REVIEW | "Our Dark Duet" by Victoria Schwab

Title: Our Dark Duet
Author: Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Genre: YA, fantasy
ISBN: 978-0062380883
Page Number: 528 pages





Blurb
THE WORLD IS BREAKING. AND SO ARE THEY.
KATE HARKER isn't afraid of monsters. She hunts them. And she's good at it.
AUGUST FLYNN once yearned to be human. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.
THE WAR HAS BEGUN.
THE MONSTERS ARE WINNING.
Kate will have to return to Verity. August will have to let her back in. And a new monster is waiting—one that feeds on chaos and brings out its victims' inner demons.
Which will be harder to conquer: the monsters they face, or the monsters within?

Execution
While I did like This Savage Song, I didn't LOVE it so I put off reading Our Dark Duet until I picked it up in the bookstore last week and started reading it on a whim.
And hell, it blew me away.
I hadn't even realised how much I loved Kate and August until I started Our Dark Duet. 
Victoria Schwab's books are always very character driven and this one is no excpetion.
We start off six months after This Savage Song ended but it was no problem for me getting back into the story whatsoever. Not only that, I even, head over heels, fell in love with the story.
Reading the whole Monsters of Verity duology was a very unique experience for me: it almost felt like falling in love with a human being - This Savage Song was the getting to know part and realising that you might have found someone you could potentially really love, and Our Dark Duet was the devoting oneself to someone else, the realisation that you've gotten yourself into something that won't be easy to get out of, but you still enjoy every second of your being together and don't ever want it to end.
Yep, that's what it felt like reading this book.
Needless to say I think the execution was exceptionally well done. Although 'well done' doesn't really cover it - that's what my English teacher used to write under my papers, so maybe 'masterpiece' would be more fitting.

Characters
I love, love, love Kate and August.
I love how fierce and strong and smart they are, both in their very own ways.
Kate is not easy to love but I did it anyway, although I feel like she wouldn't like how I feel about her - she's my precious baby (and she would totally kill me for writing that), and so is August.
August is everything to me and throughout the first half of the book, he kept breaking my heart.
I don't even know how to express my feelings towards Kate and August into words anymore.
Victoria Schwab is a master of creating characters that seem incredibly real and reflect the world and humankind in a way that I see very rarely in literature.
I just never want to stop reading about her characters, especially Kate and August. I just love them to pieces.

Emotions
I was warned before going into this book that it would destroy me.
Well, it did.
I really don't know how to move on with life now - I'm sitting here, writing this not an hour after having finished the book (I just NEEDED to express my feelings about it!) and I'm tearing up all the time because I can't get over it.
Throughout the entire book, I was anxious because I knew something was going to happen that would wreck me but when it finally did, it killed me nonetheless because nothing in the world could have prepared me for my feelings.
This was such an emotional read for me, I'm not sure I have any emotions left for other books right now.

Overall
Our Dark Duet has become one of my favourites, no doubt. It was everything I ever wanted a book to be, and everything I never knew I needed in a book.
I'm so sad this duology is over now but I'm so glad it exists and I read it and I want everyone else in the world to read it now.

favorite books of all time #2

Hey!
I really liked sharing some of my all time favorite books with you so I thought I'd continue with this format and introduce some more favorites of mine. Have fun reading!

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
It's very hard to explain why I loved this book so much.
I thought the writing was exceptionally beautiful.
I loved how character-driven the story was. Naturally, I fell in love with Ari and Dante. Like, deeply, madly in love.
And their relationship... Gods, I think it's one of the cutest and purest relationships I've ever read about. I loved their talks and them being together and well... I loved everything.
So yeah, that's the best I can do to explain my love for this book. This is one you've got to read yourself though to understand what I mean, I think.

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
And here we are again with a Khaled Hosseini book. This was actually the first one I read by this author, hence it was the one that made me fall in love with his writing for the first time.
The story is told in a very unique way: it is one single story, but told from so many people who have an influence on the story and each of them kind of tell their own story. In the end, everything comes together and it's so beautifully crafted. My heart aches thinking about this book, and there is really no other word to describe it other than beautiful.

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Mirrorworld Trilogy by Cornelia Funke
Naturally, I couldn't write this list without mentioning at least one book by my favorite childhood author, Cornelia Funke. Her ideas are always very magical and unique and the Mirrorworld trilogy is no exception to that. I don't only love the fairy-tale-esque, kind of whimsical world but also (so, so much!) the characters and the journey they go on.
If you like fantasy and fairy tales, you'll definitely love these books!

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
I guess this one is on everyone's favorites list, isn't it? I think it's not a good sign when a person hasn't read Harry Potter (or at least watched the movies) and it's even more suspicious when they didn't like it. Like, how can you not like Harry Potter? How can you not LOVE Harry Potter?
I don't want to explain why I love it so much though, that would take too long. I will do a whole post dedicated to Harry Potter one day (though even that would probably not be enough lol)

Was fehlt, wenn ich verschwunden bin (literally translated: What's missing when I'm gone) by Lilly Lindner
Unfortunately, this book hasn't been translated into English yet but I'm still gonna write about it in English.
I read this only a few months ago but I instantly knew it was going to be a favorite. I loved Lilly Lindners autobiography and it wasn't hard to figure out that this book also has some autobiographical features - it's an own-voices novel about a girl struggling with anorexia.
Lilly Lindners writing is incredibly magniloquent, even from the perspective of a little child who doesn't understand what's going on with her big sister (who is the one with the anorexia). It's actually too much to explain here but this book is both so important and so beautifully done.

REVIEW | "Unearthed" by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

scroll down for English translation

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Titel: Undying - Das Vermächtnis
Autorinnen: Amie Kaufman und Meagan Spooner
Verlag: FISCHER Sauerländer
Genre: Jugendbuch, Science Fiction
ISBN: 978-3737356008
Seitenzahl: 496 Seiten
Preis: 19,00 €





Umsetzung
Ich wollte das Buch wirklich mögen. Ich mochte These Broken Stars, was ebenfalls von den beiden Autorinnen in Kooperation geschrieben wurde, und ich bin auch ein Fan von Illuminae, was Amie Kaufman in Zusammenarbeit mit Jay Kristoff geschrieben hat, also hatte ich recht hohe Erwartungen an Undying - Das Vermächtnis.
Und leider wurde ich enttäuscht.
Generell denke ich, wird es sicher vielen gefallen, und ich glaube, hätte ich es vor ein paar Jahren gelesen, hätte ich es auch noch gemocht. Aber inzwischen ist es einfach nichts mehr für mich.
Das größte Problem, das ich mit dem Buch hatte - und am Ende auch der Hauptgrund, warum es mir nicht gefallen hat - ist, dass ich den Weltenbau viel zu oberflächlich fand.
Man wird am Anfang direkt ins Geschehen geworden und auch wenn die Handlung dadurch tempogeladen ist, hätte ich mir ein wenig Vorgeschichte gewünscht.
Diese wurde dafür in meiner Meinung nach viel zu vielen inneren Monologen aufgearbeitet, von denen ich generell eher kein Fan bin, denn für mich ist es viel effektiver, Szenen tatsächlich zu zeigen, anstatt nur die Gefühle der Charaktere darüber zu analysieren.
Dadurch bin ich überhaupt nicht mit den Charakteren warm geworden.
Zum anderen hat mich gestört, dass sehr viel Fokus auf die Romanze gelegt wurde. In Büchern, die hauptsächlich einem anderen Genre zugeordnet werden, sind für mich unterschwellige, sich langsam aufbauende Liebesgeschichten am schönsten, doch leider hatte ich hier eher das Gefühl, es wäre andersherum: ich würde eine Romanze lesen mit unterschwelligen Sci-Fi-Elementen.

Charaktere
Ich muss zugeben, dass ich die Charaktere in der Theorie durchaus mochte.
Jules als privilegierten, gebildeten kleinen Streber und Amelia als Bad Girl - die Konstellation ist auf jeden Fall ansprechend, in der Praxis jedoch nicht so optimal umgesetzt worden.
Auch hier wieder denke ich, hätte es geholfen, mehr zu zeigen und weniger zu reden. Sprich, auf die endlosen inneren Monologe zu verzichten und die Protagonisten mehr durch die witzigen Unterhaltungen zu charakterisieren, von denen viel zu wenige im Buch vorkamen.

Emotionen
Leider hat mich das Buch emotional nicht berührt. Da ich die ganze Umsetzung ein wenig zu oberflächlich fand, konnte mich auch die Geschichte nicht mitreißen und die Charaktere lagen mir ebenfalls nicht allzu sehr am Herzen.

Insgesamt
Ich glaube wirklich, es liegt an mir, dass mir das Buch nicht gefallen hat, denn theoretisch hat es alles, was ein gutes Buch braucht - tolle Charaktere, eine interessante Idee und viel Action. Nur für mich war es leider nichts, was ich darauf schiebe, dass ich dem Ganzen einfach entwachsen bin.
Demnach kann ich das Buch nur Menschen empfehlen, die vielleicht noch neuer sind in dem ganzen Genre und die etwas für Zwischendurch lesen möchten.

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Title: Unearthed
Authors: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: YA, sci-fi
ISBN: 978-1484758052
Page Number: 336 pages






Blurb
When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.

In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race...

Execution
I really wanted to like this book. I liked These Broken Stars which the authors cowrote and I'm a big fan of Illuminae which Amie Kaufman wrote together with Jay Kristoff. So I did have high expectations reading Unearthed. 
Unfortunately, I was let down.
Generally, I think this is a book that a lot of people could actually like a lot and honestly, a few years ago I would have liked it either. But since I've changed as a reader, I think I've kind of outgrown this book.
The biggest problem I had with the book was the world building which I think was a bit shallow. In the beginning, you get thrown right into the plot and while that definitely made the story seem fast paced, I felt a bit overwhelmed and I would have liked some back story to warm up to the characters.
There were far too many inner monologues for my taste, I would have liked to see a bit more interaction between the characters instead of reading about their thoughts about each other for endless pages.

Additionally, I didn't like the focus of the story being so much on the romance. In books like this, that are mainly another genre but romance, I like a slowly developing, subtle romance but here I felt like it was just the other way around: like Unearthed was really a romance story with some subliminal sci fi elements.

Characters
I do have to admit that I liked the characters - at least in theory.
Jules as a privileged, well educated nerd and Amelia as bad girl - that constellation intrigued me a lot, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat in practice.
Again, I think it would have helped showing a bit more and not thinking so much. In other words, to quit the endless inner monologues and to characterize the protagonists through those funny dialogues that were perfect, but that we didn't get enough of!

Emotions
Unfortunately, this book didn't touch me at all. Because the exection was too shallow for me I couldn't really get involved into the story and I just didn't really care for the characters either.

Overall
I strongly believe it's my fault that I didn't like the book because technically, it has everything a good book needs to have - great characters, an intriguing premise and much action to keep the plot going. It just wasn't for me because I feel like I have grown out of those kind of books. I do recommend it to anyone who is new to the genre and not as experienced of a reader though.

top 6 tips to read more

Hello!
I've always been quite a fast reader - there were times when I used to read one (normal-sized) book per day. Which is quite a lot.
However, the problem I had with that was that I used to read even at times I didn't really want to just because I wanted to read as many books as possible. Which is entirely stupid and over that mind set, I kind of lost the joy in reading which was very devastating for me.
So I thought I'd share some tips with you today on how to read more WITHOUT getting overwhelmed and forcing yourself to read.
Reading should be something you want to do in your freetime and forcing yourself on a book will just reduce your enjoyment reading it.
So without further ado, here are my tips:

1. include reading in your daily routine
I, for instance, always read while eating. When I went to school my family left the house at different times so I was always alone eating my breakfast which was really boring - so I started to read. That habit stayed with me up until now so it's an integral part of my routine. Of course, you can apply this to any part of your routine, whenever it suits you best.

2. take a book with you wherever you go
I don't know how often I stranded somewhere waiting for something and I didn't know how to pass the time. For that reason, I got into the habit of always taking a book with me (sometimes even two lol), wherever I go. That way, when I have some spare time along the way, I can always read.

3. read several books at once
Personally, I'm quite a mood reader and sometimes I'm in the middle of a book and find myself craving another genre. In the past I would have tried to get through the book that I was already reading as quickly as possible so that I could go on reading the one that I really wanted to read but honestly, that's very stupid. Though I still prefer reading just one book at a time, sometimes it's just inevitable to pick up more than one if your mood changes.

4. DNF the books you don't like
I know, I said it - the bad word. DO NOT FINISH. There you go - for a long time, that has been my worst nightmare. What if I would enjoy the book after a hundred more pages? What if I was missing out on something if I didn't finish it?
I'm going to tell you something: the only thing you're going to miss out on are the thousands and millions of other books you could be reading and actually enjoying instead of holding on to a book you don't like. Because if I don't like a book, I often find myself putting off reading it and then forcing myself to read and then, again, losing joy in reading. And that's not what we want, is it?
And if it comforts you - you can always pick up a book another time.

5. find your best reading environment
This may sound a bit odd at first but for me, it's very crucial. For instance, I'm very sensitive when it comes to noises - it has to be very silent when I'm reading because otherwise, I get distracted very easily and can't concentrate on my reading.
I can read best at night in bed or in the garden or when I'm alone at home, I read on the sofa but I absolutely can't read with music or when there are people talking because then I'll read the same page over and over again without taking anything in.
People are very different when it comes to things like that so the best advice I can give you is to just try out different reading spots and see what works best for you.

6. listen to audiobooks
This may not work vor everyone (I am VERY picky when it comes to audiobooks) but if you're spending a lot of time driving or doing housework or whatever, you can get some reading done with listening to audiobooks while doing that.
If you're new to audiobooks and don't want to spend a lot of money on them because you don't know if you'll like them, I recommend checking out the audiobooks they have on Spotify because they're absolutely free.

So those were my top tips on how to read more. You probably heard some of them before but maybe I could still help you out a bit.
If you have any more tips, I would love to read them in the comments!
xxx

REVIEW | "Save Me" by Mona Kasten

scroll down for English translation

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Titel: Save Me
Autorin: Mona Kasten
Verlag: LYX
Genre: New Adult, Liebesroman
ISBN: 978-3736305564
Seitenzahl: 416 Seiten






Klappentext
Geld, Glamour, Luxus, Macht – all das könnte Ruby Bell nicht weniger interessieren. Das Einzige, was sie sich wünscht, ist ein erfolgreicher Abschluss vom Maxton Hall College, eine der teuersten Privatschulen Englands. Vor allem mit James Beaufort, dem heimlichen Anführer des College, will sie nichts zu tun haben. Er ist zu arrogant, zu attraktiv und zu reich. Doch schon bald bleibt ihr keine andere Wahl …

Umsetzung

Nachdem ich von Begin Again von der Autorin nicht allzu begeistert gewesen war, hatte ich keine besonders hohen Erwartungen an Save Me, wurde dann aber angenehm überrascht.

Die Liebesgeschichte, um die es ja nun vorläufig geht, hat mir gut gefallen und war für mich gut nachvollziehbar. Ich mochte es, dass man aus der Perspektive von beiden Beteiligten liest, weil man dadurch einige Handlungen sehr viel besser nachvollziehen kann.

Ich hab das Buch schnell durchgelesen, weil es mich sehr fesseln und mitreißen konnte. Der Schreibstil ist angenehm und dem Genre angemessen und die Handlung geht gerade schnell genug voran: es wird nicht langweilig, aber es geht auch nichts zu schnell. 

Natürlich muss man sagen, dass es nahezu unmöglich ist, in diesem Genre das Rad neu zu erfinden und eine einzigartige Geschichte auf die Beine zu stellen, und einem gewissen Muster folgt Save Me zugegebenermaßen, aber gerne gelesen habe ich es trotzdem und bin gespannt, wohin die Geschichte noch führen wird (NACH DIESEM ENDE, UFF)

Charaktere

Wie oft habe ich schon New Adult Bücher gelesen, die vor Sexismus und klischeehaften Bad Boys und schüchternen, unsicheren Mädchen nur so wimmeln?

Auch in der Hinsicht hat mich Save Me positiv überrascht. Natürlich ist James ein Bad Boy, keine Frage. Aber dadurch, dass man die Geschichte teilweise aus seiner Sicht liest, konnte ich ihn wirklich gut nachvollziehen. Ich verstehe, warum er so ist wie er ist (was sein Verhalten an mancher Stelle natürlich weder gerechtfertigt noch besser macht), aber er ist zumindest nicht dieses typische, sexistische, besitzergreifende Arschloch, das man schon aus so vielen New Adult Romanen kennt.

Auch Ruby ist nicht das klischeehafte graue Mäuschen. Sie ist mir sehr sympathisch (ebenso wie ihre Familie!), ihre Handlungen sind überlegt und nachvollziehbar und allgemein als Charakter erscheint sie sehr realistisch.

Emotionen

Es war nicht schwierig für mich, eine emotionale Beziehung zu Ruby und James aufzubauen und bei ihrer Geschichte mitzufiebern. Natürlich ist es an mancher Stelle etwas arg emotional (das Ende!) und ich weiß immer noch nicht recht, was ich davon halten soll, weil es dem ganzen eine für das Genre klischeehafte Note aufdrückt, die sonst im Buch glücklicherweise fehlt. 

Insgesamt

Alles in allem ist das Buch sehr solide, ein spannender Auftakt zu einer Reihe, auf deren nächste Bände ich mich sehr freue und die, wie ich hoffe, vielleicht das Ruder noch einmal rumreißen und etwas frischen Wind in das Genre bringen werden. 

ENGLISH

Execution

After I wasn't quite convinced by Mona Kasten's debut novel, Begin Again, I was a bit apprehensive going into Save Me but gladly, it positively suprised me.

As the main plot of the novel, I really enjoyed the love story, because I found it to be comprehensible and realistic. I liked how you get to know the story from both main character's viewpoints because it makes you understand some actions better.

Since the story was captivating and compelling, I read it quite quickly. The writing is enjoyable and appropriate for the genre and the plot's pace is just right: it doesn't get boring but it's not too fast either.

Of course I have to admit, it's hard to reinvent the wheel with this genre and to write an original story and Save Me does follow a certain pattern but that didn't keep me from enjoying it and I am excited to see where the story will go in the next book (THAT ENDING THOUGH)

Characters

I'm so overtired reading new adult books dripping with sexism, stereotypical bad boys and shy, self-conscious girls.

But again, Save Me surprised me by not exactly being like that. Admittedly, James is a bad boy, no question. But through reading parts of the story in his perspective, you can actually kind of comprehend his actions. I understand why he is the way he is (which still doesn't justify his actions at some points or make them any better) but I do have to admit, he's not the typical sexist, over protective asshole that I know from so many other new adult books. 

Also Ruby does not fulfill the stereotype of the spineless little girl without any self esteem. She knows what she wants and she isn't afraid of working hard for her goals and stepping out of her comfort zone. Her actions are deliberate and reasonable and her character in general seems very realistic.

Emotions

It wasn't difficult at all for me to establish an emotional connection to Ruby and James and root for their story. Sometimes, it is even a bit too emotional (like the ending!) and I still don't know what to think about that because it kind of gives the story a for that genre stereotypical touch which is gladly missing throughout the rest of the book.

Overall

Altogether, Save Me is a solid and thrilling opening to a series which I can't wait to continue with and I really hope the author will bring a breath of fresh air to the genre because I feel like the trilogy does have the potential to do that.

summerscaries book tag

Hi!
I saw Emma from emmmabooks do this tag on booktube and it seemed to be fun so I thought I'd like to try it too.
I tag everyone who feels like doing this!♥

1. Specter: A book that still haunts you after reading it.
This would definitely be A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It's my favourite book of all time and it made me think a lot and the reason why it still haunts me is that I (still!) start tearing up whenever I think about it although I read it months ago.

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2. Don't split up: A book you would want to read around a campfire with friends.
I would want to read something cozy and warm and something that feels like home - so naturally, I choose Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for this one. Sitting around a campfire, you could easily imagine being in the Gryffindor common room chatting with your Hogwarts friends.

3. A book you would like to ghost.
... meaning, a book you would like to forget that you read it. I had to think really hard about that, but I think I'm gonna go with Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake for this one. I DNFed it and since everyone's raving about it I would like to forget what I read so far and go into it with an open mind.

4. Frankenstein: A book that mixes genres well.
The first book that came to mind was Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. Technically, it's a fantasy and an LGBTQ+ romance but it's also kind of a satire and well, it's just perfection. I loved how it's able to stand on its own feet as a novel and be completely independent on its own, but at the same time, how it's such a cute Harry Potter satire that you can't help but fall in love with.

5. Murder: A book with a twist you didn't see coming.
I choose Scythe by Neal Shusterman for this question because there wasn't only one twist I didn't see coming but so, so many! This book was absolutely unpredictable for me and the plot twists were so good! I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the next one!

6. A book or series you would like to revive from the BookTube graveyard.
For me, that would be Heartless by Marissa Meyer. There was so much hype around this book when it first came out and now, nobody really talks about it anymore. That's why I don't really feel motivated picking it up anymore and it's been sitting on my tbr for forever.

7. Witch: A horror book with a strong female protagonist.
Honestly, I don't really read horror books so instead, I'm going to pick a thriller series because that's the genre closest to horror that I read.
I'm picking the Rizzoli & Isles series by Tess Gerritsen which revolves around Detective Jane Rizzoli who is an absolute bad-ass. She's smart and fierce and gains acceptance in the police's patriarchic pecking order which is why she's quite a strong female protagonist.

8. Mind Control: A spooky book you would recommend to everyone.
I don't really read spooky books because I freak out quite easily so the spookiest book I can't think of might not be that spooky to you: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. It's such a classic though and for some reasons, while I read it, it really reminded me of the books I read when I was younger and I don't know, but it felt like it could be enjoyed by many different people.

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REVIEW | "Freeks" by Amanda Hocking

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Title: Freeks
Author: Amanda Hocking
Publisher: Griffin
Genre: YA, paranormal, historical fiction
ISBN: 978-1250084774
Page Number: 400 pages






Blurb
In a world of magical visions and pyrokinesis, Mara just wants to have a normal life. But is that possible?

Mara has become used to the extraordinary. Roaming from place to place with Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Carnival, she longs for an ordinary life where no one has the ability to levitate or predict the future.
She gets her chance when the struggling sideshow sets up camp in the small town of Caudry and she meets a gorgeous local guy named Gabe. But before long, Mara realizes there’s a dark presence lurking in the town that’s threatening the lives of her friends. She has seven days to take control of a power she didn’t know she had in order to save everyone she cares about—and change the future forever.

Execution

It took me some time to get into this but after around 100 pages I was fully invested in the story. I do have to say though, while it was an enjoyable read for sure and I don't regret reading it at all, it didn't swept me off my feet - it was a good book, but it wasn't outstanding.

The reason I felt that way is probably that I think the story isn't detailed enough. I really liked the overall concept with the carnival and all the people with supernatural powers but I wish the author would have given the whole world a bit more depth.

All in all I'm happy with how the story played out in the end, although the ending comes very sudden and could have been a bit more detailed (basically like the whole rest of the story).

Characters

Unlike the plot, I don't think the characters are lacking depth. All of them play an important role in the story but again, I wished I would have gotten to know a bit more about them and their lives. 

I'm not a huge fan of the romance, mostly because there isn't any build up to it but I do like both Gabe and Mara as individuals.

Also, I loved seeing all the people's abilities and the whole group dynamic within the carnival (at least in Mara's friend group). 

Emotions

I did care about the story and the characters, but because I felt like the book didn't live up to its full potential I feel like I could have been more emotionally invested in the story. 

Don't get me wrong - I still liked the characters, I just didn't LOVE them. Reading about them felt like listening to a story an old friend was telling that you still care enough about to not let him go but he just isn't a huge part of your life anymore. 

Overall

I do think Freeks is a solid, entertaining novel and I would still recommend it to anyone who wants to read something light for inbetween heavy, mind-blowing books. 

exploring my bookshelves pt.1

Hi!
You probably all know that a lot of people on booktube do bookshelf tours and since I really like watching them I thought I'd do my own version of a bookshelf tour. Of course, that's a bit hard to do as a blog post so I decided to kind of "explore" my bookshelves shelf for shelf with you, introducing 5-10 books in each part. So this is going to be a rather long series but I am very excited to share all my books with you and "talk" a bit about them☺
I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I do!

I have two bookshelves which are absolutely cramped with books and it's getting worse. I am going to start off with the first books on the upper shelf of my bigger bookshelf (quite honestly, I rarely ever visit that part of my shelves because it's a bit out of my reach so maybe I'll find some books I haven't seen in a while too, haha)

today, we're just going to expore the stack on the left

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The last time I read this must have been at least four years ago but I loved it. The Hunger Games are the books that introduced me to dystopias and in my opinion, they're one the best dytopias out there. I might even reread this some day.

Die unendliche Geschichte (English title: The Neverending Story) by Michael Ende
My edition looks like it fell into the water one day, I definitely didn't take care of my books very well when I was younger.
I read this years and years ago and I barely remember anything but what I do remember is that I loved it. I consider it a kind of children's classic but I don't know if I'll ever reread The Neverending Story. Maybe I'll read it to my children, who knows.

Wüstenblume (English title: Desert Flower) by Waris Dirie
I don't know when I read this, it must have been some years ago but this book really touched me. It's autobiographical and Waris Diries story is sad, brutally honest and very inspiring. I've never seen the movie adaptation but I definitely want to some day!

Gebrauchsanweisung für Paris (English title: Paris Revealed: The Secret Life of a City) by Stephen Clarke
This is a travelling guide rather than a novel and I can't really remember much about it. I only read parts of it but maybe I'll use it for my next trip to Paris.

Momo by Michael Ende
This book actually belongs to my dad, I just stole it from him and it's been sitting on my shelves ever since. I watched the TV show adaptation when I was younger but I never read the book until I was around twelve I guess. I really did like it though and I'll definitely keep it to (again) read it to my children one day.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
I actually read this just two years ago and I was so touched by the story. I think I'll reread this one day because it was a masterpiece of a book and I absolutely loved it. It's one of those books I think everyone should read just because it's that beautiful.

Das also ist mein Leben (English title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower) by Stephen Chbosky
I read this ages ago and I actually remember the movie better than the book. I know I found it a bit dense at times but in the end, I really liked it - I wonder though, if I read it know, would I view it differently?

So those are the first seven books on my bookshelf. I think it's kind of fun going through them and reliving all those memories that are connected to them and sharing my story with them.
I hope you enjoyed this little insight into my bookshelves!
xxx

REVIEW | "Legendary" by Stephanie Garber

Title: Legendary
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Macmillan USA
Genre: YA, fantasy
ISBN: 978-1250192226
Page Number: 451 pages





Blurb
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.

Execution
I really loved Caraval, so I had very high expectations going into Legendary.
However, I was not disappointed. No, my expectations were even exceeded. 
I just loved everything about it, I don't even know where to begin.
I loved following Tella's viewpoint this time because it made me understand the story a bit better.
I loved how the world was expanded in Legendary and how you got to know so much more about how the magic works and also Caraval's history.
I loved how still, I could never be sure what about Caraval was a game and what was real and how it played with my emotions.
I loved all the intricate, devastating and shocking plot twists that always seemed to happen when you were least expecting them.
And I loved Stephanie Garber's beautiful, magical, unique writing style that made me wish I could write like her.

"He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels and bottles of fresh moonlight."

Characters

This time, we follow Tella's point of view which gives the reader a whole new perspective of the world.

While Scarlett is a bit naive and too scared to really question things sometimes, Tella is outgoing, daring and almost stupidly brave. 

I really fell in love with her character - also with Dante's character, whom you get to know a bit better in this book either.

Thinking about them, it just still makes my heart ache because they're so perfect and precious and I just love them so much.

All of the characters are, as in the first book, very well crafted and Stephanie Garber did an amazing job creating them and giving each and every single one of them their purpose. No character seemed to be there just out of randomness, everyone was there for a reasons and that's what I really liked about the book too.

Emotions

I was VERY emotionally invested in the story. 

Actually, I think it's impossible for someone not to be emotionally invested in a story if they love the characters as much as I love Tella, Dante and everyone else.

Also, that ending. I mean, THAT ENDING! 

Can I pretty please have the next book? Like, yesterday?

Overall

I can say for sure, Legendary is now definitely on my all time favourites list. There is no single thing I have to criticize about this book - everything is perfect just the way it is. And I want more. 

welches Wunder würde ich vollbringen, wenn ich die Zeit dazu hätte?

Hallo!
Dies hier ist mein Beitrag zur fünften Woche der Glück und Wunder Challenge, wonach ich über das Wunder schreiben soll, das ich gerne vollbringen würde, wenn ich die Zeit dazu hätte.

Diese Frage ist für mich sehr einfach zu beantworten.
Ich würde gerne ein Buch schreiben.
Simple as that.
Ich habe schon immer geschrieben, seit ich gelernt habe, Buchstaben auf Papier zu formen. Es existieren Geschichten von meinem siebenjährigen Ich und praktisch aus jedem meiner Lebensjahre von da an. Schreiben war immer schon Teil meines Lebens, aber ich war auch immer schon viel zu ungeduldig, um wirklich mal eine Geschichte zu Ende zu bringen.
Meistens habe ich nach ein paar Seiten aufgehört und mit etwas neuem angefangen, weil ich nicht mehr wusste wie es weitergehen sollte oder mir die Motivation gefehlt hat.
Seit diesem Jahr jedoch arbeite ich ständig an einer bestimmten Geschichte und habe es tatsächlich geschafft, ein ganzes Buch zu schreiben.
Hä?, könntet ihr jetzt denken. Dann hast du es doch schon geschafft, oder?
Und genau das ist der Knackpunkt.
Denn ein Buch zu schreiben, das ist gar nicht so einfach. Es war bei mir längst nicht getan, als ich den letzten Punkt hinter dem letzten Wort im letzten Satz gesetzt habe.
Gerade - und damit meine ich wortwörtlich, gerade jetzt - sitze ich am Bearbeiten. Was alles andere als einfach ist, weswegen ich auch dabei bin, diesen Blogpost zu schreiben, weil das eine wunderbare Art ist, zu prokrastinieren, ohne mich unproduktiv zu fühlen.
Und genau deshalb würde ich jetzt gerne einfach ein Wunder vollbringen können, mit dem Finger schnipsen und das Buch wäre fertig.
Tatsächlich liegt es bei mir nicht an meiner fehlenden Zeit, dass ich das Buch nicht fertigstellen kann - denn von der Zeit habe ich momentan reichlich - sondern eher an meiner fragwürdigen Methode, meine Zeit ordentlich einzuteilen. Und motiviert zu sein.
So einfach ist das.
Und um dieses Wunder wirklich auch zu vollbringen, muss ich jetzt weiter an meinem Buch arbeiten. Außer, irgendeine Fee da draußen erbarmt sich und vollbringt ein wirkliches Wunder nur mit einem Finegrschnipsen.
xxx

REVIEW | "Caraval" by Stephanie Garber

Title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Macmillan USA
Genre: YA, fantasy
ISBN: 978-1250095251
Page Number: 407 pages





Blurb
Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.

Execution
This was actually my second time reading Caraval. When I read it for the first time I wasn't really in the right mind set to read anything so I knew right away that I wanted to reread this some day and since the sequel, Legendary, just came out I thought hey, why not read it now?
And I am so glad I gave this book a second chance.
This is pretty much unique in so many ways. 
When the blurb says: Remember, it's only a game and beware of getting swept too far away - it's so true! Throughout the book, you find out so many things that later turn out to be false, in the end you can't tell what's real and what's not and I think that is exactly what the author intended.
The world of Caraval seems so magical and whimsical, you do get swept away quite easily and I absolutely loved the atmosphere. Stephanie Garber's writing is exceptionally beautiful and draws a very vivid picture of the world which is part of the reason why I loved this book so much.
The build-up is perfectly done: every time you think it can't get any more twisted and crazy, Stephanie Garber goes the extra mile. I adored how this was executed!

Characters
The entire book is told from Scarlett's perspective so you get to know her pretty well whereas the other character's motives are rather hard to comprehend because you never know what's real and what's an act.
Scarlett first appeared to be rather like the typical shy, nice girl from next door but as you get to know her better you understand her reasons for being how she is. Also, I really loved her character development and how she gets braver as the story goes on.
I also really liked Julian and what Stephanie Garber did with that bad boy trope which didn't turn out to be so bad boyish at all in the end. 
I was especially fond of Tella's character and I can't wait to get to know her better in the next book!

Emotions
Caraval really played with my emotions. I, very much like Scarlett, couldn't tell what was real and what was only a game at all and I definitely got swept too far away. But that's exactly what I want when I'm reading a book so I didn't mind☺
I did have an emotional bond to the characters, especially to Julian and Scarlett so Caraval definitely fulfilled my standards according to the emotional part.

Overall
Altogether, I think Caraval is a very unique book that may not be for everyone, but I definitely loved it and I can't wait to read more of Stephanie Garber's works!