Every Word Nerd knows that feeling when you finish a book in a series and then realise you have to wait for the next one. I mean, its enough to drive anyone to fictitious insanity and the GIF's born from that are well...

So in no particular order.

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

I adored The 5th Wave, it was like Falling Skies but more awesome. Cassie was awesome and the cliffhanger was legendary, I feel like I have been waiting forever for this book and I can't take any more. Come on Yancey, hand over the book and everything will be fine. 





Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

 While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love

I have already expressed my adoration for this series, it is by far my favourite and I am jump up and down, squeal at strangers and pee my pants excited for this book. Also Maas is releasing another series and I have complete faith it will be just as awesome. We aren't even halfway through the Throne of Glass series and I am deeply in love with everybody.





Winter by Marissa Meyer
 This book will feature Cinder and Snow White and will take place on the moon. 

This is literally all we know currently about the final book in the Lunar Chronicles series. From what we've seen of Winter it's going to be awesome.  I adore Cinder and now the Prince has joined the crew. What could go wrong?!










Landlines by Rainbow Rowell

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. Two days before her and her husband are supposed to visit his family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her. That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

 Having read all of Rowell's current books, I  am so excited for this new book. I have even been posting questions on the Goodreads interview with Rowell out of my excitement.



Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater






No blurb yet for this book but this series is excellent. And that cover, that's enough to get anyone giddy.











Young Elites by Marie Lu
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Even despite the disappointing ending to the Legend series I am so excited for Marie Lu's new series, the plot sounds awesome and she has such a wonderful visual style.

Warning: Spoilers (duh.)

Big thanks to Fiona of  http://caterfeereviews.blogspot.co.uk/ for the recommendation.


Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.


Having already experienced Rowell's other books, I had high hopes for her debut novel. 

 Up until around 100 pages I was very disappointed, it was very tedious and I hated Lincoln. He was boring and maybe that was the point, because the turn around was incredible. I continued with the book firstly out of entertainment from Beth and Jennifer's emails. They were so funny.
 Beth and Jennifer have this wonderful banter, they are both classy and smart and fun and I immediately fell in love with them.  Even though I didn't "see" them until later in the book I still followed there plot line aggressively. Jennifer and Mick's baby trouble was hilarious, then tragic then joyful and that was all before I actually met them.

That's the great thing about this novel is that I felt physically in Lincolns point of view. (Sidenote: FUCK SAM! bitch.)  Then once  Lincoln fell for Beth, it was like I forgot I was reading and I fell into it's pages. The romance was enchanting and made me feel fuzzy on the inside. Lincoln handled the situation with grace and elegance and really grew into himself and that was so wonderful to read, that even before they got together she had an effect. It was a really beautiful journey to read. 

Mostly I loved Beth. she was enchanting. Definitley a force of nature, but not a tornado like Chris suggested. I saw her like a ray of sunshine, breaking through the clouds on a particularly stormy day. I love that girl and I can see why Lincoln did. 

Honestly this is the kind of book that makes you believe in love again. When your feeling lost or your not exactly where you want to be in life, this book pulls you from the abyss, pats you down and sends you onward with renewed hope. This book was exactly what I needed and it will stay with me long after I read that final line 'there's no air in space.'

Various thoughts:
Honestly a must read. 
Blew my mind.
I haven't been this happy after a book in a longtime.
Can Lincoln be real?


 

Series are an important member of the YA family. We love a long story that keeps going and gives us as much as possible. When you love a story there is nothing better than finding out there are more books, although that being said, some series are better than others. This is the countdown of my CURRENT favourite top ten

10. Dust Lands Series by Moira Young

Amidst the wreckage of a ruined civilization, Saba must fight to save herself, her family, and maybe her whole world.

The Dust Lands Series by Moira Young makes my top ten because of the first and second books in the trilogy. The final book was admittedly a disappointment but Saba is a strong protagonist and it's hard not to fall in love with her and her journey. The relationship development between her and her siblings is beautiful and the final chapter of Raging Star is really quite lovely.

9. Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver
Lena and Alex, two teens battling against the controlling government that believes that love is a disease and forbids it from their community.

Delirium is one of those trilogies that people were let down by the ending but Pandemonium is one of the greatest books I have ever read, the structure is just genius. And much like Veronica Roth's Allegiant, the ending becomes better and more able to cope with in time and after a re-reading. 


8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Enter a future world where every year two tributes from each district are thrown into an arena expected to fight to the death or get knocked out by other means. Only one can survive.

A classic YA fave, The Hunger Games needs no explanation as to why it deserves to be in my top ten. Although I will say that despite how controversial. I loved Mockingjay. 



7. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
The mysterious "Kid-Killer" affliction has left most American children dead, but Ruby is not one of them-she's one of the dangerous ones, the ones who lived. 

The Darkest Minds is by far one of the most interesting concepts I have ever read. I adored the first book and the second one was just as good. Ruby is delightful as is Liam and the characters development throughout this series is phenomenal. The final book in the trilogy In the Afterlight is out this year. I highly, highly recommend.
6.  Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth
 Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed "perfect society."

Another YA classic, Divergent is a wonderful trilogy with a shock conclusion. If you haven't quite got over Allegiant,I recommend reading Veronica Roth's blog. Her post about her plot decisions is beautiful and really helps to understand the authors point of view. 


 5. Harry Potter by J. K Rowling






Need I say more.  






4. Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver

Riley Blackthorne is a 17-year-old trying to make her way in an Atlanta plagued by marauding demons and scheming necromancers. With each passing day, Atlanta is becoming the latest battlefield between Heaven and Hell.

This is one of the most consistent series I have ever read. Each book is as good and as satisfying as its predecessor. Riley is badass, Beck is just...great! And the narrative is full of twists and turns. You will fall in love with this series. 


3.Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong
The series revolves around The Edison Group, a team of supernatural scientists, and the subjects they have experimented on. 

An incredibly absorbing trilogy that follows Chloe Saunders. Her inner struggle to control her powers and find out who she is will surprise and enthrall you. Armstrong is a well known horror writer and brings aspects of this into these novels to give it a great, scary edge.




2. Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer   
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Follow Cinder as she tried to take down the evil Lunars in these wonderful novels based loosely (incredibly so) on fairytales. The final book Winter is scheduled for release and I am so excited for it, I am going to pee my pants. 


1. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

   
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. 

 I initially read these books last year on a random whim after grabbing it at Waterstones and I never just buy books without researching first. But I was really glad I did. A year later I have just reread them after the release of The Assassins Blade (Throne of Glass Prequel Novella Bind Up) and it occurs to me that this may be my favourite fantasy series EVER!

I love Celaena so much, in a way that I've never connected to a protagonist before, she isn't simply kick-ass and hard and cold, shes also soft and sweet and goofy and she's real person in the greatest way that a collection of words can be a person, she is so incredibly complex that it doesn't seem possible for her not to be a person. Then there's Chaol who is the weirdest love interest but also seems so incredibly right, Dorian isn't just the typical kind of 'here he is, prince charming' fantasy that people love to read in books. But Chaol gives off the idea of what it's really like to be in love, he is the reality of love rather than the fantasy and I adore that. Sarah J Maas has created real life on the page. I often forget it's constructed and that none of this has actually happened.

The world is beautiful it's like Game of Thrones meets modern day and the way it feels natural to move through. And I normally hate books about Fae, I avoid them because I can't stand them and after I first read this book, the Fae part seemed not that important, it was more to do with how great the story was. The percentages of the book focusing on each narrative felt really good, really natural, it wasn't all about the competition or Elena or the love story or even this kind self acceptance and misery Celaena goes through story, they all flowed naturally and felt like that was how much time should have been spent on each part. I love this book in the weird way that I can love something that isn't real, something that was made up. 

The third book Heir of Fire is out September and luckily there are to be six novels within this series. 


 It's beautiful right! 

I honestly implore you, if you haven't read this series, pick it up. You will not be disappointed, it makes me all ...
 on the inside.

If you love books as much as I do, you find yourself buying accessories that remind you of your favourite books. Just today I bought a lion head door knocker necklace because there is a lion head door knocker on the cover of Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor.

 
 This then got me thinking. I wonder what other accessories I've bought because they were about books. Now I'm not a big jewellery person. I have a few necklaces here and there and I was honestly surprised at the amount of book references were found in my jewellery box (its actually more a tub)







I have a few classic book accessories as in the official ones that come when books are adapted to movies, such as these Divergent bands which I got at PULP in the Manchester Arndale for £5.99 (They're were more but I lost them)




Then there's the more symbolic ones with symbols from the book all coming together to hint at the story line. The yellow dandelion to symbolise Peeta, the pearl that he gave Katniss in the arena. Hazel Grace's infinity references. The possibilities are endless.























Then I have the aggressive Book Nerd badges. These were 99p each from Waterstones and they are so good for declaring your undying love for books. Also nothing better than seeing someone else with a similar badge.

Generally I find that your outfit is kind of your identity. It could be the show the real you or to hide it, but either way what you wear out in the world is saying something about you.

I don't know what the way I dress says about me but I do hope that it says that I am someone who cares about books. I care about words and I am proud of that. I hope it isn't obnoxiously but more passionately. And I hope that maybe as  I'm wearing my weird little accessories that people recognise them and start a book related conversation, because That would be awesome.

Warning: Spoilers (duh)

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

 After being incredibly impressed with the first book in this series I was expecting big things from Sea of Monsters. It was an excellent book but I did only give it 3.5 / 5 stars. There was nothing necessarily wrong with it, it just didnt excite me as much as the first book.

I think it was the format was pretty much the same as the first so I kind of got the feel about everything that was gonna happen. 

Percy was at school, gets expelled due to monster shenanigans, we get a little camp drama and then quest time. In the quest they constantly run into trouble that they overcome in each chapter and eventually succeed. Now there is nothing wrong with this format, it worked well in the first book and was just as good as the first book. I just wanted more, a little more edge. Percy's abandonment issues didn't really come forth as much in this book and seem a little forgotten but hey ho. 

I loved Clarisse in this book, I think she's the character in which its easy to imagine then very two dimensionally, yet in this book she got some depth which is really beautiful to see. Annabeth and Percy's relationship has already changed without me even noticing which is also really lovely and I thought Grover's storyline was hilarious and gave me  many belly laughs imagining him in a wedding dress. 

I am loving this underlying plot of Kronos though, and Thalia coming back to life, I've seen the film so I knew this would happen, but it did still make me scream out at 1am like 'WOW!' it was an excellent ending. 



I couldn't help but compare it to the movie of course and this one was a lot closer to the book than the first. It was still incredibly different though, I really don't understand the filmmakers desire to turn its back on the original plot. Very frustrating.

Overall, Sea of Monsters felt like the first book but not as  fresh and insightful but it is setting up a very interesting narrative, the whole prophecy idea I am just dying to figure it out. Now however I am in uncharted territory. I don't know what happens next and I am going to be avoiding spoilers like the plague or that one really drunk girl at a party. I can't wait to find out what happens and watch the plot unfold. 

P.S I hate the movie cover so much.  

Warning: Spoilers (duh)

From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, hallways hum “Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. Until they are not. Leo urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her - normal.

 Secondary Warning:
This book suffers from Manic Pixie Dream Girl syndrome. 

 I had heard a lot about Star Girl through the glorious grapevine of BookYube. I was told this was the book that celebrate non-conformity (an act that as a complete lunatic I am all for.) However, I thought this book glorified and romanticised being weird, rather than the idea of being yourself and individualism.

Leo is a pretty bland kid at the beginning, he's popular but doesn't particularly stick out. Enter Stargirl (real name Susan) who is admittedly delightfully quirky and odd to an insane degree. It's not that I didn't like Stargirl herself, I thought she was sweet and incredibly kind and I loved that. It was her need to erase herself, I don't know whether I'm looking too deep into this book but that girl had issues but they were just paved over with eccentricities and never tackled, which as a reader leaves me feeling incomplete. I love a good open end like any other word nerd but dammit, a little character development never hurt anyone. 

Regarding character development let's tackle Leo. Leo is well (excuse the language) an asshole. He's incredibly selfish  and judgmental but hates to be judged. But worse than that he's spineless. I feel like I'm supposed to forgive him for this by the end of it. That the way he treats the girl he supposedly loves become okay because once she disappears, he learns his lesson, but I don't. I'm still mad at the guy, he was an ass to her. I don't know whether that's me being an adult and knowing myself more than I did when I was 15 (I now understand why adults say they would never  go back) and yes, I'm aware I too went through a stage of self image of liking someone but being embarrassed of them but I just kept hoping he would come through. That in the end he'd take her to the dance and it wouldn't matter about the freezing out or the name calling. My faith it turns out was misplaced because in the end, he did not love her for exactly who and what she was.Maybe I'm putting too much pressure on Leo and Spinelli, this is a young teen book after all. I'm sure 15 year old me would have understood Leo a lot  more than I do now, but I was in his head and the potential was there and yet, I feel let down by him. 

That's not to say this isn't a lovely book. It's well written and witty and fun. It's charming really and Stargirl (when she's not being unrealistically naive and uneducated about the world) is just adorable and lovely and I want to cuddle her and tell her she's perfect just as she is. This book made me mad but it also made me smile, a lot. The part with the rocks! Adorable. 

I am aware that there is a sequel from Stargirl's point of view which is basically a very long letter to Leo. Do I bother? Is it any good? Let me know.

Warning: Spoilers (duh)

 We are the Liars.

We are beautiful, privileged and live a life of carefree luxury.

We are cracked and broken.

A story of love and romance.

A tale of tragedy.

Which are lies?

Which is truth?

 I literally just finished this book and was going to do this review tomorrow but my oh my, I could not wait.  I cannot express the need for you to know nothing about this book. If you haven't read it, go away, read it and come back and we can talk about it. If you spoil the ending for yourself it will not be the same.

THERE ARE SPOILERS! DON'T RUIN IT FOR YOURSELF!

Okay now we have that out of the way. OH MY GOD! That ending right. I got a feeling a few chapters before because it was getting pretty morbid and I just got that feeling I tend to get before people die in books.

Quick review: after TFIOS this may be my favourite book ever. I devoured it. I just couldn't put it down. I even met one of my best friends new boyfriend and had the book under my nose. I was just carrying it around for 2 days in case I got a chance to read it. As you can tell, I am pretty character based when I read a book. I like narrative and style but generally I am characters driven. That's what pushes a book over the top from good to great for me. And my god was this book great.

Cady is delightful. She is so real and flawed and I am just pulled into her voice. She's privileged and quite frank a little selfish. The journey of the novel is basically based around an accident she had 2 years prior. She remembers nothing from that summer 'Summer Fifteen' and has suffered from terrible migraines and pain ever since. Her journey to discover what happened and why her friends 'The Liars' ignored her ever since is tragic and beautiful. Gat and Cady have a very complex and not remotely typical love story going on. Each member of The Liars was enchanting and heart-wrenching. They were all so funny and bounced so well off each other. And they felt real. Like I could bump into them in the street. Much like Cady I was dying to know the truth and my mind was buzzing with theories relating to Gat's girlfriend and drowning. But I never truly saw the twist end coming. Yet it made so much sense.



My favourite part of the book by far was after she remembered. The guilt and the way she told the story of the left behind princesses was a thing of beauty. Lockhart uses  these fairytale-esque retelling throughout and they escalate and escalate until that final one. In the end I loved 'The Liars' as much as Cady did. I felt her pain, the family politics, the confusion and angst. I felt it all.

Lockhart also has this incredible way with words. She could utter beautiful paragraphs and phrases, tragically lovely metaphors that just swept me up and make me want to turn my body into a book so I can wear the words upon my skin. I cannot recommend this book more.

Warning: Spoilers (duh)

Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a greek god.

I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. Now I spend my time battling monsters and generally trying to stay alive.

This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I've stolen his lightning bolt - and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea


Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief was my TBR Jar pick for this month. I went into having read the first chapter when I bought it several months ago. Admittedly I struggled to get into the mindset of, well, a prepubescent boy. However, three chapters in and I completely forgot about that and was overcome by Percy's endearing narration. The chapter titles and his innocently funny commentary on his life is just lovely.

I did have some issue with the act of "coincidences" like as soon as something needed to be known to the audience, we would be told it and then the thing related to that would happen rather than building up the knowledge throughout. Like everytime the book would draw up comparisons between a greek myth you know immedieiately this was about to happen.

 "Like OMG what were the odds you would tell me that just before it happen. No way!"

Although really I suppose that is a testament to the writing. This is after all a children's series and yet I am holding it up to to YA and Adult fiction standards (As much as I hate those terms). This book is incredibly complex and sophisticated for a 9-11 year old fiction (as Waterstones.com informs me).


Obviously I hadn't read the book when the movie came out and I enjoyed the film all in all at first. I didn't particularly see why fans were so upset about it. Now I know dem feels! I feel your rage. They changed the entire plot. Annabeth was made some weird gladiator type character when really she is more of a Hermione Granger (and lets be honest we can make Percy Jackson/Harry Potter comparisons until were blue in the face). Then we have the Thalia introductions. We crack on with it rather than waiting until the 2nd movie when it becomes fully relevant. Therefore it sets up plots for the series in the first book, wonderful, just what I like. Also the fake legs and Chiron's horse butt wheelchair disguise, made a lot more sense on the page. The book is undoubtedly better.

Although, Logan Lerman. Am I right?!

Also in the book you really get a sense of Percy s abandonment issues. The part where he talks to his father and Poseidon says he wishes he was never born. Although we can understand his view because Percy is (apparently) going to have a terrible, fearful life and yet as a kid to hear that from your recently discovered father is just awful.  I felt so bad for him and that's when I realised I'd really connected with Percy.

Percy Jackson is also The Master of Sass he has what could be seen as a really bad attitude but I found it so touch in cheek funny. When he mails Medusa's head to Olympus. God he's so cool. 

I could talk all day about the other characters, and they were enchanting and smart and witty and fun. But the book is called Percy Jackson for a reason. He makes the book, the story, even if you replaced him with someone else, it wouldn't be the same. I for one can't wait to see where Percy goes next and return to Camp Half Blood.  

We all have those books that we rant and rave about to any conscious person about and even so they still refuse to read them, and it can feel like nobody other than you is reading these secret little diamonds.

So here's to all the tragically downplayed books that you probably aren't reading even though you should be.

1. Slated by Teri Terry

 Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

So I may not have been unbitten by the dystopian bug, but even for those of you who have, this refreshing and non-formulaic dystopian is wonderful. Kyla is a surprisingly different heroine and the use of under appreciated Northern England locale gives some beautiful images of the area I live in. Definitely pick this series up. 

2. The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan

Armed with a suitcase and an old laundry bag filled with clothes, Kasienka and her mother head for England. Life is lonely for Kasienka. At home her mother's heart is breaking and at school friends are scarce. But when someone special swims into her life, Kasienka learns that there might be more than one way for her to stay afloat."The Weight of Water" is a startlingly original piece of fiction; most simply a brilliant coming of age story, it also tackles the alienation experienced by many young immigrants. Moving, unsentimental and utterly page-turning, we meet and share the experiences of a remarkable girl who shows us how quiet courage prevails.

Crossan is more known for her science fiction Breathe series but this tiny book written in verse is a treasure. The protagonist is sweet and silently strong as she learns about living in a new country love and having the courage to stand up for herself, even to the people she loves. It's absolutely charming. 

3. The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer


 ‘I’ll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.’

I met Nathan Filer when he did a performance poetry lecture at my old university. He was probably one of the funniest people I have ever had do a reading. This humour follows through into his debut novel about a young man with Schizophrenia. This passionate and enchanting book will have you up all night. 

4. Airhead by Meg Cabot

 Teenagers Emerson Watts and Nikki Howard have nothing in common. Em's a tomboy-braniac who couldn't care less about her looks. Nikki's a stunning supermodel: the world's most famous airhead. But a freak accident causes the girls' lives to collide in the most extraordinary way - and suddenly Em knows more about Nikki's life than the paparazzi ever 

The Airhead series is by far one of the most underrated series out there. Meg Cabot tends to be looked down upon by the writing community, probably due to her churning out book after book but Airhead and its two sequels are an absolute delight of a series. It has one of the most 'on the edge of my seat, oh god let it happen' love stories of all time and Emerson is a delight to read about and to follow. Definitely a favourite. 

5.  The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater


 “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

With the Shiver series under her belt (which was tragic) I was not too trusting of Stiefvater's latest series. Her style takes about 100 pages to get used to so most people give up, but damn is it worth the effort. Not to mention the completely misleading blurb. This is not remotely what the book is about and you'll really be surprised as to where the series takes you. Blue is a dynamite protagonist and her friendship with the "Raven Boys" is wonderful to behold. 

These are the books I will be reading in May.

Finally, the last (possibly) book I will be reading this month is We were liars by E. Lockhart. I know literally nothing about this book and it's shall we say a wild card. I say a John Green reccomendation on the cover and that along with the endearing title, I figured I would give it a gung ho shot! I havent even Goodreads this book yet. Fingers crossed I like it.

If you follow Booktube or a seasoned member of the Word Nerd World then you've probably already heard of the TBR Jar. That's the "To Be Read" Jar if you aren't. The TBR Jar is a godsend. So many times I've had no idea what to read and my TBR shelf just becomes cluttered. The TBR Jar fixes that, but how?

You see that's the catch...the TBR Jar comes with rules.

This is my TBR Jar.
I took a jar I already had lying around the house, wrote down the names of every book I owned but hadn't read and sealed them inside.

Now once a month atleast I take a strip from the Jar.

I allow myself the opportunity to swap to another slip once, but then if I pick that book out again another time and still don't want to read it, I pass the book along to someone who will.

Every time I buy a new book I don't read within a week, it goes straight into the jar. 

I've had my jar for about 3 months now and I have already made considerable progress. Although saying that the jar is responisble fr getting me into series I'd never bothered to read, so naturally I have more books on my shelf. But the jar has also helped me de-clutter my shelves. I'm finally letting go of the books that lets face it, I never should have bought because I'm never going to read them.

Life is too short to read books you just aren't into.

The first book in this series A Daughter of Smoke and Bone was a beautifully written book, if not heavy on the set up. Of course everyone who read this book fell in love with Akiva and Karou/Madrigal. The flashback scenes of there past lives was a thing of beauty and with the bombshell ending  of Akiva killing Karou's 'family.

Safe to say, I had no idea what to expect from the second book in the trilogy, Days of Blood and Starlight.

Admittedly I got into this series a little too late. The final book Dreams of Gods and Monsters has been released  and I am desperately trying not to find spoilers. Days of Blood and Starlight was one emotional journey. Karou and Akiva are over and for the first 40 pages Karou is nowhere to be found. And the reader feels her loss. By the time we hear from her again I was bouncing around, jumping up and down excited for it. She is by far one of my favourite protagonists, she's strong-willed and yet still retains emotional depth and vulnerability. In this book we find her siding with the Chimaera and most shockingly Thiago (The white wolf who executed her past self).

The most refreshing thing about this series is that the love story is very minor, at its core this series is about war, the loss, darkness and sacrifices in thee name of war.  This is where Thiago comes in. Karou works for her murderer, sacrificing her safety and putting up with harassment and even an attempted rape scene in order to protect her people in the name of Brimstone. I mean, can this girl get any more awesome. We start to feel her gentleness in this book, within Daughter of Smoke and Bone Karou was a badass, martial arts, blue haired flying goddess and in Days of Blood and Starlight we see all of this stripped away. She is still a badass but more in the internal strength to go on and protect her people everyday. I had a lot of respect for Karou in this book.

With Karou's struggle we luckily have Zuze to give us a little comic relief and to reignite the hope (Karou!) that we slowly lose watching Karou struggle. Zuze and Mik remind us that even in this world at war that people still retain the ability to surprise, enchant and adore. There love story is so refreshing, the trust and banter is a wonderful antithesis to Karou and Akiva's.

I want more Zuze and Mik.

This book is a lot heavier on Akiva than it's predecessor. Taylor somehow gives us the information that Akiva killed Karou's 'family' and yet we feel his guilt and struggle so hard that we still root for him. Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl style we are rooting for him. We are rooting for forgiveness, for accepting mistakes (even though it was an colossal one) and we are rooting for the ability of love to conquer all. To unite worlds, mend hearts and end suffering. Taylor manages to do all of this without Akiva coming across as pius, preachy or more loquaciously 'douche-y' and that is a feat most authors struggle to do so successfully.

Days of Blood and Starlight is not as quirky and charming as its mischief-filled predecessor,  but it's a novel that encourages you to contemplate the consequences of war for both winners and losers and futility of revenge. It discusses the ugly face of war in which nobody wins and everybody suffers. It is heart wrenching and this series has turned into something very special and very unexpected.

Warning: Spoilers! Duh.

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.