Read This Month, July and August

(July) & August

1. The Idiot Brain, Non-fiction, ✦✦✦.5✧
2. Sea Witch, ebook/audiobook, REVIEW, ✦✦✦.75✧

Data:

Male/Female author:

         50 % female,

         50 % male

Genre:

         50 % non-fiction,

         50 % retelling/magic

Pages:

       670 p

Format:

         25 % e-books,

         25 % audio books,

         50 % physical books

Average:

         3.6
Arcs:
          50 % sent to me (for honest reviews)

*For stars and more info check my Goodreads: link*

Read on lovelies,

S

Harry Potter Spells TAG

Flagrate: Writing charm

A book that you found interesting, but would like to rewrite

Dream a Little Dream started off so well, but by the last book it didn't keep up

- - -

Alohamora: Unlocking charm

A first book in a series that got you hooked

Snow Like Ashes, so good yet it it took me years to actually finish the series

- - -

Accio: Summoning spell

A book that you wish you could have right now

To Kill a Kingdom

- - -

Avada Kedavra: Killing curse

A killer book

Renegades, was a great one!

- - -

Confudo: Confusion charm

A book you found confusing

The Princess Saves Herself in This One, I just don't tend to read poetry

- - -

Expecto Patronum: Guarding spell

Your spirit animal book

Nope can't decide

- - -

Sectumsempra: Dark curse

A dark, twisted book

Three Dark Crowns? Kind of

- - -

Expecto Patronum: Guarding spell

A childhood book connected to good mmemories

The Ella books

I recently found them on BookBeat (e-book and audiobook service) and they are hilarious

- - -

Expelliarmus: Disarming spell

A book that took you by surprise

Not that I didn't think I'd like it, but My Lady Jane was so good!

- - -

Prior Incantato: Reverse Spell

The last book you read

Pallokala was the previous one

My current read is Heart of Iron

- - -

Riddikulus: Boggart banishing spell

A funny book you've read

Herding Cats (I have a review coming up later)

- - -

Sonorus: Amplifying charm

A book you think everybody should know about

I can't say that it'll be good, book I am so looking forward to the book To Kill a Kingdom link

- - -

Obliviate: Memory charm

A book or spoiler you would like to forget having read

Enigma

I have a post about reading old favorites and being disappointed and that's what happened with this one

- - -

Imperio: Controlling curse

A book you had to read for school

Well there's The Crucible

- - -

Crucio: Torture curse

A book that was painful

Alien Busters was really hard to get through

- - -

Read on lovelies,

S

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning : Review

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

*e-ARC kindly provided by the publisher HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review!*

Publication: July 31st


SUMMARY
Everyone knows what happens in the end.
A mermaid, a prince, a true love's kiss.
But before that young siren's tale, there were three friends.
One feared, one royal, and one already dead.
- - -
The rise of Hans Christian Andersen's iconic villainess is a heart-wrenching story of friendship, betrayal, and a girl pushed beyond her limits - to become a monster.

Goodreads' link to the book!
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Stars: ✦✦✦.75✧

So as usual, I'll tell 3.75 things I liked about the book and 1.25 thing I didn't like.

So what did I think?

+1 | The idea and premise is clever and intriguing. I'm just so drawn to fairytale retellings, especially unpredictable ones. 

+1 | Characters. The set of characters were so different and I wanted more


+1  | World and building. The magic and world is unique. It's also told in a way of skipping to the past at times, which by the end made things even more action packed!

+0.75/-0.25 | Entertainment value. It was a roller coaster - that kept me reading.

-1  | The first 25% of the book. Honestly I almost stopped reading, and over the years I've learnt to actually DNF books instead of wasting time, but something kept me reading - and because of the last 25% I am so glad I did!

Read on lovelies,

S

Book Cover pt2: Dislikes

Book cover likes and dislikes

I think we all have those things we find really off-putting on covers, and things that draw us in so here are the picks for my least favorites:

I really don't like it when the authors name is bigger than the title, but the thing is that's what sells - the name. Another think I usually don't like is people on the cover, especially photos of ones

Case in point:

link to book

link to book

Enigma: I've talked about this book before, not in the best light, but I mean that cover. I, yeah, I'm just gonna leave it at that.

City of Bones: You know what? I don't think I need to explain myself with any of these...

link to book

link to book

link to book

link

link to book

Read on lovelies,

S

Also anyone else notice how my favorites had a color scheme of lightness and colors,

and on the other hand these are darker.

Getting Rid of a Sticker and its Residue

Today was supposed to be a review of Sea Witch by Sarah Henning, but life got in the way and I'm still in the middle of reading it.
So instead here's something different!

- - -

I'm sure a lot of us has experienced this. Every once in a while we buy a book and it has a sticker on the cover (promotion, sale, used copy... too many reasons) and we peel it off - and the residue stays. And. It. Won't. Budge.

At this point you try to rub it creating goo lumps eventually just smearing the mess. Then we might google, but we can't just risk the book. But I've done it so you don't need to!
So for getting rid of a sticker and its residue read on.

Before continuing on with your own testing, try the possible materials on a bit of the cover first to make sure it won't be harmed!


1) Getting the sticker off

- Take a blunt object with an edge (ex. a ruler), but nothing too sharp so you won't puncture the cover

- Start with the corner of the sticker and once it lifts up use the edge of the ruler to push the sticker, until you can pull it with your fingers

- Note: in case of multiple stickers, finish with one sticker completely before starting another so nothing sticks to the goop while you work

At this point the materials to use differ based on the cover material type.


For non-absorbent covers
(ex. leather, cloth, plastic covered, some of the velvety feeling ones, most naked hardbacks):

2) Get something alcohol based, or not
- You can use perfume or nail polish remover, or even just oil
(I even managed with non-alcohol based nail polish remover)

- Add a few drops to a piece of paper and start rubbing the sticker

- You can finish off with a dry or damp (with water) paper to get rid of any moisture left


For other covers
(ex. most hardback jackets, paper, non-shiny I guess):

2) Rubbing

There's a couple ways of doing this, but each work because of friction and the residue will start to clump up

- Take an eraser (or even just a piece of paper) and rub the sticky parts. Don't use a crumbly one and do note that this will cause lots of crumbs to clean off, but the stickyness will be gone

- The I'd-even-say-iconic way would be to try blotting the sticker's residue with the sticker itself, but this would take quite a long time. So instead take a piece of tape and instead of blotting it stick it on (while still holding the ends) and rub it against the book

What not to do:

- Don't use heat on it like you can with wood, it will curl the pages

- If you're using any liquids, don't leave it on too long, it might soak through the cover

- Also with liquids try not get any of it on the book pages, because though they will dry they might end up curled

Another warning: it does get worse, before it gets better!

Read on lovelies,

S

Mid Year Book Freak Out TAG

I've done this tag before, and here it is again since we're slightly over the halfway mark again.
2016 link


1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2018.
My Plain Jane
2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2018.
A Reaper at the Gates
3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to.
Sea Witch
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year. Archenemies

5. Biggest disappointment. So not the lowest rating but one I had high hopes for - There's Someone Inside Your House

6. Biggest surprise. Again not the highest rating, but was surprising - To Kill a Kingdom

7. Favorite new author.(Debut or new to you) Helen Hoang (Kiss Quotient)

8. Newest fictional crush. Hm, I have no idea

9. Newest favourite character. Again, no idea

10. Book that made you cry. None, I don't think

11. Book that made you happy. My Plain Jane

12. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received) Jane Eyre from the classic lines collection

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
I've done really well with reading all the books I've bought before this year (I have posts about that system) and the only two I have left are: The Idiot Brain and The Season of You and Me

*For stars and more info check my Goodreads: link*

Read on lovelies,

S

Read This Month, May and June

May & June

1. The Academy REVIEW ✦✦✦✧✧
2. Smoke in the Sun, (Series Finisher) REVIEW ✦✦✦✦✧

-

1. The Kiss Quotient, ebook, REVIEW ✦✦✦✦.5
2. The Reaper at the Gates, REVIEW ✦✦✦✦.5
3. Save the Date, audiobook ✦✦✦✦✧
4. The Beauty of Darkness, audiobook, (Series Finisher) ✦✦✦.5✧
5. #Prettyboy Must Die, audiobook ✦✦✦.5✧
6. Book of a Thousand Days, audiobook ✦✦✦✧✧
7. To Kill a Kingdom, audiobook ✦✦✦✦.5
8. When Dimple Met Rishi, audiobook ✦✦✦✦✧
9. My Plain Jane, ebook, REVIEW ✦✦✦✦✦
10. Stalking Jack the Ripper, audiobook ✦✦✦✦✧

Data:

Male/Female author:

         100% female

Genre:

        33 % retelling,

        33 % romance,

        17 % fantasy,

        17 % crime/

Pages:

       4 774 p

Format:

        58% audio books,

        25 % physical books,

        17 % e-books

Average:

         3.96

Arcs:

         42 % sent to me (for honest reviews)

*For stars and more info check my Goodreads: link*

Read on lovelies,

S