WWW Wednesday

Hey guys! I knows its been a few weeks since I’ve done one of these but now that I seem to be finally coming out of my reading slump I have some new reading updates to post for y’all! I’m currently one book behind on my reading challenge (yikes!) so hopefully I’ll be able to pull through by the end of the year. Send luck!

What I just finished:

Click HERE for my review 

What I’m currently reading:

What I plan to read next:

What are you guys currently reading? Read any of these books? Want to? LMK in the comments below! 

-BubblyBooks 

ARC Review: Slayer by Kiersten White (got a physical ARC *screaming*!!)

Slayer 

 By Kiersten White

Rating: 4/5 stars

Released on: January 8th 2019

**A huge thanks to Simon Pulse publications for an advanced copy of this book! This has in no way affected my opinion on the book and all thoughts are my own**


                                   

 Summary: Into every generation a Slayer is born…

Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.

Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.

Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.

As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…

But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.

One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.

Review: 

This book was MUCH better than I expected it to be! I forgot how much I enjoyed Kiersten Whites writing (after all Paranormalcy was one of my favorite books a few years back) Like I completely forgot how much I enjoy a good paranormal read!!

 Slayer is a book revolving around two twin sisters Nina and Artemis and for once in my life I feel an author really nailed what it is like to be a twin! The two sisters would sacrifice anything for one another but at the same time all they craved was a sense of normalcy amongst all the craziness. They both struggle with the problems that arise from their distant, and secret keeping mother while trying to balance secrets of their own. The love between them is so real and well developed that I have to pat Kiersten White on the back! Finally a family dynamic that doesn’t take the backseat to romance in YA!!

 Speaking of romance this book was full of diverse relationships and to be honest I loved all of them!! The little romantic in me was squealing with joy and my heart was a little ball of mush the entire time!!

 First off Rhys who is training to be the next watcher and is very quick with the demon knowledge has a cutesie little relationship with Cillian and they are ADORABLE! Their love for each other is full of protectiveness and quick wit and ahh I love both of them separately but together they are MAGIC!

 Also I was kinda digging the spice they made happen between Artemis and Honora. I thought I was not going to be about it but it actually was pretty spicy and heartwarming and a great f/f romance to throw into the mix!

 Ok lets talk about Leo. I like Leo. I think he is a solid dude and definitely adds some predictable yet necessary spice to the plot of this book. Leo Silvera is the son of Eve Silvera and comes back after the seed of magic has been destroyed and all magic is swept away from the world. He and is mother are thought to be dead so it is quite and surprise when hey what do you know their both alive?!? Things definitely get interesting with Leo towards the end which I LOVED finally some good plot twists I did not see coming. Absolutely loving it!!

 Also I loved all the kick butt fighting scenes in this book! I also loved how it was unique because it wasn’t always the tuff I’ve trained all my life for this kind of fights scenes but rather the I don't want to hurt anybody I’m a healer what is going on fight scenes. Nina is absolutely adorable I easily feel in love with her character because I thought she was so relatable and had classic YA teen humor that reminded me a little of Rose from Vampire Academy (which is a fabulous series that I LOVED actually this whole book reminds me a little of this book which is GREAT) Her character growth is super easy to get sucked into and I was loving it the whole time!

Overall this book was everything I love about YA! It had the fun supernatural action scenes, the cute character banter and relationships, the plot twists I actually did not see coming which was refreshing! God I wish I had the next book already! Great read and highly recommend to lovers of Kiersten Whites previous books as well as lovers of a good YA supernatural read!!

What about you guys?? Does Slayer look like a book to add to your TBR? A fan of Kiersten White? Also should I read And I Darken? LMK in the comments below!

-BubblyBooks

 

   

Book Review: Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas (beware of SPOILERS)

Kingdom of Ash

 By: Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 4/5 Stars


 ** This review contains spoilers and I highly advise those who have yet to read this book/series to be  aware!** 

Summary: Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas’s #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an epic, unforgettable conclusion. Aelin Galathynius’s journey from slave to king’s assassin to the queen of a once-great kingdom reaches its heart-rending finale as war erupts across her world. . .

Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.
Review: ok sooo y’all this book....

 Ok so I have a few thoughts here. First of all this book was great. The series... LOVE however I was a tad let down at certain parts in this book. I was literally like what the fudge SJM like this is not living up to my expectations here! and I like to think of myself as a person who doesn’t have completely high unrealistic expectations but alas.... the disappointment was painful.

 Ok first half of the book was complete FIRE. I loved every minute and there was a lot of oohing and awwing and OMG I missed them all SO much (bc I did it had been a few months of agonizing waiting here!) I  mean I missed Lorcan and Elide to death, Aedion is a fluffy snowball I cannot get enough of (his intense feelings for some reason were giving me total Sons of Anarchy vibes) also have major love for Lysandra, there was a lot of good things happening here!

“Aelin wiped her hands. “Well, that’s over and done with,” she announced, and strode to the desk and map. “Shall we discuss where you all plan to march once we beat the living shit out of this army?”

 The rescue scene was also a very heck yes moment!

  However for some reason my mutual respect and love for Aelin and Rowan kind of went out the window?!? For some reason I was getting major coward vibes from Aelin. Some of the things she said and did just screamed COWARD and idk it just did not sit well with me?? Plus omg Rowan was almost too doting on Aelin. Its like he put her up on a pedestal and worshipped her and not in the cute mutual respect sort of way that I adored from ACOMAF but more in the he was the annoying sidekick always panicking about his crazy mates schemes and I could feel his stress all the time! I just felt there relationship was unbalanced and as mates there supposed to be more equal? and I was just not getting that vibe.

“To whatever end?” she breathed. Rowan followed her, as he had his entire life, long before they had ever met, before their souls had sparked into existence. “To whatever end, Fireheart.” 

 However can we all just take a moment to appreciate the complete BEAST Dorian has become?? Its like I turn around and Dorian all the sudden becomes completely badass like what?!? I mean Dorians character growth is by far the most impressive of all the characters. He went from soft bookworm to a sad boy with unbelievable destructive powers and I AM HERE FOR IT! Plus him and Manon... love them! Their like two cold hearted souls who have lost there way and share and breath in each others pain like its icy wind. I love how tortured they are together!!

“Tell me where,” Dorian breathed. He had mere minutes until even Vesta came looking for him. “Tell me where the third key is.” “Your life will be forfeit, too. If you retrieve the keys and forge the Lock. Your soul will be claimed as well. Not one scrap of you will live on in the Afterworld.” 

 Chaol comes back into the picture and while he is not my fav character I must say I don't hate him. His character almost took the opposite spin than Dorian. I feel like Chaol ends up turning into a love sick puppy dog who says the cheesiest cheese when it comes to Yrene. While I admit the two are cute they are not soul crushing lying omg on the edge of my seat I think Im going to die type of love but I think it was almost better that way to have a couple that was in a sense... the normal couple of the book?

“I hope you found peace, my brother. And in the Afterworld, I hope you find her again.” 

 Ok but as far as disappointing moments... I was a bit hurt and let down when it came to Lorcan and Elide finally getting together?? Like what even was that less than two pages shame of a disappointment!! Ughh after all that time and all we get is a measly TWO pages I need a little more than that! Also I was expecting a little bit more romance vibes and instead was left lingering with a sense of thats it? Also same sort of vibes with Aedion and Lysandra (love them) I loved all the scenes with these two even if some were gut wrenchingly heartbreaking and hard to read I just felt like their ending was very not them.

“Did you mean it? What you said.” He held her stare. Let some inner wall within him come crumbling down. Only for her. For this sharp-eyed, cunning little liar who had slipped through every defense and ironclad rule he’d ever made for himself. He let her see that in his face. Let her see all of it, as no one had ever done before. “Yes.” Her mouth tightened, but not in displeasure. So Lorcan said softly, “I meant every word.” 

 Also the fact that both Lorcan and Elide tied the knot at the end just seemed very monogamous and I get that SJM wanted to tie up everything in a neat little bow considering it was the end of the series but I was really kind of bored with a wedding ending. Do not get me wrong I love a good wedding plot but both these just felt thrown in there to throw them in there. Like I would have almost preferred Lorcan and Elides ending being Lorcan following Elide to Perranath and then them having a romantic moment there promising a future and perhaps an informal marriage proposal? and I just felt like Aedion and Lysandra should have just promised each other forever or at least had a referral back to the moment when Aedion on the beach promised Lysandra that he was going to marry her!! Like come on both of those would have just been so much more romantic and spicy!!

 SJM world building and fight scenes remained AMAZING as always (ahem that fire wall scene) (ahem Elide going after u know who.. heart shredded!!) I also have endless love and respect for FENRYS because come on how could you not be obsessed with him after all that?!?

“I am here, I am with you.”

However I almost felt SJM took on too many POVS and that instead of each POV being a plot line of their own where interesting different things are happening I almost felt like I was reading the same exact story line just with different POV which was a tad boring at times especially when they were all together. Having so many POVS was just a lot to juggle and I feel that made some characters stories underdeveloped and lacking and is likely the cause for such abrupt ending between characters and the bow tying marriages.

“But just remember that this fear of yours? It means you have something worth fighting for - something you care so greatly for that losing it is the worst thing you can imagine.” 

 Overall SJMS Throne of Glass series is not one to miss! Although nothing can top the beautifulness that is her Court of Thornes and Roses series (rhysand my friends!!) This series was still a crazy ride with lots of moments I LOVED and characters I was completely heads over heels for! Overall this was an enjoyable read and I am probably going to fall into a reading slump because of all the FEELS in this book!

 “And far away, across the snow-covered mountains, on a barren plain before the ruins of a once-great city, a flower began to bloom” 

 What do you guys think? TOG or ACOTAR? Did you love Kingdom of Ash? Haven’t read it yet? LMK in the comments below!

-BubblyB

Blogger Recognition Award

Hey guys! I know its been a minute since I last posted but can you believe its already November?!?! Like where did the time go? I mean Starbucks was already playing Christmas music and had in their chirstmas cups! I was like dang its only November 2nd but alright I guess where doing the Christmas thing already (BTW the black and white hot chocolate is to die for)!

(Like does this meme of Snoop Dogg not say it all?)

So recently I was nominated by the lovely The Artsy Reader and if you have not checked out her blog than I highly recommend because it is a lovely cup of sunshine in your mornings (or in my case tea because if college has taught me one thing its that this girl needs her caffeine in the am) 

                               

The Rules

• Thank the blogger who nominated you
• Write a post to show your award
• Give a brief story of how your blog started
• Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers
• Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to
• Comment on each blog and let them know you’ve nominated them, and provide a link to the post you’ve created

How I started my blog: 

 Well I guess its been over a year since I've started this blog... like what?? And now looking back I clearly did not realize just how much work the whole blogging thing was?!?! Like I was just naive little me who thought blogging would be a fun easy way to rant about the books I loved but boy was I taken aback by the sheer intensity of some book blogging aspects! 

  I originally started my blog back in August 2017 because I found myself having a lot of opinions about what I was reading and wanting to document and share those opinions with those who also had read the same books/ and had similar reading tastes. Hence the birth of my blog, Bubbly Books! I think it was the Sweet Evil series by Wendy Higgins that really got me to wanting to share my thoughts and things. That and Obsidian by Jennifer L. Arementrout (so much hate to love teen angstyness ahh I miss that drama!!) 

2 Pieces of Advice:

 Piece numero uno: Blog hop. Blog hop and network. Don't be afraid to reach out and read others blogs, comment, comment regularly on blogs you normally visit. Trust me it will pay off and in turn you will get consistent readers who read and comment on your blog posts on a regular basis! 

 Piece numero dos: Do not be afraid to reach out to authors and publishers regarding ARC’s (advanced reader copies). Once you reach a consistent and steady amount of page views or followers on your blog dont be afraid to take your blog to the next level by requesting ARCS! You can do this online through platforms such as Netgalley or Edelweiss or you can directly email publishers regarding what book it is you re interested in reviewing and why! It can seem scary to put yourself out there especially if you are not a blog with thousands of followers but trust me even smaller blogs get approved for ARCS! 

My Nominations: 

Loretta @LaughingListener

Mandy @BookPrincessReviews

Raven @DreamyAddictions

Kayla @Books and Blends

Darque Dreamer Reads 

Marie @DrizzleandHuriccaneBooks 

Marta @TheCursedBooks

Princess of Pages 

C.J. @SarcasamandLemons

I also nominate anyone reading this! Whats your story of how you started your blog? What are you reading rn? LMK in the comments below!

-BubblyBooks