Top Ten Tuesday #11: Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The First Half of 2016 (December 29)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The First Half of 2016.

Tina
1. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken I'm dying to read this book. I bet half of America has already the arc and I still haven't...
2. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
3. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas - Rhys!!!!

Wendy
1. Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers
2. Black Hearts by Nicole Castroman 
3.Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyar 

Shon
1. Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyar

2. The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski

3. Half Lost (The Half Bad Trilogy #3) by Sally Green

4. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) by Pierce Brown 

Tina's Disappointments of 2015

Over the course of the last three months, I was encouraged by a few readers to check out some of their favorite series. I gave each of book one a try to test the waters before delving into future reading. Much to my disappointment, my expectations were too high.

Shon had started her list in a previous post - Shon's Disappointments of 2015 (view here)
I want to add a few of my own...


The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

This is my most recent read. The book seems to be popular among the younger crowd and I was curious about the author so I picked it up. The writing isn't bad. The flow of the story is too slow for my taste.

The beginning didn't capture my interest and the start was rough. When the key characters were introduced and the story finally fell into place, the book was already ending. At least she found her brother at the end. If through it all, she never returned her brother home, I would have been exasperated. Maybe that deserves +half a star.  





Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
 

Another celebrated author, the story didn't contain "horror" as summarized. Cas is completely ordinary. He does not have supernatural powers. He does not have a group that battles with him. Yet he is a ghost slayer and his mother is a white witch. Cas comes on a chase to find Anna, this horribly tragic ghost that has taken countless lives. And the Creole ghost that ate his father. Without meaning to, he finds friendship in a small town and forms a close bond with them as they help him tackle the badass of ghosts.
 
Ok, the flow of the story isn't bad. I guess I just don't love it. It's hard to wrap my head around a prom queen liking the school weirdo/bullied and a teenage ghost slayer falling in love with his ghost prey. Yeah.



The Winter People by Rebekah L. Purdy 

The progression of the story is another slow one. In all honesty, I almost wanted to give up on the book but it's such a short book...  I thoroughly disliked how carelessly Salome tosses the word "friendship". Very strangely, she catches the attention of three boys and they each want her affection. And she throws herself at all three. Bizarre.
 
You begin to learn there is a reason why the boys are after her and why her emotions are all over the place. But it takes her a very long time to understand these newly founded emotions. She just isn't bright.  
  

Disappointed with these stories, I didn't feel compelled to post the reviews on the blog. But here, I can casually list a few ~ let me know if you feel the same.

Shon Review My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

Title / Author: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday

Stories by Stephanie Perkins (Editor), Holly Black, Ally Carter, Matt de la Pena, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, Kiersten White

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Year Published: October 2014

Genres: Young Adult, Short Stories, Romance, Contemporary, Holiday, Christmas

Source: Bought

Rating:  3/5 stars

Other Titles from this Author: Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, Isla and the Happily Ever After

Synopsis

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Year's there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love.

My Review

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories is twelve short stories from twelve bestselling young adult authors.  With that many bestselling authors in one book, you would think that this book would be a slam dunk.  It was not.


Midnight by Rainbow Rowell
Rating: 1.5/5 stars
Not a good start to the book.  I have very little desire to read a full story from Rainbow Rowell after reading this short.


The Lady And The Fox
Rating: 1/5 stars
HOW IS THAT A HOLIDAY STORY!  


Angels In The Snow by Matt De La Pena
Rating: 1.5/5 stars
The story of a staving college student during winter break.


Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han
Rating: 3/5 stars
I had such high hope for this story.  I read my first Jenny Han books this year.  So, I was hoping this story would save me.  It started of good but the ending was let then satisfactory.


It's A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Not a big fan of Stephanie Perkins after read Anna and the French Kiss (see my review here) but, this was a cute story. 

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan
Rating: n/a
After reading the previous story, I could not get into this one.  Will try again next year.


Krampuslauf by Holly Black
Rating: 0/5 stars
Why?!?!?!!?

What The Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman
Rating: 5/5 stars
I really like this story, I have only read one book by Gayle Forman, and that was If I Stay. I am curious to read other works by her.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire
Rating: 5/5 stars
The title caught me off guard but, I really enjoy this one.  It was a cute story. I might have to check out other works from Myra McEntire.

Welcome To Christmas, CA by Kiersten White
Rating: 5/5 stars
Another cute story. I enjoy reading this one also. I might have to check out other works from by Kiersten White.

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter
Rating: 5/5 stars
Yet, another story I like. Might have to check out other work by Ally Carter.

The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Rating: n/a
After reading the previous story, I could not get into this one.  Will try again next year. Maybe!

Shon's Biggest Disappointments of 2015

I was over at Ready, Set, Read! and saw that she post her 10 Biggest Disappointments of 2015. This got me thinking about all the books that were a miss for me this year. 

So without further ado, here are my biggest disappointments of 2015.

Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

The plot of Hello, I Love You sound interesting and very unique. (They had me at K-Pop). Sad to say that this book is not for K-Pop fans or anyone who is a fan of all things Hallyu.

I gave this 2 out of 5 stars








Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

I had high hope for this book, the cover art was beautiful. Cruel Beauty was not what I expected it to be. The book was supposed to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast but it was hard to get into the story. The characters were nothing special. The book wasn't really well written, in my opinion. I can not see myself continuing with the series.

I gave this 2 out of 5 stars

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Disappointed once again. A Darker Shade of Magic has so many good reviews, that after reading this book I felt let down by it. This book took me longer to finish than I would have like, simply because there was such much character and world building at the start of the book. At time I got bored with the story and had to put the book down. I will not continue with this series.

I gave this 2 out of 5 stars

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

So many people loved Anna and the French Kiss while I had such a strong dislike for it. There were a few jokes here and there that made me laugh. There were several times when I honestly had to put the book down and walk away for a while because I was getting so frustrated with the story and characters. I'm just happy it is over, and I have no wish to continue to read the rest of this series.

I gave this 2 out of 5 stars

World After by Susan Ee

World After by Susan Ee
Published November 19th 2013 by Skyscape
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia, Paranormal
Page: 320
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review by: Tina

 Synopsis

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

 
Review

To the world, Pen is dead. But she survived and her family is returned to her. However, Pen is fearful of her sister; she is unfamiliar with her scars and robotish mannerisms. And her mother is even more irrational in mood and behavior. Who can she count on to watch her back?

Separated from Raffe, his angel sword is the only thing that keeps her company. His sword teaches her swordplay and choreography so she can better protect herself and accomplish her tasks.

Through her journey, Pen discovers the dark secrets the angels are hiding. What she thought that currently plague the skies and nights as insect monsters and demon children are actually creations by the angels to campaign against humanity.

This is an even faster read than book one. Even when Pen is separated from her family and she struggles to find her path, she stays strong and level-headed.  I especially enjoyed the creative scenes of Pen's combat. I also enjoyed the scenes when she learns Raffe's heart and true nature and the humor behind each of Pen and Raffe's interaction. 


Love the fight scenes. Love the hints of romance. Love the villains. It's the overall package.

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Angelfall by Susan Ee
Published May 21st 2011 by Skyscape
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia, Paranormal
Page: 288
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review by: Tina

 Synopsis

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

 
Review

The beginning is slightly hunger gameish in the sense that the world has gone crazy and it's the end of humanity. The protagonist is a young girl with a non-present mother and a weak younger sister.

What strucks me is that this is the closest story to Daughter of Smoke and Bone I have read to date. Fallen angel befriends human, gets into the midst of angel vs human war, and ultimately saves the world/mankind? Both stories were released in the same year. I didn't think I'd enjoy this read so much. Well this is where the comparison ends.

The angels are sent to Earth but no one knows for what purpose, including the angels. The angels are fighting amongst themselves to become the next "Gabriel," God's messenger, while the humans are left poverty stricken, starved, and in fear. There are creatures not of demon or human but some hybrid that roam the streets. Political and personal agendas spark everywhere. The angels fight for dominance of Earth and humans struggle for preservation.

Very well written and great character development. I enjoyed the depth of each character and eccentricity. I'm excited to see how they will change or act in the next book.

Top Ten Tuesday #10: Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year (December 22)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year.

Wendy
1. Harry Potter: The Coloring Book #1
2. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
3. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
4. Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
5. To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Shon
1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Hardcover Boxed Set by Rick Riordan 
2. The Heroes of Olympus Hardcover Boxed Set by Rick Riordan
3. The Kane Chronicles Hardcover Boxed Set by Rick Riordan
4. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 1: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
5. The Lunar Chronicles Hardcover Boxed Set by Marissa Meyer

One Lovely Blog Award

Tangled 'N' Books was nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award by the wonderful Genni @ Ready, Set, Read! Thank you for the mention~!


The Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. List the rules and display the award button.
3. Give seven facts about yourself!
4. Nominate fifteen other bloggers for the award and make sure to notify them!
5. Display the award button on your blog and follow the blogger that nominated you.

Facts:

1. Tangled ‘N’ Books blog was created in September 2015 by three friends, Wendy, Tina and Shon. After spending many months checking out other book blogs and vlogs we decided it was time that we created our own.
About Wendy

2. The baby of the group, who loves books & that includes smelling them & admiring them on bookshelves.

3. Wendy's favorite books are Vampire Academy series, Twilight, The Hunger Games
About Tina

4. Tina love all things arts - cooking, baking, and photography!

She had a fondness for reading for as long as she can remember. Tina enjoy the exuberant feeling of getting lost in an epic series.

5. Tina's favorite genres are dystopian and fantasy. She is not too fond of contemporary since it takes away the senses, "A book needs to inspire and awe me in order to capture my interest."
About Shon

6. Shon is the oldest of the three. She loves to eat, watch TV/movies, read books and drink way too much coffee.

7. Shon's favorite books are the Harry Potter series, Vampire Academy series, Catching Fire, Divergent and The Winner's Trilogy. Her favorite genres to read are dystopian, crime, fantasy, mystery, YA, thriller and suspense.

Our nominees:

1. Bookish Bluebird
2. Bookish Wonderland
3. A Booklion's Hideaway
4. BookishRealmReviews
5. Always Me
6. Mathematically Minded and Literary Loving
7. The Book-Addict 101
8. TheNotebookBlogairy
9. The Candid Cover
10. The Bookish Theory
11. Florals N Dragons
12. Book Lovers Blog
13. A Kernel of Nonsense
14. Woven Magic Books
15. Zaira's Book Corner

Top Ten Tuesday #9: Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015 (December 15)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015. (I think we mostly all picked the same titles as last week haha)

Tina
1. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
3. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Wendy
1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
3. Cinder by Marissa Meyer 

Shon

1. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

2. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski 

3. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

4. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Top Ten Tuesday #8: Top Ten New-To-Me Favorite Authors I Read For The First Time In 2015 (December 8)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten New-To-Me Favorite Authors I Read For The First Time In 2015.

Tina
1. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater - my new favorite author!Just finished The Wolves of Mercy Falls series and now reading The Scorpio Races.
2. Rainbow Rowell - I didn't hear about her until October! Fangirl is my favorite contemporary fiction!
3. The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa - I have seen these beautiful covers and wanted to give the stories a go! Plus, she has a pretty good following so I'm trusting her series is awesome.

Wendy
1. James Dashner - The Maze Runner 
2. Victoria Aveyard - Red Queen 
3.  Michelle Hodkin - Mara Dyer Triology

Shon
1. Marie Rutkoski - The Winner's Curse & The Winner's Crime

2. Jenny Han - To All the Boys I've Loved Before & P.S. I Still Love You 

3. Marissa Meyer - Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)

4. Kasie West - The Distance Between Us

5. Patrick Ness - A Monster Calls

The Rose Society by Marie Lu

The Rose Society by Marie Lu
Published October 13th 2015 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia, Romance
Page: 395
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review by: Tina

 Synopsis

Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?

 
Review

Very very good. Very very dark.

The story develops in a menacing way. Each group is out for their own gain. If they work together, perhaps they could compromise in some way. Instead, all groups twist their knives at one another until there was no turning back. Until there was no one left in the world they cared about.

Adelina is even more unstable in this book. Her allies are strong but are they loyal? Again, I wish I knew what went on in Raffaele's head. I want to see more from his point of view.

The transition of Adelina turning sinister reminded me of a story called Berserk. Bones, darkness, and death engulfs a person's soul as he continues to kill. Before long, he is the last human alive standing on top of mass graves. Yeah, this story turned real dark. I hope she finds redemption in the final book and gain her sanity.

A big plus, the story ends with a big reveal.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Published October 7th 2014 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia, Romance
Page: 355
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Review by: Tina

 

 

 Synopsis

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.
Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.
It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt. 
 
 
Review

I saw this series mentioned several times and decided to pick it up. It took a little while for the story to pick up.

There were some subtle sentence structures that makes me cringe and descriptions that I needed to quickly glance over, but overall I enjoyed it.

I'm glad this story didn't allow me to compare it to another story. It's unique in its way to stand out. Often times, a particular genre ends up feeling like a copy of another book. All the characters were unique and interesting. Raffaele, the consort, was a very unique character; I'd like to see his point of view from time to time. Enzo, the prince, could be more developed. Adelina and Violetta, are two very messed up sisters.

Good story. Good plot. I can't wait to read more.