Friday, January 31, 2020

Monthly Wrap-Up: January 2020



How was your first month of 2020? The world seems to be going to hell in general, but my month, overall, wasn't too bad. Just work and reading 🀷‍♀️ Lol.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Review: Out of Bloom (Bleach #57) by Tite Kubo

Bleach, Volume 57
Title: Out of Bloom

Series: Bleach #57

Author: Tite Kubo

Genre: YA, manga, fantasy

Publication date: July 2013

Published by: VIZ Media

Source: Borrowed from library

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis:

With Ichigo trapped in Hueco Mundo, the Soul Society comes under attack by a mysterious group of warriors calling themselves the Vandenreich. The Soul Reaper captains valiantly stand up to the invaders, but this is a battle they might not be able to win!

My rating: ★★★★★

This volume of Bleach, as you can see by the cover, was very Byakuya-centric, and I was totally okay with that because I love him! I also just love how cool he is about everything, and how cool he is in general πŸ˜‰

Image result for byakuya gif

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Review: The Little Android (The Lunar Chronicles #0.6) by Marissa Meyer

The Little Android (The Lunar Chronicles, #0.6)
Title: The Little Android

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #0.6

Previous novella in this series: Glitches #0.5

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: January 2014

Published by: Feiwel and Friends

Source: Purchased Stars Above

Add it on Goodreads

Read it for FREE here!

Buy Stars Above: Amazon | Book Depository | Book Outlet | Thrift Books

Synopsis:

The Little Android is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles by New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

When android Mech6.0 saves the life of a handsome hardware engineer, her body is destroyed and her mechanics discover a glitch in her programming. Androids aren’t meant to develop impractical reasoning or near-emotional responses…let alone fall in love.

My rating: ★★★★★

The Little Android is a retelling of The Little Mermaid... the Hans Christian Andersen one, not the Disney one. And yikes 😬

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Sunday Post #231: γ“γ‚Œγ―ι›£γ—γ„γ§γ™



Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Friday, January 24, 2020

Review: The Dark Secret (Fear Street: The Cataluna Chronicles #2) by R.L. Stine

The Dark Secret (Fear Street: The Cataluna Chronicles, #2)
Title: The Dark Secret

Series: Fear Street: The Cataluna Chronicles #2

Previous book in this series: The Evil Moon (#1)

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: September 1995

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchased paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books

Synopsis:

License to kill...

Stepsisters Regina and Lauren are thrilled—they’ve got their own wheels! And this sexy Cataluna is one hot car!

Too hot. Because inside the Cataluna the curse of Bad Luck Catherine lives on. And while Catherine is hunted in her own time, Regina and Lauren will be haunted in theirs. Because in this car, evil is always in the driver’s seat.

My rating: ★★★★☆

Don't tell a living soul—or a dead one

The book starts off with William narrating, reminding us that he swore revenge on Catherine, the girl who brought bad luck on their colony and killed his brother and father. Meanwhile, I’m over here like, “Bro, I don’t even like you.” I’m literally rooting for Catherine at this point cause I hate that dickhead. Quit trying to make Will sympathetic! He was an absolute asshole to Catherine right from the start! His entire family was awful to her and I’m totally okay with Catherine having killed them 🀷‍♀️ William keeps saying that he’s gonna hunt her down so she won't bring her evil onto others, but honestly, he made her this way! This is all his goddamn fault for being a dick! Him and the rest of his stupid, judgmental family πŸ™„

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Review: March of the Star Cross (Bleach #56) by Tite Kubo

Bleach, Volume 56
Title: March of the Star Cross

Series: Bleach #56

Author: Tite Kubo

Genre: YA, manga, fantasy

Publication date: April 2013

Published by: VIZ Media

Source: Borrowed form library

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis:

When a mysterious group of warriors calling themselves the Vandenreich attacks, Ichigo heads to Hueco Mundo to help his friend Nel. And when the Vandenreich takes the fight to the Soul Society, an all-out war between Soul Reapers and Quincies breaks out!

My rating: ★★★★☆

Spoiler alert for volume 55 (the spoiler in the spoiler tag is for volume 56, so click on that with care. Lol): The villains in this arc... it’s the Quincies! 😲 That’s right, they’re back, bitches! Lol. Or they never left? Honestly, I’m confused because I thought they were all wiped out back in the day, but I guess not? I’m really excited to see more of these guys, though! Anyway, they’re back and they’re hatching some sort of revenge plot against the Soul Reapers for the aforementioned extermination of the Quincies 😬

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Review: Glitches (The Lunar Chronicles #0.5) by Marissa Meyer

Glitches (The Lunar Chronicles, #0.5)
Title: Glitches

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #0.5

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: December 2011

Published by: Feiwel and Friends

Source: Purchased Stars Above

Add it on Goodreads

Read it for FREE here!

Buy Stars Above: Amazon | Book Depository | Book Outlet | Thrift Books

Synopsis:

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. In Glitches, a short prequel story to Cinder, we see the results of that illness play out, and the emotional toll that takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch...

My rating: ★★★★★

Glitches is a prequel to Cinder, it actually takes place a few years back, when little Cinder meets her new family.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Sunday Post #230: Books and Murder



Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Friday, January 17, 2020

Review: The Evil Moon (Fear Street: The Cataluna Chronicles #1) by R.L. Stine

The Evil Moon (Fear Street: The Cataluna Chronicles, #1)
Title: The Evil Moon

Series: Fear Street: The Cataluna Chronicles #1

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller, historical

Publication date: August 1995

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Own paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books

Synopsis:

Bryan Folger wants the Cataluna more than he's ever wanted anything. The sleek white car is all he can think about. And he'll do whatever it takes to get it. Steal. Even kill.

But Bryan is the one who could end up dead. For inside the Cataluna lives an ancient evil.

And it wants him.

My rating: ★★★★☆


Turn the key and die...

I was very excited to read this series cause it just sounded so interesting! I mean, Christine, anyone? It had been on my mind for about a year and I finally got to it! And I gotta say, it wasn’t too bad.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Review: City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3) by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3)
Title: City of Glass

Series: The Mortal Instruments #3

Previous books in this series: City of Bones (#1) | City of Ashes (#2)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: March 2009

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Own hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | Book Outlet | Thrift Books

Synopsis:

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

My rating: ★★★★★

City of Glass takes place mostly in Idris, the Shadowhunters very own country, which I actually really liked because it was a really cool setting. The Shadowhunters go there for some Clave meeting, but Clary heads over there to save Jocelyn’s life. At the end of City of Ashes Clary was given a possible way she may be able to wake up her mother. But boy do things go down once they get there!

Yikes-1.gif (320×181)

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Best of 2019 Giveaway Hop!



I love Fear Street. I read a lot of it and I talk a lot about it around here, so today I have some Fear Street for you! One lucky winner will win a copy of the NEWEST Fear Street book, Drop Dead Gorgeous!

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Review: UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale #1) by Chanda Hahn

UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #1)
Title: UnEnchanted

Series: An Unfortunate Fairy Tale #1

Author: Chanda Hahn

Genre: YA, urban fantasy, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: December 2011

Published by: Chanda Hahn

Source: Amazon freebie

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

Mina Grime is unlucky, unpopular and uncoordinated; until she saves her crush's life on a field trip, changing her High School status from loser to hero overnight. But with her new found fame brings misfortune in the form of an old family curse come to light. For Mina is descended from the Brothers Grimm and has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business. Which includes trying to outwit a powerful Story from making her it's next fairytale victim.

To break the fairy tale curse on her family and make these deadly occurrences stop, Mina must finish the tales until the very Grimm end.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

I was very excited to read this book because I love fairy tale retellings and the premise of UnEnchanted sounded amazing! Basically there is a Grimm curse that kills the descendants of the Grimm brothers... unless they can break it by living through the fairy tales. It’s such a cool concept! However, the execution was not so great 😬

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Sunday Post #229: Getting Back on Top of Things



Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Finish the Series #5: Dude, I Don't Know...



In the past I've done these Random Reads posts where I would randomly choose a series to finish, but that hasn't worked out that well for me, me being a mood reader and all. So I decided that I would just pick a couple of series I'm in the mood for every so often and then post about it to really cement in that commitment πŸ˜…

Friday, January 10, 2020

Review: What Holly Heard (Fear Street #34) by R.L. Stine

What Holly Heard (Fear Street, #34)
Title: What Holly Heard

Series: Fear Street #34

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: January 1996

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Own paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books

Synopsis:

Holly Denver is the biggest gossip at Shadyside High. Her best friends Miriam Maryles and Ruth Carver are sure it’s going to get her in big trouble someday. But Miriam and Ruth never thought Holly would wind up dead—strangled with her own scarf. Now the murderer thinks Holly told her friends what she heard—and will do anything to silence them forever.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

It was too shocking to tell...

Holly is a huge gossip, but this latest rumor she heard got her killed. Yikes. Now Holly’s friends Miriam Ruth fear that the killer will come after them.

Yikes-1.gif (320×181)

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Review: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)
Title: City of Ashes

Series: The Mortal Instruments #2

Previous book in this series: City of Bones

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: March 2008

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Own hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis:

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

My rating: ★★★★★

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: I love this series! The Mortal Instruments is one of my all time favorite series and I’ve honestly lost count how many times I’ve re-read the first three books in the series. Lol.

bulma

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Review: The Blood Warfare (Bleach #55) by Tite Kubo

Bleach, Volume 55
Title: The Blood Warfare

Series: Bleach #55

Author: Tite Kubo

Genre: YA, manga, fantasy

Publication date: February 2013

Published by: VIZ Media

Source: Borrowed from library

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

The peace is suddenly broken when warning sirens blare through the Soul Society. Residents there are disappearing without a trace, and nobody knows who's behind it. Meanwhile, a dark shadow is also extending itself toward Ichigo and his friends in Karakura Town...

My rating: ★★★★☆

I’ve read graphic novels in the past and, like, one comic book maybe, but this was my very first manga! Last Spring I binge watched the entire Bleach anime and I fell immediately in love with it! When I was nearing the end of the anime, I found out that the very last arc of the series was never adapted 😩 So because I loved the show, and because I’m a completionist, I just had to find out how the series ended, so I decided to give the manga a shot. And guess what? No surprise, but I loved it. Lol. Granted, it took me a little while to get used to because it was a new medium for me, but I’m so glad I gave it a shot!

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Review: Spartan Destiny (Mythos Academy Spinoff #3) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Spartan Destiny

Series: Mythos Academy Spinoff #3

Previous books in this series: Spartan Heart (#1) | Spartan Promise (#2)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: YA, urban fantasy, Greek mythology, Norse mythology

Publication date: January 14th 2020

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: eARC from author

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo

Synopsis:

This Spartan makes her own destiny...

Most kids at the Colorado branch of Mythos Academy know me as Rory Forseti, the daughter of Reaper assassins. Secretly, I’m a member of Team Midgard, a group of students and adults tasked with stopping Covington, the evil leader of the Reapers of Chaos. For me, the mission is a deeply personal one, since Covington is also the man who murdered my parents.

When my friends and I get a lead on a powerful artifact that Covington wants to steal, we think we finally have a chance to thwart the Reapers and stop them for good. Team Midgard comes up with a plan, but everything goes sideways, and I’m suddenly in the fight of my life.

My worst fears might have come true, but I know what my Spartan destiny is—to save my friends, or die trying...

My rating: ★★★★★

I loved the original Mythos Academy series, so when I learned that there was going to be a spinoff series with Gwen’s cousin, I was beyond excited! But, you guys, this is it. I love the Mythos Academy world, so I am really sad that this is the end 😩 And while I’m sad that this is the end, I loved seeing Rory’s journey.

Monday, January 6, 2020

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Sunday Post #228: Back to Work...



Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Most Read Authors and Series of 2019



Today I wanted to share my most read authors and series of 2019 because, I'm gonna be honest, once I find something I like I just read that over and over πŸ˜… What can I say, I like what I like πŸ˜‰

Friday, January 3, 2020

My Year in Books: 2019



It's that time again to look back at my year in books thanks to a handy tool from Goodreads! I seriously love this thing. Lol.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

2020 Reading Challenges

2020 Reading Challenge

2020 Reading Challenge
Liliana has
read 0 books toward
her goal of
100 books.
hide


As always, I'm doing the yearly Goodreads Reading Challenge! In 2019 I surpassed my goal of 75 books by about 20, so this year I'm gonna aim for 100 books... I've never read 100 books in a year 😳 Wish me luck πŸ˜… Okay, nope. Bringing it down to 55. Lol.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

2019 Reading Stats



Happy New Year! πŸ₯³

This has probably got to be one of my favorite posts to write! I just love numbers and graphs and all that stuff... especially when it comes to books! Let's take a look at things and see how they changed from last year.