War and Peace Read-a-Long

Hello all my lovely bookworms! We are gearing up for the great read of the classic novel War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I will be making a reading schedule and it will tentatively begin on the first of August and may go through till November to make time to read and to discuss what is happening and make sure that, as readers, we have a good understanding of what is happening. This will possibly be met with a weekly ZOOM chat to discuss the section we read.  Stay tuned for the reading schedule and dates of Zoom Chats. 

SCHEDULING UPDATE:

    So some of the sections are short! So I was able to combine more then one part into one week! This takes us right up to halloween! See the schedule below!

Schedule:

AUGUST 1ST - 8TH: PART 1: "Well, Prince, Genoa and Lucca....."
AUGUST 8TH - 15TH: PART 2:  " In the October of 1805..."
AUGUST 15TH - AUGUST 22ND: PART 3: "Prince Vassily use not to think..."
AUGUST 22ND - AUGUST 29TH: PART 4: "At the beginning of the year 1806."
AUGUST 29TH - SEPTEMBER 5TH: PART 5: "After his interview with his wife..."
SEPTEMBER 5TH - SEPTEMBER 12TH: PART 6: "In the year 1808 the..."
SEPTEMBER 12TH -  SEPTEMBER 19TH: PART 7 & 8: "The biblical tradition tells us..."
SEPTEMBER 19TH - SEPTEMBER 26TH: PART 9: "Towards the end of the..."

SEPTEMBER 26TH - OCTOBER 3RD: PART 10: "Napoleon began the war..."
OCTOBER 3RD - OCTOBER 10TH: PART 11: "For the human..."
OCTOBER 10TH - OCTOBER 17TH: PART 12&13: "In the higher circles..."
OCTOBER 17TH - OCTOBER 24TH: PART 14&15: "The battle of Borodino..."
OCTOBER 24TH - 31ST: EPILOUGE: "Seven years had passed..."

Here are a few links to copies of the book. Ebooks to a physical copy:

Barnes & Nobel Classic : War and Peace - 13.95

Penguin Cloth Bound: War and Peace - 20.00

Nook: War and Peace - 3.99

Dover Thrift: War and Peace - 9.99

Kindle: War and Peace - FREE (as of 7.14.20)

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (Trilogy and Sequel)

      

Hello Everyone! I'm trying to get better about posting reviews. So I think I will try to write them on days I work late. I really love being able to do a review on a complete series and just cover it as a whole. I feel I can express my feelings for the series so much better as a whole and give better details for those who may not want to join in for the long hall.

Girl of Fire and Thorns, Crown of Embers and The Bitter Kingdom are the trilogy that tells the story of  Lucero-Elisa De Riqueza, the bearing of a God Stone. This is only given to one person 100 years, so she is special and has been given it to fulfill a task from God, unknown to her. This trilogy follows her journey as she is married off to the King of  Joya d'Arena and her mission to save a country on the verge of Civil War and bring the world together in peace. Along the way she loses loved ones and finds true love, while also stopping two major threats to her kingdom. Also learning how to harness the power of her God Stone and find the Location where all the magic powers in the world come from.

Empire of Dreams follows these three books, and was released much later, follow the story of Elisa's new gained companion, Red Sparklestone, a half breed as she tries to find her new place in the kingdom of Joya  d'Arena. This comes after being saved from a life of slavery and finding the Kindness of Queen Elisa. 

First, Rae Carson has created a heroine who is relatable and is actually not a stick, which makes me so happy. I feel characters like this fail to exist in stories and I hate that people like me are so unrepresented in stories. So i love that she has given us a character to relate to. Someone who just never felt pretty or like she was worth anything and some who we see grow and change through her stories into a strong women who could rely on her looks for it.

Secondly, its always interesting to find a story that stands so close to Christianity and the catholic church in some aspects. Just in the way somethings are worded. The connections are there and it makes for a very interesting read in that aspect as well. For some who aren't super secure in their faith it could be confusing. I really enjoyed being able to draw parallels between my faith and the one in these books. It really added a whole other level of depth for me.

Third, I love me a slow burn romance! Two, almost three books it took of Elisa to finally figure it out! and I'm so glad she did. :) I wont say more. But if you enjoy slow burns, you'll enjoy this.

Fourth, the children in these books are simply lovable and play such and essential part to the plot line. Red, Rosario and I wont give things away, but other children just added a level of love and tenderness to a story that was so full of adventure and turmoil.

This series was really an adventure I would advise to most people. Giving it a solid 5 out of 5 stars. It was fill with love, betrayal adventure and had so many plot twists I wasn't sure where it was going to go next. Elisa's service to God was definitely something I didn't see coming and she learned a valuable lesson through it all. There were so many likable characters and even some I wasn't sure I should like, but did. Storm by far became one of my favorites. His sarcastic way was definitely a factor when I decided he was one of my favorites! We also can't forget Red Sparklestone, who is the main character for Empire of Dreams, the sequel to the trilogy.

I really hope you will take a chance and pick up these lovely books! They are really a joy and a forgotten gem in the YA fantasy world. The characters are great and developed and the world is expansive and deep.

Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas

Hello, my lovely booklovers. It has been some time since I have written a review and I figured why not write one now. 

Let me just start with this book took me over a month to read and was probably the hardest book to get into. There was a massive info dump at the beginning and the first 500 pages were probably the biggest let down for me.

There are quite a few triggers in this book. So be warned for those. The biggest one I noticed was drug use. The swear was a lot and sex was pretty much watching a porno. I want to be blunt and upfront with my reviews from now on, so here we go with the main review. 

So as stated above, the beginning of the book was a huge info dump that I could have cared less about. While important, I don't feel it was important enough to really constituent 500 pages. There were details in the book that bothered me and were unnecessary. I really didn't care how short Bryce's dress was or if you could see muscles through her clothing. I'm pretty sure everyone who read it understood more people found Bryce attractive and wanted to sleep with her which is fine.  

Now touching on some of the more technical aspects. This book was written in YA style with added adult content which was rather depressing for me. I was really looking for deep characters and a deep, deep plot that normally comes with adult fantasy. Sarah is the queen of smut and we all know this. Sadly, smut and swearing doesn't make an adult novel. So this was a super let down for me and I'm sure the cussing made up at least 1/8 of the word count for this book. So if swearing bothers you please don't bother with this book. 

Now, let's dig into my biggest complaint about this book, if you have read Maas' other works you have pretty much read this one. With some name changes and location and time change, Maas' has somehow managed to take all the same characters shes written and write them into a new exciting plot line and managed to destroy your hopes of the good ones to continue on in the plotline. Let's look back at Sam and Nehemia. Well-loved characters taken from us to soon. There were many points in this book where I felt I was reading The A Court series and Throne of Glass all over again. Bryce was Aelin remade. Which really made me disappointed in the main character as a whole. Though I think I have far more rooted feelings for how I feel than just her being a remade character with a different exterior.  Continuing on into the more story moving similarities. "Like calls to like" was yet again used which is fine, it helps connect the world Maas is making and allows the words to connect like we know that do. (Aelin flying through Velaris and Crescent City in Kingdom of Ash.) 

Now onto the Good, this story after page 500 finally started moving and the pace picked up and did keep me entertained. I was finally okay and didn't want to chuck the entire book across the room. The swearing subsided and finally got to the deeper part of the story. While the climax of the book felt familiar, it did leave me content with the book.

Overall this book was a solid 3 out of 5 stars. It was a 1 or 2 before I reached the 500-page mark solely because the ending redeemed the book. The genre of the book did nothing for me as I'm not a fan of urban fantasy. I think I went into this book expecting deep writing like some of my favorite adult fantasy writers and just didn't get the depth I was hoping for.  So I think that list plays a huge role in my rating and review of this book. I did enjoy the read, but it was not up to par with my expectations for the adult fantasy genre. 

Entwined Paths by M. L. Greye

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR FIRST BOOK*

Hello, again my lovely readers! I am here again with another review and this one is for a friend of mine and I truly love her books! This book is the second book in the swift shadows series and follows the before. In the first book, we got a little bit of background of what happened before  Of Rioters and Royals (ORAR). We got glimpses of Emry and Declan's pasts in the smallest bits, but never truely what led them up to the points we see them in the first book. This second book, Entwined Paths, answers many questions we may have collected from the first and tells a great story of getting us to the place we find Emry and Declan in the first book.

Greye manages to tell a prequel story in a descriptive and captivating way that keeps you hooked from the moment you true the first page. Follow Declan through his past of struggle with himself and the things he's done and he finds solace in the one person who seems familiar to him, Emry. His tormented past leads him on a journey of self-survival.

We also follow Emry as she goes on her journey to be the Queen she wants to see for the kingdom and her journeys through the lands she is to rule and where she will become The Mistress we have come to find her to be in ORAR. See her go through a change to become the person she pushes herself to be and the relationships she builds on this journey. Greye also manages to make us fall in love with new characters that make us question our loyalty to the OTP!

Greye has yet again written a great YA fantasy novel and stays true to her unique magic system and I can not wait to see what she has in store. This store pulls and captivates its readers and truly made me want to be a part of the world she has written. I wanted to walk beside Emry and help Declan through the challenges.

Only Gossip Prospers by Loraine Tosiello

Hello, my lovely followers and fellow readers! So today, December 14th is my day on this tour for Only Gossip Prospers by Loraine Tosiello and I just want to say it was a wonderful read! So first I would love to start off and say this book was given to me for an honest review on this tour and an honest review I will give. I don't just read every book that is thrown at me, as I would have too many books to read. So I only accept offers from authors who have books that genuinely interest me. I love anything Louisa May Alcott, so I knew I had to get my hands on this book as soon I was reached out too. 

The author did a wonderful job pulling from the life of the famous author and melding it together with fiction to create a cohesive story that makes you feel all range of emotion. I found myself laughing and crying. The characters are lovable and you grow a strong fondness for the author herself and she goes through her adventures in New York City at the peak of her fame after the publishing of Little Women. You discover some well-needed information on who was inspirations for characters in the classic children's book and people who came to be in her life later, that reminded her of characters in her stories. You read of hardships and joys. There were points in this book that brought me the same joy as when I read little women for the first time and some moments where I was completely heartbroken as well. Tosiello does an amazing job of capturing the style of spoken word for the time that makes this book feel like it could be a biography for Alcott. She captures the moments in such a way that I wasn't sure it was a piece of fiction at all. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It gave me the joy to read! It was a slower read for me as historical fiction takes me some time, but it not because I didn't enjoy the book as a whole. I enjoyed this book and will be suggesting it to others! I wish i could share all the little sticky notes I left throughout the book, but that's a lot of notes to document. Thank you to Pink Umbrella and Tosiello for the opportunity to read and enjoy this book. I will be leaving a synopsis and ways to purchase the book below!

ISBN: 9781949598087- Paperback

Synopsis: In late 1875 Louisa May Alcott spent a winter in New York City.  Her journals give a rough sketch of the people she met, the salons she attended and a few outings that she enjoyed. She intended to stay “until I am tired of it,” but left abruptly in mid-January.

Filled with biographical references to Louisa’s family, New Yorkers of the time and Alcott’s literary works, Only Gossip Prospers intertwines the real people Louisa met, the actual events of New York City and a host of fictional characters who inhabit a world that Louisa herself would recognize.  Written in a style reminiscent of Alcott’s juvenile fiction and short adventure stories, the book is part historical fiction, part love letter to the charm of 1870s New York and part biography of Louisa and her contemporaries.  Only Gossip Prospers enters the debate that still hovers over Little Women as to what was “real” and what was “made up.” There are some twists and surprises, including one that will satisfy the greatest question left unanswered for fans of Little Women: what really happened between Jo and Laurie?

Only Gossip Prospers mashes together fact and fiction to draw a realistic portrait of Louisa May Alcott at the height of her fame.

Watch the Book Trailer Here

Pink Umbrella Books

Where to Purchase:
Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Loraine Tosiello

Instagram: @ltosiello_author

Of Rioters and Royals by M. L. Greye

So, I just want to start off with I’m not one to just read a book because someone asked me to leave an honest review. Unless it’s something I feel I might like. After reading the synopsis first I felt like this would be a good book and decided to read and see what adventure this book would take me on. After all I love myself a good fantasy and the name Declan. 

The book is as definitely filled with twists and turns and had me on my toes as well as good characters who carried the story along. Kept it moving with motives that drove to the ending. The unique fantasy aspect of eyes showing what power someone has was absolutely brilliant! I’ve never seen someone even think of something like that before and it really intrigued me. 

There were points in the book where I was like: “wait!!! Hold on! No! That can’t happen!!” And others where I was “um yes! I dig this!” Definitely for those fans who want a good solid read that is easy to read. Easy in the sense that it’s easy to follow and know what’s going on without conflicting issues clouding the main plot. 

I really can’t wait to read the next book and see what happens to our pair. I don’t want to give away the story. So as a fan of many of the best sellers out there, I strongly advise you to pick up this book! Give it a shot. I really enjoyed this read!

The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty

Hello, my lovelies! I just had the amazing opportunity to wrap up the second to last book the Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty. Let me just say this was an emotional roller coaster I was not ready for, but I loved every moment of it! It has made its way to the top of my favorite reads of 2019, and I can not wait for the last installment to be released in February of 2020.

If you have yet to read the trilogy the story follows the lives of Ali, Nahri, and Dara. This is a POV switch story. So if that is not something you enjoy, I'm sorry because the characters are amazing. haha. To sum of the first book, City of Brass,  follows the story of a young,  medically skilled woman from, named Nahri, who discovers what her true heritage is. Being orphaned she has no idea who she is or where she truly is called to be. Living in 18th century Cairo she works along aside a doctor and as a con woman to get by. Until she is attacked by a magical being and is found by Dara (a powerful Djinn warrior she accidentally summons) who takes her to Daevabad, where her life will change forever. Ali, is later met by Nahri and is the second in line for the throne in Daevabad and quickly becomes one of Nahri's only friends in the city of guilded brass, but this takes a turn and everything changes.

The Kingdom of Copper follows the same characters as they deal with the consequences of their actions from book one and they realize they are dealing with far more than the tyrant king that rules over Daevabad. Riots break out in the streets as Nahri and Ali do their best to unite a broken city of people and this leads to the darkest event the great city, made from the sea, has ever seen.

This story is filled with controversy among a prejudiced group of people toward those who are unlike them, battles for a throne, the horrors of war and magic. But you must not forget the stories of love and friendship that fill the pages to make this a completely and well-rounded story that is easy to enjoy.  The darkness of the story sets the vibe for what is to come while keeping the theme of fire as the hope of these people. The end of the book takes a turn you'll never expect and you will be waiting for more!