The Midnight Star (The Young Elites #3)

                Hello happy readers!  So the weather in Georgia has been a bit crazy going from a few days in the 80's then a sudden drop and it's 52 inside my house right now.  I prefer the cold because I love my fireplace and blankets and getting cozy but I could do without the sudden shifting back and forth my sinuses have no idea what is happening lol.  That said I hope you all have a wonderful weekend ahead.  I got way off schedule on my last days off because Jessica Jones season 2 dropped on Netflix and I found it as it dropped and thought it would be a good idea to binge all 13 episodes in one sitting instead of sleep so…tonight at work should be fun.  But for now let me share my thoughts on a series ender I was finally able to finish up this year:  The Midnight Star (The Young Elites #3) by Marie Lu.  I previously reviewed the first two titles The YoungElites & The Rose Society.

Rating:  5 Stars

                We have been on a wild ride with Adelina.  She was new to the world of powers and she quickly grew into her powers.  She suffered and she fought.  Now she is queen and she is set to take on the rest of the world.  She had good intentions but over time her cruelty grows and the darkness within her has begun to spiral out against even her.  The past is not that far behind her as she is forced to face old wounds and risk herself to save ever Elite including the world as a whole.  The Roses and Daggers must journey together despite the past pains for the sake of the world. 

                We have been on a journey with Adelina and over time she has gone from a girl who has been through a very harsh and tough life that you wanted to succeed.  When she was cruel it made sense given her history and what she was dealing with.  Overtime she grew more powerful and her anger and cruelty grew to exceed what was needed tipping over the point making her a real villain of the story.  She took the whole revenge thing very seriously.  I felt bad while reading because part of me totally understood her reasoning for some of it.  Her hatred for those who treated the marked badly or differently, turning the tables on them I understood in some way but I also understood it wasn't something that could last because it just flipped the script instead of fixing the problem.  She was also very quick to be suspicious and lash out.  Again I understood given what she went through and knew but it grew each time. 

                I think while this story is very fantasy I could see similarities to mental health in them.  As her own darkness turned on her it became clear that she is also the victim of her story as it was inside her pushing her.  She could know something but then her mind would somehow turn things around until she was no longer sure of things.  That is something I think many people have dealt with and can relate to.  For me I wasn't sure if I would be able to really grow to love Adelina again as I did in the beginning but as this story played on I really did start to feel for her more.  I loved seeing the Roses and the Daggers together again.  It was both hard and amazing to see them come together again both suspicious of the other.  Danger is on all sides it seems but the world is at stake and that puts them in the same boat….at least for the time being. 

                I enjoyed getting to see all my favorite characters and see their interactions.  I loved seeing how the different relationships melded together.  Everyone has changed through the series and watching as the different characters react and grow over time both separate and together was beautiful.  I don't know how much more I can say about the story without reaching into spoilers but to say that for the end…I had the feels.  I was not 100% sure how I felt about it right away but really had to think on it after I had processed it a bit more.  I was expecting my heart to be broken but then it happened in a way that just ripped it out even more roughly than I planned for.  Lots of tears and feels but in the end it was a fitting end to the story that we started telling in book one.  I enjoyed the store Lu wrote for us with these Elites and the world that they sought to save even when it wasn't always good to them. 

                Until next time…

~Can't Wait Wednesday: Catwoman: Soulstealer (DC Icons #3)~

                Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Wishful Endings.  Waiting on Wednesday has been don for some time so I am switching it up for now!  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Catwoman:  Soulstealer (DC Icons #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Out:  8/7

From Goodreads:

                When the Bat's away, the Cat will play.  It's time to see how many lives this cat really has…

                Two years after escaping Gotham City's slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees.  She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals.  Gotham City is ripe for the taking.

                Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing.  He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most.  She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc.  This Catwoman may be Batwing's undoing.

Why I’m Waiting:

                Auto-buy author.  Duh.  Plus while I've never read the comics or watched the anime I do enjoy all the DC movies/shows as of late and I love the idea of a book dedicated to our Catwoman.  Plus seeing as it seems we will be getting a bad girl squad I'm down to see what happens.  Oh and I've enjoyed the other books in this DC Icons series thus far so lets go.           

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Book Quotes

                Hello everyone!  Top Ten Tuesday is just how it sounds, a topic is picked and we put our Top Ten for that in a post and share and check out everyone’s answers.  Top Ten Tuesday is now being hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

The top ten today is:  Favorite Book Quotes

                Okay so this is hard because I could do 10 quotes from most books alone let alone 10 overall.  So I picked a few books I remembered having great quotes and picked a couple from some and okay maybe more from one than any other but you’ll get it as it’s a favorite of mine and I seriously thought about doing 10 quotes from this book alone.

“The beautiful thing about books was that anyone could open them.”—This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

“Fiction is truth, even if it is not a fact.  If you believe only in facts and forget stories, your brain will live, but your heart will die.”  --Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

“I am me because I choose to be me.  I am what I want.  Some people say you have to find yourself.  Not I.  I believe we create ourselves to be what we want.”  --Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

“I suck at being social.  I think one thing and my mouth says something completely different, like I’m possessed.  By a whole lot of stupid.”—Geekerella by Ashley Poston

“No one is truly honest.  Even if we don’t lie to others, we often lie to ourselves.  And the word good means different things to different people.” –Caraval by Stephanie Garber

“Everyone has a different way of escaping the dark stillness of their mind.” – Warcross by Marie Lu

“Everything’s science fiction until someone makes it science fact.” 

“When you spend so long trapped in the darkness you find that the darkness begins to stare back.” –A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

“To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered.”

“Truth is deadly.  Truth is freedom.  Truth can break and mend and bind.”

And a bonus for fun…

“You Illyrian males are insufferable.”  “Good thing we make up for it with impressive wingspans.” 

                So what do you think?  Tell me what you think of my list in the comments below.  Also please link back to your Top Ten as well so I can check out your list and see what I missed!

Succubus Shadows (Georgina Kincaid #5)

                Hello happy readers.  I hope you all had an amazing weekend.  I am approaching the end of this series and I have enjoyed each of the books and how they build on one another.  That said here are my thoughts on book 5 of the Georgina Kincaid series by Richelle Mead:  Succubus Shadows.  I have reviewed the previous titles:  Succubus Blues, Succubus on Top, City of Demons & Succubus Dreams, Succubus Heat.

Rating:  5 Stars

                So we left off with Georgina and Seth having been together for a brief bit while boss man was MIA and her powers were gone.  It was beautiful and painful all at once because of Maddie.  He was in a relationship and they both cared for her.  Still nothing could keep them apart.  Without her powers they thought he’d be safe but they both missed the most important part…years off his life were saved but his soul was darkened by his cheating which is even worse.  Feeling guilty over everything and after Georgina pushed him back towards Maddie Seth proposed and now Georgina is in a deeper pit of hell helping plan the wedding of the man she loves and her best friend.  Oh and a new succubus in town visiting has her eyes set on Seth as well.  But with Georgina all of that is never enough as she still has her roommate who she once kind of loved before she found out he was killing fellow immortals and a mysterious force visiting her thoughts draying her into another realm. Hell might not be the worst place one can go after all.

                Okay so I took some time between book 4 and this because I had some other books I needed to finish by deadlines and I know how all-consuming this would be.  I have been so invested and so into these books it is insane.  I feel like I am running a marathon at times my heart is racing so fast as I listen worried for people’s lives and souls and love.  Oh the emotional roller coaster.  I am all over the place.  As I type this review I am downloading the final book from the cloud onto my device so I can dive right back in and see how things end.  Because Succubus Shadows was amazing.  It was everything and more.  I don’t even know how to wrap this up in a coherent way.  But here I go.

                The whole dynamic between Georgina, Seth, and Maddie broke my heart at every page.  It was so hard because Maddie is such a good person.  I wanted her to have her happiness but I also want there to be a way for Seth and Georgina to be together but with them all being friends no matter what someone will be hurt.  It sucks.  The web woven and the despair felt was intense for me while listening.  When the dreams started both real and fake it was so emotional.  I was lost in this book for sure.  I was both fascinated with some of the past lives and stories and horrified at others.  The line between very thin.

                Of course the side characters were always there and fun to watch as they continue to develop from a crush and romance advice for fellow immortals to medical issues of mortals.  Everything was very grounded and developed for me and I can’t believe I listened to 90% of it in one sitting.  I hardly remembered to drink anything.  This series is addicting to me and I love it.  The end of this book had both hard points and happy ones.  Good and bad.  I did cry at work again because I have no control over my emotions apparently but it was worth it.  This series has really captured me and I am off now to start the final book in the series and hope that all of this emotion has a happy place in the end.

               

                Until next time…

~Stacking the Shelves # 44~

                Welcome to Stacking the Shelves was created by Tynga and the full details can be found on her page.  Basically you showcase the books you bought or received each week.  Little, or not so little, weekly book hauls.  

Physical Books:

Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King #2) by Tricia Levenseller

These Vengeful Souls (These Vicious Masks #3) by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas

E-Books:

The Glass Spare (The Glass Spare #1) by Lauren DeStefano

Opal (The Raven Cycle #4.5) by Maggie Stiefvater

Audiobooks:

Sightwitch (The Witchlands #0.5) by Susan Dennard

                These are all my new goodies!  So last week I did good with one review book…this week not so much.  Although my audiobook was due to a credit…  Share a link below with what goodies you got this week. 

Duty Bound (Angelbound Origins # 0.5)

                Hello happy readers!  So a new release this week that I snagged a copy of early Duty Bound (Angelbound Origins # 0.5) by Christina Bauer from NetGalley is out as of this week!  So this is a prequel novella so it is an extra fast read.  Seriously I sat and read it in one sitting as soon as I downloaded it.  I've loved everything in this world and was happy to go back to the beginning.  I think it can be enjoyed as a first book (as it is story wise) or as an added bit of backstory for fans of the series as is.  

Rating:  5 Stars

                So as many of you know I love the Angelbound series by Christina Bauer.  Both the Origins  and Offspring books.  I adore this world that has been created and I love the characters in them and how fast they read.  So when I found out there was going to be a prequel novella from Lincoln’s POV I was on board.  First more books!  Second…Lincoln’s POV!!!   So this is what it is, the story of from Lincoln from his time in Purgatory prior to the official meeting with Myla.

                This is a fast read.  Not only is it novella length but it also follows the suit of all the other books in the series keeping pace with action and intrigue.  I loved getting to see things from inside Lincolns head.  He had a very specific way of seeing things and I can only imagine how that changed even further as he opened himself up to more.  His views on Purgatory and marriage in general caught me off guard.  The idea of him not wanting to marry for love and never expecting to find love blew me away knowing the love and relationship he ends up with.  I totally get it though as it plays out and I really enjoyed seeing this piece of him.  Plus his first reaction to Myla, before ever meeting her was priceless.  I also loved seeing his and Walker’s relationship having heard of it before but never seeing them one on one.

                So this was fast and quick but totally worth the read.  I highly recommend it to any Angelbound fan!  It’s a great insight into our favorite Thrax prince! 

                Until next time…

Movie Corner #3

                Hello happy movie fans!  So we are kicking off my third movie corner and these last couple weeks I didn’t see as many as I had hopped but some that I wanted to see ended up leaving before I got there so that kind of put me off.  That and it rained a lot and I just didn’t want to get dressed let alone leave the house lol but that said here is what I did see:

Black Panther:  5 Stars

                So I have been a huge fan of all the Marvel movies and I was super excited for this one.  I go into each one with no comic info and only going based off movies and the fun I have had in them.  That said I loved his inclusion in Civil War and I wanted to know more about him.  Clearly he is an awesome fighter and has a super cool suit but he is more than most of our other heroes as he is also a king.  That to me was super cool.  So we see the epic settings full of this amazing world that is made up but pulls from other cultures to really make it something much different than we have seen in the other Marvel movies.  It has incredible visuals, story, and acting.  It has it all.  I was so entranced with the story it flew by and I wish I could have had more.  The special effects were on point as always. I mean some of the tech…it made me want it so bad!  I loved the dynamics of all the different characters and how things played into one another.  That is really all I can say because if you don’t know what Black Panther is about yet you much be living under a rock!  Go see it!  And wait until the very very end of the credits it’s Marvel there is normally a mid credits scene and an after credits scene…don’t miss out!

Every Day:  5 Stars

                So I read this book some time back and the sequel/companion and reviewed them both:  Every Day & Another Day.  The movie does a great job of exploring the book and expressing things from the perspective of both “A” and Rhannon basically combining both books in a sense.  We got to hit so many of the “days” and I really enjoyed the way each one was played out and described.  It is such a weird concept but it really works and the movie was a beautiful way to express it.  I think the whole cast did an amazing job of playing things out and I loved the updated feel of using Instagram vs. e-mail with “A” it has a much more visual aspect.  I loved this movie and it really brought me up and I highly recommend it to both fans of the books or just anyone looking for a good and uplifting movie about accepting yourself and living for each day.  One I need in my collection so I can watch again. 

Game Night: 5 Stars

                This is a movie I have been anticipating for a long time.  One I love game nights and I would love to get a group together to do a monthly game night.  Seriously I love when they happen and think they should happen more often.  That said this movie delivers exactly what it says in the trailers.  A murder mystery party gone wrong and hilarity that ensues!  OMG This movie had me rolling with laughter through most of it and I can’t wait to see it again.  I know my bestie was sad I saw it without her (to be fair it was looking like possibly a couple weeks before she was free without the kids and I’m not that patient lol) but I will totally go see it again with her!  I will for sure be getting this one when it comes out!  I don’t want to say more because it is full of action and mysteries and worth figuring out the first time free and clear.

*****

                Three movies and all huge hits for me!  Not a bad couple weeks.  I am still sad I missed out on seeing  The Shape of Water, because it looked really different just not sure I want to buy it on DVD so I’ll have to wait for HBO or something I guess for that one.  What movies have you seen recently?  What should I see?  This weekend I plan on seeing Red Sparrow  and Death Wish.