Photo Challenge Update

Thanks to a vacation with barely any wifi, I got way off track for the challenge, so I've decided to scrap it for this month. I did manage to read 3 books on vacation, however, so I should have some more reviews posted soon!

Nikki

July Book Photo Challenge | Set One

I couldn't decide between these three books—their titles are all so unique. I just reviewed A Court of Thorns and Roses, but I have not read the other two. I've heard good things about The Wrath and the Dawn and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, but I'm saving them for a vacation this month.

The humor in Anna and the French Kiss is so natural and witty thanks to her vibrant characters, and I will always love it for that. This book feels like when you meet someone who clicks with you right away.

My True Love Gave to Me is the perfect thing to get you into the holiday mood, or just make you happy when you need it. Christmas in July anyone?

Decided to do all three for some 4th of July spirit. I would recommend all of these books except for The Queen of the Tearling and Seriously...I'm Kidding since I have not read those two yet. But, once again, I have heard good things about them. The Bone Season and Unravel Me are excellent fantasy/paranormal YA fiction, while Dessen writes YA contemporary. My first review on this blog was of Saint Anything.

This is actually a graphic novel, but it's so amazing I had to include it. I'm not normally one for horror stories since they don't appeal to me in a storytelling way, but I love the short stories in Through the Woods. "A Lady's Hands are Cold" was my favorite one.

(You can find the challenge here.)

New Challenge

Happy July! Since this month will be a pretty chill and awesome one since my birthday is soon, I thought I would try something new. There are challenges that go around the internet that often revolve around literature: reading challenges, writing challenges, one word challenges, ect. The one that caught my eye, however, involved both literature and visual art. The popular book blog, Books & Cupcakes, hosts a Book Photo Challenge every month. Every day has a prompt for a photo to take, and I find that very fun and artistic. So, I decided to join! To try and not clog up the page too much, I'm going to post my photos every five days. My first set will be posted soon, and I hope it can serve as a kind of mini recommendation/about me thing since it will feature books old and new from my collection. Here's to new challenges!

Nikki

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas | Spoiler free review

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. 

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it...or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Rating: 5/5
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

As I've said again and again, I love fairy tales, and I love the new twists that writers can pull out of them. So, that's what I mostly look for in novels inspired by fairy tales: originality and voice. Luckily, A Court of Thorns and Roses excelled at that.

The world building was spectacular and elaborate, and it left the readers with just enough to know the basics, but there's obviously a lot more to learn in the rest of the series. And while some of plot was already set up thanks to the Beauty and the Beast influence, there was so much more to it. At some point in the novel I realized the original fairy tale plot had just about expired, but there was still a good amount of the book left. Don't worry, though, Maas does just as well on her own.

The pacing was particularly nice. I'm a somewhat patient person when it comes to pacing, and I don't mind things slowing down when it feels natural. Relationships need time to develop, characters need to explore, and tragic events need healing, so I get it. This book was fairly long at 416 pages, and I felt like it really was a complete journey—there was only one large part of relaxation, and the rest was pretty even on adventure and normality.  In some stories you just feel the smallness of it all, the lack of a full adventure, but this novel closed everything splendidly.

Overall, the thing I'll remember and appreciate most about this novel is Feyre. She is so many things at once: vulnerable and strong, fearful and courageous, intelligent and ignorant. But overall, she is selfless and determined, and it all makes her so real. The other characters were also well-written, but Feyre always shone the brightest. She recognizes and embraces her humanity in a world of immortality, and it doesn't make her weak for doing it.

Oh, and an extra plus: this novel pushed a little on the New Adult side, and it was delightful. For those who are unaware of what New Adult is, it's basically a new genre created for those who want all amazing-ness of YA along with sexy times. Yes, you heard me right. So if you're uncomfortable at all with sexual themes, I would be wary if you want to read this! Nothing too explicit, but it is definitely there.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is the first in a series (unsure how long), and the second should hopefully be out sometime next year. One last note: I wish there were more women present—when I see an author can write strong female characters, I always want more.  Love is great and all, but frienship is just as important, and especially female friendship. I want Feyre to have a kickass female friend she can go to, and I really hope it happens in the sequel.

P.S. Look at that gorgeous cover!