August Book Haul

The Winter People

The Winter People by Rebekah L. Purdy

ISBN: 1622663683
Pages: 320
Source: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: September 2, 2014

Appearance:

An engrossing, complex, romantic fantasy perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore or Maggie Stiefvater, set in a wholly unique world.
Salome Montgomery fears winter—the cold, the snow, the ice, but most of all, the frozen pond she fell through as a child. Haunted by the voices and images of the strange beings that pulled her to safety, she hasn't forgotten their warning to "stay away." For eleven years, she has avoided the winter woods, the pond, and the darkness that lurks nearby. But when failing health takes her grandparents to Arizona, she is left in charge of maintaining their estate. This includes the "special gifts" that must be left at the back of the property.
 

Salome discovers she’s a key player in a world she’s tried for years to avoid. At the center of this world is the strange and beautiful Nevin, who she finds trespassing on her family’s property. Cursed with dark secrets and knowledge of the creatures in the woods, his interactions with Salome take her life in a new direction. A direction where she'll have to decide between her longtime crush Colton, who could cure her fear of winter. Or Nevin who, along with an appointed bodyguard, Gareth, protects her from the darkness that swirls in the snowy backdrop. An evil that, given the chance, will kill her.

Hello everyone! Welcome back to another review! I'm so sorry for how much I've been slacking off lately with blogging. I originally planned to post every other day through August to cut my reviewing pile down...obviously that didn't happen. Anyway, school starts in ONE WEEK which is absolutely insane so I need to get working on my reviews  With that being said, let's just jump into my review~

Ever since she fell through the frozen pond in her grandparents' background, Salome Montgomery has feared everything relating to winter. She is constantly haunted by the images and voices of strange beings and visits to her therapist only make things worse. When her grandparents' health takes a turn and they need to travel to warmer conditions, she is charged with managing their estate while their gone. For years she has never been on their property alone and this time she can't avoid the voices. Salome finds herself wrapped up in the world of the faeries and her importance in breaking the curse that surrounds her family. If she doesn't figure out how, she'll die like all the other girls before her who failed.

This book was one seriously creepy read. I'm reading this during the summertime mind you and it's blazing hot outside but I got chills. The writing is so mesmerizing and haunting that I couldn't stop reading. I remember when I first picked up this book, I couldn't get into the story but so much has changed a year later. I swear I looked up multiple times while reading and found myself so confused to see that the world in front of me wasn't covered in snow. Everything about this book is magical and just transports you into the story and the beautiful (creepy) world.

Now before I talk characters I have to address the very awkward love...rectangle? So the synopsis of the book mentions four characters: Salome (main character), Colton (first love interest), Nevin (mysterious person), and Gareth (Nevin's appointed bodyguard for Salome). Yes there arises some romantic interest between Salome and all three guys and while I thought it was really awkward and a bit too much, at the same time I wasn't too concerned with it. I knew who I wanted her to end up with and I knew it was going to happen. With Colton especially, I knew it wasn't going to last long when he started acting all crazy and possessive. So to sum up the interesting love situation...I wasn't too bothered by it.

All right, now to the fun part: characters. I didn't exactly love Salome as she did some pretty dumb things and always managed to land herself close to danger/death. The most frustrating part was when she kept demanding answers and when her grandmother told her to look inside a chest she took CHAPTERS to actually do it. While I understand there's an aspect of fear to it, especially since she nearly died multiple times, if she wanted answers so badly (like I did) she should go for it and not drag it out. While her actions did get on my nerves, I liked how she wasn't the perfect heroine. Like I mentioned, she did a lot of dumb things, but it made her more relatable because she wasn't a super heroine with a perfect life.

As for the guys in question...I knew Colton was bad news from the beginning. He was just too interested too suddenly so I found myself disliking him pretty quickly. Nevin and Gareth is where the struggle began. Like I said, I knew who I wanted Salome to end up with pretty quickly, but as individual characters I really liked both of them, but Nevin in particular. Gareth is just a really great guy through and through, but Nevin is hella complicated. There is so much backstory and intrigue to his character I loved how the story just unfolded around him. He made some mistakes but he has spent so long paying dearly for what he did.

Before I wrap things up, let me just repeat that this book is really haunting and even borderline creepy but in a fantastic way. I loved the revelation at the end of the novel and how everything just fell into place. The very ending seemed a bit too much of an ending, but since I know there's a second book I can't wait to see what crazy adventure will happen next!

*Huge thanks to Entangled Teen for sending me a copy to review. All thoughts are 100% my own*

4 out of 5 stars

   

Foreverly Obsessed,

#NOTD: Gold and Elegant

Hello everyone! I thought I'd do something a little different today and post a quick little Nail Of the Day for you guys. Okay to be completely truthful, this picture is a couple weeks old, but I absolutely love the colors and how elegant it looks so I decided to share it anyway. If you guys like these nail posts I'll try to do them more often since I am a bit of a nail polish addict. I'm still deciding how I want to organize these posts but I think it'll be a simple talk through of the colors I used. So let's give it a go!

Base Coat: Revlon Treat & Boost

Drugstore/Ulta

Thumb, Middle, Pinky, Accent: Pop-a-razzi in Mauvie Night

CVS Exclusive

Pointer, Accent: Pop-a-razzi in Going for Gold

CVS Exclusive

Accent: French Tips

BornPrettyStore

So that's my first little #NOTD. Next time I'm going to try to take more of my own pictures instead of using stock photos from the internet. Let me know your thoughts on this nail look as well as what your thoughts are on NOTDs in the future! 

Foreverly Obsessed,

VIDEO: The Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

Hello everyone! Welcome back to another video! So I've been seeing the Unpopular Opinions Book Tag circulating around BookTube for the last couple of weeks and it looks like so much fun I had to do it. This tag was created by the Book Archer whose channel is linked in the video description! Let's get into that tag:

1. A Popular Book or Series that You Didn't Like



2. A Popular Book or Series that Everyone else Hates but You Love



3. A Love Triangle where the Main Character ended up with someone you Didn't Like or an OTP you Don't Like


4. A Popular Book Genre You Rarely Reach For



5. A Popular or Beloved Character you can't seem to stand


6. A Popular Author you can't seem to get into


7. A Popular Book Trope you are tired of seeing

(Found this on Google...it's pretty great)

8. A Popular Series you have no interest in reading



9. The saying goes "The book is always better than the movie," but what movie or TV show adaptaion do you prefer more than the book?


So those are my responses! Let me know in the comments down below some of your unpopular opinions!

Foreverly Obsessed,

Top Ten Tuesdays: Auto-Buy Authors

Hello everyone! Welcome back to another Top 10 Tuesday. Be sure to click the banner above to be directed to the Broke and Bookish's post and links to everyone else's post! So I'm kind of cheating a bit because I can't think of 10 auto-buy authors. I ended up splitting this post into two part. Part 1 is going to include my auto-buy authors and Part 2 will contain some authors whom I may own the first or second books and I'm waiting for the rest of their books to come out so I can buy them. Final thing before I get started, I'm probably not going to make it 10, but I'll try...Alright, let's get into the list:

PART 1: AUTO BUY

1. Amy Harmon

This is a no-brainer for me. I absolutely LOVE Amy Harmon's books and have preordered her last couple of books and waited till midnight to see them download on my Nook. 

2. Brandon Sanderson

Another not surprising author - every he releases a new book I begin to scour the interwebs for them. I'll admit that I won't buy his book immediately after release but if I see the books on the shelves (especially if it's on sale) then I'm definitely getting that book!

3. Patrick Rothfuss

This man is basically a genius and I vow to buy everything he publishes - I mean I already have books one and two...

Part 2: AUTHORS ON THE WATCH LIST

4. N. K. Jemisin

I'm not sure if I should put her in Part 1 or 2. I own 5 out of her 6 books already and honestly admire her so much. The one thing holding me back is how the Broken Kingdoms didn't exactly ring with me, but she's still pretty amazing.

5. Scott Lynch

I've heard so many amazing things about the Gentlemen Bastards series and I already own the first book. Just patiently waiting for more books to come out before I get started!

6. Sarah J. Maas

Another author who I own the first book of her series and I'm waiting patiently for the rest of the books to come out. It's pretty self explanatory that I'm going to buy every book she publishes...

7. Stephanie Chong

I absolutely loved her Company of Angels series (still waiting for the third book...) The writing in her novels are amazing and she always has these beautiful quotes and lessons in her stories.

8. Trudi Canavan

I own 3 completely trilogies by her and earlier this year I just went on a Trudi Canavan book buying binge. Needless to say it's slowly wearing off but I'm still going to keep my eye out for her newest trilogy!

Alright that's my list! I know I didn't make it to 10, but I think these 8 encompass it all. I wish I had the money to buy all the books I want, but since that's not the case I mostly get my books from second hand book stores so I don't really have auto-buy authors? Either way hope you guys enjoyed this post and let me know some of your auto-buys in the comments below!

Foreverly Obsessed,

TOUR STOP: Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer

Ward Against Death (Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer #1)

by Melanie Card 

Release Date: 08/02/11

Entangled Teen

306 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Twenty-year-old Ward de’Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman’s daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can’t be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.
But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she’s been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can’t bring himself to break his damned physician’s Oath and desert her.
However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she’s treating Ward like sewage, the next she’s kissing him. And for a nobleman’s daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…

Ward Against Darkness (Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer #2)

by Melanie Card 

Release Date: 08/27/13

Entangled Teen

352 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

The last thing Ward de'Ath wants is more trouble. On the run from both the law and the criminal underworld, Ward and Celia flee Brawenal City only to stumble into the mansion of a powerful evil necromancer. And when Ward discovers the man possesses a dangerous grimoire, his duty leaves him no choice. He can't allow the necromancer to keep the grimoire.

But the mansion is filled with monsters--human and undead--and Ward has no way of telling who's friend or foe. The only person he can trust is Celia who dominates more of his thoughts and feelings everyday. But there are still laws in the way of anything but friendship. She's still dead and he's still alive . . . for now.

Ward Against Disaster (Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer #3)

by Melanie Card

Release Date: 01/19/14

Entangled Teen

276 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Ward de'Ath should be dead by now. Instead, he’s chasing after a soul-eating creature—that he unleashed— and is bent on stopping her before she slaughters more innocents. Fortunately, Celia Carlyle remains by his side, a nobleman's gorgeous and deadly daughter, who is…well, dead.
Celia claims she’ll champion Ward wherever he goes, even when she thinks his quest is hopeless. He can only hope her pledge comes from her heart, and not because she’s bound to him through his magic.
When they enter Dulthyne, they stumble upon a dark power that threatens the entire town. Ward, with his unreliable necromancy, is determined to help but finds himself ensnared in the lure of white-hot magic…blood magic he struggles to resist. But if Celia’s love is a lie, it might just doom his soul to the dark arts forever. 

Hello everyone! Welcome to my review for the Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer by Melanie Card. Huge thanks to YA Book Bound and Entangled Teen for sending me copies of the trilogy for review! As always be sure to click the tour banner up above for more information regarding tour stops!

As I'm reviewing the entire trilogy in one go, I'm going to try to avoid spoilers as I go. The story follows Ward De'Ath, a powerful physician and necromancer, who has chosen to bring back Celia Carlyle from the dead so that her family may have some final words. He doesn't expect for her to grab him and run claiming that someone killed her and she can trust no one. When I first started reading, I could not put my Kindle down. I was immediately thrust into this world of assassins, spies, murder, and magic. 

Admittedly, with all that is going on, I felt a bit lost at times, but after the first book things started to make more sense. The overall plot is really action packed and heart pounding. There is so much treachery and secrets that are woven into the storyline that it's hard to know who to believe in the overall scheme of things.

I loved Celia, but at the beginning I had a hard time liking her. Sure she was super kickbutt with her awesome assassin moves, but she flaunted her looks and constantly degraded Ward in her thoughts. However, over time I grew to love her sassy character. Ward also took some time to get used to. At the beginning I couldn't help but cringe at his character because he was so honorable and awkward with everything that he did. Still, he's really gifted and it was so interesting to explore the magical aspects of necromancy. 

The overall series is quite interesting to read. The first book was definitely the hardest for me to get through, but after that it all worked out pretty smoothly. The world is so intriguing and intricate which just grabs you in and holds you tight throughout the entire series.

About the Author

I have always been drawn to story telling. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t telling a story in my head or on paper. In grade school, we had journal writing time which I turned into story telling time, weaving tales of magic and adventure that mimicked the fairy tales and myths that I loved to read. It was there, with the help of two very special teachers, that I nurtured this love and started my journey as a writer.

I write fantasy, paranormal romance, and everything in between, seasoned with a good dash of adventure and mystery. Join me on my tales of magic, adventure, and romance.

Author Links:

   

Ward Against Death: 3/5 stars

Ward Against Darkness: 3.5/5 stars

Ward Against Disaster: 3.5/5 stars

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars

  

Forevely Obsessed,