Mid Year Book Freak Out TAG

I wasn't planning on doing this tag this year since I've only read 12 books - of which none were 5 stars for me! But I thought that this, looking back and forwards, might work as a push to maybe read a bit more.

Also funnily enough, it turns out I've been doing this every other year. 2016 link & 2018 link and here it is again since we're a bit over the halfway mark again.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2018.
I've given two books 4.5 stars so far; Turn of the Key and The Guest List.

Which is surprising, since I wouldn't think that crime would be my favorite genre this year.
2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2018.
I haven't read any! My Calamity Jane and Come Tumbling Down are high on my list though!
3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to.
From ARCs I have and haven't gotten to yet; Faith and Burn
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year. Bookish and the Beast, One by One, Instant Karma, A Sky Beyond the Storm are all on my list

5. Biggest disappointment. Maybe Lady Susan? It wasn't bad (I gave it 3 stars), but especially comparing to Pride and Prejudice and Emma I was disappointed.

6. Biggest surprise. I think this goes back to my answer for the first question.

7. Favorite new author.(Debut or new to you) I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Ruth Ware! With adult crime though, at the same time I know it could either go really well or, well, not.

8. Newest fictional crush. I don't really get fictional crushes, more like I really love a good relationship dynamic. And oddly enough, the only "romance" books I've read this year have been Persuasion and Lady Susan. Maybe I should pick up a contemporary book next.

Also something to mention, I enjoyed the relationships in the book Hawk.

9. Newest favorite character. I really don't think I have one!

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

11. Book that made you happy. Book Love was definitely a cute one

12. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received) I haven't bough a single book! Well I guess I did, but it's a cookbook so does it count?

I've had this bucket list dream of cooking every single thing in a cookbook and I finally found one I wanted to go with; Magnolia Table. And it is gorgeous!

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
I went back to my post in January of anticipated reads, and I haven't read any! 4 out of the 6 2020 releases have already been released, yet I haven't read them.

How to Drag a Body and Other Safety Tips : review

How to Drag a Body and Other Safety Tips You Hope to Never Need: Survival Tricks for Hacking, Hurricanes, and Hazards Life Might Throw at You

by Judith Matloff

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

SUMMARY

A seasoned war correspondent, Columbia University professor, and safety consultant provides practical, proven strategies for women that gives them the power and resources to take on almost any crisis, disaster, or challenge—from hurricanes to harassment and beyond.

Goodreads' link to the book!
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Honestly I feel a bit weird giving this book a star rating, since it's more of a how-to type book.

I did end up giving it one, but didn't break it down like I usually do to how I came to that rating. Instead I wrote out my opinions, and what to expect from the book!

Stars: ✦✦✦✦✧

• This book goes through real life scenarios, though some might seem extreme, with tips an tricks from experience. It's written by a war reporter, so you know she has seen things.

• It's quite a reality check to help you feel in control. Whether it's by reading a section that applies or going through the book cover to cover. Overall I'd say it's a healthy way of being prepared.

• It's not simply "this scenario has this answer, that one has that", but has some story telling aspects to it, with humor also interlaced.

• I worked as a guard for some months, and in training we go through some worst case scenarios and what to do. The reality is you can never be sure you know everything and are prepared for anything. So simply having a game plan of where to find information is a great start! For example which folders have blueprints, or where the emergency meeting areas are.

" As Confucius once said, “He who fails to prepare, prepares to fail.” "

Read on lovelies,

S

400th Post

This right here is my 400th post(!), and I still can't believe that that is how many I've done!

I started in October 2013 with five reviews back to back (Graceling, Hunger Games, Gallagher Girls, Throne of Glass, Infernal Devices - all the ones everyone were reading). Actually, maybe I should go back and re-read Graceling and see how a review now would compare to my very first one? I'll put it into my thinking cap.

Then in 2014 I had a whopping 97 posts, with 12 alone in July! I started out with posts twice a week, T5W's (Top 5 Wednesdays) were here for a while.

Now it's just every other Saturday, a comfortable amount to me, with everything else going on. I haven't wanted to stop - and don't plan on for a while - even though my reasons to continue aren't all the reasons why I started.

I wrote about why I started in my very first post, and made another post four years later "Revamping an old Post" (link here). If you've read that post, then you know what I mean when I say thank you. Thank you for reading, even though it's not what I initially even really wanted. Yet here we are 400 posts later.

Read on lovelies,

S

The Guest List : review

Book by Author

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

SUMMARY
A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the author of The Hunting Party.


The bride ‧ The plus one ‧ The best man ‧ The wedding planner ‧ The bridesmaid ‧ The body

Goodreads' link to the book!
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Stars: ✦✦✦✦.5

So as usual, I'll tell 4.5 things I liked about the book and 0.5 thing I didn't like.

So what did I think?

+1 | The idea and premise was immediately intriguing. Honestly the plot got me at Agatha Christie

+1 | The writing with the atmosphere on the island fitting the story perfectly

+1 | The suspense and mystery was executed really well with jumps to the past to pace the story

+0.75 | The ending. Everything made sense in the end, just the way I love in mysteries. Sure there were things that I guessed and saw coming, but I did get to feel surprised as well

+0.75 | The characters. There were many but the main ones were distinct enough. The changing pov made sense for pacing and it made me speed through

-0.5 | The book had some adult themes, and at times I felt like some were just thrown in

Read on lovelies,

S

Opposite Books TAG

Opposite Books Tag

1. First book in your collection/Last book you bought.

- At least one of the very first ones was Elli, which my grandmother used to read me, and I still have it.

- The last book I actually bought myself would be an illustrated Harry Potter book.

2. A cheap book/An expensive book.

- The cheapest ones on my book were free if that counts, and the most expensive is actually the illustrated Harry Potter book which I answered for n.1 even though it was on sale.

3. A book with a male protagonist/One with a female protagonist.

- First female one to come to mind is Cinder, and for male I actually had to think about it and then felt stupid because, again, Harry Potter.

4. A book you read fast/One that took you long to read.

- The Wayward Children series is a super quick one, and classics take me longer to read.

5. Pretty cover/Ugly cover.

- The foil editions of the Hunger Games and then maybe the original covers for The Naturals (very happy they remade them, even though my editions now don't match)

6. A national book/An international book.

- I live in Finland and mainly read English, therefore the latter is basically everything I read. For Finnish books though Pallokala is for some reason the first to pop into my head even though I don't even own it anymore.

7. A thin book/A thick book.

- According to Goodreads the shortest book I own is Winter (827) and the shortest Statistical Probability of Love at first Sight (215).

8. Fiction book/Non-fiction book.

- Cheaper by the Dozen and for non-fiction the Hunger Games.

9. Very (way too) romantic book/Action book.

- The Kiss Quotient (a great romance, but some parts weren't exactly necessary to me) and Renegades.

10. A book that made you happy/One that made you sad.

- We Should Hang Out Some Time for happy and Dear John for sad, like the title already says.

Read on lovelies,

S

Hawk : review

Hawk by James Patterson

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

SUMMARY
A story for a new generation of Maximum Ride fans! Max's 17-year-old daughter Hawk is growing up hard and fast in post-apocalyptic New York City . . . until a perilous destiny forces her to take flight.

Goodreads' link to the book!

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Firstly I've never read any maximum ride books before, but wanted to give this a go. So if you want to know how it compares, or if it makes justice to the original - read someone else's review.

I think that there would've been plenty of Easter eggs for readers of the original series, but I wasn't confused - even though some things were written as if the reader already knew about it.

In the beginning I really wondered about the target audience and age group, and since the main character, Hawk, is a teen I went with that. When I started reading I agreed, with some "obvs" and even an emoji, in at least the ARC (advanced review copy), but as the book progressed I'm not so sure anymore. Maybe it has to do with the murders and swearing (at least insinuated swearing) - or maybe I'm getting old.

Stars: ✦✦✦✦✧

So as usual, I'll tell 4.0 things I liked about the book and 1.0 thing I didn't like.

+/- 0.5 | Believe-ability, but again taking into consideration the target audience.

+/- 0.5 | Characters, a whole variety (and lots!) of them.
And not to say I was overwhelmed with the amount of characters, but maybe if I'd read the previous books I wouldn't have felt like I needed more from some of them?

+1 | World and world building. Especially since it was a new one to me, I found it quite fascinating.

+1 | Writing, story arch and speed 

+1 | Plot and basically entertainment value. I can definitely see why his books are so popular, I feel like I just flew through it!

Read on lovelies,

S

Turn of the Key : Review

Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

SUMMARY

When she stumbles across the advert, she's looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss: a live-in nanny position, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten by the luxurious 'smart' home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.

What she doesn't know is that she's stepping into a nightmare - one that will end with a child dead and her in a cell awaiting trial for murder.

She knows she's made mistakes. But, she maintains, she's not guilty - at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.

Goodreads' link to the book!
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I heard about it from Kayla @BooksAndLala, and was immediately intrigued when I heard what it's about!
So what did I think?

Stars: ✦✦✦✦.5

So as usual, I'll tell 4.5 things I liked about the book and 0.5 thing I didn't like.

+1 | The writing. Though done through letters to a lawyer,  I kept forgetting it. That's how immersed I was in the story telling. Also everything written is intertwined and for a reason, like a classic Agatha Christie

+0.75/-0.25 | The characters, an array of different characters. Keep in mind that the main character isn't exactly one you'd root for

+1 | The atmosphere. Partly due to writing, partly characters, but mostly the way things are planned out and happen. The pacing was also so well executed

+1 | Plot twists galore. And not just the basic who-done-it, but also even the fact that we don't know who dies for so long. Then there's the characters, reasons, meanings...

+0.75/-0.25 | The ending. It was wonderfully done, and I also think what happened was told brilliantly. But I would've loved to know a bit more after the end. Then again I enjoyed speculating myself.
Also the feeling of realization and thinking back with the thoughts of how did I not see that - that's the good one.

Read on lovelies,

S