Contains all five novellas.

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan’s most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin’s Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas – together in one edition for the first time – Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn’s orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

Reading The Assassin’s Blade was an amazing time. I am so happy that I read this one first. It’s a series of short stories, or novellas, that come before Celaena’s adventures in Throne of Glass. I’m going to do this review by breaking it down the story by story.

 1. The Assassin and the Pirate Lord –★★★★☆

This is the first story where we are introduced to Celaena. She and her colleague Sam Cortland are going to meet the Pirate Lord to try and get repayment for the issues he has caused the King of Assassins. This story was a little slower moving, which makes sense since it’s setting the story up. I really loved the ending and how Celaena was willing to risk her life and career for people she didn’t even know. (I don’t want to give up too much of the story.) I think this is a great intro to Celaena’s character and I think it helps us to see her heart is in the right place…even if she’s a sasshole.

2. The Assassin and the HEALER –★★★☆☆

Honestly, I wasn’t a huge fan of this installment. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. After the whole Pirate Lord situation, Celaena has been sent away. She goes to stay at The White Pig Inn where she meets a woman named Yrene Towers, who a young healer who is barely getting by as a waitress at the Inn. This was my least favorite of the five stories. I think because it was only 40 pages while the others were about 100, I feel like the story didn’t have as much depth and dynamic so it was a little harder to enjoy.

3. The Assassin and the Desert – ★★★★★

As a punishment, Celaena is sent to train with the silent assassins. She has to earn a recommendation letter from the Mute Master. THIS IS MY FAVORITE INSTALLMENT! This was so fast-paced and crazy, I loved it! It kept me flipping the pages and it had an amazing shocking plot twist that I totally did not expect. It was super amazing and I loved this story so much.I would’ve read a whole book with this plot, it would’ve made an amazing full novel.

 4. The Assassin and the Underworld – ★★★★☆

When Celaena returns to Rifthold, she’s given a special mission specifically for her. She must kill a man who is helping King of Adarlan create a slave business. This one was super nail-biting. Reading this installment and with the foreshadowing, you could tell that there were suspicious aspects of the mission. I really loved this one too and it kept me on the edge of my seat, just like the last story. I also love Celaena and Sam in this story, when they realize that they want to be together. Lysandra is so annoying. I haven’t read the other books yet, so I’m judging her based on this one alone, but like GO AWAY.

3. The Assassin and the EMPIRE – ★★★★★

Sam and Celaena are living on their own now and OMG my heart. However, in order for them to leave Rifthold, they have to leave the Assassin’s Guild and with that comes the high cost of one last job. This story was predictable in the way of you knew your heart was going to be ripped out and stepped on, but you had to keep reading…this was my second favorite and I think it was an amazing way to end this novel.

I am so excited to start Throne of Glass and continue reading about Celanese’s story.

“She was fire, she was darkness, she was dust and blood and shadow.”

A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she’s left behind. And an ending you won’t be able to stop talking about.

Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.

Courtney Summers has written the breakout book of her career. Sadie is propulsive and harrowing and will keep you riveted until the last page.

To be honest with you, going into Sadie I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. But as I dove deeper into the story and into Sadie’s adventures, I couldn’t help but fall in love and turn the pages quickly.

Sadies sister’s body has been found and Sadie is determined to track down the man she believes is responsible. The story is told though Saide’s point of view as well as well as through a podcast, which in my opinion is an amazing aspect. It gave a lot of dynamic to the story being able to “listen” to other characters sharing their stories related to Sadie and her sister, Mattie.

I never imagined the story to go as deep as it did. Even though it covered tough topics, it was incredibly written. I loved following Sadie and her journey in trying to locate her sister’s murder.

I think I loved this book so much as well because it tackled tough topics that most people don’t want to cover. I think we forget that people who are abusers can be everyday, normal people. People who sweet or successful or loved by a community can still be abusers.

I also loved that Sadie had a stutter. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the main character had a stutter, but it allowed us to connect so much more to Sadie, in my opinion. Her love for her sister Mattie is so admirable. Her love for Mattie is unconditional and it was warming to see her go through whatever she had to in order to ensure that her sister had justice.

Sadie also had an amazing representation of poverty which isn’t mentioned or talked about much in books. Sadie felt like a whole solid character that was easy to relate too. She wasn’t perfect and that’s what made her so loveable and easy to identify with because no one is perfect.

Overall, Sadie was an amazing read and even with the heavy topics covered, I think everyone should read it. It was one of my favorite books of 2018 and I’m happy that I gave it a chance.

Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder’s brain interference has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it “a matter of national security,” but Cinder suspects it’s more serious than he’s letting on.

Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder’s intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that’s been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter’s illness, Cinder’s stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an “honor” that no one has survived.

But it doesn’t take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.

I don’t even have words for how much I loved this book. This book was beyond amazing and I’m not sure that I’m going to be able to put into words how much I adored it.

With amazing world building, characters, and story plot there isn’t anything negative to be said. Cinder was our main character, and I adored her. She was humble, kind, and would do anything to help out anyone.

This is a retelling of Cinderella, but honestly, you’d never know. Aside from the fact that Cinder has a mean stepmom and she’s considered the “outsider” of the family, Marissa Meyer puts a fantasy/sci-fi twist. She took a classic story and twisted it into an amazing fantasy adventure. I’m not a huge fan of sci-fi books, but Cinder was blended so perfectly that the sci-fi wasn’t overbearing.

Cider is actually a cyborg and her step-mother reminds her every minute that she is not the same as a human and that she has different rights. Cinder’s one step-sister adores her while the other is on the same page as the step-mom. Also, can we just talk about Prince Kai(*swoon*)????? He was such a down-to-earth prince and I enjoyed his character so much. He was charming, kind, and I really felt for him in some of the situations that he had been put into.

There is a disease that has become serious and is killing people on Earth in a matter of a few days. The problem is the only way to end the disease is with the help of The Lunar Queen and boooooy does she have some serious plans for Earth if they don’t comply. The hope for a cure relies on an alliance with the Lunar Queen and her people, but the issue is, can you make one?

The second I finished Cinder, I NEEDED Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)!!! Seriously, the second you close that book you will be needing more, needing answers, AND YOU WILL NOT BE OKAY. Just wanted to put that warning out there…

So, if you haven’t read this book…YOU NEED TO DO SO ASAP!!!!

tell me what’s up: have You read Cinder? What are your thoughts? did you love it or hate it? Tell me in the comments!!

Annotating books took BookTube by storm and I started becoming inspired to annotate. The colors of the tabs were so pretty and made the book look good, but I was still super nervous to do it fearing that I would annotate EVERYTHING, so I had to find a system.

Once I found the system I wanted I wanted my first book I annotate to be special, so since I’m doing a buddy read of Throne of Glass this year with some awesome bookish twitter friends, I figured reading The Assassin’s Blade for a second time would be a great time to start annotating.

Long story short, I fell in love with it! It helped me be able to go back and remember things, or know where important plot details were. I loved tabbing up my book and it made me more motivated to read weirdly enough.

The other best part is that if you’re a reviewer like I am, annotating IS A LIFE SAVER. LET. ME. TELL. YOU. It helps you so much when going back to trying to write a review. You can look at quotes you liked, find points easily, and it just makes life better.

I HIGHLY suggest that you annotate. I might be dramatic when saying this, but it’s a book life-changing experience. In my opinion, I feel like I enjoy the book more marking it up! It helps to create a better reading experience and you’ll also never be without a bookmark since you have the tabs with you.

If you don’t annotate, you should really start now. I’m not kidding – it’s amazing!

xoxo,

holly

Ah, the start of new months. The TBR videos begin to arise on BookTube, the blog posts begin to surface, and everyone has their ish together. EXCEPT ME. Why? Because I’m a mood reader.

What’s a mood reader, you ask? If you’re unsure what a mood reader is it basically is what it sounds like. It is someone who reads books based on what they’re feeling. Now, you may be asking why is this a bad thing??? Why are you writing a blog post on this??? WELL…

Here are 5 reasons why being a mood reader SUCKS:

1. You cannot make a TBR

Being a mood reader means that you cannot make a TBR. I mean, you can…but will you follow it? You could be feeling fantasy when you make your TBR for the next month, but when you actually get into the month you could be feeling a good murder and want to read a thriller. Or you could be feeling all lovey-dovey and want to read a contemporary.

So now, you have 5 books on your TBR that you exposed in a BookTube video, and now you’re not touching any of the books. You’re reading all different ones. IT’S VERY STRESSFUL BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE LYING TO YOUR BOOK FRIENDS. And lying isn’t cool.

2. You Change Your Mind Halfway Through A BOok 

Literally, you could be in the middle of the most amazing book, with the most amazing characters, adventures, and plot…BUT YOU’RE BORED AND DON’T WANT TO READ IT.

Nothing is wrong with the book, you’re just not in the mood. Honestly, I get really angry because people will be raving non-stop about a book and you’re just sat there like LOL I’m going to DNF for a moment.

3. Participating in read-a-longS/READ-A-Thons is HARD

UGH. SO many times I’ve tried to participate in read-a-longs…but I am not feeling the book.

It could be an amazing book of which you’ve been dying to read. But now, you’re not feeling it. You’re not in the mood for a magical witchy story. AND NOW YOU’RE COMMITTED but you don’t want to read it. You want to read this other book that’s been on your shelf for 8 years… BUT NOW YOU’RE IN THE MOOD TO READ IT.

4. REQUESTING ARC’S CAN BE STRESSFUL AF

*Goes to NetGalley*

*See’s a shiny ARC*

*Requests ARC*

*Get’s approved*

AND NOW…NOW I AM NOT IN THE MOOD TO READ IT. Now I have this ARC, the publisher is counting on me, the author is counting on me, AND I AM NOT IN THE MOOD. Stress level = 100000000%.

5. YOU CANNOT COMMIT YOURSELF A BOOK

This goes without being said. Reading, reading, reading, and then all of a sudden you’re like “I’m bored” and then you don’t read because you don’t want to cheat on your book, but like you don’t want to continue your book….but maybe you do????? The world may never know.

You’ve probably clicked this out of anger of wondering “how is there a RIGHT way to review?” Before you get your pitchforks, let me explain what I mean by the “right way”.

This post was inspired by writing my last few reviews. I stared at a blank post for a long time, wondering “how do I write a proper review?” I’ve seen such lyrical reviews, I’ve seen hilarious GIF-filled reviews, I’ve seen reviews that broke down each main thought with further elaboration below.

But then it hit me: is there REALLY a right way to write a review?

THE ANSWER IS YES. The right way to write a review is to write it HOW YOU WANT IT. It doesn’t matter how you’re doing the review, either a blog post or talking about it in a YouTube video, there’s no real way to talk about books.

You don’t have to have a proper format talking about plot, characters, etc in an order. You don’t have to have GIFs, caps, and you don’t have to bullet points if you don’t want. You can do whatever you want to do, whatever works best.

Do you want to do bullet point reviews? Go for it! Do you want to write a professional review, breaking the book down by characters, delving deep into the plot, etc.? Do it! Write about the book, however you feel fit, how you feel works best for you.

That’s what makes every one unique, I realized. There’s no correct format, no template that you should be following, you just need to find your own voice. Book reviews aren’t a college paper, where you need to be sure you’re following MLA formatting with a cover letter and a thesis. There’s no right or wrong structure.

Books affect us all in a different way, we all have different feelings, different connections. Things that should be brought out in a review how YOU feel explain your feelings on the book the best way possible.

I feel as though there is pressure to review books the same way as successful bloggers or YouTubers, but the thing is, they’re successful because the fact that they found a review style that works for them. That’s all anyone needs to do in order to review books the right way.

Be yourself. Talk about the books you want to talk about. Let your uniqueness shine!

tell me what’s up: how do you do reviews?

Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price …

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

I’m not going to lie when I said I was very nervous when going into this series simply for the negativity that I’ve seen floating around the community. I went into the book with an opened-mind and I ended up loving it overall!

Our main character is Feyre who starts as a strong huntress fending for her family. At times Feyre could be a bit annoying, but overall I did love her and her determination. She literally fought for her life to help others which definitely shows a lot about her character. I ended up loving her character the more the story progressed! I found myself cheering her on throughout the battles that she faced.

Now let’s talk about Tamlin because like HELLO he is our love interest and I kinda sorta had a love-hate with his character at first. In the end, I ended up really adoring his character, but a few times there were some questionable weird things that happened. At the end though, you understand why everything was the way it was so it makes it all better.

The development of Tamlin and Feyre was paced really well, there was no rush or no insta-love (THANK THE LITERARY GODS). It was a slow burning flame that turned into an intense fire and I AM SO HERE FOR IT. At first, their romance was questionable and a bit awkward, but it blossomed into something I found myself rooting for!

There’s, of course, an evil Queen (F YOU!!) and Rhysand which I’m not saying too much about him because spoilers but like, he was the fairy godmother of this story.

The middle of the book was slow, I’m not going to lie, but it was action-packed enough to keep my interest until things got SUPER intense towards the end.

Overall, despite all the negativity surrounding this book, I did realllly enjoy it! I’m very hyped to read the next book in the series as well as Throne of Glass because Sarah J. Mass’ writing style has me HOOKED.

tell me what’s up: Did you read this book? did you enjoy it? did you hate it with a passion? Let me know in the comments below!!

I heard this conversation the other day at my local Barnes & Nobles.

Person: I can’t believe that *name* calls herself a reader but yet spends time binge-watching Netflix. You’re not a reader if you’re not spending your free time reading. Duh.

Yes. This was an actual conversation that I had overheard. It made me start thinking about being a reader and my reading habits.

Currently, I’m in that weird mood where I want to read, but I’m not reading. Honestly, I contribute this to the end of school, I’m very very stressed at the moment because of my one class (public speaking – I didn’t do very well on my final presentation because I suck at public speaking).

So, I really haven’t read the past few nights. Instead, I’ve been watching Teen Mom 2 reruns to get myself up to speed for the new season starting.

But this doesn’t mean that I’m not a reader. Just because I’m not reading every night, doesn’t mean that I can’t call myself a reader. A reader is someone who enjoys books and reads, there’s no definition as to how often you must read to call yourself one.

There are people who do read 24/7 and finish 10 books in a month (PLEASE TELL ME YOUR SECRET I WILL PAY YOU!) and there are people who finish three books a month and there are people who finish one book a month.

There is no reason to shame people who don’t read as much as you do and there’s no reason to make people feel bad about not wanting to read every minute of their lives. Sometimes a book drains you so much emotionally, you feel like you went through it in real life so you need a break.

Sometimes you just aren’t feeling like picking up a book, sometimes you’re tired. It doesn’t matter what the reasoning is the amount that you read doesn’t define whether you’re a “reader” or not. If you love reading, then you’re a reader.

For the time being, I’m not reading much BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN IM NOT A READER!

tell me what’s up: do you sometimes get into a mood about reading? what are your thoughts on what defines a reader? let me know in the comments!!