The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (Things that annoyed me about this book and other reasons why it just wasn't working out)

 Hey y'all! Happy NEW YEAR!!! AHHH I cannot believe it is 2018! That year went by fast! (and honestly it has not sunk in that it is over) (*slight panic*) December was a blur and I'm honestly just glad its over. I was sick, trying to finish up exams, buying last minute christmas gifts, and juggling college apps all in one. I can gladly say I made it out alive. (I am a survivor) Thank god 2018 is finally here and I get a chance to catch my breath.
 Heres to a fresh start!
 I was able to get a good amount of reading done last month and was finally able to finish The Raven Boys which I have been seeing a lot of hype about throughout the blogging world. I personally was dying to see what all the fuss was about so when I got my hands on it was I so excited!
 I have to say this book was different from anything I have read before and as you can see below my thoughts are very bluntly expressed for all the world to see! (good luck trying to make sense of all my ranting ;))

The Raven Boys 
 By: Maggie Stiefvater

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

(Wow is it just me or is that the longest summary ever? Like it takes up so much space it could almost be a blog post within itself! Thats it guys I'm done. Full review is posted above... ;)) 

Anyways back to my actual review (I just had to a have a moment there)...
 Okay so I don't know if this is a non popular opinion or anything but this series was not what I was expecting at all? And I'm permanently torn between whether or not to love it or hate it?

Things that annoyed me about this book:

• The crazy plot! Like I'm all for out there plot twists but this one was just off the wall (I mean like every two seconds they were mentioning Glendor and if I had a dollar every time the word Glendor was muttered let alone thought about I'd be off on a private island with an umbrella drink in my hand) 
• Just how messy the book felt. I felt like I was running the whole time trying to catch up with what was really happening (meanwhile a lot just didn't make sense? I was confused)
• The overall OBSESSION with every little thing that is going on and how its constantly going to lead to something devastating or bad or death. I mean on top of not really knowing what was going on I was extremely stressed out the whole time because of this constant feeling of doom looming over my head! (ugh!) 
• The utter lack of any emotion or affection between Gansey and Blue throughout the WHOLE BOOK! I mean you two are supposed to be destined lovers and you barely even say two words to each other (I'm not counting the conversations about Glendor here) I mean I get that you just met and all but considering all the hype about a deadly kiss... I guess I was just expecting more?
• The worrying about one another! If Blues kiss doesn't kill Gansey he's going to die of an stomach ulcer from all the stress he's giving himself. He's always stressing about the perfect thing to say and how to keep everybody safe and out of trouble to a point that is obsessive (and frankly stressing me out!) I mean maybe I just can't relate because I personally don't stress out about the little things? But still, it annoyed me. 
• Also what even happened in the end? What does that even mean? I not even sure what exactly went down but I know its not good (Adam I love you but why must you do stupid things!)

Things I liked about this book:

• The complete and utter LOVE between all the characters!!! The sense of brotherhood was amazing and heartwarming and I loved every minute of it! (even if it was Glendor that brought them all together)
• The idea of Blue having the power to kill her true love with a kiss. This idea is just SO fascinating to me and I was kind of let down with how little of a role it played in the grand scheme of things. 
• LOVED Ronan he is seriously my favorite of the gang just because he is so blunt and I kind of have a soft spot for tortured characters because I just do (if I could explain it trust me I would)
• Loved the uniqueness that all the characters seemed to possess, Maggie Stiefvater is very good at creating characters that are interesting and super easy to get attached to. (probably contributed to the constant stress this book provided!) 
• LOVED Gansey and his old world soul! Adam and his troubled family life and how he has to work so many jobs because he wasn't born rich like most Algobony boys. Ronan and his mysterious secrets and the trouble with his brother, and finally you have Blue to daughter of a family of psychics and how blue doesn't have the gift herself but can amplify other powers! Super cool!
•   That being said I really loved the  element of supernatural psychics abilities. Tarot card reading and being able to sense bad energy and all that mojo is my thing. I love it when they do reading for the boys! (That part with Ronan... yes please!) (so intense I loved it) 

Overall feelings from this book:

Yeah! So exited to read this new book!! Its going to rock!

Supernatural physic's loving this so far...

Meeting the gang.. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!

Confusion... like what is even happening right now? Who is Glendor? Why do we need to find him so badly? There has to be an easier way to do this. 

Annoyed. Why is nothing happening between Blue and the boys? Where is all the romance? I need romance!

Stressed! OMG all the stuff that is going down is stressing me out and confusing the heck out of me! I love all these characters and don't know what I'd do if something happened to them and I think I'm losing hair trying to figure out how they can all be saved!!

Complete and utter confusion and sadness. Like what just happened here? Can I get a quick recap? Thats how its going to end?!?! Like what?!? I NEED answers Maggie Stiefvater. I need answers!!

 Overall this book wasn't bad it just wasn't what I was expecting AT ALL. Still trying to decide if thats a bad thing or not? I definitely have never read anything like it before and I don't think I could even compare it to others books I've read just because it is that different. Loved the characters with a burning passion and I loved the supernatural elements I'm just confused by the whole plot. I don't know if I even like the plot? Or the generalized idea of what is going on? I'm not in love with the idea of them finding Glendor (if you couldn't already tell by now) but I will keep reading because I LOVE the characters and I need to know whats going  to happen to them. (I will not give up on Blue and Gansey until the end) 

Have you read The Raven Boys? Tell me what you think. Ever read a book that was not what you expected? Got a bookish New Year resolution? Tell me in the comments below!

-BubblyBooks

Book reviews: A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab (So FABULOUS), updates (I read the Raven boys!), and additional Holiday Madness

Hi everybody! I hope all of y'all's holidays are going good, I know it's been nothing but a mess of cookies, wrapping paper, and online shopping over here so I hope your guys holidays are beginning to calm down and you have all your shopping done (umm... I certainly haven't I think I still need to buy like, all my gifts?)
 Ok so I know its been forever since I have posted something (December 2nd if we got to be specific) but in all fairness this month has been complete and utter madness and I have literally zero time for anything let alone blogging! (and it has been slowly killing me because the need to rant about the books I've read is becoming unbearable!)

Okay so I finally finished the A Darker Shade of Magic series by V.E. Schwab and they were INCREDIBLE!!! Literally the best books I have read in a long time and I mean a couple of months (I was in a major reading slump and for a while there I didn't know if I would recover) Thank god the magical Kell and the fabulous Delilah were able to transport me to Red London!!!

Also I finally got around to reading the endlessly raved about novel that is The Raven Boys by Maggie Stievater and I have to say it was not at all what I was expecting! Still not sure if that is a good thing or not my feelings are very mixed about the book (mostly because I don't know what to feel?) It was just so messy and all the characters were so heartachingly real and it literally hurt my soul at some points in the book (Adam my heart goes out to you!) I will however give the second novel a go because I'm just too invested at this point not too (my curiosity will eat me alive if I do not find out what becomes of Gansley and Blue) A full review is to come on this novel, I just didn't think a mini review would do it justice (or maybe its because I have so much to say about it that it would end up a five page rant and I can't really pass that off as a mini review now can I?)

A Conjuring of Light (ADSOM #3)
by V.E. Schwab

Rating: 5/5 stars

(I won't put in the summary because... ahem spoilers!)

AHHH this book was so fabulous I don't even have the words!!! I loved every second of it even when it was literally shredding my heart into pieces! The characters got even better (didn't know that was possible but hey you learn new things everyday) I loved all the characters so much that at times I was battling with myself over who was my favorite (they were all just so undeniably wonderful!)

Plus they had to go in a put a pirate ship so I was already destined to fall in love with this book (I did not want it to end) I mean I didn't think the series could get any darker (Kell was pretty moody in the last book and somehow his moodiness was able to transcend into more of a dark prince type of thing in the third book? I mean I'm not complaining give me a dark prince and a cup of coco and I'm set for life) Also there was a lot of impending doom looming over this novel. It seemed like at every turn something devastatingly horrible was about to happen and I was internally screaming at the characters about their own stupidity (sometimes not internally, its hard to keep that stuff all in you know?)

“Three Antari get on a boat...” 

Rhy continually stressed me out the entire time if there is a character that makes horrible choices repeatedly he would win that contest. I mean half the time I would just be worrying about what stupid thing he was going to do next all the while trying to juggle the internal struggles of Delilah, Kell, and Alcuard ( it was a very light read if you cannot already tell).

“What are we drinking to?"
"The living," said Rhy.
"The dead," said Alucard and Lila at the same time.
"We're being thorough," added Rhy.” 

 The writing was incredibly beautiful though and I feel it was able to paint a perfect picture in my head of all the different Londons. Red London will forever be my favorite ( the beauty of it just steals my heart every time I read about it) This book also has some interesting things going on with white london and that definitely adds to the chaos that is this book (I loved it though)

“Love and loss,” he said, “are like a ship and the sea. They rise together. The more we love, the more we have to lose. But the only way to avoid loss is to avoid love. And what a sad world that would be.” 

Kell and lila! OMG these two were absolutely perfect in this book and if anyone disagrees there going to be picking a fight with me because the chemistry and the development that goes on between those two is electric. I loved how they were both so protective of each other yet they trusted in one anthers skills and gave each other the space they both needed in order to treat each other like equals. The magic that they both learn is really inciting to see and I never get tired of hearing them tease one another.

“I have never known what to make of you. Not since the day we met. And it terrifies me. You terrify me. And the idea of you walking away again, vanishing from my life, that terrifies me most of all.”

Also Kell's love for his brother and Rhys love for Kell is so touching and tortured that I just want to cry and scream at the same time! They are both insanely protective of one another and would both throw their own lives away in half a second if it meant saving the other. I love just how complicated their connection becomes ( I won't give details because there is just too many spoilers there) and if anything they grow closer because they both have to learn to adapt and to accept one another flaws in a new way.

“At that, Kell smiled. It was a rare thing, and Rhy wanted to hold fast to it –he vas the only one who could make his brother simle, and he wore it like a badge.” 

This book also focused a lot more on Alcuard especially since now they include chapters from his point of view! I really liked looking into his past and seeing a different side of the culture that is Red London and how the politics and everything works with magic. I will admit there were times were I wish I could skip ahead to a Kell or Lila chapter just because I'm biased and they are my fav's but every chapter added a new layer of complexity to the story and is what really made me fall in love with this series completely and utterly!

“Magic made everything feel so impermanent, it was easy to forget that some things, once changed, could never be undone. That not everything was either changeable or infinite. Some roads kept going, and others had an end.” 

There is also chapters from the King and queens perspective and this really took me by surprise because I was not expecting to get to read about their thoughts on everything going on but it was actually quite interesting and really made this book all the more heartbreaking. Getting to hear everyones deepest and most personal thoughts made you understand each character individually and made you feel for them in a new way that made you attached to each and every character even if you were not aware (this is probably why I was on the verge of bursting out into tears on several occasions while reading this).

This series just took my breath away and I loved it so much that the thought of finishing it actually pained me (I was literally filled with panic and I did not know what I was going to do without this book!) The ending was heartbreaking yet everything came full circle in a way that I was able to make peace with. The characters have all stolen my heart (Kell I will always love you and I will continue to ship you and lila until the end of reading) PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE read this series!!! You will not regret it (not if you have any sense anyways) It is definitely in the top three or four books I have ever read (right next to ACOMAF and Six of Crows)

 If you have any time over the course of the Holidays READ THIS BOOK (Warning reading of this book may cause you to stress eat multiple holiday chocolates with no self control) (but its not like we weren't going to be doing that anyways so why not being reading a good book while easting delicious chocolate?)

Are the Holidays making you stressed or excited? Have you read any good books recently? What are they? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Holidays and Happy reading!

-BubblyBooks

Romance Mini Reviews: Easy by Tammara Webber and Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach

Hey guys! It's finally the Holiday season! November went by incredibly fast I don't even now how I survived, and now thats its December my holiday survival rate is slowly decreasing by the minute. However I was able to cope with some of the holiday madness with a few romance books (they provided excellent distractions from the holiday madness that consumes my family. Stress levels will not be low this month).

First off we have this fabulous romance novel that I read first in the period of two days (I literally could not stop myself from reading it! It just felt like I couldn't get enough!)

Easy by: Tammara Webber

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Summary: When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night - but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

I heard a lot of good things about this book before I got my hands on it. It keep continuously showing up on GoodReads and I decided to take it as a sign that I needed to read this book....STAT! (plus I was totally in the mood for a good romance book...and well if this cover doesn't say romance than what does?) 

This book actually wasn't what I expected. I admit I skimmed through the summary and wasn't quite aware of the level of intensity I was getting myself into. That being said I loved the intenseness of this book! The beginning gripped me and I was on the edge of my seat while wanting to reach through the pages and beat up those stupid frat boys ( I was very upset and very angry and punching stuff makes me fell better when it comes to books and characters getting on my nerves) 

 The whole story circulates around a girl named Jacqueline who is struggling throughout the novel with a sexual assault incident and she struggles with whether or not she can open up to people about what happened. Meanwhile her savior, Lucas keeps repeatedly showing up in her life and they are undeniably drawn to one another. Lucas is a very intense loner and you don't really know that much about him only that he's a person that really cares about Jacqueline and wants her to feel safe enough to speak out about her accident. 

Lucas is also an artist and the scenes in which he sketches Jacqueline are absolutely FABULOUS! They are so romantic and steamy and you just want to keep reading until the next one! The emotional tension between the two is not something to miss and if your looking for some mushy romance with a storyline that will stay with you than you NEED to read this book! Its just the right balance between swoon and intensity that it will leaving you wanting more! 

Thanks for the Trouble by: Tommy Wallach

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: A unique story about first—and last—loves from the celebrated and bestselling author of We All Looked Up.

Parker Santé hasn’t spoken a word in five years. While his classmates plan for bright futures, he skips school to hang out in hotels, killing time by watching the guests. But when he meets a silver-haired girl named Zelda Toth, a girl who claims to be quite a bit older than she looks, he’ll discover there just might be a few things left worth living for.

This book was a really unique read for me. Both the two main characters they focus on are really unique and have characteristics I'm not used to seeing in YA so this was really interesting for me. The main character, Parker is a latino who lives in SF and hasn't spoken since the death of his father. He's very antisocial and when he needs to talk to someone he has to use a notebook to write down his thoughts. 

In comes in Zelda a girl who is like no one parker had ever met in his life and steals his heart almost imediently. This book is written in a different way too because parker writes story's in his notebook and the author will dedicate whole chapter to parker's stories. I have to say I think the stories were my favorite part of this book. 

This book primarily deals with Zelda's surprising secrets, and what she plans to do at the end of the novel that parker would give anything to stop. He might even try to speak again if it only meant he could save Zelda from this horrible fate she is putting upon herself. 

Meanwhile while Parker is trying to save Zelda, Zelda is using the last of her money and her time to try and save Paker. Parker, a boy she believes is wasting his life away by being too afraid to speak, too unsure of himself to make friends or go to parties, she even pushing for him to apply to college when her time runs out and her money runs dry. 

Overall this story was a really cute and unique read it just didn't make me feel as much as Easy did. The story telling perspective was really cool but I wouldn't say the plot or the way it was written was enough to keep me fully satisfied. 

  If your in the mood for some romance reads please give these two novels a chance! Easy is great if your in the mood for a hear wrenching tale of survivors of love and Thanks for the Trouble is a great read if your fans of more contemporary books or authors such as John Green and Rainbow Rowell. Happy Reading! 

-BubblyBooks 

Bookish Holiday Gift Ideas!

Hey guys its that time of year again.... THE HOLIDAYS! I'm talking gift giving, christmas music blasting time of the year!

 Frankly I believe the holidays bring out the best and worst side of us. (for all you all that haven't seen the Christmas with the Kranks movie you need to see it NOW) Holidays can be filled with all the things we love, such as singing at the top of our lungs, peppermint flavored everything (I NEED my peppermint hot coco or someone will have the pleasure of seeing my dark side) and of course the decorations and fabulous holiday movies that we have official permission to watch endlessly (although I am guilty of watching Santa Claus in June...)



But the Holidays is also known to bring out the stressful sides of us that we can't seem to smother with peppermint frosted cupcakes.


 I mean there the ENDLESS (and I mean endless) amount of gift giving. (How am I supposed to know what my college male cousin wants for Christmas? I don't even know what I want!)  Plus theres all the drama with the Secret Santa gifts and the secret (yet not so secret) contest to see who can give their secret santa the all time BEST GIFT EVER! (My non competitive nature is not designed for such things!)


Then theres the food and the whole ordeal with what to cook and how much food we need. The sheetr HOURS spent in the kitchen cooking (though if your me your mainly in the kitchen to sample everything...especially the desserts!)

And of course to top it all off you have to deal with the insufferable small talk with relatives. Theres only so many "what grade our you in school?" or "What college are you going to?" questions I can take before my head is going to explode (its not like these people have known me my whole life or anything. Lets just tell them my life story in a series of twenty questions shall I not?)


Ok enough about my endless holiday time rants (wow looking back now its really seems like I'm a hatter on Christmas but its my favorite holiday, I swear!) I'm here to tell you all about a few great holiday gift ideas for all the crazy book lovers out there!

 Book Subscription Boxes

 I have only recently learned that these exist and they excite me in a way that I can only contain for about a day before I find myself uncontrollably telling the people around me that they exist because they are just THAT awesome!

Some of my particular favorites would have to be:

Illimucrate (http://www.illumicrate.com)

OwlCrate (https://www.owlcrate.com )

Literally SO obsessed with these for gift ideas! So original and the boxes change every month! (If you love YA like me than you'll love both these subscriptions!)

Books

This may seem like an obvious one but what book lover doesn't like books? (I mean if your anything like me you hear the word book and your like "what? where?") 

This is probably apparent in all of our over flowing GoodReads lists and I'm sure you and your book loving friends would appreciate some well selected books off of our well selected To-Read lists :) 

Coffee Mugs 

Us book readers NEED our caffeine. Like don't even talk to me until I've had my morning cup of joe or tea (I will bite your hand off) So naturally readers wouldn't turn away a nice mug or coffee thermos to keep us sane. (Not to mention all those late hours we spend reading because sometimes reading is more important than sleep ;) )

Anyways I hope all your guys holiday season is filled with cheer and a whole lot of reading! Tell me some of your holiday traditions in the comments below! Have a magical month (filled with peppermint coco with marshmallows!!) 

-BubblyBooks

Book Review: A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab (A Darker Shade of Magic #2)

  Hi guys! I know its been awhile since my last post, but this month seems to be even crazier than my last! Soon enough it will be December and I will be freaking out over finals and not having enough time to buy gifts, or stressing out about some other inconsequential thing ( such as what happens in my next episode of Gossip Girl or Riverdale). 

  Anyway enough about my holiday season stresses (although I will probably rant on about them in my next few posts because I will not be able to stop myself. It's a problem I know) 

  NEWSFLASH: I finally got around to reviewing this book! I know it has been FOREVER since I've read it and rated it on Good Reads ( 5 stars of course because V.E. Schwab deserves no less) I am literally so excited to read the Raven Boys and This Savage Song and all the other greatest hits! Chances are though I'll proably get distracted by a bunch of other shiny, inciting books telling me that I need to read them ASAP and won't get around to it soon enough! 

(I seriously cannot have enough pages to rant about the AMAZINGNESS that is this book but for all our sanity's I will try and keep it as concise as possible) 

A Gathering of Shadows 
 By: V.E. Schwab

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift--back into Black London.

Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games--an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries--a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall. 

AHHH reading this book was like coming back to meet an old friend. It was like no time had passed between me finishing A Darker Shade of Magic (although looking back now it really was only a couple of days... they felt like WEEKS!) The characters got even better than the first time around (Like how is that even possible?) I thought my heart was going to explode from all the love I was feeling for these characters! Plus Schwab had to put in PIRATES! Like I think my face is going to explode from smiling so big. The way she describes the world in this book is just so increible its like I can invision every little detail in my head! ( i'm sorry Gossip Girl but sometimes reading is better than TV) 

“Everyone thinks I have a death wish, you know? But I don't want to die - dying is easy. No, I want to live, but getting close to death is the only way to feel alive. And once you do, it makes you realize that everything you were actually doing before wasn't actually living. It was just making do. Call me crazy, but I think we do the best living when the stakes are high.” 

 Also Delia gets so amazing I cannot even deal! Her first few chapters were SO intriguing I could not stop reading them! (in fact I finished this book in a single weekend and this is why I have bags under my eyes in the morning) Although it drove me crazy having her and Kell apart, even though they did briefly mention him a few times (not enough to keep me satisfied of course). Also how she deceives that pirate ship in the beginning was giving me all sorts of pirates in the caribbean feels! 

“What are you supposed to be?” she asked in Arnesian. “A fish?”
Alucard made a noise of mock affront. “Obviously,” he said, brandishing the helmet, “I’m a dragon.”
“Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to be a fish?” challenged Lila. “After all, you do live on the sea, and you are rather slippery, and—”
“I’m a dragon,” he interjected. “You’re just not being very imaginative.”

 Also her crew in fabulous and everything a good pirates ship crew should be! Alucard is especially interesting and the time they spend together is definitely intriguing (wink, wink) Not to mention all the secret magic that is going on (I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil anything!) Also they introduce new islands (A secret island because that is how amazing this book is) its located between the edges of all three kingdoms in Red London and contains a black market, but for all things magical! (I'm literally smiling just thinking about it!) Delia grows into such a strong person, even stronger and more stubborn than the first book and I honestly don't know how she has the will power to remain apart from Kell for so long! The two of them were killing me with how long they didn't see each other, even when the were SO CLOSE! The irony alone (and also low key the reason I got no sleep until they said more than one word to one another)

“The memory caught him like a blow. Lila.”

 Also the magical GAMES in this book! I mean wow, just flat out wow. They were amazing. The skills each competior had and the fact that they had to each wear masks just made it that much more mysterious. Also there ends up being some pretty interesting competitors... just saying. The ending is not what I expected, at least for how the games ended, no the ending ending blew me away and annoyed me with the power of a hundred suns. It just ended so god dang abroublty I could have screamed! 

“To clever plans,' said Kell, toasting his brother. 'And dashing princes.'
'To masked magicians,' said Rhy, swiping the wine.
'To mad ideas.'
'To the Essen Tasch.'
'Wouldn't it be amazing,' murmured Rhy later, when the bottle was empty, 'if we got away with it?” 

 KELL. We need to take a moment to apricate the greatness that is Kell. I mean I love him to death but he gets hecka dark in this book. I mean he's always been a little bit bruiting but I thought it was all just a part of his charm. In this book however, he gets flat out crazy crazy dark. Like Kell might turn into a killer of magic or something dark. I should have seen this coming a little more (and honesty should not be this surprised and all) because the opening scene was him practicing beating people up with his magic (in some weird training room or other) and his whole thing with Rhyland weighing very heavily on him (it is a big responsibility though, and super stressful I have to admit so I understand where his darkness is coming from and all, it just didn't hit me until this book) 

“No!” Kell shouted, reaching toward his brother, uselessly, desperately, but as his hand brushed the nearest person, the darkness leaped like fire from his fingers to the man’s chest. He shuddered, and then collapsed, crumbling to ash as his body struck the street stones. Before he hit the ground, the people on either side of him began to fall as well, death rippling in a wave through the crowd, silently consuming everyone. Beyond them, the buildings began to crumble too, and the bridges, and the palace, until Kell was standing alone in an empty world. And then in the silence, he heard a sound: not a sob, or a scream, but a laugh. And it took him a moment to recognize the voice. 
It was his.” 

 Kell still has my heart though because he continues to search for Deliah even though he has no idea that she is really back in London again (for a crazy reason I must admit but there none of the less) and even though Deliliah avoids him she secretly misses him as well. (I sense romantic tension..)  Plus they have to throw in a Ball, as if I possibly could not love this book any more (throw in a masquerade and stop right there- I'm sold) 

“Oh yes, your relationship with Miss Bard is positively ordinary."
"Be quiet."
"Crossing worlds, killing royals, saving cities. The marks of every good courtship.”

Rhy was fabulous as always but also had his dark times during this book. Some of the choices both him and Kell made had me shaking my head at them at times. Also the love between Kell and Rhy is as wonderful as it is frustrating. Half the time they hate each other so much so that they are beating one another up, whereas the other half their inseparable and each other best friend! Though I do suppose that sums up siblings. Plus there is a suprsing romantic encounter with Rhy and someone you do NOT expect and I must say it was STEAMY! (prepare yourself ahead of time) 

“At the sunroom doors, he cast a glance back, and found Rhy looking at him with an expression that might have been I’m sorry, but also could have been fuck off, or at the very least we’ll talk later.” 

Overall this book stole my heart and I am head over heels for this series! You simply must read it! (DO IT!) Hopefully you will fall madly in love with the characters just as I have! Also the ending is totally a cliff hanger  and lets just say things don't get easier with White London any time soon. Hope you get a chance to check it out this holiday season! (If you've already had the pleasure of reading it let me know what you think in the comments below!) 

-BubblyBooks

November Must Reads!

   Always and Forever by Jenny Han

Summary: Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.

But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

SO looking forward to this book! I read the first two and they were amazing! One of my favorite contemporary series of the year by far! The characters are just so lovable, and whats this I see? Laura Jean's dad getting engaged and to their neighbor! (looks like Kitty's scheming is paying off) Also can't wait to see whats in store for Laura Jean and Peter they are just so cute they make my heart melt! Hopefully I will get to this over the holidays! (Also I'm dying to try Laura Jean's cookie recipes this holiday season! Thank god the author supplied Luara Jeans recipes and baking secrets in the back of the first novel!) 


The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Summary: In a world of etiquette and polite masks, no one is who they seem to be.

Antonina Beaulieu is in the glittering city of Loisail for her first Grand Season, where she will attend balls and mingle among high society. Under the tutelage of the beautiful but cold Valérie Beaulieu, she hopes to find a suitable husband. However, the haphazard manifestations of Nina’s telekinetic powers make her the subject of malicious gossip.

Yet dazzling telekinetic performer and outsider Hector Auvray sees Nina’s powers as a gift, and he teaches her how to hone and control them. As they spend more and more time together, Nina falls in love and believes she’s found the great romance that she’s always dreamed of, but Hector’s courtship of Nina is deceptive.

The Beautiful Ones is a sweeping fantasy of manners set in a world inspired by the Belle Époque.

I recently stumbled across this book after I saw it in my Goodreads feed from another fellow reader. It didn't catch my eye originally (the cover didn't scream read me) but after reading the summary I am throughly convinced that I need to read this book before the year is up (hopefully holiday money will come through and I will be able to get my hands on a copy soon!) I've always been a sucker for romantic historical fiction and if you throw in a ball (especially a masquerade) you cannot keep my hands off it! I NEED it now!

Ink by Amanda Sun

Summary: On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive. 

 Another read I wouldn't have noticed in a million years if my Goodreads friends didn't introduce it to me! It's very different from what I normally read but I couldn't help but be intrigued. I mean a mystery boy with powers linked to Katie? (tell me I'm not the only one who gets flashbacks to the Vampire Academy books or the Obsidian series) Plus it takes place in Japan, which I think would be really fun to read about! Can't wait to check this out!

Planning on reading any good books this month? Already planning your Christmas lists high with new novels? Let me know in the comments below! 

-BubblyBooks 

October Recap! (I'll admit it is a bit late seeing as now its November...)

  I know this is coming a few days late but I've just been so busy trying to keep up with everything! October was a busy month to say the least. I mean their was homecoming, than we had Halloween, also I had to try and finish (Ahem I mean start) my college essays. I felt like I was doing at lot more writing (well at least trying to) versus reading this month! I mean I think there might have even been a two week period were I didn't even pick up a book! I mean who am I any more! College what have you done to me!

 I did however successfully finish a few books this month ( 4 to be exact) which is less than I thought.. hmmm I'm kind of disappointed, it felt like I read a lot more than that but that might be because I seriously got swept up into V.E. Schwab's a Darker Shade of Magic. I legit read the second book (A gathering of Shadows) in the span of a weekend and had a book reading hangover on Monday.
  Anyways back to the books I've finished:

P.S. I Still Love you 
 By Jenny Han

Thoughts:

 This book was SO cute and fantastic!

 This book in one word : CAKE

This book as a flower: Pink Roses

Favorite character: Laura Jean (seems obvious but she is legit my soul sister)

Favorite Couple: Laura Jean and Peter (Duh!)

A Darker Shade of Magic
 By V.E. Schwab

Thoughts:

 OMG! OMG! OMG! Made me fall in love with reading again!

This book in one word: MAGICAL

This book as a flower: Roses because thats what Kell smells like

Favorite character: Kell (I just found him so intriguing)

Favorite Couple: Kell and Delilah (even though they weren't really a couple I was still shipping them like crazy!)

Jackaby
 By William Ritter

Thoughts:
 Unexpected yet delightfully entertaining!

This book in one word: Quirky

This book as a flower: I don't know

Favorite Character: Jackaby

Favorite couple: Not much couples going on although there was some flirting (I'm predicting Jackaby and Abigail will have a thing but if you know don't tell me! I want to be surprised!)

A Gathering of Shadows (shades of magic #2)
 By V.E. Schwab

 Thoughts:
OMG is it possible this was better than the first book? But what was that ending! I NEED closure V.E. Schwab!!!

This book in one word: Darkness

This book as a flower: Black roses (not sure thats a thing but it just makes sense for this book)

Favorite Character: Delilah Bard (I know I'm switching sides but Kell annoyed me in this book at times and Delilah pleasantly surprised me on multiple occasion so theres that)

Favorite Couple: Alcaurd and Rhy (didn't see this coming)



Books I started but just couldn't finish for the life of me:

A Thousand Pieces of You
By: Claudia Gray

Not sure why I couldn't get into it but Paul just annoyed me so much I needed to stop. (I apologize in advance for those of you that cannot get enough of Paul. I just don't agree) 

Halloween happened! 

Hope you all had a fabulous holiday season! Me and my friends all did a group costume this year and for those you that know the disney movie Holes we all dressed up in orange jump suits and it was really fun! 

Preview of books I'm thinking about reading next month:

The Dazzling Heights  By: Katherine McGee

The Raven Boys By: V.E. Schwab

A Conjuring of light (a darker shade of magic #3) By: V.E. Schwab 

Always and Forever By: Jenny Han 

Anyways overall October was a pretty good month! I hope you all got some good books read. Tell me what some of your favorite reads of the month were. What books are you thinking about reading this month? Let me know in the comments below!

-BubblyBooks 

Do you listen to music when you read? Books, influence on your Music, Playlists, and more...

   I personally am one of those people that don't listen to music often when I read. I mean I can read with music, but it has to be in the background or else I can't focus on reading because I'll be too busy listening to the song! (especially if its one of my favorites and I can't stop myself from singing along) But I know that some readers out there totally love to listen to music when they read and actually prefer it to reading with no music.

 So I guess my question is do you listen to music when you read? What kind of music to you listen to when you read? Does the book your reading impact what music your listening to? Like does the music have to set the mood and/or tone of the book?

I've always wondered if for some readers music helps them to get the whole experience while reading. If it helps them imagine the world and the characters better, almost in a way that makes them feel like their there. Because don't get me wrong I've totally had moments were a song reminds me so much of a character I stop and wonder if the author was thinking the same thing when they heard that song and then it inspired the character in the book I'm reading at that moment. Also is it easier to concentrate if the songs don't have words (such as classical or just your favorite songs but the instrumental versions) or does it not matter?

  Also sort of tying into a previous post about the books you read and the seasons, got me thinking about how my music preference changes around the time of year. Typically the music I play has a lot to do with what mood I'm in. If I'm in more of an upbeat mood but want something new that I haven't heard before I'll play Todays top hits, or if I'm in a good mood but want something I can sing along to I'll play my favorite pop love songs from the 90's, 00's, and today. Those are the days when I just want music to make me feel like,

But I have my days were I'm more moody.... In those cases I don't want anyone to talk to me expect the lyrics in my head buds. 

 We've all had those moments when we just need our space and time to chill out with Coldplay and no one else. 

 Lets Chat!

Let me know if you're the type to listen to music while reading. Do you prefer a certain genre? Does the type of music you listen to change for each book you read? Let me know in the comments below!

-BubblyBooks 

Mini Reviews: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab and Jackaby by William Ritter

A Darker Shade of Magic
 By: V.E. Schwab

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. 

Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

This book was AMAZING!!! I seriously loved it so much I cannot even form words right now! First off the book centers around three different londons all from different worlds (I love this idea so much it was like this book was made for me :)) Also the writing was INCREDIBLE! It felt like I could just melt into the different worlds. Not to mention there was also thieving, backstabbing, and dark magic so whats not to love? 

This book stole my heart in so many ways but I can describe it all in four letters:

KELL

I absolutely,  totally, and completely fell in LOVE with Kell! He is the most interesting and unique character I have read about in quite some time (although I was practically dying from the lack of YA fantasy I've been reading lately) Luckily this book saved me from giving up on reading (the last few books I've read just haven't done it for me lately) Kell restored my faith in YA and was able to bring me back to life. He is just so fascinating, and I am completely intranced by the fact that he has two different color eyes, one black and one blue, I just think that is the perfect small detail too add. This book was able to keep surprising me in really unexpected ways. All the characters were really not what you expected and thats what made me love them!

“He would see her again. He knew he would. Magic bent the world. Pulled it into shape. There were fixed points. Most of the time they were places. But sometimes, rarely, they were people. For someone who never stood still, Lila felt like a pin in Kell's world. One he was sure to snag on.” 

 Like the fact the Deliah Bard completely crushed female stereotypes in book characters (pants over dresses... heck ya!) Leilah was honestly not my favorite in the beginning. Its not that I didn't like her I just didn't think she was all that interesting but that totally changed later on in the book and she was able to change my perspective on her. I also love Rhy who is Kells unofficial brother (who is also the prince of Red london- which is by far the best of all the londons). He is complete charming and he knows it, plus the fact that Kell would do anything for him... melts my heart!

“I apologize for anything I might have done. I was not myself.”
“I apologize for shooting you in the leg.” said Lila. “I was myself entirely.” 

This book was just the most unique and head spinning (not mention Fabulous) book and every page made me love it more than the last! If you get the chance PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE check out this book! (Read it! You just have to read it!) You will not regret it! 

Jackaby

 By: William Ritter 

Rating: 3/5 stars 

Summary: “Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre. 

  This book had been sitting on my self for quite some time now and I think the only reason I didn't read it sooner was because I wasn't really sure what to expect. I didn't want it to be too stuffy and eighteenth centruryish but I did know there was some element of supernatural activity and I just didn't know what it was (I mean if it said right off the bat that there was vampires or werewolves I would have been sold) But this book actually pleasantly surprised me with how entertaining it was!

“I have ceased concerning myself with how things look to others, Abigail Rook. I suggest you do the same. In my experience, others are generally wrong.” 

 I mean both the characters (especially jackaby) were just so delightfully quirky that it made my eyes jump from page to page! The book starts off with Abigail Rook who dreams of nothing but adventure when she comes to town and stumbles into more than she expected when she meets Jackaby. She starts off as his employer and is naturally shocked to find out all the supernatural craziness he's involved with but him and her actually end up working beautifully together even if she can't make out all of his strange ways.

“Does this smell like paprika or gunpowder to you?” 

Also the whole town is quite interesting. I especially love how the sherif  had it out for Jackaby since the beginning and the two just torment each other constantly  Also the fact that Jackaby's last employee is now a duck and he lives with a ghost was totally fun twist. 

“The most recent gentleman has proven to be far more resilient and a great deal more helpful. He remains with me in a . . . different capacity."

"What capacity?"

Jackaby's step faltered, and he turned his head away slightly. His mumbled reply was nearly lost to the wind. "He is temporarily waterfowl.” 

The writing was also really funny and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the more quirky things just because of how flat out absurd they were! 

Overall this was a sold read and I would recommend it to anyone who wants something unique and interesting but not too heavy. (I'll probably pick up the second book some time soon) A solid three stars!