The Grisha Trilogy

 

      Ah, the Grisha Trilogy. I read these three consecutively and I literally could not put them down. If I did it was only because of two reasons A). I had to do work or sleep, or B). to pick up the next book. It is literally that brilliantly written. Bravo to you Leigh Bardugo, bravo. 

Bardugo tells a tale of an ordinary young heroine who is whisked away into the world of politics and magical abilities when she discovers her extraordinary gift; she's a sun summoner--Alina Starkov can summon light from her fingertips. And thus, we are submerged into something truly beautiful and unique alongside Alina; whose life goes from simple clothes to gowns made from the most luxurious materials. Into a world that contains darkness as well as light, a villain you love to hate ( and hate to love), a loyal friend, privateers, princes, mythical creatures, illegal magic, anarchy, friends, foes, a country worth fighting for, and so much more. 

Feature and Follow #1

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

Question of the Week: Before blogging (dark times people!) how would you find out about new books or did you? - Suggested byA Great Read

First Feature and Follow, I'm actually quite excited!

 

Before I started blogging I found books the old fashioned way-- browsing the shelves at the library and reading whatever seemed appealing to  me. My school library has this thing where they "showcase" new releases, or books that just came in, or extremely popular books, along the lines of TFIOS and Divergent, and more often than not I found some pretty amazing stuff.

That was up until recently, where I picked up this blog again and started anew.  Now I follow all theses brilliant people, and I'm finding suggestions left and right, which is greatness, if you ask me. And I've recently discovered Goodreads (probably a bit late, i know) and now its my go-to source for getting a general idea for what books are like, which is ALWAYS helpful. What about you? How did you find books in the dark times? 

Happy Reading,

Sidra 

Mortal Dangers and what I'm reading currently

Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn't imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She's not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he's impossible to forget.
In one short summer, her entire life changes, and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly... bad things are happening. It's a heady rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil's bargains, she isn't sure who—or what--she can trust. Not even her own mind... 
summary from goodreads

The Agency series by Y.S. Lee

 Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets — including those of her own past

 Summary from goodreads 
*(A Spy in the House is the first novel)


So I picked up these books in a rush; I had to leave the library, but I didn't have nearly enough books to get me through the week; I didn't read the summary and barely glanced at the cover. The only thing that actually compelled me to read these was the little sticker on the spine labeling it as a mystery novel. I put it off as long as I could, and when I finally opened it my reaction was a bit like this:

Following the young heroine Mary Quinn became my favorite past time for the next two days.

 The novel is set in the late 19th century, and Mary is quite an adventurous young 17 year old; and an outspoken an independent woman for her time and age. She is inserted into environments where she has one job: to spy on the rich and corrupt and discover all their misdoings; smuggled goods, stolen items, and sunken ships. Along the way, she meets quite a few interesting people including James Easton and Octavius, who make her story all the more charming. One of the reasons I love this series is that, although it does contain some sort of a romance; this doesn't take away from the plot at all. The main focus is always Mary and her assignment, without the unnecessary and, quite frankly, annoying love triangle sub plot that seems to dominate the story. It made me smile and quite nearly almost scream in anticipation with the absolutely wonderful twists and turns that occur throughout the novel.

Rating: 4/5