Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! :)

So, I have decided to put together a list for those who are in the mood of Halloween. I know I am! What is your favourite part about Halloween?

Books for Halloween

1. Asylum by Madeleine Roux. It's creepy, haunting and the photos inside are just scary to look at. The atmosphere of the book is so tense that it's downright scary to read late in the night. This book is for fans of the series Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children!

2. Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender is about sisters Kasey and Alexis who have just moved into a new house with their family. Everything starts off alright, until Kasey begins to act strangely - from speaking in different languages to changing eye colour. It's creepy and a good read.

3. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake sounds good. It's about a ghost hunter, Cal, who stumbles along a vengeful spirit - Anna. She kills anyone that she faces, but for some reason, she decides to spare Cal. Hmm, anyone sensing a darker motive? Or maybe some romance? Probably not though...

4. The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender (again!) sounds really interesting. Delia's new house was originally an asylum for 'troubled girls' like herself. Naturally, she gets trapped inside her own home, which is also haunted by the ghosts of the girls. I'd love to see if she makes it out! I've always loved books about asylums and stuff...


So, what do you think? Which books would you recommend for Halloween? Have a great day! :)

Red Queen

Title: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

First Published: February 10th, 2015

Series: Red Queen #1

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia, Sci-Fi

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 383

My Copy: Ebook

My Rating: 8.5/10

Goodreads Summary:

This is a world divided by blood - red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart...

Library of Souls

Title: Library of Souls

Author: Ransom Riggs

First Published: September 22nd, 2015

Series: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #3

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Available As: Paperback, ebook

Pages: 400

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary:

The adventures that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued with Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. 

As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discov
ers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

Hollow City

Title: Hollow City

Author: Ransom Riggs

First Published: January 14th, 2014

Series: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #2

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 416

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary:

September 3, 1940. Ten peculiar children flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help them—but she’s trapped in the body of a bird.

The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom. Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

This book does not disappoint! As eerie and chilling as the first book, the sequel is a great read that had me on the edge throughout the whole book.

Being thrown into the harsh world, the gang desperately tries to find a way to save Miss Peregrine before it's too late. I really liked how we saw many more peculiars and how it wasn't just humans. All these new abilities! I like how Jacob developed his ability a bit more in this book, and he's on the road to fully being able to control it. Right now, it still brings him discomfort when he uses it.

I hope they do manage to solve everything in the last book (*sob it's a trilogy) and that things will get better. What will Jacob do? Will he stay with the peculiars? Or will he go back? I think he'll stay with his friends. What does going back to his old life bring him? I think he would just be miserable. Maybe he won't follow his grandfather's footsteps in this one.

What do you think of the cover? When I first walked past the book in the bookshop, I didn't even notice that there was a hole in the girl. But I think the cover describes the book pretty well. I think this is my favourite cover of the three books.

I can't wait to read Library of Souls. I know it's going to be really good. I'm also hoping that the movie will be good. Well, Tim Burton is directing it so I'm sure he'll catch the atmosphere!

My Chosen Quote:

“Laughing doesn’t make bad things worse any more than crying makes them better.”

The Probability of Miracles

Title: The Probability of Miracles

Author: Wendy Wunder

First Published: January 1st, 2011

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: YA, Contemporary Fiction, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

My Rating: 8/10

Goodreads Summary:

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

When I picked up this book and saw it was about a girl with cancer, my mind immediately jumped to The Fault in our Stars. I wondered if this book would be as sad as that one.

I'm happy to say it's not (as) depressing.

In Promise, Maine, everything seems to be looking up for Cam. She's getting better, she's making new friends and meeting new people... Especially the cute guy Asher. Their relationship grew on me. At first, I didn't really see them together, but at the end, you can really tell that they love each other.

So, steering clear of any spoilers, this book was really well written and it makes you appreciate life a lot more. The ending was realistic, which I preferred.

So, if you liked TFIOS, this is a good book for you. Funny, deep and terribly sad at times, it reflects our lives and what it means to live.

My Chosen Quote:

"The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back."

October TBR

Hello October! It's been a while. So, here's my Octover TBR list, and all the books I'm waiting for. I hope I can complete this list (probably not...) Oops :)

Books on the TBR list

1. The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder. 

For those who like John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, this book has the same theme: cancer. Now, is it a sad story? Who knows? Maybe there will be a miracle somewhere in these pages.

2. Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake

I'm actually kind of disappointed that I found out about this series so late after it has been published. The first book, Antigoddess, was great. I always love a good re-telling of original myths/tales. I don't like Cassandra so much, but Athena is awesome.

3. Library Of Souls by Ransom Riggs

The third book and last in the trilogy Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children. As usual, I'm always one step behind everyone else in great series like this one. I read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children a while back, and I didn't think too much of it. But now rereading it, it was way better than I remembered! So I read Hollow City. Now onto Library of Souls... 

(I'm scared of how it will end.)

(I hope everyone will be okay)

4. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Yep, she wrote the Grisha trilogy. This book is even set in the same world! YES! More Ravka, more Fold, more danger. It came out late September and I just found out about this book on Goodreads. I should really pay more attention to upcoming books...

Books I'm waiting for

1. The Rose Society by Marie Lu

The second book of The Young Elites. What will become of Adelina? How far off the road will she stray to gain her power? How many new malfettos will we meet? I can't wait!

2. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan is working on a new series! This will be the first book in Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, this time based on Norse Mythology. Hey, maybe we'll see some old characters... Maybe not.

What books will you read? Any books you're anticipating?

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

First Published: June 7th 2011

Series: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 352

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary:

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. 

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

How often is it that you see a cover with a girl levitating? At first, when you walk pass the book, you might not notice it, but do a double take, and there it is!

The main reason why I picked this book up in the first place was because it had such a haunting cover. It's like the girl is hiding many dark secrets. So many questions flew through my brain. What is this book about? Peculiar children, how so? Then I flicked through the pages and the photos inside and they intrigued me. I love these kinds of books! So yes, I chose this book because of the cover...

Jacob is our leading protagonist in this book. From the beginning, we pity poor Jacob - his grandfather died in front of him, he's constantly plagued by nightmares and anxiety following his grandfather's death, but most of all? The mystery behind it. All those photos keep coming up and it's up to Jacob to solve the mystery. Who knew he would find so much more than he signed up for.

The story was amazing. I was sucked in from the very first page and I followed Jacob's journey from the past to the present then back to the past. All the peculiar children were so interesting! They have special abilities, but it's more realistic than ever. There's no 'turning it on or off' - the abilities are there forever. I guess having these kind of abilities will really come in handy, especially when up against the wights. What do they really want?

I highly recommend this book for those who like darker, creepier stories. I loved reading it and it's the kind of book that gets better the more you read it. I'm off to find Hollow City right now!

My Chosen Quote:

"I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was."