Avatar the Last Airbender Book Tag| Carenza Bramwell

Avatar is one of my favourite TV shows. I remember adoring it as a kid and all the times I've watched it since. I saw a lot of people tweeting about it so I just had to rewatch it. I've almost finished Season Two and as I'm deep into my Avatar feels, I wanted to do a Book Tag based on it. I found this one, created by BookTuber A Clockwork Reader. This tag is split into the four nations and each section has three questions.

Water

1) Katara and Sokka: Best sibling relationship

The only sibling relationship that comes to mind when I think of siblings are the Weasley Twins from the Harry Potter series. I am going to try and not use HP that much as everyone adores it. But you can't deny that the Weasley twins have the best sibling relationship. They're just iconic.

2) Yue: Favorite star crossed lovers

I'm not sure if they count by Lazlo and Sarai from Strange the Dreamer have an amazing relationship. They meet under such beautiful yet unusual circumstances and the relationship that grows from their is incredible. They are one of my favourite literary couples.

3) Blood Bending: A book with a disturbing/unsettling concept

I would have to say that Beautiful Boy by David Sheff tackles some disturbing themes. It is a non-fiction book about his sons journey through drug addiction. It doesn't shy away from the utterly horrifying parts of drug addiction. It was a very difficult book to read, but has a valuable and interesting portrayal of drug addiction.

Earth

4) Toph - A character who's strength surprised you/or surprised the other characters in the book

I know I've already mentioned Strange the Dreamer but Minya really took me by surprise. Externally she is a child of around 8, but she's actually in her mid twenties. Some the things she did really took me by surprise and took the characters by surprise. She was a very morally interesting character in the end.

5) The Tales of Ba Sing Se - best short story/poetry collection

This is technically cheating as it isn't a collection of short stories but the only thing that comes to mind for this prompt is Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge. This is a non-fiction book by British journalist Gary Younge, writing about gun crime in America. Through it, Younge tells the stories of ten young men who all died on the same day due to gun related deaths. It's a very hard hitting book, but one I think more people should read.

6) Kyoshi Warriors: Best warrior character

I would have to say that Witchers from The Witcher count as warriors as I can't think of many others that I've read about. I've read the first three books in the Witcher series and I can say that the Withcers are warriors of a kind. They certainly know how to put up a good fight and kill monsters.

Fire

7) Zuko: Best redemption arc/a redemption arc that should have happened

Everyone who answers this question always says that Zuko has the best redemption arc and rightly so. It is very difficult to think of an equally good redemption arc when Zuko's exists. I'm not sure this comes close to being a redemption arc, but Jessamine from The Infernal Devices goes through some series character development. Especially in later books, she actually starts doing good deeds and makes up for some of her poor choices in the first two books.

8) Iroh: Wisest character

Again, Iroh is a character that is in a league of his own and no one can come close to him. That being said I'd say Starr from The Hate U Give is one of the wisest characters I've read from. She goes through so much yet comes so far. She also knows when to fight and when to back down. She is an incredible main character.

9) Azula: Best downfall

One of the most satisfying downfalls I've read in a while has to be the villain from The Diviners. I won't go into details as it is quite spoiler-y but it was so good to watch the characters tear him down. It was one of the few times I've felt scared by a villain and was thankful he had an epic downfall.

Air

10) Appa: Favorite fictional animal/pet

I have to pick the two cats from the Shadowhunter Chronicles, Church and Chairman Meow. Any cat will always be the best fictional pet, but these two are pretty great.

11) Aang: Purest cinnamon roll

No one can change my mind by Reed from Serpent and Dove is the purest cinnamon roll ever. He is so sweet and I adore him. I also adore Lou from S&D. Basically that entire cast of characters is pretty great and they deserve happiest as they're so sweet.

12) Avatar state: A stubborn character/a character that struggles with letting go

I'm going to cheat and pick two characters, but June and Day from the Legend series were so stubborn. They were both so fixed in their ways. I still think they were pretty great characters but could have been a tad less stubborn.

So that concludes my answers to the Avatar the Last Airbender Book Tag! If this looks interesting, then I tag you.

Carenza :) x

My Favourite Authors- 2020 Edition| Carenza Bramwell

If you scroll into the depths of my blog, you will find an ancient blog post from 2016-17 (oh those were to good days, can we go back to then?) which lists some of my favourite authors from the time. Three to four years later, it's safe to say that my reading tastes have changed a lot, so I am making an updated reading list which includes my current favourite authors. Quite a few authors have been removed from that list for various reasons and lots of new authors have been added. 

Cassandra Clare

Cassandra Clare made the cut in 2016/7 and she makes it again this year. Cassie's books will always hold a special place in my heart as they were the books that led me to discovering YA books. I've always been a bookworm, but these books opened the door for me and made me want to read all the time. I am always excited for the latest release from Cassie and what she's going to do with my precious babies next. The Infernal Devices will always be my favourite series from her and I am enjoying being back in that world so much with The Last Hours. Cassie creates easy to read, yet highly engaging books. She has some of the most diverse book casts out there and there is a book and character for everyone.  

Adam Silvera

Another writer who made the cut on the original list and makes it again is Adam Silvera. Despite the fact that I didn't enjoy his most recent release, Adam is still the king of contemporary novels. I've read all of his contemporary releases to date and each one punches me in the gut harder than the last one, which is just rude. Adam always tackles incredibly important issues, especially LGBT ones and being Latino. He has a way of creating characters that makes you fall for them and get emotionally devastated when he ruins their lives. Just once can't he write a happy contemporary where they have a happy life?   

Laini Taylor

For the first new to this list author, I had to choose Laini Taylor. Exactly a year ago, I read Strange the Dreamer and fell in love with her writing style. She has such a beautifully descriptive style, yet the story and meaning never get lost in the words. Her characters are also so layered that you can't help but fall for them. I had the pleasure of meeting Laini in 2017, after the release of Strange the Dreamer and I was ashamed that I had never read one of her books before. The Strange the Dreamer duology is amongst some of my favourite all time books, from the exterior to the interior, these books are some of the most beautiful I own. I am slowly making my way through the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series and thoroughly enjoying it.  

Shelby Mahurin 

A little book called Serpent and Dove dropped last year and changed my life. It had been a very long time since I had fallen head over heels in love with a book. I am desperate for the sequel to come out in about a months time in the UK. It was a book that I couldn't put down. It was a book I didn't want to put down. I was desperate to find out what would happen to Lou and Reed next. They had one of the best hate to love relationships I have ever seen. The characters were sassy and funny. I hope nothing too bad happens to my little beans in Blood and Honey but knowing what authors are like, they do like to torture their characters and readers.  

Taylor Jenkins Reid 

I remember everyone raving about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and saying how great it was. For once, they hype was aptly deserved. That book was incredible. It was another one that I couldn't put down and I read it in about two days. I loved how the story moved from the present day to Evelyn's life. The title draws you in, you want to know why she had seven husbands. But ultimately you want to know who was the true love of her life. The characters felt so real and the way it was written, you felt as though you had been dragged into the book. You were going along on this journey with the two main characters. I did also enjoy Daisy Jones and the Six, but not as much as Evelyn. I look forward to what Taylor releases next and to catch up on some of her books that are currently released. 

Alice Oseman 

Finally on this list is one of my new favourite contemporary authors, Alice Oseman. Alice writes the best UK based YA Contemporary novels. I have loved pretty much everything she has released. All her books tackle LGBT themes, which is something you don't see that often in UK based novels. She is also the only British author to make it on this list. The Heartstopper series is so wholesome while tackling quite series issues. She just knows how to craft a story and how to make you care. I will automatically buy anything she releases. She also happens to be an exceptionally talented artist and I am desperate to get my hands on some of her artwork.

So that concludes my new favourite authors list. I imagine I'll update this in about five years time with new favourite authors. Who is your favourite author?

Carenza :) x

An Updated Anticipated 2020 Releases| Carenza Bramwell

I've decided to do an updated anticipated releases for the remainder of the year. Part of the reason why I have decided to do this is because I've found so many books to read and partly is because I am trying to read more diversely. My previous list wasn't very diverse. There are also a few books that were on my previous list that will no longer feature on this list for a multitude of reasons. 

There will be some releases on this list that have already come out but I haven't gotten around to purchasing yet. Most of this will not be out in the UK at the time of publishing this list.

The Ones That Have Been Released 

The Gravity of Us

The Gravity of Us is an LGBT+ novel about two boys who are connected through the NASA Space Programme. It came out in May but I've been on a bit of a book buying ban and haven't bought any books since April. I'm always on the look out for more contemporary novels, especially LGBT+ ones. 

The Court of Miracles 

Described as Les Miserables meets Six of Crows, this book looks right up my alley. Set in 1828 after a failed revolution in Paris, a group of the worst people (thieves and assassins) have gathered together to form the Court of Miracles. It is a reimagining of Les Miserables and uses characters from the original if the French revolution had never happened. 

A Phoenix First Must Burn: Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance and Hope

I stumbled across this when I was looking for more diverse books to read, especially by black authors. It features sixteen short stories from black authors which focus on fantasy elements. I haven't read many black fantasy stories, so this really intrigued me. 

The Black Flamingo

I had seen the Black Flamingo advertised everywhere, so I decided to add it to my list of books to read. It is about a young black queer British man and follows him from a young age until he is an adult. It is all about his journey of discovering his identity. I know that it is written in an usual format so I'm excited to add it to my list of books to read. 

Clap When You Land

This is another one I had seen floating around for a while. Elizabeth Acevedo, the author, has released two other books which have been met with high praise from the bookish community. I know that she uses a prose style writing and that her work is often very poetic. This one is about two girls who met after their father dies in a plane crash. 

The Ones That Haven't Been Released

You Should See Me In A Crown (July 2nd)

Everyone was talking about this book on Twitter after it came to light that the author wasn't receiving much attention due to the current pandemic. It's a contemporary novel about a young woman who is aiming for prom queen to earn a scholarship but ends up falling in love with her fellow prom queen rival. It is by a person of colour and is LGBT+ so I'm super excited to read it.  

Girl, Serpent, Thorn (July 7th)

This is a YA fantasy that I've seen floating around a lot. I've heard some rumours that it has LGBT rep in it and is based on Persian myths. It's about a cursed princess who finally has to come out of hiding for her twin brothers wedding. I don't know much about it but the things I have heard make it very interesting and the cover is gorgeous.  

Loveless (July 9th)

A very anticipated release of mine is the latest Alice Oseman novel. This one is about a young woman going to university and discovering she is asexual. Alice Oseman is an amazing LGBT+ writer and I am so excited for her newest release. 

The Black Kids (August 4th)

This was another one I stumbled across after searching for books by black authors. It is roughly based on the Race Riots of 1992 in LA. It is described as being perfect of fans of The Hate U Give and as it has some connection to real historical events, it is one I am very excited to read. 

Dangerous Remedy (August 6th)

Dangerous Remedy is another French Revolution story, expect this one is very diverse with characters of colour and LGBT+ characters. It has characters from different classes. I just have a weakness for stories set during the French Revolution as it is one of my favourite historical periods, so much so that I wrote my own for my degree. And yes, I made it very gay. 

The Lost Book of White (September 1st)

Another release from Cassandra Clare. This is the second book in her Magnus and Alec spin off series. I can't actually remember what happened in the first book so I'll need to reread it, but I'm always gonna buy Cassie's books. 

Blood + Honey (September 2nd)

My most anticipated release of the year. I am dying to find out what will happen next to my favourites. I need to find my copy of Serpent and Dove to reread it before this comes out. Fairyloot is doing one of their collectors boxes for this release and you can bet I will be buying it. 

Nick + Charlie (September 3rd)

Another release from Alice Oseman. This is already out as an eBook, but is finally getting released in physical format. It is a short story about Nick and Charlie, the two main characters in the Heartstopper series, as they are about to go to university. I am so excited for it that I cannot put it into words. 

The Confession (September 3rd)

This is the latest release from Jessie Burton. I'm just waiting for it to come out in paperback in the UK. I loved her novel The Muse, but wasn't the biggest fan of The Miniturist. I know this one is about a woman trying to find out something that happened to her mother in the 1960s and it sounds very interesting to me. 

A Deadly Education (September 29th)

I've heard that this is a much darker, more female version of Harry Potter and that is something we need right now. The basic premise is you graduate or you die. It's got witches and it's got some great sounding female characters so you can bet I'm buzzed about this one. 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (October 6th)

VE Schwab's novels are a bit hit and miss with me. I've yet to read one I adored. But this, an adult fantasy, based on the story of Faustus, sounds incredible. I'd never put it on my TBR until recently but now that I know what it's about I am so eager to read it. 

The Once and Future Witches (October 15th)

This is another historical fantasy witchy book set in the 1800s, can you see that I have a weakness for this type of book? I'm also going to have to admit that this is partly because the cover is so gorgeous. 

The Hand on the Wall (November 12th)

The final, I believe, in the Truly Devious series is coming out in paperback in the UK. I've really enjoyed the other two books in this series and Maureen Johnson is a great writer. I need to continue with her London mystery series that I started earlier this year. 

These Violent Delights (November 17th)

My final entry on this list is a asian retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in the 1920s. It is a debut novel and I have been following this closely on Twitter. I am a sucker for Romeo and Juliet stories, especially when they have good adaptations. This sounds incredible and I just need it to be November already.

So those were all the books I am excited for in 2020. I'm hoping they're good as sadly a lot of my 2020 anticipated releases have been very disappointing so far. 

Carenza :) x 

My Book Rating System| Carenza Bramwell

Over the years, since I joined the bookish community back in 2016, I have developed a system for how I rate books. For me as a reader, it is important to have a set way of rating books so I can know which books I liked, which I didn't and this helps me with which books I should keep. In today's post I will be explaining my book rating system, why I no longer use Goodreads (sort of) anymore and how my system has developed over the years. 

My Book Rating System

My book rating system is fairly self-explanatory. Like Goodreads, I use 1-5 stars. I very rarely use half stars anymore, which is something I'll explain later in this post. I'll give you a quick run down of what each star means:

• 1 star- I absolutely hated this book, there were no redeeming qualities 
• 2 stars- I disliked this book, but there were elements I could see why people liked
• 3 stars- this book was okay, I liked bits of it but there were more things I didn't like overall
• 4 stars- I really liked this books, but there were a few things that I didn't like but the good outweighs the bad
• 5 stars- I adored this book, it was perfection, I would die for this book and it is consuming my life in an unhealthy way

In all honesty, my book rating system is fairly simple. I've been using this specific system since late 2018 and I've found that I have a consistent rating system. The reason my system has changed a lot is because since I've started studying creative writing at university, I've spotted that I am much more critical of other writers work. I do miss just reading for fun, but now when I love a book, I really love it.  

I mentioned earlier that I have stopped (mostly) giving half stars since using this system and that is because I think it is easier to see which category a book fits into. However, there are a couple of books that sometimes fit in between certain categories. This category falls in the middle of 3 and 4 stars. Sometimes a book is good, but it isn't good enough to be a 4 star book. An example of a recent book that falls into this category is Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed. On my goodreads account, I've rated this book 4 stars, however in my reading log it is a 3.5 stars. This is because, while I enjoyed it a lot, I found it predictable. It was a fun, fluffy contemporary and there is nothing wrong with it. It just didn't wow me. 

My Reading Stats

Yes, I am a total nerd and spent way too long working out my bookish statistics. As of publishing this post, I have read 336 books on Goodreads. 48 of those books I read for either school, college or university. 

I then had a super nerdy moment and I made a pie chart with my star ratings, for anyone else that's super nerdy about this sort of thing here are the stats for that pie chart:

8 books have no rating (2.4%)

2 books have 1 star (0.6%)

21 books have 2 stars (6.25%)

88 books have 3 stars (26.2%)

126 books have 4 stars (37.5%)

90 books have 5 stars (26.6%)

48 books read for uni/school (14.3%)

The following stats are my average ratings according to Goodreads for the last four reading challenges I took part in:

2019- 3.7

2018- 4.0

2017- 3.9

2016- 4.0 

Why I No Longer Use Goodreads

Like many readers, I have moved away from Goodreads to some extent. From 2018 all through 2019, I posted reviews on every single book I read on Goodreads as a way of tracking what I had read and my thoughts on it. I have since stopped doing that because I found it a bit too much and because I wanted to keep my thoughts to myself. Often, at the time of finishing a book I will have a lot of thoughts on it, but looking back at some of the books I've read over the years, I doubt I would feel the same way about them now. I keep a track of my thoughts and ratings in my creative journal now, and I've found this method works for me.

How I've Developed My System

The main reason I've developed this system is because as a reader, I've matured a lot. I no longer give 5 stars to every book like I used to in 2016. It takes a lot to give a book five stars. So far in 2020, I have read 19 books and I've only given two of them 5 stars. I've developed this system to be a more consistent book rater. 

To me, this system means I can make sure there is a clear indication of my feelings towards it. As I've already mentioned, my thoughts will change over times, but these ratings are meant to indicate how I felt at the time of reading it. I wanted to make it harder for a book to get a five star rating for me as it felt that I used give out a lot of five stars. Now, when I give a book five stars, it does genuinely mean that I loved it and it has become one of my all time favourite books. 

So, that concludes my post on how I rate books and how I developed this system. How do you rate books? Do you have a criteria for giving a book a certain rating?

Carenza :) x

Review- Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare and Others (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- Ghosts of the Shadow Market
Author- Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brenan, Maureen Jonhson, Kelly Link and Robin Wasserman
Series- The Shadowhunter Chronicles
Published- 2019
Page Count- 624
Publishing House- Walker Books
Genre- YA Urban Fantasy
Rating- 3/5 stars

About the Authors

Judith Lewis (née Rumelt, born July 27, 1973), better known by her pen name Cassandra Clare, is an American author of young adult fiction, best known for her bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

(Taken from Wikipedia)

Sarah Rees Brennan (born 21 September 1983)  is an Irish writer best known for young adult fantasy fiction. Her first novel, The Demon's Lexicon, was released June 2009 by Simon & Schuster. Brennan's books are bestsellers in the UK.

(Taken from Wikipedia)

Maureen Johnson (born February 16, 1973) is an American author of young adult fiction. She has published thirteen young adult novels to date, including such series as the Truly Devious novels, the Shades of London series, and Suite Scarlett. Johnson's work has also appeared in numerous written anthologies and comprises notable collaborative works with her contemporaries, such as Let It Snow, a holiday romance novel currently under adaption to film for distribution by Netflix.

(Taken from Wikipedia)

Kelly Link (born 1969) is an American editor and author of short stories. While some of her fiction falls more clearly within genre categories, many of her stories might be described as slipstream or magic realism: a combination of science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, and realism. Among other honors, she has won a Hugo award, three Nebula awards, and a World Fantasy Award for her fiction, and she was one of the recipients of the 2018 MacArthur "Genius" Grant.

(Taken from Wikipedia)

Robin Wasserman (born May 31, 1978) is an American young adult novelist.

Wasserman grew up outside of Philadelphia and graduated from Harvard University and UCLA. Before she was an author she was an associate editor at a children's book publisher. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, and is on the faculty of the Mountainview Low-Residency MFA program at SNHU.

(Taken from Wikipedia)

Plot

The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks and vampires. There the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray.

Follow Brother Zachariah and see, against the backdrop of the Shadow Market’s dark dealings and festive celebrations, Anna Lightwood’s first romance, Matthew Fairchild’s great sin and Tessa Gray plunged into a world war. Valentine Morgenstern buys a soul at the Market and a young Jace Wayland’s soul finds safe harbor. In the Market is hidden a lost heir and a beloved ghost, and no one can save you once you have traded away your heart. Not even Brother Zachariah...

Ghosts of the Shadow Market will be co-written with Maureen Johnson, Robin Wasserman, Sarah Rees Brennan and Pulitzer finalist Kelly Link and will initially be available digitally.

The first eight stories will be published as e-books from around March 2018 monthly, with the final two available in a print bind-up of all the stories, to be published in 2019.

(Taken from Goodreads)

Opinions

Normally, I am a huge fan of anything and everything that Cassandra Clare published, but this is the first time since I became a fan of hers that I haven't actively liked her book. I had really enjoyed both of her other novella bind-ups that had been published, but I found I didn't care much for this one. To me, it felt like it was published because there was a lot of nostalgia in some of the stories and to set up books that haven't been published yet.

If I'm being honest, I preferred the stories about the Lost Hours characters as it was nice getting to know what they were like. There was one novella that I absolutely loved, which I'll talk about in a bit. I also did like getting to know about Kit's backstory as he is one of my favourite characters. There were some stories that were about obscure characters, which to me, felt like they did need to be told. 

My absolute favourite story was Every Exquisite Thing. This was the second novella in the book and it was hands down the best. It delved into the backstory of Anna Lightwood, a character that will feature in The Lost Hours. It was my favourite because of the great representation. Anna is a genderqueer lesbian in a time when something like that would have been frowned upon. I loved this little story and I hope we get to see more from Anna as she is a character I am beginning to love wholeheartedly. 

The introduction of Mina Carstairs filled my heart with such joy. Seeing Jem have the family he wanted for so long made me feel insanely happy. To further this, the inclusion of Kit in this family almost brought me to tears. I'm hoping that in the Wicked Powers we will see some kind of brother-sister dynamic between the two. The fact the Jem named his daughter in honour of Will made me fall in love with the TID cast all over again. I may not have been the biggest fan of the novella she was introduced in, but the scenes with baby Mina were adorable. 

January Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

We're officially into the second month of 2018 and it's a bit scary how fast it's going. For me, 2018 is a big year and it's going to be filled with change, so if it could slow down a bit, that would be great. But, with it being a new month, it means I can reflect on all the things I loved in January. January was a good month. I did lots of reading and really got my mojo back.

Books

I read a whopping 10 books in January, but the standout book for me was Turtles All The Way Down by John Green. I picked this up for £1.99 in my local Waterstones and flew through it at the start of the month. I loved it. It was such an incredible representation of anxiety and opened me up to a whole new side of anxiety that I knew nothing about. The relationships between the characters were amazing. I am going to be writing a full review at some point soon. 5/5 stars from me. 

Culture

January was the month I finally saw Hamilton. I had been waiting to see it for almost a year and I finally saw it. It was amazing. It lived up to all my expectations. King George still remains my favourite character. I have some Hamilton merch and am very happy about it.

I also finally went to the Harry Potter exhibition at the British Library. It was phenomenal, but then the exhibitions at the British Library always are. I'm so excited to get to go back and finish the rooms I didn't get a chance to because I had to rush off to Hamilton.

I saw the amazing film that is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. I really enjoyed it and it definitely has some important issues at heart.  I would highly recommend it.

Bits'n'Bobs 

As I've already touched upon, I saw Hamilton in January and therefore I acquired some Hamilton Merch. I got a programme, as is my custom when I go to the theatre. I also got the King George t-shirt, which I adore. Lastly, I got the poster as I am a poster hoarder.

So, that concludes my January favourites. I think January was a really great month for me and I hope the rest of the year is as well.

Carenza x

Best Book Covers of 2016| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?
As it is almost the end of 2016, I thought that I would look back at some of the best covers we had in 2016. Now, there were a lot of amazing covers this year, but I have managed to get it down to the top 5 covers of 2016.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

The first book I have picked is Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. I think the cover is really striking and it fits the story really well. If you take the dust jacket, it has the raven underneath.

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

My next pick is Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter. I love that it's black with bright red font, but also that the font is curvy (if that's the technical). I like that the swan links to the story too.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling

Fantastic Beasts deserves to be on the list because this is probably one of my favourites of 2016. I absolutely love the Niffler on the hardback. It's just so pretty and that the font ties into the story. Also, the inside is very pretty.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas

The whole Throne of Glass series is stunning, but this is my favourite in the series. I like the pale blue of the title and the bright fire colours. I love white covers, but this is my favourite series with white covers.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

My favourite cover of 2016 is Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. This list wouldn't be complete without Cassandra Clare being mentioned. I love this version as well as the limited edition version from Waterstones.

So that concludes my favourite covers of 2016, let me know some of your favourite covers of 2016.

Love,

Carenza x

How to Bookworm #1- An introduction| It'sCarenzaB

Hey guys!
How are you?

Welcome to the first post in my "How to Bookworm" series. For a while I have wanted to do a series on how to bookworm and address things that I wish I had had answers to when I joined the book community in January. In this short post, I am going to be talking about the types of posts I am going to post and how often. Like it says in the title, this is an introduction post. If you have any ideas, please let me know in the comments.

What types of posts?

I have posts planned talking about the 6 following things:

1) An introduction (this post)

2) Time management

3) Inspiration

4) Participation

5) Bookstagram

6) Book Blogs

Each post will go into detail about their topics and give tips and advice to those who need it. They will be based around my personal experience and they'll be my personal tips. You may find that some of the tips won't work for you, but it's all about experimenting and trying something new.

How often?

There will be a post up once a month, typically in the middle of the month (15th-20th). However this may change if you guys would like these posts to be more frequent. I will be creating a tab at the top of my blog where you will find all the posts in this series linked in order.

I hope you guys are excited for my new series, I'm super excited to get writing them. Let me know if there are any topics I haven't mentioned that you would like blog posts on.

Love,

Carenza x

April 2016| It's Carenza B

Hello!
So today I have my first out of my 3 monthly posts while I am doing my exams. If you want more information about why I am on a break then click here. This post is a mix of my usual monthly posts: Wrap up and TBR, Favourites and Update. I hope you like this post as there will be one in May and June. Enjoy!

April Wrap Up and May TBR

The first book I read in the month of April was The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. This is the first book in the Raven Cycle. It's about a girl called Blue and how she ends up making friends with some boys she never thought she'd make friends with. Their names are Gansey, Adam, Ronan and Noah.  The boys are trying to look for a dead Welsh king and Blue ends up being sucked into their world. I gave this book a 3/5 stars.

The next book I read was The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. This is the second book in the Raven Cycle. It starts where The Raven Boys finished, but this book focuses more on Adam and Ronan than the last book did. I didn't like this book as much and felt that it didn't add much to the story. I gave this book a 2.5/5 stars.

Next I read the second book in the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs, Hollow City. To read my review of Miss Peregrine's click here. I loved this book so much, it picked up where Miss Peregrine's ended and took you on a roller-coaster of emotions. And that ending? It blew my mind, I can't wait to read the final book and see how this epic series ends. I gave this book a 4.5/5 stars.

The final book I read this month was Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin. I have never read a historical fiction before and I am glad I picked this one up as it was bloody brilliant. It is set in Germany in 1956, but instead of losing the war Hitler has one it. It follows a girl called Yael and her mission to kill Hitler. I have about 50 pages left to read, but I am already in love and I give this book a 4/5 stars.

I have picked 4 books to read in the month of May and they are:
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton, Me and Earl and the dying girl by Jesse Andrews, The Kill Order by James Dashner and The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I don't know much about these books, but I can't wait to read them,

April Favourites

Beauty

I have 3 beauty favourites this month. The first two are from the Body Shop and are from their Oils of Life range. I went into my local Body Shop and saw these behind the counter, and when I asked what they were the girl gave me and my friend them to try for free. They are so nice and make my skin feels super soft. I don't think I'll be repurchasing the large sizes as they are £28 each, but if you get a chance to try them then I encourage you to do so.

My other beauty favourite is from L'Oreal and it is a hair mask. It is super nourishing and makes my hair feel silky smooth. You guys know I suffer with extremely dry hair and this stuff helps so much.

Bits'n'Bobs

My first Bits'n'Bobs favourite are these super cute bookmarks from an Etsy shop called Happy Hello. I saw these first on lots of Bookstagram photos and I couldn't  resist. I have a Throne of Glass set, an Infernal Devices set and a Mortal Instruments set. They range from £1.50- £10. Shipping also gets more expensive as you add more to your order, but they do arrive quite quickly.

My next Bits'n'Bobs favourite is my Dobby Pop Funko simply because he is so cute. I love  Dobby so much and I was so happy when they made a Pop Funko of him. He was one of the ones I was most excited for when they released new ones.

My final Bits'n'Bobs favourite is my bookstagram. I am loving bookstagramming. When I started the month I think I had 20-22 followers now I have 34. To some this number might seem tiny and insignificant, but to me it makes me feel so happy. I've changed the way I take my photos and you guys seem to like them. 

April Update

1) Be more organised i.e be more tidy
This has been going really well, I have been planning my revision a lot more and have been getting more done as well. I've also been a lot more tidy in my bedroom, but my desk is still a tip and needs sorting.

2) Be more confident
This has been a lot better than the past months, I have had a lot of performances this month and I feel that my confidence has benifited from it. I can see a difference from the beginning of the year to where I am now.

3) To get fit and feel happy with my body i.e drink more water
This took a dip this month as I have been revising loads. I told myself at the end of March that I wanted to exercise everyday but I did not exercise at all. My plan is to exercise in the evenings at least once a week. But I have been trying to eat healthier and have been drinking more.

4) Study more often
This has been the best out of all my goals, I did 55 hours in total over the Easter Holidays and have been getting better at revising during the week once I got back to school. I'm kind of enjoying it, to be honest because I know that once it's over I can have all the fun I want and this makes it more bearable.

5) Do more of what makes me HAPPY
This has taken a back seat because I have been studying so much. But I still manage to have fun by reading and spending time with my parents.

6) Write and read more
I have done next to no writing this month but I have read lots and am super happy because of it. I'm getting better at planning when I can read and what books I want to read.

General Update:
Generally, I'm okay. I'm getting a bit stressed about exams and there are days when I just can't be bothered. I've done my first exam which was my Drama practical, I'm glad it's over. But my next exam is in 17 days and I'm starting to worry. 

So that is my first monthly post, I hope you liked it. My social media links are down the side and my business email is itscarenzab@gmail.com. I hope you're all okay and I'll next update you at the end of May!
Carenza x

Book Review Monday- Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Hello!
So I have my 4th Book Review Monday post and this time I am reviewing Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, I received this in the February Illumicrate (my review of which will be going up on 25/3/2016). I had never heard of it before then and was excited to read it, so without further ado here are my thoughts, feelings and opinions on Truthwitch.
WARNING: This review contains spoilers so do not read if you are/ want to read this book.

Cover

I'm going to be honest, I don't like the cover for this book. It has nothing to do with the book and I have no idea who the girl is supposed to be. I do like the typography used for the title though. Also I want to apologies for my cat being in the photo, he decided my bed was the best place to curl up on. Also, I am not mad keen on Hardback books. I'd say around 10% of my books are Hardback.

Plot 

What Goodreads says:
"In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.
Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.
Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.
In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch."

To be honest, this is the best way of describing the plot. The plot is quite simple: They are being hunted, but all the terminology made it hard to understand what was happening (I'll talk about this more in my Opinions section). The Goodreads rating for this book is 4/5 stars on average.

Opinions

I am going to be honest, I did not enjoy this book. It was very slow paced until the very end were everything seemed to happen. I felt as if there were too many action scenes and they were almost always straight after another. The one major thing that held this book back was terminology, I didn't understand half of it and it wasn't explained. I felt as though I spent more time trying to work out what was happening than actually enjoying this book. I don't think I would have read this if it hadn't have been sent to me. I do love the premise of this book, that it's two girls friendship that save the day but there wasn't much of that friendship in the book. I will be continuing with this series as I am interested to see were it goes but I don't have high hopes at all.

Also I have decided not to include a Characters section in this review as I find it really hard to explain the terminology and I felt that the characters were too similar to ones in the book and ones that existed in other books.

So that is my review of Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, please remember that these are my opinions and that I am not trying to offend anyone in anyway. You can now follow my blog by using the follow by email option and I have direct links to my Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads down the sides. If you have any business inquiries please drop me an email at itscarenzab@gmail.com

Carenza x 

Book Review Monday- Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs| Its's Carenza B

Hello!
So today I have another Book Review Monday and today's post is all about Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I read this over two days and I honestly can't wait to get my hands on the other books in this series. I read this over half-term, while staying in London and I have to say it has been my favourite read of 2016 so far. So without further a do, here is my thoughts, feels and opinions!
Warning:
This review contains spoilers, if you have not read this book I would advise you to read it and then read my review as I don't want to spoil it for you.

Cover

Can we just take a minute to appreciate this cover? Although my use of flash makes it brighter and probably wasn't the best idea, is this not a thing of beauty? It's a photo that is featured in the book and I love how the title is in several different fonts, which makes it seem even older and more rustic looking. Also the spine looks like it should be from some old fashioned book and I can't wait to put these beauties on my shelves! 

Plot

Miss Peregrine's follows a young boy called Jacob Portman living in Florida. Jacob grew up on his grandfather Abe's crazy stories about monster and were he lived during the war (World War Two). At first Jacob believes the stories but as he grows up he realizes they are just a figment of his grandfathers imagination. The story then jumps to a now teenage Jacob, who is unhappily working in his families chain store. He suddenly receives a phone call from his panicked granddad, who now suffers from a dementia like illness, demanding where the key is. Jacob tries to reason with him, but he hangs up. Upon arriving at his grandfathers house it is clear something is wrong, and he finds a trail leading into the woods. After a short distance he finds his grandfathers mutilated corpse and he sees some monster, like the ones his grandfather use to tell him about. His grandfather begs him to go and tell "the bird" that "they found him" and he dies. After these traumatic events, Jacob is sent to a psychiatrist and has regular appointments. While clearing his grandfathers house out, he finds a box of old photos and a letter from a mysterious women called Miss Peregrine's. He then decides to head out to the island his grandfather used to tell him about, after he has persuaded his parents and psychiatrists. The island is a small one of the coast of Wales and doesn't have much to do. After making his way up through the woodland, Jacob notices someone following him and he runs after them, going through this old cave. He is then jumped by the people he chased and they take him hostage, revealing he has time traveled to 1940. He notices that they have very peculiar talents and it is revealed that these are the children his grandfather told him about. He is then taken to to the house were his grandfather lived and introduced to everyone, including Emma Bloom (who took him hostage) and Miss Peregrine. He then spends the next few days travelling between the present and 1940. When weird things begin happening in the present, it is revealed that wights (a failed peculiar experiment) are trying to kill the protectors of the peculiar's. Jacob, Emma and the other peculiar's must fight off these threats and Jacob must also make his own decision about whether he will stay with the Peculiar's or will he stay with his parents.

Characters

The first character I am going to talk about is Jacob Portman. I really like Jacob, he is a slightly cheeky teenager who will do anything to infuriate his parents. He seems to despise his parents wealth and goes out of his way to hang around with people who annoy his parents. I could tell that there was a really close bond between Jacob and his grandfather, a possibly closer bond than Jacob has with his own father and that his father had with his grandfather. I got the feeling that Jacob wasn't close to his parents and that his parents didn't really care about him. I felt really sorry for him, and could see the change him in after he became obsessed with finding the island his grandfather had told him about. I was really surprised by his decision to stay with the peculiar's but at the same time thought it was for the best.

The next character I am going to talk about is Emma Bloom. Again, I really liked Emma but it did take me a while for me to like her. At first I thought she was a bit hot-headed and arrogant, but you learn that she doesn't want to see Jacob because he looks like Abe and she and Abe were lovers. You get this immediate  sense of some kind of relationship building between her and Jacob, but you are unsure as to whether it is romantic or not. I felt that Emma was the rebellious one of the Peculiar's and that she would do anything to save them. I was surprised by how old she was, I thought she was a teenager but when you see a picture of her she must be in her twenties at least.

The final character I am going to talk about is Miss Peregrine. I have a on-off relationship with her character as at first she was really nice and she let Jacob come and go, but then she becomes more cruel and either insists he stays or leaves. You learn that this decision is because she wants to protect the peculiar's, but still it's a bit harsh seeing as Jacob has only just discovered this world and he needs to get use to it. I am intrigued to see where her character goes as at the end of the book, she is stuck  as a bird.

Opinion

I am going to be 100% honest, I didn't want to read this book when my mum bought it in August. I thought it would be creepy and horrid and give me nightmares, but I was just judging it by its cover. It wasn't until I saw Jessethereader (Jesse) rave about it on his channel that I decided to pick it up. I really enjoyed it and found that I couldn't  put it down, and this is very rare that I will find a book like this. I really liked his writing style and found it so interesting that he came up with lots of the ideas from old photos. I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy and I hope he brings out more books, Ransom I need more books! I also believe that it's being made it to a movie but I'm not 100% sure.

So those were my thoughts, feels and opinions on Miss Peregrine's. If you have read this book, please leave a comment down below telling me what you thought. Don't forget you can follow my blog by clicking the follow button. Also don't forget to follow my Instagram and Twitter (@itscarenzab), and if you have any business inquires please email me at itscarenzab@gmail.com
Carenza x    

Book Review Monday- Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard| It's Carenza B

Hello!

Today I am sharing with you guys my second Book Review Monday, this time I'm talking about Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. As the second book in this series has just come, I think it's only fitting to talk about the first book. If you have any requests for books for me to review, please let me know as I don't have a book to review for the next Book Review Monday, which will be going up on the 29/02/2016. Anyway, here is my review of Red Queen!
Enjoy!

Cover

Like the last two Book Reviews I have posted, I love the cover! If you didn't know, I'm a sucker for a beautiful cover and white covers are my favourite. I love the bold red writing, and the blood dripping down from the upside crown. I think the covers for this series are amazing and love seeing them lined up on my bookshelves.

Plot

I will  try and make this as spoil free as I can but I would advise reading the book first before you read these posts. The story is set in a world were common Reds like Mare Barrow are undermined and ruled by superpower possessing Silvers. When Mare is cornered by Silvers and threatened, it is revealed that she has powers. The Silvers panic and to cover her up, announce she is a long lost heiress and she is entered into a competition to win one of the hands of the Royal Princes,  heir to the throne of Norta Prince Tiberias (known as Cal) and his younger brother Prince Maven. While settling in to life in the castle, Mare is approached by her old friend Kilorn Warren, he has been called up to fight but he thinks he has found a way out by joining a rebel group led by a women called Farley. The story follows Mare as she learns to control her powers and sees her grow close to both of the Princes.

Characters

The first character I am going to talk about is Mare Barrow. Mare is a 17 year old Red, the second youngest in her family, she struggles to support her family. All of her older brothers have been sent to the war and her sister works in a sewing factory. Mare is protecting her sisters when her powers are revealed and because of this her sisters arm is broken. Mare is strong, fierce and independent. She is use to looking out for herself and hates living in the palace. She finds life very different and difficult from what she is use to, but she finds a friend in Cal.

The next character I am going to talk about is Cal, Cal is slightly older than Mare. Unlike the rest of his family, Cal enjoys walking around the Red part of town, and isn't as formal as the rest of his family. The first time he meets Mare is before she has discovered her powers, he was nice to her and seemed to see something in her.

The final character I am going to talk about is Maven. Cal's younger brother and Mare's fiancee, he is young and hotheaded. He is kind to Mare like his brother, but is very rash and turns out he's not as nice as he looks.

Opinions

I love this book and can't wait to get my hands on the second book, Glass Sword. I love the way it's been written and her characters are brilliant. Mare is such a feisty and independent person, it's hard not to love her. You also get to know how hard it is to survive in that world and I hope the next book finishes a lot of unanswered questions.

So that concludes my book review for Red Queen, I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think of Red Queen and if you have read Glass Sword, please no spoilers! I'm waiting for it to come out in paperback. Don't forget to follow my blog, and my Instagram and Twitter, my username for both is @itscarenzab. If you have any business inquires, please email me at itscarenzab@gmail.com.
Carenza x    

Book Review Monday- The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen| It's Carenza B

Hello!

So today I have another book review, but unlike my Throne of Glass review this review is part of my Book Review Monday series. As you can probably tell, I am really into books at the moment and want to share some of the amazing books I have read. I hope you guys like this review and I would love it if you left some constructive feedback, don't forget to follow my blog and my twitter and Instagram (@itscarenzab). Enjoy!

Cover

I really like the cover for this book, I think it makes you think what the book is about without giving it away. I love the use of red on the cover as it can symbolise danger but it might just be a pop closer, I really like that the metal object (I can't remember what it's called!) looks like a crown.  

Plot

Again I am going to try and make this as spoil free as I can but if you want to read this/are reading this, I would advise you to read the book first. The plot follows the life of Kelsea Raeleigh Glynn, who just turned 19 and the royal guards have turned up at her door. Turns out she's the Queen of a land called the Tearling, who have suffered greatly while she has been in hiding under her mothers orders. She has to travel very far to get to her kingdom and the journey proves to be treacherous. Upon her arrival to the kingdom, she makes some rash decisions and angers the enemy of the Tearling. The rest of the book follows her decisions and how they affect everyone else in the kingdom. 

Characters

The first character I am going to talk about is Kelsea Raeleigh Glynn, the Queen of the Tearling. I have to say that I have a love- hate relationship with Kelsea. There are parts of her that I like, for example that she stands up for what she believes in and is able to defend herself, but some of her actions are very rash and in my opinion very stupid. Some of the things she does affect lots of people and in my opinion causes more problems than before. At the start I found her very whinny and stuck up, but she has grown on me.

The next character I am going to talk about is Lazarus (The Mace). One of the members of the Royal Guard under Kelsea's mother, he is wise and has a reputation. Again he makes very rash decisions and often goes against Kelsea, but he means her well at heart. I have to say I like Lazarus as he becomes a father figure to Kelsea and he seems to be able to calm Kelsea down.

Finally I am going to talk about one of the "baddies" in this book, The Regent- Thomas who is her uncle. While Kelsea has been in hiding, Thomas has been ruling but has been a debauched puppet of the elusive Red Queen. He is a really nasty person and means to hurt Kelsea, he wants the power for himself and his puppeteer.  

Opinions

I have to say that this book was a disappointment, the beginning was really sluggish and the end just seemed really weak. I haven't got the sequel, but am looking forward to reading it to see if it picks up. I just couldn't get into this book and felt it was boring. I have to say my favourite bit was when they were in the library and mentioned current existing books as being classics, that scene touched me. Apart from that scene, I wasn't too impressed by the world it was set in.

So that concludes my review of The Queen of the Tearling, I hoped you liked it and remember all the opinions stated are my own. Let me know if there are any books you want me to review for the next Book Review Monday, which takes place every other week. If you have any business related questions, please feel free to email me on my business email- itscarenzab@gmail.com Let me know what your opinions are of this book and we can chat in the comments.

Carenza x