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Friday, March 31, 2017

After You and A Million Worlds With You

It's Friday and I'm happy this week is over for multiple reasons, well because it's the end of a work week, of course.  But most of all, because my dad is finally leaving the hospital today, he has been there since last week and I'm just glad that he is coming home today.  He is not 100% good but he is one step in the right direction and it's always better to be home than the hospital, right?

I have been reading the same book for days now because I just cannot concentrate enough on my reading with a million things going on but hopefully with him home I can go back to my reading habits.  Here are the two books that I plan on reading this weekend:

After You by Jojo Moyes: I'm half way into this one already so hopefully I will be done today or tomorrow.

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And once I'm done with it, I will be jumping straight into:

A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray: this is the third and final book in this trilogy and I cannot wait to see how it all ends.

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What books are you currently reading?  What are you doing this weekend?


XOXO,

Nelia

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Book Review: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

When I heard there was a Netflix series coming for this book series I knew that I had to start reading, I just never thought that it would take me so long to start reading.  But, there are so many great books out that I want to read, you know?  But I finally got around in March to read the first book and I like it, it was cute...so let's get to the review:

The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events) by Lemony Snicket

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This series follows the story of three children, three very unfortunate siblings who lost their parents and their house due to a house fire.  Now they don't have a place to live and no close relatives to stay with.  A friend and the family finance holder takes them in for a few days until he gets a hold of a distant relative that takes them into his house.  But when the kids go to live with this relative they find out that he is a greedy and repulsive villain that only want to steal their fortune.  And he treats the kids as his own personal slaves at home.

The kids live miserable with him, but what this villain doesn't expect is that the kids are really, really smart and they make a plan to expose him in front of everyone.

I'm enjoyed it, it's definitely a middle grade book, but I'm planning on continuing with the series so I can see how the story will evolve from here.

4 out of 5 stars.

XOXO,

Nelia

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Spring 2017 New Releases I Can't Wait to Read

I feel like there are tons of new releases during Spring, right?  So, I have a list of the ones that I want to get my hands on it, some I was lucky to get an eARC from NetGalley and have read it already or that I have and need to read, but most of these I still need to get my hands on them.

Let's take a look:

Spring 2017 New Releases

Alone by Scott Sigler: March 7th  (READ)

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Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton: March 7th (I still need to read the first book-which I have and I have no excuse to why I haven't read but I will, eventually)

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The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco: March 7th (READ)

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Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor: March 28th

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A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi: March 28th

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Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves: March 28th (I have an eARC)

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Perfect by Cecelia Ahern: April 4th (I have an eARC, and I just finished reading book 1 and cannot wait to read this one now)

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A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas: May 2nd (she is coming to my B&N near me :) )

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Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh: May 16th

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Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare: May 23rd (still need to read Lady Midnight)

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When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon: May 30th (there is so much hype about this one,  I need it)

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That's it for now, I pretty sure I will pick up more books but for now, these are it.

Which new releases do you want to read this Spring?  Any of them here?

XOXO,

Nelia

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Book Review: Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Okay, I'm going to admit that the only reason I bought and picked this book up was because of all the hype it was getting.  Everywhere I looked I saw this book, it is all over Instagram and all over Youtube, I just needed to know what all the hype was about and if it was all worth it, you know?  So, I went to Barnes and Nobles and bought it (together with a few more books because you can never go into that store and buy just one book, right? Right!), anyways, I bought it and placed it on my nightstand and I read it this month...and Holly Molly...let me jump to the review now:

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

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From GoodReads:
Milk and Honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival.  About the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity.

The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose.  Deals with different pain.  Heals a different heartache.  Milk and Honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.


Even though this book was getting so much hype, I didn't know what it was about, yes I knew it was a poetry book, but that was it.  Once I started to read it?  First of all I couldn't put it down, so I read the freaking book in one sitting, but don't you worry because this book will not leave my nightstand because I plan on reading it over and over again, that's how amazing it was.  Second of all, be prepared because it is raw, a very raw poetry book about everything that can happen to a women.  You will read about abuse, violence and in those poems you will feel the pain, yes in those small poems those words are so powerful and raw and real that the pain and reality is so transparent.  You will also read about love, loss and femininity and while you are reading all those powerful words, poems you will have a hard time picking which ones are your favorite.  I want to put a favorite poem here but I don't want to spoil the book for you, instead I will leave a page (page 80) and when you get there, let me know if that poem will move you like it moved me too.

I just want to finish this review by saying that every single woman should read this book, but also men out there should too, because they should know all the pains and also how big our love can be.

5 out 5 stars for sure.

XOXO,

Nelia

Friday, March 24, 2017

Weekend Reads: Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

TGIF for SURE!  This week has been a real roller coaster for sure, my dad got sick and we ended up in the hospital with him, he is home now and getting better.  I'm just glad that he is home and we know what is wrong with him and can take care of him.

Here is the book that I have been reading these last few days and that I'm hoping to finish soon:

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

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I'm half way through with it and it's getting pretty good now...what are you currently reading?

XOXO,

Nelia

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Book Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

If you have been reading my reviews for a while you know that I don't watch the movie unless I read the book first, at least I try and I'm really, really good about this because let's admit, 99% of the time the book is better than the movie, right?  So when I heard that Before I fall was coming out as a movie I knew that I was time to read this book, I have had it on and off my TBR for years and that was it...this was the month that I was going to read it and I did.  Let's review it:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

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From GoodReads:
What if you had only one day to live?  What would  you do?  Who would you kiss?  And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High--from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot.  Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance.  Seven chances, in fact.  Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death-and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.


When I read the summary of this book it sounded so interesting and I knew that I want to read it and then there is a movie about, so I knew for sure I had to read it and I did.  Samantha is a typical popular girl at high school, not a typical girl, because typical girls are not popular, right?  Samantha is popular, not only her, her and her friends too.  The whole school knows them and they are afraid of them too,  the young ones don't talk to them unless they tell them too, they are invited to all the parties and things like that.  Then one day while Samantha and her friends are leaving a party they have a car accident and she dies but the next day she wakes up and relives the previous day over again for seven days in a row.  For the first couple days she doesn't get it why she is reliving the same day over again but then she decides to find out why she died and if there is something else behind her death and that's when she starts to discover more about her life, about herself, her friends, her boyfriend and everybody around her.  It is a pretty interesting book and a interesting concept and you start to try to find out why she keeps to wake up and relive the same day and what she is going to do different and what the outcome will be at the end.  But to tell you the truth?  Samantha pissed me off at times, and when you start to get to know more about her friends?  They are not who you thought they were.  And don't even get me started on her boyfriend...Did I feel bad for her, sure, of course I did, but was I happy with the end of the book?  It has been a few days since I finished and I still don't know if I'm okay with it, I don't want to give too much away but maybe I shouldn't be surprised with the ending but...after all she was going through I was excepting something else, that's all I'm going to say.

Overall 4 out 5 stars.  Now, I just need to watch the movie, I needed some time to process it before I watched the movie, but it's going to happen and soon.

XOXO,

Nelia

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Top 5 Books I Read this Winter 2017

I love watching and reading the top 5 books people pick for every season but I never do this kind of post, so let's remedy this and start doing it this year.

 And let's start with this past winter, I have been reading tons of books lately but we are going to talk about all the books that I read in December, January and February and then pick my 5 favorites of all the them.

Okay, let's start with the month of December; I read a total of 5 books; not a lot of reading but it was Christmas time and I spend most of my time shopping and wrapping gifts lol; here are the books that I read:

1. Ten Thousands Skies Above you by Claudia Gray: 4 stars


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2. Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins: 4 stars


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3. The Giver by Lois Lowry: 5 stars


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4. Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard: Queen Song 4 stars/ Steel Scars 2.5 stars


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5. Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier: 5 stars

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Now for the month of January, I read 12 books that month and here they are:

1. Wild by Cheryl Strayed: 4 stars


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2. Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco: 4 stars


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3. The Hidden Prince by Jodi Meadows: 4 stars


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4. The Glowing Knight by Jodi Meadows: 5 stars


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5. The Burning Hand by Jodi Meadows: 4 stars


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6. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: 5 stars


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7. The Black Knife by Jodi Meadows: 5 stars


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8. The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi: 5 stars


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9. Prince of the Elves by Kazu Kibuishi: 5 stars


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10. The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco: 4 stars


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11. The Magicians by Lev Grossman: 3 stars


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12. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin: 5 stars


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And now into the last month, February and I read the total of 15 books that month and here they are:

1. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi: 4 stars


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2. Rat Queens: Volume 2 by Kurtis J. Wiebe: 4 stars


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3. The Moth and the Flame by Renee Ahdieh: 4 stars


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4. The Mirror and the Maze by Renee Ahdieh: 4 stars


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5. The Crown and the Arrow by Renee Ahdieh: 4 stars


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6. Frostblood by Elly Blake: 5 stars


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7. Escape from Lucien by Kazu Kibuishi: 4 stars


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8. Looking for Alaska by John Green: 4 stars


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9. Macbeth by William Shakespeare: 5 stars


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10. Firelight by Kazu Kibuishi: 5 stars


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11. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir: 4 stars


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12. Caraval by Stephanie Garber: 4 stars


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13. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson: 5 stars


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14. Saven Defiance by Siobhan Davis: 4.5 stars


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15. Losing Kyler by Siobhan Davis: 5 stars


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And now for probably the hardest part, my 5 favorite books for the last 3 months:


1.  Losing Kyler by Siobhan Davis: one of the best second books in a series I have read in a while, so many twists and turns and probably a 360 in a story that you will never see it coming.  Totally recommend this series.

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2. Frostblood by Elly Blake: So good, I haven't heard that many people talking about this book and they should because it is such an amazing book.

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3. The Giver by Lois Lowry: Everybody knows this book and it's such a short read but sooo good.

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4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: I don't know why it took me so long to read this, I cried and cried and rooted for these characters so much.

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5. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson: Another book with another life lesson and that everybody needs to read, and it's written in verse, it doesn't get better than that :)

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Have you read any of these books yet?  If you haven't then I totally, totally recommend them, especially my top 5 because those are so, so amazing.

What were your top 5 reads this winter?

XOXO,

Nelia