MSJ – Depersonalise | Review

The name of this poetry collection is Depersonalise. MSJ, the author, could not have picked a more fitting name, in my opinion. 
What I first thought was a sign of amateur writing that lacked flavour, is, in fact, an ingenious way of communicating depersonalization to the reader. The poems seem as if they are out of reach as you read them. They are stuffed with raw emotion, but just as you near the last word, you realize there is no climax. When there is expected a satisfying high, all the reader gets is the fading of the emotion. 

As I was reading these poems, I found myself anxious and contemplative. 
That is the true beauty of writing such as this one. The emotion and the force of it hits you unexpectedly and then you are left hollow when the words fade.

Cooking up trouble on A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Mass

To be completely honest, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve finished A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas. I have been avoiding writing this review since then. It feels so final to write it! And I really don’t want it to end…

However, it must be done. So, here I am. I’ve finished the published books of ACOTAR series. There is only A Court of Frost and Starlight left, but I’m still waiting for my copy to arrive. I won’t be writing a review for that one (most likely).

“Only you can decide what breaks you, Cursebreaker. Only you.”

Well, where to begin? I love it. The characters are incredible. They have depth and aren’t necessarily likeable all the time. That is something I admire, especially if the writer still manages to make me care for them.

The Bachelorette on A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Where to begin? Well, I just finished A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas and my life has significantly improved by it.

In this sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses, we follow Feyre’s story after the defeat of Amarantha. Feyre had returned to The Spring Court with Tamlin and they are soon to be wed. However, Feyre is anything but well. She is deeply impacted by what she endured Under the Mountain and Tamlin simply doesn’t understand how to help her. Tamlin’s personality showcased it the first part of the book. He is toxic for Feyre and her failing mental and physical health is obvious to everyone but him.

Everything is changed on the wedding day of Feyre and Tamlin, when Rhysand comes and snatches the bride. And so, Feyre must fulfil her end of the bargain and spend one week every month with Rhysand… and in my opinion that is the best thing to have happened to her so far.

Making a tricky bargain on A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

It is quite possible I sincerely hate myself… and I mean that in the most loving way. I’ve just finished a first book in a series and I’m hooked. Like seriously hooked. I immediately bought the other books that are published. Oops I did it again… I think I’m in love. Ugh… I’ve forgotten how addictive fantasy books can be.

So… what happened is I finished A Court of Thornes and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Many have warned me this would happen. And yet, I stupidly believed otherwise.
And here we are. I might’ve found my new favourite book series. And I love it. I love that feeling you get when you can anticipate how impactful a book will be. That is such a magical feeling.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is the first book the series. I suspect there is no need to summarize the plot since I am like always, late to the party. Fashionably late, in my opinion, because I won’t have to wait to read the sequel.

Teagan Hunter – Let’s Get Textual (Texting, #1) | Review

Let’s Get Textual is a romance novel written by Teagan Hunter. The story is told from the perspective of Delia who gets a strange text message. She decides to reply and so her adventure begins. Delia and Zach (the sender of said message) start texting and eventually fall in love.

Weirdly, this is one of the most realistic romance books set in college. The virtual “meet-cute” is definitely something that rarely happens, however, we all have that friend with the weirdest stories. I guess this book is that friend.

I can’t say I loved this book. It was okay. Actually, the perfect word to describe it is mild. The book was mild. I wasn’t bored when I was reading it, but I wasn’t excited to pick it up when the time came. The characters were quite one-dimensional and lacked depth. We didn’t really get to peek beneath the surface. For example, Delia was afraid of quickly getting into a relationship. She said that a few times, but it was never shown. In the moments when I expected her to be hesitant or afraid of the potential relationship with Zach, that simply wasn’t there.

Do (not) read The Wild by K. Webster!

Warning: The Wild is an extremely taboo story. Most will find that the themes in this book will make you incredibly uncomfortable. This book is only for the brave, the open-minded, and the ones who crave love in even the most dismal of situations. Extreme sexual themes and violence in certain scenes, which could trigger emotional distress, are found in this story. If you are sensitive to heavy taboo themes, then this story is not for you.

I’m having a really hard time finding words to describe this reading experience. I won’t be giving a synopsis nor will I be putting any spoilers into this review. That was the author’s request at the end of the book and I’ll honor that. However, what I will do is vaguely discuss my feelings towards this book.

The Wild by K. Webster is a dark romance novel, the darkest romance novel I’ve ever read. And I think nothing can dethrone it.

Is Leigh Bardugo’s King of Scars also moi tsar?

And so it ends… I have officially read all the novels within Grishaverse. And I dare to say that it has been one the most amazing journeys I’ve taken.

So much has happened! Let’s recap. A month ago I decided to start reading YA fantasy again and chose Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse as my first read. A great decision.
It didn’t take me long to fall in love with the brilliant stories of the all these characters. First I read Shadow and Bone trilogy which consists of Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising. Then, I picked up Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.
And now we’re here. At the end of the road. What an adventure! Such beauty, such heartbreak.

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo is the first book in a duology. It follows the story of the young king Nikolai Lantsov as he battles old and new enemies, but also Nina Zenik who has left for Fjerda to say goodbye to the love of her life and fulfill her last promise to him.

Lesser animals whined and struggled when they’d been caught in a snare. The fox found a way out.

It took me a century to read this book. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I did. I enjoyed it so much. All these characters have crawled into my heart and it felt so scary to feel them slip away. So I read slowly, painfully slowly. I savored every word.

22 Books You Must Read!

Since today is my 22^nd birthday, it’s only fitting for me to list 22 books that have shaped me as a person.

Some books are, in my opinion, world-shifting. Let me explain… I think that by reading you don’t expand just your vocabulary, knowledge, creativity, etc. You expand your mind. The book you’re reading changes the way you perceive the world. And, if the book is extraordinary, you might end up being extraordinarily transformed.

Try to think of a book that did that for you? Is there one? Or perhaps more than one? These are some of the books that have impacted me in the last 22 years!

Conyer Clayton – We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite | Review

In her debut poetry collection, Conyer Clayton sheds her skin to reveal true vulnerability. We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite is the title the author gave a collection of deeply personal poems which speak of life struggles.

The themes of sex, addiction, and emotions are discussed in a way I would describe as tragicomic. As much as the language used is rich, there is also this ambience of contemporary struggle of a young person in the twenty-first century. Because of this, the message is much more relatable and it creates a friendship-like relationship between the author and the reading. I would further explain this relationship as a friendly conversation in which the author tells you what had happened to them.

F. Stephen Foster – A Ghost Refused: Kendra’s Denial | Review

A Ghost Refused: Kendra’s Denial by F. Stephen Foster is an interesting book, to say the least. My experience reading it was mostly uncomfortable. Let me explain…

The story follows Kendra. She had lost her husband to suicide a few years ago and is left with a lot of grief. In the first chapter, she tries to rescue a man committing suicide and fails. This completely changes her life as she is thrown in a world unfamiliar to her.

This is the best way to explain my experience of reading this book. I felt as if someone just told me they loved me and I couldn’t find the words to respond because I realized I didn’t feel the same way about them. Since page one this book is very dramatic and emotional. The main character is introspective and the first 25 pages are spent on her reliving the event that took place on the first page. It felt so stretched out and I simply couldn’t connect with her. The story is filled with emotions such as grief and pain and as much as the author did a great job explaining and showing them, it only made me anxious. I was anxious when I was reading this book and that made me consider putting it down.