lives in a major way. I’ll be watching closely . . .

You know you love me,

gossip girl.

I really enjoyed the T.V. show, although the book is not usually something I would read but decided to give it a try. Glad I did. It was really fun and as you’d expect full of gossip. Serena was an enigma, she seemed to have two personalities, it annoyed me a little. But I really enjoyed the rest of it. Some of the characters were not what I expected. But I did expect more gossip and more scandal. Dan was not what I expected, he was a lot more whiny and too much of a cliche. It seemed like he was wanting people to think he was sensitive and I honestly wanted to tell him to stop being so pretentious and get over himself.

I hope that Dan and Serena get together. They seem like they would make a nice couple, a little odd but nice. Chuck is a little perverse, almost illegally so. He abused a girl and she felt like she could not yell out and no-one seemed to care. That really annoyed me.

I would read this again and I am looking forward to the second one in the series.

4 out of 5 stars.

20 Books of Summer

I am joining Cathy at 746 Books, in 20 books of Summer. From now until the 6th of September, I will try to read these 20 books. I probably not read them in order, these are ones I have wanted to read for a while, so really looking forward to this 🙂

1. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
2. Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson
3. My Name is Rapunzel by K.C. Hilton
4. Gossip Girl  by Cecily Von Ziegesar
5. Doon by Lorie Langdon and Carey Coop
6. Athena the Brain Goddess by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
7. Life Eternal by Yvonne Woon
8. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
9. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
10. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
11. Louisiana Longshot by Jana DeLeon
12. Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth
13. Taking Flight by Adrian R. Magnuson
14. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
15. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
16. 666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce
17. Fissure by Nicole Williams
18. Splintered by A.G. Howard
19. Forbidden by Amy Miles
20. Miss Mabel’s School for Girls by Katie Cross

What books are you reading this summer? Have you read any of these books?