Finishing (LOTS OF) Series

Recently, I’ve been on a series finishing binge.

Coincidently, it seems, in all the trilogies I’ve have on the go, I’ve read the first two books and have the final book to complete. This is the perfect scenario, because not only do you get the satisfaction of finishing a book, but that epic-ness of finishing a whole series, even if it might have been ages since you read the previous books.

So, series I’ve managed to complete:

  1. Thphoto 1e Kane Chronicles – this has been on my TBR for literal YEARS. I read the first book as soon as it came out, managed to get half way through the second one, and then gave up, even though the third book was in my possession, and hardback (a complete rarity on my shelves.) Finishing this series felt like the b
    iggest achievement of the year, because it was so long awaited. Finally, I can cross the books off thousands of to-read-lists I’ve made throughout the months!
  2. The Grisha Trilogy – I read Shadow and Bone, and Siege and Storm back to back. They are some of Bee’s favo
    rite books, so I was really pleased to be cracking on with such important books on her shelves. BUT, she refused to buy the third book because it was ONE CENTIMETRE taller and wider than the other two, and she wanted her trilogy to match. I don’t know how long we had to wait for Ruin and Rising to be released in normal book size, but it was worth the wait. Although I might have almost forgotten some of the plot, this was such an amazing end to the trilogy and really drew everything together, in a neat little bow.
  3. Ever After High – This was a cute and fun read where I could completely shut off my brain and soak up the adorableness of the fairy tale world. I’m familiar with the characters and the setting, so it was super sweet to see them in writing, not just on screen. This trilogy was basically ice cream to me.

Series I’m so almost done with:

  1. photo 2The School For Good And Evil – I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH. *throws glitter* I re-read the first two books to prepare for ‘The Last Ever After’. It’s a beast, at just over 650 pages. All the pages are going to be magical, I told myself, don’t be scared by the length….
    …I got scared by the length. I’ve been putting off just finishing this series because I seriously don’t want it to be over. Agatha and Sophie’s story needs to remain open forever. I’m only doing what the Storian would have wanted.
  2. Lux Series – Only ‘Opposition’ to go. Unlike the other series, this one has five books, which means finishing the series has been in the making for a while. I read the first four in quite a rapid succession, and slowly and gradually they’ve been getting better, by half a star each book. I’m hoping that the final book will blow me out of the water or make up for the bad star ratings of the first couple of books. Maybe that’s why I’m not jumping to finish this series?

Phew! That’s quite a lot! Now, I’ll take a breather before diving in to any more series!

Review: Fish Out Of Water by Natalie Whipple

22402516Fish Out Of Water by Natalie Whipple
Genre: 
Contemporary
Published by: Hot Key Books
Pages: 322
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Author | Amazon

I picked this book up on a whim because of the quirky cover, and I usually trust whatever Hot Key Books publishes. They know what’s good. I was also really in the mood for a nice contemporary romance, which was exactly what I got.  Continue reading “Review: Fish Out Of Water by Natalie Whipple”

Review: The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

Kane ChroniclesThe Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan
Genre: Adventure/Quest
Published by: Puffin
Pages: SO MANY.
Format: Paperback and Hardback
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Author | Amazon

This trilogy has been on my TBR for years. I remember asking my grandparents for ‘The Red Pyramid’ for Christmas when it first came out. My story with these books is that I read the first and half the second, but never managed to finish. We’re moving to university towards the end of September, so I wanted to finish these so I didn’t have to take them with me. And, I have to say, I loved the trilogy overall. It was great. I definitely think more people should pick up The Kane Chronicles, it’s just as great as it’s brother series, ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’. Here’s why… Continue reading “Review: The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan”

Review: Counting Stars by Keris Stainton

23592240Counting Stars by Keris Stainton
Genre: 
Contemporary
Published by: Hot Key Books
Pages: ???
Format: ARC E-Book
Rating: ★★★★
Where To Find: Goodreads | Author | Amazon

Happy Book Birthday to ‘Counting Stars’! To celebrate, let’s review!

Plot
The basic premise is a bunch of people live in a house together, and you get to know about their lives. Sounds simple, right? That’s where you’re wrong. Each character has their own dilemma and, as a reader, trying to deal with five at once was tricky, but rewarding. Set in Liverpool, this book is perfect for anyone 18 or over, as I’d say this book is like a hybrid between YA and new adult fiction, which comes from the characters being 18 or over, and therefore having slightly more mature situations to deal with.  Continue reading “Review: Counting Stars by Keris Stainton”

Review: The Book Of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

4259869The Book Of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Genre: 
Fairy Tale Retelling
Published by: Bloomsbury
Pages: 306
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Author | Amazon

I’ve been reading a lot of Shannon Hale lately, and a lot of fairy tale retellings, so this was a great book to pick up, as a combination of the two. I thought it would be an original story, rather than a retelling, but it turns out this is a retelling of ‘Maid Maleen’, a relatively unknown story by the Brothers Grimm. I’d never heard of it before, so similar to ‘Goose Girl’ I had no idea what to expect. The tower on the cover made me think of Rapunzel, but that is only half the story. Continue reading “Review: The Book Of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale”

Review: Monster by C J Skuse

23126431Monster by C J Skuse
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Contemporary
Published by: MIRA Ink
Pages: 318
Format: ARC Paperback
Rating: ★★★★
Where to Find: GoodreadsAuthor

Monster was completely different to anything we’ve ever read. It’s part horror, and mostly thriller set in a contemporary boarding school backed onto a woods that really sets the scene for a perfectly enchanting murder. Who wouldn’t want to read that? There were so many twists and turns we couldn’t distinguish from the beginning who was good and who was bad. This book perfectly throws you off the scent with multiple mysteries and suspects that surround the local area. It’s the perfect book for lovers of We Were Liars and Sarah Alderson novels.

Continue reading “Review: Monster by C J Skuse”

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

18718848Mosquito land by David Arnold
Genre: Contemporary, Coming-Of-Age(?)
Published by: headline
Pages: 336
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★★★.5
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

Okay, this book was insanely quotable, and I don’t find myself highlighting passages very often, but for some reason I was highlighter-happy (electronically, guys, I’m not about to deface a beautiful book with the wet ink of a highlighter)! I was scrolling through the reviews of this book on Goodreads though, and this review is pretty much going to be the consensus opinion: amazing beginning, what was that middle?, okay, so how-am-I-supposed-to-feel-about-this-now-ending. But the writing though. My goodness. (It would be summed up with this emoji: 👌) Let’s pros and cons this.

Continue reading “Mosquitoland by David Arnold”

Review: Black Cairn Point by Claire McFall

25326323Black Cairn Point by Claire McFall
Genre: Gothic, Paranormal, Contemporary
Published by: Hot Key Books
Pages: 258
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

This book was so addicting and there was no way I could put it down when it really got going. Five kids on a camping trip to an ancient burial ground? Sign me up! I’d describe this book as soft core paranormal, where the majority of the story is contemporary with a hint of mystery.

Continue reading “Review: Black Cairn Point by Claire McFall”

Review: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

4259871The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Genre: 
Fairy Tale Retelling
Published by: Bloomsbury
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Author | Amazon

I read this book as part of a readalong with Casey over at ABasketCaseyReads on YouTube – we both really love the fairy tale retelling genre, so this was the perfect pick, and by happy coincidence, also a perfect book!  Continue reading “Review: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale”

Review: All Of The Above by James Dawson

23156540All Of The Above by James Dawson
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Hot Key Books
Pages: ?
Format: ARC E-Book
Rating: ★★★
Where to Find: Goodreads | Amazon

This is the first James Dawson book I have read, and his stuff seems pretty hyped, so I was excited. After reading the acknowledgments I found that this is different to the majority of the stuff he’s done before, apparently he does more horror(?) but All Of The Above was refreshing with it’s realism and what makes it even better was the protagonist was completely unapologetic for how crazy her life was. If I could use a meme to describe this book it would be: ‘sounds fake, but okay.’ It’s so jam-packed with teenager-y themes that it feels a little overwhelming at times, but I guess that’s life.

Continue reading “Review: All Of The Above by James Dawson”