tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71445715888724794982024-03-12T04:51:40.463+00:00Falling BooksSamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.comBlogger900125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-53096811243414156352022-04-22T19:59:00.001+01:002022-04-22T19:59:18.513+01:00Review: Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer<p><b>Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer<br /></b>Release date: May 10, 2022<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55818239-some-mistakes-were-made" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/13/follow?book_id=55818239&page_type=book&page_type_id=55818239&ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin&sub_page_type=show&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0063088533/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/search/Some-Mistakes-Were-Made-Kristin-Dwyer/9780063088535" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQBejMza3N18OlMJVNKXKNoqm9TiRZ77bU0mC0Q6MUD_wrcL-_6eCKJYrAOoiAT_Ykf5emvUPhdMXQh6xYLk_9ApnLc267mB3UKSaZy-GHm6Xyb89md4ejOnYVS7yzW-wtR2alZ2Pj6omGXJiiRPMGldfRs9IFKRymbsteaS4fJqVOi08muSKow57/s1348/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1348" data-original-width="894" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQBejMza3N18OlMJVNKXKNoqm9TiRZ77bU0mC0Q6MUD_wrcL-_6eCKJYrAOoiAT_Ykf5emvUPhdMXQh6xYLk_9ApnLc267mB3UKSaZy-GHm6Xyb89md4ejOnYVS7yzW-wtR2alZ2Pj6omGXJiiRPMGldfRs9IFKRymbsteaS4fJqVOi08muSKow57/s320/1.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><p><i><b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">You can’t always go home again.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Ellis and Easton have been inseparable since childhood. But when a rash decision throws Ellis’s life—and her relationship with Easton— into chaos she’s forced to move halfway across the country, far from everything she’s ever known.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Now Ellis hasn’t spoken to Easton in a year, and maybe it’s better that way; maybe eventually the Easton shaped hole in her heart will heal. But when Easton’s mother invites her home for a celebration, Ellis finds herself tangled up in the web of heartache, betrayal, and anger she left behind... and with the boy she never stopped loving.</span></i></p><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="readable reviewText" style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">YA contemporary with a lot of angst. The set up reminded me of<i> You and Me on Vacation/People We Meet on Vacation </i>where there has been conflict between the MCs and the book switches between past and present until we finally learn what happened.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Ever since she was young, Ellis has been going over to the Albrey's house. It is a house full of love and takes her mind away the neglect that awaits her at home. Easton Albrey is Ellis' best friend and the two are inseparable. Until something happens that means Ellis has to move across the country to live with her aunty. One year later, Ellis goes back to celebrate Easton's mum's birthday. Reunited with feelings that she thought she had squashed deep down, Ellis has to work through what led her to this moment and whether her broken relationship with Easton can be salvaged.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The characters are complicated and their relationships even more so. The small moments between Ellis and Easton and their endless missed communication spurred me on to finishing this book in two sittings. The yearning and the pining was so on point. You could feel it in everything that was not said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">I was hoping this would make me cry my eyes out, but alas it did not. However, at times it was deeply sad and I truly felt for everything the characters were going through. One of the highlights of this book being Easton's brother Tucker, who plays as the mediator between Ellis and Easton. As well as a cheerleader for them to sort out their issues. He lightened the mood in every scene and just overall gave good vibes to this story.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">I would have liked a bit more material at the end when everything was coming together. It happened so quickly I wanted the characters to take it in! But other than that, I really enjoyed this book and I think I'd re-read it again just to feel everything again.</span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><b>Rating</b></div><div style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">4 Falling Books</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you to Harper360 for gifting an ARC!</div></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-52860742493000357012022-02-25T08:25:00.000+00:002022-02-25T08:25:57.537+00:00Blog Tour: Mark My Words by Muhammed Khan<p>Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for <i>Mark My Words </i>by Muhammed Khan. This is a young adult story that puts important themes under its microscope. If you are looking for a short and thought-provoking read, I would look no further.<i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3UOmSmMJ8Tp8-L2UevOMYkI0QQ1OcbWLdiXTJV9YelFAE4-e9p4_bJTaqvpDb5H8yWk5SrZpBhx1SPm0ioasgQ7y1D2FS-Cc1KCSpXw6L8guQWApPA2FaqBguc8GXRvDeT89kiDSLzAZekdEMb0Brd8TBdkDQCaNKjhCXztKt72u03ri3aA9KAMfk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="660" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3UOmSmMJ8Tp8-L2UevOMYkI0QQ1OcbWLdiXTJV9YelFAE4-e9p4_bJTaqvpDb5H8yWk5SrZpBhx1SPm0ioasgQ7y1D2FS-Cc1KCSpXw6L8guQWApPA2FaqBguc8GXRvDeT89kiDSLzAZekdEMb0Brd8TBdkDQCaNKjhCXztKt72u03ri3aA9KAMfk" width="158" /></a></div></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Synopsis:</b></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Fifteen-year-old Dua Iqbal has always had trouble minding her own business. With a silver-tongue and an inquisitive nature, a career in journalism seems fated. When her school merges with another to form an Academy, Dua seizes her chance and sets up a rival newspaper, exposing the controversial stories that teachers and the kids who rule the school would rather keep buried.</span></i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: transparent;">Dua's investigations are digging up things she shouldn't get involved with about family, friends and her community and as exams rattle towards her, she needs to make some hard decisions about when to leave things alone. But when she discovers that some kids at school are being blamed for selling drugs when the real perpetrator is right in front of their noses, she can't keep quiet any longer.</i></div></span></i><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Mark My Words</i> explores social inequality through the mixing of private school and state school teenagers. I was hooked early into the story by Dua, our main character, who fights to have her thoughts and opinions heard through her writing. This eventually leads her to start a school newspaper that aims to bring a voice to those who have not been given the opportunity to do so. Throughout the story, I enjoyed Dua's passion, relentless spirit, and courage to stand up for what she believes in. At points, I forgot that she was only fifteen years old! I would have loved my younger self to read this book and feel empowered by Dua's character and actions.</span></p><p>The writing style was rooted in pop culture references and slang. While at the beginning this took some getting used to, it did well setting the scene of a secondary school and the atmosphere of being back in the classroom.</p><p>This story feels very relevant to today's climate and tackles a wide range of themes including drug abuse, classism, racism, as well as family and friendship dynamics. They were used to flesh out the plot points as well as prompt character development. By the end, the story had shaped into something that felt very real and reflected the struggles a young person may indeed face in the world today. I would definitely read more by this author!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCuSTdz0hzseD31oRehPWFMcpp21o3B3-34ZJT7UTXXtVLFD1t0kc0V7lBwnVduj1SkSWqd-7vSeTZHb-3DtQHADmj8qyunoeRTa43roKBEd2vy6xTJzlLmPWuqTF2Vdnb440SO5KyDzyZUdGoRjBuIaFY8urWgno12n1s6kP9GIgxsmk1gO1vi12z" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCuSTdz0hzseD31oRehPWFMcpp21o3B3-34ZJT7UTXXtVLFD1t0kc0V7lBwnVduj1SkSWqd-7vSeTZHb-3DtQHADmj8qyunoeRTa43roKBEd2vy6xTJzlLmPWuqTF2Vdnb440SO5KyDzyZUdGoRjBuIaFY8urWgno12n1s6kP9GIgxsmk1gO1vi12z=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Links to find out more about this book can be found below.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50484522-mark-my-words" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1529029945/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a><br /><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Mark-My-Words-Muhammad-Khan/9781529029949" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br /><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/mark-my-words/muhammad-khan/9781529029949" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></p><p>Thank you Pan Macmillan for the invitation to be a part of the blog tour!</p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-55264704467709950372022-02-17T09:20:00.002+00:002022-02-17T09:20:57.536+00:00Blog Tour: The House of Sorrowing Stars by Beth Cartwright<p>Welcome to my stop on the blog tour celebrating the release of <i>The House of Sorrowing Stars</i> by Beth Cartwright. I had the absolute pleasure of reading this book before its release and once I picked it up, it was so very difficult to put down. If you are someone that likes stories written in a poetic style and feels like a fairytale, then read on for my review.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHGANJJPP9RVv1aWKkYiTXroE6GZm3YxmQdCWqZ8-4lVrJBbOXLB3Na0OsyuAQikeuIib5Vfe27VWErg7Pygf85wzss_1fXTASfN0vOxOWi4ph7TGP98t1maJqp3TiXB9T3HtQ4zCQspF7e1CwRwFzDtDcAKRT3VPgT7X6IPyvDMSCReHIy5h5Ge1P=s414" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHGANJJPP9RVv1aWKkYiTXroE6GZm3YxmQdCWqZ8-4lVrJBbOXLB3Na0OsyuAQikeuIib5Vfe27VWErg7Pygf85wzss_1fXTASfN0vOxOWi4ph7TGP98t1maJqp3TiXB9T3HtQ4zCQspF7e1CwRwFzDtDcAKRT3VPgT7X6IPyvDMSCReHIy5h5Ge1P=s320" width="197" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">Synopsis:</b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>How do you heal a broken house?</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>First you unlock its secrets.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Alone on an island, surrounded by flowers that shine as dusk begins to fall, sits an old, faded house. Rooms cannot be rented here and visits are only for those haunted by the memory of loss.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>When Liddy receives an invitation, she thinks there must be some mistake - she's never experienced loss. But with her curiosity stirred, and no other way to escape a life in which she feels trapped, she decides to accept.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Once there, she meets Vivienne, a beautiful, austere woman whose glare leaves Liddy unsettled; Ben, the reserved gardener; and Raphael, the enigmatic Keymaker. If Liddy is to discover her true purpose in the house, she must find the root of their sorrow - but the house won't give up its secrets so easily . . .</i></p><p><i>The House of Sorrowing Stars</i> is a haunting yet mesmerising read that will stick with me for a long time. Through the poetic writing style coupled with magical realism elements, this book completely transports you into a world that feels historical with an edge of fantasy. The main setting is the House of Sorrowing Stars which is a place that helps those who have experienced loss in some way. Cartwright effortlessly brings this house to life to the point we believe it is a character in its own right. This story feels like a fairytale, which works beautifully for the story that it tells. We follow Liddy as she learns about the house, the real reason why she was invited there, and how she can help with the deep-rooted sorrow that lingers in its walls as well as its occupants. Reading this book felt like the most wonderful escape.</p><p>At its core, it explores themes of grief and loss, the different ways that can manifest in each of us, and how on a human level everyone deserves the chance to heal. It takes you on a journey of emotions as you learn more about those residing in the house in particular the owner of the house Vivien and her brother Raphael. While at times I felt deep heartache and despair for these characters, the story weaves in themes of forgiveness and love and leaves your heart feeling full. I cannot wait to reread this story to pick up on further details that I may have missed in my first read.</p><p>You can check out other stops on the blog tour to find out what others thought of this book!</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6EgHR53-HImcmMKrRUcSaFJ_cC989A3rCH7b-Ke5dPr-mhC4URhBps4ngA-BrKtYCjxBR2jAx_cbF9gq67fOx_pNrD8cBK2pmECYbsMcyJG8LaPiKgJ9vUOTh2c6kncib2SFqmCly3Dx7pc9oi_WYGqxJwbLgZtbCbi7mZ-9u0sLWDysKXIQyxbXP=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6EgHR53-HImcmMKrRUcSaFJ_cC989A3rCH7b-Ke5dPr-mhC4URhBps4ngA-BrKtYCjxBR2jAx_cbF9gq67fOx_pNrD8cBK2pmECYbsMcyJG8LaPiKgJ9vUOTh2c6kncib2SFqmCly3Dx7pc9oi_WYGqxJwbLgZtbCbi7mZ-9u0sLWDysKXIQyxbXP=w400-h200" width="400" /></a></p><p>Many thanks to Del Rey for gifting a proof copy for review.</p><p>Where to find <i>The House of Sorrowing Stars</i> by Beth Cartwright:</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58444200-the-house-of-sorrowing-stars" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=The+House+of+Sorrowing+Stars&i=stripbooks&tag=x_gr_w_bb_uk-21&ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/The-House-of-Sorrowing-Stars/9781529100693" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-house-of-sorrowing-stars/beth-cartwright/9781529100693" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></div><p></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-63735505982833047222022-01-20T16:38:00.006+00:002022-01-20T16:38:47.672+00:00Review: Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover<p>Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover</p><p>Release Date: January 18, 2022</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58341222-reminders-of-him?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=L1HbgqFgwy&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reminders-Him-Novel-Colleen-Hoover-ebook/dp/B0976V6YSL" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reminders-Him-Novel-Colleen-Hoover-ebook/dp/B0976V6YSL" target="_blank">Amazon </a>|</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL60NLa7heYuh0Fkn6TfrODzpJcovpro_M78ypzOOQE4FirlFRaiikCM9IvXmGmHMuNzf5n3H20nDD33sDVfiNohbD5GDrd0kVX1862clTuE0sU614kb1ouVr4BiS2eQ7owapsOjMaUKc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL60NLa7heYuh0Fkn6TfrODzpJcovpro_M78ypzOOQE4FirlFRaiikCM9IvXmGmHMuNzf5n3H20nDD33sDVfiNohbD5GDrd0kVX1862clTuE0sU614kb1ouVr4BiS2eQ7owapsOjMaUKc/" width="160" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText1601316462252399237" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.</span></i></div><p></p><p><i><span id="freeText1601316462252399237" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.<br /><br />The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></i></p><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="readable reviewText" style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">This book was so beautiful it was breaking me chapter by chapter. Exploring empathy, forgiveness, and impossible situations where every decision hurts someone. It's serving a whole slice of you don't know the full story to pass judgment on others.<br /><br />Dual POV and letters. A dangerous combination for tears. I was falling in love with Kenna through Ledger and vice-versa. Two people in impossible situations, where being together could mean losing everything they hold dear. The letters that Kenna writes Scotty are so honest and poignant AND GODDAMN IT! MY HEART WAS HURTING.<br /><br />I can't even put into words how much I loved this book. Just such a gem from chapter 1. From Ledger's first chapter I knew I was in danger. By the end, this man has solidified himself in my heart. What a beautiful human. His actions, his morals, his fierce protectiveness over the little girl he sees as his flesh and blood, and his empathy through the whole story makes this man a top-tier fictional husband.<br /><br />CoHo, thank you for breaking my heart and putting it back together in the best way.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Rating </b></div><div style="text-align: center;">5 Falling Books</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-41167099089278182892022-01-03T11:08:00.001+00:002022-01-10T11:13:52.558+00:00Review: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson<p> A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (#1) by Holly Jackson<br /></p><p>Release Date: May 2, 2019</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40916679-a-good-girl-s-guide-to-murder" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/13/follow?book_id=40916679&page_type=book&page_type_id=40916679&ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin&sub_page_type=show&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1405293187/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=40916679&page_type=book&page_type_id=40916679&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show" target="_blank">The Book Depository </a>| <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-good-girls-guide-to-murder/holly-jackson/9781405293181" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEC2rtfZbdUjNd-1fJauILHwD0t6VMfy88Z8g_BuslSFKItwXt4w1TkPx1Opud7_riGug-_o-krFp_LqjdLLfxEk4JHNJhUkxkjaMZvhpQpX8L7zjRqPAIHvwsR2CLLy2Wl43xvE7QYtMBY-dfvwK9rAXLenQSKq7RFqqLkFv2sYKPmMO2Qx_TOb5n=s475" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEC2rtfZbdUjNd-1fJauILHwD0t6VMfy88Z8g_BuslSFKItwXt4w1TkPx1Opud7_riGug-_o-krFp_LqjdLLfxEk4JHNJhUkxkjaMZvhpQpX8L7zjRqPAIHvwsR2CLLy2Wl43xvE7QYtMBY-dfvwK9rAXLenQSKq7RFqqLkFv2sYKPmMO2Qx_TOb5n=s320" width="211" /></a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><i>The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.<br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?</span></i><p></p><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; table-layout: fixed; text-align: left; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="readable reviewText" style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;"><span id="freeTextreview4303918377">Yesyesyes! This was so good. I went in with no expectations, I just wanted a murder mystery for spooky season. But omg, this book had me in its grip. Pip is completing her EPQ (extended project qualification) and she chooses to do it on a five-year-old closed murder case about a girl at her school who was killed by her boyfriend, Sal, and later killed himself... allegedly. That's right, Pip doesn't believe this is the story and makes it the subject of her EPQ to find out what exactly led up to these events, and work out if the blame had been put on the wrong person all these years. Pip works with Sal's brother Ravi to unfold the events five years ago.<br /><br />The writing was phenomenal and so easy to follow, even when the investigation gets more complicated with lots of potential suspects and leads. I'm not normally a mystery/thriller kind of reader but this book made it SO easy to be. Every chapter had me hooked and it was so hard to put down. I stayed up late finishing this one, which I have not done with a book in a while.<br /><br />The banter between Pip and Ravi was a great dynamic throughout the book and by the end these two characters felt so close to my heart. Speaking of my heart, oh boy was it pounding through the end chapters when all was finally unravelling. This book wasn't spooky like "ghost spooky", but it gave me the creeps and a vibe of "someone's always watching". A from Pretty Little Liars kind of style. I was running to the toilet in the night and back because it gave me the creeps.<br /><br />I just adored this book so much. I will be ranting about it for a while because it was very fun, very engaging, and a great surprise. You won't see the reveals coming!</span> <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Rating</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">5 Falling Books</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you to Electric Monkey for gifting this series!</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-11182744192565885732021-11-17T09:00:00.001+00:002021-11-17T09:00:00.182+00:00Blog Tour: When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari, Illustrated by Natalie Sirett<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for<i> When Shadows Fall </i>by Sita Brahmachari. A beautiful and timely story that explores themes of grief, mental health, and community. This book has been 20 years in the making and is complemented by gorgeous illustrations from Natalie Sirett. A gripping and poignant read from beginning to end, and you can't help but follow the characters into the dark shadows of torment and loss. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuexR3Q8Mnp8uIp9ltemy_rTPZyZKdRbd_MEZlYo44FPchBqgSQymqzvMVdzCEpRSorEm0946gNzxaJDhVrFv7VYTXuL0rQ_Hr42isT75pD1efcSbUpblr_Q9cg3bF_LEiSuTuIt6z97s/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1609" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuexR3Q8Mnp8uIp9ltemy_rTPZyZKdRbd_MEZlYo44FPchBqgSQymqzvMVdzCEpRSorEm0946gNzxaJDhVrFv7VYTXuL0rQ_Hr42isT75pD1efcSbUpblr_Q9cg3bF_LEiSuTuIt6z97s/" width="189" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span id="freeText15661136903509537535" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Kai, Orla and Zak grew up together, their days spent on the patch of wilderness in between their homes, a small green space in a sprawling grey city. Music, laughter and friendship bind them together and they have big plans for their future - until Kai’s family suffers a huge loss.<br /><br />Trying to cope with his own grief, as well as watching it tear his family apart, Kai is drawn into a more dangerous crowd, until his dreams for the future are a distant memory. Excluded from school and retreating from his loved ones, it seems as though his path is set, his story foretold. Orla, Zak and classmate Om are determined to help him find his way back. But are they too late?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span><a name='more'></a></span><span></span></span></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">To get lost in writing this book, Sita often listened to her favourite songs (and may have been written this entire story while dancing). The author has shared some songs that would make the start a playlist for <i>When Shadows Fall.</i></span><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"Survive It" by Ghost Poet </b>- <i>The perfect song for Kai</i><br /></span></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/usksH8B07do" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>"Rise Up" by Ayanna Witter-Johnson</b></span></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Ri6_cCKKZs" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Zak - "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong</b></span></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VqhCQZaH4Vs" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Album: "Beyond Skin" by Nitin Sawhney</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeRLVsbdihoIA_G5UgOo5r3Em_kpHMq8BQdi9rUCf5PFC7sUIzCUGxEirEi-LutVTrwWLJrfSScI8xnZ5t6sBmBeAtCK4kxRTAMAWmFPh2cQS-sxg_bJ9Yqo6pgTsn6APnFqzbXNi4YE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeRLVsbdihoIA_G5UgOo5r3Em_kpHMq8BQdi9rUCf5PFC7sUIzCUGxEirEi-LutVTrwWLJrfSScI8xnZ5t6sBmBeAtCK4kxRTAMAWmFPh2cQS-sxg_bJ9Yqo6pgTsn6APnFqzbXNi4YE/" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />As a bonus, Sita has found the perfect song to encapsulate the friendship between Kai, Orla, and Zak. May I add, that this is a beautiful piece for it too. This story </span><span style="font-family: arial;">broke my heart. But by the end left me with a feeling of hope and put my heart together again through seeing the pure power of friendship and the support that can be so valuable during hard times.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Friendship - "When We Were Young" by Adele</b></span></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DDWKuo3gXMQ" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When Shadows Fall</i> by Sita Brahmachari is out now! You can find links for this book below or support your local bookshop.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59008064-when-shadows-fall" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Sita-Brahmachari/s?rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3ASita+Brahmachari" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/when-shadows-fall/sita-brahmachari/natalie-sirett/9781788953160" target="_blank">Waterstones</a> | <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjip6X--Z30AhX8_dUKHSHADOMYABAEGgJ3cw&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESQOD2ojqLmydddnArMMH8St9cN7hOsalo4SsfyBuYu_5aizEVUaPGt2tTJgpPdD7O2zg73vETNvOfGPoDAHp7fP0&sig=AOD64_35UIsTiX1dFHO6y9N7j3Ju4pozxA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjA4Jj--Z30AhX2R_EDHfjjAMQQww96BAgBED8&adurl=" target="_blank">Blackwells</a> | <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/When-Shadows-Fall-Sita-Brahmachari/9781788953160" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></div><span></span><span><!--more--></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b>About the author</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIX4xtaXh-np0mCpGTvsYKYZeXdi92qjTgohMMr48gOut7w_m4avgg66wRnxRg9MhVgwr6zG3ZqdKrlFzOpRamUK8b1ZNNjDJY2q_BNY1f9DpljQQs3Lz5L_lDmjAi0Ncu2IOWgAIzL8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIX4xtaXh-np0mCpGTvsYKYZeXdi92qjTgohMMr48gOut7w_m4avgg66wRnxRg9MhVgwr6zG3ZqdKrlFzOpRamUK8b1ZNNjDJY2q_BNY1f9DpljQQs3Lz5L_lDmjAi0Ncu2IOWgAIzL8/" width="160" /></a></div><div>Sita Brahmachari is an award-winning author. She has been nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal five times, won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2011 and has been bestowed with the IBBY Honour. WHERE THE RIVER RUNS GOLD was Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month in 2019 and Sita has a World Book Day title in 2021. An ambassador for Amnesty, Sita is passionate about safeguarding human rights and diverse voices being heard, which comes through in her thoughtful and sensitive storytelling. She is based in North London. http://www.sitabrahmachari.com</div><div><br /></div><div>Natalie Sirett is a multimedia artist with a multi-faceted practice exploring us, our icons, our stories. http://www.sirett.com</div><br /></div><span><!--more--></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6sjR8arAXicQhR7zXQz-Rm9CumWLQ3DgLYyeSPKUF3h1hGRYLtRq0SAPn0nrOesUPMr1PehpqsXPlr11nEcOAISK5C8JNXNN9hLoNmZuuX7qqWBGpKa5Cxr83kMyDybSeez6rb4WZT1s/" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6sjR8arAXicQhR7zXQz-Rm9CumWLQ3DgLYyeSPKUF3h1hGRYLtRq0SAPn0nrOesUPMr1PehpqsXPlr11nEcOAISK5C8JNXNN9hLoNmZuuX7qqWBGpKa5Cxr83kMyDybSeez6rb4WZT1s/w400-h225/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><div>Thank you to Little Tiger Press and the wonderful Nina Douglas for the invitation to be a part of this tour!</div>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-18056493277746202102021-10-24T17:14:00.002+01:002021-12-24T09:06:02.950+00:00Review: Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain<p><b>Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain</b></p><p><b>Release Date:</b> September 7, 2021</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56913189-dark-and-shallow-lies" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Shallow-Lies-atmospheric-thriller/dp/0008494789/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=dark+and+shallow&qid=1635091748&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Shallow-Lies-atmospheric-thriller/dp/0008494789/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=dark+and+shallow&qid=1635091748&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="http://bookdepository.com/Dark-Shallow-Lies-Ginny-Myers-Sain/9780008494780?ref=grid-view&qid=1635091778258&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/dark-and-shallow-lies/ginny-myers-sain/9780008494780" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9zV5XZQXZDxeDgkCQDkETZk-JRoLBrZOkkDMfIa-ScLtYIdBXCSjAJcfrkmv6bsyV2Qusq3buXLX2r8Au2T8134MHRCG53OfkfKkFYLAit9XjScEP9QInz7uck6YqozsoqQFdENfAi0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="662" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9zV5XZQXZDxeDgkCQDkETZk-JRoLBrZOkkDMfIa-ScLtYIdBXCSjAJcfrkmv6bsyV2Qusq3buXLX2r8Au2T8134MHRCG53OfkfKkFYLAit9XjScEP9QInz7uck6YqozsoqQFdENfAi0/" width="159" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Dark and Shallow Lies</i> has impeccable spooky season vibes (but not too spooky). It's eery and dark and I quickly fell into the setting of the story. A great mystery/thriller with characters that have subtle psychic powers. It added a paranormal twist that I really enjoyed. The story is so beautifully written with descriptions that truly brought the bayou setting alive. The imagery was powerful and the pathetic fallacy throughout added to the dark atmosphere of this story. With the dark gloomy weather recently, <i>Dark and Shallow Lies</i> felt like the perfect autumnal read. Every time I put it down I felt drawn back to it.</p><p>There wasn't a lot of action in this book, but I was eating up the character development and slow burn of the story. I could not predict where it was going or how the story would end. It also felt like a book that you could analyse line by line. Perhaps a great book for a book club read. I didn't love the ending, but I also think I may need to re-read it to get the full impact, but I enjoyed the book overall so it gets a 4 star from me.</p><p>I am not normally drawn to books that don't have romance as a large element, but the small role that romance did play in this book felt perfect. I loved that a larger emphasis was placed on studying the characters in the small town and building the atmosphere. Whereas the romance was sprinkled lightly to add to the plot.</p><p><i>Dark and Shallow Lies </i>was a unique story that was told in a way that felt different and refreshing from your average YA book. It is irresistibly immersive and you will find it just as hard as the characters to leave the small bayou town of La Cachette. If you love a mystery/thriller but want a fresh take on it then definitely check this out. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Rating</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">4 Falling Books</p><p style="text-align: center;">Thank you to Electric Monkey for the review copy! </p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-16173334577632338142021-10-11T19:32:00.003+01:002021-10-11T19:32:38.435+01:00Review: Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer<b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Defy the Night (Defy the Night #1) by Brigid Kemmerer</b><div><b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Release date: September 14, 2021</b></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50022883-defy-the-night?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=9PlPuLC3Si&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Defy-Night-Brigid-Kemmerer/dp/1526632802/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=defy+the+night&qid=1633976970&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon UK </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Defy-Night-Brigid-Kemmerer/dp/1547604662" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=57728353&page_type=book&page_type_id=57728353&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/defy-the-night/brigid-kemmerer/9781526648952" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRnIv1u9PBxH-SCpv7NgJQMf8_uhalnCcfAhHCYITt1Y2XYTB0Wvg5qfcn1xtSufca0qToQ6Sr6NwzROvbPzjpZjDomrWQTCkBsmveRfP95xFzcZ2gIEdD9b5W2eP7Ty25Sq4xW2l4lE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRnIv1u9PBxH-SCpv7NgJQMf8_uhalnCcfAhHCYITt1Y2XYTB0Wvg5qfcn1xtSufca0qToQ6Sr6NwzROvbPzjpZjDomrWQTCkBsmveRfP95xFzcZ2gIEdD9b5W2eP7Ty25Sq4xW2l4lE/" width="156" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>A fantasy series about a kingdom divided by corruption, the prince desperately holding it together, and the girl who will risk everything to bring it crashing down.</i></span></div><div><i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The kingdom of Kandala is on the brink of disaster. Rifts between sectors have only worsened since a sickness began ravaging the land, and within the Royal Palace, the king holds a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">King Harristan was thrust into power after his parents' shocking assassination, leaving the younger Prince Corrick to take on the brutal role of the King's Justice. The brothers have learned to react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion--it's the only way to maintain order when the sickness can strike anywhere, and the only known cure, an elixir made from delicate Moonflower petals, is severely limited.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Out in the Wilds, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her neighbors die, their suffering ignored by the unyielding royals. Every night, she and her best friend Wes risk their lives to steal Moonflower petals and distribute the elixir to those who need it most--but it's still not enough.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /></i><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">As rumors spread that the cure no longer works and sparks of rebellion begin to flare, a particularly cruel act from the King's Justice makes Tessa desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace. But what she finds upon her arrival makes her wonder if it's even possible to fix Kandala without destroying it first.</span> </i></p><p>When I put this book down for anything I immediately got withdrawals. The writing style and story is so gripping that you don't want to put it down.</p><p>The concept of this book was very interesting. There is an illness that is plaguing the people of Kandala, and the only thing that can keep the sickness at bay is moonflower petals. These petals are only grown in 2 sectors of the kingdom, in which the leaders of the sectors have full control over the price. The king buys as much as possible to distribute to all the sectors, but it is barely enough. I loved the idea that there is this finite resource that is being fought over and couldn't wait to learn more about what could be done about this issue. There's a lot of politics involved, which I found myself loving from the start! The worldbuilding was a perfect balance between being easy to understand but still very rich. However, I felt the plot twist and ending reveal was predictable.</p><p>The romance was very cute. I loved Tessa and Corrick but there was not much build-up, which is normally one of the best parts. Their relationship throughout the book was fun to follow and I could never get enough of them. Even though they were a bit cheesy at times.</p><p>I wanted more details on the moonflower petals. This was one of the most interesting aspects and it didn't get enough time in the limelight. Aside from the politics surrounding the moonflower supply issue, I wanted to hear more about the efficacy of the different dosages, and the differences between sectors. But I suspect this will play a bigger part in the second book, even though it could have been explored further within the 400 pages of this one. </p><p>Overall, I did enjoy this a lot. The story made this very hard to put down! I would definitely recommend it to anyone that loves YA fantasy with lots of political intrigue. Especially anyone that liked <i>The Prison Healer </i>by Lynette Noni. This story has so much potential despite the predictable twists and underutilised plot lines, but the main ingredients to be the next hit fantasy series. I am super excited for the sequel because I think it's going to be explosive. There are so many storylines and open ends that I cannot wait to be explored.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Rating</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">4 Falling Books<br />Thank you Bloomsbury for sending a proof copy!</p></div>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-59769221794732723332021-10-08T18:26:00.006+01:002021-10-08T18:29:58.867+01:00TikTok Tour: Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson <p>Hey there!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxrBxlLcLLZrQixaUfrJrJFYzr5U-JYHetblWkAx_UyFLvJ3WNTbms7eiuMXTzIinJ8D3rcIFRycvagtXkEEiZVVgZOMNOwd9vCMhYPGJnAvYZNTDNFComZU13mLiYoTDJ6PEZ5LdCpI/s2542/new+booktokTOUR+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="2542" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxrBxlLcLLZrQixaUfrJrJFYzr5U-JYHetblWkAx_UyFLvJ3WNTbms7eiuMXTzIinJ8D3rcIFRycvagtXkEEiZVVgZOMNOwd9vCMhYPGJnAvYZNTDNFComZU13mLiYoTDJ6PEZ5LdCpI/s320/new+booktokTOUR+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
This week Margaret Rogerson's new YA fantasy was released into the wild! Many of you may be familiar with this author from her very popular YA standalone <i>Sorcery of Thorns </i>and <i>Enchantment of Ravens.</i><i> Vespertine </i>is the first book in a YA fantasy series about nuns in training that fight malevolent spirits. Think Supernatural with badass nuns. When our main character's convent is attacked, she awakens an ancient spirit in order to wield its power. However, this spirit also wants to possess her. <p></p><p><br /></p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@samfallingbooks/video/7016745342003645701" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7016745342003645701" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@samfallingbooks" target="_blank" title="@samfallingbooks">@samfallingbooks</a> <p>supernatural but make it badass nuns <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/vespertinetiktoktour" target="_blank" title="vespertinetiktoktour">##VespertineTikTokTour</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/simonandschusteruk" target="_blank" title="simonandschusteruk">##simonandschusteruk</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/booktok" target="_blank" title="booktok">##booktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryou" target="_blank" title="foryou">##foryou</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fantasy" target="_blank" title="fantasy">##fantasy</a></p> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Repeat-Until-Death-6709410483381733377" target="_blank" title="♬ Repeat Until Death - Novo Amor">♬ Repeat Until Death - Novo Amor</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><p>Tik tok tour for this book! If you want to check out some of the other content that has been posted for the book you can check out the hashtag #VespertineTikTokTour on Tiktok. </p><p>I'm half-way through the book at the moment but I am immensely enjoying it. The main character is giving me Celaena vibes from <i>Throne of Glass</i> and I feel like I'm being surprised around every corner. i cannot wait to see how the rest of the book pans out. Massive thank you to Simon and Schuster for the review copy.</p><p>You can find links to check out this book below.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/56980403-vespertine">Goodreads</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiIlLa9q7vzAhWF91EKHSoUDeIYABAEGgJ3cw&ae=2&sig=AOD64_3-gYQw6_QdHhrrfynYb1OUTrDLdg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwj_hqy9q7vzAhVSlFwKHa99B3oQ9aACegQIARBD&adurl=" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Vespertine-Margaret-Rogerson/9781534477117" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/vespertine/margaret-rogerson//9781398507944" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></div><p></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-44795900920687758062021-09-02T10:00:00.006+01:002021-09-03T11:33:12.889+01:00Exploring the Inspiration Behind The Ash House with Angharad Walker - Blog Tour<p>Happy book birthday to <i>The Ash House</i> by Angharad Walker! Today is it's official UK release.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvVwkGj3fXXSRUK-dfmgq_O1pEM3P3ikoGld1mhI9Gn103aJVn9emJjgX1lz7QaIWA-FmiWZ9db9c8tAmr6azdqUj8ZPDn2Urtve45zGe76tVBnFwxTfn_PecljiRqgC601x41ydyHnw/s1280/111.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvVwkGj3fXXSRUK-dfmgq_O1pEM3P3ikoGld1mhI9Gn103aJVn9emJjgX1lz7QaIWA-FmiWZ9db9c8tAmr6azdqUj8ZPDn2Urtve45zGe76tVBnFwxTfn_PecljiRqgC601x41ydyHnw/s320/111.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>Welcome to the first stop on the blog tour for <i>The Ash House</i>, a chill-you-to-the-bone children's story that will leave you feeling breathless as well as unsettled. You can find out more about the book below. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxx1DbqhcHNyHNDMrccndZhbr_FWbr728mF5cTiG25w2zcrik82tMEMu6uvG3QAHXd7KLX_lCv16_kgz90-Nm28i-UuKxSBeShtged9glOMJo0pH50yxydhZ5-yc-nsn6p31t2H74mTM0/s1281/Ash+House-2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="834" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxx1DbqhcHNyHNDMrccndZhbr_FWbr728mF5cTiG25w2zcrik82tMEMu6uvG3QAHXd7KLX_lCv16_kgz90-Nm28i-UuKxSBeShtged9glOMJo0pH50yxydhZ5-yc-nsn6p31t2H74mTM0/s320/Ash+House-2.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>When Eleven-year-old Sol arrives at the Ash House, desperate for a cure for his complex pain syndrome, he finds a community of strange children long abandoned by their mysterious Headmaster.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The children at the Ash House want the new boy to love their home as much as they do. They give him a name like theirs. They show him the dorms and tell him about the wonderful oasis that the Headmaster has created for them. But the new boy already has a name. Doesn't he? At least he did before he walked through those gates...</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>This was supposed to be a healing refuge for children like him. Something between a school and a summer camp. With kids like him. With pain like his. But no one is allowed to get sick at the Ash House. NO ONE.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>And then The Doctor arrives...</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Strange things are about to happen at the mysterious Ash House. And the longer Sol spends on the mysterious grounds, the more he begins to forget who he is, the more the other children begin to distrust him, and the worse his pain becomes. But can he hold onto reality long enough to find an escape? And better yet, can he convince the others.</i></p><p>I was lucky enough to read a proof of this book before the release. The story plays on magical realism and brings <i>The Ash House </i>to life in a way that will keep you thinking perhaps you're reading something paranormal. Everything about this book felt so vivid and you are quickly drawn into this world where everything seems to make sense to everyone but the main character and us, the reader. Over the course of the book, we learn more and more about the Ash House and the secrets that lie deep within it. The tension by the end of the book was palpable and I had no idea what to expect. I experienced so many emotions while reading and even having finished it my mind can't seem to fully comprehend the wild ride that is this story. It is absolutely unforgettable and terrifying in the best way. If you are someone that enjoys having their boundaries of reality pushed to the edge, this is the book for you.</p><p>I am twenty-two years old, and there were parts of this book where I was so spooked out, I was sure the scenes would play out in my nightmares. However, I have a low tolerance for spooky things, and I know many readers will love how chilling this book is.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hyphenhyphen7_0jaYKPrmFmBOXWfFuf4JJLxPR_gXeJIClPo2SprK2athXdFolOfVq58GdF6emcshyBcwkRAha9dJ0iTaoBv7CNnD8zIHmFT39rDIzg4X5Zn80ztzbmhezFTB2xTRWtvj4TmTJfU/s500/ArtisticGloriousIberianchiffchaff-size_restricted.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="500" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hyphenhyphen7_0jaYKPrmFmBOXWfFuf4JJLxPR_gXeJIClPo2SprK2athXdFolOfVq58GdF6emcshyBcwkRAha9dJ0iTaoBv7CNnD8zIHmFT39rDIzg4X5Zn80ztzbmhezFTB2xTRWtvj4TmTJfU/s320/ArtisticGloriousIberianchiffchaff-size_restricted.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(Me while reading)</i></div><p></p><p>Anyway, enough from me! The lovely Angharad Walker has put together the inspirations behind <i>The Ash House</i> that gives you such a great insight into the makeup of this story.</p><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Hi Falling Books readers! It’s the first stop of <i>The Ash House</i> blog tour and I’d like to say a</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">special thanks to Sam for having me on Falling Books to celebrate its publication.</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Ash House is about a boy who is looking for a cure to a mysterious illness he has. He</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">arrives there hopeful, only to find a house made of ash ad smoke. A group of children like</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">there, living by the strict rules of Nicenesses set by their Headmaster. Only they haven’t seen</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">him in three long years…</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Sam’s asked me to write about the ideas and inspirations behind the book, so here’s a little</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">peak into the (chaotic) mind of this writer…</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The initial idea</span></b></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Everyone always wants to know where the first spark of a story comes from. I hate to</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">disappoint, but I don’t have a particularly satisfactory origin story for this book. I honestly</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">can’t remember if the Ash House came to me in a daydream or a nightmare. I was still a</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">student at university. I was studying in California for the year. I loved it there, but I missed</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">the seasons of the UK, particularly autumn–the grey skies, fine rain, turning leaves. Perhaps</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">the Ash House came out of that craving. All I know if one day it was there in my head: a</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">house made of ash and smoke, deep in the countryside, surrounded by gnarled, ancient</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">woodland. I knew I wanted to write about it.</span></div><div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Thinking up characters</span></b></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">It’s funny because characters can feel like people all their own, even though you created</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">them. I knew I wanted to write a story about friendship. To guide the reader through the</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">world of the Ash House I needed a lead character who was an outsider, and another who was</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">the ultimate insider. That’s Sol and Dom, the two boys at the heart of the story. They both</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">need what the other has. Sol needs something to believe in. He needs to shed his cynical</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">shell. Whereas Dom needs to face up to the harsh realities of the Ash House—it’s not the</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">perfect world he thinks it is.</span></div><div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Perfecting a plot</span></b></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">I worked really hard on the plot. It’s not something that comes naturally to me. I actually</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">quite like books that meander and give the characters lots of time to have random</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">conversations. But I appreciate I’m in the minority of that! So to figure out the right plot for</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">my world and characters, I tried to think about what type of story it is at its heart. That’s</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">when I realised: it’s a prison break story. Prison break stories all have certain features that</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">make them gripping to read or watch—a reason they must escape, a ticking clock to give a</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">sense of urgency, some failed escape attempts with the stakes rising with each failure. When I</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">slotted my ideas to this structure, that’s when the book really came alive.</span> </div><p>You can find links to purchase <i>The Ash House</i> by Angharad Walker below. Including the signed edition offered by Waterstones!</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-ash-house/angharad-walker/9781913696689" target="_blank">Waterstones (signed exclusive)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-ash-house/angharad-walker/9781912626977" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-ash-house/angharad-walker/9781912626977" target="_blank">Waterstones (regular edition)</a></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ash-House-Angharad-Walker/dp/1912626977/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+ash+house&qid=1630356095&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon UK<br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Ash-House-Angharad-Walker/9781912626977?ref=grid-view&qid=1630356075000&sr=1-2" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://forbiddenplanet.com/316984-the-ash-house/" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://forbiddenplanet.com/316984-the-ash-house/" target="_blank">Forbidden Planet</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjYRfDzt7YzTWQ643gU6gl0eLAdB-pVLXX23AnxfbPydO6EeTS9tLcPKyzUKTlLPRCVYnFzXYM7sh4d6bphJ3BwHKmUHwrb8fFSJf_UFDQ9dB604gZfFzCgdPd1tO0Z0giTDqQPlHa1M/s1280/TheAshHouse-PACKSHOT-front.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjYRfDzt7YzTWQ643gU6gl0eLAdB-pVLXX23AnxfbPydO6EeTS9tLcPKyzUKTlLPRCVYnFzXYM7sh4d6bphJ3BwHKmUHwrb8fFSJf_UFDQ9dB604gZfFzCgdPd1tO0Z0giTDqQPlHa1M/s320/TheAshHouse-PACKSHOT-front.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0United Kingdom55.378051 -3.43597327.067817163821154 -38.592223 83.688284836178838 31.720277tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-20143153373811538222021-08-01T16:16:00.002+01:002021-08-01T16:16:59.429+01:00Review: This is My Truth by Yasmin Rahman<p><b>This is My Truth by Yasmin Rahman</b></p><p><b>Release Date:</b> July 22, 2021</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57120418-this-is-my-truth?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=FRufFXkrWO&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>|<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/13/follow?book_id=57120418&page_type=book&page_type_id=57120418&ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin&sub_page_type=show&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21" target="_blank"> Amazon UK </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.com/This-My-Truth-Yasmin-Rahman-ebook/dp/B0964BKQ98/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=this+is+my+truth+yasmin&qid=1627734342&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/search/This-Is-My-Truth-Yasmin-Rahman/9781471410529" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/this-is-my-truth/yasmin-rahman/9781471410529" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDydoG92PLUDfCbljc5GHiO-S7mVKKH68yJrFNi2PSyOOapTPcewD6T4pR_y0YsRvACdOKoMjjr7vmslYTcbZ7djsQTNEUElprMv6imodrYbftjsqKOQU8dKMr-pD5YOWqvrSs0Dfv5No/s475/1111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDydoG92PLUDfCbljc5GHiO-S7mVKKH68yJrFNi2PSyOOapTPcewD6T4pR_y0YsRvACdOKoMjjr7vmslYTcbZ7djsQTNEUElprMv6imodrYbftjsqKOQU8dKMr-pD5YOWqvrSs0Dfv5No/s320/1111.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Best friends Amani and Huda are getting nervous about their GCSEs - and their future beyond school, which they're both wildly unprepared for. Shy, quiet Amani has an outwardly picture-perfect family - a father who is a successful TV presenter, a loving mother, and an adorable younger brother - while confident and impulsive</i></p><p><i>Huda has grown up with over-affectionate foster parents who are now expecting a baby of their own. Both girls are jealous of each other's seemingly easy life, without realising the darkness or worries that lie underneath. Then Huda witnesses Amani's father hitting her mother, and Amani's biggest secret is suddenly out. As Amani convinces Huda to keep quiet by helping her with her own problems, a prank blog starts up at school, revealing students' secrets one by one. Will this anonymous blogger get hold of Amani's secret too? Will Huda keep quiet?</i></p><p><i>This Is My Truth</i> hit me in a way that I was not expecting. Rahman's writing style is easy flowing and I quickly became engaged with the characters. They feel very realistic, which makes the issues addressed in this book even more raw and real. The way that it handles domestic abuse, especially the attitudes towards the topic in the Muslim community, opened my eyes further to how complex these situations can be. The book shows the cycle of abuse, of the bad nights with Amani's dad and how he manipulates her mum and the family by the morning with gifts and smiles. It's painful to see Amani's mum so isolated with no one to turn to, not even her family, because of the fear of being blamed for the abuse or even just being told that it is normal. At times this was a very difficult read, but it is so so important that stories like this are told. I feel like I learnt a lot from this book.</p><p>Amani and her family are Bengali and I loved reading about the culture woven into this book. I enjoyed the different dynamics in Amani's life including her relationship with her brother, with Huda, and her fears and worries about her dad's pressure on her to follow a certain career path even though her heart is not in it at all. There were also moments with Huda's foster family where Amani witnesses their happy moments and seemingly normal life, and I felt heart cracking all over. The emotions that are packed into this book made me speechless. I was crying every few chapters. </p><p>Amani and Huda's friendship was also at the heart of this book and I loved reading about them and how protective they are over each other. These characters go through their own emotional struggles and they grow so much over the course of the book.</p><p><i>This Is My Truth </i>held my attention from beginning to end. It broke my heart so many times over and put it back together again. If you are looking for a hard hitting read this summer I would recommend you pick this up. It made me smile on one page and put me in pain by the next. I will be thinking about this book for a long time! I also can't wait to pick up Rahman's previous book <i>All the Things We Never Said.</i></p><p>Trigger warnings: racism, domestic abuse, foster care issues</p><p style="text-align: center;"> <b>Rating</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">5 Falling Books</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Thank you to Molly at Hot Key Books for sending a copy for review!</i></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-68482579920468143142021-07-24T15:32:00.000+01:002021-07-27T15:35:56.242+01:00Book Mail: Any Where the Wind Blows (Simon Snow #3) by Rainbow Rowell<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguitvJAaOBQ6Cav1lZBBgdsLlj9MDDifKjzaF-WYW1tfSlz8Zij5bS_qJoTp_OkmnS2kBpjoi0TWfbpeQc1kCH3kvVdCbqB0iTIpe-JRLkpASC1cDugc0_WpHdpN7mSD6FZWkos1OpO2s/s475/awtwb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguitvJAaOBQ6Cav1lZBBgdsLlj9MDDifKjzaF-WYW1tfSlz8Zij5bS_qJoTp_OkmnS2kBpjoi0TWfbpeQc1kCH3kvVdCbqB0iTIpe-JRLkpASC1cDugc0_WpHdpN7mSD6FZWkos1OpO2s/s320/awtwb.jpg" /></a></div><br />In honour of the release of <i>Any Where the Wind Blows </i>by Rainbow Rowell, the third and final book in the <i>Simon Snow</i> series, Macmillan sent a very lovely parcel! You can watch my unboxing below.<p></p>
<blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@samfallingbooks/video/6981884058330598661" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="6981884058330598661" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@samfallingbooks" target="_blank" title="@samfallingbooks">@samfallingbooks</a></div> <p style="text-align: center;">This book called me ugly <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/anywaythewindblows" target="_blank" title="anywaythewindblows">##AnyWayTheWindBlows</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/awtwb" target="_blank" title="awtwb">##AWTWB</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/booktok" target="_blank" title="booktok">##booktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryou" target="_blank" title="foryou">##foryou</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/simonsnow" target="_blank" title="simonsnow">##simonsnow</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/samreading" target="_blank" title="samreading">##samreading</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/unboxing" target="_blank" title="unboxing">##unboxing</a></p> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Dream-smp-hate-club-6892112751259405061" target="_blank" title="♬ Dream smp hate club - ~♡violet♡~"></a><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Dream-smp-hate-club-6892112751259405061" target="_blank" title="♬ Dream smp hate club - ~♡violet♡~">♬ Dream smp hate club - ~♡violet♡~</a></div></section> </blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
<p>It feels emotional to say goodbye to such endearing characters that have stolen my heart since book 1. Watching as Simon and Baz work through their relationship and personal struggles to be the best version of themselves for each other breaks my heart even more. I've included some of my favourite SnowBaz quotes in the video below.</p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@samfallingbooks/video/6989336319063280901" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="6989336319063280901" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@samfallingbooks" target="_blank" title="@samfallingbooks">@samfallingbooks</a></div> <p style="text-align: center;">I love these two cinnamon rolls <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/booktok" target="_blank" title="booktok">##booktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryou" target="_blank" title="foryou">##foryou</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/samreading" target="_blank" title="samreading">##samreading</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/awtwb" target="_blank" title="awtwb">##awtwb</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/anywaythewindblows" target="_blank" title="anywaythewindblows">##anywaythewindblows</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/snowbaz" target="_blank" title="snowbaz">##snowbaz</a></p> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Dumb-Love-6971537231409924097" target="_blank" title="♬ Dumb Love - Mimi Webb"></a><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Dumb-Love-6971537231409924097" target="_blank" title="♬ Dumb Love - Mimi Webb">♬ Dumb Love - Mimi Webb</a></div></section></blockquote><p>If you haven't read this series, I would recommend it to anyone out there that wants a little bit of magic in their life. It features a bunch of cinnamon roll characters (aka sweet and endearing and very adorable). It will make you smile and laugh throughout the whole story. In the first book, the characters are at a Hogwarts-style school for mages, the second features a pretty badass road trip across the US, and the last book ties the story together as the characters figure out their "adult" lives. The writing is so fun, the dialogue consistently witty, and features endless mysteries for the gang to solve. The love story also gives that 'enemies to lovers' feel that is irresistible.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Links to grab a copy of this stunning book are below!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52190991" target="_blank">Goodreads </a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wind-Blows-Simon-Snow-Book-ebook/dp/B08SMGMXGH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15CMN8JV1N6O2&dchild=1&keywords=any+way+the+wind+blows+rainbow+rowell&qid=1627395195&sprefix=any+way+the+wind+blows%2Caps%2C220&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wind-Blows-Simon-Snow-Trilogy/dp/1250254337/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15CMN8JV1N6O2&dchild=1&keywords=any+way+the+wind+blows+rainbow+rowell&qid=1627395363&sprefix=any+way+the+wind+blows%2Caps%2C220&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwisyYuhuIPyAhWm7-0KHQGXCtAYABAEGgJkZw&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESQOD2q2fl1lunlbbZu49-dCgDzCCltblslWTT2awbbULcBwhGTKufZpjv-1zgcjuMJ3I2L2s9YBL2So2ZorinEJ4&sig=AOD64_1SAgI924aP-bghXHtpW6Y3bRRxhg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwi_04KhuIPyAhUhQEEAHUsTCOsQ9aACegQIARBE&adurl=" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/any-way-the-wind-blows/9781529039900" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></p> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-83698435144600621482021-07-20T20:35:00.002+01:002021-07-20T20:35:48.535+01:00Review: These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows #1) by Lexi Ryan<p><b> These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows #1) by Lexi Ryan</b></p><p><b>Release Date: </b>July 20, 2021</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57829908-these-hollow-vows" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=9781529376913&i=stripbooks&linkCode=qs&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/These-Hollow-Vows-Lexi-Ryan/dp/0358386578/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=9781529376913&linkCode=qs&qid=1626806620&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=57829908&page_type=book&page_type_id=57829908&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/these-hollow-vows/lexi-ryan/9781529376913" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEXyFzyss6BPIz97aTXSg7YXg8s8CWXtsgvHms1TrnfRVyy5grk1xBzctb7_0UP6sLN4UkE18ezw39N22FtsJp3c7x8jXEW2K37Plz26v9BEmXTzTteHfJYOhOuvTW10ZPguNjqtCB5A/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEXyFzyss6BPIz97aTXSg7YXg8s8CWXtsgvHms1TrnfRVyy5grk1xBzctb7_0UP6sLN4UkE18ezw39N22FtsJp3c7x8jXEW2K37Plz26v9BEmXTzTteHfJYOhOuvTW10ZPguNjqtCB5A/" width="156" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she'll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.</i></p><p><i>Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie's only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.</i></p><p><i>Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.</i></p><p><i>These Hollow Vows</i> is a YA fantasy that has been recommended for fans of <i>The Cruel Prince</i> and <i>A Court of Thorns and Roses</i>. If you haven't read either of these books then I would recommend this as an "easy to dive into" YA fantasy with a love triangle consisting of two irresistible love interests, as well as an inevitable betrayal. The fae world is divided into the Seelie and Unseelie courts who have been long at war. We follow Brie as she infiltrates the Seelie court in order to find three relics for the Unseelie King who has her sister. While she is there she must play the part of a human who is there to win the hand of the Prince of the Seelie court, (<i>The Selection</i> by Kiera Cass kind of style) Sebastian, who she just might be falling for. However, she also begins to fall for Finn, the leader of the rebels attempting to overthrow the Unseelie King and could possibly be the answer to getting her sister back.</p><p>The writing style is very easy to follow in this book. If you are someone that doesn't get on well with heavy worldbuilding in fantasy books and prefers to get stuck straight into the plot, then this book is perfect for you. At certain points, I did find myself wanting for the author to expand on the world further to make this world feel more fleshed out. We spend a lot of time in the Seelie court but at the same time, I feel like I came away still not knowing that much about it or the rules, customs, etc.</p><p>The love triangle in this book was written in a way that was enjoyable and kept the reader guessing about who may be the one to win the main character's heart. It is an especially hard decision when you fall for both of the love interests in the book and can't decide who you're are rooting for! Up until the very end, you are kept guessing who Brie might pick. The betrayal trope also plays a big part in the romance so any fans of big twists such as those in<i> Red Queen</i> by Victoria Aveyard I think you will enjoy what this book has in store!</p><p>Brie was not my favourite main protagonist. I found myself frustrated with her inner thoughts and her choices. I also could not believe how much she got away with sneaking around the castle and its grounds. Even when she was with the rebels for a few days under the guise of visiting a seaside town, Sebastian did not even ask her about this "trip" once when she got back. I thought this was a little too easy of a way out for Brie to not have to deal with the possibility of being exposed. Every moment thereafter I was then not worried that she would get caught because everyone was so gullible and never questioned her. I would have like less predictability from this aspect of the plot.</p><p>If you enjoy romance as the main driver in your fantasy stories then I think this would be a good pick for you! It doesn't have the heavy worldbuilding that can feel very dense, it jumps straight into the plot, and there is only a sprinkle of political intrigue. Overall, <i>These Hollow Vows</i> is an addictive read that you will not be able to put down. The romance will keep you guessing at every turn and you are waiting on the edge of your seat for all secrets to unravel. I am looking forward to seeing where the author takes this story in the sequel!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Rating</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">4 Falling Books</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for providing a review copy</i></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-38537494657622251302021-07-12T19:51:00.000+01:002021-07-12T19:51:06.986+01:00Review: The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons<p><b>The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons</b></p><p><b>Release Date: </b>June 3, 2021</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55224227-the-passing-playbook" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/13/follow?book_id=55224227&page_type=book&page_type_id=55224227&ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin&sub_page_type=show&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Passing-Playbook-Isaac-Fitzsimons/dp/1984815407" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=55224227&page_type=book&page_type_id=55224227&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-passing-playbook/isaac-fitzsimons/9780241401286" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8fdj1HOAyHPn-fv0-8M9yz53B_z-e5EtsqWTNb2InQwfvm3LwH-PLFtimfNGuks9m_RKv__VY8xXmCGJMtPQ-VAESiFcf-n5s0tyHRUB6HOp2sjhiGg_Ebrnvn-PmY5H2rwyEqvBjYU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8fdj1HOAyHPn-fv0-8M9yz53B_z-e5EtsqWTNb2InQwfvm3LwH-PLFtimfNGuks9m_RKv__VY8xXmCGJMtPQ-VAESiFcf-n5s0tyHRUB6HOp2sjhiGg_Ebrnvn-PmY5H2rwyEqvBjYU/" width="157" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Fifteen-year-old Spencer Harris is a proud nerd, an awesome big brother and a Messi-in-training. He's also transgender. After transitioning at his old school leads to a year of bullying, Spencer gets a fresh start at Oakley, the most liberal private school in Ohio.</i></p><p><i>At Oakley, Spencer seems to have it all: more accepting classmates, a decent shot at a starting position on the boy's soccer team, great new friends, and maybe even something more than friendship with one of his teammates. The problem is, no one at Oakley knows Spencer is trans - he's passing.</i></p><p><i>So when a discriminatory law forces Spencer's coach to bench him after he discovers the 'F' on Spencer's birth certificate, Spencer has to make a choice: cheer his team on from the sidelines or publicly fight for his right to play, even if it means coming out to everyone - including the guy he's falling for.</i></p><p><i>The Passing Playbook</i> is a young adult sports romance with a trans protagonist. It brings up important conversations around trans rights and how even though things are changing in our society we still have a long way to go. It also highlights the importance of allyship in supporting this change.</p><p>The romance between Spencer and Justice was super sweet and I loved how it unfolded throughout the book. It was especially interesting to see how they both navigated Justice's very religious family with their discriminatory and harmful views of the queer community. This makes you root for them even more!</p><p>I read this book while watching the Euros 2020 and I loved the football element in this story. Even if football isn't your thing, the writing style and plot is so easy to follow that you find yourself getting into the sports scenes more than you think! The dialogue flowed nicely and was endlessly entertaining. One of my favourite parts about this book was how it challenges laws that discriminate against trans people and how simple things such as gender neutral toilets being available should not be a luxury, it should be a necessity. </p><p>There is great representation in this book featuring non-binary, autistic, bisexual, and gay characters. Spencer's family are also very supportive of his transition and identity, which was so heart-warming to read about. I read <i>Between Perfect and Real</i> by Ray Stoeve recently which featured the opposite side to this, which is having a family who don't want to accept who you are. So it was really great to read about a different kind of experience. The author definitely takes a positive outlook on being your true authentic self and I think that worked perfectly for what the book was trying to achieve. </p><p><i>The Passing Playbook</i> was overall an unexpected delight that gave me warm and fuzzy feelings and left me full of hope for these characters and the changes they are striving to make in the world; no matter how small. This is an unmissable YA contemporary this summer with a first love romance, important topics, and delightful characters.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Rating</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">4.5 Falling Books</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Thank you to Penguin and Bookstagrammers.com for providing a review copy</i></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-79486637597791812552021-07-09T15:50:00.006+01:002021-07-12T19:51:28.892+01:00Review: Carry On (Simon Snow #1) by Rainbow Rowell<p><b>Carry On (Simon Snow #1) by Rainbow Rowell<br /></b></p><p><b>Release Date</b>: October 6, 2015</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32768522-carry-on" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carry-Rainbow-Rowell/dp/1529013003/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=carry+on+simon&qid=1625842164&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Carry-Rainbow-Rowell/dp/1250135028/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=carry+on+simon&qid=1625842187&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=32768522&page_type=book&page_type_id=32768522&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/carry-on/rainbow-rowell/9781529013009" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Z6KupLqZi8tbLPezhVNXtGkzgzaK9TN8j7B35_7KLHCPweq4Cr25Qs_B7aemAKhIGrOuETop1eczJmDCq0Pp72fEb5fb32v7xCZ2A-m7RfYXm9Z28x94_XMOcTkDEd_4wQopK9JwIPU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Z6KupLqZi8tbLPezhVNXtGkzgzaK9TN8j7B35_7KLHCPweq4Cr25Qs_B7aemAKhIGrOuETop1eczJmDCq0Pp72fEb5fb32v7xCZ2A-m7RfYXm9Z28x94_XMOcTkDEd_4wQopK9JwIPU/" width="160" /></a></div><p></p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">complete git</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">, but he's probably right.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here — it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.</span></i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><p>This was fun! Major Harry Potter fanfic vibes but the story and characters grew on me by 150 pages in. Especially once I got used to the parallels with HP. This book switches between character POVs, which worked really well for the romance aspect of the story between Simon and Baz. Their enemies-to-lovers romance was so enjoyable and the banter between them never failed to make me smile. I can see why SnowBaz has such a big following because they are adorable and must be protected at all costs.</p><p>I also loved the friendship between Simon and Penelope. Their constant support and love for each and the way they are absolutely on the same wavelength made chapters with these 2 a lot of fun.</p><p>Simon gives off major HP vibes in terms of his character because he is an orphan, found by the headmaster of the magic school, and takes him under his wing, he doesn't have anywhere to spend holidays, etc. Over the course of the book these parallels became less jarring especially when you start to warm to Simon's character. I liked how bits and pieces started to come together toward the end for the big reveal. However, I wasn't surprised by the plot twist all that much but I still enjoyed how the events at the end unfolded.</p><p>The plot of this book was slow at the start, or I couldn't really see where it was going. But in short, there is a murder mystery in which our main characters set out to solve as well as keeping an eye out for the bad guy of the story the Insidious Humdrum who is a widespread threat to the magic world. </p><p>I can't wait to see where the story goes in the sequel Wayword Son and I look forward to seeing the cast of characters again! </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Rating</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">3.5 Falling Books</p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-19063470442297646132021-06-18T14:13:00.003+01:002021-07-08T14:47:47.511+01:00Review: Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes #1) by Elizabeth Lim<p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes #1) by Elizabeth Lim</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Release Date: </b>July 8, 2021</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57028076-six-crimson-cranes" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1529356555/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Six-Crimson-Cranes-Elizabeth-Lim/dp/0593300912/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=six+crimson+cranes&qid=1623852452&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=57028076&page_type=book&page_type_id=57028076&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/six-crimson-cranes/elizabeth-lim/9781529356557" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6Z_bP2vJFWgQDLenSrFnoRXrsLcu8LGtyGK9rXYVfpW1sQRvNKAysNqxPwYYO_WNRMPl_EDqcoDDPG8dy34gAwtIQc7NuQyI8-3Au0R6tzgJeF6QBLwBYgO8J1wOqbXg9q7zP98r1rA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="301" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6Z_bP2vJFWgQDLenSrFnoRXrsLcu8LGtyGK9rXYVfpW1sQRvNKAysNqxPwYYO_WNRMPl_EDqcoDDPG8dy34gAwtIQc7NuQyI8-3Au0R6tzgJeF6QBLwBYgO8J1wOqbXg9q7zP98r1rA/" width="152" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4xszKzAFVMkdLlJ7OO3-73nMdp7eSWF_rHbDhSl0ksZPWatustcaWbG3l6BvY8Ue3ZVgj36CagPKyHmi0nznGEwXqrSbspQK4k3k4BfztcuOPrOwl7gFvVSK1GUJqBxx03jHIo9QBkM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4xszKzAFVMkdLlJ7OO3-73nMdp7eSWF_rHbDhSl0ksZPWatustcaWbG3l6BvY8Ue3ZVgj36CagPKyHmi0nznGEwXqrSbspQK4k3k4BfztcuOPrOwl7gFvVSK1GUJqBxx03jHIo9QBkM/" width="159" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">(UK Edition | US Edition)</span></div><p><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Peniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama's betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">not</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her.</span></span></i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: arial;"><i>Six Crimson Cranes</i> is a magical story from start to finish. The execution was perfect from the moment we meet Shiori to the very last page. Lim has built a world that feels like a true fairytale and the East Asian mythology that's weaved into this story is nothing short of breathtaking. </span></p><p><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Princess Shiori of Kiata has magic in a kingdom where magic is forbidden. One day she makes the mistake of snooping on her stepmother Raikama, who has many secrets of her own, including the fact that she has magic of her own. Raikama curses and banishes Shiori as well as turning her brothers into cranes. Shiori embarks on a quest to undo the curse, get back to her kingdom, and get to the bottom of Raikama's motives. The hurdles that Shiori faces along the way makes this story absolutely unputdownable. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: arial;">Some YA fantasy books suffer from lag in the middle of the story with not much happening until the very end, however, you do not have to dread that here! It was packed with action and twists all the way through. You can expect dragons and an epic quest! It also has some of my favourite tropes including an arranged marriage. There is also a ridiculously sweet romance that had no business stealing my heart so unexpectedly! The love interest is incorporated into the story in such a flawless way that it felt organic and I loved watching the romance blossom. I wish all romance storylines could be executed this well.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: arial;">One of my favourite characters from the book was Shiori's enchanted paper bird Kiki, who is her cheerleader throughout. This paper bird was so funny and a scene-stealer at times. The family dynamics between Shiori and her brothers was also everything that I could want! I loved getting to know each brother and following how the siblings become closer over the course of the story.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: arial;">Another aspect of the book I loved was how amazingly it describes food. This is a recurring theme throughout the book and it made me so hungry. It really added to the immersive feel of the book and I was lost in the taste of Asian food through the pages. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Six Crimson Cranes</i> is now one of my favorite YA fantasies of all time. If you want a YA fantasy story that is a fairytale retelling but feels so unique and unlike anything you've ever read before then you NEED this book. I also have no doubt that the sequel will be another wild adventure because of where this book leaves off. I will also not shut up about this book until all my bookish friends have read it!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Rating</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5 Falling Books</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for providing a digital Netgalley ARC</span></i></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-66131056114480347642021-06-10T18:24:00.000+01:002021-06-10T18:24:39.823+01:00Review: Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve<p><b> Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve</b></p><p><b>Release Date:</b> June 10, 2021</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54776123-between-perfect-and-real" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1419746014/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419746014/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=54776123&page_type=book&page_type_id=54776123&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/between-perfect-and-real/ray-stoeve/9781419746017" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cnoFwEQRsECRM4noFELg3efzQcz4jM8zgLjCiPS6viDgoeJTAj8SlOyRMCuOZNCaGM3LwiHHdBclEbaO8cFuX8qTYynH7kFJgdpOHZUpsbT00fRWtqRifR_EeqkZWIITb-VcDsF7C0E/s1515/11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1515" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cnoFwEQRsECRM4noFELg3efzQcz4jM8zgLjCiPS6viDgoeJTAj8SlOyRMCuOZNCaGM3LwiHHdBclEbaO8cFuX8qTYynH7kFJgdpOHZUpsbT00fRWtqRifR_EeqkZWIITb-VcDsF7C0E/s320/11.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>Between Perfect and Real</i> is a poignant story following a young trans boy as he navigates his identity, friendships, family, and future. </p><p>The book has great representation in terms of BIPOC characters and explores the theme of "chosen families" through the trans support group in which Dean attends. I loved that this gave Dean an outlet where he could truly let go and be himself. The contrast in Dean's character between when he is in this environment compared to when he is at his rehearsals is clear. This highlighted the importance of having people around you and a support system that allows you to be the truest version of yourself. Dean's emotional state completely changes when he's around people that understand and accept him. I loved his friendship with Ronnie and how supportive they are of each other. However, Dean's relationship with his parents was more difficult to read about especially as his mum continues to be in denial about Dean's identity and being trans. The scenes with Dean's parents felt so raw and I wanted to give him a hug.</p><p>Reading about Dean's personal experience coming out as trans and the emotional journey that he goes on throughout the book felt so eye-opening. As a cisgender person, this story was perfect for helping me understand the trans experience. The story felt real and realistic and dealt with different aspects of being trans. For example, Dean grapples with which pronouns to use, whether he wants to go on to hormone therapy, and deciding how and when he wants to come out to the people in his life. Ultimately, the story highlights that there is no clear-cut way to deciding how your "coming-out" journey may look, but it's important to make decisions that feel right and fit you. This book may be especially valuable for younger readers to explore LGBTQ+ voices.</p><p><i>Between Perfect and Real</i> is a fresh queer read. At times raw and very real, but remaining an enjoyable read throughout. Please check trigger warnings for this book before reading including themes of transphobia, transphobic violence, bullying, harassment, misgendering, and body dysmorphia amongst others.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Rating</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">3 Falling Books</p><p style="text-align: center;">Thank you to Abrams & Chronicle for providing a copy for review!</p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-837111912807524842021-05-25T20:47:00.001+01:002021-05-25T20:47:12.443+01:00Review: The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom #1) by Danielle L. Jensen<p><b>The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom #1) by Danielle L. Jensen<br />Release Date:</b> August 13, 2019<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43383182-the-bridge-kingdom" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/13/follow?book_id=43383182&page_type=book&page_type_id=43383182&ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin&sub_page_type=show&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1733090320/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=43383182&page_type=book&page_type_id=43383182&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIjPtm_K60broSYHa6LvCYFcUpxsYbD_Igj0CKy4JkCOPqjkvmOHHaTKp2_2_b0OhC4IaFFzUQT7Q24oVr9jKWC4oj7CXMkK-QW5utkGg3AiPGjSecuO7cc51Qz4EXxEYfpttwE2e_qk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="318" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIjPtm_K60broSYHa6LvCYFcUpxsYbD_Igj0CKy4JkCOPqjkvmOHHaTKp2_2_b0OhC4IaFFzUQT7Q24oVr9jKWC4oj7CXMkK-QW5utkGg3AiPGjSecuO7cc51Qz4EXxEYfpttwE2e_qk/" width="163" /></a></div><p></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Lara has only one thought for her husband on their wedding day: I will bring your kingdom to its knees. A princess trained from childhood to be a lethal spy, Lara knows that the Bridge Kingdom represents both legendary evil - and legendary promise. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom controls all trade and travel between lands, allowing its ruler to enrich himself and deprive his enemies, including Lara's homeland. So when she is sent as a bride under the guise of fulfilling a treaty of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture the defenses of the impenetrable Bridge Kingdom.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">But as she infiltrates her new home - a lush paradise surrounded by tempest seas - and comes to know her new husband, Aren, Lara begins to question where the true evil resides. Around her, she sees a kingdom fighting for survival, and in Aren, a man fiercely protective of his people. As her mission drives her to deeper understanding of the fight to possess the bridge, Lara finds the simmering attraction between her and Aren impossible to ignore. Her goal nearly within reach, Lara will have to decide her own fate: Will she be the destroyer of a king or the savior of her people?</span></i></p><p><i>The Bridge Kingdom</i> is a BookTok favourite and one that I went into with high expectations. After finishing this book I can officially say I really enjoyed this! It is a solid fantasy with a great plot and the writing style makes this story an easy one to slip into. The world and the politics in this story are really interesting, the (very) slow-burn romance had me at hello, and the last 20% of the book is such a rollercoaster of emotions you'll be forced to pick up the sequel straight away.</p><p>This book started off so awesome. Our main character Lara is described as a badass and ruthless assassin and from there I'm hooked. The opening scene? Immense. My interest levels peaked to 5000. However, slowly as the chapters unfold where Lara has been described as this cutthroat, trained since birth, deadly assassin, nothing that she actually does reflects this entirely. This was frustrating to read because it felt that the character was being described in one way but didn't really live up to that through her actions. Over the course of the book, I suppose she proves herself in little ways and I hope this is shown more in the sequel because I was coming to really enjoy her character by the end. </p><p>This book is a solid 4 for me as I felt hooked all the way through and I loved the world and learning more about Ithicana. The romance was really enjoyable. It is a slow burner! This is an important heads up as I went into this book thinking it was going to be spicy from 20% in and it was not. The book is told from both POVs with a heavier emphasis on Lara. I would have liked more moments between them told from Aren's POV just so we could see the finer moments of them falling for each other. Aren and Lara have great chemistry and I'm hoping for more intimate moments between them in <i>The Traitor Queen</i> (book 2).</p><p>Their relationship has been described as an enemies to lovers, which I suppose on the surface it is. However, it's not really knife-to-throat or "I will kill you" ETL, it's more like "Oh hey there, guess we're getting married as part of this treaty and our two nations don't really get along, but here we are. Wanna be friends?" I did however enjoy the dynamic of having our main character as a spy in the enemy's territory and her slowly finding out why they may not be the enemy she once thought they were. But enemies? To lovers? More like suspicious woman becomes the king's wife and is actually a spy and deep down he knows she's only there to get information from him about his kingdom but he wants to give her the benefit of the doubt and they both end up falling for each other anyway. Not sure what trope this is... but essentially if you like the idea of the betrayal trope then go for this. It will hurt you!</p><p>I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy with a betrayal trope. Perhaps for fans of The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson who want a little more spice. I've seen this book compared to From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout, but personally, I don't think this spice is on the same level if that is what you're looking for this might not be the one for you. I do think it will heat up over the course of the series and I can't wait to read book 2!</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Rating</b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">4 Falling Books</p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-19630323607356674342021-05-11T13:00:00.001+01:002021-05-11T13:04:04.949+01:00Book Release Day and Review: Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass <p><span style="font-family: arial;">Happy Book Birthday to this wonderful YA contemporary!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass</b><br /><b>Release Date:</b> May 11, 2021<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54870194-where-the-rhythm-takes-you" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0063018527/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0063018527/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=54870194&page_type=book&page_type_id=54870194&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyQQrcXRWMFdGxkNFKa_mTMPHU8gNGPOPT5JFR2vGZwrQiAlG0nUab_S99fbSfMcIkVl41GOZZSWtYJl3w7h5-LteHTX8ItnGMoH_p6W1lN-kHix9MPpJm0-MKYKr0aEfncExVHLkIvM/s1024/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="678" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyQQrcXRWMFdGxkNFKa_mTMPHU8gNGPOPT5JFR2vGZwrQiAlG0nUab_S99fbSfMcIkVl41GOZZSWtYJl3w7h5-LteHTX8ItnGMoH_p6W1lN-kHix9MPpJm0-MKYKr0aEfncExVHLkIvM/s320/111.jpg" /></a></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Seventeen-year-old Reyna has spent most of her life at her family’s gorgeous seaside resort in Tobago, the Plumeria. But what once seemed like paradise is starting to feel more like purgatory. It’s been two years since Reyna’s mother passed away, two years since Aiden – her childhood best friend, first kiss, first love, first everything – left the island to pursue his music dreams. Reyna’s friends are all planning their futures and heading abroad. Even Daddy seems to want to move on, leaving her to try to keep the Plumeria running.</i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>And that's when Aiden comes roaring back into her life – as a VIP guest at the resort.</i></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Aiden is now one-third of DJ Bacchanal – the latest, hottest music group on the scene. While Reyna has stayed exactly where he left her, Aiden has returned to Tobago with his Grammy-nominated band and two gorgeous LA socialites. And he may (or may not be) dating one of them…</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Where the Rhythm Takes You</i> is such a joyous read that will keep you up all night and really give you that sweet contemporary YA experience. It is set in the beautiful backdrop of Tobago and I found myself longing to walk along the beaches, try the food, and wanting to experience everything it has to offer. This book deals with the loss of a loved one, learning to let go, and letting yourself fall into your passions. It has really left me with a fuzzy feeling, wanting to seize the day and nurture those passions that bring me joy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Ever since her mother died, our main character Reyna has been making sure to look after her family's hotel in Tobago and making sure it meets the standards that her mum put in place. She even put her dream of going to study art with her best friend aside. Reyna is shocked when she finds that her ex-boyfriend Aiden, who is now a major music celebrity, is coming to stay at the hotel and she has to be his tour guide. Throughout the book, we learn more and more about their history and where it went wrong. The slow burn of Reyna and Aiden's romance just killed me... and I loved it. Sometimes I felt Aiden could have shown a little more emotion and having a dual POV would have been really great at certain points within this book, however, I enjoyed Reyna's side nonetheless and the story of their second chance love tied up nicely by the end.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The way Reyna's mother's death is told to us felt so raw and so real it brought me to tears a few times. And her difficult relationship with her father and her best friend also felt realistic. There are also some funny laugh-out-loud scenes that came from Aiden's celebrity friends, who all felt so down to earth that they were a joy to read about. I loved the 'fame' aspect of the book didn't overtake the storyline. I do not think anything in the story really shocked or surprised me, there were no major twists in a sense. I would have liked something like this in the overarching plot, but it also worked fine without it. There may be some things that were seemingly predictable, but there's no denying that this book is such a fun read it did not matter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I would highly recommend <i>Where the Rhythm Takes You</i> if you're looking for a YA contemporary that has all the classic ingredients but feels fresh at the same time. There is also a brilliant soca playlist at the back of the book, which is a genre I had never listened to before! This book is so easy to slip into. I read it over the course of a few days and each time I picked it up I felt I was returning home to friends. I cannot wait to read more from Sarah Dass because this debut novel hit the spot. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Rating</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4.5 Falling Books</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Thank you to Balzer + Bray for providing an eARC on Edelweiss</i></span></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-61508095682595376042021-05-07T14:19:00.001+01:002021-05-10T13:54:17.654+01:00Review: Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Chain of Iron (The Last Hours #2) by Cassandra Clare<br />Release Date: </b>March 2, 2021<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17699855-chain-of-iron?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=SSzw2NsjAw&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/140635810X/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/140635810X/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=17699855&page_type=book&page_type_id=17699855&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-last-hours-chain-of-iron/cassandra-clare/9781406358100" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wlVG31Q7f56YVjKXAN3RqZyOE5G4JLH8ajS-fZzhd5354ubDYJCi8pqTPHt4qevHvIOxq2ANVSsoF3r0x-_VG63q9SdFBkxNI0pwrlqdnOOmb4uyenwOlLAxeFNhQLxuzWdvf4orBZE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wlVG31Q7f56YVjKXAN3RqZyOE5G4JLH8ajS-fZzhd5354ubDYJCi8pqTPHt4qevHvIOxq2ANVSsoF3r0x-_VG63q9SdFBkxNI0pwrlqdnOOmb4uyenwOlLAxeFNhQLxuzWdvf4orBZE/" width="159" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace.</i></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>*Possible spoilers for <i>Chain of Gold</i>*</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Cassandra Clare strikes again and breaks my heart. Surprise surprise. <i>Chain of Iron </i>follows our main cast from where <i>Chain of Gold</i> leaves off. Cordelia is marrying James to cover up James' actions and save Cordelia's reputation in society. Cordelia has real feelings for James, but she knows he is in love with Grace. The Shadowhunter wedding in this book was EVERYTHING. Gold attire with the Herondale family in attendance? Why did I not get an invite?! The plot of this book thickens when there is a series of Shadowhunter murders on the streets of London and the gang of Merry Thieves attempt to find the killer. Lucy has been spending a lot of time on her own and with Grace attempting to resurrect Jesse. Sounds bad? It certainly is. Overall, I loved all the storylines and how they unfolded in this book. If you're looking for action, romance, a murder mystery, and ANGST you will love this.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My favourite part of this series is the characters. Each one has such a special place in my heart and I love them all more than I can describe. <i>Chain of Gold </i>introduces them all and I felt that some were not developed as much as I would have liked. However, <i>COI </i>fills in this gap and I was not disappointed. We learn a lot more about Matthew. Oh, Matthew. I hope he gets his happy ending at some point he does deserve one. If you loved Matthew's humour and wanted to give him a hug in <i>COG, </i>oh boy it does not get any easier here. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What can I say about Cordelia and James' relationship? ANGST. PAIN. I want both of these characters to be happy and I hope they can find it in <i>Chain of Thorns</i> despite every lucky star being against them. We know that James is not actually in love with Grace, but instead is being influenced by the GODDAMN silver bracelet given to him with instruction from Tatiana. I do hate that lady. There are certain scenes that have my whole heart when James has glimpses of his love for Cordelia through the bracelet haze. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The most painful part of this book was the last few pages. It put me in physical, emotional, and mental pain! If you remember CC's classic cliffhangers, this contains another one. However, completely worth it! You need to read this and experience it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I am such a simp for the Shadowhunter series. I think this may also be my favourite so far. It has all the characters we loved in <i>The Infernal Devices </i>and as a bonus, they are the parents of the main characters? This is a fanfiction come true. I would 100% recommend you keep reading if you have read TID. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I am so excited for </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Chain of Thorns</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. I am sure there will be more heartbreak, more angst, more pain, more pain, and erm, more pain?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Rating</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5 Falling Books</span></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-82507682401807689302021-04-27T15:20:00.000+01:002021-04-27T15:20:29.675+01:00Review: Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney<br />Release Date: </b>May 4, 2021<br /><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53401676-excuse-me-while-i-ugly-cry" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Excuse-While-Ugly-Cry-anticipated/dp/1471410110/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Excuse+Me+While+I+Ugly+Cry&qid=1618590823&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Excuse-While-Ugly-Cry-anticipated/dp/1471410110/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Excuse+Me+While+I+Ugly+Cry&qid=1618590823&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=53401676&page_type=book&page_type_id=53401676&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show">The Book Depository</a></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejOibrtqYH7X8Rmaips1l3whb-hZar5LFHvMl4OOjwvI3LqtRLI0RfZ1EYnmWUleaNsIXc53_VtCqPwv7OURV-_CHHOKY3FlxquysV8CCHHuahSxS2jfoa71CpdHHWr1y5cY9alb4uIo/s475/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejOibrtqYH7X8Rmaips1l3whb-hZar5LFHvMl4OOjwvI3LqtRLI0RfZ1EYnmWUleaNsIXc53_VtCqPwv7OURV-_CHHOKY3FlxquysV8CCHHuahSxS2jfoa71CpdHHWr1y5cY9alb4uIo/s320/3.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWfrWMhr4TL4iW5Sj58G4VIEQjrQcqBukE9hF-Q96CQ80jutyk79w0WrI3qQHCayJl0kp4xNVXHfDExuT3EeG7zi9sEKYF8FpHlBkPQ0OPecmqzpET4Ly5xUnwjZMb66GrCMy-uLRqp0/s499/5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWfrWMhr4TL4iW5Sj58G4VIEQjrQcqBukE9hF-Q96CQ80jutyk79w0WrI3qQHCayJl0kp4xNVXHfDExuT3EeG7zi9sEKYF8FpHlBkPQ0OPecmqzpET4Ly5xUnwjZMb66GrCMy-uLRqp0/s320/5.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">(US cover and UK cover)</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Quinn keeps lists of everything—from the days she’s ugly cried, to “Things That I Would Never Admit Out Loud,” to all the boys she’d like to kiss. Her lists keep her sane. By writing her fears on paper, she never has to face them in real life. That is, until her journal goes missing…</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>An anonymous account posts one of her lists on Instagram for the whole school to see and blackmails her into facing seven of her greatest fears, or else her entire journal will go public. Quinn doesn’t know who to trust. Desperate, she teams up with Carter Bennett—the last known person to have her journal—in a race against time to track down the blackmailer.</i></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Together, they journey through everything Quinn’s been too afraid to face, and along the way, Quinn finds the courage to be honest, to live in the moment, and to fall in love.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry</i> is a young adult contemporary with so much heart that I had to read this in one sitting. It deals with issues such as racism, bullying, dementia, and difficult family dynamics. It packed more of a punch than I was expected and I loved it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Our main character Quinn is someone that loves to make lists for everything in her life, which she keeps in her notebook. The book acts as her diary and contains some of her most secret and personal lists. When she loses it and starts to be blackmailed by an anonymous account to do everything on her list of "Things that I would never admit out loud", Quinn doesn't even know where to start. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Goffney handled the task of educating us about race in a way that was realistic and gave me things to think about along the way. I stepped away from this book feeling so empowered and in awe of how Quinn handles all the hurdles and struggles in her life. Not only handling cyberbullying but also navigating other aspects such as someone close in her life having dementia, her parents who are struggling internally with their marriage, and making big college decisions. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In the midst of the fantasy hype at the moment, this contemporary story was such a breath of fresh air. There is a really sweet romance storyline, which I loved from beginning to end. Quinn and Carter made me laugh and smile so much. If you want an impactful story with fun and fully realised characters, I would recommend <i>Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry </i>endlessly! I am looking forward to more books by Joya Goffney.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Rating</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">4.5 Falling Books</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Thank you to Harper Teen for providing me with an Edelweiss ARC!</i></span></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-62421934222596367062021-04-26T17:11:00.000+01:002021-04-26T17:11:10.604+01:00Review: Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker #1) by Victoria Aveyard</b></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Release Date: </b>May 4, 2021</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54513688-realm-breaker" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/13/follow?book_id=54513688&page_type=book&page_type_id=54513688&ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin&sub_page_type=show&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CZHZSRW/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=Realm+Breaker&search=search&a_aid=goodreads" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJEr7lzgXS5-MmbozJyL7_zdMFfaVbjub232KpIU3jzuTpfwc4sWWJSO7_hqBf4129trJKYxtiqg7iWhuq9r3mmH5lH-THOMKz2m_B_mBfij7hIdOfUM1eOJ-Qy3k7LJ0TIp-QK5e-_c/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJEr7lzgXS5-MmbozJyL7_zdMFfaVbjub232KpIU3jzuTpfwc4sWWJSO7_hqBf4129trJKYxtiqg7iWhuq9r3mmH5lH-THOMKz2m_B_mBfij7hIdOfUM1eOJ-Qy3k7LJ0TIp-QK5e-_c/" width="159" /></a></div></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><i>A strange darkness grows in Allward.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>She soon discovers the truth: She is the last of an ancient lineage—and the last hope to save the world from destruction. But she won’t be alone. Even as darkness falls, she is joined by a band of unlikely companions:</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>A squire, forced to choose between home and honor.</i></div><div><i>An immortal, avenging a broken promise.</i></div><div><i>An assassin, exiled and bloodthirsty.</i></div><div><i>An ancient sorceress, whose riddles hide an eerie foresight.</i></div><div><i>A forger with a secret past.</i></div><div><i>A bounty hunter with a score to settle.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Together they stand against a vicious opponent, invincible and determined to burn all kingdoms to ash, and an army, unlike anything the realm has ever witnessed. </i></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Realm Breaker </i>is the start of a high fantasy series led by a cast of delightful characters that form an unlikely team to save the realm. </div><div><br /></div><div>From page 1 there is a lot of detail and we are thrust into the world. Immediately we meet a lot of characters and we are in the middle of the action which becomes the plot of the entire book. I won't lie, I was confused. There is a lot of mention of "Spindles" without there being any full definition of what this is. It then becomes the root of many other words used in dialogue "Spindlerotten", "Spindleblessed", "Spindleborn", and I found myself having to guess and not dwell on it too much. I got the hang of it around 100 pages in but I would have liked a bit more explanation as there were other aspects of the worldbuilding that were described in such great detail I expected that to carry through. Even now I'm trying to remember what a Spindle is and I could not tell you confidently. Aveyard does however do a brilliant job at thrusting us into the world of Allward and taking us on an adventure through the different backdrops of the realm. If you're someone that enjoys high fantasy world-building you will enjoy what this story has to offer. We get to explore the palace, pirate ships, desert lands, and so many more unique places in this world. Definitely cross-check the map!</div><div><br /></div><div>From the plot and the characters, I was hoping this would be a similar set-up to <i>Six of Crows</i> by Leigh Bardugo. And to a certain extent, it was in terms of its multiple POVs. However, it did not match the level of epicness I was expecting. Maybe this will be built upon in the sequel? Our main characters are on a quest and to fulfill it they have to get out of some pretty sticky situations. They each bring something unique to the table and all-in-all had great voices in this story. We have a daughter of a ruthless pirate whose blood is crucial to saving the realm, a very lovable squire, a tough on the outside but soft on the inside immortal, a quickwitted assassin, and a young queen at the heart of the story who's actions I could never predict! There are other characters who are introduced later that were almost glossed over that I did not actually care about their whereabouts in the scenes. Even though the book swapped through a lot of POVs, I did not mind at all. Usually, with multiple POVs I find myself favoring certain characters over others, but I really enjoyed all of them in this book. The story was heavily plot-driven and there were points where I really wanted it to focus more on the characters. The result of this is characters with unclear motivations and stakes in the overall arching plot. I really hope this is something that is worked on more in the sequel as the author has set up a good foundation for her characters but they need to be fleshed out a bit more.</div><div><br /></div><div>My main issue with this book is that I felt there was no real climax in the plotline. <i>Realm Breaker </i>acts as a set-up for the plot and just as things start to get interesting it is already the end of the book and we're left to wait for the sequel. About halfway through there was a major twist that had me gasping, but other than that I felt I was waiting for things to happen. Ayevard does put in a classic betrayal twist that she is so well known for from her <i>Red Queen </i>series.</div><div><br />For anyone who's wondering whether there are any underlying romance storylines in this book, yes however they are very subtle. Our characters are just getting to know each other here and are busy trying to save the realm so the romance storylines are very much muted. It could however mean we get a really awesome slow burn romance that picks up in the next book. </div><div><br /></div><div>I would recommend <i>Realm Breaker </i>to anyone that enjoys high-fantasy and a story told from multiple POVs. All of the characters are interesting with their own unique backstories which I hope is going to be explored in future books. Overall, <i>Realm Breaker </i>is a good start to the series and I will be reading the sequel to find out what happens next.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Rating</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">3.5 Falling Books</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you Harper Teen for providing me with an ARC.</div></span></div>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-10689898662295990102021-04-16T17:24:00.002+01:002021-04-16T17:24:48.938+01:00My Current Reads and Book Giveaway<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Happy Friday guys!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It really feels like April is flying by and there's no stopping it. I've been trying to juggle all the books I'm reading at the moment as I've come to find out that I am a mood reader. Meaning that I just read anything I'm in the mood for. This is how I have ended up reading more than 1 book at a time. Here are some I'm in the middle of at the moment.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeV9H7NdTy51aFgdDq3Je0NWc6pKuC_6knBVx6eIBfztYxXdGivM91RXrkzJABmclCOeV7E6a-UGC31XskpD2_5Yc01yZ1tnJaTvNolH-h2rLRy2FAfGQ_fqoyVXCnIa01KmyjoOPdOwo/s2048/book.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeV9H7NdTy51aFgdDq3Je0NWc6pKuC_6knBVx6eIBfztYxXdGivM91RXrkzJABmclCOeV7E6a-UGC31XskpD2_5Yc01yZ1tnJaTvNolH-h2rLRy2FAfGQ_fqoyVXCnIa01KmyjoOPdOwo/s320/book.jpg" /></a></span></div></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17699855-chain-of-iron" target="_blank">Chain of Iron (The Last Hours #2) by Cassandra Clare</a></b><br />I really loved <i>Chain of Gold</i> so I am so excited to have this in my hands. I'm about 100 pages in and I can't wait to see where this story is going. If you are thinking about reading this series definitely pick up The Infernal Devices beforehand because this series is set after that. I have fallen so hard for all of these characters that I know my heart will be broken while waiting for the last book <i>Chain of Thorns</i>.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TCbdgB0CMtenIuBTwtcwX21L2GF1r_mB-4jZcTY01UvcnVbY9iGiYM-t6VKV-8XNhK4xMvG_WivA53E1SjOpguwfYVXQqdEyxBpHcqIo1dnlMMYnFnttk_PXq7ph3UTlJZ8rNMtC31Y/s500/2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TCbdgB0CMtenIuBTwtcwX21L2GF1r_mB-4jZcTY01UvcnVbY9iGiYM-t6VKV-8XNhK4xMvG_WivA53E1SjOpguwfYVXQqdEyxBpHcqIo1dnlMMYnFnttk_PXq7ph3UTlJZ8rNMtC31Y/s320/2.jpg" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39340341-kingdom-of-ash" target="_blank">Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J Maas</a></b><br />SPEAKING OF BROKEN HEARTS! I have been reading Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn so slowly because I was scared to get to this book. So scared. Because this story now feels so close to my heart that I don't know if I ever want it to end. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9Z1gjr0ilF-gI1E2ACUertquL28YfXa0eiUuL8XBPggr_jek98SutzK-a0Qdjs9BYt6hEODBDJyYSF3GUHRRZs-6yLeZIMsQUQA184-bmwEcvkxCLpUznfFe-mkxygkbKg13skOMjfM/s475/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9Z1gjr0ilF-gI1E2ACUertquL28YfXa0eiUuL8XBPggr_jek98SutzK-a0Qdjs9BYt6hEODBDJyYSF3GUHRRZs-6yLeZIMsQUQA184-bmwEcvkxCLpUznfFe-mkxygkbKg13skOMjfM/s320/3.jpg" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53401676-excuse-me-while-i-ugly-cry" target="_blank">Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney</a></b><br />Thank you Harper Teen for the ARC on Edelweiss! I am adoring this book. It is a YA contemporary about a girl who loves making lists about things in her life. However, when she loses her journal that contains all of her most private thoughts put into lists, she's willing to do about anything to get it back. Even cave into the wishes of the anonymous person blackmailing her. This book comes out on May 4, 2021.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcRmX86ggKxd7ReajOFfCUNzKDae-es2nMStRlUEIkpfNiFePJcGSD5QpgdBXh_p7lntOrcCjfm1KHbF5Y4HUsHOh84tJ03UBSmQpwhkAY-4SDMPQ2wuksW6j-Zh6IrD6gl3GOgyzUts/s475/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcRmX86ggKxd7ReajOFfCUNzKDae-es2nMStRlUEIkpfNiFePJcGSD5QpgdBXh_p7lntOrcCjfm1KHbF5Y4HUsHOh84tJ03UBSmQpwhkAY-4SDMPQ2wuksW6j-Zh6IrD6gl3GOgyzUts/s320/4.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40748777-flock" target="_blank">Flock (The Ravenhood #1) By Kate Stewart</a></b><br />This is a new adult series that I have seen some buzz about on TikTok so I thought I would give it ago! I'm around 40% into the book and liking it so far. I don't know what to think just yet but I will put up a review soon after I finish it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Have you read any of these books? Please let me know your thoughts!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Also, I am running a book giveaway over on my TikTok for hitting 1k followers! It closes tomorrow 17/04/21. For a chance to win a book from your wishlist!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@samfallingbooks/video/6949516219905051910?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank">You can enter HERE!
</a></span></p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@samfallingbooks/video/6949516219905051910" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="6949516219905051910" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@samfallingbooks/video/6949516219905051910?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank"> </a><section><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@samfallingbooks/video/6949516219905051910?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@samfallingbooks" target="_blank" title="@samfallingbooks">@samfallingbooks</a> <p>Thank you guys I’m having a lot of fun 💕 <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/booktok" target="_blank" title="booktok">##booktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryou" target="_blank" title="foryou">##foryou</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp" target="_blank" title="fyp">##fyp</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/giveaway" target="_blank" title="giveaway">##giveaway</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/bookgiveaway" target="_blank" title="bookgiveaway">##bookgiveaway</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/amazonwishlist" target="_blank" title="amazonwishlist">##amazonwishlist</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/bookworm" target="_blank" title="bookworm">##bookworm</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/yareader" target="_blank" title="yareader">##yareader</a></p> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/deja-vu-6945541245435381761" target="_blank" title="♬ deja vu - Olivia Rodrigo">♬ deja vu - Olivia Rodrigo</a> </section> </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;"> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script></span><p></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-84532104392014674752021-04-10T16:21:00.002+01:002021-04-10T16:34:35.666+01:00Review: The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Prison Healer (The Prison Healer #1) </b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>by Lynette Noni<br />Release Date:</b> April 13, 2021<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53968496-the-prison-healer" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/buy_buttons/13/follow?book_id=53968496&page_type=book&page_type_id=53968496&ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin&sub_page_type=show&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0358434556/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/128?book_id=53968496&page_type=book&page_type_id=53968496&source=dropdown&sub_page_type=show" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqz3xN_84cqy2tbmCgr2CLGA-MTxaROaR2Js03ICL1_1E687Ln_e7o_opMmhHQ6ijrRs2033IdswPykes-Sh0ub-n3I1RBGo_j3Z0WTQ1lWrs4VbsJ_CqR9uhlvZB4C5GGwaQX7VUvKM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqz3xN_84cqy2tbmCgr2CLGA-MTxaROaR2Js03ICL1_1E687Ln_e7o_opMmhHQ6ijrRs2033IdswPykes-Sh0ub-n3I1RBGo_j3Z0WTQ1lWrs4VbsJ_CqR9uhlvZB4C5GGwaQX7VUvKM/" width="159" /></a></div></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Then a coded message from Kiva’s family arrives, containing a single order: “Don’t let her die. We are coming.” Aware that the Trials will kill the sickly queen, Kiva risks her own life to volunteer in her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>But no one has ever survived.</i></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>With an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva’s heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can’t escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Prison Healer</i> has surprised me in the best way and is one of my favourite reads of 2021. I was hooked from the very first page and Noni's writing is so enthralling it made this story a joy to read. A fantasy with trials, elemental magic, a mysterious disease sweeping the prison, and really awesome characters. It also had so many plot twists that I never saw coming.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Set mainly in the walls of the prison Zalindov, Kiva is the prison healer treating the sick throughout her ten years stuck there. During this time, her family sneaks her notes telling her to hold on and that they will help her. Outside the prison, there is unrest involving rebels against the crown, so when the next prisoner brought in is the rebel queen alongside a note to keep her alive Kiva must do everything she can to protect her. This includes putting herself forward for the trial by Ordeal instead of the rebel queen. If she survives she walks free, if she fails she dies and so does the rebel queen. While this is happening there is also a mysterious disease hitting the inmates and Kiva must figure out what it is before it gets to those close to her. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This story is predominantly focused on the prison but I hope that in the sequel we get to learn even more about the world and magic system. The elemental magic is touched on briefly and plays an interesting role in the story but there is definitely more that can be expanded with it. I enjoyed that this installment allows the set up of key characters, explores unrest within the prison, and builds on core relationships. The character relationships were one of the aspects I loved most. There is a light romance plot that runs through the story which I really enjoyed. I hope that this is also explored further in the sequel. The relationship between Kiva and Tipp was also so heartwarming. Tipp is a young child that Kiva took under her wing and their relationship is so pure.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The author's writing style is so easy to fall into that I was engrossed from the first chapter. Noni weaves her fantasy world flawlessly. I am itching to explore it further. If you are in a reading slump and find high fantasy too much to get your head around, pick this up! It is such an enjoyable read and the different storylines within the prison are pulled together so well and you won't even see the (<i>many) </i>plot twists coming. I haven't been shocked like this with a book for a long time. I would pitch this to anyone who enjoyed <i>Throne of Glass </i>by Sarah J Maas but imagine if the story focuses on Celaena while she was in the Salt Mines in Endovier, and instead of being an assassin, she's a kindhearted and fierce healer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">There are themes touched upon in this book that I thought were handled well and with care. This includes themes of self-harm, drug abuse, and domestic abuse.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Prison Healer </i>is an unmissable fantasy. If you enjoy elemental magic systems, healing magic, slow-burn romance, and elements of found family you will love this book. It surprised me in the best way and I am so excited to read the sequel <i>The Gilded Cage </i>(release date: October 12th 2021).</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Rating</b><br />4.5 Falling Books</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thank you to Kate at <i>Hodder & Stoughton</i> for providing a Netgalley ARC.</span></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144571588872479498.post-65608270935351634422021-03-24T20:09:00.002+00:002021-03-24T20:09:27.422+00:00Tandem Reading: Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Hello there!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I am currently tandem reading <i>Empire of Storms</i> and <i>Tower of Dawn</i> by Sarah J Maas. A tandem read involves reading both books at the same time. I am using the <b><u><a href="https://tellereads.wordpress.com/tog-tandem-read/" target="_blank">Telle Reads guide</a></u></b> to follow which chapters to read while switching between them. Normally I am someone that likes to stick to the publication order and any flipping around the order makes me feel uncomfortable. For example, the Shadowhunter books. The correct way in my mind will always be <i>The Mortal Instruments, Infernal Devices, The Dark Artifices, and then The Last Hours</i>. It's a no to the idea of the chronological read for me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">However, I may call this a special case. The events of EOS and TOD are happening at the same time with our main characters in two different places. EOS focuses on Aelin, Rowan, Dorian, Manon, Elide, etc. While TOD focuses mainly on Chaol and Nesryn in the Southern isles. I was not sure how I felt about reading a whole book just about Chaol as he was not my absolute favourite character in previous books. I also struggled a lot reading Heir of Fire then Assassin's Blade then going back to Queen of Shadows because I didn't want an "in-between" book I just wanted to keep powering through with the story. (I did end up loving TAB so much - it was just the initial struggle of getting into a prequel story, while all my heart wanted was more Rowan). THEREFORE, my solution to avoiding the feeling of annoyance to read TOD while all I will probably want to do after EOS is read KOA, is the tandem read.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlmvW7rR1cabuBackHTwtYUZraBagV_NxSgigigRozDWLYNNQZWWY3J8osWhyphenhyphenORT18zkTX50zHMT95sgJ8282UGpIa5RGpl2ps2eQr7dfuKmeGFbbcxrlFXmVg76GCUZaWCny6RWJqEo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="500" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlmvW7rR1cabuBackHTwtYUZraBagV_NxSgigigRozDWLYNNQZWWY3J8osWhyphenhyphenORT18zkTX50zHMT95sgJ8282UGpIa5RGpl2ps2eQr7dfuKmeGFbbcxrlFXmVg76GCUZaWCny6RWJqEo/" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My update so far (I am about 100 pages into each). I AM LOVING IT. I do feel that the story is flowing really nicely despite all of the POVs. If you enjoyed <i>Heir of Fire</i>, which has a lot of switching POVs between a LOT of characters in different places. Then you may really enjoy doing the tandem read. My initial worries of not enjoying TOD have gone out the window, especially after meeting the lovely character Yrene. As I read if I feel that I am more on a roll with EOS then I think I will swap switching between the books and just finish EOS before continuing TOD and stopping the tandem read. I will keep you all updated!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Have you thought about doing a tandem read? What were your thoughts on the books?</span></p>Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218473985616994103noreply@blogger.com0