The Sunshine Blogger Award #3

It’s been such a long time since I’ve done a Sunshine Blogger Award! Whoaaaaaa!!! Thank you Flavia @ Flavia the Bibliophile for awarding me with this! Her questions are amazing and I cannot wait to read them! Also, definitely check out her awesome blog.

Rules

1.) Thank the person who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
2.) Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
3.) Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
4.) List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

***Before we start, I want to make a note that if you ever tag me, please tag a blog post so that I can see it. For some reason due to my theme, I won’t get a notification/ping-back if you tag my about me or blog link. Thanks so much! Let’s get started!***

1. What are you reading right now?
   Odd & True by Cat Winters
2. What was your favourite read from 2016?
   OMG so many to choose from but I’ll have to say Illuminae by Aime Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
3. What is your favourite read of 2017 so far?
   The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Definitely started off the year with a bang!
4. Do you read more than one book at once? Why? Why not?
   The only time I ever read two books at once is if I am reading a fiction (any sub genre in this category) book and take a break to read a poetry book which doesn’t happen all the time. I cannot read two fiction books or two poetry books at the same time. My mind does not do well at all lol. I admire people who can read multiple books at the same time.
5. Do you enjoy reading classics?
   Nope.
6. What is your ideal reading spot?
   My bedroom, I can read well on my bed or the floor lol.
7. Do you read when you travel?
   No I do not!!! I usually can read on the plane or car ride but I do not read on vacation.
8. How many books do you read in a month (approximately)?
   My reading has slowed down tremendously this year due to being an author now lol. I would say 3-4 books per month.
9. How many books do you read in a year (approximately)?
   About 50 to 60 books per year but that most likely will be lower this year.
10. What is your favourite genre? Why?
    OMG this is so hard! No it isn’t lol it’s a tie between anything YA and poetry. I feel like I connect most to these genres, poetry for personal reasons and YA for the fun. I love reading action packed YA stories, oh it just takes me to another world!
11. Do you read more during a particular season than other seasons?
    I read a lot more during Fall/Winter/Spring seasons because once summer comes, I have a lot of guest in my household *side eye* and that messes with my reading time.

I suck at tagging people and making questions up so I will definitely be passing this part lol. Call me a rule breaker? I would love to chat in the comments though! Do we have anything in common?

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Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @chicnerdreads

The Mid Year Freakout Book Tag

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!

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

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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?

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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 . . .

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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.

 

 

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

 

 

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8. Newest fictional crush?

I don’t have a fictional crush……

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

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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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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.

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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 ❤

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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*

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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:

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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 ❤

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Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @chicnerdreads

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books You’ve Read in 2017 So Far

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature with new topics every Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. If you would like to participate, the link provided will lead you to the feature and upcoming topics for the rest of the month

Today’s topic is: Best Books You’ve Read in 2017 So Far

**titles of books will link you to goodreads

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Here Are My Best Books:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Thoughts: One of my all time favorite books and my heart will be forever changed by the characters and the circus. I will need to revisit this world sometime in the future again. Review here.

 

 

 

 

 

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The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins
Genre: YA Contemporary, Verse, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+ (Bi)
Thoughts: Ellen Hopkins is definitely a fave auto-buy author for me so when she came out with this book, I was really excited. I wouldn’t suggest reading all of the synopsis because it gives away the whole story, however I have a full review here.

 

 

 

 

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Pennies (Dollar #1) by Pepper Winters
Genre: Dark New Adult
Thoughts: Absolutely a very hard read but I was addicted and sucked in. This book is about a girl who is sold via sex slavery. We go through her physical, mental, and emotional abuse. I have a mini review here.

 

 

 

 

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The Chaos of Longing by K.Y. Robinson
Genre: Poetry
Thoughts: AMAZING!!!! I love love loved it and it will be forever a favorite. I have a full review with some poems attached here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Genre: YA Contemporary, LGBTQ+
Thoughts: Deep, short, and to the point. A very impactful read and I have a review for here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Genre: YA Fantasy
Thoughts: A fantastical lyrical read. I would recommend reading my review here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Seafarer’s Kiss by Julia Ember
Genre: YA Fantasy, Retelling, LGBTQ+ (Bi)
Thoughts: For fans of The Little Mermaid and Norse Mythology, please check out this awesome read. I have a review for it here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Love Poems I found In My Closet by Evette Blue
Genre: Poetry
Thoughts: An amazing collection of poetry that features old poems this author literally found in her closet. I do not have a review but you can check it out on Amazon here.

 

 

 

 

 

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Afterlife by Melissa Jennings
Genre: Poetry
Thoughts: Lovely debut dark poetry that deserves to be read. I have a review with some of the poems here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab
Genre: YA Paranormal, Fantasy
Thoughts: OMG!!! MY HEART STILL HURTS!! I have yet to write a review for this book, it should be out in the next few days. But I absolutely loved it and thought it was a great heart-wrenching conclusion. If you haven’t checked the first book, This Savage Song, I have a review for it here.

 

 

 

 

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that is all for today! have you read any of the books mentioned or plan on to? let’s chat in the comments!

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Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads

January Wrap-Up 2017

HI EVERYONE!!! How’s your day treating you so far? How about month? How’s the new year so far? Cause here in the USA we’re going through it and we need a miracle like yesterday. K thanks lol. Anyways, I read 3 books and 1 I’ve DNFed. Let’s jump right into what I’ve been reading and up to =)

What I Read:

 

Broken Flowers by R.M. Drake ★★★★
Genre: Poetry
This is my second R.M. Drake. I love his writing and he talks a lot about loss and brokenness within yourself and relationships. I have a non-spoiler review with even some of the poems here.

 

 

 

 

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern ★★★★★
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
My favorite of the month!! What a magical world I got to live in for the days that I read this. This circus is everything I would love to visit and more! I have a full non spoiler book review here. I would love to reread this one day in the future and may be even see it as a movie adaptation. This one definitely deserves all the hype!

 

 

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Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts #1) by Vic James 
Genre: YA Fantasy/Dystopian
This is the one I DNFed. Not because it’s bad cause trust me, I was really liking it. However, with everything that is going on in the country I live (USA) which is very much like a dystopian novel at the moment, it was affecting my reading experiencing with this one. So I decided to put it down till I am ready to pick it up again.

 

 

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The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins ★★★★ 
Genre: YA, Verse, Realistic Fiction, LGTBQ+
Definitely a heart wrenching novel about two girls that don’t even know each other but eventually cross paths. About knowing yourself, relationships, and family dynamic. I have a non spoiler review for this book here.

 

 

 

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Poetry:
Another month where I know I didn’t post much poetry. And I’ll explain all of that in another post I have coming on Friday. Here’s what I did post in January though:
People I Once Knew – Part 15
so what do you think?
People I Once Knew – Part 16
women’s march
looking at human’s on my train ride
and we’re all just entertainers

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Memes of the month:
I participated in some meme’s this month that mention other books that I’m excited for!
Waiting on Wednesday – The Seafarer’s Kiss
WWW Wednesday
Top Ten Tuesday – Graphic Novels

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Exciting News!

I FINISHED MY FIRST DRAFT OF MY POETRY BOOK COMING THIS SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I literally cried once I typed up the last poem. I cannot wait to share with you all more details in the next coming months! I can’t believe this is happening. I didn’t even have this book in mind till I was a few poems in and thought that I should just make a book out of it. I know I’m being vague but just give me some time, I will eventually share the synopsis, links, and all that good stuff coming in a few weeks. I’m still working on some things and haven’t set an official date but it’s looking like June =)

what have you all beautiful human beings been up to? did you read any of these books? let’s talk in the comments!

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

 

WWW Wednesday

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?

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What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts #1) by Vic James. So far I am really enjoying it and I’m hoping to finish it by (tomorrow) Thursday. Thankfully I got a ARC at NYCC/BookCon, this book is due to release on Valentines Day.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.

Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world. 

A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.

Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price? 

A boy dreams of revolution.

Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution. 

And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.

He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?

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What did you recently finish reading?

I recently finished The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. One of my favorite reads of 2017. This book was magical and beautiful. The world was fascinating and wonderful. I also love that it’s a standalone! I have a full non spoiler review for this book here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Ellen Hopkins came out with a new title “The You I’ve Never Known” which was released yesterday (1/24/2017) and since I took the day off as a “self care day”, I decided to hop into Barnes and Noble to buy it! I was going to read something else after Gilded Cage, however, I know myself. My mood instantly changed and I cannot wait to start The You I’ve Never Known. Ellen Hopkins is queen of writing in verse and writing about hard hitting topics in YA. Hopkins isn’t your lovey-dovey magic happy ending type of writer. I love that about her.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

How do you live your life if your past is based on a lie? A new novel in both verse and prose from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ellen Hopkins.

For as long as she can remember, it’s been just Ariel and Dad. Ariel’s mom disappeared when she was a baby. Dad says home is wherever the two of them are, but Ariel is now seventeen and after years of new apartments, new schools, and new faces, all she wants is to put down some roots. Complicating things are Monica and Gabe, both of whom have stirred a different kind of desire.

Maya’s a teenager who’s run from an abusive mother right into the arms of an older man she thinks she can trust. But now she’s isolated with a baby on the way, and life’s getting more complicated than Maya ever could have imagined.

Ariel and Maya’s lives collide unexpectedly when Ariel’s mother shows up out of the blue with wild accusations: Ariel wasn’t abandoned. Her father kidnapped her fourteen years ago.

What is Ariel supposed to believe? Is it possible Dad’s woven her entire history into a tapestry of lies? How can she choose between the mother she’s been taught to mistrust and the father who has taken care of her all these years?

In bestselling author Ellen Hopkins’s deft hands, Ariel’s emotionally charged journey to find out the truth of who she really is balances beautifully with Maya’s story of loss and redemption. This is a memorable portrait of two young women trying to make sense of their lives and coming face to face with themselves—for both the last and the very first time.

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what do you think of these titles? do you plan on reading any of them or have you? let’s chat in the comments!

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

The Night Circus Spoiler Free Book Review

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Anchor Books
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.

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Summary/Plot

Years later I have finally read this book and it was amazing!! An atmospheric story telling novel about two people, Celia and Marco, who have been placed in a competition due to their fathers. The Night Circus is told from when Celia and Marco are kids to adulthood. They are bound together and they will be a part of this competition till one of them is left standing. However, the rules aren’t that simple. And when Celia and Marco, the magicians, realize that every single move doesn’t only affect them but everyone and everything that’s involved within The Night Circus, things change. And in all of this Celia and Marco fall in love with one another which makes this competition all that much harder because it is not easy to escape The Night Circus. The Night Circus is like a chess board and Celia, Marco, and the rest of the team are the chess pieces.

“The most difficult thing to read is time.
Maybe because it changes so many things.”

The Night Circus isn’t your regular circus. No this one is full of enchanting tents like The Ice Garden, The Wishing Tree, Cloud Maze, and so many more. Each one built filled with magic, illusions, and manipulations. Each tent serves a purpose. Every single thing that happens within the circus has a reason and a purpose because in the end, it’s all part of game.

Writing

I loved the writing. The story is told in third person so we get to see a little of everything that’s going on. It’s a little slow paced but so worth it because of it’s poetic flowery way of writing. It’s avid descriptions of every single person, thing, circus, surroundings were vivid and wonderful. The writing completely sucked me in. I also loved how the author makes you think since she doesn’t entail everything. I love authors who do that, don’t give you everything in written detail but have a way of saying things that you still understand what’s truly being said.

Every single time I picked up this book, the author definitely sucked me into The Night Circus and I felt like I was there experiencing it all through every sentence that flowed through this book.

“I would have written you, myself, if I could put down in words everything I want to say to you. A sea of ink would not be enough. But you built me dreams instead.”

Characters:

We meet so many characters throughout this book and they are all important to the story because they play important roles within what’s taking place in the competition. Although Celia and Marco are the main characters of the story, we also get insight of other characters which in my opinion, makes me feel like The Night Circus in a whole is just the main character at this point lol.

Celia and Marco wouldn’t be the amazing Illusionist they are without their instructors. Celia’s instructor who so happens to be her father Prospero the Enchanter. He is a downright douchebag who always claimed he wanted the best for her. Through his character we see that Celia and Prospero don’t have the greatest relationship. I’ll go to say that he’s emotionally abusive to Celia, all for a win. We also meet Mr. A.H., Marco’s instructor, who is merely present in Marco’s adult life but still has a hold of the circus and knows what’s going on at all times!

There are a few characters that I absolutely loved though, the red haired twins Poppet and Widget. One born a minute before the circus opens and the other born during the grand opening. Poppet and Widget aren’t just any bit human, they have these magical abilities. Just like Celia and Marco, we also see Poppet and Widget grow into adolescence (sheds a tear). Poppet and Widget really stole my heart because of their sweet innocence. You can’t help but love them so much (my precious babies). Another character that grows with them but we don’t really see much of is Bailey. Bailey is not apart of the circus but his story was very heartwarming and added more to the summary and plot. Bailey’s story started off with a dare from his sister to take something from the circus in the middle of the day, meanwhile the circus only opened up at night.

 We meet other side characters, which like I said take apart of the circus. Some take you totally by surprise which is why I am leaving them out of this section. Just read the book if you haven’t already lol.

Thoughts:

I still can’t believe how long it took me to read this book but I am so happy that I started off the new year with this dark circus read. It’s branded as a favorite of 2017 for sure. I took a long time reading it for good reason, I have a thing with faves…they take me forever to finish. I just didn’t want to let go of the circus. I know I said this but again, The Night Circus isn’t a regular circus. It’s full of magical elements that I have never seen or read in any other book. The Night Circus consumed me in amazing ways. We even get to meet these group of people in the book who follow the circus wherever it goes, and if this book was real, I’m sure I would be apart of that group.

I loved that we get to grow throughout the years with these characters and we see character development for sure. Everyone plays an important role and there were times that I was scared of what was going to happen. There is also a take on mental instability for some of the characters and I liked how the author handled that eloquently.

One of my favorite things about this book is how there isn’t instalove. Both Celia and Marco were around one another for years but didn’t really KNOW each other. I would ask myself “sooooo when are you two falling in love, hmm?” The author definitely took us on a ride with those two characters but it was so worth it.

I am hoping that maybe one day the author will write a book about Poppet and Widget, that would be my ultimate dream come true besides making a movie for this.

Photo Cred Here

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments!

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