Angharad's May Reads

May was probably the slowest reading month for me. After completing A Court of Mist and Fury, I entered a huge reading slump and I'm still not completely out of it. I'm just focusing on reading books I know I will enjoy. In the month of May, I got a tattoo dedicated to the Night Court and Becky and I got sent some amazing arcs from some very kind publishers. I completed ten books in total.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

(by J.K. Rowling)

I continued with my reread of the Harry Potter series. Despite now being the grand old age of nineteen, my love for these books hasn't faded. I loved them as much as I did when I first read them. I cry at the same parts every time, it's so annoying. Also, who has seen the new cast members for the Cursed Child play?? Aren't they wonderful? Anyway, I gave each of these 5/5 stars.

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

What can I say? This book was everything to me. I found my home in the Night Court with Rhys and his inner circle, I was so happy when Feyre escaped from an abusive relationship and all the new characters were a breath of fresh air. I love the world Sarah has created and I really can't wait for the third book to be released. Feyre and Rhysand are proof that two people can love each other desperately and yet still maintain a healthy and equal relationship. Despite only giving ACOTAR two stars, I gave this one 5/5!

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

I decided to come out my comfort zone and read a summery, contemporary. Everyone immediately consults Morgan Matson for this genre so I decided to check out this one. It follows the story of Emily who after discovers her best friend, Sloane has left town but she has left Emily a list of things to do throughout the summer. It's a story of friendship, self-confidence and love. I did enjoy it but I only gave it a 3/5 stars purely because I'm just not a summery, contemporary person. (I suck, I know!) (Full review here)

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Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

This one has been sat on my shelf for a long time and as I was doing my daily staring-at-shelf-thing, I decided to pick it up. I completed it in one sitting, no lie! It tells the story of a bunch of teenagers who go away on holiday only to discover one of their number, Elise has been brutally murdered. Our protagonist, Anna, is the main suspect but could she really have been involved in killing her best friend? This book will blow your mind and then set it on fire. So many twists and turns, I would definitely recommend it and I rated it 5/5 stars!

Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman

When I saw both the cover and the description to this book, I immediately bought it on Amazon, received it the next day and read it in one sitting. That sounds good, right? Nope. Not today, Satan. I really didn't like this book. I rated it one star out of five and I definitely wouldn't recommend it. It follows the story of Hannah who after meeting 'bad girl' Lacey, basically becomes her puppet. Lacey changes Hannah's name and makes her a completely different person. This book has no plot, no meaning and was a definite waste of my money. Full review here!

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This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab

We were kindly sent this book by Titan Books in exchange for an honest review which we have posted here. This story follows what the world would look like if monsters were born from violence. Our two protagonists, Kate and August, find themselves coming together against a threat yet being very different people. It's brilliant, it's thrilling and it's out now so go and get a copy!

Cruel Reality by C.J. Whitley

We were sent this novel by its author in exchange for an honest review. It follows the story of Mike and Kay, two of three hundred British people who have been kidnapped only to be made to star on a deadly, reality television show where they must fight other camps to the death. It has a lot of elements from The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies. Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. Mike was a very sexist character and when he wasn't being sexist, he was being very pompous. Kay had little character, she just spent her time running around behind Mike. This book wasn't for me however I think it could have been better if it was cut in half, there were far too many filler pages.

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Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

We were kindly sent this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review which I will be posting fully on the blog soon. We follow Charlie as we meet her in a rehabilitation centre after she tried to commit suicide. With the help of some other girls there, she is eventually released into the outside world. She finds a job, learns how to cope and faces her past. She meets some people along the way that remind her good people do exist. It was a heartbreaking book but it was necessary. My heart ached for Charlie and I was so proud of her. 5/5 stars - make sure you check it out when it is released on September 6th.

The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre

I went into this book not expecting to like it. I'm not a huge fan of erotica but this was also marketed as a thriller which I am a fan of. I was so pleasantly surprised. We meet Deanna who is a sex-cam worker with a troubled past. Not only that but she is unable to leave her apartment because if she does, she'll kill someone. Yeah, we all occasionally have to urge to kill somebody but Deanna has more than an urge. Upon meeting a client, she learns of his sick fantasies as he asks her to act as a young girl called Annie. Deanna must bury all her tendencies and help when she finds out that Annie is a real person and must be helped. It was fast-paced, it was informative about a career I knew nothing about and I loved Deanna. I would definitely recommend it and I flew through it. 4.5/5 stars!

Favourite Villains

“But these words people threw around - humans, monsters, heroes, villains - to Victor it was all just a matter of semantics. Someone could call themselves a hero and still walk around killing dozens. Someone else could be labeled a villain for trying to stop them. Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.” 

We are currently participating in the wonderful Monika's (printsnpixels) May Book Challenge over on our Instagram page. After seeing today's topic (Day 25 - Favourite Villain), we decided it was impossible to choose just one so we did the next logical thing and made a blog post about it.

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1. The Commandant 

(An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir)

Picture Queen Ravenna in 'Snow White and the Huntsman' but ten times scarier. She is the main antagonist in this story and she never lets you forget it. After our main character, Laia, becomes a spy and is told to spy on the Commandant, her every move matters. This is a woman that whips people for being late and even disfigures them for no reason. She is the head of the Academy and one of the most powerful people in the Empire.

2. Bellatrix Lestrange

(Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

Could any list be made without featuring this series? We decided choosing Voldemort would be too obvious but then we realised Bellatrix is ten times more frightening anyway. Everything from her devotion to her master, what she did to the Longbottoms and Hermione and the way she does it all with a baby voice is enough to make you uncomfortable. 

3. The Darkling

(Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo)

After the first book, I essentially carried on reading this series for the Darkling - in my opinion, he's what really makes the series. A beautifully, tragically written character who pulls you between loving and hating him (I mean, I always loved him, but still). The Darkling is the leader of the Grisha order in this series - the one Grisha who can summon darkness. When Alina gets tangled up with the Grisha, she must confront the Darkling, his secrets, and his ambitions for her and for the kingdom of Ravka.

4. Koschei

(Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente)

Koschei the Deathless is described as being 'to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories' aka, apparently, my perfect boyfriend. I'm not even exaggerating, I'm literally just in love with all three of my favourite villains. Koschei, the Tsar of Life, is greedy, selfish, all encompassing and cruel, yet despite all this, you often find yourself rooting for him. 

5. Rhysand

(A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas)

Now, I think both of us have made it clear how we feel about Rhys in A Court of Mist and Fury. However, in A Court of Thorns and Roses, where he is portrayed as one of the main antagonists, he is still an amazing character, one that you instantly want to know more about and anticipate the next time that he'll appear. Despite supposedly being the bad guy in the first book, and playing up to that role at many points, there is definitely a lot of foreshadowing to how he's going to be in A Court of Mist and Fury. 

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What are some of your favourite villains? Or are there some characters that are portrayed as villains when they shouldn't be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday - 10 characters we'd like to revisit as adults

It's that time again for a Top Ten Tuesday by the wonderful people at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is Top 10 childhood characters we'd to revisit as adults however, we have decided to do our top 10 general fictional characters otherwise the entire list would just be every character in the Harry Potter series. So without further ado..

1. The Raven Gang (The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater)

As you may not know, I did not like the ending of The Raven King (spoiler-free review here.) I feel like none of our beloved characters got closure and so every member of the 'Gangsey' should be written about ten years later. Did they actually mourn Noah? Did Adam become successful? Did he and Ronan live happily ever after? What about Blue and Gansey? Let's get better closure!!

2. Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling)

Okay, I couldn't not add my sweet child to this list. "Oh but Angharad, J.K. Rowling did nineteen years later?" I hear you all asking but I will not be satisfied until all of Harry's life is written down for me to read. People underestimate my love for the boy who lived. Just an average Sunday where Harry spends time with his grandchildren, levitating things to make them smile. Sign me up!

3. Sydney (Vicious by V.E. Schwab)

My sweet summer child. I would like to visit Sydney when she is older, considering she is 12 years old when we first meet her. In only one book, she develops so much as a person and a character and I would love to see how she ends up. Is she still friends with Victor? Is she coping with her ability? V.E. Schwab needs to write more female characters.

4. Liz Emerson (Falling into Place by Amy Zhang)

When we meet Liz Emerson in this novel, she is not in a good place. She wants to die as she feels there is no chance of redeeming herself after all the horrible things she has done. Although we get a small snippet of Liz in the epilogue, I would still like to visit her 10 years later. She is a morally grey character which I love in a protagonist but I would like to see how her suicide-attempt affected her and if she changed as a person.

5. Camille & Amma (Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn)

Were there ever two more complex characters than these two? It is no secret that Flynn is capable of instilling fear into our hearts over how good she is at writing terrible and frightening characters. These two half-sisters are characters I would love to revisit. Without spoiling the novel, I want to see the person Amma becomes and if Camille stands any chance of recovery.

6. Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)

There is not one person in this world that doesn't know who Katniss is but do we know what her life is like ten years later? Nope. Would we like to? Yep. How is she coping after the death of Prim? Is she still in contact with Gale? I would like to hear more about her PTSD and hope it didn't magically disappear and also Peeta's. Before the children and their 'happily ever after.'

7. Lia (Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson) 

We meet Lia, a young girl struggling with anorexia and body dysmorphia, as she comes to terms with the sudden death of her friend, Cassie. We see her difficult journey but we eventually see the start of her recovery so we would love to see what she is like 10 years later. Is she healthy? How is her relationship with her mum? Did she see Elijah again? 

8. Elisa (Fire and Thorns trilogy by Rae Carson) At the end of The Bitter Kingdom (without giving away too many spoilers), Elisa has shown her country's enemies who's boss and got her happy ending. However, with this sort of ending, I always wonder if the happiness stuck around. What was the rest of Elisa's rule (and relationship) like? I (quite unexpectedly) really enjoyed this series, and definitely wouldn't complain if I learned more about the story later down the line!

9. Katsa (Graceling Trilogy by Kristin Cashore) Graceling was my favourite book in this series, and although Katsa appeared in Bitterblue, I've always wanted to read more about her. She progressed so much throughout the trilogy and I would love to know more about her adventures, the school she founded, and of course, her and Po.

10. Amy Elliot Dunne (Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn)

My forever antagonist. What happened with her and Nick? Did they have the baby? Did Nick stay with her? Did she cull her murderous ways? I love Amy, I love how she's complex. Yes, she's nuts but she's interesting and I want to see how she is 10 years later. We had such an ambiguous ending but I would love to see Gillian's thoughts on what happened to the toxic pair.

Do you agree with any of our choices?
Leave us a comment!

Angharad's April Reads

April was a good reading month for me, however because I was away for majority of it, I read a lot of iBooks. Not my favourite thing to do but when you're travelling, lugging 10+ books around with you is kind of a challenge. 

My original reading challenge for this year was 50 books but I've already read 36 so I'm probably going to have to bump it up a bit. I was blessed/cursed as a fast reader (blame my mum.)

Falling into Place Amy Zhang - 4/5 stars
This book tells the story of Liz Emerson as we find out why she chose to drive her Mercedes off the road and try to kill herself. The story is arranged in 'snippets' from Liz herself, her friends, her teachers and other people but overall, much like 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak, it is narrated by an omniscient presence. TW: SUICIDE

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - 3.5/5 stars

Code Name Verity is a historical fiction novel that takes place during World War II. The story follows two best friends who crash land in Nazi-occupied France. 

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - 2/5 stars

A light-hearted romance taking place in an office. Lincoln O'Neill is giving the task to monitor the employees emails but by doing so, he soon finds himself falling for Beth as she has frequent conversations with her friend, Jennifer. 

The Reflections of Snow White by David Meredith - 1.5/5 stars

What happens after happily ever after? This tells the story of Snow White, trying to come to terms with the death of her husband, Charming and the upcoming marriage of her daughter.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - 5/5 stars

This novel tells the story of Lia, a girl struggling with an eating disorder and we meet her as she discovers the death of her friend, Cassie. This book is full of beautiful writing but trigger warning for eating disorders. Please be careful.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - 5/5 stars

An Ember in the Ashes is set in a world under the Martial Empire. As the synopsis states, defiance is met with death. The book switches between Laia, a girl whose world gets turned upside down when her grandparents are killed by Masks (masked soldiers) and her brother is taken prisoner. 

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury - 4/5 stars

A retelling of Aladdin but with a lot more women. Zahra, a jinni stuck in a lamp for hundreds of years is finally released but this is a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. 

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma - 4/5 stars

Described as 'Orange is the New Black' mixed with 'Black Swan.' It is a psychological thriller mixed with paranormal mystery and follows two girls: Amber, who is currently at a Juvenile Detention Center and Violet, a ballet dancer with huge ambitions.

The Ballroom by Anna Hope - 4/5 stars

Set in an asylum at the edge of the Yorkshire moors during 1911, The Ballroom tells the story of two patients, John and Ella as they meet during the weekly ballroom dance. We also follow Charles, the asylum doctor with unbelievable beliefs.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - 5/5 stars

The Nightingale tells the story of two sisters during World War II. It spans from 1939 and continues until the end of the war, documenting the events that occurred in a Nazi-occupied France.

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater - 3/5 stars

The final instalment in the Raven Cycle series. The story follows a gang of friends as they hunt down a dead Welsh king. The series deals with their individual friendships, romances and everything psychic and magical.

Harry Potter 

& the 

Philosopher's Stone

Chamber of Secrets

Prisoner of Azkaban

Goblet of Fire - 5/5 stars

Beginning my reread of my favourite series with my new editions. Harry Potter is my all time favourite fictional character, my brave prince! 

What did you guys read this month?

Let us know in the comments

Top 10 Bookworm Delights

Part of Top Ten Tuesday by The Broke and the Bookish

As a reader, we all have little things that we love. Explaining them to non-readers earns you some funny stares but in this bookish community, they are welcomed and understood. We have combined a list of our Bookworm delights -

• The smell of a new book - who doesn't, upon cracking the spine of a book, check the coast is clear and then stick their nose between the pages? (I hope it isn't just me.) The smell of a new book is one of the best things about reading. Also, when it gets to a point of extreme book hoarding that your bedroom starts to smell of them too!
• Finding that perfect quote/paragraph - when you come across something that just has to be underlined, highlighted, bookmarked etc in a book. When it explains everything you're thinking but can't articulate, that makes your heart cry with the sheer genius of it. Yeah, you know what I mean don't you? Closely followed by then plastering it all over your social media.
• Receiving a book in the mail - the amount of times I have nearly broke something running down the stairs when I see a book on the doormat or nearly ripping the arm off a postman as he hands it to me is too many to count. Tearing off the packaging and just seeing that new, untouched book is worth getting up early, every time.
• Books with maps - if a book has a map in it, Becky has to stop herself from automatically giving it 5 stars. It allows you to become even more immersed in the book but it can seriously injure your pages as you constantly flip to the beginning to see where your beloved characters are in the world.
• Reorganising your bookshelves - pretty much a daily (okay, monthly) routine. Should you go for alphabetical order? Colours of the rainbow? Favourite to least favourite? The possibilities are endless. Many times I have moved my books around just to put a new favourite at the top. It is all fun and games until someone moves one though. Not a good idea.

• Book merchandise - the reason why half of us have no money. Raven Cycle tarot cards? Take my credit card. Pretty posters? You can never have too many. Having all the Harry Potter characters in Funko form? Completely acceptable. Also a good way to find some very talented artists. 
• Meeting fellow readers - there is no better feeling than meeting someone based on your love of books. Seeing someone enjoy a book you recommended and then proceeding to scream at each other in message form is the most satisfying feeling. Just like the characters in our beloved books, we too have made lifelong friends thanks to the written word.
• Finishing a book - I know a lot of people will be like "how is finishing a book good? It means it's over??!" I see your point but it is also incredibly satisfying to get to the end of a book, whether it is good or bad and especially if it's very long. It is a sense of accomplishment... for about two minutes before you start another book.
• Finding a new favourite character - there is no greater feeling than meeting a character in a book that you grow to or instantly love. Whether it is because they remind you of yourselves or they are someone you aspire to be, it really is a magical feeling. What is not so magical is then having your heart torn to shreds when something bad happens to them. Unfortunately, that is what you signed up for.
• Sitting down with a good book & a cuppa - such a British sentence, but it is true. Add rain, cosy blankets and a nice snack to the mix and you're in heaven. When you are sad or stressed, I recommend doing this. Relax and find your home between the pages. 

What are some of your Bookworm Delights?

Let us know in the comments!

Angharad's Top 5 Favourite Books

In no particular order:

1. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater 

“She wasn't interested in telling other people's futures. She was interested in going out and finding her own.” 

This is one of those series that no matter how much hype it has, I will never stop loving. It actually involves Welsh history! Every person in this book is my child. Gansey especially. It is interesting and funny and beautiful. No romance is cliche, the friendships are so important and it just makes me happy to feel at home in Henrietta and Cabeswater and Monmouth Manufacturing. Please read it and SAVEGANSEYSK16!

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” 

This book will change your life. No kidding. It will. It makes you rethink everything you thought you knew about humanity and love and friendship and freedom. Having it narrated by Death and having it take place during an awful time in our history and yet still showing the humour and compassion that humans are capable of is so important.

3. Before I Die by Jenny Downham

"I realise that life is made up of a series of moments, each one a journey to the end.” 

This book, despite breaking my heart and staying with me for years later, has sentimental value to me. Not pictured is the amount of dog-eared pages and notes I have littered it with. It was the last gift my grandmother ever got me. It's poetic and heartbreaking and really will make you happy to be alive.

4. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
"Slowly, very slowly, he sat up, and as he did so he felt more alive, and more aware of his own living body than ever before. Why had he never appreciated what a miracle he was, brain and nerve and bounding heart?"

Pretty obvious choice but I couldn't do this list without including the books that made me the reader (and probably person) that I am today. This series taught me about happiness, bravery, hope. It made me appreciate the importance of family and friends. Most importantly, it taught me that happiness is possible even in the darkest of times. I will always be thankful.

5. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

“Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I'm not living.” 

I think even if this book had an awful plot (which it doesn't), it would still be one of my favourites just for the beautiful writing. Every sentence is quote-worthy. It will break your heart but it will also make you smile and will teach you a few things. It even has a few amazing photographs on the pages. It is truly mesmerising.