Top Ten Books Set in World War II

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

So my absence from the book blogging community has been extended for much longer than I had anticipated. But more on that later. For this week's topic, I had elected to go with books set in World War II. It was such a dark time in our world's history and the wealth of literature that sprouts from that setting really does pay homage to that fact. What makes the setting even more amazing is how every work differs from one another, whether it is detailing the lives of those in hiding, or the brutality of war, or the average citizens just trying to survive the war.

For this topic, I have decided to split the 10 books into the top 5 that I have read and the top 5 that are still (embarassingly) on my TBR pile.

Off Topic Sunday: Real Life Always Gets in the Way

Welcome to Off-Topic Sunday, a tag that I'm using to post whatever is floating in my head that I want to chat about. For the most part, they'll be book-related but you may occasionally see some non-book-related posts/rants as well.

Top Ten Bookworm Delights

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

These are just some of my favourite things. :D

Off Topic Sunday: My Recent Trip to Seoul

Sorry for the unannounced hiatus guys! Last week, I took a trip to Seoul, South Korea!!! It was mostly for work but I managed to go around and see a few amazing sites. I honestly thought I would have the time to post too but after just completing night shifts, flying for 12 hours (plus stressful layovers), and then sight-seeing plus conference, I was completely flat by the end of the night.

Seoul was simply amazing and super easy to navigate! I had booked my hotel near my conference place so that worst case scenario, I could walk to the conference every day. But from the moment the plane touched down, there were labels and signs everywhere telling you where to go. The city is very well equipped for tourists! The subway system is out of this world (for a Melbournian like myself)! Plus I never had to wait more than 5 minutes for trains. 

The city is an amazing complex blend of the new and the old. Nestled right in the heart of the city is Gyeongbokgung aka the Northern Palace, which is the largest palace in Seoul. It was absolutely stunning. And although I was technically two or so weeks too early, but there were some cherry blossoms blooming already and they were so pretty!

I could gush about my trip for hours but I really only posted to let you guys know that's where I've been hiding. Then work kind of took over. But I will definitely make an effort to get back into the blogging pattern. Especially since I have just read an amazing book that I could to share with you guys soon.

Until next time!

March 2016 Wrap-Up

We are now in the second quarter of 2016! How scary is that?!

This month was all about slow and steady. I had a busy work schedule this month plus I was ridiculously unwell for 2 of those weeks (and weren't able to take time off work) so I didn't really have a regular reading schedule. However, looking back at March, I still read 7 books and completed one more series. So I am pleased.

Highlights of the month:

• I listened to Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari as an audiobook and I really enjoyed it. He was funny, easy to listen to and made a lot of the dry data from the research really approachable and easy to understand. 
• I finally read something by Colleen Hoover! One more author off my "embarrassed I still haven't read these authors" list.

What about you guys? How did you go in terms of reading this month?

Top Ten of My Recent 5 Stars Reads

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I tend to be a bit stingy with my 5 stars ratings, especially since I'm prone to giving half stars so a lot of my favourite reads would have a 4.5 star rating rather than a full 5 stars. As a result, I had to look back all the way to the middle of last year to find the last 10 books that I gave 5 stars rating to but I think the hunt is worth it.

A interesting side note is that, looking back, I realized I have given 5 stars ratings to these books for different reasons. Some of them is because of their amazing story arcs, some because of their character development or imagination, some because they made to think, and some because they were truly entertaining. But yeah, without further ado, here are the 10 recent books that I felt were worthy of the 5 stars rating!

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Series: Millennium (book #1)

Publisher: Knopf

Release Date: 16th Septembe 2008 (originally 2005 in Sweden)

Read Date: 9th January 2016

Tagged Under: 2016 read, adult fiction, mystery or thriller, book review, 4

Check It Out @Amazon, @TheBookDepository, @GoodReads

Book Summary

Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch - and there's always a catch - is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.

Book Review

Feature Follow Friday: Short Stories

• The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post
• You create your own post using the post prompt
• You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt
• Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment.
• If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation.
• The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features)
• It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard.
• As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.

This week's feature

Kati Bookaholic Rambling Review

This week's prompt is

Short Stories (as companions to a series): what do you love about them and hate about them?

~ Kristine

My Answer

I have mixed feelings about novellas or short stories that are companions to a series. I adore some of them to pieces, and others I see as just pointless money-making schemes. When done well though, I think they are absolutely fabulous additions to the series. 

Reasons I love them:

• They bring us back into the world that we love
• They reacquaint us with the main characters, often sharing us a snippet of their lives after the main series have ended
• Alternatively, they shed some light into the main characters' background

What about you guys? Do you love or loathe them?

Book Review: Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan

Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan

Standalone novel

Publisher: Clarion Books

Release Date: 5th April 2016

Read Date: 24th February 2016

Tagged Under: 2016 read, review copy, 2.5, YA fiction, book review

Check It Out @Amazon, @TheBookDepository, @GoodReads

Book Summary

In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets. 

Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own - one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised. Lucie alone knows the young men's deadly connection, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy - or herself?

Book Review

Feature Follow Friday: Bookish Pet Peeves

• The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post
• You create your own post using the post prompt
• You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt
• Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment.
• If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation.
• The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features)
• It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard.
• As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.

This week's feature

The Bookavid

This week's prompt is:

What are some of your biggest pet peeves with books?

~ Parajunkee

My answer

Getting Organized for 2016 Part 3 Bookish Spreads

I know we are already way past the start of 2016 but in continuation with my previous posts, I am still constantly looking for ways to get more organized this year. As book blogging is, and I hope it will continue to be, a large part of my life, I have created some bookish spreads to keep track of my reading and book reviews. Best news? They are all available for free!

Feature Follow Friday: A Letter of My Favourite Author

• The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post
• You create your own post using the post prompt
• You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt
• Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment.
• If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation.
• The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features)
• It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard.
• As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.

This week's feature

Readiciously Peachy

This week's prompt is:

Write a letter to your favourite author.

~ Parajunkee

My answer

Ten Books to Read if You are in the Mood for A Dose of Reality

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Sometimes I read for escapism. But sometimes, I am in the mood to read something that shows us harsh reflections of reality. So below, I am listed ten books that I feel fits this category.

February 2016 Wrap-Up

February is nearly over. It will be another long four years before 29th of February comes around again.

I had a slow start to my reading this month, not completing my first book until the 14th of February. However, in the second half of the month, my reading really picked up. This month, I read the following four books (two new and two re-reads):

I also picked up three ARCs this month, two of which I have already posted review for (click on the image to be taken to the post). I will be posting a review of Tell the Wind and Fire shortly.

    

So overall, this month, I have read five new books, so I am right on track with my GoodReads reading challenge, as well as two rereads. I have also posted four book reviews, so I am averaging one review a week. Right on target!

What about you guys? Which books did you read this month?

Off-Topic Sunday: Perils of Delayed Book Reviews

Welcome to Off-Topic Sunday, a tag that I'm using to post whatever is floating in my head that I want to chat about. For the most part, they'll be book-related but you may occasionally see some non-book-related posts/rants as well.

Book Review: You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

Standalone novel

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: 1st March 2016

Read Date: 21st February 2016

Tagged Under: 2016 read, 2016 favourites, book review, review copy, YA fiction, 5, favourites, romance, contemporary

Check It Out @Amazon, @TheBookDepository, @GoodReads

Book Summary

Grief turned Jaycee into a daredevil, but can she dare to deal with her past? 

On the anniversary of her daredevil brother's death, Jaycee attempts to break into Jake's favourite hideout - the petrifying ruins of an insane asylum. Joined by four classmates, each with their own brand of dysfunction, Jaycee discovers a map detailing her brother's exploration and the unfinished dares he left behind. 

As a tribute to Jake, Jaycee vows to complete the dares, no matter how terrifying or dangerous. What she doesn't bargain on is her eccentric band of friends who challenge her to do the unthinkable: reveal the parts of herself that she buried with her brother.

Book Review

Feature Follow Friday: Why I love fantasy

• The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post
• You create your own post using the post prompt
• You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt
• Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment.
• If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation.
• The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features)
• It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard.
• As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.

This week's feature

Read All The Things!

This week's prompt is:

Ten reasons you read your favourite genre?

~ Parajunkee

My answer

Book Review: Nirvana by J.R. Stewart

Nirvana by J.R. Stewart

Series: Nirvana (book #1)
Publisher: Blue Moon
Release Date: 10th November 2015
Read Date: 19th February 2016
Tagged Under: 2016 read, 3, book review, review copy, science fiction, YA fiction
Check It Out @Amazon, @TheBookDepository, @GoodReads

Book Summary

When the real world is emptied of all that you love, how can you keep yourself from dependence on the virtual? 

Animal activist and punk rock star Larissa Kenders lives in a dystopian world where the real and the virtual intermingle. After the disappearance of her soulmate, Andrew, Kenders finds solace by escaping to Nirvana, a virtual world controlled by Hexagon. In Nirvana, anyone's deepest desires may be realized - even visits by Andrew. 

Although Kenders knows that this version of Andrew is virtual, when he asks for her assistance revealing Hexagon's dark secret, she cannot help but comply. Soon after, Kenders and her closest allies find themselves in a battle with Hexagon, the very institution they have been taught to trust. After uncovering much more than she expected, Kender's biggest challenge is determining what is real - and what is virtual.

Book Review

Feature Follow Friday: Reason I started my blog

• The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post
• You create your own post using the post prompt
• You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt
• Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment.
• If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation.
• The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features)
• It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard.
• As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.

This week's prompt is:

Why did you start blogging?

Submitted by Parajunkee

My answer

The Re-Read Experience: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass (book #1)

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Release Date: 7th August 2013

(Re)read Date: 13th January 2016

Tagged Under: 2016 read, book review, fantasy, YA fiction, 4

Check It Out @Amazon, @TheBookDepository, @Goodreads

Book Summary

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.  

Her opponents are men - thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.  

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Book Review

Top Ten Songs that I would Love to Read as Books

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week, we are sharing ten songs that we would love to read as books. Even though I know this is probably a good reflection of my music tastes when it comes to popular music (I fluctuate between pop and classical), I was still a bit surprised to find almost all of the songs I picked are romance. Ah wells!

My Favourite Romance Novels - Valentine's Day Edition!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Whether you are single, in a committed relationship or married, I hope you have had a lovely day with your loved ones. :) In honour of today, I have decided to list some of my favourite romances for those who need something to get into the romantic mood!

Book Review: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass (0.1-0.5)

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens

Release Date: 4th March 2015

Read Date: 13th January 2016

Tagged Under: 2016 read, 2016 favourites, fantasy, favourites, novella or short story, book review, YA fiction, 5

Check It Out @Amazon, @TheBookDepository, @Goodreads

Book Summary

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

Book Review

Top Ten Tuesday: Historical and Futuristic Settings You Love

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

With fantasy being one of my favourite genres to read from, it comes to no surprise that I have plenty of futuristic settings that I would love more of. However, in terms of historical settings, I really had to scratch my head to think beyond the obvious.

January 2016 Wrap-Up

Guys, we are already in February. What is going on?

January has been a pretty good month in terms of my reading. Having made new reading goals for this year and altered my reading habits, I find myself really enjoying reading again without the constant pressure of finishing books. 

This month, I read the following four books:

Plus, having read The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas, the anthology prequel to the Throne of Glass series, I am in the middle of rereading the first two books before moving onto the rest of the series. In terms of rereading, I have completed:

And I am currently in the middle of two re-reads:

So all in all, I'm having a great time! What about you guys? How did you go last month?