Posted on by Hermione · 3 Comments

The Metal Heart-A Book Review

Oh. Well, I don’t know…no, actually I have no idea how to start this first paragraph but I am going to tell you something. I just finished the Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo in a while ago because I was just craving books for absolutely no reason…

And…and the last book broke my heart. Those who read the books, how did you even survive the ending? Because as much as I hate to admit that, I found myself randomly breaking into sobs all day and having to control my sudden breakdowns. I mean, whatever, I’ll be posting my review soon.

WHY THE HECK DO AUTHORS CREATE CHARACTER MASTERPIECES AND DESTROY THEM AT THE END?

I NEED AN ANSWER!

AND I RATE ALL OF THE BOOKS IN THE TRILOGY FIVE STARS?? AND HOW COME THEY BECAME A FAVOURITE OF MINE WHEN-

I need to calm down before my brain explodes…

*takes a deep breath in*

  • Title: The Metal Heart: A Novel of Love and Valor in World War II
  • Author: Caroline Lea
  • Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, World War II, Fiction
  • Category: A
  • Publishing Date/Publisher: June 8th 2021 by Harper Perennial
The Metal Heart: A Novel of Love and Valor in World War II
Source: Goodreads

All happens during World War II, in a small Scottish island. Dot and her twin sister, Con are orphans, living alone in an old bothy (sort of hut) in Selkie Holm, the small island only occupied by these two sisters.

All changes when it is decided that Italian prisoners will be brought in order to help with the war and the preparations and they will be lodged in Selkie Holm. Most people on the main island see prisoners, probably criminals or murderers but Dot and Con see humans with a heart, a life, a family who have come here to work. The are the ones who volunteer to help in nursing and caring for them when they are hurt.

Ever since, those prisoners came, Dot’s attention has been drawn to one. Cesare, a man whom she saved from drowning when he and the other prisoners came by boat to Selkie Holm. But her growing attraction to Cesare doesn’t make her life any brighter. Her bond with her sister, Con starts fraying like a cord and it looks inevitable. Her sister only wanting her to be safe and Dot trying to reassure Con that she will make sure old mistakes do not resurface again. But maybe it is just too late or old mistakes and the past just always find a way to come to the surface.

About the Author:

Caroline Lea

Caroline Lea grew up on the island of Jersey and gained a First from Warwick University. Her fiction and poetry have been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and the BBC Short Story Prize. Her debut novel, The Glass Woman, a gothic thriller set during the Icelandic witch trials, was shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award. Her next novel, The Metal Heart, was a powerful Second World War love story set on the island of Orkney.

[Picture and text taken directly from Goodreads]

My Ratings: 4/5

Rating: 4 out of 5.

My Thoughts:

This book…was definitely what I hadn’t expected it to be. It didn’t actually happen where the war took place but a little corner of Scotland.

I read this book like two weeks ago I think so I have forgotten a little…but I’ll manage haha.

I found Dot and Con to be two interesting characters. They were so different from each other despite being twins and looking like two peas in the same pod…

WAIT! A pea from a pod and a pea from another pod still look very same. Just like red kidney beans and lentils right? What am I even doing right now discussing peas and lentils when this is a review?

Dot was the quiet one while Con was the one who was a little restless. I loved their backstories as well which were each so different especially Con’s backstory which is also the main reason why she is just so protective of her other sister and would do anything to stop Dot from making the same mistake as she did.

The thing I loved the most about those two sister is their sisterly bond. They look after each other backs and always so supportive of each other. The sacrifices they make for each other especially in the last few moments in the book.

My sister and I could never-

But my sister and I are great at is being partners when it comes to stealing or any other crime.😂 Or things like smuggling insects and beetles (insects are FASCINATING creatures…except cockroaches) or pretty stones stolen from I-don’t-know-where into the house. If there is also one other thing is that the sentence I say the most to my sister is, “Don’t touch me!”, because she has an annoying habit of hugging people. And I am not the person who likes hugs or any form of touchy things. Well not all the time haha.😂 Am I the one who makes a face when people hug me? Sometimes I like hugs but otherwise…*runs away*

The plot of the book was okay but I think it could have been much more interesting or more things could have been added. Like I think the book could have benefited with Cesare’s backstory and maybe chapters written in his point of view. Cesare was a prisoner and I would have really liked to know about what were his crimes and a lot more about his life back in Italy.

But otherwise I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing style was really beautiful and it had me tearing up at the end but it is a book with love and courage shining through! One that I greatly recommend for fans of historical fiction!

Now, I have to catch up with crying over Ruin and Rising, the whole series to be honest and plan my other reviews!

See you all later with another post!

~Hermione

Posted on by Hermione · 10 Comments

The Midnight Library-A Book Review

Update: 10 September 2021-9.55 A.M (GMT+4)

I CANNOT BELEIVE IT! Lisa just released her solo! That was a little less than two hours ago…AND IT IS SO GOOD! The rap part! OMG…I am going to die. And it has got like 10.3 million views already!!!

For all those Blinks who have probably already listened to it, LISTEN TO IT AGAIN and by the way, here is the link to her M/V on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awkkyBH2zEo

EEEEEEEEEE! Her rap parts are literally so perfect I can’t imagine…And the beat! Oh my goodness.

I am wondering myself why I even like BlackPink. It is definitely not even my type of music??? Why do I even like their music?🥴 I don’t know… Well, anyways, tell me what are your favourite BlackPink songs down below in the comments!

AND THAT SELF-CONFIDENCE! OH MY GOSH!

BTW, her rap at 1.20-1.40. OMFG!

2.27-2.53-That rap OHMYGAWD!

That badass queen…I TELL YOU! Because, for real, how much badass vibes does this song have to give? I’ll faint…

I swear that one day, she could hit 100 million views in a day.

Than me if anybody coming gunnin for my man

Gonna catch a case

Gun up in my hand

Bam bam bam

Hit after hit though

Rocks in my wrist so I call em the flintstones

Lalisa-by Lisa

That is my favourite part in the song😍.

  • Title: The Midnight Library
  • Author: Matt Haig
  • Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Science Fiction
  • Category: YA (it says Adult on Goodreads but I think it will also be suitable for YA readers [anyone above 13 years] *looks at myself* depending how sensitive and mature you are about certain topics; suicide, depression, etc. They ARE NOT discussed lightly in this book and do check out trigger warnings before reading.)
  • Publishing Date/Publisher: September 29th 2020 by Viking (first published August 13th 2020)
52578297
Source: Goodreads

I really like this blue on the cover…I LOVE DARK BLUE!!!

Nora Seed is just a young woman who is having the worst day of her entire life. She is full of regrets; of what she had done, what she hadn’t done, the misunderstandings with her brother and people around her all mixed with the sadness of the sudden death of her cat, Voltaire.

At midnight, she makes a dreadful decision…she doesn’t want to live anymore. She is saturated with regrets and thoughts about how her life could have been different if she she had made other choices.

Instead of dying, she ends up in a place between life and death. A place where time has stopped…a place called the Midnight Library.

In the Midnight Library, the shelves go on forever and are filled with an infinite number of books, each giving a chance to Nora to experience a different life had she made a different choice in her existence. The library also has one book which is different from the others, The Book of Regrets.

As Nora enters and lives the different lives from the different books, will she ever be able to find a book worth to keep? Worth living?

About the Author:

Matt Haig

Matt Haig was born in Sheffield, England in1975. He writes books for both adults and children, often blending the worlds of domestic reality and outright fantasy, with a quirky twist. His bestselling novels are translated into 28 languages. The Guardian has described his writing as ‘delightfully weird’ and the New York Times has called him ‘a novelist of great talent’ whose writing is ‘funny, riveting and heartbreaking’.

His novels for adults are The Last Family in England, narrated by a labrador and optioned for film by Brad Pitt; The Dead Fathers Club (2006), an update of Hamlet featuring an 11-year-old boy; The Possession of Mr Cave (2008), about a man obsessed with his daughter’s safety, and The Radleys (2010) which won Channel 4’s TV Book Club public vote and was shortlisted for a Galaxy National Book Award (UK). The film rights to all his adult novels have been sold. His next adult novel is The Humans (2013).

His multi-award winning popular first novel for children, Shadow Forest, was published in 2007 and its sequel, The Runaway Troll, in 2009. His most recent children’s novel is To Be A Cat (2012).

[Picture and text taken directly from Goodreads]

My Ratings: 4/5

Rating: 4 out of 5.

My Thoughts:

WAIT…Mr. Haig has a DOG! His dog looks almost EXACTLY like our neighbour’s dog! The only difference is that the neighbour’s dog is named Princess and her nose is pink😂.

Well, that is supposed to be my thoughts about the BOOK so instead of blabbering about the way dogs look so much like dogs (…what…) we should better proceed.

I will list my thoughts in bullet points because I am feeling bullet-pointy today (pretty sure this word doesn’t exist).

What I liked:

  • The Midnight Library (the LIBRARY not the title🤦‍♀️) Even though I have read a book about a world between life and death, I have never read a book about a library between life and death. The way it was described made the library alive, magical and surreal. (Who wouldn’t like a place with infinite shelves and books that are only made up of the different variations, tints and shades of green? I LOVE GREEN). In my brain, it was like this library which had no ceiling and whenever you looked up, it was foggy. All around, it was foggy, you could only see the books if you went to them. You could never see all of the library at once, I was mysterious and magical plants, vines and old wood lurked around never in view. (that last sentence in bold is just my imagination😂)
  • The morals of the book. The book had just so many meanings and morals behind everything; Nora’s actions, choices and there were so many quotes in the book that were just so deep. For example, through this book, I realized that it isn’t only the choices we make that affect us but people’s choices as well. That in some way or another, billions of choices and decisions all balance out each person in the world and how one choice can change everything.
  • How Nora’s frequent trips to the Midnight Library weren’t repetitive and monotonous and didn’t feel boring.

What I didn’t like:

  • Most of the characters fell a little vague. Not the main characters but the others who weren’t present a lot. I think the author should have included them more into the book because many of the ‘side’ characters were a little flat. I think the more the characters were present in the book, the more they felt like people but those who were only present in meagre parts were like paper.
  • There were so many quotes about philosophy and other things the book could have substituted as a very useful self-help book. It isn’t that I had a problem with the quotes in itself but it was just a little too much for a teenager to take in (hemhem, I am not yet a teenager but…). I didn’t mind them but there was just way too much of them. For me to take in and right now, I don’t remember any of them.

Well, I think that is all. Otherwise, Lisa’s solo is just-

OMG. THIS IS SUPOSED TO BE A BOOK REVIEW WHAT AM I EVEN DOING??

Overall, I really liked the book and it is one that I really recommend. It isn’t an intense book but not a light read either. It shifts from light to intense at points. Just please go check trigger warnings before reading this and keep in mind, it isn’t an adult book but a young adult one and is suitable for teenagers depending on your level of maturity because suicide and depression is discussed a lot in that book.

Well, we are finally done with the review!

I’d run off for now!

See you with another book!

-H

Posted on by Hermione · 3 Comments

The Scorpio Races-A Book Review

You know what I was thinking…Lisa’s solo isn’t yet out but I am giddy already. I can’t wait to listen to her solo. I mean…just imagine how the whole internet will break and go ABSOLUTE NUTS when her solo will be released…just try to think about that…

And there is me thinking that Jisoo’s ‘Hey Boy’ is the most iconic line in Whistle. Like…the song has one of the greatest beats!

Instead of talking about BlackPink or any other singers when this is supposed to be a review, let us just get straight to what this post is SUPPOSED to be about.

  • Title: The Scorpio Races
  • Author: Maggie Stiefvater
  • Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Mythology, Romance
  • Category: YA
  • Publishing Date/Publisher: October 18th 2011 by Scholastic Press (originally published in September 18th 2011)
The Scorpio Races
Source: Goodreads

I think rust red is actually a beautiful colour you know.

Every November, the Scorpio Races begin. One of the most dangerous races where you either live, make it to the finish line or die. Riders ride the water horses, horses that come out of the sea every November and if captured by humans, made to race, if the humans are able to hold the water horses long enough before they start tearing people into pieces and leave you dead.

Sean Kendrick is just a 19-year-old boy who takes part of the races every year, won four times and has still managed to stay alive. He rides on Corr, believed to be one of the fastest water horses. He rarely shows his feelings but he has an ambition. Win the race, get the prize money and buy Corr for himself, who currently belongs to the owner he works for.

Puck Connolly is just a girl with loads of freckles, ginger hair and who is an orphan who looks after her little brother, Finn and sometimes her older brother, Gabe. When Gabe wants to leave, she has no choice but to participate in the races with her normal mare, Dove and hopes to win the race…when she has almost no chance against the insanely powerful water horses. And she is the very first woman…to participate…and people don’t like a women in a race where the blood of men rule.

About the Author:

Maggie Stiefvater

New York Times bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races. Artist. Driver of things with wheels. Avid reader.

All of Maggie Stiefvater’s life decisions have been formed by a desire to leave a mark, resulting in spray-painted cars, sharpie-covered computer printers, ink-splattered walls, and stories told in books, in magazines, and on stages. Maggie Stiefvater lives in the middle of nowhere, Virginia with her husband, kids, and a bunch of fainting goats.

[Picture and text taken directly from Goodreads]

My Ratings: 4.5/5

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

My Thoughts:

There are a few reasons why I picked up this book…here they are:

  1. It has mythical horses and I ADORE horses (mythical or not)
  2. The word SCORPIO caught my attention (ignore the fact that I am a Scorpio over here)
  3. The word RACES also caught my attention (I haven’t read many books about horse racing)
  4. I had a feeling about this book that it wouldn’t disappoint me..
  5. It had a cowboy vibe to it, that I couldn’t ignore.

Well, this is a slow-paced book but…damn…was it beautiful? Yes. It started slow at first and slowly picked up pace. The thing that I love about this book is the way the characters aren’t randomly thrown into the book but introduced, slowly and in such a way that you get to know them.

Let us just TALK about our two main characters, Sean Kendrick and Kate Connolly (Puck). At first none of them knew each other but as soon as they are introduced in the book…well…quite predictable right?

The whole concept of the book was great. At the start of November, the Scorpio Races start. The horse-riders of Thisby try to catch the water-horses (capaill uisce [plural]) when they emerge from the depths of the sea. These horses are extremely fast, bloodthirsty and are constantly pulled to the sea. They are very dangerous creatures and the simple act of trying to handle/ride them can cost your life. This is why the aspect of dying in Thisby is almost natural.

SEAN KENDRICK (Oh, it ended up in caps lock…I definitely didn’t mean this but nevermind) horse-lover, expert in horses, and seems a bit like a very cool cowboy-guy. He as a way with horses and can manage the capaill uisce unlike any other.

Puck Connolly…you are probably the stupidest and the bravest person I know. I CANNOT believe you wanted to participate in the races but I admire your indifference to what other people think. I don’t think I would have ever been able to do what you have done though…

Now…the CHEMISTRY between those two..

Happy So Excited GIF
Giphy

It was just so asdfghjkl but I wish it was longer. Like…you know…and there was a moment where it was just so abrupt and one moment where I had to go hide under the table and stop myself from jumping so high I’ll crack my head on the ceiling or my parents think I am just the human-definition of weird-craziness. THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT HAPPEN!!

There is so much to say but I will just end of messing everything up and spoil the whole book but I really ship both of those silly people together. (Wait…did I just call them silly, I just cannot believe myself).

Just go and read this if you like freckly people, golden grass in the afternoon, major cowboy vibes, slow-paced fantasy, horses and side-characters who are just the sweetest (do all characters that are named Finn are supposed to be cute or what??)

Well, I should better go now and prepare my other post which will be my review of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig but now don’t go and tell everyone now…

BTW, I wanted to ask all of you something…do you think that it will be a good idea if I made a monthly post of memes related to all things bookish?? I mean, it was an idea that occurred to me during the night and I was wondering if I should do that??

I mean, I should probably just scoot out of here before the whole story of screen-time just decides to pop up..

Light Up The Sky Love GIF by NETFLIX
Giphy

Why am I feeling a little mildly obsessed with gifs today? Sorry… had to include BlackPink in this post for no reason😂 They look really cute together🖤💜🖤.

hermione

Posted on by Hermione · 7 Comments

Tweet Cute-A Book Review

Well, this book is…*tries to find a word other than cute in my mental dictionary*…ADORKABLY CUUUTE! I mean, this book had me smiling like an idiot all along but let us just pretend I didn’t write that…because this book is the overall definition of adorable and witty. Anyone heard of Twitter war? Because I have never read a book where teenagers fight over Twitter. Well I have…this one.

Gahahaha! This book contains a lot of grilled cheese so make sure to eat it will reading this book. It sets the atmosphere…unfortunately, I wasn’t eating grilled cheese but I tell you…half of the book is GRILLED CHEESE…GRILLED CHEESE…GRILLED CHEEEESE!

  • Title: Tweet Cute
  • Author: Emma Lord
  • Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Fiction
  • Category: YA
  • Publishing Date/Publisher: January 21st 2020 by Wednesday Books
Tweet Cute
Source: Goodreads

There is Pepper. High flyer and captain of the swim team. Practical, fierce and determined with unwavering focus on her goals. She also anonymously controls Big League Burger’s Twitter account, a massive fast-food outlet run by her parents.

Now, there is Jack. Sits next to Pepper in class, member of the dive club and totally the opposite of Pepper. He is always trying his best to be better, since he is overshadowed by his twin brother, Ethan who is extremely popular in school. In some ways he and Pepper are similar; he anonymously manages Girl’s Cheesing’s Twitter account, a smaller fast-food chain. He is also the unknown creator of the popular chat app called Weazel.

When Big League Burger steals the name of Girl’s Cheesing’s grilled cheese, Pepper and Jack are instantly thrown into a heated Twitter war…while staying friends a school (and falling for each other on Weazel [obviously…anonymous]. Things get spiced up when people on Twitter start SHIPPING JACK AND PEPPER!!

After all, all is fair when it comes to fighting over grilled cheese…and when it comes to love.

About the Author:

Emma Lord

Emma Lord is the NYT bestselling author of YOU HAVE A MATCH and TWEET CUTE, a BuzzFeed market editor, and dessert gremlin living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, a whole lot of love, and copious amounts of grilled cheese.

[Picture and text taken directly from Goodreads]

My Ratings: 3.9/5

Rating: 4 out of 5.

My Thoughts:

Sweeeeet! I definitely enjoyed this book much more than You Have A Match because I was CONSTANTLY SHIPPING JACK AND PEPPER [and smiling like an absolute idiot but just ignore this part]

I mean, this book is cheesy, cute, funny and has the weirdest pair of friendship in it. And a main character who doesn’t know how to take a bus…by herself.

This book had me wondering though…WHO ON EARTH would put their kids in charge of a fast-food Twitter account…like who…would do that? I cannot imagine a parent doing this but okay…

Pepper was this girl who could open her own bakery on the spot if she wanted. She literally BAKES ALL SORTS OF CAKES AND GIVE THEM FUNNY NAMES?? Like there was So-Sorry-Blondies, Monster-cakes and…well…certainly she definitely knows how to cook. She says she would never be caught dead on Weazel but she actually uses it!! That was funny to be honest. She is an all-round high achiever who cares A LOT ABOUT HER GRADES and takes her responsibilities very seriously. Like being the swim team captain for example. I really liked her but right now, I guess Jack is my favourite character.

Jack…looks like a cinnamon roll, acts like a cinnamon roll and most of the time, IS a cinnamon roll. He is really cute (why am I even saying that?) and really likes Pepper (because he gets really jealous when Pepper talks to another guy) and all the time when he and Pepper were spending time together, I was like…AAWWWW!!! I totally ship those two people! At least, he had some humour and the story is told in his and Pepper’s point of view.

Apart from that the plot was okay…mainly because I am still wondering why people would let teenagers manage a Twitter account for a fast-food chain but the cuteness in the book made up for it. I wish the book wasn’t so self-centered around Pepper and Jack only because now that I realize it, very little is mentioned about Pepper’s friends or Jack’s best-friends. Like only 10% but overall I really recommend this if you need your day/night brightened up a little bit!

I guess that is all for today and next post will definitely be my August Wrap Up for this month. I really like August…why do you have to go already?? 😦

Nevermind, I like September as well and my little sister’s birthday is coming soon!

So…goodbye for now and see you with another post!

Love, Hermione

Posted on by Hermione · 10 Comments

Wilder Girls-A Book Review

Hi all people! I really can’t believe almost half of August is gone yet! (I need time-travel powers right now!!). Well, never mind…Today I am posting a review on the second book I have read by Rory Power…bloop! What does bloop mean by the way?

A few days ago my lil’ sister was busy looking at pictures of German Spitz dogs and was dying of cuteness overload. Ugh, really? I probably have to find a book on ”How To Resuscitate People Who Died Of An Overdose Of Cuteness”. I think I managed to bring my sister back to life though because she went to school yesterday and is back to her usual self.

  • Title: Wilder Girls
  • Author: Rory Power
  • Genre: Horror, Mystery, Fiction, LGBT
  • Category: YA
  • Publishing Date/Publisher: July 9th 2019 by Delacorte Press
42505366
Source: Goodreads

OMG…the CCOOVVEERR!! EEEEEEE! I love it!!! Especially the green in the background! I have a thing for green because it is one of my favourite colours.

For more than a year, the Raxter School for girls have been put on quarantine. A disease called the Tox has ravaged the whole school. The teachers dropping dead one by one until only a few were left still alive. Then it spread to the students of Raxter, leaving many girls dead while others suffering from weird deformities on their body and flare-ups which can happen anytime leaving you screaming while changes to your body occur, slowly turning you into something that isn’t you anymore.

Their quarantine has been harsh. The Navy promised to find a cure but the food sent is barely enough to satisfy everyone’s hunger. They don’t dare venture beyond the school fence because once the quarantine is broken, they will be left on their own, to die if need be, and no cure will ever be provided.

Hetty has also been affected by the Tox, she is now blind in her right eye and always has the feeling that something that wasn’t supposed to be in her body is occupying her. Hetty has always been a fierce and caring person and when her best friend, Bryatt falls ill and goes missing, she promises to do anything to find her. Anything for her best friend even if it means breaking the quarantine and venturing beyond the school fence.

Hetty will learn many secrets, some devastating, some hopeful, some scary but if there is one thing on her mind right now…it is to find Bryatt, before the Tox or any other mysterious people take her away for good…because once you have the Tox inside of you, it will ravage you and leave you in pieces if it must. The Tox is a disease that doesn’t care whether you die or not, it only takes and takes and takes and leaves you with nothing.

About the Author:

Rory Power
Source of picture: Goodreads

Rory Power lives in New England and works as a crime fiction editor and story consultant for TV adaptation. She writes mostly Young Adult books and is the New York Times Bestselling author of Wilder Girls and Burn Our Bodies Down.

My Ratings: 4.5/5

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

My Thoughts:

This book went way beyond my expectations (considering the fact that I hadn’t read the synopsis before adding it to my Goodreads TBR…).

The characters were full of personality, each so different from the other and enigmatic. Hetty was this character who would do anything for the people she loves. Reese, Hetty’s other best-friend is the one who interested me most. She is that person who pretends to be indifferent when she has this fierce protectiveness of her best-friends (she doesn’t show it). Reese has an interesting past which is mostly dark and mysterious. She has been affected by the Tox in a different way; one of her hands are silver with scales that seem to scare everyone.

Bryatt, I think is the one who is quiet and a little of the ‘thinker’ I assume. I think she is also a punctual person because EVERY morning she and Hetty go out for a short morning walk in the school garden. Because of this awful and mysterious Tox, SHE has grown another spine and I will spare you the teeny-weeny details…

I loved how the mysterious disease was portrayed in the book. It wasn’t just some monotonous illness where everyone falls ill, has some weird fever and just drops dead. It was different in a sense that almost every symptom in every human was different which made the Tox much more interesting to learn about and scary. I tell you this book isn’t for people who don’t stand gruesomeness, blood, weird deformities, abnormally-strong and scary animals like cats with teeth way too long and other scary features (the Tox also affects animals and all the girls of Raxter are trained on how to shoot just in case they come across a affected wild animal)

The plot was great and whatever happened in the book kept me on the edge, always wanting to know more and more. That is Rory’s superpower; she knows how to keep you wanting more and more from the story. This story had me immersed into it completely from the start till the end and if you liked Burn Our Bodies Down by the same author, then this book is definitely for you! I also recommend this to anybody who doesn’t mind creepy things, loves horror and any other book about wormy things, diseases, scaly hands, and you know what else.

If you have read this book…then do tell me what YOU think in the comments down below!

I guess that’s all for today and keep in mind…next review is Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson! I finished this book before yesterday and there is that one character who just can’t leave my mind…well, I will probably tell you all that next time with another post!

Love, Hermione🤍

Posted on by Hermione · 5 Comments

You Have A Match-A Book Review

Hi all pea-ple and creatures of the great Earth! (What has seriously got into me today?) Well, on Saturday, my little sister and I were having an argument on the way to the pool for our swimming lessons…and you know WHAT!!!

She doesn’t even believe in ghosts, spirits, souls, elves, faeries/fairies, and all these other FASCINATING LIVING THINGS! I mean…it is pretty obvious right…they DO EXIST!! Tell me yes…She doesn’t even believe me when I tell her dragons exist? Infuriating…

Look….THEY DO EXIST AND N.O.T.H.I.N.G IS CHANGING THAT.

Well, let’s get to the review shall we. *heavy breathing*

  • Title: You Have A Match
  • Author: Emma Lord
  • Genre: YA, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, LGBT
  • Publishing Date/Publisher: January 12th 2021 by Wednesday Books
You Have a Match
Source: Goodreads

Abby has signed up for a DNA service, not really for herself but mostly for her best-friend Leo. Leo and his sister were adopted since they were quite little and Abby thought of giving Leo a little push to take the DNA service and perhaps discover who his biological parents are.

The very last thing Abby wanted is to find out she has a secret sister, only a year and a half older than her, Savannah Tully, an Instagram star. Shocking, that they share Abby’s parents given they both look very similar but so different from each other in their own ways.

The only reasonable thing to do is to meet up at summer-camp and find out some solution on how to explain everything to their parents.(Nor Abby nor Savvy have told their parents about their discovery.)

Ever since the BEI (Big Embarrassing Incident), Leo and Abby have been a little awkward mostly relying on their other bestie, Connie, to help them talk normally.

Lately, Abby has started falling for Leo but she doesn’t want to shatter their friendship and so keeps her feelings for herself. Abby doesn’t realize how complicated her life seems to be, growing feelings for Leo, a secret sister if revealed to her parents might make things much worse for all of them. Growing secrets, growing feelings…but sometimes you have to go for it, even if it looks like the hardest thing because there is always a chance a told-secret might change things for the better.

About the Author:

Emma Lord

Emma Lord is the NYT bestselling author of YOU HAVE A MATCH and TWEET CUTE, a BuzzFeed market editor, and dessert gremlin living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, a whole lot of love, and copious amounts of grilled cheese.

[Picture and text taken from Goodreads]

My Ratings: 3.5/5

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

My Thoughts:

I am not sure what to say about this book. Well, it was actually something between ‘I liked it’ and ‘I really liked it’. The problem is that a lot has seemed to have leaked out of my brain…

I should probably talk about the characters first. Abby was a good character, with her issues and happiness and problems and secretly crushing on her best-friend. Avid photographer, daring, adventurous and not-fussy about breaking the rules (even when you don’t know the rules). Leo was an okay character and I wished there was more about him because at the end of the book, I realized I didn’t really know much about him at all.

The character I found the most likable is Finn, my favourite character. He was this funny puppy guy who really cared for Abby (and she really cared for him too). I think the author did a great job creating him, like he was so real. I love him. Really love him. His character itself felt crafted beautifully. He was the one who caught my attention, the second he was introduced to the book. He is certainly special and there is something about him. He has his own family problems and my heart melted all the time he took Abby someplace special, like the Wishing Tree which is haunted by a ghost, so that she could make a wish. Abby’s and Finn’s friendship is really special I could almost see it right there floating through the words.

[Note that the majority of stars come from Finn’s and Abby’s friendship and Finn’s special place in my heart]

[Also note that I am sorry for all inconvenience caused by me for using the word ‘special’ too many times]

Overall, the best thing in the book [in my opinion] is Finn. I found the story quite interesting [umm…I finished the book in a day] and the plot was nice but I wished there were more things happening in the book. I was quite satisfied with the ending actually even though it wasn’t exactly what I wished for but okay.

Well, I guess that is all for today!

So see you next time with another book!

hermione 🖤

P.S. Next review is Wilder Girls by Rory Power! Shh!

Posted on by Hermione · 4 Comments

The Hollow Places-A Book Review

Well, obviously, hello! (I have no idea what to write in this first paragraph) *guiltily skips it*

  • Title: The Hollow Places
  • Author: Ursula Vernon (under the pseudonym of T. Kingfisher)
  • Genre: Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
  • Publication Date/Publisher: October 6th 2020 by Gallery / Saga Press
The Hollow Places
Source: Goodreads

When Kara divorced her husband, she moved into her uncle’s museum, also known as the Wonder Museum. A museum filled with all sort of things like stuffed otters, raccoons, deer, elks and ”feejee” mermaids as well as stuff with ”Made in China” at the bottom. Everything goes fairly well for Kara since she is mostly busy the whole day, cataloging all the artefacts in the museum or suddenly bursting out crying because of her divorce.

When her uncle has to move in the hospital because he has to operate his leg, Kara is left in charge of the museum. This is when everything starts to become wrong. A tourist has punched a hole in the museum wall and curious Kara decides to poke her head into it and discovers something unexpected…

A mysterious passageway.

Uneager to explore it by herself, she calls to the barista of the nearby café shop, Simon who is also her friend. As they get into the passageways and investigate, they deduce it to be a bunker and further and further they walk until they reach a place with a hole on top….sunlight streaming in.

Kara and Simon discover alternate worlds where there are wicked willows that seem to come alive in the dark, emitting this strange silver light. They nearly get lost into that weird willow world themselves. Haunted place this thing is and evil creatures that hear your thoughts and with every thought, every fear, become stronger and stronger. Kara and Simon have to find a way to get out of this mess quick before that willow world takes a hold on them and never lets them go.

About The Author:

T. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name of Ursula Vernon. In another life, she writes children’s books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections.

When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.

[text taken directly from Goodreads]

My Ratings: 3/5

Rating: 3 out of 5.

My Thoughts:

I liked this book but I felt that there were many things missing in the book. Maybe this is just me but I’m not sure. This isn’t a horror novel, it is a mild horror. I think I really did set my expectations a little to high. The aspect of ‘other-worlds’ was great but I wished we talked more about it in the book. You know, just to get a little deeper into the what I call ‘willow-world’ so we get to understand it better. It felt mostly hazy but more interesting things happen that clear of the haze a little but not fully. The ‘willow-world’ didn’t feel as scary and as bone-chilling as I wished it would be but it sparked my interest very much so I was constantly wanting to know more about it.

The author’s style of writing was significantly beautiful but I have the feeling that not enough things happened in the book. The ending explained a lot about the rest in the book and seriously it was way out of my mind. It was much more interesting than the other chapters and I was constantly wishing the book was as interesting as the ending itself.

Well, I haven’t talk about the characters a lot have I? Well, the author has a sense of humour which she expresses very well through the dialogues between Kara, Simon and Uncle Earl and the other people but they didn’t feel real enough to me. Sometimes, the adventures through the ‘willow world’ felt a little to easy but they definitely made me relax and say ”Finally!” *with huge sighs*

I am still unsure about what to write over here but I think I still have a lot to say about the book but it would just be spoil kingdom. This mostly sums up about what I think about it.

See you with another book!

-Hermione

P.S. I just finished reading Made in Korea by Sarah Suk and I seriously can’t wait to share my review with you guys because the book was beautiful and a real bagful of multi-coloured emotions and happiness. I mean, it cheered me up so much it left me smiling for a whole day after…*tells myself not to start rambling about this book over here and remembers that I have a whole post to look forward to and talk how much I want about the book*

Posted on by Hermione · 3 Comments

When You Were Everything-A Book Review

Hey everyone! How are you all doing? This is a review of a book I read…four days ago I guess…that looks like very long ago😂.

  • Title: When You Were Everything
  • Author: Ashley Woodfolk
  • Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, YA, LGBT, Romance
  • Publication Date/Publisher: March 10th, 2020 by Delacorte Press
45144784
Source: Goodreads

Everything started to shatter when another girl heard Layla singing and decided to let her join the Chorus Girls….

Cleo has been living the last month without her best-friend and she has been trying to forget Layla. She has been going to every place in town, saturated with memories of Layla and she has been trying to make new memories over there. The problem is, deciding to erase a person from your life is easier said than done. Cleo has been assigned to tutor Layla and after drifting away from each other, this is the very last thing Cleo wanted.

Lately, Cleo has been making new friends and Dom, a new boy has been catching her attention and she has been developing a fierce crush on him. Unfortunately, memories and the past never fade away….and memories of Layla always come back to haunt Cleo’s mind…

About the Author:

Ashley Woodfolk

Ashley Woodfolk has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She graduated from Rutgers University and worked in children’s book publishing for over a decade. Now a full-time mom and writer, Ashley lives in a sunny Brooklyn apartment with her cute husband, her cuter dog, and the cutest kid in the world. Her books include The Beauty That Remains, When You Were Everything, and the Flyy Girls Series.

[Picture and text taken directly from Goodreads]

My Ratings: 4/5

Rating: 4 out of 5.

My Thoughts:

This book was….a huge collection of feelings. It had everything, sadness, happiness, anger, guilt, regret…

What I liked is that our main character, Cleo also had flaws and it wasn’t only because of Layla that their friendship broke, it was also because of her. It made it more realistic and not the type where it-is-all-your-fault-we-are-not-friends-anymore. I couldn’t love Cleo any more than that. She was such a sad and happy person and at times you can’t help but feel sad yourself.

Layla was a character whom I sometimes hated and at other times, loved. You see, in some ways, you just can’t blame Layla and Cleo isn’t totally innocent either because she also did some bad things towards Layla and vice-versa.

I have never read any book which talks about a perfect friendship which slowly shattered particle by particle until all what is left is dust and you seriously don’t know whether to just throw it away because there is no way to fix it or to keep it all in a jar until you find an impossible way to fix it.

That is, it talks about that other side of a broken-up friendship, not only the anger towards the person but the sadness blended into everything and how you miss a person but in some ways despise that person as well, even if there is no way to bring it back to normal.

At some point in the book, there are moments you may cry but yet manage to hold back the tears so don’t read this book at the dining table for example if you are an emotional person or people might ask you why are you blinking so much. I say it again, this is an emotional book and captures the reality behind every broken friendship out there. The book feels so real as if the book was gifted some emotions for itself.

At the end of the story, I’m not sure if I am happy or sad. The ending was a mixture of both of these feelings. It was beautiful. I’m definitely recommending this book for anyone who wants a light read to cheer you up or to sadden you because this book can do both and I myself haven’t decided if I’m happy or not.

My Favourite Quote:

”You can’t approach your whole life like its a homework assignment, Baby Girl.”

When You Were Everything-Ashley Woodfolk

So see you all until the next time!

-Hermione

P.S. I am going to read The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher next!

Posted on by Hermione · 12 Comments

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue-A Book Review

Another 500 page book! Took me 3 days to finish…I guess I forgot to say hi at the beginning but never mind…

Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Author: Victoria (V.E) Schwab

Genre: Fantasy (not really though because it is set in our world but it has some magical elements), Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction

Publishing Date/Publisher: October 6th 2020 by Tor Books

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
(BTW, the cover is so simple but yet so beautiful…)Source: Goodreads

Adeline LaRue lives an almost invisible life. She was born in the 1700’s in France when a simple moment in the early night before her wedding changed her life. She made a deal with the God of the Dark, in return of her soul, she will obtain her freedom. No one in their right minds would do such a deal but Addie was desperate…She could long as she liked until the day she got tired of living and will then have to surrender her soul…her curse or rather her bargain doesn’t end here either, people won’t remember her the moment they turn their heads and lose her out of their sight.

Till now, (2000’s), nobody has been able to remember 300 year old Adeline…until the day she enters a bookshop she had visited the day before and a young man remembers her…The thing Addie longed for the most, ever since she made that deal, to be remembered.

About The Author:

V.E. Schwab

Victoria is the product of a British mother, a Beverly Hills father, and a southern upbringing. Because of this, she has been known to say “tom-ah-toes,” “like,” and “y’all.”

She also tells stories. She loves fairy tales, and folklore, and stories that make her wonder if the world is really as it seems.

[Picture and text taken directly from Goodreads]

My Ratings: 4.95/5

Rating: 5 out of 5.

My Thoughts:

When I read the synopsis, I thought it would be something like The Picture of Dorian Gray (I absolutely loved this book…like one of my favourite classics) but it takes a whole new turn. Alright, let me tell you, you either like this book or don’t like it at all. There, now I told you we can continue…

There are so many things which can be said about this book. But if there is one main thing in my opinion is that the book mostly feels like a journey rather than a journey with a final destination. And adding that the journey was deeply and darkly beautiful. The writing had so much meaning and a depth that makes it like no other book I have ever read before. I can say that Schwab has really put her heart out while writing this book. Her writing style is….breathtakingly amazing and oh my god, deep! It conveys so many emotions.

So many things happen in the book of course and we get to read about what happened back in the 18th century and now, that is in the 21st century. Addie was a great character with her ups and downs and equal stubbornness but if there is the character that gets you hooked the most is Luc, the God of the Dark. His name isn’t really Luc because he doesn’t really have a name. Luc is the name Addie gave him. Just imagine a God which doesn’t look very much like a God and actually takes the shape of a dark curly haired man with deep green eyes just for Adeline.

Aaaaah, now we come to the part where I begin to ship Addie with Luc! I.Am.Not.Supposed.To.Be.Doing.This. Why did I ever begin with shipping Addie and Luc because now that idea cannot get out of my head. All throughout the book, I was like….ya know what I mean.

I do recommend this book to anyone. I haven’t read such a deep and dark book for a very long time. I think I could recommend it only for you to run your fingers under each line (I read the ebook😔) and savour the deep meanings and just breathe it in. It really has a unique magic of its own.

Well, I have written enough for this post and I ought to be off right now. I just finished the first chapter of Mexican Gothic and I am dying to know more.

See you later!

Hermione

Have any of you read this book btw? I WANNA BUY IT THE BOOK!

Posted on by Hermione · 4 Comments

The Hobbit-A Book Review

Hey people! Hope you all doing good! I have wanted to read THIS for so long and I am finally happy I picked it up. It reminds me so much of Harry Potter though because Gandalf looks just like Dumbledore in my imagination, saying that both of them are wizards and have very long beards and are equally very wise. Maybe, we’ll save all that for later at the end and begin with the review before I forget about this post. Oh, and I was actually wondering if Dumbledore is actually inspired by Gandalf but I’m not sure….

Title: The Hobbit or There and Back Again

Author: J.R.R Tolkien

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Classics

Publication Date/Publisher: August 15th 2002/ Houghton Mifflin (first published September 21st 1937)

5907
Source: Goodreads

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who lives in a very nice and cozy hobbit-hole, called Bad End found in Hobbiton. Not being a hobbit who is very fond of adventures he prefers staying comfortable in his home, listening to the kettle whistling or making smoke rings out from his pipe.

One day, he receives a visitor, Gandalf, the great wizard who offers an adventure. An adventure to steal back the treasures of the great dragon, Smaug, who had actually stole all those treasures from the dwarves and other people at the time when he used to terrorize the lands.

Bilbo refuses point blank and declines the offer right away only to find more than a dozen visitors entering his hobbit-hole the next day. Dwarves. Thorin of Oakenshield, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bombur, Bofur, Bifur, Balin and Dwalin. And Gandalf of course.

Finally, Bilbo reluctantly accepts to accompany the dwarves and Gandalf on the quest for the stolen treasure and off they go, to retrieve the treasure most guarded by Smaug, the great dragon.

About the Author:

J.R.R. Tolkien
Source of picture: Goodreads

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, WWI veteran, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the high fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . It is also said that The Hobbit is a novel which was first written for his own children.

My ratings: I’m still wondering if I should give this a 4.9 out of 5 or a 5 out of 5.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Reason I read this? Fantasy! It has a great fantasy and was quite fast-paced at times so you are totally hooked to the story and other times it was a little slow-paced so you read at ease. The world-building is breathtaking. I wish I could at least see the Misty Mountains, the Lonely Mauntains, the forest of the enchanted stream and the Elvenking. But it isn’t guaranteed you’ll be able to see it if you look out of the window or climb up on the roof and look on all sides though I’ll try that when I have time to see if I can see them from my house.

Bilbo Baggins is also a wierd character who has got two sides; his Baggins side and his Tookish side. The Tookish side of him takes over during his adventures because the Tooks are his family on his mother’s side who were always ready for some adventure of some kind.

Another thing I love about this book is the amount of songs and poems the dwarves make up on the spot and unfortunately, I won’t be able to write one of them down here because it would be too long. J.R.R Tolkien has a great mind, the way his characters are created, the world-building, the plot and his imagination in making songs for the dwarves are just so great.

A very enjoyable and fascinating read!

See ya soon!

-Hermione

P.S. I know this is absolutely irrelevant but I actually found my green ring yesterday and I am so happy! It was lost for 6 months and I found it in one of my pencil-cases. I mean I lost it twice (I don’t usually lose things) and both of the times I found it in very unexpected places! I mean like why!? I always find my things in wierd places and I bet the next thing I’ll lose and I find it back again will be in some place like my hair or my pocket. Well, nevermind about all those nonsense things, I’d better go now!!!

Oh and next post will probably be my June wrap up so stick around!