Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series

Last Tuesday, I decided that I was tired of just schooling and not doing things that I really want to do. Things like reading. So, I rode my back to the library and I checked out seven books. I'll write more about them as I read them, but I have read three of them now, a series. The series title is Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD.
Here are the titles of the three books:
Book 1: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Book 2: Days of Blood and Starlight.
Book 3: Dreams of Gods and Monsters. (This is my favorite one in the series)

I loved these books. They are so well written. The author Laini Taylor has created such a fantastically beautiful world that it takes my breath away. One of my favorite quotes from the books is: " Once upon a time, a girl went to see a monster menagerie where all the exhibits were dead." It's such a smart way to express the things that are happening in the book. I love them.

In order to read three books with a combined 1,547 pages total, I had to sacrifice sleep. I had to school, so I couldn't drop that ball, so I dropped the sleep ball. So now, I'm so tired. WORTH IT!!!!! I REGRET NOTHING!!!

The Throne of Glass Series: It kills me. I love it So much!!!

I discovered this randomly at the library. It is the best thing I have ever found!!!


First book in the series. It’s fantastic. I couldn’t put it down. I never imagined that anything could get better or crazier. I was wrong. Each subsequent book I read in this series has blow my mind.

If you want a really good book discussion for this book, go to: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xlmj_tYdqnE
She does a great book talk on this.










I love Chaol and Celaena together.



Second book in the series and I fell hard. I shipped the heck out of Chaol and Celaena. I was so happy for them and Celaena was trying to be a better person. Then the worst happened. I still have hope though. They can make it work. They can. I feel really bad about Nehemia though. I really liked her.

A good book talk for this book is: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yWuGxiE04eU

Go read the books!










These books just keep on getting better.


The third book in the series. I died. I hated Rowan, then I loved him. I know that they have a platonic relationship but I really, Really, REALLY want Rowan and Celaena, who I guess is Aelin now, to end up together. (This is my ship. My ship is now Aewan or Rowlin.) I know hat I was team Chaolina at the end of Crown of Midnight, but I’m switching teams. I really like the relationship between her and Rowan.

I love Aedion and Manon. Both of them really grew on me. There were some really cool character development between Chaol and Dorian. They got to bond without Celaena being a distraction. And Now, I just want to know what happens next.

A good book talk for this love is: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yRCCFlvBeu8

Go there and watch. I love how excited she gets over these books.






This book was so good. It's the best one in the series so far.





So much happened in this book!!! This if the fourth book in the series. I don’t know where to start because this was so fantastic!! So many things happen. If you haven’t read this book, definitely go and read it. I think it’s the best one in the series so far. Sarah did such a great job with this one. We meet a few new characters in Queen of Shadows, and like always, I loved them all.

The witches’ story really gets developed. We learn a lot more about them and a lot more about the King’s plan for them in the upcoming war. Because believe me, there is gonna be a war. That is for sure. Also a huge surprise is that by the end of the book we finally figure out who exactly the enemy is and the ‘person’ that Aelin will need to take down. I’m super scared for our good guys, because the evil peoples’ plans are very thorough. I don’t know how the heroes are going to succeed. I mean these bad guys have some very scary weapons.

One of the things that made me happy, was that things worked out for Dorian. I put off reading this book for a long time because I was scared about how everything was going to end up with him. I really didn’t want him to die. I’m not really happy with how everything worked out for him, but at least he’s normal again. I mean, the majority of the book I was just like, “No Dorian. Please stay with us.” I love the fact that Chaol never gave up on him.

I was also worried about Chaol. He was in a really bad place for the majority of this book. He felt bad for leaving Dorian behind. I wanted him to be happy. I want them all to be happy. I know that this isn’t practical, but I want everyone to end up happy.

I have to say that I adored this book. It was so much better than anything that I had hoped for. Rowan and Aelin are together. Romantically. YEAH!!! This is my ship after all. They are so cute. Goodbye platonic city, hello happily ever after island.

I seriously think that everyone needs to go and read this series.

A great book talk for this book is: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lSSKoZKDBFU

Great stuff.

I finished the Hero and the Crown

I finished reading The Hero and the Crown two nights ago. And like most of McKinley's work that I have read, I found it to be good, but just like one drop to short of satisfactory. But I know that given the chance, I would add that one drop to the book. I think it's the lack of completely mental satisfaction with her books that keeps me reading them. They are great stories and so entertaining, but it's like the main character never quite manages to find that 'happily ever after' kind of life. They end up happy and their lives are good, but there is alway some aspects of her stories that she lives be. I love that she does this, because it makes her books more realistic. She doesn't add to much sugar or cover bad things up with a quick happy ending wrap up. She leaves them be and you just have to deal with reading a book that makes you think about the characters and ponder their lives and choices a little longer than you normally would. I felt that way with The Hero and the Crown.  I keep wondering about the Aerin's (the main character) decisions and life after the story ends. I don't how it is for everyone else, but for me that is the mark of a good book.

The Hero and the Crown

Well, keeping up with the Robin McKinley theme, I am now reading the Hero and the Crown.
It's so good so far. I haven't finished it yet. I give a full review on it once I'm done.

I'm in love with this book right now.

My Beauty and the Beast Thirst and Hunger

Well, I'm not sure how many people care, but I finally picking up on posting on this blog again. I went on a three year hiatus. Two of those were spent in preparation for an LDS mission, an LDS mission, and readjusting to life after my mission. I am back in school, (I have been for over a year now.) I am picking up on writing and I feel like I need to pick up on this too.
Just this past week, I have been getting back into heavy reading (despite my classes and class work.) I of course got sucked back in by none other than the lovely miss Robin McKinley. It was not of course all her fault. I had a lot to do with my sudden overwhelming need to read retellings of Beauty and the Beast. For weeks, nothing else would do. I of course googled this and got a long list on Goodreads. I had to sort through it all to find anything really good, but one of the ones that I found was Sunshine, by the queen herself. (Or is that Rowling?) I adored this book. It was so quirky and creepy and engrossing that I devoured it in a matter of days.

This is one good read. 

I then continued down the rabbit hole. I reread Beauty, followed by Rose Daughter both by McKinley. I found this decent one titled, Whispered Kiss by Marcia Lynn McClure. By decent, I do mean decent. I did enjoy it though in my unquenchable thirst for Beauty and Beast retellings. I kept on going and kept on reading. I couldn't seem to get enough. I finally came to the conclusion and realization that I was not looking for a good retelling of Belle's and the Beast's story, I was looking for a book, any book, that gave a lengthy account of their lives after the curse is broken. I wanted to know more about their "happily ever after," and more about their lives together then. But of course, each retelling followed the same pattern. Once the curse on the beast is broken, the story is quickly wrapped up. That doesn't prevent me from my search, but it is rather discouraging. Maybe it will be up to me to write such a book. (This would be for my own peace of mind and would be kept in my personal vault forever.) I have enjoyed reading extensively again. I have missed doing it.