Happy February everyone! I hope all is well and you are enjoying your day today. This week's post is about...you guessed it...books! I know books have been the main content on this blog for a few weeks and that's because I haven't purchased anything besides books and I had nothing else to really talk about. Next week's post though will be different, I promise! I discovered some new things this week that I want to share and recommend to you all so stay tuned for that. Anyways, if you are interested in finding new books to read then you'll definitely enjoy this post. As it is February, the month of love, I am hoping to read some romance this month but most of the books I read already have romance in them so that won't be a problem. Most of the books in this post are fantasy novels but I have a contemporary that I am extremely looking forward to reading as well. So, without further ado let's get started with the books I plan to read in the month of February! 

Summary: Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved 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 far-away, 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. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever. 

You probably remember that I talked about Caraval in my Most Anticipated Releases of 2017 post. Well, it came out on January 31 and I bought it! It's being shipped right now since I got the UK edition which is the picture above. I am seriously so excited for this book because I keep hearing amazing things and everyone is raving about it. I have heard it is similar to The Night Circus which I own and still haven't read but hear great things about. I can't wait until it arrives in the mail so I can see what everyone is talking about! 

Summary: Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

I have heard really great things about Daughter of Smoke and Bone and I was so intrigued when I read the summary. I've heard Laini Taylor's writing is beautiful which I am excited to see for myself. The picture above is the UK edition which I purchased alongside Caraval. They are both just so beautiful and I just had to have these editions. Looking forward to also receiving this one in the mail!

Summary: When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side? 

I also talked about By Your Side in my Most Anticipated Releases of 2017 post and I am seriously looking forward to this one. This is the contemporary book I was talking about earlier so if you just want a romance novel to read this month, this is the one. I seriously love Kasie West's books because they are so cute and fun to read. They are also super short so you can read them in one sitting, which is great if you are going solo this Valentine's Day. Can't wait to get around to this one!

Summary: It's been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who's still reeling from her father's shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors' mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods--only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.

X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe's evil attacker and others like him. Forbidden to reveal himself to anyone other than his victims, X casts aside the Lowlands' rules for Zoe. As X and Zoe learn more about their different worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future. But escaping the Lowlands and the ties that bind X might mean the ultimate sacrifice for both of them. 

I saw The Edge of Everything on Goodreads and I thought it sounded so interesting. A few weeks later I found out that BOOKSPLOSION, which is a book club created by my favourite booktubers: Christine, Jesse, and Kat, are reading this book in February! I was even more excited to read this book because I really enjoy tuning into their liveshows and talking about the book of the month. It sounds very mysterious and intriguing and I look forward to reading it. 

Summary: Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

I actually found out about Scythe from Alexandra from twirlingpages.com when she wrote a review on it. It sounds so cool and incredibly interesting. It is going to be apart of a series which is very exciting as well. I also found out recently that it won a Printz Honor award which just makes me want to read this even more. Also, can I just talk about the cover...it is absolutely gorgeous! I've got to get to this one soon.


I hope you had a great week and great day today. Enjoy your weekend! See you next week.

love xena

Happy December! I am sooooo stoked for this month as I have a P.A. Day (it's what they call a day-off from school) this week and I have Christmas Break!!! Basically...MORE READING TIME! So since I have a lot of days off from school I have a bigger TBR than usual. I hope to read all of these books this month while also juggling binge-watching Nashville and Once Upon a Time. Super busy month but I am really excited. Anyways, if you want to find out more about the books I plan on reading this month then keep reading.   

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas:

As you know from previous posts I have been reading the Throne of Glass series and I have one more book to read until I'm all caught up! *shimmies* I started this book yesterday and I am so excited as Queen of Shadows blew me away. (If you have not read the rest of this series then do not read this synopsis or you will be spoiled). 

Over the course of five books, Aelin has had a long journey from being an assassin to a queen. Now that the glass castle has been destroyed and magic is now back in Erilea, Aelin Galathynius and her friends must prepare themselves and an army to take over the evil in their lands. As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the ending of everything Aelin holds dear. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down? 

If that doesn't sound incredible then I don't know what does. I am seriously so looking forward to seeing how this series comes to an end. Not that I want it to end but I wonder how Sarah J. Maas will decide how to conclude this incredible series. I have a long way before I finish this book though because it is 689 pages long. Hopefully, I'll still get around to the other books on my tbr. I'll try to make a review for this one since I haven't really written any for this series so far. Before I forget... you should know that I'm definitely Team Rowan #rowaelinshipper!!! 

"You make me want to live, Rowan. Not survive; not exist. Live." - Aelin Galathynius 

 "You make me want to live, too, Aelin Galathynius," he said. "Not exist—but live." He cupped her cheek, and took a steadying breath—as if he’d thought about every word these past three days, over and over again. "I spent centuries wandering the world, from empires to kingdoms to wastelands, never settling, never stopping—not for one moment. I was always looking toward the horizon, always wondering what waited across the next ocean, over the next mountain. But I think … I think that whole time, all those centuries, I was just looking for you." - Rowan Whitehorn 

I love how their relationship went from hate, to acquaintances, to friends who constantly tease each other, to carranam (a blood connection where two faes can use each other's powers), to finally admitting the feelings they share with one another. Aelin seems so genuinely happy when she's with Rowan and he definitely feels the same way obviously (ahem, the quote above <3). I look forward to seeing how their relationship develops in this book and the amount of tension that will definitely be present and crush me for sure. 

Buy the book here.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo:

I bought this book for my birthday and I am so happy to finally get around to reading it. This is about a criminal prodigy, Kaz Brekker, who has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he'll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist: break into the notorious Ice Court (a military stronghold that has never been breached), retrieve a hostage (who could unleash magical havoc on the world), survive long enough to collect his reward (and spend it). Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done - and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they might just be unstoppable - if they don't kill each other first. 

Oh my gosh... Sounds action-packed and incredibly interesting. Can't wait to start this as I have heard many, many good things about this book and its sequel which I'll talk about next. 

Buy the book here.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo:

As you can see from the spines of the books, this is the sequel to Six of Crows. I don't want to talk too much about this book as I haven't read Six of Crows and I don't want to spoil anything. It is a continuation of the events that took place in the previous book and is the last book in this duology. I hope I enjoy Six of Crows because I've heard amazing things about this book. Not one person I follow doesn't like it so I am pretty excited and have high hopes. If you are intrigued by the Six of Crows summary above then I would definitely check it out. 

Buy the book here.

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West:

I love Kasie West so much and couldn't wait to get my hands on her new book. Unfortunately, Indigo wasn't selling it in store as they did for her other books. My guess is that it's her first contemporary book that's been published as a hardcover and they couldn't fit it on the shelves. Anyways, I got it on Amazon and I cannot believe how beautiful it is. Kasie West is known for her cute and fluffy contemporary books that guarantees you all the feels and warm fuzzies. I doubt this book is any different. 

This is about a girl named, Lily, who writes some of her favourite song lyrics on her desk during Chemistry class. The next day, she finds that someone continued the lyrics and left a message for her. Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging letters where they share their secrets, recommend bands, and open up to one another. Lily realizes that she's falling for this letter writer but doesn't know who he is. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer--but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could've ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart? 

This sounds incredibly entertaining and a book that will make you smile whenever you pick it up. Looking forward to reading this one and her new releases coming out next year as she is really stepping up her game with amazing plot ideas!

Buy the book here.

I hope you had a great week, have a Happy Friday, and a wonderful weekend! I'll see you next week with a new post. 

love xena

Hello everyone! Today is a bit of a different post as you can probably tell. I decided to combine my TBR with some of my recommendations because the books I plan to read this month are all in the same series. If I posted my TBR separately it would've been too short due to the fact that I would only be able to talk about the first book so as not to spoil the rest of the series. So, now that I've explained that let's get into the books. 

For my birthday, I received books 1-5 of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas from my aunt Gigi. I was so excited because I've been meaning to read this series for a while, especially after reading and loving the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas. Throne of Glass, which is book one in this series, is about an 18-year-old girl named Celaena Sardothien (a bit hard to pronounce but this will help) who, after serving out a year of hard labour in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 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 three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. 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. 

Well... when I read that synopsis I was super intrigued, especially after all the hype that surrounds this series. Currently, I'm reading The Assassin's Blade which is a prequel to the series. It's basically a novella consisting of five short stories about Celaena and her adventures. It introduces her sassy and confident personality which you'll fall in love with pretty quickly. I'm on the third story right now and it's the best one so far. I just can't wait to finish and start Throne of Glass, especially if it's anything like The Assassin and the Desert (the third story in The Assassin's Blade). So, if this interests you definitely pick it up and tell me what you think.  

#1

My first recommendation is... to eat breakfast! But honestly, it is very important and a great start to your day. I used to eat 1 cup of Nature's Path Honey'd Corn Flakes with 1 cup of Natur-a Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk and it is sooo good. Nice and light but filling enough to last until lunch time. Recently, I've wanted to change it up so I went to a local healthy food store with my aunt and we purchased One Degree Veganic Sprouted Brown Rice Cacao Crisps and Nature's Path Flax Plus Vanilla Almond Granola. They taste incredible on their own but what I've been doing is combining them together! In the mornings, I fill my bowl halfway with the Cacao Crisps and add in a 1/2 cup of the Vanilla Granola on top and... *melts* They just taste amazing together. I would explain the flavour as a healthy Nestle Cocoa Puffs mixed with a vanilla granola bar. I love this "chocolate-y, vanilla-y goodness" and I would highly recommend to purchase these two and eat them separately and together. 

#2

I started this TV series in the summer and I've been obsessed with it ever since. The show is about a renowned country singer, Ranya James, who, after two decades of being the reigning queen of country music, is faced with pressure to adapt and reinvent herself to stay relevant. Insert Juliette Barnes, a sassy and sexy singer with a troubled past, who has her mind set on stealing Rayna's place at the top. Other characters in Nashville's music scene include a beautiful and gifted songwriter, Scarlett O'Connor, up-and-coming musician Gunnar Scott, conflicted country star Will Lexington, and Deacon Claybourne, a guitar player who has worked with Rayna since the beginning of her career. A TV show mixed with drama, romance, and music, is not only for people who love country but also for those who don't! Watch at least the first episode before you say no to this show. I too was questioning whether I would enjoy this because, although I like listening to some country music, I wouldn't call myself a die-hard fan. But this show makes me laugh, giddy, and emotional at points. So great and would highly recommend if you are looking to binge watch something on Netflix. 

#3

I have been listening to this song non-stop for the past week. I first heard it when I watched Me Before You and I just loved her voice. I checked out the soundtrack for the movie and I was so happy when I found this song. Cloves's voice is so beautiful and and you can really hear the emotion when she sings. She immediately reminded me of Adele because she has that huskiness to her voice that really accentuates the song. I also really love the music video for this song as well--the landscape and simplicity is just so soothing and compliments the song perfectly. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and check out the things I mentioned above. I hope you had a great week, have a Happy Friday, and a wonderful weekend.

love xena

I have set myself quite an ambitious challenge this month in terms of reading. All of these novels are recent purchases that I am extremely excited about. Three of them are 2016 releases that I so badly wanted to get the chance to read before the school year starts. I decided not to do a July Wrap-Up post but instead do a Summer Wrap-Up. It will be a cumulative post on all the books that I have read this summer and will be posted on the last Friday of this month. I don't know if I am going to get to all of these books this month but I will try my best and see how it goes! Without further ado, let's get into my August TBR!

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson:
I purchased I'll Give You the Sun by the same author a few months ago because of all the hype it was getting. After I picked it up I realized that she had another book that was published and when I read the synopsis I was immediately intrigued. This book is about a girl named Lennie Walker, who is a book lover and a clarinet player-- the total opposite of her older sister, Bailey. She has always lived happily in her sister's shadow but when her sister dies unexpectedly she finds herself in the spotlight of her own life. She struggles with her love life (which was non-existent until now) as she spends her time with two boys: Tony, Bailey's boyfriend, as well as, Joe, the new boy in town from Paris who shares her love of music. Both boys are essential in her life and bring different things to the table but ultimately she can't have both. Who will she choose and what will be the consequences? I have heard amazing things about Jandy Nelson's writing so I can't wait to pick this one up!

Buy the book here.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid:
I am always on the lookout for a good romance novel and I have had my eyes on this one for months. I was so excited to find out that my aunt, Sue, bought this and feature it on her website. She let me borrow it and I was so grateful. Due to the fact that I was in the middle of a series I was trying to finish I didn't get around to reading it last month. Hopefully, this month will not be the same as this book sounds very interesting. It contains a main character named Emma Blair, who married her high school sweetheart, Jesse, in her twenties. They build a life together away from their parents and the people of their hometown. On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse goes missing whilst on a helicopter over the Pacific and is lost forever. Emma is forced to put her life back together without her beloved husband. She moves back home and starts her life over. Years later, she runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself being able to fall in love again. They get engaged and she is finally happy again until Jesse is found. Now, with a husband and a fiance she is left with a big decision..who is her one true love? Sounds incredible and drama-filled, right?! 

Buy the book here.

Signs of You by Emily France:
I won't lie...this book definitely caught my eye because of its cover. It is absolutely gorgeous and so colourful that I just had to know what it was about. This is about a girl named Riley Strout who lost her mother two years ago. She sought and found comfort within her family and the grief support group she joined in her first year of high school. Her friends: Jay, Kate, and Noah, understand her pain as they have all lost someone they loved too. One day, Riley thinks she sees her mother in a grocery store and is fearful that she is suffering from post-traumatic stress. That is, until Jay and Kate experience the same situation. Noah is the only one who hasn't seen his loved one and becomes skeptical and begins to distance himself from the group. Unexpectedly, Noah disappears and Riley worries that she is going to lose another loved one. As she and her friends begin to search for him they become entangled in a mystery and learn clues about the afterlife. Riley finds herself having feelings for both Jay and Noah and realizes that the only way to help those she loves is to mend things with the one she's lost... This book sounds so captivating as it has romance (which is my favourite genre) and mysteriousness to it as well. 

Buy the book here.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover:
Of course I had to buy this book as Colleen is my all-time favourite author. I have heard that it is best to go into this book blind so I will not write a synopsis for this reason. Though knowing Colleen, it is bound to be an absolutely gut-wrenching, heart-soaring, mind-twisting, explosive romance novel that I will not be able to stop thinking about. People have been saying that it is her best writing piece yet so I have extremely high hopes and I don't think that I'll be let down. 

Buy the book here.

The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon:
I am so excited and ready to dive into this! Although I am not vegan I am definitely interested in eating more plant-based foods and just healthier food in general. I shared my health issues in my Healthy Breakfast Ideas post and since then I can say that I have been eating much better despite last week. I struggled a bit with my temptations and ate 2 croissants, 1 banana bread slice, 1 baked apple pie from McDonalds, and half an apple turnover in one week. As you can imagine, I felt super icky after that. I have been trying to get rid of all the unhealthy substances that I ate and work on eating healthy again. Don't get me wrong-- it's not like I'll never eat these treats ever again. I plan to eat them in moderation instead of the crazy sugar addict I can be at times. My body needs sugar as well as other nutrients so I would never deprive myself of having a nice and decadent treat. I am looking forward to perusing this cookbook and making some of these recipes for myself and my family!

Buy the book here.

Now...Onto the Kindle Books.

                                           

   

Buy the books here and here.

Whew! I am almost done with this series and it feels really good. Not that I want it to end but since it is a ten book series I'm pretty proud of myself that I only have 2 more left. Seeing as though this is series, I won't write any summaries so I won't spoil you. What I will say is that Long Way Down is about Ryke and Daisy's relationship and Some Kind of Perfect is the epilogue of the whole series. Ryke and Daisy are my absolute favourite couple because they're just so wild, fun, and carefree. However, I really love Lily and Loren's and Rose and Connor's relationship as well. They're all so amazing, have such different and unique traits, and their love for one another is so evident and beautiful that it's hard to decide which relationship I prefer. I think I might get around to reading these two novels first and then I'll carry on with the other novels I mentioned in this post. I am so excited and seriously hope I get to the majority of these books this month. I really hope you enjoyed this post and get some reading inspiration and pick up some of the books I featured. Have a wonderful day and see you next week! xx

love xena