Monthly Wrap Up - May

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And so another month went by! I didn't get to do as much reading as I did on April due to my finals, but I'm pretty happy considering how busy I was. My favourite from this month definitely was The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Lesley Walton and the least favourite was Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki. However, I was the most excited about Saga Volume 1 which didn't let me down with its phenomenal setting and unpredictable plot. 

✿ Book Haul ✿

The Falconer (The Falconer #1) by Elizabeth May

How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan

The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo

Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen

The Demon King (Seven Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima

Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Saga, Volume 1 (Saga #1-6) by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Stables

Branded (Sinners #1) by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki

Nihal of the Land of the Wind (Chronicles of the Overworld #1) by Licia Troisi

Total: 9

✿ Books Read ✿

The Demon King (Seven Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima
Branded (Sinners #1) by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki
Vicious (Vicious #1) by Victoria Schwab
Hexed (The Witch Hunter #1) by Michelle Krys

Saga, Volume 1 (Saga #1-6) by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Stables

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Lesley Walton

The Three by Sarah Lotz

Total: 7

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I'm so glad my exams are finally over and I can start my "summer holiday" which basically consists of working and working on a study I'm conducting with a few classmates, but at least I have a break from uni work before my last year starts. I know I'm going to be a huge ball of stress next year so I might well as enjoy uni-free life. And of course I'm going to achieve that by reading massive amounts of books!

Stacking the Shelves (#16)

It's Saturday and so it's time for Stacking the Shelves!

Here is my haul from this week:

❄ NetGalley ❄

Branded (Sinners #1) by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki

Nihal of the Land of the Wind (Chronicles of the Overworld #1) by Licia Troisi

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Yay - my request for Nihal of the Land of the Wind got accepted! I'm currently reading it and even though I'm enjoying it, I have to admit that I thought it would have a little bit darker tone to it (which I would have preferred over the middle grade vibe). Nevertheless, it's an interesting fantasy book with lots of magic and high fantasy species.

Vicious (Vicious #1) by Victoria Schwab

Description from Goodreads:

A masterful, twisted tale of ambition, jealousy, betrayal, and superpowers, set in a near-future world. 

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. 

But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end? 

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.

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Are you looking for a kickass, I'm-a-superhero-but-also-a-villain book with intriguing characters? Well, you don't have to look anymore, just find Vicious! I knew I would end up being really smitten with this book even before I started it because the premise just is so unbearably cool and interesting. I read this book while I was travelling, and I hated the fact that I couldn't read it in one sit, but instead I had to put it down once in a while between transfers and moving around. Vicious wasn't just a wicked science fiction book but also had an important message about nothing being purely good or evil. 

The story mainly focuses on two pre-med students, Victor and Eli. Their stories are told in two ways; one storyline about the past when they were just students, and the other when they are in their 30s which is the present. Some other point of views were also included by the minor character which made characters like Mitch and Sydney to become more dynamic. It's difficult to say who was my favourite character as all of them were so complex and unpredictable. Sometimes the author forget to give the necessary depth to the supporting characters but I was so glad that Schwab had done exactly the opposite. While all the characters weren't purely good or evil (unlike the usual superhero books and movies present the characters), it was really interesting to follow how the characters highlighted each others' extent of goodness and evilness 

I can't remember the last time I read a science fiction novel which was set in the modern day. That's probably the reason why I was a bit hesitant when I first started reading the book, even though I was pretty excited as well as I had no idea how the novel would end up being. I loved the fact that as Eli and Victor were pre-med students, their conversations were filled with medical information and hypothesising about ExtraOrdinaries; people with extraordinary abilities, or  in other words, superpowers. I have always found the human physiology really interesting so I was so pleased when Schwab had decided to include some intriguing information about what might trigger these abilities to become manifested and why the abilities differ from each person. In fact, I found these speculations so fascinating that I could have read even more about them.

While reading the book, I could visualise everything that was happening at that moment in the story. The events were filled with tension and mystery and I'm 100% sure that Vicious would make a great movie (if the studio had a good vision and the budget was right). There definitely were elements of a superhero movie in the novel, probably because the author was trying to emulate a science fiction film in a form of a book. And she did a really good job doing that. But I really liked that instead of writing a book which clearly presented the superhero and the supervillain, this time the roles were almost reversed and it was difficult to determine who was the bad guy and who wasn't. I recommend Vicious to everyone who is interested in reading an unusual superhero book filled with complex character and intriguing plot. 

☆☆☆☆

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Description from Goodreads:

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

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I have some very mixed opinions about Looking For Alaska. While I liked the story in general,  about having confidence in yourself, having regrets and how to overcome them, there were somethings that kept me from fully indulging myself in the story. I don't read contemporary books that often, and when I do, I'm usually pretty harsh on them (I don't even know why??) when reviewing the novel, so it might be why I'm being tough on this book as well.

John Green's writing is one of my favourite things ever. He has this very unique writing style which makes his books stand out with originality. It makes you almost think of how the protagonist is talking out loud, talking to the reader, and I can almost hear Green's own voice when I'm reading his books. The quirky, even a bit weird, dialogues are so much fun to read and the interactions between the characters never cease to surprise me. I will never stop loving Green's writing as it's witty, smart, and fun as I always seem to want to read another book by him (even though everything he does with the story isn't to my liking)

Even though I usually love John Green's characters as they are imperfect and flawed which essentially makes them human and realistic, I struggled to connect with Pudge and Alaska. Their story was really touching and definitely made me think about my own relationships, but Alaska especially was a bit frustrating from time to time. Of course that's part of her charm too - you can't decide if you love her or hate her. Green definitely knows what he's doing when he is trying to write complex characters, and he wonderfully succeeds in it, but I do want to identify with the characters too. And it didn't happen for me this time. 

However, despite the fact that I couldn't fully connect with the main characters, I was able to sympathise with them. None of them seem to have exactly an easy life despite attending a private school (or maybe that's one of the reason why they don't lead an easy life). One of the reasons why I liked Looking For Alaska, and Green's books in general, is because he always writes stories which are just heart wrenching. They aren't all about discovering who you are and what love is, but they are stories that could actually happen to you and show that life isn't all about rainbows and unicorns. There is certain authenticity in Looking For Alaska which makes you respect the book. 

Those who enjoyed Paper Towns by John Green will most definitely also enjoy Looking For Alaska. The Fault in Our Stars is one of my favourite books ever, but I feel like the other books by Green haven't been able to match with TFIOS. I still haven't read Will Grayson, Will Grayson or An Abundance of Katherines yet, but I do want to read them at some point as well. I love Green's style of writing so much that even if he wrote a manual for washing machine I would probably want to read it. Actual rating 3.5 

☆☆☆

Waiting on Wednesday (#18)

Waiting on Wednesday is about sharing a book every week you cannot wait to be published. This week, I'm waiting on

The Infinite Sea 

(The 5th Wave #2)

by Rick Yancey

Genre: Young Adult, Post-apocalyptic, Romance, Survival, Aliens 

Pages: 480

Expected Publication: September 16, 2014

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

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Ahhh! The Infinite Sea has to be in the top 3 of the most awaited books of 2014. I remember after reading only 20 pages of The 5th Wave and I was completely sold and just had this feeling that this series will be one of my favourites. Ever. Of course the first book ended phenomenally and now I'm left hanging and waiting for the book 2. I have so many questions and I'm sure that they will be answere. Hehehee, so excited!

Top Ten Tuesday (#15): Books I'm dying to read

Top Ten Tuesday this week is about 

❄ Books I'm dying to read ❄

1. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas. I think this goes without saying, am I right guys?

2. The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2) by Rick Yancey. I recently read The 5th Wave and it was simply amazing! It has to be one of my favourite reads of 2014, so it goes without saying that I'm so stoked for the book 2. 

3. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Lesley Walton. My love for beautiful prose is infinite and I've heard that the language used in this book is simply marvellous. I need to read this magical realism book. Soon.

4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I have no excuses why I haven't read this yet. 

5. The World of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. I've seen some of the artwork that is going to be included in the book and it was absolutely gorgeous. It's great that we get something like this before the next novel comes out. 

6. The Mirror Empire (Worldbreaker Saga #1) by Kameron Hurley. I really haven't heard people talking about this book but it sounds really intriguing! I hope it will turn out to be just that. 

7. Talon (Talon #1) by Julie Kagawa. Oh yisssss!

8. S. by J.J. Abrams. Have you seen a physical copy of this book and everything that includes? If you haven't, you need to see one immediately. It will blow your mind with all the  effort that has been put into the book. 

9. The Archived (The Archived #1) by Victoria Schwab. I finished reading Vicious by  the author just couple of days ago, and I really liked her style of writing. And since The Archived has a compelling premise, I just had to include this to my list.

10. Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch. I don't think there are any words how much I want to read this book - it sounds amazeballs. 

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I have a mighty need!

The Three by Sarah Lotz

Description from Goodreads:

They're here ... The boy. The boy watch the boy watch the dead people oh Lordy there's so many ... They're coming for me now. We're all going soon. All of us. Pastor Len warn them that the boy he's not to­­--

The last words of Pamela May Donald (1961 - 2012)

Black Thursday. The day that will never be forgotten. The day that four passenger planes crash, at almost exactly the same moment, at four different points around the globe.

There are only four survivors. Three are children, who emerge from the wreckage seemingly unhurt. But they are not unchanged.

And the fourth is Pamela May Donald, who lives just long enough to record a voice message on her phone.

A message that will change the world.

The message is a warning. 

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I was pretty excited when my request on NetGalley was accepted. The blurb sounds pretty awesome as it gives you sort of pre-apocalyptic/terrorism/thriller vibes. I plunged into reading The Three and while I found it an enjoyable read, it wasn't exactly a horror or science fiction novel like it had been categorised on Goodreads. I was certainly surprised and captivated by the story, but I never had to know what was going to happen next. The novel tried to tackle a pretty ambitious concept, and I felt like it half succeeded, half let me down.

The story is told in the format of interviews, emails, and audiotapes of the caretakers of the survivors and witnesses of the events that took place after the plane crashes. Basically, the readers are allowed into the lives of the sole survivors through the experiences of bystanders like uncles, grandmothers, cousins, and friends. That's why the reader has to constantly question whether to believe these statements they give - there is no objective perspective to the story most of the time, so the author has let the readers decide themselves what to believe. I really liked this way of story telling as it kept the readers on their toes. The downside to it was that I found the other accounts far more interesting than the others. Paul & Jess's story was the most interesting, but the events that took place in the Africa weren't as compelling.

Like already mentioned, The Three is categorised as horror and science fiction novel which strikes me a bit weird. I think it was trying an attempt at a horror novel, but I think I found only one scene in the book scary and I'm pretty sure that doesn't automatically make the story to belong in the horror genre. I think the categories mystery and thriller were spot on, but sometimes I feel the thriller genre was a bit forgotten as occasionally there were  quite many moments when the scenes just dragged on without any thrill in them. Most of the chapters ended in a sort of 'uh oh' feeling which made you want to  see how the events would develop. But I never got into that zone where I just read as quickly as possible just to learn what happened next. 

The last 30 pages of the book were definitely my favourites. The ending was very suspenseful and I loved how some of the pieces locked into their place, even though the end was some what open-ended. I usually like endings like The Three had and I'm glad the author was able to pull of a pretty intriguing ending. Like the rest of the book, the readers are left on their own to decide what to make out of the whole story. I'm sure some people would have liked a more definite ending, but I felt like it was an appropriate way to end the book as it was a loyal to the rest of the book's character.

The Three isn't the most quickly paced thriller I've read, and that might have lowered my view of it, but nevertheless I found it an intriguing depiction of what could be the beginning of an apocalypse. Certain characters like Paul & Jess, and Pastor Len really absorbed me into their worlds and I was really entertained. However, I feel like there was something missing in the story and I really can't put my finger on it what this could be. Lack of action? Too many point of views? I would definitely recommend the story to people who are intrigued by the description and see for themselves if it's something they like. Actual rating 3.5

☆☆☆

Stacking the Shelves (#15)

It's Saturday and so it's time for Stacking the Shelves!

Here is my haul from this week:

❄ Hardcovers ❄

The Falconer (The Falconer #1) by Elizabeth May

❄ Paperbacks ❄

 

 

How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan
The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo
Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen
The Demon King (Seven Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima
Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson

❄ Graphic Novels ❄

Saga, Volume 1 (Saga #1-6) by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Stables

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I'm pretty content with all of these even though I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't buy any books on May. Well, no harm done I suppose even though all of these weren't exactly essential except for Saga, The Demon King, and Mistborn: The Final Empire.

Storm (Elemental #1) by Brigid Kemmer

Description from Goodreads:

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake.

Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys; all the ones she doesn't want. When she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot, everything is about to change. Chris is different from the guys at school... really different. He can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. The brothers are powerful and dangerous. And now that Becca knows the truth, so is she.

When the mysterious new kid, Hunter, turns up, Becca thinks she can trust him. But when he goes head-to-head with Chris, Becca's left wondering who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

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I have to admit something. I've been wanting to read Storm for ages now, but I never actually ended up buying it for one reason: the first edition's cover was a bit tacky. I have to be really intrigued by the blurb if I'm going to buy a book with a cover which makes me just cringe. But then my luck turned when I saw that Storm was requestable on NetGalley and hit that button with a speed of light - finally I could read it! And I don't regret requesting Storm for a second. 

I know that the setting will be to the liking of many girls: a reverse harem. There are the Merrick brothers, Hunter, and also the bullies of Becca and the enemies Merrick Four, so there is a lot of testosterone going around. In fact, there were very little female characters which can be either a good thing or bad thing, depending on who you are asking. I fall somewhere in the middle of that scale as I really liked the different personalities of the brothers (and also how their personality traits reflected their elements) and how they went pickering on. The Merricks didn't form a big happy family, but more of a dysfunctional and untrusting group of young men. Their conversations were always full of fire (no pun intended) and anger which never made their interactions boring.

I was quite surprised how much romance there was included in the book. And even though I don't usually go for the most epic romantic love stories in the world, I really ended up enjoying the relationship dynamics. I have to warn though, that there is a strong element of love triangle going on. Both Chris and Hunter are courting Becca that admittedly creates some delicious scenes that I clung onto while reading. While Chris might have been better pick me appearance-wise, I really liked Hunter and how he was with Becca (Hunter is one dreamy guy, let me tell you). They had great chemistry and I always seemed to be giggling when they flirted or the moment got a bit heated. 

The whole story kept me intrigued from first page to the last page, even though I did find the story line a bit predictable from time to time. It didn't however lessen my enjoyment while reading. I liked the action packed events as well as the more romantic scenes which still make my heart flutter when I think about them. The only disappointment for me was the ending which was a bit anticlimactic. Despite the fact that I could see what was coming from a mile away, the ending didn't meet my expectations at all. It was a satisfactory ending, but it didn't really make any kind of impression me - the book just kind of ended. 

The description of the book says that "Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys; all the ones she doesn't want." Spoiler: It's pretty obvious that this is referring to the fact that she has been sexually harassed, and some guy has spread stupid rumours about her. Even though this happens in real life as well, I couldn't help but feeling that the author had somehow romanticised this whole situation, which I didn't approve at all. Even though the portrayal of Becca's trauma is believable, I felt like the author used it as a means to make Becca become highlighted for the love interest, and also to show how she need a guy in order to be rescued from her distress. It is almost like Becca couldn't survive it if it wasn't for a male counterpart, and my inner feminist didn't really like that. I'm not explaining myself really well, but I hope you get the gist. 

But in general, I liked Storm. I wished there had been a bit more supernatural element to the story, as majority of the story was dedicated to the relationships. But then again, the relationships were really interesting to observe. I read the second book's blurb and I found  out that all the books concentrate on a different guy which interesting and a bit worrying at same time. I will most definitely read the next books as Storm was entertaining and fun to read, even with its flaws. Actual rating 3.5

☆☆☆

Top Ten Tuesday (#14) Books that I almost put down but didn't

Top Ten Tuesday this week is about 

❄ Books that I almost put down put didn't ❄

1. Demonic Dora (The Demon Diaries #1) by Claire Chilton. I should've had put it down when my instinct told me so. Despite the few occasional laughs, I'm not sure how much good I have to say about this book. It was just plain weird and illogical, and not in the interesting way.

2. Unearthly (Unearthly #1) by Cynthia Hand. Yes. I'm ashamed. The beginning of the story was a bit too cliché for me, but I'm so glad I decided to continue reading - the trilogy is so great!

3. Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades #1) by E.L. James. I was curious, so I read this (actually all three, don't ask me why, I'm not even sure myself). 

4. Mila 2.0 (Mila 2.0 #1) by Debra Driza. Again the beginning was somewhat predictable and I was a bit bored with the story, but luckily I continued. Somewhere at 50% the story just picks up and all these amazing things are included. I can't wait for the book two!

5. Dracula by Bram Stoker. I did give this novel 3 stars, but occasionally it was a bit dull and I just kept waiting something to happen. Yes, lots eventually happen in the book, but I would be lying if I said that I didn't expected something else.

6. Fallen (Fallen #1) by Lauren Kate. Why didn't I put it down? I think private school setting is a bit ruined for me thanks to this book. I can't really say I liked anything about Fallen. Sorry to all those who liked this, but I just didn't - at all.

7. Shattered Secrets (Book of Red) by Krystal Wade. You know when an author is trying too much and decides to include everything?

8. Hexed (The Witch Hunter #1) by Michelle Krys. I hate high school/cheerleader drama and the beginning of this book definitely gave a large serving of it. The book eventually changed its direction to focus more on the supernatural which suited me just fine, and the change made me like Hexed more.

9. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Another confession - I almost put down Fangirl. Now, don't get me wrong - I looooved it. But sometimes I just felt like I was experiencing all that  shit that Cath was going through, and the reading became really difficult emotionally. Good thing that I never put it down as I ended up really enjoying the novel.

10. City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare. So I was quite late with this series and I read the first book after lots of people had created this huge hype around it. City of Bones didn't exactly meet my expectations as I imagined it to be so different that I almost stopped reading it.  I stuck with it, nevertheless, and it turned out to be an okay read. I still have to read the rest of the books which I'll most likely do, but maybe not in the near future. 

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So okay, whoa, there were lots of confessions in this list. What books did you list, and do you share any these opinions with me?

Everbound (Everneath #2) by Brodi Ashton

Description from Goodreads:

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

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YESSSS. Definitely yes! The first two things that pop into my mind while thinking back what sort of reading experience Everbound was: lots of lovely lovely scenes of Nikki and Jack, and the ending!! I need to know what happens next! Too bad that Evertrue, the third and final book of the trilogy costs £11.99 which is just too expensive for a student like me to buy, especially when it's a paperback. I think I need to wait a month or two for the price to g o down a bit or try to find a used copy that's in a prime condition. Because I need to know what happens next, ugh!

Ashton definitely didn't let me down with the second book even though I was a bit worried how the book would turn out to be. Even though the story was a bit predictable from time to time, and it took some time to get the action going, the book was so good! I loved the depiction of Everneath and in fact, I wished that we would have gotten even more of it. On the first few pages (at least my copy) had this beautiful drawing of Everneath and its different layers. I was so pleased that we finally got to know what sort of place it really is and how are the beings which inhabit the place. 

Just like in the first book, we get really sweet and romantic flashbacks to Nikki's past when she was still friends with Jack which I totally loved because Jack is one perfect love interest! The flashbacks might have been some of my favourite scenes, which is a bit weird because I'm not all about fluffy scenes, but the scenes with Jack and Nikki were so perfect, that ughh. I just can't. You need to read so you get what I'm meaning! I was also a bit surprised the fact that even though I'm team Jack to the end, I started also warming up for Cole. He can be a pretty decent guy when he wants, but also totally self-absorbed and selfish which just makes me both love and hate him at the same time. 

And how about the ending! I already said that the ending was just superb, but I just need to emphasise it once more: it all came out of the blue! I'm sure that it must have taken back quite many readers as Everbound ended in a cliffhanger which just might be one of my favourite cliffhangers as it was puzzling, sad, exhilarating, and just simply unexpected series of events. After I finished the book, I just rushed to my flatmate and rambled about the ending for at least 20 minutes and how I couldn't believe what just had happened. That's how you write a good cliffhanger!

So yes, as you might have deducted already, I really liked Everbound. It wasn't exactly perfect, but it kept me entertained and I'm really looking forward to the third book even though I noticed that Evertrue, the final book, hasn't gotten as positive reviews as the first two books. Yikes. I have to admit that I usually don't end up liking the concluding books, but I really hope this is not the case with Everbound series! 

☆☆☆☆

Sunday Post (#6)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead." 

✿ What I read this week ✿

❄ The Three by Sarah Lotz
❄ Hexed (The Witch Hunter, #1) by Michelle Krys

✿ Reviews ✿

❄ The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Curse, #1) by Marie Rutkoski ♡♡♡♡

✿ Memes ✿

❄ Top Ten Tuesday 
❄ Waiting on Wednesday 

✿ Around the blogosphere and elsewhere ✿

❄ New stills from The Giver movie shooting
❄ When did abuse become okay?
❄ Time to sign up for Bout of Books if you want to participate
      (it starts tomorrow)

✿ What else I've been up to this week ✿

1. Summer Reading Challenge and Semi-hiatus post. I'm being super busy with the finals so I haven't had time to write any new reviews, but I have 10 days left which means soon all this studying will be over for a while!

2. Eurovisions. The contest was yesterday, and even though I was disappointed a bit with the performances this year, there were a few gems as well. Congratulations Conchita Wurst who won the contest!!

3. Watercolour painting. I've become obsessed with the art form! I think I've watched at least two dozen of different watercolour painting tutorials, and I'm planning to buy some supplies for the summer to try it out myself. I love how especially watercolour portrayals look like - sooo beautiful!

4. Read-a-long for the Way of Kings and Mental Health Awareness Month. I signed up for both of these, even though I might struggle a bit with the read-a-long event, because I still have one exam left as the event starts. But I'll probably make it!

5. Mother's Day. It's Mother's Day in my home country, and for some reason I have been extremely emotional for the whole day. Maybe it's because I just read this heartbreaking blog post about having a motherless Mother's Day which was so touching (I had tears streaming down my face). I'm so lucky to have an amazing mother whom I adore and love so much. It's a shame that I can't spend this day with her as we live in different countries, but my thoughts are with her. ♡

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