Monday, 26 March 2018

Monday Highlights #47

The idea is to just link your favourite blog post from the past week (for example a post you're very proud of or just had a lot of fun making) and then I, and hopefully others, can discover new blogs to follow and interact with and discover more posts from blogs we may already follow!

Sunday, 25 March 2018

Sunday Post 25th March 2018

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, it's a chance to post a recap on the past week, show the books we have received and share what we plan for the coming week. Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality and the aim is to show our newest books and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops or downloaded on to their e-reader.

Last Week on the Blog:

  • Monday Highlights #46
  • Clare Reviews: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Books We Got This Week:

Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King, #2)The Girl from the Well (The Girl from the Well, #1)Independence Realm
Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller: This is Ann's most anticipated read of the year and she will have a review coming for it shortly!
The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco: Originally drawn to this by the obvious The Ring cover but the blurb sounds unique and lots of gruesome fun so I'm excited.
Independence Realm by Kevin J. Bernadt: Many thanks to the author for sending this to me. It looks absolutely incredible and I love the cover! 


Reading Update:

Obsidio (The Illuminae Files, #3)Ready Player One
Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: 5 stars, My most anticipated of the year - I've been so excited for this and it did not disappoint. So glad to hear they will be writing another series together soon!
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: 3 stars, A little disappointing? I loved the references a lot (also reading about dungeons and dragons right as I start watching Critical Role was interesting) but didn't get super attached to the characters. I can see how well this will work as a movie so definitely going to see it in the cinema!

Next Week on the Blog:

  • Monday Highlights #47
  • Movie Review: Tomb Raider
  • Ann Reviews: Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

Saturday, 24 March 2018

Clare Reviews: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1)Title: Strange the Dreamer
Author: Laini Taylor
Series: Strange the Dreamer #1
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Pages: 432
Rating: 5/5
Blurb: The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around - and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries - including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

There is nothing like a Laini Taylor book. Her writing is so uniquely beautiful and her characters so memorable. Strange the Dreamer was one of my most anticipated reads of 2017 and Muse of Nightmares (which releases 2nd October this year) is definitely one of my most highly anticipated for this year. 

Lazlo is easy to love for any reader - he shares our love of books and so instantly captured my heart when I was reading him. This is rare for me because I often don't connect as strongly with male POVs but here I was fully in love with him before the end of the first chapter and got so mad anytime someone slighted or upset him. Sarai was another easy to adore character. She is different to Lazlo and her story felt a little darker. 

World building is another strength for Laini - and there's a dynamic three dimensional feel to her books. I was there with Lazlo and Sarai the whole way through. So much so that I could feel what they felt - heck I could almost smell and taste the world around them. It's hard to describe how much Strange the Dreamer is an experience rather than a read. But it is. I feel like I went on this adventure and I am so emotionally attached and invested in every character and every moment. 

I know I will be picking up Muse of Nightmares the second it is released. And if you haven't already read Strange the Dreamer now is the perfect time as the paperback edition has just released (and is as gorgeous as the hardback was by the way). 

Monday, 19 March 2018

Monday Highlights #46

The idea is to just link your favourite blog post from the past week (for example a post you're very proud of or just had a lot of fun making) and then I, and hopefully others, can discover new blogs to follow and interact with and discover more posts from blogs we may already follow!

Sunday, 18 March 2018

Sunday Post 18th March 2018



The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, it's a chance to post a recap on the past week, show the books we have received and share what we plan for the coming week. Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality and the aim is to show our newest books and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops or downloaded on to their e-reader.

Today was a pretty amazing week! On Thursday it was announced that I am joining The Regal Critiques as a co-blogger! It will be a challenge to be on two blogs at once but it should be a lot of fun and I am really excited about some of the posts we have coming up.
And then on Friday it was my birthday (don't ask me how old) - to celebrate I'm giving away a copy of Obsidio (International) so head over to my Twitter - @dualreads to enter and good luck to everyone who has entered already!

Books We Got This Week:

Escape From Camp Bedlam
Escape From Camp Bedlam by Robert Armstrong: I was sent a review copy of this (which even arrived on my birthday which was fun) and I am really excited about it. It looks dark and exciting. 

Out of the BlueThe Women in the WallsThe Tethered Mage (Swords and Fire #1)Truly Devious (Truly Devious, #1)Obsidio (The Illuminae Files, #3)The Seven Deaths of Evelyn HardcastleReady Player One (Ready Player One, #1)Fallout (Lois Lane, #1)The Beast PlayerThe Fallen Children

Monday, 12 March 2018

Monday Highlights #45

The idea is to just link your favourite blog post from the past week (for example a post you're very proud of or just had a lot of fun making) and then I, and hopefully others, can discover new blogs to follow and interact with and discover more posts from blogs we may already follow!

Friday, 9 March 2018

What Gives? (or Where the Heck I've Been)

Over the past few weeks I've gone completely away from the blog. This wasn't because I didn't want to be blogging (I did), rather a lot of things happened all at once in our lives that demanded our full attention! 

But I'm working on more posts and I'll begin actively participating in Monday Highlights again - starting by going back to the previous links I missed. In some additional good news - Ann is also returning to the blog. She has been crazy busy with college and illness but she has so many great ideas she wants to put together which will be coming soon!! 

Thank you for bearing with us!

Monday, 5 March 2018

Monday Highlights #44

The idea is to just link your favourite blog post from the past week (for example a post you're very proud of or just had a lot of fun making) and then I, and hopefully others, can discover new blogs to follow and interact with and discover more posts from blogs we may already follow!