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Top Ten Books on my Spring TBR

Mar 14, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list that members at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone join as you please. This week’s topic is: Top Ten Books on my Spring TBR.

Well Autumn for us here in Australia, but it’s still around the same months. There is quite a lot of books coming out in the coming months. There are lots that I cannot even remember, but here are the top ten that I cannot wait to read. These are in month release order. So here is my Spring TBR;

The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig: Last year I read The Girl From Everywhere (Full Review) and adored it! So I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2. I don’t know when it’s getting published in Australia yet, but I am keeping my eye out for it. There were questions left unanswered and more places to travel| Released March

Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology: Now if this wasn’t on my list, I don’t know what would be. I am so excited to read this anthology. It’s from so many amazing Aussie authors that shine in the YA world. I need it in my hands. | Coming April

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennet: This book just sounds so damn cute! I cannot wait to read it and devour it, all I’ve heard is such great things. Geeks, hidden love, and romance | Coming April

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare: If you know me well enough, then seeing Lord of Shadows on my list won’t be a surprise. I don’t know how much longer I can wait. I need it now! Especially with Shadowhunters on break, I don’t have any of the shadowhunter world in my life. I think a re-read might be in order. | Coming May

Avenged by Amy Tintera: If you have read Ruined, then you know that the ending was one hell of a cliffhanger and it’s begging to be read. It’s everything that I love in a book and I am expecting great things from book 2 | Coming May

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich: This just sounds epic and I want this book in my hands! 2 boys from different sides attempt to make a girl fall for them, but instead fall for each other. Umm yes, please. Oh, and there is spy school involved! | Coming May

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon: This has been getting so much love and I am so ready to read it. It sounds like a beautiful, fun and gripping read. | Coming May

Cold Summer by Gwen Cole: Kale can time travel. One day he is a high school drop out, the other a soldier in World War II. Haunted by PTSD and his life falling apart, all Kale needs to find out that he will die in WWII – but now he must survive | Coming May

Girl out of Water by Laura Silverman: This sounds heartbreaking, heartwarming and uplifting. It’s a book that I’ve already heard so many good things about and I cannot wait to read it myself. Plus it features a disability and I am so in | Coming May

Brave New Girl by Rachel Vincent: I just found this book recently and I am intrigued. I haven’t read a dystopian in some time, but this one caught my eye. A girl who is unique when the rest of the world is the same | Coming May

And that is it for this week! Are you looking forward to any of these books? Have you read any of these books? What else are you looking forward coming out in Spring? Let’s Chat!

I love talking so talk to me over on my twitter @angel_reads, Facebook, instagram, tumblr and Goodreads. You can also follow Angel Reads on Bloglovin and via email (in the sidebar)

Book Review: Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Mar 12, 2017

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Pages: 544
Publish date: 28th March 2017
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 1444788973
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around – and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries – including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Strange The Dreamer:

I received an earc of Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor from Hachette Australia via NetGalley for review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Strange the Dreamer was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I wasn’t disappointed. The world is magical and intriguing, the characters are addicting and the writing just pulls you right in. When you start you are in for a ride and it’s breathtaking.

Strange the Dreamer follows Lazlo Strange and Sarai. Both from very different worlds, very different situations. They have been brought up to believe very different things and I was intrigued by both of them.

Lazlo is the guy that wins my heart. I adored his love for books and learning and finding out more. Lazlo is very innocent and I loved seeing that, it’s rare that we see a male character in YA that is obvious to the world and how things work. His lived with monks his whole life, and things like girls and the outside world are way over his head. But, as Strange the Dreamer went on, the reader is able to see Lazlo grow. He doesn’t just start to trust and believe in himself, but others around him. Lazlo character development throughout the novel was excellent and I am hanging to see where his character goes.

Sarai was hard to connect with at first, but as the novel went on and more is revealed, I began to love her. Sarai much like Lazlo is very innocent in a way. Yes, Sarai has witness some horrible events and being brought up without an ‘adult’ it’s hard for her. But, like Lazlo, she lacks human interaction. What I also loved about Sarai is that she isn’t the ‘strong’ protagonist, but she also isn’t the damsel is distress either – she had to hold her ground.

I don’t think that Laini Taylor can ever go wrong with the worlds that she builds. At first, it’s always hard to grasp, but as the novels go on, everything falls into place. With so many layers, I don’t know how she can’t get lost, however as a reader you are dropped in and taken to another place and it doesn’t feel wrong. I love how we don’t find out everything out at once, however, it was ever so slightly info-dumpy in the first couple of chapters – nothing major.

I loved the many aspects of the world and how we didn’t miss out on much because we are with two protagonists in different sides of this world. We meet lots of characters that all have different stories to tell. This was sometimes a little hard to come around – because there were so many characters. However as the novel went on, I figured out who was who most of the time.

One of those characters was Minya – and holy she was crazy. But, so intriguing all at the same time. In saying that, the whole ‘family’ was intriguing all I wanted to do is find out more.

The romance side of Strange the Dreamer wasn’t exactly my favourite as it was a little instalovey, but holy was it good. I didn’t just fall in love with Lazlo and Sarai individually, but together. My heart. I loved that they were innocent but explored at the same time. I loved how they interacted and how beautiful it was.

At first, I found Strange the Dreamer to be a little slow, not heavily, but just enough that I wanted a little jump start. But as soon as things started to pick up, I was absorbed and couldn’t stop myself from reading.

Not only does Strange the Dreamer have a beautiful world and characters, the writing is exquisite. You are not only taking to a different world, with the book, but the writing carries you along the way.

The ending. I don’t want to talk about it. Can I forget that it has happened? Can I believe that everything will be a-okay in the next book? Probably not and I cannot wait.

Overall, Strange the Dreamer was addicting. It explores the notion of family, friendship and finding out who you are. With a world that is built with layer upon layer, you will be begging to find out more. With its beautiful writing and characters that will take you by storm, it’s an adventure you want to be on. Strange the Dreamer is poignant, heart-stopping and you will not be able to put it down.

Trigger Warning: Just a little warning for the book, there is mention of rape and suicide. Nothing overly graphic, but there is some scenes where it is talked about.

Have you read Strange the Dreamer yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read other Laini Taylor books before? Let’s Chat!

Diverse Books That I’ve Recently Read and Loved

Mar 10, 2017

The notion of #WeNeedDiverseBooks has become stronger and stronger over the past couple of years. I’ve seen diversity grow in YA and the need for it increase. And although it’s nowhere near where it needs to be – I can see the community and publishers changing.

I am a massive activist for diverse books, especially books that feature disabilities. At the start of this year, I did a week long feature called Disability Diaries. And I plan to continue to talk about health in YA books. If you haven’t already you can check out my post on living with chronic pain.

But, today it’s about diversity, of all kinds. Here are some of the books that I’ve loved over the past couple of months that have included diversity throughout the novel. I can’t be sure that some of these are bad representations. But from what I know and have research – they are pretty good representations.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: I don’t think anyone will be surprised that this one is on my list. I adored this book. The Hate U Give is a brilliant and powerful story. It’s heartbreaking, poignant and so so true. It’s a book that everyone should read, and understand | Full Review

Nova by Rebecca Yarros: I love when authors surprise me and this is one of those books. The female protagonist in this book is half Koren from my understand. She was born in Korea and was adopted not long after her birth to an American family. Nevertheless, it wasn’t something that I was expecting and I enjoyed it.

A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom: It explores life, family, and friendships. A poignant novel that explores mental health. And the influence it has on the person, their families and everyone around them. A Tragic Kind of Wonderful is a beautiful story that evokes all types of emotions | Full Review

Him/Us by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy: I know I’ve talked about these two books quite a lot recently. But I was surprised with how much I liked them. One of my favourite things about this series is that it shows two different sides. One protagonist is gay and has been for some time, while the other is finding himself and who he wants to be.

The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil Okay so I read this one last year while I was interning and feel in love. It features a whole range of diversity, included anxiety which I think was explored and represented extremely well | Full Review coming soon

Things I Should Have Known by Claire LaZebnik: Now I am cheating a little here. I didn’t love this book, I liked it a lot. But didn’t love it. However, I thought the representation of autism in this book was so well done. It’s raw, it’s real and it’s beautiful | Full review coming soon

And that is it for this post. These aren’t all the books that I’ve read with diversity, but are a handful that I really enjoyed. Have you read any of these books? Did you like them as much as me? What are some recent books that feature diversity that you have loved? Let’s Chat.

I love talking so talk to me over on my twitter @angel_reads, Facebook, instagram, tumblr and Goodreads. You can also follow Angel Reads on Bloglovin and via email (in the sidebar).