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Last ten books that came into my possession.

7/13/2015

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From now on I'll be joining in the weekly feature "Top Ten Tuesday" hosted by the girls @ The Broke and The Bookish. Who doesn't love lists of things? This weeks topic is the "last ten books that came into your possession"; that you either bought or borrowed. Here is my list!

Click the cover to go to the Goodreads page for each book.
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I've been on a real fantasy kick lately: I think it shows! I have just finished Uprooted, you can find my review here. Stay tuned for more as I delve into these recent additions to my collection. What books have you recently bought or borrowed that really impressed you?

xo Siobhan.
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Review: "Uprooted" by Naomi Novik

7/13/2015

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"Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful."

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows--everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

Taken from Goodreads
It is so hard to review a book when you really love it so much. Uprooted is no exception. Those who follow my blog, and follow me on twitter will have seen it featured a few times whilst I was reading. I originally requested the ARC from Netgalley, however, after reading the first chapter here I knew this was one I was going to have to buy. The only problem is: how the actual heck do I review this one from my position of extreme bias? I don't think you can. So, instead I am pretty well going to fangirl my way through this one, and convince you that this is a book you NEED to have in your life. 

First off, I am pretty confident that you won't have read anything like this. This novel was nothing like I expected. I was expecting some sort of Beauty and the Beast retelling where the sole focus was a feisty girl who convinces her beastly captor to love her, and never actually addresses the fact that she is a prisoner. Boy was I wrong. Agnieszka was witty and rebellious, and my favourite bit: far from perfect. Instead, the plot centres around her and her character growth as she really comes into her own, addressing her own fears and discovering just how strong she is.

The magic is earthy and elemental, weaved and composed like a rich tapestry of stories and songs being weaved by expert hands. It was so refreshing and so different to anything I've ever read before. It is so so beautifully written I really cannot do it justice. I also adored the infusion of Eastern European names and settings, it has really sparked my interest into reading folktales that originate from that part of the world.

Uprooted is intoxicating and dark. A novel about friendship, family, and yeah, there is tinge of romance thrown in as well. But, the romance is never the sole focus, unlike many other YA novels out there at the moment. If any of this rambling has piqued your interest then I urge you to go read the excerpt I linked above. I'm quietly confident that you're going to want to have this book in your life.

Find it on Goodreads.
Find it at BookDepository.com

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley, who provided the ARC in return for an honest review.
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Six series I need to finally read.

7/11/2015

2 Comments

 
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Super Six Sunday is an original bookish meme hosted @ Bewitched Bookworms and inspired by “Top Ten Tuesday” from The Broke and The Bookish. Now, I love lists. I've even made lists where a point on my list is 'write a list' about something that I obviously feel needs to be listed. I'm already a huge fan of "Top Ten Tuesday" so what better way to entertain us all on a lazy Sunday than to make another list! This week's topic is "6 Series I need to finally read". I am so behind trend on so many books and series. Some of the books that are going to pop up on my list are a bit embarrassing. You're going to think: "Serious? You haven't read THAT?!". Don't judge me.

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The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
This series is top of my list. I have finally ordered the first book (yay) and am so pumped to read it! I just love the idea of cyborgs and androids intertwined with fairytale elements. *shivers* Serious. I'm so flipping excited. I have no idea why I have not read these yet.
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Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
Again, this was featured on my last Top Ten Tuesday as well as now because a) it is a hyped series and b) I really need to read this already! I have ordered the first book, just waiting for it to arrive. On a bit of a fantasy kick right now. Not sure why.
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The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
Steampunk Victorian English version of The Mortal Instruments. Yeah, I want to read this. I liked the first three books of TMI but felt that the story was a bit stretched once it expanded to the extra three books. Considering this series seems to be remaining as a trilogy it has my attention.
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The Grisha by Leigh Bardugo
I've heard many good things about this series. The main one being the Darkling. I've been reading and adoring Uprooted by Naomi Novik, which also melds fantasy with distinctly Eastern European settings, names and lore. It is so interesting, and I've really been enjoying it, so I have high hopes for the Grisha.
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The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta
Now, I read Finnikin of the Rock early this year, so technically I have started this series. But I have no clue why I have not kept reading it. I think I am trying to mentally and emotionally ready myself for some serious feels. FOTR was so intense, I loved it. I already own the next two books so I this is one series I really need to read. Like, yesterday. Also, these are the Australian editions. I have serious cover envy of the original US hardcover edition. It is stunning. But then they changed the rest of the series and now I am not so envious. 

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Anna and the First Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
With my fantasy and sci fi laden TBR list I think it's important to throw in a little contemporary YA. I often find it refreshing to return to reality every now and then when reading. This series is definitely one I need to read, who doesn't love feel good romances every once in a while? I need this series. 

So there we have it. These are the series that are ranked highest on my TBR. What series have you been meaning to read, but just haven't gotten around to? Are there any on my list you think should be bumped to the top? Persuade me! 

xo Siobhan.
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Stacking The Shelves

7/11/2015

4 Comments

 
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Hosted by Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews, #StackingTheShelves is all about sharing the new titles you add to your collection each week. They can be physical copies or ebooks! I had some exciting deliveries this week, so I am so pumped to share with you the new additions to my bookshelf. 

Click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads profile of each book.

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  • Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headey. Buy it HERE.
  • Cress by Marissa Meyer. Buy it HERE.
  • Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. Buy it HERE.
  • Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta. Buy it HERE.
  • Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta. Buy it HERE. 


Have you read any of these? If so what did you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and any books you think I might like!
xo Siobhan.
4 Comments

Thursday Quotables: "Uprooted"

7/8/2015

8 Comments

 
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Thursday Quotables is a weekly meme hosted @ Bookshelf Fantasies. Basically, each week you highlight a noteworthy line or passage from the text you are currently reading. This week, I've decided to go for a passage very early on in Naomi Novik's Uprooted. I absolutely love the snark here: it was what made me rush out and order a copy after reading only a few paragraphs of the excerpt.

Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.
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If you haven't heard of this novel yet I challenge you to go read the excerpt here. I'm pretty confident you'll love it.
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