Posted on by Hermione · 22 Comments

Wrap Up #August2021

Okay, can somebody EXPLAIN how we are already starting a new month because my head is seriously very muddled up…and time seems to make no sense anymore. I HATE IT when time decides to just start sprinting or start a marathon against another time in another parallel universe to see which one reaches some specific date in the future…like WHAT??

I admit I am a crazy person but parallel universes do exist…

Total number of books read: 7 *rapid blinking* *extremely proud of herself for managing seven books and more-than-10-tests* (I am very lucky they were small tests otherwise I would have had a mental breakdown…)

By the way, I actually changed my blog theme because I didn’t like the old one😂. Now, it is much more of something that I like. I was always scared of changing my blog theme because one I accidentally did that and it was a total fiasco but don’t worry, the problem has been resolved.

[All links are the reviews I posted]

The Queen Will Betray You (Kingdoms of Sand and Sky #2) by Sarah Henning (Fantasy)

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My Ratings: 4.5/5

Okay, well, I did wait a lot to read this book since I finished The Princess Will Save You like two months ago and this book DID NOT DISAPPOINT. So for fans of bestfriend-to-lovers trope, go read this. But start with The Princess Will Save You though, haha!

BTW, it is also action-packed and a has a strong and fierce female main character. Greatly recommend.

You Have A Match by Emma Lord (Contemporary)

You Have a Match
Source: Goodreads

My Ratings: 3.5/5

Again…bestfriends-to-lovers trope and I tell you…this book is so sweet and definitely makes people smile. It has a great friendship which was portrayed so perfectly in the book. I mean, I really liked this book so if you have read Tweet Cute by the same author, then this is definitely for you!

Wilder Girls by Rory Power (Horror)

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Source: Goodreads

My Ratings: 4.5/5

Rory Power is one of those authors with totally weird and unique ideas. This is the second book I have read by Rory and well…it was so different from Burn Our Bodies Down. It is a horror book with gruesome parts, blood, weird body deformities so proceed with caution. Or just go read it. It made me think a lot of the Covid since there is a contagious disease in this book but it is nothing like it. I mean, the whole plot of the book was original and the cover is just so BEAUTIFUL!!!

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson (Fantasy)

Sorcery of Thorns
Source: Goodreads

My Ratings: 5/5

First of all….WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS COVER! The author is literally SO LUCKY to have written a book which deserved such a cover! And I love the dark turquoise on the cover. I have never seen such a cover in my life…it is too beautiful for my eyes really😂…

This book is just fantastic. Why? Because we have characters who 1. Are pure SLYTHERIN (Nathaniel…I SEE YA) 2. Who have another level of sarcasticness (this isn’t a word) (haHA! Silas, you are just purrfect…I…) 3. Main character who loves books and practically LIVED IN A LIBRARY! (Okay Scrivener, I am jealous of you right now😑)…

Let us just say this book has major Slytherin vibes, sarcastic vibes and lovable demons (Silas, you aren’t invisible and I can very well see you) and totally relatable main characters.

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (Horror)

House of Hollow
Source: Goodreads

My Ratings: 4.5/5

This book surprised me in so many ways but mainly for its uniqueness and originality. I really recommend this book but again, proceed with caution since there is a lot mentioned about blood and just check a few trigger warnings before reading. But again, for fans of horror, this book is DEFINITELY FOR YOU. It has a natural way of blending horror an magical realism together and has the aspect of ‘Otherworlds”.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (Contemporary)

Tweet Cute
Source: Goodreads

My Ratings: 4/5

AAAAAAWWWW! Cheesy. Cute. Adorkable. Funny. Witty. Just go read this if you badly need to smile right now. It sets people smiling in the great need of grilled cheese…

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Fantasy)

The Scorpio Races
Source: Goodreads

My Ratings: 4.5/5

SEAN KENDRICK!! PUCK CONNOLLY!! I FREAKING SHIP YOU BOTH!! By the way, review coming soon!

🖤🖤🖤Best Book of the Month🖤🖤🖤

Sorcery of Thorns
Source: Goodreads

Other Posts:

BTW, you can check out my first two Sunshine posts down below:

What I Plan to Read Next:

ISDK(I Seriously Don’t Know)

Life Update: (In bullet points)

  • My best-friend celebrated her thirteenth birthday on the 22nd of August and Happy Birthday you annoying girl!😂 (I mean…SHE IS)
  • I realized that my two best-friends are already thirteen but I am not yet.
  • Spent the whole month trying to convince myself I DO NOT have a crush on Silas (Sorcery of Thorns) but ended up giving up and now I hate myself for this. (I mean I hate myself for actually admitting that).
  • Then, I was wondering whether or not I have a crush on Luc from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Currently, the right and left side of my brain are currently debating but soon, all of my organs will join in😂🤦‍♀️
  • I think I have a thing for characters who are demons…
  • Disappointed with myself for losing 3 marks in French (22 out of 25) because of two repeated mistakes and one stupid mistake and going into a full blown panic attack because 22 out of 25 is 88 out of 100. 😱 #horrified
  • Actually realizing that stupid me didn’t know what a light pen was and because of that, lost one mark in my ICT test.

Since discussing grades must be a boring topic and soil particles is even duller let us just move on…

  • Convinced my best-friend (the one who turned 13 this August) to read Sorcery of Thorns and SHE ACTUALLY LISTENED!! I love you bestie🖤
  • Started my Bharatanatyam course this month (it was disrupted because of Covid and we just resumed) and actually enjoying them but despising the teacher. Ooop-
  • Painted a pear for my Art Class and it ACTUALLY TURNED OUT GOOD!! I think I am actually good at painting with watercolor but when it comes to shading with pencil…let us just say I have to practice that.
  • Actually realized that anytime, an APOCALYPSE CAN OCCUR! The problem…my friends agree but don’t take it seriously enough.

September Goals:

  • Read at least 8-10 books.
  • Complete that Design and Technology project (AND MAKE SURE YOU GET GOOD MARKS GURL. UNDER 90 ISN’T ACCEPTABLE)
  • Don’t waste your time Spend less time doing silly things (like secretly watching YouTube because you are bored)
  • And do what makes you happy (even if this includes staring at the dark ceiling at night thinking of useless things or sending stupid texts to your best-friends like arguing whether the moon landing is fake or if Area 51 has aliens or if we are just aliens from another planet that have conquered the Earth and living on it for like 100 000 years.

Yes…now I am finally done! *reads the September goals…and wondering if I have actually lost my mind in the process*

And I also have to say that all those bloggers who did the Top Ten Tuesday post on Fictional Crushes, I really enjoyed all of them😂. I mean, it is very weird, fictional crushes are like one of the most interesting topics when it comes to talking about books. I am laughing like right now😂

See you all with another post! Do drop a comment down below! How was your month btw?? What did you read?

Posted on by Hermione · 15 Comments

Sorcery of Thorns-A Book Review

Hi all people! Hope you are all doing very fine….and all the usual stuff. Well, this is a review of Sorcery of Thorns (it is uncommon to find a standalone fantasy novel because most of them are usually part of a series…). Well, I just realized that everyday it is someone’s birthday. (Don’t ask me how, but I am that sort of person who realizes obvious things out of the blue…).

Since, I have nothing else to say unless if you want me discussing soil particles with you right now but let’s just go to the review.

  • Title: Sorcery of Thorns
  • Author: Margaret Rogerson
  • Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Magic
  • Category: YA
  • Publication Date/Publisher: June 4th 2019 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Sorcery of Thorns
Source: Goodreads

This cover is one of the MOST BEAUTIFUL COVERS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE…and you know who drew this cover? Charlie Bowater! Her art is simply amazing. The green in the background is one of my FAVOURITE colours!! I think it is dark turquoise. Isn’t this colour gorgeous??

Note: I have an obsession with greens especially dark greens, bottle greens, emerald greens, dark turquoise, dark teal….as long as the green is dark…

Also Note: I have an obsession with blues like midnight blues, royal blues, dark navy blues, dark grey blues…ya know, all dark blues…

Elizabeth Scrivener has lived in one of the Great Libraries for almost all her life. She has known the way the magic grimoires whisper endlessly on the shelves…the way they turn into wild monsters known as ‘Maleficts’ if they are damaged. She dreams of becoming a warden, somebody who protects the kingdom from the magic books can unleash.

All turns wrong when one of the most treasured book of the library turns into a Malefict and the Director of the library is found dead. When Elizabeth chases the Malefict and destroys it saving the whole town from wreckage by a savage book, she is accused for crime and is sent to face justice at the capital…with the sorcerers.

The sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn and his mysterious servant, Silas escort her to Ashcroft, one of the greatest sorcerers to face justice but Elizabeth senses that all things seem wrong.

Ashcroft doesn’t seem to want to accuse her for anything but rather he wants her for information. Other libraries are being attacked, with dangerous books turning into Maleficts one by one. Can Elizabeth stop those attacks before things get much worse? Before the world tumbles down, unable to repair? With the help of Nathaniel and is demonic servant Silas, Elizabeth will have to find out all she can to find out what is causing all those attacks and if it isn’t for something much greater than what the Earth can handle and cause a damage beyond miraculous repair…

About the Author:

Margaret Rogerson

Margaret writes fantasy for young adult readers. She lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and when she’s not reading or writing she enjoys drawing, watching documentaries, making pudding, gaming, and exploring the outdoors in search of toads and mushrooms.

[Picture and text taken directly from Goodreads]

My Ratings: For the first time in a very long time, I am not sure what to give this book…just keep in mind that I have MANAGED TO CONVINCE MY BEST-FRIEND TO READ THIS BOOK! I am so happy!!! But I have to admit that she has started it a few days ago and SHE HASN’T EVEN YET FINISHED IT!

Like…excuse me…this book…I finished it in HALF A DAY and YOU tell me that…But maybe I have to understand…

I told her I am giving her ONE WEEK to finish this book. Come oooon!! It isn’t very long! Like 450 pages…that isn’t very much.

My Thoughts:

First thing: This book gives off major Slytherin vibes…and Hogwarts library vibes as well. This book SCREAMS Slytherin. AND MAGIC!

Elizabeth Scrivener was a character with a fierce passion for books (like all of us out there) and who is also an orphan who has been rescued by the Director and who lives in one of the Great Libraries since she was quite little. I think she is that sort of girl who would definitely choose books over friends. I wish I lived in a library…*sighs*

AND she is TALL! I mean, it is nice to relate to a character who chooses books over pretty much everything and who is tall.

I mean, I am 12 years (almost 13) and I am 168 cm…(that is around 5 feet 5 inches). WHY am I so tall?? It scares me to think how much will I grow…:(

Nathaniel Thorn…Thorn Nathaniel…*tries on the Sorting Hat* SLYTHERIN *almost immediately*. This sorcerer is pure Slytherin I tell you. Black hair with a streak of white, emerald robes (how much Slytherin do you seriously have to give off Nathaniel?), a lot of sass, dark past, deep friendship with his servant Silas. Pretends he doesn’t care about Elizabeth…and he calls her SCRIVENER?? Like, why?? Here is an example but I guess it is kinda cute though haha.

I like girls too, Scrivener. Amusement danced in Nathaniel’s eyes. I like both. If you’re going to fantasize about my love life, I insist you do so accurately.

Sorcery Of Thorns-Margaret Rogerson

Oh my god Nathaniel…I can’t believe it.

Silas…..white hair, yellow eyes, clawed hands, very short, extreme amount of sass when it comes to Nathaniel. He is a highborn demon who comes from the Otherworld (not telling more about this:) and who serves Nathaniel. He is my favourite character and without him in the book, well, it wouldn’t even have existed then. Here is a a paragraph from the book:

I will see Master Thorn settled. Silas paused to sniff the air beside Elizabeth. Then, Miss Scrivener, I shall draw you a bath. I believe supper is also in order. And-has no one lit the lamps? He looked aggrieved. I have hardly been absent for twenty-four hours and already, the world has descended into ruin.

Sorcery Of Thorns-Margaret Rogerson

I love you Silas😂. Did I mention he always wears gloves and can turn into a fluffy cat with yellow eyes and who calls Elizabeth ‘Miss’ almost all the time.

The story was way much more original that I thought. It combines magic, grimoires, demons, Otherworlds, sassy people almost perfectly. It has libraries, Slytherin vibes, magic, Silas (I cannot imagine the book without him).

It touched my heart, especially the ending; it caught me so hard I was turned into an emotional tangle of emotions. I never imagined the ending to be this way and it really did catch me off guard. I think this has goes to my favourite books of all time. It is a book I definitely recommend so go read it. It isn’t a part of a series so…why am I feeling weird right now? I want to buy the book and hug it.

Just go read this book. You don’t know how happy I was when I told my best-friend to read the book and she listened. I forgive her though for no finishing (she started it last week??) it but at least she started it.

I think that is all for today. So see you all bookworms with another post!

Love, hermione.

P.S. I haven’t yet started any book yet because I still haven’t gotten over this book because we had a lot of tests this week and last week and I am so happy I only have Physics test next week! Duh, too many ‘weeks’ I guess haha.