Tuesday Finds? #1 A Magic Dark and Bright & The Merit Birds

I thought about something. 
What if I, every week, was to post a short post about a to-be-released book that I'm excited for? It could be a great way to expand your TBR? HAHAHA, like anyone needs new tbr-books! 
But for the sake of having a book blog I thought I'd start doing this! Starting now. 

A Magic Dark and Bright by Jenny Adams Perinovic

Information about book

Series: The Asylum Saga #1

Genre: YA, paranormal

Length: /

Release date: April 27th 2015

Publisher: Bookish Girl Press

 Synopsis

She meant to help a ghost...not unleash a curse.

Amelia Dupree hasn’t seen the Woman in White since the night her brother died. 

The ghost seems to have disappeared from the woods surrounding Asylum, Pennsylvania—that is, until Charlie Blue moves into the creepy old MacAllister House next door. Amelia can’t help liking him, even though she spent her childhood thinking his grandmother was a witch. And she definitely can’t ignore the connection between his arrival and the Woman in White’s return. 

Then Amelia learns that the Woman in White is a prisoner, trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Devastated by the idea that her brother could be suffering a similar fate, Amelia decides to do whatever it takes to help the Woman in White find peace--and Charlie agrees to help her.

But when Amelia’s classmates start to drown in the Susquehanna River, one right after another, rumors swirl as people begin to connect the timing of Charlie’s arrival with the unexplained deaths. As Charlie and Amelia uncover the dark history of Asylum, they realize they may have unleashed an unspeakable evil. One they have to stop before everything they love is destroyed.

The Merit Birds by Kelley Powell

Information about book

Series: stand-alone

Genre: YA, contemporary

Length: 240 pages

Release date: May 2nd 2015

Publisher: Dundurn Group

Synopsis

Eighteen-year-old Cam Scott is angry. He's angry about his absent dad, he's angry about being angry, and he's angry that he has had to give up his Ottawa basketball team to follow his mom to her new job in Vientiane, Laos. However, Cam's anger begins to melt under the Southeast Asian sun as he finds friendship with his neighbour, Somchai, and gradually falls in love with Nok, who teaches him about building merit, or karma, by doing good deeds, such as purchasing caged "merit birds." 

Tragedy strikes and Cam finds himself falsely accused of a crime. His freedom depends on a person he's never met. A person who knows that the only way to restore his merit is to confess.The Merit Birds blends action and suspense and humour in a far-off land where things seem so different, yet deep down are so much the same.

I actually have eARCs of these books and I can't wait to read and review them!

Have a good continuation to your Tuesday, BYE!

Contact me:

Twitter: @sofiiarytters_ & @PALEQUEENS

Instagram: @forbidden.books & @daysof.feminism

Goodreads: @forbiddenbooks

Mail: forbiddenbookss@gmail.com

NetGalley: Sofia Rytters (reviewer) 
Wattpad: @dustbricks

Thank you so much for reading, I'll talk to you next time. BYEEE

sofia

Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

My rating: ★★★★★
Genre: NA, romance
Series: Point of Retreat (Slammed #2)

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Layken and Will have managed to overcome the obstacles that threatened to destroy their love, proving that they are destined for one another. What they are about to learn, however, is that the things that have brought them together may be the very things that ruin their connection forever...

Layken is left second-guessing the relationship whilst Will is jumping over hurdles to prove his love for her. What the young lovers discover about themselves along this journey may change their entire world, and the lives of those who depend upon them the most...

 
My review:

Sometimes two people have to fall apart, to realize how much they need to fall back together. 

Wow. That's the only thing I can say.

I thought that there was no way human possible that I'd love Point of Retreat more than I loved Slammed. I was wrong. Oh boy, was I wrong. Even if it left me emotionally wrecked.
I loved it.

Point of Retreat is the sequel to the New York Times bestseller Slammed.

This book is told from Will Cooper's, the main love-interest's point of view. It begins at the point where Slammed left off and brings back all the feels. 

As a matter of fact, I actually feel like I enjoyed reading from Will's point of view more than I enjoyed reading from Layken's. 

It was interesting because of all of the feeling he experienced. When you're reading Slammed I guess that the thought of his feelings never linger around. You are so focused on Lake's thoughts and feelings and her surroundings that you, for a moment, forget about Will and what he does on his spare time, what he thinks and what he feels. So reading this; where you get to know him a lot better, was incredibly nice.

There were a few scenes where I cried, obviously, because of things that were unraveled in this book. There were some very sole-crunching, heart-wrenching, body-destroying parts, but there were also some really happy and blissful ones. They were much needed, even the sad ones. 

And, of course, as always, Colleen Hoover never fail to impress. 

Oh, and another thing. Butterfly you. 

***BYE, NON-SPOILERY PEOPLE***

BUTTERFLY YOU, oh how I love it. I use it on a daily basis these days. Butterfly you was right on point. 

All I could feel was glee during the beginning of this book. I loved all of it. I loved the relationships. I loved the break-up. I loved the poetry. And I loved - sorry, love - the Avett Brothers. 

 Kiersten is my favorite. I don't think I've ever loved a character as much as I love Kiersten. She's just so ... so, so perfect. 

"She says if everyone would use them enough, they wouldn't be considered cuss words anymore and no one would ever be offended by them." I could not had said it better myself. So much perfection in a little girl. 

I'm happy there was a break-up. I don't think this book would've been as great as it was without it. I think Bethany made the whole thing better. Not in there relationship obviously, but her being apart of all this made Will realize how much he actually loved Layken. 

This is phenomenal, just like all of Colleen Hoover's other books. I have so much love for this story, for Will, for Layken, for Colleen Hoover and - obviously - Kiersten. 

A guy can tell a girl he's in love with her until he's blue in the face. Words don't mean anything to a woman when her head's full of doubt. You have to show her.

You can buy the book HERE

Contact me:

Twitter: @sofiiarytters_ & @PALEQUEENS

Instagram: @forbidden.books & @daysof.feminism

Goodreads: @forbiddenbooks

Mail: forbiddenbookss@gmail.com

NetGalley: Sofia Rytters (reviewer) 
Wattpad: @dustbricks

Thank you so much for reading, I'll talk to you next time. BYEEE

sofia

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (in Swedish)

*book review for school* 

Bedömning: ★★★★★

Genre: Unga vuxna, kärlek

Serie: ensamstående

 

Min sammanfattning: 

Eleanor & Park handlar om två tonåringar som träffas på bussen på väg till skolan. Park är tystlåten och läser gärna serietidningar. Eleanor har fel kläder, fel hår. Allting är fel. Ändå så växer där en andlös kärlek. 

Min tolkning av huvudkaraktärerna:

Eleanor Douglas är en blyg, rödhåring tjej, men det har aldrig stoppat henne från att klä sig i de mest underliga kläder du någonsin skulle kunna tänka dig.

Hennes mamma bor tillsammans med en yngre kille vid namn Rickey sin dricker för mycket och ofta är otrevlig och närgången. Det finns stunder då han misshandlat och hotat Eleanor och hennes syskon, samt hennes mamma. 

Park Sheridan är en koreansk kille. Han lever ett normalt liv som består av att gå till bussen, läsa serietidningar eller kallprata med folk som han egentligen inte gillar. Han är lugn och pålitlig och gör allt för att skydda dem han bryr sig om. 

Mitt omdöme:

 

Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.

*SPOILERS*

Jag började läsa den här boken stunden jag läste klart Heir of Fire, vilket var någon gång efter midnatt. Jag låg vaken till kl. 04 den natten och bara läste. Senare på morgonen när jag vaknade läste jag klart den.

Denna bok var helt fantastisk. Karaktärerna var levande och välbeskrivna såpass att man inte kunde sluta läsa. 

Boken tar upp viktiga ämnen, som misshandel, barnmisshandel, rasism, mobbning och kroppsuppfattning vilket inte bara gör den till en intressant bok utan också till en utbildande.

Några av de allvarliga situationerna är sådana som jag kan se mig själv i. 

Jag kollade runt på Goodreads och läste några recensioner. Många har klassat denna bok lämplig från en lite äldre ålder pga av vissa specifika saker som tex svordomar, misshandel och jot, men också de lite mer "kärleksfullare" delarna. Jag håller fullständigt med tidigare nämnda anledningar; att man ska vara lite äldre när man läser den här boken. Jag säger emot mig själv, jag vet. Jag är inte så gammal, vilket jag just har sagt att man borde vara. Men jag vet med mig själv att jag är en "mogen" läsare.

Jag  noterade säkert inte lika mycket som en äldre läsare men jag noterade ändå sådant som äldre läsare inte skulle ha sett.

På så sätt har denna bok en enorm "radie" av läsare, alla i olika åldrar.

Den är mångsidig. Samtidigt som den är allvarlig så är den också rolig och lättsam. 

Det är en enormt stor prestation om man lyckas med det; att den är lättsam och lycklig samtidigt som en är allvarlig och oroande. 

Den här boken har en klar plats bland mina favoriter, samt har Rainbow Rowell en stadig plats bland mina favoritförfattare. 

If you couldn't save your own life, was it even worth saving?

Contact me:

Twitter: @sofiiarytters_ & @PALEQUEENS

Instagram: @forbidden.books & @daysof.feminism

Goodreads: @forbiddenbooks

Mail: forbiddenbookss@gmail.com

NetGalley: Sofia Rytters (reviewer) 
Wattpad: @dustbricks

Thank you so much for reading, I'll talk to you next time. BYEEE

sofia

January Wrap-Up

I know this is like twelve days too late, but I really wanted to do this, so here it is.

January is over (wasn't it New Years last week???) which means that it is time for a wrap-up. 
I read eighteen books in January which I am quite proud of. This means that I am fourteen books ahead of schedule (of reading 52 books in 2015) which also means that in November I can sit back and participate in NaNoWriMo without stressing over not reading enough books. Am I happy? Oh, YES.

January Wrap-Up

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins: ★★★★

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout: ★★★★★

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout: ★★★★★

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout: ★★★★★

Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout: ★★★★★

Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout: ★★★★★

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover: ★★★★★

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (eARC): ★★★★

Winger by Andrew Smith: ★★★★★

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1 by Stephenie Meyer: ★★★★

Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout: ★★★★

Legend by Marie Lu: ★★★★

Prodigy by Marie Lu: ★★★★

Överenskommelser by Simona Ahrnstedt: ★★★★★

Slammed by Colleen Hoover: ★★★★★

Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover: ★★★★★

This Girl by Colleen Hoover: ★★★★★

A Firefighter's Flame by D. Hart: ★★★★★

I don't know if you noticed but I read a lot of great books in January. 

As for the February TBR.... I don't have one! I hate making TBR's because I can't decide in the beginning of everu month what book I want to read. I want to just be able to look at my bookshelf ans say "yep, I'm reading you now". So no TBR. Not ever. 

That will be all for tonight. Goodnight. 

Contact me:

Twitter: @sofiiarytters_ & @PALEQUEENS

Instagram: @forbidden.books & @daysof.feminism

Goodreads: @forbiddenbooks

Mail: forbiddenbookss@gmail.com

NetGalley: Sofia Rytters (reviewer) 
Wattpad: @dustbricks

Thank you so much for reading, I'll talk to you next time. BYEEE

sofia

Aboslute Beginners by S. J. Hooks

My rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Romance, Erotica

Series: Absolute Beginners (Absolute series #1)

Blurb from Goodreads:

Professor Stephen Worthington's life makes perfect sense. 

He teaches classes on Tuesdays and Fridays. He has dinners with his parents on the weekend. He goes to the gym with his comically crass stepbrother, Matt, a few days each week. And every night, he heads home at a reasonable hour, alone.

There’s only one thorn in Stephen’s perfectly organized side: Ms. Julia Wilde. Never has Stephen dealt with a more unruly student. She’s rude, provocative, infuriating—and she dresses in a way that is completely unbecoming for a lady. Stephen can’t wait for the semester to be over, and then he’ll never have to see her again.

That is, until Stephen finds himself out of the classroom and in Julia's apartment. Suddenly, the student/teacher roles are reversed, and the professor receives a much-needed lesson between the sheets. Stephen thought his life made sense, but after his tryst with Julia, he finds himself changed in more ways than one. Maybe he’s coming down with something.

Or maybe, something a little out of the ordinary is exactly what this stuffy professor needs to really live.

My review: 

I had never met a woman who was so open about her sexuality. 

*eARC received from NetGalley* 

Awesome book. Just gah, no words.

The characters were incredibly well developed and intriguing. From the first scene I fell in love with Julia. She was radiant and, excuse my language, did not give a fuck what people thought about her. Already in the first scene we get to see how she speaks up for herself and express her feelings. They are discuss the book, correct me if I'm wrong, Lolita, and some girl in class makes a comment about child-abuse and Julia quickly speaks up with an answer that I believe wasn't to piss anyone off, but simply because that was what she was feeling. God, I love her. Don't argue with me about this, I am not changing my mind. 

I have a shelf on Goodreads named feminism-as-fuck which includes books with female or male characters that has something to say about feminism or women related etc. 

I added this book to that shelf just because of the way Julia spoke up for herself and was clear about her opinions. Feminism points, Hooks!

A lot of extra points for her.

Oh, Stephen. Stephen, Stephen, Stephen. I don't think I've ever read of a character more sweet than Stephen. I get that he wasn't born a true romantic and frankly, I'm happy about that. All the times he asked her if she was okay, when he told her she was beautiful or when he just simply wanted to be there for her it broke my heart. I mean, what other character would do all of those things based on them not knowing what else to do? He obviously did tell her she was beautiful because he meant it but still. All the small, sweet things he did for her got him snuggled up to me - big time. 

I guess I could sit here all day and list up all the things I love about this but I don't think everybody would be that comfortable with me doing that. 

It's about 270 pages and a very easy read (if you're into romance, that is). So when it's released, please make sure to pick up your copy and read this so we can discuss!

The sequel is released sometime in June, I may be wrong, I'm not sure but what I know for sure is that I'll start reading as soon as I get my hands on it. 

You can pre-order the ebook HERE

Contact me:

Twitter: @sofiiarytters_ & @PALEQUEENS

Instagram: @forbidden.books & @daysof.feminism

Goodreads: @forbiddenbooks

Mail: forbiddenbookss@gmail.com

NetGalley: Sofia Rytters (reviewer) 
Wattpad: @dustbricks

Thank you so much for reading, I'll talk to you next time. BYEEE

sofia

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

My rating: ★★★
Genre: YA, science-fiction
Series: stand-alone

Blurb from NetGalley:
There are rules.
Never reveal where you’re from.Never be intimate with anyone outside the community.And never interfere with history. 
Seventeen-year-old Prenna James emigrated to New York when she was twelve. But Prenna didn't come from a different country, she came from a different time - a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. 
Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules. Prenna does as she's told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth and take the lives of her younger brothers. But everything changes when she falls for Ethan. 
She might be able to save the world ... if she lets go of the one thing she's found to hold on to.

My review: 

We follow our scripts like actors in a very large, very long production. And even with no audience, none of us gives a hint that it isn't real.

Don't take me wrong, I did like this book I just didn't like it. I know that made no sense whatsoever. I liked the idea of it, just not this particular book. I loved the first 40% of it and then it all went down-hill.
In the beginning we have a really nice introduction of all the characters and it's all just perfect. The beginning, I thought, was really sweet. We got to know Ethan a bit better, we got to know Prenna and the futuristic rules that her people has so we got an insight of the book.

 I feel like if Ann Brashares were to write a trilogy or a duology she could have used this book's entire content to write that trilogy/duology. After those 40% everything was smushed together in a big mess and most of the time I was so confused and was wondering what the heck was happening! 

Every book has - as Veronica Roth puts it - a climax and I feel like the climax in this book wasn't really a climax. Something did happen but it wasn't a real thing. What did happen could've been one of the "build-ups" to the actual climax. 

There were sometimes when you'd start thinking that maybe everything would go better but when it didn't it became more of a disappointment. 

I'm not the person to give a book one or two stars because there were some really great and sweet moments but it did not weigh up to all the disappointments. 

I know that Ann Brashares has written another series called the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I know that a lot of people love that series (I haven't read it) but did not love this. I did want to love it though, because I thought it sounded really interesting but unfortunately, I didn't like it. 

He is the drip, drip of water that carves a canyon right through the middle of me.

Contact me:

Twitter: @sofiiarytters_ & @PALEQUEENS

Instagram: @forbidden.books & @daysof.feminism

Goodreads: @forbiddenbooks

Mail: crystalshit@outlook.com

NetGalley: Sofia Rytters (reviewer) 

Thank you so much for reading, I'll talk to you next time. BYEEE

sofia

A Firefighter's Flame by Dani Hart

My rating: ★★★★★
Genre: NA, Women's fiction
Series: Stand-alone


Blurb from NetGalley:
WARNING: This is not your every day perfect love story wrapped in a pretty bow. It's raw, real, beautiful, and heartbreaking. It touches on issues of depression, bipolar, and an epic love story that everyone hopes to have, and might even have, but forgets in the chaos of mundane every day life. This is a REAL love story based on actual events of a man who loved a woman too deeply and a woman who loved a man the only way she could. 

If you dig into the deepest parts of your soul, what would you find? Happiness, pain, love, regret, peace, sorrow? Now imagine experiencing all those feelings at once and then nothing at all. These were the average days in the life of Lennox Ashford. 

Lennox walked a fine line between truth and deception, love and lust, and most of all, pain and happiness. A line had been drawn between highs and lows, testing her stability on a daily basis. She lived in between the grays of right and wrong, not knowing which way to sway. Strength was supposed to come from within, but being broken exposed her weaknesses instead. 

She grew up believing in love and believing in Dean. He protected her when she was weak, picked her up when she fell, and fought for her when she couldn’t. They lived for each other, and eventually, for their children. 

High school, college, marriage, children, and many rocky days had taken a toll on their marriage, deepening Lennox’s depression and screaming for a way out. She needed something. She needed a change. Fate intervened and the change she got was not what she expected nor wanted. 

A tragic moment will test her already wavering strength and leave a permanent scar on her conscience. Follow her journey of rediscovering love and searching for her own fairy-tale ending.

My review:

My dad taught me from a very young age that you had to learn to save yourself because no one else would, but he also taught me that trust and love are two very different things. 

There's no way of describing this book. No way. Describing this book is like trying to resurrect Nelson Mandela - it's impossible. But for the sake of the people who have yet to pick this up I'll try my best. 

I know that a lot of people have and will react strongly toward the blurb, mostly because of its length and content. A lot of people have and will believe that the whole blurb is just spoiler-party away! It's not. Oh boy, are you wrong if you truly believe that. The blurb does not even begin to unravel the depths of this book. 

This is not a light and cute comteporary read. This is brutal honesty and you should never take it for less. Just like in the beginning of the blurb; this is not your every day perfect love story wrapped in a pretty bow. 

Dani Hart tells the honesty of living in such an exquisite way that you can't help but wonder if you're actually the one experiencing the whole thing.  

This is one of my favorite books ever. I loved it so much. I loved the honesty, I loved the deep, dark secrets that were unraveled, I loved the characters and finally, I loved the story. Dani Hart could not have made a better job and she proudly deserves a place in my heart. 

I really think that YOU should read this book and that YOU should write or record a review of it. This book deserves all the hype and so much more. You can get your copy HERE

Now, I really can't say more without spoiling everything so, BYE NON SPOILERY PEOPLE BYE

We were fools to think that we had any control of our lives. We didn't. It was what we did with the choices that were made for us that would define how we lived. 

***SPOILERY SECTION***

When I first started this book I was confused as to why the present chapters were as present as they were. In the beginning, I believed, that the present chapters would spoil the high-school and college ones. In the first chapter you get to know that Lennox is married to Dean and that she has kids together with him so them getting together in the high-scholl chapter wasn't that big of a surprise. The break-up, on the other hand, was. 

I have a highlight 8% in on the book with a note saying: SHE KISSED HIM FIRST. 
Boy, was I happy when she kissed him first. It (almost) never happens in a book and when I read it, I was filled to the rib with glee. 'Cause that's right, she did kiss him first and I think that move helped her along the way. She took the guts and did it. She did what the guys always do. And she didn't hesitate.  I felt proud in that moment because that was a small step for feminism (if you have a problem with me being a feminist then what the hell are you doing here? This is really not the right place for you.)! 

I never really liked Braedyn. He was just too... too Braedyn. So when he left her after that night because of the "guy-code" all I could see was his bullshit in glorious technicolour. Braedyn was the perfect explanation of the term "bullshit". I didn't even like him after every apology he said. I just, argh. No. 

Kylie reminded me of one of my best friends, Sofie. Not that Sofie drugs me and has commitment issues but just because she's the more "alive" one out of the two of us.  She's the one who hangs out with friends on Friday nights and can start a conversation with nearly anyone. She's the one with a social life. I'm not. This whole paragraph is literally saying that I could relate to myself on personal and emotional level. It's not that many authors that have managed that for me, which I really think says something. 

When Lennox was informed of Dean's accident I was scared. I do know a firefighter and he was in a pretty bad accident and nearly didn't make it. So Dean getting into an accident really did NOT help me with my peace of mind. And when Lennox finally got to see him in the hospital I was crying so badly. They were both happy and sad tears. Sad tears because really, you haven't figured that out yet? And happy because I thought he was gonna make it. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. 

In the moment when we all knew he was not gonna make it unless he was hooked up to machines for the rest of his life I hated myself so much because I couldn't believe that I let myself get my hopes up. I did and it ruined me. But of course, I was warned. It does say that this is not your every day love story wrapped in a pretty bow. But I let myself get my hopes up and that was the biggest mistake I made during this book. 

Drew's words. Oh my God, Drew's words. "Dad, I had a dream. You were hurt and you died Are you gonna die just like in my dream, daddy?". Sobfest, people! Let's gather around for Sofia's sobfest!

Dean's death took hard on me. I know that we all, deep down inside knew he wasn't gonna make it and that he wouldn't let Lennox keep him hooked up to machines for the rest of his life, you don't need to tell how much we knew he was gonna die! I know that, but it still hurt! I did cry. And my parents did believe I was dying, which, in a way, I was.

Thank you, Dani, for creating this. It means a lot to me. And YES, I did write a review even though you said it wasn't necessary. Forgotten Treasures is probably on the top of my to-buy list right now. Thank you. 

A firefighter's flame will never cease if it burns bright in the hearts of his loved ones, in the souls of the ones he tried to save, and in the memories of the lives he touched. 

Contact me:

Twitter: @sofiiarytters_ & @PALEQUEENS

Instagram: @forbidden.books & @daysof.feminism

Goodreads: @forbiddenbooks

Mail: crystalshit@outlook.com

NetGalley: Sofia Rytters (reviewer) 

Thank you so much for reading, I'll talk to you next time. BYEEE

sofia