The Mid Year Freakout Book Tag

July 25, 2017July 24, 2017 chicnerdreads38 Comments

Hello everyone!!! It’s been months since I’ve done a tag and I really like this one. I was tagged by the wonderful Azia @ The Uncharted Word, you all need to check out her beautiful page.

To play fair because I know this tag is super late, I will only count the books I have read from January 1st to June 30th. Let’s start!

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2017?

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. This was such an easy answer because it’s really stuck with me. It’s actually one of the very first books I read in the beginning of the year. I have a full non-spoiler rave review here.

2. Best sequel of 2017 so far?

Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab! Hands down, best sequel I have read so far. I do plan on reading A Gathering of Shadows and A Conjuring of Light in the next half of the year so I wonder if any of these will take it’s place lol. I have a non-spoiler review here.

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to?

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee! This book has asexual representation and if you don’t know, I identify as gray ace (demisexual). A lot aces in the book community have been raving about this one so yes!!!! Here is the synopsis:
After a shout-out from one of the Internet’s superstar vloggers, Natasha “Tash” Zelenka finds herself and her obscure, amateur web series, Unhappy Families, thrust into the limelight: She’s gone viral.

Her show is a modern adaptation of Anna Karenina—written by Tash’s literary love Count Lev Nikolayevich “Leo” Tolstoy. Tash is a fan of the forty thousand new subscribers, their gushing tweets, and flashy Tumblr GIFs. Not so much the pressure to deliver the best web series ever.

And when Unhappy Families is nominated for a Golden Tuba award, Tash’s cyber-flirtation with Thom Causer, a fellow award nominee, suddenly has the potential to become something IRL—if she can figure out how to tell said crush that she’s romantic asexual.

Tash wants to enjoy her newfound fame, but will she lose her friends in her rise to the top? What would Tolstoy do?

4. Most anticipated release of the second half of 2017?

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle. Thanks to my twin, Lilly @ LairofBooks for mentioning it to me. Ever since she mentioned Spellbook, it’s been on my planner waiting to be released and purchased lol.
Here’s the synopsis:
One stormy summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. It starts with simple items like hair clips and jewellery, but soon it’s clear that Rose has lost something bigger; something she won’t talk about.

Then Olive meets three wild, mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel and Rowan. Like Rose, they’re mourning losses – and holding tight to secrets.

When they discover the ancient spellbook, full of hand-inked charms to conjure back lost things, they realise it might be their chance to set everything right. Unless it’s leading them towards secrets that were never meant to be found . . .

5. Biggest disappointment?

Lol I am going to get major side eye for this one and maybe lose a few more followers like I already did when I posted my spoiler rant review. However, I have to be truthful with myself. The answer is A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTWAR #3) by Sarah J. Maas. I found the book to be very problematic. The thing that upsets me most about this one was that it had a lot of potential (in my opinion) to be great. I really absolutely adored A Court of Mist and Fury so to read this one and see the outcome was just utterly disappointing.

6. Biggest surprise?

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia! I loooooved that book so much! It was heavily compared to Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and I didn’t enjoy Fangirl at all. But! I loved Eliza and the graphic novel inserts. I wrote a non-spoiler review here.

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)?

K.Y. Robinson!!! I read her debut poetry collection The Chaos of Longing that was self-pub and is now officially signed by Andrews McMeel. The re-release of Chaos of Longing will be out in September. The Chaos of Longing made me cryyyyy!!! She also published two other poetry books under a pseudonym and I really loved them.

8. Newest fictional crush?

I don’t have a fictional crush……

9. Newest favorite character?

Sarai from Strange the Dreamer!! Gosh her character arc is amazing and her power is great too. Also, if you haven’t read Strange the Dreamer, you definitely should. I have a non-spoiler review here.

10. Book that made you cry?

soft magic. by Upile Chisala. This debut poetry collection that came out a while back had me seriously tearing. There was so much beauty and honesty. Amazing poems of women empowerment. I would definitely recommend this! Here is the synopsis:
‘soft magic.’ is the debut collection of prose and poetry by Malawian writer, Upile Chisala. This book explores the self, joy, blackness, gender, matters of the heart, the experience of Diaspora, spirituality and most of all, how we survive. ‘soft magic.’ is a shared healing journey.

11. Book that made you happy?

The Seafarer’s Kiss by Julia Ember! I have a non-spoiler review for it here. Finally a mermaid book with some norse mythology that was worth every second of my time!

12. Favorite book to movie adaptation you’ve seen this year?

I don’t have an answer for this because either I cannot remember watching anything or I haven’t watch a book to movie adaptation this year. And I am going to lean with the latter.

13. Favorite review you’ve written this year?

This answer goes hand in hand with the first question. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern! It was really fun to write that review, add quotes from the book, and aesthetic ❤

14. Most beautiful book you bought or received so far this year?

Lol this is going to sound really pretentious but I have to go with my own poetry book love, and you. I am obsessed with my own book and the cover. Sorry not sorry haha *hides face in embarrassment*

15. What books do you need to read by the end of year?

Whoa I have so many books to read by the end of the year but I’ll just insert the covers here and ones that are already out:

and that is all for today! let’s chat in the comments about your thoughts and opinions on some of my answers! thanks so much for stopping by ❤

Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @chicnerdreads

June Wrap-Up 2017

July 5, 2017July 3, 2017 chicnerdreads37 Comments

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well! I must say that I am very proud of my reading month in June. I feel like I definitely got my kick back in the reading game lol! So without further ado, let’s get started!

What I Read:

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas ★★
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
I have a full RANT review here. The review has a lot of spoilers so I wouldn’t recommend it if you haven’t read the book. Let’s just say that I was very disappointed and will not be reading more from this author.

Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab ★★★★★
Genre: YA Paranormal, Fantasy
Amazing conclusion to the Monsters of Verity duology. I am still in my feelings and can’t quite believe it’s over. I have a non-spoiler review for it here. The review does however contain spoilers from the first book, please be cautious.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia ★★★★★
Genre: YA Contemporary
Ugh I absolutely loved this book and will recommend it for days to come! It is contemporary but it talks about some very important things like mental health, family dynamics’s, and friendships. I also loved how the author inserted some of the webcomic in the book. I have a non-spoiler review here.

soft magic. by Upile Chisala ★★★★★
Genre: Poetry
I’m not sure if I’m going to do a review on this one. But definitely a FOREVER FAVORITE!! Wow this book should be read by all women, especially Women of Color. This one was amazing.
Goodreads Synopsis:
‘soft magic.’ is the debut collection of prose and poetry by Malawian writer, Upile Chisala. This book explores the self, joy, blackness, gender, matters of the heart, the experience of Diaspora, spirituality and most of all, how we survive. ‘soft magic.’ is a shared healing journey.

;recovery by Jasmine Smith ★★★★
Genre: Poetry
For anyone who likes break-up poetry, I would recommend this one. The author takes us through the ups and downs of a relationship and her thought process.
Goodreads Synopsis:
a collection of modern poetry surrounding the most vulnerable time – post-breakup. follow the journey of hurt on the road to recovery

lavender petals and a wild heart by Cheyenne Raine ★★★★★
Genre: Poetry
Such a beautiful written collection. filled with curiosity, color, and wonder. I cannot wait to read more by this author!
Goodreads Synopsis:
A lavender sky of words, thoughts, poetry and prose written with love and curiosity. A collection inspired by the emotions that flow from the heart due to the gentle presence of a wild and adventurous soul. This book dives into the mixture of warm and lovely feelings that blossom when adoring another’s heart.

Poetry Posted in June:
a letter to the moon
some kind of self-love

for my short poetry, you can check out my instagram! link is at the end of this post ❤

I did a few memes this past June but the two that I will be featuring are the Top Ten Tuesdays since the others were WWW’s and Friday Reads.

TTT: Series I’ve Been Meaning to Start But Haven’t
TTT: Best Books You’ve Read in 2017 So Far

that is all for this monthly wrap-up! have you heard and/or read any of these books? let’s chat in the comments!

Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas Book Review/Rant

June 18, 2017June 18, 2017 chicnerdreads43 Comments

please note that this review will contain minor “spoilers”
quotations because some things shouldn’t be viewed as spoilers, in my opinion.

Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin (Book #3)
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A nightmare, I’d told Tamlin. I was the nightmare.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit—and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well. As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords—and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

if you read this book and loved it, please don’t take this as a personal attack. this is just my standpoint and personal opinions. i’m going to be real here and just say that after this book, i will no longer be supporting this author due to the reasons below. let’s get started!

i was very excited for this book! especially after how much i absolutely loved A Court of Mist and Fury (book 2). and after seeing the ending of book 2, i was left with the ultimate book hangover. i had found myself scrolling through tumblr days after looking for fan art, aesthetics, conspiracies for ACOWAR…EVERYTHING… but then, Empire of Storms which is the 5th book in SJM Throne of Glass series happened and i saw a lot of similarities to A Court of Mist and Fury. i had my speculations, i thought that maybe Sarah J. Maas was really tired of the Throne of Glass series and just wanted to spend her time on her newer stuff. no, i was wrong. A Court of Wings and Ruin happened and that proved my little theory so wrong.

i’m not going to lie and say that i hated ACOWAR from beginning to end. i was really into the first 200 pages or so till i started rolling the hell out of my eyes noticing a lot of inconsistencies in the plot and it was dragging as well. i completely understand that the plot is going to drag on, now that more books are going to be added but c’mon! this could’ve been sooooo good! i feel like this book had so much potential to be great.

i also noticed that she was still pretty much copying and pasting from one series to the other. there’s a theory out there that Throne of Glass and ACOTAR are parallel universes to one another and i’m starting to semi-believe it. or maybe it’s just that SJM has gotten lazy. she started adding witches and pirates into this series too…ahem…ToG

it doesn’t stop there though!!! FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING THAT IS GOOD PLEASEEEEE STOP MAKING YOUR CHARACTERS HISS AND GROWL. i already had to endure it with ALL OF THRONE OF GLASS.

i’m still not done ranting. i have a lot more heavier things to discuss like sexuality, race, and abuse. but in the meantime can we discuss how Rhys and Feyre were having sex all the freaking time while there was a war going on?!?!? hoooowwwww, whyyyyyyy, like who has sex in the middle of a war camp?!?! i’ll tell you who! Rhys and Feyre. there’s just some things i don’t understand at all. when it came to book 2, i completely understood the angst and them getting with one another. but in this book?! they’re preparing for war and there is war, like Sarah…i do not care about the page long sex scene between the two..there are more important things than how they make love to one another after fighting in a war. YA NOT TIRED FROM ALL THE FIGHTING?! CAUSE I SURE AM!! issa no from me.

which leads me to two things…sexual favors and pinching. Sarah has this way of twisting her characters around out of the blue, like i found Rhys and Feyre a little too different for me. now, i completely understand growth with characters but SJM loves to switch on them. i can name a few characters from both series but i’m going to keep my focus on Rhys who’s like the biggest softy in book 2 but yet is asking Feyre for sexual favors when something is done and it’s like wait what? and i feel like he’s being a complete douchebag and wanting Feyre on the sidelines at all times and i was like “where’s Rhys from book 2 who was all about equality and feminism?”

and the pinching which i consider abuse..they kept pinching one another and it was so disturbing to me. regardless of the context and how “playful” it was, i couldn’t deal with the two pinching one another a few times throughout the book. stop pinching one another, some people associate that with abuse. also, although this book is New Adult, Bloomsbury targets this as YA and i think about the audience that reads this book..i don’t find it appropriate for teens to read about pinching their significant other. this was normalized behavior in this book.

now can i talk about race for a second here?

sarah j. maas is known for her lack of people of color (PoC). like literally, they are in the books and don’t last much. or they’re usually in the background..like we always are in media…and i say we because if you don’t know, i’m Puerto Rican *waves the flag high and proud*

i was already pissed off and wanted to DNF this book with everything else that was mentioned above but then my blood started boiling when the war had just started and the first people that get attacked is the court that’s filled with PoC. this is when i have a problem because in media, when you have white people who are the main characters, the first ones to die are us PoC. this is a fact. this has become an actual joke between us PoC. we can watch a movie and be like “how much you wanna bet that the first person to die is the PoC?” i obviously cannot speak for every PoC but with my interactions with others..this is a thing that happens.

and i cannot support authors who keep doing this and making it okay to use us for their advantage and plot point. i know this is something that a lot of us in the book community speak up about. i also know that it’s our fault as consumers that we keep purchasing these books. because it gives the okay to publishers to keep pushing these types of books out.

which leads me into my next point…sexuality.

so people are going to dismiss the fact that SJM literally stereotyped the living shit out of a bisexual character by stating that he wanted a foursome with other characters? like if bisexuals in real life don’t get enough shit by people who think they’re promiscuous and confused and just want to sleep with everyone?

annnnnnnd let’s not forget that Mor all of a sudden is lesbian and SJM seriously wrote that scene like a fucking PLOT TWIST. sorry not sorry but umm stop making the LGBTQIA+ community as a plot twist.

issa fail.

and i am sure that SJM pulled this when she realized their was a deal of adding more books because she obviously needs to extend the series and it’s characters. BUT SHE COULD’VE DONE SO MUCH MORE THAN PULL THAT CRAP! like her main plot was already being pulled into a million different directions and so were the characters. so now all of a sudden, Mor is lesbian and you had to tell us that in book 3? FOH! annnnd it’s also still a secret cause she only told one person. therefore, SJM now has you stringing along to keep buying her other books to see how Azriel finds out about her being lesbian. mmmmm k.

the only reason why i gave it a 2 star was because SJM definitely builds it up for the future books to come and she knows how to keep you on edge. there are characters that i care for and liked what she did with SOME of them. she definitely left me with tons of questions which i feel like will eventually be answered in the next 3 books but i won’t be reading them. i will forget about this one in a few days.

and that is it for my ranty review. any thoughts? let’s chat in the comments ❤

Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads

Friday Reads and a Chat

June 16, 2017June 16, 2017 chicnerdreads26 Comments

hey everyone! happy friday! i hope you are all doing very well today. i guess wanted to mix things up a bit; tell you what i’m going to start reading today and also have a chat with you. let you know what’s going on with me.

i’ve been very out of whack with blogging and life. which is why sometimes you don’t see me around as much, i’m trying to get back into the swing of things but wow my life has changed so much since April 4th (the day i released my poetry book). it’s the point where i have forgotten to take care of myself and my mind has been pulled into so many directions. i am overly exhausted but i am sorting things out.i am figuring out a schedule since i cut some hours from work in order to dedicate more time to writing/blogging, taking care of myself, and not forgetting the body that i am in. because my body and mind has taken the biggest hit of all which i won’t be going into details.

i miss the shit out of blogging and going through all of the other blogs. i miss posting book related post and poems. i just miss all of you *cries*
I AM READING AGAIN THOUGH!! whoop whoop!! while writing my book, editing, drafting, etc. i had read slim to nothing because my mind was just focused on all of that. especially since i am self-published, i was doing everything by myself. but i literally reaped what i sowed because the book community has had my back and i will forever be grateful. the amount of love, reviews, people telling me the sweetest things about my book…omg here come the water works lol.

so yeah, i probably still won’t be on much while i’m trying to figure out my schedule but i hope you don’t go anywhere! i have a few ideas and discussions for things ❤

to the reads:

i recently finished A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTAR #3) by Sarah J. Maas, which i will definitely be doing a .gif review for because i have a lot to say about this one. i won’t say much right now but that i am disappointed.

i am going to start reading *drum roll please* Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab WHICH I HAVE BEEN HIGHLY ANTICIPATING SINCE LIKE FOREVER!!! oh my heart please be still! I definitely plan on starting this one later on today.

and what i love that is only a duology!!

haven’t heard of This Savage Song, the first book in Monsters of Verity? i have a non spoiler review of it here filled with .gif’s and aesthetics. the synopsis from Goodreads:

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

and that is it for today! have you read any of these books mentioned or plan on too? what’s your read for the weekend? i would love to chat in the comments!

Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads
Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)

WWW Wednesday

June 7, 2017 chicnerdreads31 Comments

Hi everyone! I thought I would participate in WWW Wednesday today. This meme is hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. You can link your blog post to Sam’s website that way we can interact and find other bloggers =)

The questions are:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

what are you currently reading?

I am currently reading A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTAR #3) by Sarah J. Maas. This is the third book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses “trilogy”.. quotation marks because there will be more books added into this world but with different characters..let’s see how that goes. So far I am LOVING this and I am so happy that I’m reading about some of my favorite characters again because I missed them so much. After the ending of A Court of Mist and Fury, this third one was long overdue. I will not be adding the synopsis because I don’t want to spoil anyone. But you should definitely check out A Court of Thorns and Roses if you haven’t because its a New Adult Fantasy with romance and faeries and magic!

what did you recently finish reading?

i recently finished Afterlife by Melissa Jennings. it is a dark poetry book! i love love loved it and i cannot wait to read more by this author! i have a mini poetry review for it here.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
“The sun does not rise when you need it most. You rise instead.”
Afterlife is a collection of poetry about catharsis, self-love, and self-revolution. Afterlife is a journey from the darkness to the light again, and again, and again.

what do you think you’ll read next?

there are two books that i know for certain i will be reading next! just depends on how quickly i finish A Court of Wings and Ruin since one of these books comes out this Tuesday. these are the two:

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of Monstrous Sea, a wildly popular webcomic, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she’s worked for begins to crumble.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, smart, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart. With pages from Eliza’s webcomic, as well as screenshots from Eliza’s online forums.

Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab
Since this book is the second in a duology, I will not be posting the synopsis since I do not want to spoil anything again lol! But This Savage Song was amazing and I really cannot wait to read Our Dark Duet! Schwab has not disappointed me, I NEED THIS!

and that is it for this post! what are you currently reading or reading next? are any of these books on your radar? i would love to chat in the comments!