Under The Book Cover: laini taylor

Blogtober 2018 Day Three- Favorite Fall Reads!

blogtober 9:49:00 AM

Hi hello and welcome to Blogtober! This is the first year that I'm participating and I'm so excited! If you don't know what Blogtober is, it's similar to Vlogtober (for YouTubers) where I'll be posting a brand new blog post every day in the month of October. I got all of my prompts from the fabulous Jenniely, so be sure to go over and check out her post if you want to jump in on all of the blogging fun. Today is day three and I'll be talking about some of my favorite Fall reads. Let's get spooky!
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Ah, Fall. A time for oversized sweaters, hot drinks, and scary movies. Mostly scary movies. But this is also a time for reading! I've talked a lot about some books I hope to read this month, but what about books I just enjoy reading during this season? I'm a mood reader, so the Fall always gets me in the mood to read something spooky! Mystery, thriller, horror? Sign me up. But I also love getting into a long fantasy book or series!

Literally anything by V.E./Victoria Schwab. I'm not kidding when I say I'd read her scrap pieces of paper with rejected book ideas or even her grocery list. There's just something about her writing that I can't get enough of and she's the perfect author to read around Fall!

I'd consider Stephen King to be the master of horror, so what better time of year to read his books than the Fall? You might have trouble sleeping after you finish one of his many stories, but there's no better way to get into the spirit of the season than getting the socks scared off of you, right?

I read Daughter of Smoke and Bone years ago but I remember that I declared Laini Taylor to be a go-to for fantasy reads the next time I wanted one. Her way with words is literally fantastical and magical and otherworldly, in the best way. I'd love to get lost in her worlds again and since I enjoy reading long fantasy books/series this time of year, I'd say it's about time I read another one of her books. Maybe Strange the Dreamer?

I'm pretty convinced that Maggie Stiefvater is the Halloween season. And while I've only read The Raven Boys, I still absolutely love her writing. It's creepy and right up my alley, so I guess that means I have to re-read this and finally continue on with the series, huh?
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It appears I'm in the mood for some fantasy books this Fall season! I'm not complaining, but I definitely need some new authors/books to discover. Let me know some of your favorite things to read during the Fall so I can add more to my neverending TBR for this season. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you tomorrow for another Blogtober post! Stay spooky!

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Blogtober 2018 Day Two- October Releases!

adam silvera 10:43:00 AM

Hi hello and welcome to Blogtober! This is the first year that I'm participating and I'm so excited! If you don't know what Blogtober is, it's similar to Vlogtober (for YouTubers) where I'll be posting a brand new blog post every day in the month of October. I got all of my prompts from the fabulous Jenniely, so be sure to go over and check out her post if you want to jump in on all of the blogging fun. Today is day two and I'll be talking about some October book releases. Let's get spooky!
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Here's a link to the Goodreads page with all YA October 2018 releases if you'd like to see more! But these are some of the ones that interest me or that I'm excited to read!

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
I haven't read Strange the Dreamer yet (don't @ me okay) but the hype around this is real so naturally, I'm excited for this release!

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
I haven't read any books by either author but this book sounds SO GOOD and I can't wait to read it! I'll definitely be picking up at least one book by each of them before I read this, however, so I can get a feel for their writing styles.

Broken Things by Lauren Oliver
Lauren Oliver is one of my all-time favorite authors and while I honestly would read anything she releases, the synopsis for this has me so excited. I need me a good thriller by Lauren Oliver!

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
I haven't read Furyborn yet (again, don't @ me) but I am living for this cover and the creepy synopsis of this book.

Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria
All I know is I love this cover. That's really all I need to know to want to read this one.

The Rule of One by Ashley and Leslie Saunders
Dystopian books give me life, and ones that have rules like this one are even more up my alley. Especially when those rules are broken!

The Last Wish of Sasha Cade by Cheyanne Young

I have an ARC of this one and guys, it's a tough one. For those that may not know, I'm a survivor of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and there's a character in this book that dies of Lymphoma. So, yeah, this is a rough one for me to talk about but I'm...so eager for this to get out into the world.
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So there are some October releases that I'm really excited about! I'm sure there are a ton more out there that I'm missing so be sure to tell me what you're most excited to read once it releases in October. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you tomorrow for another Blogtober post! Stay spooky!

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Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

akiva 9:58:00 AM

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Pages: 418
Genre: YA Fantasy

From Goodreads: "Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?"

The book begins with Karou, a mysterious blue haired girl living in Prague with no knowledge of who she really is. All she knows is that since she was a baby, she was raised by creatures that are not entirely human. She runs errands for her "father," Brimstone, and attends an art school with her best friend. When strange black handprints begin appearing on the doors used to travel between Brimstone and the human world, Karou is suddenly thrust into a world that lay just on the other side of a door- and it's more familiar than she realized.

I put off reading this book for almost a year after buying it for reasons unknown. While I had read many reviews about it, and had bought it for the purpose of reading it, I just...didn't. I was mainly afraid that I was going to start reading and it would be just like all of the other YA books out there.

Boy was I wrong.

Okay, maybe not entirely. Once the book really started going and more details were revealed, it kinda turned into your typical YA lovey dovey book. But then it completely spun around and took a turn I didn't really expect, which I was very grateful for. As I have grown older, my desire to read books about "star crossed lovers" (or whatver you want to call it, has significantly decreased. I was afraid this book would take that turn and I would be disappointed, but Laini Taylor just took everything I thought I knew about this book and did a 180 with it and I was so pleased.

Once I actually picked up this book, all of my previous assumptions were thrown out the window and set on fire. I honestly never wanted to put it down, and could not stop thinking about it once I did. The entire book was beautifully written, very descriptive, and just an all around incredible book. Did I mention the book was amazing?

I loved following Karou on her journey, and discovering who she really was along with her. Once her past came to light, I was ecstatic! I had been dying to learn the secret that Brimstone had been keeping, and why Akiva was so interested in her. The end of the book left me in absolute shock, and the temptation to read the preview of book two, Days of Blood and Starlight, was almost too much for me to resist! I wasn't a big fan of Akiva throughout the book, and especially at the end. Something about him just didn't click with me, but maybe he will redeem himself in the next book. Karou was hands down my favourite character, with Issa being second. Each character was amazing in their own way, but those two just really stood out to me.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of a different kind of YA novel! Throw away all of the assumptions you may have, and just dive in head first. Trust me, you won't regret it! Stay tuned for reviews on Days of Blood and Starlight and Dreams of Gods and Monsters!

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Blogtober 2018 Day Three- Favorite Fall Reads!

Blogtober 2018 Day Two- October Releases!

Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

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