A Conjuring of Light // conjured my heart right out of my chest

When a finale is capable of making your heart ache as though it has been taken from your chest, you know that something must have been done right.

My Totally Irrational LOATHING of People on Book Covers

Is there anything in particular on a book cover that puts you off a book all together? Something that stops you from even questioning what the story is about? Because I have that big time. I hate images of people on books. I can't explain why - I just do. It's something about having a face on a cover with eyes that stare into your mind and try to steal your soul that is a big nope for me. But this dislike is a very specific one.

A Gathering of Shadows // a series that I don't want to end

It takes a really good author for me to fall in love with their characters, their words, and their world in the way that V.E. Schwab had me fall in lover with hers.

Underwhelming Reads - Books I Thought I'd Love But Didn't

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
You know those books that you just assume you'll enjoy? NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING. It only leads to disappointment. Okay, that's not entirely true - but it's better to make absolutely no assumptions so you aren't let down by yourself either.

A Darker Shade of Magic // hooked from the very first page

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

Schwab's universe contain four parallel universes, all connected by one city with a shared name: London. The doors between Londons have been long closed, but as a rare blood magician, Kell can travel between them. In his travels Kell finds a relic with a corruptive power, and with the help of Lila, a thief and aspiring pirate with a habit of violence, they must travel between worlds to eliminate it.

Fictional Couples I Just Don't Ship

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
I'm not big on romance-led stories, but it's no surprise I'm surrounded by them anyway. Truthfully, if I'm into a book or a tv show I'm normally there for the characters or the plot and not really the angsty romances. Don't get me wrong - there are a zillion romantic storylines that have me totally hooked and I ship ALL THE THINGS, but sometimes I'm put off by a romance and other times I simply just don't care.

The Hate U Give // a genuine voice and a narrative that needs to be heard

The Hate U Give is a book filled with so many often unspoken truths. These are the truths that need to be heard, and Angie Thomas did them the ultimate justice.

Books I Wish Were More Diverse

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
Diversity is super important as I'm hoping you all know by now, but there could always be more. I've read excellent books that have been severely lacking in diversity. Plus sometimes there are books that try to be diverse but aren't doing it quite right. Obviously there's no changing what's already been published, only improving with future books. But I can't help but think 'only if' sometimes. So with that, here's a mix of a list of books I've loved and some I haven't and how I think in an alternate universe they could be more diverse.

Nowhere Near You // a captivating, heart-stealing, unbelievable book

Title: Nowhere Near You (BYNMM #2)
Author: Leah Thomas
Genre: Sci-Fi Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads

You can find my review for book 1 in this series here.

I described Because You'll Never Meet Me as something that 'grew on me like a flower grows from a flower bed'. The characters and all their peculiarities lodged themselves in my chest and stayed with me for weeks. Well, Nowhere Near You stole my heart. My heart now lives inside the pages of this book, and I doubt it will be leaving any time soon.

January Wrap Up // an okay-ish start to the reading year

2017 feels pretty crappy already considering I can't read the news without feeling miserable, so I was hoping to make up for it with some super good reads that I can be thinking about instead. And in the end the reads were... okay. I liked 2/4 of them, but I can't help wishing I could've kicked off the year with some 5 star reads. Having said that, there are a few book releases in the next couple of months that I am incredibly excited for, so here's to hoping my 'this book will be amazing' intuitions can be trusted!