Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

โ€œwhen everyone knows youโ€™re a monster, you neednโ€™t waste time doing every monstrous thing.โ€

leigh bardugo

Series: Six of Crows #1

Release Date:ย September 29th 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Genre: Young Adult Fiction | High Fantasy | Romance | Adventure

Page Count: 465

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right priceโ€”and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he canโ€™t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who canโ€™t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Kazโ€™s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destructionโ€”if they donโ€™t kill each other first.

Rating:

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Let’s Talk Bookish: Reading YA/Middle Grade as an Adult

Letโ€™s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and Dani @ Literary Lion. This weekโ€™s topic was suggested by Sam @ River Moose Books and is What Makes You Continue Picking Up YA/Middle Grade? Or Why Don’t You?

As adults some of us leave YA/Middle Grade behind and some of us continue to revel in itโ€ฆbut what separates us as readers? If you still pick up YA/Middle Grade, what draws you to them instead of Adult Fiction?

I am in the camp of someone in their 20s who still reads both young adult and middle grade. I think I still prefer to read them for multiple reasons. Although I read far more young adult than middle grade, I still find myself picking up middle grade from time to time. They’re often series that I loved as a child and want to go back to read more installments that have since been published or just to reread my favorites. I’m always amazed at how much development middle grade has, especially since they tend to be shorter books. I also don’t think books have an age limit. As long as you enjoy it, that’s all that matters!

Firstly, I think I’m drawn to young adult because I relate to the characters more. Although I’m old enough to live on my own, I’ve chosen to remain with my parents and sibling for the time being so I can’t relate to some of the struggles that adult fiction portrays such as dealing with relationship issues with a spouse, taking care of a family or raising a child, running a household, and so on. When I do read adult fiction, I tend to avoid contemporary novels because of the aforementioned themes and prefer to read historical fiction, fantasy, or cozy mysteries.

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Book Tour & Review: Sunkissed by Kasie West (+ a book-inspired playlist!)

“and sometimes is all i need, and more than i deserved. so i read into every sign. because sometimes, yes this time, sometimes brought me you.”

kasie west

Series: Standalone

Release Date: May 4th 2021

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Genre: Young Adult Fiction | Contemporary | Romance

Page Count: 320

Source: I received an advance reader’s copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in collaboration with TBR and Beyond Tours. Thank you!

Summary: A lighthearted and swoony contemporary YA romance by fan-favorite author Kasie West about a girl who finds that a summer spent at a family resort isnโ€™t as bad as she imaginedโ€ฆand that falling in love is filled with heartache, laughter, and surprises!

After being betrayed by her best friend, Avery is hoping for a picture-perfect summer. Too bad her parents have dragged her and her sister to a remote family camp for the entire summer. And thatโ€™s not even the worst part. Avery also has to deal with no internet, a cute but off-limits staff member, and an always-in-her-face sister.

But what starts as a disaster turns into a whirlwind summer romance as Avery embarks on an unexpected journey to figure out what she truly wants and who she wants to be. 

Rating:

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Top 5 Tuesday: Books I Wish Had Movie Adaptations

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Bionic Book Worm and is now hosted by Meeghan Reads. This weekโ€™s topic is Top 5 Books I Wish Had Movie Adaptations.

1. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Anyone who has spent any significant amount of time on my blog would know how much I loved this book. Even though it’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling, it truly has a story and flair of its own and I think it would make an amazing movie. It has interesting characters along with disability rep, an in-depth curse which would present so much potential for CGI effects, and a compelling storyline with lots of high stakes and twists. Even if they changed the ending to make it into a single movie, I’d be so ready to hand my money over to see this.

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Review: Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

it was wrong to justify what sort of hurt mattered and what didn’t. anything that left scars came from hurt. only now was she realizing the scars she bore and had trained herself not to see.

janella angeles

Series: Kingdom of Cards #1

Release Date: August 25th 2020

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Genre: Young Adult Fiction | High Fantasy | Romance | Mystery

Page Count: 464

Source:ย I received an advance reader’s copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!

Goodreads Summary: In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes. As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.

The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove sheโ€™s the best no matter the cost

The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told

The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide

Rating:

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TBR: May 2021

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re having a great day/night so far. This month I plan to participate in a readathon in the middle of the month from May 16th-21st so my monthly TBR is a little shorter to account for that. I will be posting my TBR for the readathon closer to the date it starts but I will be attempting to complete 3 books during that week. So here are the other 4 books I’m hoping to finish this month!

1-2. Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get through the Six of Crows duology before the Shadow and Bone show dropped on Netflix but I’m even more intrigued to get through them now that I’ve seen some episodes of the show. I’ve heard that many readers prefer the characters or the storyline of Six of Crows to Shadow and Bone so I’m hoping I’ll join their ranks soon! Six of Crows is a spin-off sequel to Shadow and Bone and takes place in a different part of the fantasy world. The books follow a group who are trying to pull off a deadly, unlikely heist.

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