The New Dark by Lorraine Thomson | What was the turning point of this book?

I keep saying it over and over, but I really enjoy different dystopian settings that different authors come up with. So I am always on the lookout for new apocalyptic stand alones or series, and more often than not, they are quite disappointing.

In The New Dark we didn’t learn what happened to the world and why the civilization as we know was gone. There were snippets of what life was like for the characters and we saw the existence of mutants, but we weren’t given a lot of information just yet regarding WHY everything had changed so drastically.

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October and November Wrap Up 2017 | Only one month left!

It’s been very long since I sat down and wrote a post for my blog! Too long! But as you all know, life has a tendency to get in the way and ruin your plans. Fear not! No matter how busy December is going to be, I am ready to watch tons of Christmas Movies and type type type on my keyboard, while wrapped up in a cozy robe with a steaming cup of tea by my side.

Alright, alright.. let’s actually start talking about books!

Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda | A perfect YA thriller for darker evenings!

I loved this book! Simple as that. It was such a gripping, dark thriller. Absolutely perfect for Autumn and Halloween. This was my first book by Megan Miranda, but I will definitely pay much more attention to her books from now.  If you have any recommendations, make sure to leave them in the comments below.

Artemis by Andy Weir | 5 Reasons why I disliked Jazz Bashara

Andy Weir’s «The Martian» was a real boom, especially after the movie starring Matt Damon. I admit that I only learned about the book after hearing so much hype around the movie. The novel was astounding! Emotional, yet incredibly witty. Mark Watney was a delight of a character to follow. Science, jokes, life threatening crises – it had everything!

It was very difficult to not compare «Artemis» to «The Martian», and I must say that this new book was not as good as the previous one. Still very entertaining and full of science, but something was missing.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi | An astounding tale that sweeps through generations

It is undeniable that «Homegoing» must be included in school literature program! Yaa Gyasi created the most emotional novel. It all started with two half sisters, Effia and Esi, in XVIII century Ghana and then followed generation after generation until our days, and saw the true power of family, of the past, of history.

I would not be lying if I said that I’ve never read anything more beautiful, heart-wracking and touching. She was able to grip my heart and shatter it times and times again, as every new generation went through a series of struggles, poised by the historical settings at that particular time.

Weycombe by G.M. Malliet | The importance of cohesive fact introduction

I’m not an author and I’m not trying to be one, so it’s very difficult for me to criticise books on the styles they were written in. But, ultimately, I am the audience. I read the blurb, I liked it, I was intrigued by it and decided to dedicate my time to reading a particular novel. And there are often times when the writing style or certain writing quirks don’t work for me as well as they do for others, and I find it my duty to share these moments with you!

«Weycombe» is similar one of those cozy, detective movies set in a small town in a middle of nowhere. The community is so tiny, everyone knows each other and such strong events as murder usually reveals a whole lot more gossip than we expected!

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen | Simply one of the best Sci-fis I’ve ever read!

That is correct! I read what turned out to be one of the best Sci-fi books I’ve ever had a chance to get my hands on! Even though I read this back in June of this year (Thank you NetGalley and Crown Books for the ARC!), I still cannot stop thinking about it.

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward | When multiple PoVs ruin the reading experience

Whenever I cannot figure out how to start a review, I browse GoodReads reviews for some inspiration. My opinion on the book is already set in stone and there is no risk to get influenced by other people’s thoughts. However, sometimes it turns out to be far from the best idea.

The majority of reviews for «Sing, Unburied, Sing» are all very positive, 5-star ratings and tons of praises. This made me a little bit apprehensive about my own feedback. But fear not! As I actually have some solid reasons behind my relatively low rating!

Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls | A must-read YA, introducing the suffragette movement to the younger generation

«’It isn’t just about me,’ she said. ‘It’s about us all! All women! How can women live like this? How can women like Mother just go on – not caring?’»

You know how sometimes we read this, seemingly an amazing, book. It covers so many meaningful subjects; has great characters and plot, but for some reasons you are just not feeling it. I’m not sure if that happened to you before, but it certainly is a rare occurance for me and makes my “blogging” life so much more complicated!

I will try to dissect my feelings as thoroughly as possible and maybe we can actually find a reason behind my “low enjoyment level” for this novel.

My rating system | Does it really work?

This is a very long-coming post. Usually, when people start a book blog, rating protocol is one of the first things they think about. Afterall, that is what you will be doing for the most part of the blog – reviewing and rating books. On almost every blog you can find the rating system and its explanation to help people situate themselves within the wide array of stars, roses, tea cups and other symbols picked by thousands of book bloggers.

It took me over a year to figure out what exactly I want my ratings to represent.

Just Another Week in Suburbia by Les Zig | What do you do when life gets crazy?

This was purely a request on a whim, I even read the excerpt (which I usually never do) before requesting this book. The first couple of paragraphs completely caught my attention and there was no turning back.

I am so happy for NetGalley suggestions, sometimes it feels like the website knows me better than I do.

Mr. 60% by Clete Barrett Smith | You do what you need to survive. But do the means justify the ends?

This was a very random pick on NetGalley and I am very glad that I got the chance to read the ARC. Also, I am quite surprised not seeing many people talking about it or even mentioning it in their posts. Definitely, give this one a try if you have a chance. Why? you might ask.

Let’s see!

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff | Immersive and unconventionally written Sci-fi you MUST read!

Never have I ever… read a sci-fi book THAT good!

Never have I ever… heard about anything similar!

Never have I ever… seen such an unconventional story-telling!

The list can go on! If you read «Illuminae» before, why don’t you join the game in the comments down below?

I knew I would love this novel, however I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did and I was slightly worried about the way the story is told, a little bit apprehensive that I won’t be able to connect with the characters. But fear not! It was truly a unique reading experience that I intend to repeat as soon as possible – «Gemina» will be just as great!

The Last Days of Summer by Vanessa Ronan | A handful of contradicting thoughts!

Recently, it has been very difficult for me to rate several books. As it hasn’t been just one one occasion, it got me thinking – is there a problem with the books I pick up or with me?

For almost a year now I’ve been meaning to refine/define my rating system. It would help me out during these inner struggles and would also provide more information for you, guys, on what a 3-star rating actually means to me. But everytime I sit down to think about my ratings and what they mean to me, there are so many factors usually involved that it is hard to explain in a few words. Therefore, I decided to do something different and insert a Pros / Cons table at the end of my review!

Ewan Pendle and the White Wraith by Shaun Hume | Incredible writing, unfortunately, was not enough

There is probably not a single person out there who read and didn’t like «Harry Potter». J.K. Rowling created one of the most innovative fantasy stories of her time. When it was first released, I was only 6 years old and it was much later, when the story was finally translated to Russian and I was of age to read it that I picked it up.

Everyone talked about it, everyone watched the movies and waited years for the conclusion of this epic adventure.