Writings of a Bibliophile

So I have a lot of things going on in the next two months! My TBR will be small but it will be very... geared towards what I have going on in April.

The first of these books is The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine. I vaguely remember her Defiance series and only ever heard good things about them but this one truly has caught my attention. It's a Snow White retelling and being the retelling junkie that I am, I knew I'd love it. I'm only about thirty pages in and boy do I love it. It grabs you from the beginning and I can't wait to see the rest of it unfold.

Second is the Stepsister's Tale by Tracy Barrett. Another retelling surprise surprise. This one sounds intriguing and I'm almost afraid to read it. While I've always been one to try and see the dark and light in everyone, this one has me hesitant to see the stepsisters' sides of the story. Cinderella is kind of that untouchable fairytale for me. It'll be really hard to see it the other way but maybe that's a good thing. Either way I'm quite excited.

The third is The Fall by Bethany Griffin. I don't normally read more psychological thriller type books but I read The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe last semester in my American Literature class and the fact that this is about Madeline Usher really really interests me. Bethany Griffin is known for her Poe retellings (oops hi my name is Marisa and I'm a retelling junkie) and I'm sure this one won't disappoint.

Fourth is Starflight by Melissa Landers. I've been a huge fan of Melissa Landers since Alienated. I am excited to read her newest book. Just as equally alien related it has a backstory a la Peter Quill that has me immediately intrigued. I can't wait to get started on reading this!

The reason why I have to read these will be revealed in due time. It's still in the beginning stages so I don't want to say anything until it's closer to the event but April's TBR will be pretty much wholly related to it to. :) That's all I'm gonna say.

Marisa

***This post contains spoilers for Shades of Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon.***


Hey guys! Happy Friday. This is going to be my review of the third Doon series novel Shades of Doon. This book is... wow. I have so many feelings, feels and I will try to convey them as coherently as possible. So, this book starts off a little bit after where Destined for Doon ended. Thank goodness because I would have cried not knowing exactly how Vee made it out alive of her collapse. That's my homegirl and I nearly had a heart attack when I read the final pages of the second book. Anyways, this book. This book. I loved it so much.

So, Veronica and Mackenna are thrust out of Doon by you guessed it, the Witch O' Doon. Now back in the world they were born in, they immediately want to find a way back to the world they felt they were meant to be in. Though briefly separated, these best friends find each other, along with their handsome Doonian beaus and are determined to get back to the land of Doon before the Witch O' Doon takes over. When they do their troubles aren't over.

This book. Oh it was a roller coaster of emotions. Accurate description inserted:
Yeah that was pretty much me. Writhing on my dorm bed, running late for work when I finished this book. It literally blew me away. This is by far the best in the series, each book keeps getting better and better. So many perfect moments. SO MANY. From Duncan and Kenna being cuties to Jamie and Vee showing up everyone mean spirited person Vee went to school with. UGH. As always the writing was so fabulous I felt like I was right there with these ladies.

I get sucked in so deep with this book and the other two that are currently out in the series. I am so sad that this is book three out of four and will forever cry when I finish Forever Doon because I know that something truly magical has ended. Even if it lives on in the minds of new readers.

You guys this is a must read. If you haven't read the first two, go read them! It's worth your while and your local library probably has them if money is an issue (or you can pop a squat at your local bookstore and just read them there but they might get mad if you try and have a solo sleepover in their store haha). If your library doesn't have them, request them. Libraries usually have a page online to request the book and they probably have a form you can fill out at the library too.

For your convenience here is where you can buy the books online!

Doon:
Amazon
Book Depository
Barnes and Noble

Destined for Doon:
Amazon
Book Depository
Barnes and Noble

Shades of Doon:
Amazon
Book Depository
Barnes and Noble

Enjoy!
Marisa

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORIE!!!!!!!!!

Hey guys! It's 2016 so here's my January TBR!

Most of the books are part of a series that I'm trying to just finish. I've been waffling too long with most of these so here we go!

The first book is City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. Finally after almost two years I am getting around to this book. I just got so stuck on City of Lost Souls that I couldn't seem to get through it and move on to the sixth and final book in this series. For those who don't know, this is the final book in the Mortal Instrument series by Cassandra Clare. It's a great series and you really should pick it up. My goal is to finish this by the time Shadowhunters comes on ABC Family on the 12th of this month!

Next is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I have been slowly making my way through the series again and it's been so nice to go back to this world. It's very different reading this as an adult.

Third is Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead. YES I KNOW. I'm still on this book. I got so behind after an insane semester so here I am finally getting to it. I still love Vampire Academy and I want to get through the series because I know it's amazing!

Fourth is Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. I have also been waffling with this book for forever and a half. It needs to get read so I can catch up because I just saw that Yellow Brick War is coming out! I'm still a whole book and a half behind but I know I can do it!

Fifth is the Selection by Kiera Cass. I tried to read this over a year ago and I just wasn't feeling it but I made myself go past the point that I had been at and I ended up falling madly in love. I only started this almost exactly a day ago and I have less than 100 pages left. Everything about this book is amazing! The writing is just so easy to read and follow and I feel myself just zipping through the book without missing a beat.

Okay guys! Those are all the books I'm going to try and get to this month! These ones are definitely the most deliberate tries with some others mixed in here and there.

See you in my wrap up!

Marisa

Hey everyone! Here's my October to be read! Halloween is thirty days away and I am more than ready for it!














The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson. I read the first book The Name of the Star about a year and a half ago. It was INTENSE so I took a little break from this series and then I never really felt like it was the right time to read it. Now that Halloween is upon us, I feel like this is just the right creepy time for it. For those of you who haven't read the first book it's basically about three things, a boarding school in London, ghosts, and Jack the Ripper. I highly recommend picking it up because it is so worth it. Though if you're easily scared like me, don't read it after dark. ;)















Shades of Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon. OH MY GOSH IT'S FINALLY HERE. Shades of Doon came out last month and because I'm going to be seeing these lovely ladies at a book convention later this year, I haven't bought it yet. Thankfully my library is getting it in so that's how I'll be getting my hands on it. I'm so excited and if you haven't already read Doon or Destined for Doon (in that order, mind you) do because you will love it and fall for hot fictional Scottish princes, I mean what?
















The Diviners by Libba Bray. I have heard SO many good things about this. I just need to read it already. I bought it at a Books a Million back in June and it's been sitting on my shelf for months. It's supposed to be really creepy kinda like the Shades of London trilogy (the Name of the Star series) so I'm super pumped. I don't know a whole lot about it and I'm not usually the type to read a book without knowing even the full plot but what they hay!


Those are the books I want to try and read this month. If you guys had any suggestions on creepy books to read this month, leave them down in the comments. If you guys want me to do a joint review of both Shades of London books that I own let me know. See you guys next time!

Marisa

Oh hey... guys... look at me being a great blogger. Also look at me who has 80 million (no not really) posts drafted and halfway written but decided instead to start a brand new post! Yes that's right. Go me!

So my July TBR. We're about halfway through but who cares right? I'm still seeing booktubers upload theirs in the last couple days, so why can't I?


 Okay first up is Frostbite by Richelle Mead. Yes I finally finished Vampire Academy and have dented about half of Frostbite in the last week or so. I should have it finished soon. I'm loving how the story is developing.










Next is Shadow Kissed by Richelle Mead so I can flipping finally make my way through all of Vampire Academy. I'm not setting the bar too too high so I'm only going to plan on finished Frostbite and then starting and finishing this book by the end of July.









Then we have another book in a series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I'm doing a summer Harry Potter re-read with me, myself, and I, and this is where I am presently. I'm about a third of the way in.










 Then if that all goes well I'll be starting to re-read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I'm sure these two books are very very self explanatory. I didn't even say the author's name after them because you all probably immediately know that it's J. K. Rowling because let's face it she pretty much rules the fandom world.






I think that's about it. I'm not trying to set the stakes to high for myself especially with it being mid-July.

Hey y'all! I'm here to bring you my Friday reads. I figured I'd let you guys know what I'd be specifically trying to read this weekend before I go back to school on Monday. My spring break is slowing coming a close and I'll have to once again be both a college student and an avid reader. Oh the horror!


First up is Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I've already started this and am about fifty pages in. I've already seen the movie so I've been moving through this first book pretty quickly. I'll probably finish it tonight or early tomorrow. I am so far just loving it. I haven't fell this hard for a series since the Mortal Instruments. Rose is such a hoot and I can't wait to continue on with this series.






Next is Frostbite by Richelle Mead if I manage to finish the first book this weekend I'll be moving on to the second book. I don't know a whole lot about this next book so we shall see!










Switching some seriously drastic gears, I'll also be reading Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan. This is based off the TV show When Calls the Heart on Hallmark Channel and I'm really having major withdrawals from this show so I'll be picking up this book from time to time if I need to take a break from vampires and royal bloodlines.




That's it for my Friday reads! I'll catch you guys tomorrow with another post!

Marisa

*WARNING: THIS BLOG POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR DESTINED FOR DOON BY CAREY CORP & LORIE LANGDON. Please don't read this if you're looking for a spoiler free review*





Destined for Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

Hello readers! I'm coming to you with another review! Today's review is over Destined for Doon by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon. This is the sequel to Doon which I reviewed last week for you all. This picks up a few months after the end of Doon it begins with Mackenna and her doing her thang on stage and then Duncan appears and says that Veronica needs her help. She agrees (eventually) and they are off to Scotland to cross the Brig O Doon once more. With the rings that once belonged to Mackenna's Aunt Gracie and her husband, they are able to cross the bridge whenever they so please (tbh the rings always give me a Wonder Twins feel, anyone else?) An apparent "zombie fungus" has plagued the land of Doon and Veronica as the new queen whose subject have little faith in her, has absolutely no idea how to get rid of it. 

The rest of the book follows the trials of trying to get rid of the fungus, Veronica juggling being queen, her friendship with Mackenna, and her rapidly developing relationship with her betrothed, Jamie McCrae the prince in the kilt. So there's that. This book though, I mentioned in my review of Doon this is more about Mackenna's journey, not Veronica's. This deals with a bit of angsty separation that went on between Mackenna and Duncan. They are working through their issues and trying to realize if they should follow their Calling. Mackenna had denied it at the end of Doon but now she's not so sure. Now Duncan is the one (being an absolute turd in the process) ignoring it.

Poor babies.

I'm happy to report that they do end up together AND THEN. THEN THESE AUTHORS GIVE THE MOST HEART ATTACK INDUCING ENDING EVER. THANKS CAREY AND LORIE. Anyways, I think I'll leave the specific details a secret so you can be AS FREAKED OUT AS I WAS when I read it. 

Honestly, my opinion of the writing hasn't changed since Doon the description of the fungus did freak me out and definitely in a good way. I don't know... these women must have some sort of magical writing juice that upon reading their writing you're immediately engrossed like a 12 year old playing a video game. A+ for that. They make their novels so enthralling that you forget you live in the most boring mundane world.

Alright, my loves, that's what I have for this review! I will talk to you all in my next post, bai!!!

Marisa

You can find Destined for Doon:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository