Best I've Read In 2018 .... So Far.

As the midway point of the year is quickly approaching I figured it was time to check in with my year in reading up to this point. It's a great way to see how influential the first half of the way was to my overall reading and just a nice way to see how far I've come so far.

Sadly, I am way behind on my Goodreads reading challenge this year. I am 10 books behind schedule and I am not hopeful I'll catch up. I am going to give it my all but I am okay with possibly no making my goal this year.

I have noticed that my reading selection gets better every year and this year is no exception. I know what I like as a reader and have a better ability to pick out the books I am going to enjoy. It means my Goodreads ratings are trending really positive right now, but I am considering that a perk of the journey of discovering who I am as a reader. Does anyone else worry about being too positive sometimes, or are you just happy that you're picking books that you enjoy? Let me know.

I am reading a lot more romance than I tend to (at least for the first half the year). It's not surprising as there have been some great ones that have come out. I still think my reads lean heavily to young adult and I doubt that will ever really change.

As previously mentioned I haven't read as much as I typically have by this point in the year. This has made picking my ten favourite reads of the first half of 2018 harder in some ways and easier in others. I have less choices, but each choice feels more deliberate. Each exclusion hurts a little more than it has before.

With that said, here are my top ten of 2018 (so far) ....

*These are in no particular order* 

1 Side By Side by Jenni L Walsh

2 Royals by Rachel Hawkins

3 I'll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara

4 The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

5 Save The Date by Morgan Matson

6 Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

7 Legendary by Stephanie Garber

8 The Kiss Quotient by by Helen Hoang

9 Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

10 You by Caroline Kepnes

Each book links to my review (except for The Kiss Quotient which I have not reviewed yet, but will be up next week).

What books would make your own best of lists at this point in the year? Let me know in the comments as I am always looking for new books to add to my to be read list. 

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews)

I have had some amazing books show up this week in my mailbox (and other goodies). First up are two books that I preordered and had arrived.

Save The Date by Morgan Matson (goodreads)

Legendary by Stephanie Garber (goodreads)

I have read both of these and they are both wonderful. Morgan's newest is perfect for the summer and beach reading. Stephanie's newest is magical and whimsical and such a great sequel. Be sure to look for both of my reviews that were posted on the blog.

Next up is something I was really excited to get. I had joined the My Favorite Murder fan cult and it comes with this awesome t-shirt and pin!

What bookish goodies made their way into your mailbox this week? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Legendary by Stephanie Garber
Release Date - May 29, 2018
Publisher Website - Raincoast Books

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  451 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**received from the publisher for an honest review**

**Spoilers For Caraval** 

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Stephanie Garber’s limitless imagination takes flight once more in the colorful, mesmerizing, and immersive sequel to the bestselling breakout debut Caraval

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun.

Caraval is the kind of book you could easily get lost in. It has that magical quality where you are instantly transported into the world and swept away by the story. I went into Legendary with high hopes and am thrilled to say it surpassed them. It is everything Caraval is and more. It's more magical, more seductive, and manages to pack in even more surprises.

Tella is a different narrator than Scarlet was. Tella is less careful. She is more willing to take risks, and be a little reckless. She is also, surprisingly, more guarded with her heart that Scarlet was. She may be willing to share a few kisses with any man she fancies, but falling in love is not something that she is overly interested in. She likes to keep things light and casual. She does share some similarities with her sister in that they are both fiercely loyal, and both have a fondness for Caraval itself. Her backstory is more complex than I anticipated, and there is way more going on with her than I could have guessed.

The inclusion of some new characters not only widens the world that has been created, but creates some interesting new dynamics. The journey Tella takes demands that she interact with a lot of characters we hadn't met before (and some we are familiar with) and this allows it to feel unique in a lot of ways.  Jacks is a particularly fascinating character who I immediately wanted to know more about. He has such a presence and easily is the most interesting of the new characters we meet.

The romance in this novel, and the way Stephanie Garber writes romance in general, is my favourite part of these novels. It feels more sensual than flat out sexy. It's a tease that feels more seductive than other more explicit make out scenes do. There is so much that is able to be conveyed with only a look, a touch, or a perfectly phrased piece of dialogue. Caraval had this as well but it feels dialed up in the sequel. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, and Stephanie captures this element of Caraval (the game) effortlessly. There is something inherently sexy about the game of Caraval and that fact is used to perfection within this series.

The magical world of Caraval is only beginning to reveal all of its secrets and I cannot wait to continue this journey with the Dragna sisters. There is plenty of set up here for what is sure to be a stunning finale to this series. I am quite excited about many of the possibilities and the uncertainty I felt about the direction of the story after finishing this one. This sequel kept me on my toes in the best possible way. It offers up information that makes you want to read the series again to experience it from this new perspective. I love when sequels manage the unexpected and this one more than delivers.

I highly recommend this for anyone wanting to get swept up in not just the story but the setting that has been created. I also recommend it for anyone who likes books that are addictive and almost impossible to put down. It's an enchanting sequel that more than lives up to its predecessor. It's a world you'll be reluctant to leave and filled with characters who will steal your heart.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews)

A huge thank you to Raincoast Books for the very exciting package that arrived in my mailbox. I am looking forward to Legendary and Furyborn and cannot wait to dive into them. I basically hugged the package when it was handed to me because I knew what I would find in it!

 

Legendary by Stephanie Garber (goodreads) 

Furyborn by Claire Legrand (goodreads)

What bookish goodies made their way into your mailbox this week? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

Waiting On Wednesday .... Legendary

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is Legendary by Stephanie Garber

**Spoilers for Caraval**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

Stephanie Garber’s limitless imagination takes flight once more in the colorful, mesmerizing, and immersive sequel to the bestselling breakout debut Caraval

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun.

I loved Stephanie's first novel, Caraval, and this (sort of) sequel sounds amazing. It feels like, at least from the description, that it is more of a connected companion novel. We're getting a new main character as Donatella takes centre stage, but it also references events that occur in book one.

I am soooo excited to return to this lush, magical, breathtaking world. Caraval swept me away and I cannot wait to fall back under its spell.

This one comes out just in time for summer which means ice cream and I some how suspect that Stephanie would approve of Legendary being enjoyed with some ice cream.

Expected release date - May 29, 2018

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.


So many things were revealed this week! Lots of covers, and other fun things to share, and I am so excited for this trend to continue as cover reveal season for summer 2018 gets underway.

BOOK

Cover of Ozland by Wendy Spinale (goodreads)

I am really enjoying this series that twists these classic tales with steampunk elements and into one cohesive story. The first book was a Peter Pan retelling, the second was an Alice In Wonderland inspired tale and the last one seems to be taking us to visit the Wizard and certain Wicked Witch.

 

These covers always impress me. I am so excited to get my hands on this one!

Cover of Lucy Christopher's Storm-wake (goodreads)

Lucy Christopher's Stolen is one of my favourite books. I am always excited when a new novel from her is being released and this one sounds wonderful.  

 It sounds like there might be some magical elements to this one which is different from her usual books but I am so excited to dive in to this one!

Cover of Stephanie Garber's Legendary (goodreads)

I really enjoyed Caraval, the first novel in this series from Stephanie Garber. I was thrilled to see a release date and cover for the sequel. The cover is so pretty and will look amazing next to Caraval!

I am pretty sure that this novel may be focus on a different main character than the first, but nothing has been confirmed about the novel itself. I am still eagerly awaiting a synopsis so I can see what awaits in this sequel. 

OTHER

Entertainment Weekly's Stranger Things issue

One of my favourite shows is on the cover of this week's Entertainment Weekly. It has three different covers to choose from, and I am going to, obviously, get them all.  

I am beyond excited for season two to premiere and it is so close now! I plan on binge watching it as soon as it is released because I have missed the people of Hawkins so much!

What are you obsessed with this week?