March Wrap Up // Being a Picky Reader Pays Off

This month consisted of completing or continuing series that I was neglecting, as well as reading a ton of diverse reads.

Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy
Warnings: blood, violence
Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads Review | Book Depository

I loved Throne of Glass, but considered myself a casual fan. Although Crown of Midnight seems to be a fan favourite, I didn't feel as engaged as I should have, hence why I never reviewed it. Heir of Fire took things in a new direction and pulled my interest back. But Queen of Shadows? Blew. My. Mind.

My 5 Star Reads in 2016 SO FAR

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Why is reading ARCs as I get them so difficult?

I request ARCs faster than I have time to read them. And when I do have time to read them - I don't. There is no good reason for this other than me being a silly egg.

I have 5 books from Netgalley (I just read Carry On this month), plus 5 books on my kindle, plus 10 books on my shelf, plus 3 books from the library. All unread. So I suppose the answer to 'why am I not reading these?' is that I've got so many other things to read.

From now onwards I'm going to stop requesting ARCs from Netgalley until I've read the ones I already have.



Have you read any of these? Tell me about them and link me to reviews if you have any so I can be more excited for them.

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Books I've Neglected and Need to Talk About More

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman // above and beyond all of my expectations

Title: Radio Silence
Author: Alice Oseman
Genre: Contemporary
Warnings: child abuse, mentions of suicide
Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads | Book Depository

Ignore the blurb - it does not give you a fraction of the insight to what this book truly is - incredible.

Frances can see nothing beyond getting into university. Since she was a child, it has seemed to be the only option for her. She befriends Aled, the brother of her best friend who disappeared and the creator of her favourite radio show. Through their friendship, the art they produce goes viral. But Frances learns that there is so much more to Aled than meets the eye, and that his radio show may not be as far from reality as one would think.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell // I laughed, I cried, I'm obsessed

Title: Carry On
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Fantasy, Magic, Romance
Warnings: death
Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads | Book Depository

Rainbow Rowell made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with Carry On.

Simon Snow is The Chosen One. He sucks at his job. In his final year of magic school, he still has little to no control over his powers. Plus he's pretty convinced his roommate is a vampire and is trying to kill him. Baz is most definitely trying to kill Simon. He's also hopelessly in love with him.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab // hooked from the first page

Title: A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1)
Author: V.E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy, Magic, Adventure
Warnings: blood, violence
Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads | Book Depository

The first book in V.E. Schwab's new Shades of Magic had me hooked from the very first page.

Schwab's universe contains not one, but four Londons. Grey London is like our own, dark and without magic; Red London is vibrant and filled with magic; White London is ruled by twisted magic; Black London is a precautionary tale about the dangers magic holds.

My Spring TBR

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This topic is perfect for me because as I am writing this, I have 10 unread books sitting on my shelf just waiting for me to love them. Let's see why I'm looking forward to them!

Bookish Merch

There's so much awesome bookish merch all over the internet that sometimes it's difficult not to buy it all. I go to Etsy all the time and favourite so many things that I feel like I need but have no intention of buying. I'm going to take you lovely readers through all of the bookish merch I own and where I got them from so that you can find some bookish deals of your own.

TTT // Fictional Characters I'd Willingly Adopt and Protect from Anyone Who Dare Hate On Them

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week I will be listing some characters that are precious and whom I will forever defend.

Music Match Monday // The Bone Clocks

Music Match Monday is a feature hosted here at Astronomical Books where on the first Monday of every month I match the lyrics of a song to a book and explain why they go together so perfectly.

Lifeforms // The Bone Clocks

Song: Lifeforms by Daughter
Book: The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
My Book Review | Goodreads | Book Depository

Well you can try to sink down deeply
And find the children lost at sea
Find the children who discretely
Were killed in infancy

I know this song is likely to be about family separation, but it eerily links to Mitchell's newest Sci-Fi Fantasy. But first, a little explanation. The world of The Bone Clocks features immortal beings known as atemporals. Horologists are atemporals that are reincarnated into a new body when they die and Anchorites maintain eternal youth by killing children.

The protagonist, Holly Sykes, comes across atemporals at several key points in her life. I don't want to reveal too much, but this song could easily be about what was taken from her. Even though the Horologists are essentially the good guys, they reincarnate into bodies that are near death, taking over the previous owner's life and memories. And the loss of children is something that is present throughout the story.

Oh, you steal his features

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When you SHOULD judge a book by it's cover

It's funny how the phrase 'don't judge a book by it's cover' applies to everything except books. I know a lot of the time a book may have a terrible cover with a great story inside it, but we shouldn't neglect our beautiful books either! They are just as capable of being beautiful on the inside too (the same goes for people).

Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson // Out-of-this-world Stunning

Title: Quicksilver (Ultraviolet #2)
Author: R.J. Anderson
Genre: Paranormal
Warnings: -
Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads | Book Depository

Read as part of the Diverse Reads Book Challenge and the LGBTQIA Reading Challenge.

Quicksilver was not one of my most anticipated sequels. Despite how much I enjoyed Ultraviolet, I didn't know if there would be much more story to tell. Thankfully I was very wrong.

TTT // Books to Read if You're in the Mood for a Smile

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Sometimes we really want to have a good cry over a book. Sadness is such a strong emotion, which is why it can sometimes be hard to find any genuinly happy books. Well fear not, because I am here to list some books I love that put a smile on my face.