October Book Haul

Hi, guys!
I can't believe that October is almost over! Wee! How time's passing!

This month I got quite a lot of books because I went to a second-hand book market (which was awesome btw) and I'm going to visit another one on Saturday, so maybe I'll even add some more books to my TEN already purchased ones!

























There they are, in all their beauty. So far I've read five of them!

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
I've wanted this book since the first day I'd heard about it back in May and I could hardly contain my excitement when it was finally released. I've already read it and loved it.
Bardugo has really outdone herself with this amazing start to a series! More about it in my Wrap-Up in a few days!

Voyager and Drums of Autumn by Diana GabaldonBook three and four in the Outlander series! I really enjoyed reading the first installment back in September and wanted to continue the series. Only the number of pages stopped me from buying Dragonfly in Amber, book two.
But when I was at the second-hand book market I discovered #3 and #4 in perfect condition. For. Only. 50 Cents. A. Piece. That discovery made my whole day.

The Briar King by Greg Keyes
Honestely, I bought this book without knowing anything about it. The blurbs seemed interesting and so did the titles of the following books in the trilogy. I found it, too, at the book market and spontaneously bought it - it cost only 80ct. The reviews on GoodReads aren't the best but I don't want to judge before reading it.

Very Good Lives by J.K.Rowling
This is the very first book I've ever bought of ebay.com and I was so proud of myself for winning a bidding war without much effort. In the end I got the little book for 3,52€ and it's in perfect condition! I've already read it - and love it. More about that in my Wrap-Up.

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose ClarkeThis book and I, we have quite a long history. I first discovered it back in November last year and and tried to order it from Amazon but it wasn't available. Bookdepository didn't have it either.
About a month passed and I discovered that a German book store had it in stock, so I asked mum if she could get it for me for Christmas. Well, we ordered it but it just never arrived. It took a while until we got our money back and in the end I gave up.
A few weeks ago I randomly found out that it was available on Amazon again! I didn't waste another minute and bought it right away.
More about my thoughts on it in my Wrap-Up.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
I've loved Rainbow Rowell ever since finishing Fangirl. It's one of my favourite stories and I'm planning on catching up on Rainbow's other books as soon as possible - starting with Carry On.
This combines literally everything I'm interested in: Rainbow's writing, LGBTQ-elements and magic.
I've already read and reviewed this one, check out my review here if you're interested!

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
(including the novella The New World)
Regan from PeruseProject got me really interested in this novel, so I thought I'd give it a try!
I've already read it - and reviewed it. Check out my review here. 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K.Rowling
I found a copy of the British hardcover edition without a single scratch at the second-hand book market, I've mentioned earlier!
It didn't even cost two bucks, so I got it!
Harry Potter is simply my favourite series and I try to get my hands on every (reasonably priced) copy I can.

Sturz der Titanen by Ken FollettAnother book I got from the infamous second-hand market. I don't really know much about it but I've enjoyed Follett's writing style in the past (I've read Pillars of the Earth #1 and #2) and I wanted to get a book, which my mom would like.

Top Ten Tuesday #10

Hi, guys!
After such a busy day as today, I'm unbelievably glad to be able to relax and write a post for you!
I had an unusual amount of school work to do (well, what am I expecting? I'm a senior now!) and I had driving lessons in the evening - anyway, I'm finally home and on the internet.

Top Ten: Hyped Books I have not (yet) read
10) Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis

Even though I've always wanted to start this series, I just never came around to actually do it.
As far as I can remember I've only watched the first movie yet (well and bits and pieces of the second (?) but only because of Ben Barnes. I had kind of an obsession about him during 8th/9th grade)
The edition with this stunning cover sadly is way to expensive to buy for me, so I'll have to wait until Christmas or my birthday comes around.












9) A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

I think I have read a few chapters of the first book during 7th grade. A class mate of mine did present it to our class back then and we all had to read some of the "most important" chapters and the fitting scenes of the movie. Hell was I scared of Uncle Olaf. That's probably the reason why I haven't picked the series up yet. But I'm planning on doing it soon.





8) The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima
This is a series I've been dying to read for a while now. One of my favourite BookTubers mentions it constantly in her videos and got me really, really interested in the story! I'm planning on buying the first book soon (or maybe I'll ask my mum if I could get it as a present for Christmas). Anyway: soon, Demon King, I'll get my hands on you soon.

7) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Return of the King by J.R.R.Tolkien

Oh, I'm feeling really bad seeing these covers.
I thought "The Fellowship of the Ring" was an okay book and I did not actually plan to continue with this series but then I read "The Hobbit" back in May and fell in love with Middle Earth.
I did love the movies too, all of them as a matter of fact but I'm just afraid I won't like these two books as much as I did like the Hobbit.


6) Uprooted by Naomi Novik

"Uprooted" is one of those books that I've wanted since the day they came out. I've just never come around to pick them up. They keep wainting patiently on their shelves in book stores but no Franzi is coming in and is picking them up.

I plan on changing that as soon as I can, tho!






5) Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown


Actually, my goal was to read the trilogy before Morning Star comes out. But I doubt that I'll manage to do that. Well, all I can do is try!

4) Vicious by Victoria Schwab

 
This book has been lurking around in the darkest corners of my TBR since I can remember. It was one of the very first books I've been introduced to on BookTube and I promised myself that Vicious would be the first V.Schwab book that I'd read. I'm still as excited for it as I was on the first day but at the moment I have way to many other books I have to read/buy.










3) Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
 


I doubt that I would have added this trilogy if I hadn't read "Six of Crows" a few days ago. SoC made me fall in love with Bardugo's world and character building and on top of all: her writing style. She makes creating the perfect atmosphere seem almost easy!
I really want to learn more about the Grisha universe!

2) The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare



After reading "City of Bones" I was quite disappointed in Clare's writing style but many people wrote in their reviews that it did improve a lot in the Infernal Devices series, so I'm ready to give it a try!
I could probably give you some other sophisticated reasons why I want to read this book, but actually, I just want to meet the (supposedly) swoonworthy Will Herondale.


1) Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
There's not a single book published at the moment that I want to read more than Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe (well, there are some pretty close ones but well).
I've seen some pretty amazing fan art so far and I'm just so, so pumped, I can't even describe it really well.

All my brain is saying right now is: ARRRGH. PRETTY ART. ME LIKEY.

Huh.













P.S. Sorry, about the format. Blogspot seems to have quite a bad day.

Fall Time Cozy Book Tag!

Hi there, guys!
I've been creeping around BookTube for a while and completely fell in love with the concept.
That's why I started Book Blogging (all hope is lost for me when it comes to cutting and editing a video). My favourite videos to watch are probably Tag Videos and I just came across this perfectly fitting one:

FALL TIME COZY BOOK TAG

– Crunching Leaves: The world is full of color –
Choose a book that has reds/oranges/yellows on the cover


For this I picked one of my most recent reads: Andy Weir's The Martian!
I really enjoyed reading this adventure and came to love Mark Watney's unique humour! I can't believe I couldn't stand him at the beginning!
I've also seen the movie - right on the day it came out and it was great too!
You can check out my review here!











– Cozy Sweater: It’s finally cold enough to don warm cozy clothing  –
What book gives you the warm fuzzies?



For this I ended up picking my absolute favourite novel by Rainbow Rowell: Fangirl!
I read it whenever I'm feeling kind of sad or in a black mood.
Diving into the story, experiencing Levi's kindness and Regan's stubborness and identifying with Cath always lifts my spirits!
It may not be the most important work in literature but it's definitely an important book for me!
I have not yet written a review for Fangirl, but I'm planning to do so as soon as I read it again!








– Fall Storm: The wind is howling & the rain is pounding –
Choose your favorite book OR genre that you like to read on a stormy day





My favourite genre to read when it's stormy outside is definitely Fantasy. Well, I could read Fantasy in Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter but I feel especially in the mood for it when the world outside is cold and grey. That makes the beauty of a completely different world and magical elements even more stunning! Graceling, Harry Potter and Six of Crows are just a few of my favourites!



– Cool Crisp Air –What’s the coolest character you’d want to trade places with?



Damn, that's a though question. I thought a while about picking either Katsa (from Graceling) or Fire (from Fire) but I ended up with one of my favourite female protagonists at the moment: Blue Sargent from The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater!
I love her character oh so much! And she has a wonderful and supporting family (I adore Calla and Maura) and I'd even accept living with Orla. I think all the female power in 300 Fox Way would really help me mature and accept myself better!
Well, and then there are the boys, of course! Even though they fight a lot, they stick together through thick and thin and just overall seem like the best friends you could have.


 – Hot Apple Cider –
What under hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest, hottest thing?


That's probably the meanest question you could ask me. I tend to go with the flow and only buy books who I now my favourite reviewer genuinely enjoyed (because I'm stingy like that).
I picked The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in the end. My best friend got it for her birthday and forced advised me to read it too. So after a few months I gave in to her pressure guidance and I fell in love with Patroclus and Achilles love story right away! It's so heartwrenching and touching - I cried my eyes out while reading the last chapters.
I would call it a perfect book to read in fall!
Check out my review here!






 – Coat, Scarves, and Mittens: The weather has turned cold & it’s time to cover up –
What’s the most embarrassing book cover you own that you like to keep hidden in public?

I don't really own a book with a saucy cover or a half-naked dude on it. Hmm...maybe Transcendence by Shay Savage? I don't know, it's not even that ugly, just not the prettiest book out there either.Maybe I'll come back to this question in the next few days if I remember a better suited book.












 – Pumpkin Spice – What’s your favorite Fall time comforts food/foods?

My taste in food doesn't really change during fall. I always love chocolate and tea. But the food I really get excited for are speculoos(?), Lebkuchen and Pumpkin Spice Lattes (I only have them once or twice a year 'cause there's no Starbucks in a 40-miles-radius.

Six of Crows - Fancast

Hi there, guys!
I just finished writing the Six of Crows review and I got so excited for it again that I spontaneously decided to try my very first Fancast! Maybe I'll make those more often in the future!

Jesper Fahey - Nathan Stewart-Jarrett


Kaz Brekker - Dmitry Brylev


Wylan Van Eck - ???
I found this one on Pinterest and thought of Wylan right away!


Inej Ghafa - Naomi Scott


Nina Zenik - ???


Matthias Helvik - why is nobody adding their names???I found these on Pinterest!

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Hi there, guys!


BASICS
Title: Six of Crows
Series: Six of Crows, #1
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: September 29th 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
ISBN: 1627792120
Number of Pages: 465
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

MY OPINION

“I'm a business man," he'd told her. "No more, no less."
"You're a thief, Kaz."
"Isn't that what I just said?”

Oh, wow. I don't even know where to start.
This book was spectacular, twisted, hilarious at points, you name it.
It had this special something I came to love after reading the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.
I'm a huge fan of an eclectic cast of characters. And just as Stiefvater Leigh Bardugo managed to give everyone his or her very own narrative voice and atmosphere.

Speaking of atmosphere: It's been a long, long time since I've read a book with such a dark and twisted feeling to it! It felt even more so because I'd read the fluffy and relatively light-hearted Carry On (by Rainbow Rowell) before. Gosh, what a contrast.
Jesper helped to lighten the mood but it never felt like he was just being comic relief. He mattered as much to the story as the others did.

All of the characters were beautifully written by Bardugo, especially when they did not have much inner beauty to themselves. I may or may not have shared a tear over Kaz's ruthlessness.
Having an anti-hero as the main character of a book is something I just recently came to enjoy - and I can't get enough, so if you know any good books revolving around an anti-hero, tell me in the comments!
The female characters were amazing, too. They kick ass constantly and can still be feminine. They are just themselves, they keep thinking rational in the worst situations and their main concern is survival, not romance.

Here's the summary from the back of the book, I think it sums up the story pretty well:

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...
 
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

Reading Six of Crows got me really, really pumped for the Grisha Trilogy, the series Bardugo wrote before Six of Crows. Probably it would have been wiser to read those before SoC because they're taking place in the same world and Bardugo explains rather little in her new release. For example, I'd have really liked learning more about the Grisha. They all seem to have extraordinary powers but I can hardly remember most of them or their exact name.

I really enjoyed that there was romance and love and heartbreak in this book but that it was never the main problem of the characters. Hell, they had so much other thing to worry about. Like, constantly wanting to rip each others heads off. Their various banters were quite hilarious.

If I had to name one book I wanted to be made into a movie, I'd go with Six of Crows. I really hope that will happen at some point in the near future.

Favourite Quotes:   

“It's not natural for women to fight."
"It's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.”

“Jesper knocking his head against the hull and cast his eyes heavenward. "Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I'm going to get Wylan's ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost."
Brekker's lips quirked. "I'll just hire Matthias' ghost to kick your ghost's ass."
"My ghost won't associate with your ghost," Matthias said primly, and then wondered if the sea air was rotting his brain.”

 "No mourners. No funerals."

RATING
5 out of 5 stars

Fan Art Friday!

Hi, guys!
Ready for another round of Fan Art Friday?

Here we go!

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J.Maas
The next few were drawn by tarajah!

Manon                                                                                              Dorian


Rowan and Aelin                                                                    um...yes???


Aelin


Nesryn                                                                          Chaol


Aelin and Manon
Sadly, I don't know who drew this!


Lysandra, Elide and Nesryn
Again, I don't know who's the artist


Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Both were drawn by toerning!


Drawn by bevsi!


The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
I loved that scene! Drawn by chaoswalks!


Todd & Manchee! Drawn by stkidd



Viola and Todd! So cute! Drawn by meabhdeloughry





Extra:
I just found this amazing drawing!
It was drawn by meabhdeloughry, too, who's the artist of that really cute Viola and Todd drawing I added above.
It shows Bitterblue, Katsa and Fire! I love these girls.


Okay, I found another one. Look, how beautiful it is!
From left to right:
Gansey and Blue (The Raven Cycle), Malia and Stiles (Teen Wolf), Katsa and Po (Graceling)
Katara and Aang (ATLA), Liam and Ruby (The Darkest Minds), Vida and Chubs (The Darkest Minds)
Percy and Annabeth (Percy Jackson series), Isabelle and Simon (The Mortal Instruments), Celaena and Sam (Throne of Glass)

I highlighted my ships!

The Ultimate Book Tag

Hi, guys!
I was browsing the internet and came across this awesome idea!
It's called "The Ultimate Book Tag" and I'll be answering 25 questions concering books - let's get started!

1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?

No, I do not. In fact, I read quite a lot in the car.
It's probably my proudest achievement to date.

2. Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?

I have to go with one of my top authors here: Maggie Stiefvater.
I do not only adore her writing style but also her way to create realistic characters and conversations. And she's hilarious. Go, check out her tumblr.
Anyway, back to the question. I love Maggie's writing style so much. She manages to create a certain atmosphere simply by her choice of words. Like, she makes you feel things without you even realizing what she's doing. It's like a litte Maggie is whispering stuff into your ear. 

3. Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer.
Definitely the Harry Potter series. It's my absolute favourite series.
The reasons?
1) The Marauders
I just love them so, so much.
2) Important messages throughout all 7 books
Like, what did we learn from Twilight?
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading the Twilight series. I really did. But what did it tell us? To always rely on your boyfriend, like girls are too weak to stand up for themselves.
3) multi-layered, evolving characters
I love you, Neville.

      

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is it in (besides books…)?

I wouldn't call it a book bag but I do carry a book in my backpack or bag wherever I go.
Whenever I have some free time in school, on the bus/train, I read a few pages. It helps me get through my school days a lot.
At the moment I'm carrying "The Assassin's Curse" by Cassandra Rose Clake around!

5. Do you smell your books?

Sometimes. I always hope that they'll smell good. Like, that they have this magical smell but most of the times they just smell weird.

 6. Books with or without little illustrations?

I love illustrations! It definitely adds something to the story.
But I'm also fine if the book has none at all.

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing? (Ex. I read Twilight before I read HP and thought the writing was amazing but read HP and now think Twilight is a little bit of a joke.)

One series that comes to my mind is The Selection Trilogy. I loved the first book after finishing it and immediately ordered the second one. But after some thinking I realized The Selection did not deserve my praise. It's average at best.
Oh, I just remembered another book series: The Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier.
I loved this series. My best friend and I talked about it 24/7 during 8th grade. We had our inside jokes and a punny email address and we were obsessing over Gideon.
But now after almost a year of book blogging and actually rating and reviewing books I realized (not without sadness) that it's not the best series out there.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!
It does not really involve an actual book but it shows that I've been a reader ever since I was small.
I somehow got my hands on my parents bankbook and pretended to read aloud from it. I mentioned living on a farm but questioned its existence at the same time. I went like "but where's the farm supposed to be? Where it's supposed to live?" We got it on tape and it's quite hilarious. Three year old me seems really disturbed by the fact that the farm may or may not exist.

9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf?

A Summer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?

Ugh, I'm to lazy to get up right now, so I'll have to guess.
It's either World without End by Ken Follett or Under the Dome by Stephen King

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?

Well, I try at least. It's not very good and I get demotivated quite easily.
Do I see myself in the future as being an author? I dunno, honestely. First, I have to improve my writing, I guess.

12. When did you get into reading?

I can't really remember when I got into reading but I'm quite sure that the Harry Potter and the Percy Jackson series were the main reasons.

13. What is your favorite classic book?

I love Jane Austen's Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice but if I had to go for one, I'd choose P&P.
I've read this book so many times, I think I have it memorized by now.
It was the first classic I've ever read and therefore it holds a special place in my heart. Also: MR. DARCY. Even though the name will forever be tainted by How To Get Away With Murder and Sam Keating. Ugh.

14. In school was your best subject Language Arts/English?
Yes. English has always been my passion and because I'm reading almost only in English I have a bigger vocabulary than the average senior at my school (oh my god, I think this is the first time I ever really thought about me being a senior, holy crap).
Now guess what my worst subject is: maths.

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated…what would you do?

I would say thank you and wouldn't show that I did not like the book because that would just be downright rude. Then I would give it to somebody who may actually enjoy it.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?

God, I don't know. I really can't think of anything right now. Maybe I'll come back to it later.

17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while filming?

I can't really answer this question 'cause I'm not filming videos. I'm only a book blogger.
But I guess, it would be mispronouncing words and using the wrong grammar.

18. What is your favorite word?

I really like the word "obviously" because I'm sassy like that.

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?

I have no idea what a dweeb is, like, who comes up with these weird names??
I guess I'm everything.

20. Vampires or Fairies? Why?

After the epic failure of Vampire Academy 4-6, I'll go with Fairies (ROWAN WHITETHORN)

21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?

I like angel stories but I'm picking Shapeshifters. Definitely.

22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?

Werewolves? I do love wolves. One of my favourite animals.
Honestely, I'm just picking randomly right now. I think I could love everything if the author sells it right.

23. Zombies or Vampires?

Oh, I hate zombies in books. So...Vampires.

 24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?

Love triangles make me really aggressive in a bad way, while forbidden love stories make me aggressive in a good way.

25. AND FINALLY: Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
THE LATTER

Top Ten Tuesday #9

Hi, guys!
Today was extremely busy (thanks, school) and I wasn't sure if I would be able to create and upload this post, but fortunately I did!
School's an asshole at the moment, there's not one second I can relax completely. I'm in a constant state of anxiety and pressure.
But thinking of fitting characters for today's Top Ten Tuesday, really helped me to let my mind ease up a bit.

Top Ten: Problematic Faves

10) Jamie Lannister from The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R.Martin
The picture was drawn by Julián Ormeño Gómez


9) Achilles from The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
He's the guy on the left! Drawn by illustratedkate


8) Adrian Ivashkov from Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
Drawn by TeamEdwardSparkles



7) Ruby Daly from The Darkest Minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken
Drawn by solesofwind!


6) Prince Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender Comics by Gene Yang, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Bryan Konietzko
I'm totally cheating here, but I don't care.


5) Manon Blackbeak from Throne of Glass series by Sarah J.Maas
Drawn by Heilow!


4) Cole St.Clair from The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater
Art by the unbelievably talented Maggie Stiefvater!


3) Regulus Black from the Harry Potter series by Joanne K.Rowling
Unfortunately, I have no idea who drew this stunning pic!


2) Ronan Lynch from The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
It was drawn by Cassandrajp!


1) Kaz Bekker from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Again, I don't know who the artist of this one is.




Who's your problematic fave? Tell me in the comments!