10 Books I Want To Read This Summer

It's summer, it's warm, the days are long, laziness becomes us.... and for those of you who, like me, melt when the termomethers go above 30ºC, it's the season of seeking shadow and hiding in cold places with a book and some music.

Oh, yes it is. (you're not seeing me, but I'm currently writing this from the inside of my fridge. cold, cold, cold).

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie so I chose 10 books I want to read this summer. Notice how I don't say I will read them, knowing me I'll get interested in another book mid-way and drop this TBR but still.... I really, really want to read these ten books this summer.

(Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish and it's a super cool thing we do on tuesdays, so if you're cool, get on board, if you're not cool then become cool and get on board too).

Everything I never Told You (Celeste NG)

Everytime I walk into a bookstore, I always grab this book and read a few lines because I'm just so in love with the cover. I really, really want to read this one... I feel like it will be a bit like We Were Liars and fuck me up a bit so... nothing a summer day can't fix!

The Raven Boys (Maggie Stiefvater)

Everyone is talking about this book and loving it. Everyone. Seriously. I have read the summary and it's not my style at all BUT since everyone is loving it, I'm going to give it a try!

The Deal (Elle Kennedy)

This book has been on my TBR forever and I have seen a lot of hype and love sorrouding this books and it's sequels, so I neeeeed to read it. I also want to read it, but the need is stronger. I think.

 The Winter Palace (Eva Stachniak)

My TBR wouldn't be complete without at least one historic romance. This book is about Catherine, The Great who is an Empress I am really curious about so yay. Also the cover... soooooo pretty!

A Court of Thorns and Roses (Sarah J Maas)

This is such a hyped book and I need to get on this train, seriously. Everyone seems to have read this book and everyone loves it so here I am, world, catching up with you.

The Summer Garden (Paullina Simons)

The last book of my favorite trilogy that I've read this year: The Bronze Horseman! Ahhhh. I want to dive right into this one... and I will, but I need to make it last a little bit longer!

Tim (Colleen McCullough)

I don't even know much about this book but on one of my lunch hours, I walked into a bookstore and this book was there and I really liked the cover so...TBR it is.

 

Voyager (Diana Gabaldon)

To be honest, I have started this book but it's on my plans to finish it this summer. After all, next year we have season 3 of Outlander based on this book. Yiiiiipe!!! (even though I feel like the 2nd season has some scenes from this one... might be just confused).

The Shadow of The Wind (Carlos Ruiz Záfon)

My friend L. offered me this book last Christmas, she said that this was her favorite book by Ruiz Záfon so it's on my TBR!

Truth or Beard (Penny Reid) 

I just love Penny Reid, and summer asks for something light and fun and full of laughs. I also love the cover. 

Eight Book Releases we've loved in 2016

 

Hiiiii.

It had been awhile since I last did a Top Ten Tuesday but I thought: 'why not?' and here I am with not a top ten, but a top eight of books that have been released this year and I've loved. But obviously, I am me. And I have to escape the rules. And also, my reading is wayyyyy late.

Later than late.

So, here are 8 books that have been released this year that I have read, that I am excited to read, or that haven't even been released at all.

(Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish and you can check them out here!)


 
1. One With You by Sylvia Day

This is the final book of the Crossfire series and eventhough I can't say that I looooooved this book, it was a book that I was waiting for to finish this series. I had read the previous 4 so I wanted to see what would be the ending Sylvia Day would give to Eva and Gideon.

2. The Widow by Fiona Barton

Okay, so I went to FNAC (a really huge store that has books, dvd's, etc...) last week and there were these little 'book's with 10 pages that crammed the first chapters of this book by Fiona Barton. I have not read it yet (especially because the letters are soooo tiny, I might need to get a magnifying glass) but I am excited because they say it's very Girl on The Train meets Gone Girl. So we shall see.

3. Sebring by Kristen Ashley

This is the last book of the Unfinished Hero series (rip, rip, sniff, sniff) by Kristen Ashley and I have come to adooooore this series and these books. Sebring is about Nick, who is Knight's brother so I'm excited about this one because I've been told we get a bit more about Knight who was my favorite
during the series.

4. The Player and The Pixie by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid

I've read this book and I adoooooored it. So it has to be on my list. I cannot wait for the following book, which I think is probably gonna come out this year too? If so, I'll bow down to the girls, Miss Cosway and Miss Reid, because I will devour the book. Seriously. Adore the Rugby series.

5. Cream of the Crop by Alice Clayton

This book hasn't been released yet but it's almost hereeeee. I am so excited, to be honest!!! If you follow my blog, then you already know how much I love Alice Clayton! I have read the 1st Hudson Valley series book with Roxie and Leo and omg. I cannot wait for this one :)

6. Into The Light by Aleatha Roming

This book, well, I don't even know what it is about but I have read the Consequences trilogy by Aleatha Roming and it was so creepy but so good that now I almost put everything by Aleatha Roming on my TBR but the truth is... I haven't read anything else by her. And I also don't read the summaries 'cause I don't want to be ruined.

7. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

The only reason I am excited about this one is because I love Sherlock Holmes, and there's a Study in Pink or whatever somewhere on the SH world. And also, this cover is pretty. So I'm curious. I think this is going to be a fun book... we will see.

8. Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks

This one hasn't been released yet, it's only scheduled for October or something like that.... but I'm already loving it. And I'm already excited. So it goes in this list, anyways.

Help!!!! I'm going on holidays!

... and in this moment you're probably looking at this title and thinking, "what a bellend, asking for help because she's going on vacations!"

Do not fret, my friends. I do not need help, nor do my vacations to be honest.... actually I can already feel the thrill of laying out in the sun and having bloated legs from exploring so many new places. Truth to be told, I already packed my benuron to help with the muscular pain....and there's still 2 weeks to go!

This scream for help is concerning another essential part of going on holidays: which books should I take??

That's right: my clothes are all set and my shoes are ready to be packed and even my gadgets, they have been charged already (will probably need to be charged again before I go!) but the biggest question in my mind is: which books should I take! And yes, I'm talking bookS plural because I read them in ebooks and I always take more than one so I won't get bored.

Last year, besides my favorite books (Wallbanger, The Proposition...) I also took a portuguese book that I wanted to try and read called "Os Maias" but it didn't work out, and I packed a Saramago book which I'm trying to not read too fast. I spent a lot of time on a plane last year for my holidays and I was able to read 3 books:

Hydraulic Level 5 by Sarah Latchaw

I loved this book soooo muc and I recommend it to everyone. I think this was the first book I read and when I finished, I almost cried to think that my vacations were just starting and I had already finished one book. When I got home, I searched the 2nd book of this series.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

I loved this book (rip me for trying to give Slammed a go) and it warmed my heart during the last few days of my trip. It was so good that I didn't even feel sick nor fainted during my arrival, which is good, since it happens like...always. (just for that, I gave it 5 stars!)

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

I'm not sure if this was my 3rd book but I think so. To be honest I can't really remember what it was about but I remember I liked it. I read between trips and at night, when I went to bed, which is, most likely, the reason I can't recall the story: I was way too tired.





Alright, so now that I've told you all about it, I'm asking for your help, oh literary gurus and all knowing creatures: which books should I take on my vacations where I'm catching like 9 planes and spending a lot of time in waiting rooms? Leave me comments in my little comment box and I will take any book: funny romances, serious romances, dramas, fiction, non fiction! (and the books can be big, too, my Aldiko can take it!)

First Lines #4: Tatiana and Alexander

Remember the hundred posts I wrote about what, up until now, was my favorite book of the year? Yes, I am talking about "The Bronze Horseman" by Paullina Simons. (If you don't remember, you can check out here my first impressions, final opinion and my favorite quotes!).

Okay, so I started reading the 2nd book this week. YAAAAAY. Mini-dance party!!!! I actually decided that I wouldn't read the 3 books in a row, even if I wanted to do so bad, because I loved the 1st book so much that I wanted to spend a little more time with this trilogy. However, after trying to read "Slammed" by Colleen Hoover and hating it, I entered a little reading slump which was what led me, on this subway ride, to start "Tatiana and Alexander" so I could warm my heart.

As of right now, I'm at page 135, chapter 15 and....blaaah. Okay, okay. Don't throw rocks at me just yet! The truth is that I adored the first book and I had read some reviews claiming that this 2nd book was even better so I was got extremely excited and with very high expectations but to be honest.... I'm not liking this one as much as I did the first but I'm not hating on it either. I feel like this beginning is very tirying because it's retelling in more detail what happened at the end of the first book!

And I really don't like when that happens. I always feel like the author is treating me as if I have a 0.02 seconds memory or that they are trying to include something that they didn't remember for the previous book so that the current book's plot makes sense. If I learnt about Alex's parents, if I already know about Dima, if I already know about the runway... why do I need more 100 pages telling me about it???

Right.
I'll explain better: there are two kinds of chapters. Some of the chapters are from Tatia's POV which is really interesting and brings a lot of new elements to the table; the other chapters are written from Alex's POV and these chapters are split in 3 moments: the present, the past related to Dasha/Dima/Tatia, the past related to Alex's parents. And everything is very interesting but it gets really confusing, because all this info is crammed into a chapter so we keep jumping the years. It gets a little all over the place.

I feel like this could have worked better if the author wrote one chapter where she told us all about Alex's parents (again, but still) and another chapter about the whole Dimitri/Dasha/Tatia story that we already know about (and thus could skip it more easily). And then write chapters only from Alex's POV in the present which is what interests the most, because it tells how is his life in prison!

As for Tatiana's part, up until now, is very interesting. There is this ??? moment where I felt like when Tatia was speaking english with Alex, her english was perfect but suddenly it's crooked??? But oh well, details, details. And also, I just wanna hold Anthony and pinch his cheeks. Ayyyye. The sight of the two of them leaves me with heart eyes.

Whenever I finish this book, I'll tell you allllll about what I thought and I'll post my favorite quotes. And I'll probably cry. And scream at Alex. But hey.... what's new about that?

The Real Neat Blog Award

Hiiii.

Here am I again replying to some questions left by the dearest Savannah at The Book Prophet. She nominated me for the Real Neat Blog Award and left me 7 questions to answer and then I will have to create 7 questions for you.

Go by her blog and check out her cool reviews and then come back and read my answers, which I'mma leave rightttt here:

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The Rules:

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- Thank and link the blogger that nominated you.

- Answer the 7 questions that the nomination has provided you.

- Create 7 questions for your nominees.

- Nominate 7 other bloggers.

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Savannah's Qs:

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   1. Most anticipated movie release of the year?  

I don't usually watch many movies and I'm not usually very excited about the releases of movies, but I'm going to go with "Me Before You" because oh my Godddddd, Emily Clarke and Sam Claffin. I actually tried to read this book after watching the trailer but couldn't get into the book. Also, "The Girl in the Train" because it's another book I had to DNF but that I'm curious about.

     2. Favorite platonic book couple?   

Caroline and Simon <3 <3 <3
(from Wallbanger by Alice Clayton)

   3. Book you couldn't finish, but would give another shot in the future?   

"The Girl in the Train". When I started reading this book, I had just gotten unemployed and because Rachel is such an intense character, it was bringing me really down and I kept thinking about the book and feeling sad and depressive about it, so I dropped it but I still want to read it when I am in a better place in life.

    4. Actor or actress you would choose to play your favorite book character in adaptation?  

My favorite character is Claire and Jamie from Outlander and I love how they are played by Caitrona Balfe and Sam Heughan. So, my second favorites are Caroline and Simon from Wallbanger. I'd choose Chris Evan for Simon but I imagine Simon with somewhat of a longer hair so he would have to grow it out; for Caroline I'd go with... I don't know. I love Caroline far more than I love any actress in the world.

   5. Favorite book that takes place in the summertime?  

Hmm.... Gonna go with We Were Liars because it effed me up and it's the only book I remember to take place in the summertime.

   6. Most heartbreaking book?   

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. Seriously, did Tatia need to suffer that much? Did that many people need to die? Really? Really? Did I need to cry this big of a river??

   7. An author you will never read either because you hated their previous work or just aren't interested?  

David Levithan. Read Will Grayson, Will Grayson, hated it. Will pass further books by him.

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My Q's:

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1. What is one book you really love that everyone hated?
2. Who is the one author you love so much that you'd even read their grocery list?
3. If you could change the title to any book, what it would be? (the book and the new title)
4. What is the song you associate with your favorite book?
5. Name one book you were supposed to have read in school but didn't.
6. Have you ever not read a book and pretend you did? (or have you ever read a book and pretend you didn't?)
7. If your best friend was a character from a book, who would she/he be and why?

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My Nominees:

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Laura at The Sweetest Condition
Cristina at My Tiny Obsessions
Joca at little house of books
Claudia at feel the pages
Danica at A Redheaded Bookworm 
YOU at wherever-you're-at.


(thank you savannah, you are a darling :) )