A Court of Thorns and Roses Book Review

Hello Everyone,

I literally don't remember when I have posted the last book review here on the blog, but now I finally feel like I read a book that generally made me want to tell my opinion about it, so here I am. 

As you could see from the title, I FINALLY read ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas and I have no words for it. I already read the 2nd book in the series and if the 1st book was good then the 2nd was phenomenal. Yes, I loved this book. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, I even tried to read it twice, but it never really grabbed my attention so much for me to continue on with the series. So, it's no wonder it took me a year to pick up this book, but I was so wrong. ACOTAR made me fall in love with fantasy stories again and believe me if I say I haven't felt like I am in love with a fantasy book ever since I discovered Twilight or the Hush Hush series, but obviously, those were in another era and ACOTAR is on a completely different level.

The Premise of the Book:

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

My Thoughts:

Okay, I don't even know where to start this. I loved the writing in this book, in my opinion in this book the writing is so much more detailed and better than in the Throne of Glass. Sarah J. Maas did really improve with her characters and with her world building. I am more the contemporary or thriller kind of person, but this book just straight up sucked me in and didn't let go. I think this was because it was a fantasy filled with a lot of romantic scenes and elements. A lot of people said that it has too much romance in the first book, but I think it was the thing that helped me get into the story initially. 

ACOTAR was really good to introduce the characters (where they came from, what they were like), the world and the starting point of the whole series in general. And I loved that although it was truly just the first part of a story, doing all the introduction of the world and the characters, it did feel like a complete story on its own. It could have been only a stand-alone and after reading it I would have been satisfied with it, but fortunately, that's not the case.

I loved the appearance of the elements of the Beauty and the Beast because it's one of my all-time favorite tales and I have read so many retellings, but this one was by far the most creatively executed.

Feyre was a good main character because this way we could see Prythian from the eyes of an outsider, which just made getting to know the world much easier. She was brave enough, but she knew her duties and wanted to keep her family alive. And she learns really fast and adapts to circumstances, which I really appreciate in characters, where they don't spend days whining about how they don't know what to do. 

Tamlin was a good love interest he didn't do much for me in the first book other than being cute and handsome and protecting Feyre while falling in love with her. One of my expectations for him in the second book was to get to know him more and yes, we do get to know more about him in the next book, we get to know him a LOT better. But about that later in my ACOMAF review.

Lucien is a really interesting character for me. He is so loyal to Tamlin and he does everything for him. He is the one who helps Feyre when she needs help and he is kind of a good friend to her. 

I loved the way Rhys was just barely there in this book, but then I was constantly thinking whether he is good for Feyre or he is going to do something bad to her and al while I was thinking about it, I felt kind of stupid, because it was obvious who I want to the main love interest in this book to be.

The main thing I liked about this book how excited it made me feel, even after finishing it fangirling over it for days and it has been a long time ago when I was having a really good book-hangover.

Overall the beginning of the book was rather slow, it was like a romance with fantasy elements and then there was this rather exciting finale kind of part, where initially Feyre went through a lot of challenges and ups and downs, which initially leads to her huge character development in the second book. I think you should definitely read this book if you haven't yet, even if you don't like fantasy, simply because it's so good and it gets even better through the series.

Until next time, 

Bianka

Favourite Reads of 2017

Hello Everyone,
I cannot believe it's already the end of this year. This year for me has been really hard and a lot has changed, so I am so ready for 2018 and I hope it will be better. One thing for sure I want to change is, I want to be more consistent here on the blog, because I know I haven't been active here, only on my Instagram, but I want to do posts again here and I want to start writing again.
In this list, I tried to gather my favorite reads of 2017, but the list is very long so I am trying my best to really highlight my favorites this year. These books are in no particular order, but I separated my two absolute favorite books this year.

Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy and The Royals series by Erin Watt

Okay, I think this year Elle Kennedy books were the best reads for me as far as romance books go. Her books are so easy to read and her stories are very entertaining and fast reads. Reading these books is like watching a rom-com. These books are the perfect before-after-during exam-period reads. But warning: the characters can be annoying sometimes, but these books are highly addictive.

Silber Trilogy by Kerstin Gier

This trilogy was very surprising to me. I loved the Precious Stone Trilogy by Kerstin Gier, but somehow I never picked this series up. And that was a very bad decision. Her characters and story felt so unique in the other trilogy, but this was another level. The dream world was probably my favorite part in these books, but the whole build-up of the story and the characters were really entertaining and fun.

Under Rose Tainted Skyes by Louise Gornall and A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sarah Bernard

These two books were my favorite mental health reads this year and I think they both had an accurate description of the mental health problems pictured in them. They resonated with me and they both contained really good thoughts about the issues and about living with a mental disorder. Plus both main characters in these books went through huge character development.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

I don't think I have to say more about why Ally Carter is constantly on my favorites list, I just love her writing and she writes such entertaining spy and heist stories. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Her books never fail to entertain me, I just cannot imagine one favorites list without one of her books on it.

Absolute Favourites:

The book that spoke to me the most....

Unfiltered by Lily Collins

I think if you are young women, you should definitely read this book because it truly feels like a collection of advice and stories from a big sister I never had. Lily's writing and the way she is talking about each topic is very cool and meaningful. She talks about relationships, how to achieve your goals, eating disorders and also family. I loved this book so much.

The biggest surprise this year....

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

This book seriously blew me away. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Throne of Glass series and I think that's why I haven't picked this book up yet, but this story just sucked me in. I didn't understand the hype around it before, but for sure it is well deserved. I loved the characters, the story, I even liked the fantasy element, although I am not really a fantasy-lover myself. So yes, this book is truly amazing and you should read it, if you haven't already.

So there you go, these were my favorite reads of 2017. I had quite a good reading year, I have read some amazing books throughout this year, but as for other parts of my life, I hope 2018 will be much more positive. 
What were your favorite reads of 2017? What books are you the most excited next year?
Until next time, 
Bianka

Take Me to the Cat by Bryant A. Loney book review

Hey Everyone,

it's been a long time since I have done a book review here on my blog, but I am definitely planning on catching up with that in the near future because throughout the summer I've read so many good books and I am so excited to share my opinion about them with you.

Today I am going to review Take me to the Cat by. This book I was sent by the publisher, Verona Booksellers in exchange for an honest review. I got so excited, when they reached out to me, because I've been planning on exploring new genres and this book being a YA psychological thriller, is perfect for that. I am always a bit hesitant about thrillers in general because I am a person with very vivid fantasy and these kinds of books definitely make my anxiety level rise in general. So, without me rambling, let's jump into the review, but first here is the synopsis. Keep in mind that this review is entirely spoiler free.

The synopsis:

One innocent reunion. One dark and deadly secret. And the truth that threatens them all.

Nostalgic high school senior Michael Jackson wants nothing more than to reunite with his friends from elementary school—and possibly change his name. Transferring before middle school after his parents’ nasty divorce, Michael always felt he was at his happiest back in his Oklahoma hometown. Inviting his lifelong crush Catherine, among other former classmates, to a spring break reunion party seems like the perfect plan for Michael to get closure on the formative years of his life.

Yet nothing is as he remembers when Michael finds himself entangled in his own confusion between reality and nightmare. Suddenly, secrets from his childhood resurface, and the fanatic ringleader from Michael’s past will do whatever it takes to silence his friends. Now it’s up to Michael to save them all before it’s too late. But does he have the courage and strength to go up against his own worst enemy?

In this quirky psychological thriller from the mind of Bryant A. Loney, Michael will go through hell and high water as he faces his inner demons, unaware that the revelation he seeks demands the ultimate sacrifice.

My thoughts:

I kind of have mixed feelings about this book, hence the fact I gave it 3/5 stars on Goodreads.  Let's start with the main character Michael. First of all, finally a book with a male lead, I would love to see more male leads in books, especially in YA. But sadly I was more annoyed with Michael than I liked him. He is a character who lives in the past and wants his old friends back, while he seems to have good enough friends where he is.

A huge plus for this book was a number of diverse characters in it. In this book, there are not only LGBTQ characters, but there is an Otherkin character, which was interesting because I have never heard about them before. So, that was a surprise. If you don't know who Otherkins are definitely read about them. Although it's very good to see diversity in books, I feel like, in this book, the writer tried to put as many diverse characters he could and because of this, they didn't feel whole for me. I don't feel like I got to know either of them enough to truly care about them. 

About the story itself I don't really want to go to much into detail, because of the spoilers, but the thing I will say about this book that the beginning was very slow. Half the time while reading the first 100 pages I was wondering if I missed something or not. But after the first 100 or so pages the story took off and I loved the writing. I will definitely read other books by Bryant A. Loney because although the story in this book wasn't really appealing to me, the writing was very good and kind of saved this book for me.

Altogether I think if you love psychological thrillers you can pick this one up, but stick with the book until after the first 110 pages.

Although I had problems with this book, I definitely enjoyed reading it and I will for sure pick up another book by this author, because I loved his writing. And I would like to say thank you again for Verona Booksellers for sending me an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Until next time,

Bianka

Everything, Everything movie review

Hey Everyone,
Long time, no see, I know. I haven't been feeling inspired to write anything for the longest time, but today I am here with a movie review about Everything, Everything. I don't know when this movie played in other countries, but it only premiered in Hungary in August. I couldn't wait to see it, because I loved the book and it was one of those stories that inevitably makes you smile and makes you remember how cute and awkward it is to be in love for the first time as a teen. I posted a review about it back in January, you can read it if you click here. So, let's jump into my thoughts as a movie.

My Thoughts:

Let's just start with the fact that this was a really cute and fluffy movie, also it was a very good book to movie adaptation. Going to the cinema, I was afraid that the movie won't be able to have the same atmosphere of the book. Well this movie made the awkward tension and silence cute and I couldn't stop smiling while watching it.Also, in the book there are a lot of drawings and text messages between Maddie and Olly, but it would have been kind of odd in my opinion, if it would have been solved in the traditional "texting-on-screen-way", where the characters are in two different rooms and there are the text bubbles popping up on the screen. Instead they made the texting and emailing seem like actual conversation and I loved it this way. 

The chemistry between Amanda Stenberg and Nick Robinson was really good and it truly felt like I am seeing Maddie and Olly just off the pages of the books.

And can we just talk about the whole scenery of the movie?! The whole thing was just so calming and peaceful and the soundtrack is also well done.

All in all, this was a very cute movie and it didn't disappoint me at all. If you liked the book or if you want to see an uplifting a cute movie definitely go and watch Everything, everything. If you have seen the movie, what did you think of it? Tell me in the comments below and I will see you next time.

Bianka

It's crazy how fast time goes by....

Last year at on this exact day I said goodbye to being a figure skater, I mean said goodbye to competing and training every day and still, it feels like the biggest decision I ever had to make. It was such an important point in my life that I felt like it's worth reflecting back on this last year.

 To be honest I still miss it like crazy and it still breaks my heart sometimes that those days are over, but at the same time I am happy that I made the decision because I have grown and learned so much during this last year. I wasn't an easy year, but I did just fine, so I am proud of myself. Being an athlete was my everything for 16 years and last summer after saying goodbye to it, I felt lost, but at the same time, I felt free. I am not saying it was an overall easy summer for me because I was emotional and I was just sitting at home not knowing what I was supposed to do with my first ever free summer or even with my life. Of course, I knew that in September university is going to start, but other that that I had no clue. I fell apart and I felt like I won't be able to adjust.

Then university came and suddenly there was a whole new life ahead of me. I gained experiences and got friends, which I don't think I would've been able to get if my whole life was still about skating.

Being an athlete for me was about challenges and this year I learned to find my challenges elsewhere and I learned that I can do whatever I want, I just have to keep trying and that I can be good at living this life, even though sometimes I feel like I wasn't made for this world and I feel like an alien amongst people around. I got to a point in my life when I am ready to let skating go, even if it hurts like hell thinking about it. I feel like it was my "training wheel", which never let me fall (too big) and which was alway there when I needed a little bit of support. It made me feel like I belong somewhere like I have a home amongst all the craziness that was going on. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I am home again, I feel like belong and I don't need my "training wheels" anymore. 

I thought skating was my world, my everything. It will always be. But it was the beginning of my story and there will be so much more to it because there is so much more room in my life for anything else. My lesson I learned during this past year is to not to be afraid of change. If a situation doesn't give you enough room to grow and improve don't be afraid to make a change, even if it hurts like hell. Maybe it won't feel like a good decision at first, it will only feel right maybe, but not necessarily good. If you give time to it it can turn out as a great thing, you just have to give yourself time to adjust. I for one am a person who hates changes, but I knew and felt like I was stuck, although I loved being a skater. This was the first big, adult- like decision I made, most importantly made for myself and not for my career as an athlete and I am so happy I made it, because now I have these whole new experiences and so much space to grow.

Until next time,

Bianka

A Quiet Kind of Storm book Review

Hello Everyone,
 Long time no see. I am so sorry for being away for so loneg, but I had a huge reading slump and also uni was just crazy. It broke my heart that I wasn't feeling inspired to write anything in a long time, but I am determined to get back on track.
Going into this book I never thought it would affect me so much as it did if I am honest. Reading the synapses it didn't look like the story it actually was. But maybe it just me. This book caught me off guard and I don't remember relating to a character in a book this much before. But let's read the synapses and after that, I will tell you why I loved this book as much as I did.

The synapses:

Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it. 

My Thoughts:

I know it might seem like a simple YA- contemporary romance, but for me, it was something else. The main character in this book is not actually selective mute at the time the story takes   place, or at least not anymore, but she is still not really able to talk to people outside of her family and her best friend. She has social anxiety and that is something I am living with every day. In this book, I found so much understanding and honestly, the way Steffi thought was the way I usually think about things, whenever my anxiety hits me. So many quotes in this book speak to me, they were like something I would say or feel.

Rhys the male character is the cutest, but if you didn't already got the idea of how much I loved it, he wasn't really the main appealing thing in this book for me. Other than that I loved him so much. He was so supportive and didn't treat Steffi as there is something wrong with her at all. At the same time, I liked how he addressed his fears of losing Steffi because she is getting better. This is an experience I had myself with my friends actually and it's really true that if your world is opening up, there is a chance that for some time you'll forget the people who were there for you before or you just realise that your old friends weren't really the best people for you. And that's okay because people change and in my opinion, Rhys would've let Steffi go if it's about that. But I think they have formed a bond together, that Steffi would always know which people are important to her and she would always go back. Or not, but we'll never find out since this is a standalone.

The family in this book honestly had a smaller role as I would have expected it, but it was okay this way too. I liked how although Steffi's parents were divorced, they were able to support their daughter and still work together as a functioning family. I think it's something that is very rare in these days and it's so good to see this "good example" represented in a YA-story.

The only thing I cannot really put anywhere or don't know what to think of is the grief in this book. It was there, but it wasn't actually in my opinion. I cannot decide if I liked it that it was just barely there or if it's bothering me that I didn't get to find out more about Clark. He seemed like a very important person in Steffi's life and we never really hear anything about him, other than he was an amazing step-brother. We figure out that Clark and Steffi had a great relationship, but we never actually see why and why they are connected so much.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review and I also hope you're having an amazing day. If you're a uni student and your exams are coming up, I wish you good luck.

Until next time,

Bianka

February Wrap-Up

Before we start this wrap-up, I just want to say, before writing it, I thought I have read at least five books this month, but I didn't. So bare with these two books I read in the month of February and let's hope my reading-slump will go away next month.

End of Days by Susan Ee:

I think it was a really good ending to the series and although I didn't enjoy this book all the way, because it was slow at some points, I am really sad that this series is over. I would've liked a little bit more Raffe and Penryn moments, but it's still good. I am actually planning on doing a review about the series here on my blog, so as soon as it's up, I am going to link it here.

Take the key and lock her up by Ally Carter:

I don't really want to keep on rumbling about Ally Carter books, because I obviously have done that enough on this blog and on my Instagram, but let me tell you that this series-ending wasn't disappointing at all, it was just as enjoyable and fun read as I expected it to be. I actually have a review about this book here on the blog, click here to read it or if you haven't started the series yet, I have a review about the first book as well, which you can read here (it's actually one of the first blog posts on this blog) .

Although it wasn't a good reading month for me, it was still a good month and I am so sad it's over. My midterm exams are coming and I so got used to just laying around and reading that I cannot make myself to study. I hope I will find some motivation for studying, but right now I cannot really see it. How was your February? Tell me in the comments and I'll see you next time.

Bianka