Line Bookaholic

I love reading books, especially dystopia, sci-fi and (YA) fantasy. I also love graphic novels and comics.

#44 - The disreputable history of Frankie Landau-Banks

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - Tanya Eby Sirois, E. Lockhart

This book was way better than I expected. I thought it would be a contemporary romance, but it was more than that.

 

I fell in love with the writing in this book. I read We Were Liars quite a long time ago and I did not remember the writing to be that good, even if I liked it. I really enjoyed it in this book.

 

The plot is not the best, honestly; not a lot happened in the book. But the idea behind it was really original.

 

The characters were complex and I really liked discovering more about all of them. Frankie is such an amazing character; I wanted to know more about her. She wants to belong and she would do anything for it. She really is determined to achiever her goals. That is something I liked about her. What I did not like that much was how she reacted to her boyfriend and to men in general. But I think it was important to the development of the book and it was well done in my opinion.

 

This book is full of interesting lessons, it made you think about a lot of different issues and I liked that. Like in We Were Liars, you expect something light and end up with quite a heavy book.

 

I totally recommend reading this. Also, it is not really long and I read it really quickly because I could not put it down, it was entertaining, fun but also really interesting!

#43 - Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban (Illustrated edition)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Illustrated Edition - J.K. Rowling, Jim Kay

It was good! And It was great to read a Harry Potter story on the actual date of Harry's birthday! But in my opinion, there were not enough illustrations in this one. I needed more!! (but still, the book is really pretty)

June + July wrap-up

I haven't read that much in the last two months. I went to different festivals, spent a lot of time with friends and family and celebrated a lot of birthdays (including mine). So it also meant less time for reading, but it was great.

 

So here are the books I read in June and July:

 

The Boy on the Bridge - M.R. Carey  Before I Go to Sleep - S.J. Watson  Becoming Human - Eliza Green  Landline - Rainbow Rowell  Evergreen (Mer Tales, Book 2) - Brenda Pandos  Vicious - V.E. Schwab  Renegades - Marissa Meyer  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Illustrated Edition - J.K. Rowling,Jim Kay  

#42 - Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Renegades - Marissa Meyer

I was excited about this book but also a bit scared because I had read mixed reviews. But in the end it was really great and I can’t wait to read more about this world and its characters.

I am all about superheroes these days, after reading Vicious and watching The Incredibles last week! The book was fast-paced, fun and entertaining.

I loved the duality between the good guys and the bad guys, which is not at all what it seems, the villains not really being villains and the heroes who are not really what they seem.

Nova is a really great character and her relationships with the Renegades is interesting and complex. I really love the fact that she understands the Renegades are not all bad and the Anarchists are not all good either. We have both perspectives and it was nice.

I really would have liked to learn more about new abilities, some of them were really intriguing and I needed more!

Anyway, I can’t wait to read what is next.

#41 - Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Vicious - V.E. Schwab

This book was really enjoyable. I don't often read adult novel and I was really glad I decided to pick this one up because it was amazing.

The plot is intriguing; it is somewhat unreal but not fantastic, I mean everything has a rational explanation and I liked that about it, it made it more real. I found that the main topic about EO really cool and I had never really thought about that. Sure, it is not something new, there are a billion materials about superheroes, but I particularly enjoyed this one, as the heroes are in fact "villains". Despite the fact that they are supposed to be villains, I soon grew fond of them!

It is fast-paced and full of mystery, I had a lot of questions reading this book and I could not stop reading because I needed the answers.

I totally recommend this book!

#40 - Evergreen by Brenda Pandos

Evergreen (Mer Tales, Book 2) - Brenda Pandos

I've read Everblue, the first book in the series quite a long time ago and remembered really enjoying it. I finally decided to buy Evergreen for my Kindle and I picked it up last month because I was on holiday and I only had one physical book with me that I finished in the train before arriving (yay me! I thought I would buy books there but had no time to do shopping)

 

In the end, I was quite disappointed by this book. I think the thing I really liked about Everblue was Natatoria, the mermaid's world, but most of this book takes place on earth and not in the ocean so it was a disappointment for me. I also really did no like Ash, I've just re-read my review of the first book where I said I liked her... (but it was in 2015 so I've changed a lot since then).

 

Anyway, it was not bad but I could not stay focused and was easily distracted. The characters were a bit annoying and I was not a huge fan of the Manichaeism, it was way too pronounced in my opinion.

 

I still recommend this book to younger reader because I think it could work better for them!

 

#39 - Becoming Human by Eliza Green

Becoming Human - Eliza Green

I don't really know what to write about this book. I read it last month and I don't remember a lot about what happened. It really did not peek my interest, I was boread most of the time and a bit confused.

 

However, I think the idea behind this book was really great and I still enjoyed many things, especially the interactions between the humans and the others. It was well conducted.

 

Maybe it was not a good time for me to read this book or I was not focused enough, but it was not for me.

#38 - Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Landline - Rainbow Rowell

I had heard so many things about this book since I started watching booktube videos I had to read this. I definitely enjoyed reading it, it was really fun and enjoyable. I really needed some contemporary read to get back into reading because I was in a kind of slump.

 

I am used to reading books about teenagers and it was refreshing to have older main characters. I also liked the fact that Georgia, the main characters, is a TV writer, it is not that common in books and it was great to learn more about this lifestyle. 

 

The plot was not the most important part of the book, not a lot happen, but you get a lot of flashbacks and you learn more about the past of the characters. I think it was really well done.

 

If you like romance, but not cheesy romance, I totally recommend reading this. If you are in a reading slump and don't know what to do, it could help you

Update!

Hi guys,

 

It is actually really hot in Belgium right now which is really not usual. I am melting!

 

I've been totally out of the internet these days because I went to two different festivals (Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium & Jera on Air in the Netherlands, both were amazing) and I also spent some time in Paris. I am back from my Holiday now and I will try to get all my reviews in order. I have not spent a lot of time reading or writing reviews these days and I really missed it. However I got more time to focus on my friends and listening to music and I am really grateful for that.

 

I'm back but I have many other things planned these days. Moreover, my birthday is on Saturday so I won't have a lot of time to read this weekend either because I have a lot of things planned, but I will try to post all my reviews by the end of the week.

 

I hope everyone is doing ok and I am so sad I missed so many of your posts. I'll try to catch up a bit :)

 

Have a wonderful day! 

#37 - Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Before I Go to Sleep - S.J.  Watson

 Before I go to Sleep was one really interesting story. It is the story of a woman who wakes up everyday and forgets everything about her life. She doesn't know who she is or who her husband is and she has to start over every single day.

 

Not that original you would tell me, but this book was absolutely amazing. I really felt the anxiety at every single page, I wanted to know what was happening and what made her lost her memory like that.

 

The construction of the book makes you really confused and you really do not understand what is happening at all. You are totally lost all the time because you are remembering things at the same time as the main character and that was really well done.

 

You get this hughe climax at the end and I really liked it. I totally recommend this book ! I also know there was a movie made about it and I might consider watching it.

 

#36 - The Boy on The Bridge by M.R. Carey

The Boy on the Bridge - M.R. Carey

Holy shit, this book was intense. I’ve read The Girl with all the gifts a few years ago and totally loved it. It is really different from what I usually read, but this was so well written and so nerve-racking I was excited about reading The boy on the bridge. I was not disappointed at all, it was really good.

 

I was a bit confused about the characters; I could not remember their names apart from Greaves and Dr. Khan, I kept mixing up the others, but it was not really a problem. The pace was slow and sometimes not a lot happened for a few chapters, but that is what I liked the most about the book, you got the feeling that it was building up slowly and that something big was going to happen at the end. This is exactly what happened and I love every word of it.

 

Also, every chapter where the characters were inside Rosie, doing research or just going on with their lives was also a way to show what happened when you are trapped with other humans, knowing that there is nothing outside, no way to escape this small space in which you have to live. I was anxious all the time. And even if it was eventful, nothing was boring about that. You got to experience the relationships that can develop in such circumstances, when you know you can lose everything at any moment.

 

The author really has a way with words and I adored his writing style. This book was kind of scary and I was so anxious while reading it. The ending was absolutely perfect; the author could not have found a better way to end this story in my opinion.

 

I definitely recommend this if you love post-apocalyptic books and want to experience something different, a must read!

May Wrap Up

Here is my May wrap-up. I did not read that much in the month of May, I was kind of in a reading slump for most of the month. But still, I really enjoyed what I read.

 

Extras (The Uglies) - Scott Westerfeld  Night of Cake & Puppets (Daughter of Smoke & Bone) - Laini Taylor,Jim Di Bartolo  Wonder - R.J. Palacio  Replica - Lauren Oliver  Huis Clos and Other Plays - Jean-Paul Sartre  A Court of Frost and Starlight - Sarah J. Maas  

 

It is difficult to pick a favourite this month (like every month, really). I would say ACOFAS because I had been waiting for it for so long, but Wonder was beautiful and A Night of Cake and Puppets was so cute. 

 

What was your favourite read this month?

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Line.

#35 - A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Frost and Starlight - Sarah J. Maas

Ok, I get it. I understand why so many people are disappointed by ACOFAS. It is really short for starter and there is a lot of partying and drinking and not a lot of fighting (that was disappointing), but I really enjoyed this novella. It was really great to have a bit more of all of those beloved characters and getting to understand Nesta a little bit more, because despite everything, I do really like her.

 

There is not so much to say about this because, as I said, it was really short and not that much happened, but this festive atmosphere was really enjoyable and I can’t wait for the next book to come.

#34 Replica by Lauren Oliver

Replica - Lauren Oliver

I’ve had mixed feelings about Lauren Oliver’s books in the past but I really liked the Delirium series and Replica intrigued me by its concept. If you have not heard about it, this is actually the story of two girls, Lyra and Gemma who do not know each other but who are going to meet at some point. The book is divided into two parts, you can start with Gemma’s or start with Lyra’s story, or read one chapter of each.

 

The story was a bit intriguing but I was not that much into it. I started with Gemma’s story and had difficulties staying focused; it was a bit slow and not particularly interesting at the beginning. However, I was way more into Lyra’s story and wanted to know more about the Replicas and Haven. In the end, I enjoyed the concept of the book and the plot was great, but it did not blow my mind. Still, it was a good concept and the story was cool.

#33 - Huis Clos by Jean-Paul Sartre

Huis Clos and Other Plays - Jean-Paul Sartre

This book is actually really dificult to review as it is not really a story. I've read excerpts of this at school and have been wanting to read it even since. I actually really appreciated it and it made me think about so many different things. It was a really intriguing and interesting read, I'm glad I finally took the time to read it.

#32 - Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Wonder - R.J. Palacio

Where to start? This book was one of the most interesting I’ve read this year. The topic is really not a light one and I can tell you that you may want to cry, but also cry tears of joy because August is really a funny little dude.

 

I honestly am speechless after reading this. It shows how much children can be jerks, but adults as well, and how people can make somebody’s life difficult without even knowing it. If you haven’t heard about this book yet, this is about August, aged 10, who has had medical issues all his life because of a facial difference (people call him deformed). But August does not have special means as many people like to think, he is just an ordinary boy who wants to do ordinary things.

 

The story follows August everyday’s life at school and shows how difficult it can be for him but also, how amazing it is to be a child and enjoy a simple life. I really hated when the other kids were mean to him and that August was never complaining about it. He is really tough and is always kind to everyone, even when other kids are being jerks. He is an example for all of us.

 

This story shows how important friendship is and how you should not treat someone differently just because he looks different. This is actually really important for young readers but even more for adults! I learnt a lot reading this book, it taught me so many things I thought I had already acquired. This is a must read. There is also a movie about it and I really want to see it.

Currently reading

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

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