Amanda’s Favorite Retellings

Hey, lovelies! I used to read so many retellings, fairytale, folklore, and mythological retellings were a huge favorite genre of mine for a really long time. But I think I’m growing out of that. I’ve noticed that I don’t gravitate toward picking them up anymore. I will say that I do still read mythological retellings, and pretty often, especially now that we’re branching away from the typical Greek and Roman mythologies. I’ve also been discovering retellings other than fairytale and folklore. You will find some of those on this list. So, today I want to share some retellings that I really enjoyed.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
This is a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses which was one of my favorite fairytales as a kid. I’d never read a retelling of this one before, and I think this one was excellent. I don’t know if it’s actually considered horror, but it definitely has some horror elements. Annaleigh is one of twelve siblings. But four of her siblings have died, one at a time, and Annaleigh doesn’t think that they were accidents. I really loved this book. It stayed true to the heart of the 12 Dancing Princesses fairytale and added some really cool horror elements. The setting was creepy and atmospheric.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
This is a Sherlock Holmes retelling, sort of. This is a four book series that follows Charlotte Homes and Jamie Watson. They are the descendents of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Charlotte and Jamie find themselves at the same boarding school and when a student is found murdered, they obviously must solve the mystery. I loved this whole series. There are a lot of hard hitting topics like mental health and drug use. There’s even a little bit of romance. This is one of the books I was talking about when I said I was finding and enjoying retellings outside of fairytales. This is a retelling of an older book series and I thought it was so interesting and I loved all of the characters.

The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin
We have here a Henry VIII retelling. I actually didn’t know that this was a Shakespeare retelling until after I finished it. I think I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t read it in the description as I’m not a fan of Shakespeare at all. Despite that, I really enjoyed this modern retelling. I thought the mystery was well done and I really liked the characters. We follow Annie, nicknamed “Cleves”, and Henry. They are best friends, but they also briefly dated. Out of all of Henry’s ex-girlfriends, Cleves is the only one that has remained friends with him. She doesn’t think there’s anything suspicious about that, but after talking to some of his ex’s she might be changing her mind. I liked the mystery in this one because I couldn’t decide whether of not Henry was actually guilty right until the end of the book.

The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis
This one is more inspired by than a true retelling, but I really loved it so I had to add it to this list. Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, this is a dark and gritty story of revenge. In a small town in Ohio lives Tress and Felicity, two girls that used to be best friends. When Tress’s parents went missing, Felicity was with them, but she claims not to remember anything about what happened. Tress doesn’t believe her and she’s determined to get the truth out of Felicity, even if that means sealing her up, brick by brick. This book was weird and dark as hell and I cannot wait for the sequel.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
This series is a pretty popular one, but this first book is my favorite of the series. It’s a historical retelling with a fantasy twist. This one is a bit less retelling than it is fantasy. We follow Lady Jane Grey as she’s about to become queen. But her cousin is determined to see her married. The only problem is that the love interest, G, turns into a horse everyday at dawn. This added some hilarity to the story. I loved this book because it was funny but it also had an interesting historical feel.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Another popular one, but this is the origin story of the Queen of Hearts. We get to see her childhood and the events that led up to the Queen of Hearts that we know from Alice in Wonderland. There’s lots of baking and love and fun in this book. There’s love and romance, but also betrayal and heartbreak. I thought this was a really great retelling or rather a prequel story.

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
This one is more of an after sort of retelling. In this one, we get to see what happens to Cinderella’s stepsisters after Cinderella meets and marries her Prince Charming. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this one because the main character that we follow, Isabelle. She’s the stepsister that cut off her toes to try and fit in the glass slipper. Isabelle is a pretty unlikeable character, but the way that this story is told really helped that. Instead of just Isabelle’s perspective, we see a point of view from Fate, who is following the map of Isabelle’s life. They’re watching to see what path Isabelle might take and if she will veer away from the path expected for her. I thought this was a really unique retelling about a character that most people don’t think of in the Cinderella story.

And I Darken by Kiersten White
We have a historical retelling, which surprisingly end up being some of my favorites. I don’t really love historical fiction, but there’s something about a really good historical retelling that keeps me engaged in the story. We follow Lada and Radu. This is a gender bent retelling of Vlad the Impaler. Lada is a vicious and angry girl. She’s determined to prove that she is worthy to her father, but when she and her brother, Radu, are sent as gifts to be raised in the Ottoman courts, she feels nothing but betrayal. This is a really slow moving story, but it’s so worth it. We see Lada grow from a vicious girl into a lethal young woman. I absolutely loved it.

These are some of my favorite retellings. I’ve had so much fun finding new kinds of retellings from alternate historical retellings to retellings of other fiction works, to some more unique fairytale and folklore stories. Do you have any favorite retellings? Leave a comment and share them with me!

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Supernova by Marissa Meyer

GoodReads Summary:
The epic conclusion to Marissa Meyer’s thrilling Renegades Trilogy finds Nova and Adrian fighting to keep their identities secret. While the battle rages on between their alter egos and their allies, there is a darker threat shrouding Gatlon City.
The Renegades’ worst enemy is back among them, threatening to reclaim Gatlon City. Nova and Adrian must brave lies and betrayal to protect those they love. Their greatest fears are about to come to life, and unless they can bridge the divide between heroes and villains, they stand to lose everything. Including each other.
Intrigue and action will leave readers on edge until the final, shocking secrets are revealed.
Review:
I have to start this by saying that I listened to the audiobook and somehow I managed to listen to all seventeen hours in less than two days. This may make it seem like I really loved the story, which isn’t completely true. I really enjoy the characters and the conflicts and the things going on, but I had issues. I was annoyed quite a bit but I was definitely gripped by the story.
Supernova was the finale book in the Renegades trilogy. It’s a series I was determined to finish this year (because 2020 is the year of finishing series I’ve gotten behind on.) Superficially, I had fun with this book but I spent most of the time yelling in my head “JUST TELL THE TRUTH ALREADY!” I thought this in the direction of several characters.
So, there’s Nova. She’s a complex character. I really loved her as a whole because of her inner struggle, between loyalty to the villain family that raised her or the heroes that she’s struggling not to agree with. This inner battle was honestly fascinating. Her journey was the only reason I kept going in this series, to see how her choices fell and her story ended.
Adrian was interesting too, but he just irritated me. He had a great life. Though it’s sad he lost his mother, he had two wonderful adoptive dads and brother. He had powers to draw things that come to life. But that wasn’t enough for him. He had something to prove. Enter his alter ego, who is a vigilante and plays outside the rules that his dads enforce for all Renegades. I just wanted him to tell his parents and Nova the whole book.
Between Nova’s secret identity and Adrian’s, I was just annoyed. I really hate the secret-keeping trope when if Nova had just told the truth the plot twist (which I should have seen coming but totally didn’t) would have come out earlier and maybe she could have become a hero sooner.
Overall, this story was action-packed and full of interesting and diverse characters. I loved all the supporting characters and their stories. I loved that Nova and Adrian were both morally gray. The audiobook was super well done and kept me engaged, but there were just too many moments that really annoyed me.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

GoodReads Summary:
Nova’s double life is about to get a lot more complicated:
As Insomnia, she is a full-fledged member of the Renegades, a syndicate of powerful and beloved superheroes. She works with Adrian’s patrol unit to protect the weak and maintain order in Gatlon City.
As Nightmare, she is an Anarchist—a group of villains who are determined to destroy the Renegades. Nova wants vengeance against the so-called heroes who once failed her when she needed them the most.
But as Nova, her feelings for Adrian are deepening, despite the fact that he is the son of her sworn enemies and, unbeknownst to Nova, he has some dangerous secrets of his own.
In this second installment of the Renegades trilogy, Nova, Adrian, and the rest of their crew—Ruby, Oscar, and Danna—are faced with escalating crime in Gatlon City, while covert weapons and conflicting missions have Nova and Adrian questioning not only their beliefs about justice but also the feelings they have for each other.
The line between good and evil has been blurred, but what’s clear to them both is that too much power could mean the end of their City—and the world—as they know it.
Review:
I’ve tried to start Archenemies a few times and just couldn’t get into it for some reason. But this time I finally stuck through, I’m glad I did because after not too long I was really invested in the story.
There are so many different secrets being kept in this book. Adrian’s secret, Nova’s many secrets. I liked this aspect but it was frustrating at times because I just want the truth to come out.
Nova’s struggle was an interesting one. She’s working for the Renegades and getting to know them as people instead of the anonymous face of the organization that didn’t save her parents. But she’s still loyal to her makeshift family, the Anarchists. This internal battle is one that I really cannot wait to see the outcome of.
Adrian is torn between his secret identity and doing what he knows will make his dads proud. He’s also very interested in Nova.
I liked the relationship between these two and I’m anxious to find out how things will turn out when their secrets are revealed.
Overall, I did enjoy this one. I’m excited to finish the series with the final book and see how everything is going to come together.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Blogtober Day Twelve: Books & Baking – Heartless

Hi, lovelies! I’m back for round two of the newest blog feature here at Classy x Book Reviews: Books & Baking. This edition we will be focusing on the book Heartless by Marissa Meyer.

Book: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Read my full review here!

I listened to this one on audio. It was actually a reread for me as well. I still really enjoyed it. The narrator, as I mention in my review, is my all-time favorite. Rebecca Soler is just an incredible audiobook narrator. The story itself is a fun time with whimsy and nonsense until it finds it’s way to a darker ending. I think getting a prequel for the Queen of Hearts really was a great way to instill some humanity and sympathy to the character.

“It is a dangerous thing to unbelieve something only because it frightens you.”

“When pleased, I beat like a drum. When sad, I break like glass. Once stolen, I can never be taken back. What am I?”

“It is a dangerous thing to unbelieve something only because it frightens you.”

Baking: Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater Chocolate Bars

I found this fabulous graphic when I was searching for things that Cath made in this book. I was beyond excited that Marissa Meyer (or her marketing team) made this one so easy for me.

This recipe was fairly easy to make as long as you make sure to have all the ingredients. It also tastes delicious if I do say so myself. I think the final product turned out about as well as I expected. I have some pictures below!

These are the perfect recipe for the fall. My husband even said, “They’re alright.” Which is a huge compliment because he basically detests anything pumpkin flavored. The chocolate chips make them a little sweet and the chopped pecans give it a bit of a crunch. I think these are the perfect November treat.

Are these a desert you might make? Let me know if you try it and what you thought!

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

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Blogtober Book Review: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

GoodReads Summary:
Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.
Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.
Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.
Review:
Heartless is a prequel story to the well-known and well-loved Alice in Wonderland story. It’s the origin story for the Queen of Hearts. This fantastical and sometimes bizarre story is one that I read a few years ago, and when I learned that Rebecca Soler is the narrator for the audiobook, I knew it was time for a reread via the audiobook.
I’m glad I did. This story was just as wild as I remember it. I really loved Cath. I loved her passion for baking and her love for her friends. She’s passionate and tries to stay true to what she believes but also battles with pleasing her parents. I think she was such an interesting character. Seeing the battle between what she wants and what her parents want for her was the best part of the story.
The world is fascinating and whimsical and messy. I really enjoyed it. The complexities of the difference between Chess and Cath’s world was compelling and Jest ad Hatta made me want to know more. I would have loved to actually gotten to see Chess.
I really don’t know what else to say about this book. So much happens, there are so many characters, and the parts I want to talk about the most are at the end and I don’t want to spoil. I really wish things ended differently, but alas; the ending is the part that was inevitable. I loved Cath. She had such a big heart of gold. She really cared about others and their happiness. I loved her passion and it made me want to get up and bake something!
Anyone that is a lover of Alice will probably love this story. Marissa Meyer really excels in the area of retellings. If that’s your cup of tea, give this one a try. Listen to the audiobook because Rebecca Soler is my all-time favorite narrator. She’s completely incredible.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Summary:
Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mark her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.
Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend–the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? Fans will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion to Marissa Meyer’s national bestselling Lunar Chronicles series.
Review:
I feel like I flew through this series up until I got to this book. Even though I did listen to this final audiobook (that is TWENTYFOUR hours long) in less than a week. Something about Winter just dragged. Though nothing in the story was actually going slowly. There were some periods of slowness where the characters needed to figure out what to do next and make plans and travel, but there was enough action to keep up the pace of the story. There was just something about it that dragged. I found myself about 80% through wondering if it was ever going to end. It’s not that I wasn’t interested.
I loved the characters of this series. There is such a fun and interested squad of characters. They are all so different and I loved each of them so much. They all grow and go through so much in these four books but especially in this finale. Cinder has come to take back her throne and everything she’s been planning is finally happening. I do wish that we’d gotten more of her and Kai, but I have a feeling that will be happening in Stars Above. Cress and Thorne were by far my favorite (Cress was my favorite book in the series). This doesn’t surprise me too much because Rapunzel is my favorite fairytale. I loved Thorne’s character growth and the happy ending that they get. Winter and Jacin were my second favorite. They had me cackling and laughing all over the place. I just loved Winter. She’s weird but courageous, putting herself last above what she things is the right thing. Jacin is not afraid to do whatever it takes to protect Winter. I just loved it. Then there’s Wolf and Scarlet. They go through so much being split up over and over and they manage to overcome it all again and again.
I also really liked the villain, Levana. She’s so interesting and intense. We see her as she goes from all-powerful to mostly just insane and it’s such a fascinating journey. She’s such a compelling villain. I’m excited to read her novel, Fairest.
I have to mention the retelling aspect of this series. I though Meyer did an incredible job putting her own twist on these classic stories. I just thought it was such a compelling aspect of these books.
Finally, the narrator. I have mentioned her in each of my reviews but it’s because she deserves it. She really becomes these characters. They each get their own distinct voice and I just am awed by this narrator’s ability to bring me into the story and put passion and ferocity into the voices. There were parts with Levana and Cinder that just wowed me.
Overall, I loved this book. I loved this series. I loved the narrator. I loved the characters. Everything about this series was well thought out and well excecuted. I adored the fairytale twists and the science fiction twists. This is a must-read series if you haven’t picked it up yet.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Summary:
In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who’s only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.
Review:
I loved this book. I am just loving this series more and more the further into it we get. I love the characters. I love the world. I love the narrator. I love the story. I think this one might be my favorite of the series, partially becasue of it being a Rapunzel retelling. Rapunzel is one of my favorite fairytales. I think Meyer has done such a great job incorporating the retellings into this futuristic world she’s created.
So, it’s told in omniscient third person, which means that the narrator is all knowing and we get to see everything that is going on with all of the relevant characters. I really love this because I love to see what the other characters are up to since they’ve been split up from the whole group. I love Cinder more than ever. She’s clever and doing her best to be what everyone needs her to be. Then there’s the Doctor. His story was honestly so sad and I wish it had ended in a different way. I wish we had more time with him. But he’s done all he can for the players involved. I love Thorne. He’s really growing out of his smart ass, cocky attitude and starting to take things more seriously. I think his disability of being blind was really interesting and I’m glad that sort of representation was put into the story. Cress was honestly probably my favorite character. She’s crash landed on earth and literally has no idea what’s going on. So of course, she gets into all kinds of trouble. Wolf is still a bit of a mystery to me. I want to know more and I want to see more growth. What we do get to see of Scarlet was interesting. I can’t wait to see more of what’s actually happening on Luna. I wish we had gotten to see a bit more of her, but I know we will get that in Winter.
Finally, I really have to mention Levana. She’s such an interesting villain. I’m excited to read her novella and learn more about her history and motivations. I think she’s fierce and intimidating and sometimes a bit terrifying. She’s vicious and ambitious and won’t stop until she’s gotten what she wants.
Last, the narrator for this series is really incredible. Some of the scenes with Levana where she’s mad and yelling is done so incredibly well. Then there’s the final scene with the Doctor and he’s whispering/singing. I just was blown away at this narrator’s ability to really make each character sound different and have their own voice. I was bought into the story and couldn’t stop listening until I got to the end. This narrator made the story just that much better and I will definitely be looking into what else she has narrated.
Overall, I love this book more than the first two. I’m interested to see if it will become my favorite in the series or if Winter will beat it. I cannot wait to get to the conclusion of this series so I’m going to end this hear and go start the final audiobook.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Summary:
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted criminal.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information about her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he is to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.
Review:
As I said in my review of Cinder (READ HERE), I am rereading this series via audiobook because it’s been a long time since I read them. I don’t remember all that many details about the books and I’ve heard great things about the audiobooks. I’m glad I decided to do this because I’m having a great time. The narrator is excellent. The more I listen, the more I’m loving her narration. She really helps to bring me into the story. There were certain parts that really wowed me when she was narrating, she filled the story with emotion and drama and I’m really enjoying it. There were a few moments at the beginning where I was confused because I didn’t realize that the story jumped between perspectives. I don’t know why, but I thought it just followed Scarlet. So the first few times the narrator switched between points of view it took me a second to realize that we had switched.
I do have to say that Scarlet took a darker turn than anticipated. I know it’s a Little Red Riding Hood retelling, and the original tales are pretty dark, but this book got pretty dark pretty quickly. It was interesting for sure, just a little surprising.
I really loved Scarlet as a character. She was fierce and fiery. She would stop at nothing to protect and rescue the people she loves, even when she learns that those people have been keeping secrets from her. I can’t wait to see more of her.
Wolf is one that I’m still not sure how I feel about him. He has a bit of development, and see more coming. But I feel like we didn’t get to see it in this book. I’m interested to see his role in the coming books.
Cinder and Thorne are interesting. Cinder is one that’s starting to realize what she really needs to do. She needs to accept the responsibility that she has learned rests on her shoulders. She’s trying to take things one step at a time but one thing after another keeps getting in the way until she meets Scarlet. I think they’re going to make an interesting team for sure.
Overall, this book surprised me. I really loved all the characters, the plot twists, the development. Scarlet had all of the good things I wanted with a narrator that I just keep loving more and more. I can’t wait to start Cress next.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder’s brain interface has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it “a matter of national security,” but Cinder suspects it’s more serious than he’s letting on.
Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder’s intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that’s been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter’s illness, Cinder’s stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an “honor” that no one has survived.
But it doesn’t take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.
Review:
I have been wanting to reread this series for years. I remember reading these books years ago when they first came out but it’s been so long, I barely remember anything from them. The audiobooks have been repeatedly recommended to me so I thought I’d give them a try. Cinder is the book I chose to fill the spot for Ancient Runes – Retelling in the Magical Readathon (read my whole TBR here.)
I really enjoyed the audiobook version of this story. I think the narrator did an excellent job of telling the story. The characters were easily identifiable, their voice was enjoyable. I thought it was a great listening experience over all.
As for the story itself, I remembered a few of the bigger plot twists so the story seemed almost predictable but that was just because I’d read it before. Regardless, this didn’t take away from the story at all, in my opinion. I think a science fiction Cinderella retelling is one of the more creative things I’ve heard of. I also think that the retelling aspect of the story is pretty good. Cinder’s backstory is the typical father figure dying and being left with awful stepmother/sisters. I really liked that in this retelling Cinder is actually friends with one of her stepsisters.
There was so much going on in this book, but I think it was paced well and each new aspect of the mystery and plot were introduced nicely and without seeming rushed or too much. Knowing the little bit that I know about the series already; it was interesting to see how some of the ideas shared in this book were going to play a part in later books in the series.
I really liked Cinder. She was sassy but awkward. She was extremely insecure about her cyborg parts which was sad but makes me excited to see her grow more confident and happier with who she is. There’s so much potential for character growth and I know it’s coming after learning what we did in the minutes of the book. The things we learned about Cinder have me so excited to finish rereading the series.
Overall, I had a fun time with this audiobook. I’m happy to have found another series that I like the audiobooks for. I can easily get sucked into this series and I can’t wait to reread the rest of the books.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Villains

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week we talk about our top ten with a different topic provided by Jana. This week’s topic is top ten – Villains (favorite, best, worst, lovable, creepiest, most evil, etc.) I’m going to go with a combination of all the options. This list will include some of my favorite villains, who are the best and the worst at the same time, but also loveable. Some will be the evilest and maybe a little creepy too. Villains are some of my favorite and a great Spooktober topic!

 

1. The Darkling, Grisha Verse by Leigh Bardugo – Anyone that knows me knows that I miiiight be a little obsessed with this series and the Darkling. He’s such an excellent villain. Attractive and mysterious, he lures you in before pulling you into the dark side. A backstory that gives him a human side. He’s excellently developed and I just love him.
2. Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – Creepy, downright evil, this guy is just the worst in all the best ways. He’s a character that I love to hate.
3. Maven Calore, Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard – A loveable villain in the first book. Before we’re blindsided by the fact that he’s actually the villain for this series. I loved him in Red Queen and HATED him the rest of the series. Aveyard made him loveable and personable and I still love him a little even though he’s pure evil.
4. Tea, The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco – Tea is made out to be the villain in this story but as we read we find out that she’s doing what she really believes in, despite the fact that she knows it will upset pretty much everyone. The minute she finds out she’s a bone witch she’s already given a stigma of being bad.
5. BeiTech, The Illuminae Files by Aime Kaufman & Jay Kristoff – I think this interesting twist of making a corporation the villain of the story is really cool. Though there’s more to this villain I won’t spoil anything. I think this was a well thought out and well-executed villain.
6. Empress Celestine, The Shattered Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima – There’s still much to learn about this particular villain, but so far she’s very intriguing. She’s the worst, but I find myself liking her more as we get deeper into the series.
7. Nova/Insomnia, Renegades by Marissa Meyer – The main character who is a villain, but seems to start to have conflicting feelings about being a villain once she finds herself surrounded by heroes.
8. Martin Chatwin, The Magicians by Lev Grossman – Martin is just the worst. He’s basically psychotic on top of being pure evil.
9. Adelina Amouteru, The Young Elites by Marie Lu – Adelina was one of the first characters that made me realize I might like villains more than I thought.
10. King of Hybern, ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas – This guy sucked. He was actually the worst and I hated everything about him. Greedy and selfish, not satisfied with what he already has so he has to stir up all kinds of drama.

Who are your favorite, best, worst, most evil villains?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

ABC Book Challenge |H|

Hello, Bookworms! This week we will be talking about books with the letter H.

For those of you that are new here – here’s the deal, each week we post about books beginning with a specific letter of the alphabet starting with A and ending once we’ve gone all the way to Z. We’re going to mention one or sometimes a few books that were super memorable with the letter of the week and also books that are still living on our TBR lists. So without further ado.

Read last week’s post here.

This week’s letter is – H

Most Memorable Books 

Amanda

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas – As one of my favorite authors and one of my favorite series this book is an obvious choice for this weeks letter.

(The) Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco – This one was memorable for me because the first book in the series was not one of my favorites and I was really hoping this book would redeem the series a bit and it certainly did. Check out my review here.

Antonia

Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts – The fourth book in The Bride Quartet. It was such a nice ending to this series about these four women and their amazing friendship

(The) House of Hades by Rick Riordan – This one was probably my favorite of the series. All the Percabeth feels.

 

 

Books Still on our TBR List

Amanda

Heartless by Marissa Meyer – I read this book shortly after it was published, but I don’t remember a single thing about it. I’ve been hearing about how good it was recently, so I’ve had the urge to reread it.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J.K. Rowling – This book is on my August TBR list. I’m planning to read these books to my daughter after she’s born. Start on making her a bookworm and potterhead as early as I can.

Antonia

Here, There be Dragons by James A. Owen – I’ve had my eye on this series for a long time but recently saw a few reviews that convinced me to finally get it. It seems like the ultimate bookworm book and I’m so excited to read it.

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout – This is the first in her The Covenant series and I’ve actually read it before but for some reason just never got farther into the books. I’d like to finally read them all the way through.

 

 

 

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Mash Ups

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Every week there’s a new topic where we get to choose our top ten and write about it. This week’s topic is top ten books I would mash together. I think this is a wicked interesting topic. I’m not sure how I’m going to go about it, so in no particular order, here goes!

1. Rose Gardner Investigations by Denise Grover Swank & Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich – These are books about an aspiring private investigator and books about a bond enforcement officer. I think Rose and Stephanie would make one hell of a hilarious pair.
2. Renegades by Marissa Meyer & Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti – Two different types of superhero books. Both with similar abilities, sort of. But the worlds they take place in are pretty different. I think it would be interesting to see these two worlds collide.
3. Meant to be Broken by Brandy Woods Snow & One Small Thing by Erin Watt – Both are novels involving girls who are struggling with their feelings about a guy. Both thinking that their feelings are wrong and should be stifled and ignored. I think the two female main characters would be great friends and would be able to help one another immensely by sharing their experiences.
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson & The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith – These are both murder mystery sort of books but with a ton of different subplots along the way. I think they would be interesting to see together. Seeing the characters with their hugely different personalities would be funny.
5. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson & Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson – This is a choice for similar reasons to above except these are young adult murder mysteries. Again, the personalities in these stories would make for an interesting read.
6. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas & Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch – If the Sara(h)’s wrote a book together I would be able to die happy as soon as I finished it. These specific books would be so cool to see together. In ACOTAR, there’s Fae with seasonal courts and magical abilities and in Snow Like Ashes there are different kingdoms for the seasons with different sorts of magical abilities. I think they would mesh well together with the similarities in the stories.
7. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare & A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest – Both of these series have a great variety of supernatural characters like vampires and werewolves and others unique to their books. Their also both full of headstrong characters that strive to do the ‘right’ thing at all costs. I would love to see these characters and worlds collide.
8. The Young Elites by Marie Lu & Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo – These two came together in my head because of their magic systems. Both books have people with abilities that are not accepted in their worlds. Both have fantastic villains. Now that I’m typing this, I would LOVE to see the Darkling and Adelina join forces and run the world.
9. Impulse by Ellen Hopkins & Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow – I really think that Charlie could have been another character in Impulse. She for sure could have been a fourth perspective in that story. These characters could all relate for sure.
10. The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead & A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands – I obviously had to throw my two favorite vampire worlds together. I think these worlds would be awesome to see together because of the different ways that vampires are created and the similarities that are already there.

This week’s topic was a hard one for me! I had a ton of fun looking at my shelves and thinking about all the different worlds I love colliding. I tried to pick bookish worlds that already had a little bit in common. I wanted my mashups to mostly make sense. Which bookish worlds would you want to see collide?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Popular Books That Lived Up to the Hype

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Every week there’s a new topic where we get to choose our top ten and write about it. This week’s topic is the top ten popular books that lived up to the hype. This is going to be a fun one for me because I frequently buy or read books because of the hype.

1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – I read this series book by book when it was first released. But even back then there was so much hype that was all accurate. This series still gets hyped up all the time, which says a lot right there.
2. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – If you read any of my posts on a regular basis you already know how obsessed with this series I am. It’s one of my absolute favorites. I jumped on this bandwagon pretty early and had to wait for each book to be released which made it ten times worse.
3. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas – After reading ACOTAR I knew I needed to check out her other series as well and I’m super glad I did. I can’t wait for Kingdom of Ash to be released.
4. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo – I originally got these books from the library a few years ago and loved them so much I had to buy my own set.
5. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare – The first two or three books were already published and I had to not so patiently wait for the next three. But I also had to wait for the Infernal Devices and now I’m not so patiently waiting for Queen of Air and Darkness.
6. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – I am realizing that I am easily convinced to buy books. I bought this one not too long after it came out and have had to wait for each book to come out. Now that the whole series is out I somehow haven’t managed to reread them all.
7. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James – I totally bought this series for the hype. I wouldn’t say they’re the best books in the world, but I’ve enjoyed them enough to read them more than once.
8. Cinder by Marissa Meyer – I love a good fairytale retelling so when I heard the hype for these I obviously had to see what the deal was.
9. The Gender Game by Bella Forrest – Once I signed up for Kindle Unlimited (after I got my Kindle as a Christmas gift from my mother in law) I saw this series all over and eventually gave it a shot. I’m glad I did, these were fantastic books. I love everything Forrest writes.
10. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon – I was super late to jump on the bandwagon for this one. I read this last month and I was just blown away.

This is my top ten for this week. What popular books have you read that lived up to the hype?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Favorite Novellas

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week we’re given a new prompt for a top ten list of all things bookish. This week is top ten of my favorite novellas or short stories. I’m going to be listing my favorite novellas because I don’t frequently read short stories unless they’re for college (and those aren’t usually too fun.) I’m not sure that I will have a full ten, but I’m going to do my best.

1. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas – If any of you even slightly follow my posts then this one is obvious. I’m obsessed with the ACOTAR series and not sorry about it in the slightest.
2. Fairest by Marissa Meyer – I read this forever ago, but I remember really liking it because it gave us a different point of view of the villain from this series.
3. Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists by J.K. Rowling – I went a little crazy after my last HP reread and bought all of the novellas on my Kindle.
4. Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies by J.K. Rowling – I loved the little inside details that were within these novellas.
5. Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide by J.K. Rowling – Again, from my novella buying spree on my Kindle.
6. Dorothy Must Die novellas (0.1-0.9) by Danielle Paige – I bought these novellas on my Kindle after my last reread of this series once the final book was released. I really enjoyed getting some more background on these characters.
7. Stephanie Plum novellas by Janet Evanovich – There are quite a few different novellas in this series that are holiday themed, from St. Patrick’s Day to Christmas. They’re all fun little additions to the series.
8. The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare – A book full of novellas? Yes, please.
9. Tales from the Shadowhunter’s Academy by Cassandra Clare – I’m not sure if this counts as another book of novellas but I loved reading about Simon.
10. The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas – Okay so I haven’t actually read this book. I just finally got around to buying it last week and I will for sure be rereading the whole Throne of Glass series (starting with this book) before the last book is released this fall.

These are my top ten favorite novellas! Do you have any favorites that I didn’t include in this list? Let me know what your favorites are below in the comments!

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Best of 2018

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week we’re given a new prompt for a top ten list of all things bookish. This week is top ten best books I’ve read in 2018 (so far). I’m excited about this one because I have a post on other social media where I post the best book I read each month. I’m obviously only through June so here I can add a few more! Here’s my list of the ten best books I’ve read so far this year.

1. Air Awakens by Elise Kova – I found this as a boxed set on my Kindle so it was like reading one giant book even though it was five books. This series made me laugh and cry and It’s only been a few months since I read it and I already want to read it again.
2. Moon Chosen & Sun Warrior by P.C. Cast – It honestly took me forever to actually read these but they were AMAZING and I can’t wait until Windrider comes out in October.
3. Scythe & Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman – This was an incredibly creative story. I’m excited to see where the third book takes these characters.
4. Renegades by Marissa Meyer – Superheros, duh!
5. The Paper Magician series by Charlie N. Holmberg – I loved all of these books, even the fourth that has different characters in the same word. The world is so interesting and well thought out and just incredible.
6. The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson – I found this book in the ‘popular books’ section of my Kindle Unlimited subscription and thought it sounded interesting. Boy was it. The plot in this story was so confusing and funny and heart wrenching all at the same time somehow.
7. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas – The newest book (novella) in my favorite series, so yeah, it obviously makes this list.
8. The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline – It was such an emotional and just all around powerful story. I didn’t think I was going to like this book nearly as much as I did.
9. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon – I was so surprised by this book. I thought this was one that was overly hyped and it wasn’t really ever on my TBR list. But I found it at the library and said why not. I’m glad I gave it a chance because this story blew me away.
10. Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts – My first audiobook ever. I’ve been super excited for this book to be released because Nora is an auto-buy author for me. I honestly hadn’t even read the synopsis. So when I started listening and the mall shooting happened, I balled my eyes out for the first like half an hour that I was listening.

These are the top ten books that are my favorites for the year so far. I chose to only list books that I read for the first time this year, otherwise, my favorite series would overtake this list. What books are your favorites for 2018 so far?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.