Is Captain Hook the good guy? | Unhooked

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

Published: February 2nd 2016 by Simon Pulse

Genre: young adult, fantasy, retelling

Goodreads summary: For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.

But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.

The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?

REVIEW

In my opinion, this book took a long time to start. The first chapter hadn’t compelled me into the story, so I put the book aside for a few days. Even when I picked it up again, it didn’t really grasp my attention and I only continued reading because I was in the train to go home. Most of this book was slow paced and when things started to be resolved, it made me care less, because I had been expecting for so long. Still, it was a good retelling and I really enjoyed the choice Lisa Maxwell made.

Here, Neverland was a dark place –which seems to be a trend when books are set there and it’s logical- and I really liked the way the author rebuilt it. Here, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan had been written and the characters knew about it, but the world was different. The author created a story where she explained how Peter Pan came to be in control of the island and how the legend about him and Captain Hook was created. But, I had a problem with Captain Hook: the author made him come from a certain era, but Peter Pan was actually written before, in 1911, so I didn’t really get it. Was there a Captain Hook before the one we saw? Despite this inconstancy, this world was rich and had a darker folklore that what we could expect from Barrie’s book, like he had sugar-coated it. I could actually feel like I was in Neverland! Of course, it involved faeries a lot, which I quite enjoyed, since it’s been awhile since I read about them. But well, nothing to do with Disney’s Tinkerbell. 

 The main character, Gwendolyn, was hard for me to care about. She seemed, at first, like this typical “on the run because of secrets she doesn’t know” character and I don’t really like this trope. Still, she was determined to save those she loved and she was brave, even though she had been thrown into this unknown world. Moreover, she evolved a lot during the book, because it was about embracing who she was.

Unhooked also focused a lot… On Captain Hook, obviously. Well, here he was called Rowan, but that’s the same thing. The beginning of each chapter was an extract from his story before he came to Neverland, which allowed me to learn about him a little more. I think his character was a different take from what we usually see, which surprised me. I think I liked his character best and he had an accent, so yes. The story about his arm was set before he even came to Neverland. It was also explained how he could stay there, when he came from another land and had been there for a while… I think he had an amazing backstory that the author revealed fully in the last third of the book, which must have been one of my favourite aspects of the story. 

I didn’t think the secondary characters were this important… It was a lot about Olivia, but her apparitions felt repetitive, unfortunately. Among Rowan’s crew, I only remember one name, the others weren’t memorable. Peter Pan was more introduced as an antagonist, which I really enjoyed here, because he had a realistic reason to be so. I wasn’t surprised about it though, because it seems to be the trend of the last few years, for example in Once Upon A Time. As always, it’s a question of perspective in thinking who is the villain and who is the hero.

There was a romance between some characters, which I expected but didn’t find overly cute. I think it was also because of the circumstances the characters had found themselves in. It wasn’t a big part of the plot anyway; it was just “there”. 

Even if for the most part, I found this book to be slow paced, which decreased my interest into the story a lot, I was satisfied by the ending. Moreover, it didn’t feel like a happy end, it was on the bittersweet side, which felt more realistic. It was also a reflexion about human nature, because we choose what we remember… The author wanted to give her readers a message, and I think she succeeded in doing so. Unfortunately, I don’t know if this book will be a memorable read for me.

Have you read this one yet? Tell me your thoughts about it? Do you love books set in Neverland?

Meet new Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson | A Study in Charlotte

A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1) by Brittany Cavallaro

Published: March 1st by Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: yound adult, contemporary, mystery

Goodreads summary: The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.

From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy.

REVIEW

I have to admit that the first chapter is completely different from the rest of the novel. I had started it, then dropped it, then started it again. In short, it took me a week to finally get through the first chapter, because I didn’t find it very exciting. The story actually starts in the second chapter, and it got much more interesting after that. Nevertheless, I found the chapters to be way too long. This novel is 336 pages long, with only 12 chapters, which made me feel bored sometimes. I like shorter chapters than that, but that’s just my opinion as a reader.

It was the first modern day Sherlock retelling I read and I quite liked it. The plot was interesting to follow but yet a little repetitive when they tried to find out who the suspect was. I liked that the murderer was imitating Sherlock Holmes’ stories for his murders; it made a lot of Easter eggs to find… But also info-dump because the author had to explain these stories. I still really like the Sherlock Holmes aspect of this story, but it could have been more subtle.

Moreover, I liked that it tackled down some serious topics, like rape and drug addiction: it wasn’t just about the crime, but also about the characters’ lives in a boarding school. If I couldn’t quite imagine the characters leaving in the middle of the night –seriously, this trope again- I liked that the author didn’t forget parts like homework, because it’s often forgotten.

The story was told in first person from the point of view of James Watson. It was quite a change for me, because I’m not used to a boy perspective in YA… Sometimes dual perspective with the girl, but almost never with just the boy (the only one I can think about right now it The Maze Runner… But that’s it). 

 I liked hearing the story from his point of view, but I wanted more than a rugby player with anger management issues who was very similar Dr. Watson. Typically, he wanted to be a writer and had a lot of success with girls. It’s not because your forefathers did something that you have to do it again and again. It was even worse with the Holmes. While I liked the premise of the book, with descendants from Sherlock Holmes, Watson but also Moriarty, I didn’t like that they just felt the same, but from a different century. Charlotte felt exactly like Sherlock, and how was I supposed to believe she started taking drugs at twelve? I felt like the only reason she had this addiction was because Sherlock had one. I still liked the characters, but they were too similar to the original ones for my tastes.

I really liked the dynamics between Charlotte and Jamie, they were brought together because they were framed for murder, and it was original. However, I didn’t like that after a few days, Jamie was already saying she was her best friend. I’m sorry, but I can’t believe that, no matter how peculiar the situation was. Doctor Watson didn’t start calling Sherlock Holmes is best friend the first few days he moved to his flat. Then, later on, Jamie said he wasn’t sure Charlotte considered him her friend. It was so irritating, considering what he had said… I still liked how their relationship progressed though.

I have to admit that if I had unravelled a small part of the mystery, I hadn’t guessed all of it, which pleased me immensely. I would have liked to do without the villain explaining his plan at the end –what Charlotte was doing was obvious- because it’s such a trope. Still, the ending contained some good plot twists and the author got rid of the Sherlock similarities to make her own twist. It was hard to figure out the whole plan of the culprit, which made sense and was unique. The last chapter was written by Charlotte, which made me laugh a lot, because she was trying to “correct” things Jamie said about her, since she wanted us to think it wasn’t true. It felt so much like a Sherlockian view. I think I’ll read the next one, out of curiosity, especially if they’re in England.

Overall, I found it pretty average, but it kept me entertained. I felt like the author really wanted to show us she was a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes. So yes, it had a lot of similarities to it, but I wished the characters had been more different. Nevertheless, she still managed to write a really good ending, where everything made sense and was more different from the original novels.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Do you know other Sherlock Holmes retellings I should read?

Are there any particular diverse books you read more and why? | Conversations #1

Conversations is a bimonthly meme hosted by Geraldine @ Corralling Books and Joan @ Fiddler Blue. It's a brand new meme, because it's the first edition! This week’s topic is: Are there any particular diverse books you read more and why?

Yes I read diverse books as much as I can but of course, I have my preferences. I have to admit that… I’m close to a stereotypical character in a YA book: I’m white, blonde and straight. For that, I never had problems to identify myself to heroines when I was younger, because there wasn’t nearly enough diversity. I’m so happy that we finally get to see diverse characters in fiction though, especially in young adult, which is a sign that our mentalities are starting to evolve.

Personally, I don’t read a lot of diverse books, because in fantasy –my favourite and most read genre- there aren’t nearly enough diverse characters. Still, the diverse books I read the most are about mental health and people of colours (or POC as they say) in general.

1. I read diverse books about mental health

This is a topic close to my heart. Indeed, I think I would be diagnosed with a form of anxiety if I went to see a specialist. Moreover, one of my brothers might be autistic –guys, it’s been four years we’ve been waiting to know if it’s that or something else, but they’re pretty slow- and it’s not easy every day, for him just like my family.

I don’t especially read books on anxiety and autism, though. About anxiety, I read Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella last year, which I really enjoyed, even if my anxiety isn’t that severe. Still, it allowed me to understand what Audrey was getting through. For autism, I loved that in Lady Midnight, one of the characters is autistic, even though Cassandra Clare never said it clearly and for that, I was so grateful. I liked that the characters were saying that others thought he wasn’t normal, because he didn’t think like typical Shadowhunters, but for them, he was a great brother than they loved. It’s really hard to face what people say of autistic people. For example, once, my ex-boyfriend insulted someone of autistic in front of me. I did a great thing by dumping him, ugh.

I’ve read other books about different mental health issues. For example, I was an ugly sobbing mess when I read Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone, last year. I intend to read more books about mental health in the future, and since the spring is here, I’m getting in a contemporary mood again so it’s going to happen!

2. I read diverse books about people of colours (POC)

In France, some people are still very racist and it’s been getting worse lately, because of what happened in Paris (amalgams…) but also with the rise of an extremist political party that is gaining more followers every week. I intend to read books about people from different ethnicities, because I want to understand their culture, the struggles they have to get through sometimes… I’m not saying I can fully understand but I can still have glimpses of it.

Of course, I don’t read books with diverse characters for that reason only, I read books that appeal to me. Indeed, it makes me even happier when fantasy worlds contain characters of different ethnicities, because it’s not something we see a lot in fantasy books. Moreover, I don’t read that many contemporary novels, because it’s not my favourite genre. For example, in The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead, which came out on Tuesday and that I finished recently, Mira, one of the main characters of the novel, came from a different country and had to deal with people’s racism, who basically considered she was worth half a girl like Adelaide, a main character from this land.

It’s important for me to see the struggles some people have to get through because of their ethnicity, since it’s something I never had to experience. For example in The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry, because Natalie was the only Native American character in her town and had been adopted, it was hard for her to find who she was exactly. Apparently, this book is problematic but I can’t really realize it, because it’s one of the first times I read about a Native American. Moreover, thanks to the many tales, I learnt about their culture, which I loved. I also loved Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, where Maddie was from two different cultures. In the historical novel Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee, set in late 19^th century, the two main characters were Afro-American for one and from a Chinese family for the other.  They had to deal with so many things, for example almost no one wanted to shake hands with Sammy, the Chinese character (!!).

I think it’s important to see characters from different ethnicities in a book, because if it’s not the case, it doesn’t feel realistic. When I’m in class and I look around me… Yes, white people are still in the majority, but there are so many people from different origins. And if fiction can’t even feel representative of our societies, what’s the point?

To conclude, I don’t read that many diverse books, because to have diverse characters… You have to read contemporary. I’m really happy that a movement like #WeNeedDiverseBooks now exists but I really want for it to happen in fantasy, because it’s so unrealistic.

Do you read diverse books? What diverse books you read the most? Do you have diverse book recommendations for me?

March 2016 | Tea & Screens #1

As I mentioned in my wrap-up, I want to talk about all the shows and movies I'm watching each month. Yes, I love books, just like you do, but I'd like to talk about a larger range of topics. TV shows and movies are something I would like to start up with. Each month, I'll do mini wrap-ups focusing on that subject. I'm calling this new type of post "Tea & Screens", because I love watching shows, movies or even YouTube videos while I'm drinking tea. And well, tea is the first word of my blog's name. ;) This month was totally a comics adaptation month for me, I can't get enough of it! I only watched one movie but well, it was a good one.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (3x11-3x14) - After a three months long break (ugh ABC, I really don't like when you do this), Agents of SHIELD got back on TV! I was really excited to watch it again, because it ended on a big cliff-hanger, as always. However, I found it to be slow to start and we didn't see that much of the antagonist of the season since the show came back. I'm still really invested, and I even cried at the end of an episode because of the team dynamics and some characters left which made me so, so sad. They weren't my favourites, but it's weird thinking we won't see them again (or in a long time). Still, the show featured some good character development, with a backstory for Mack, another character really joining the team...

 

Agent Carter (S2) - I don't know if Agent Carter has been renewed for a third season, but I sure hope so (because that ending!). I thinkthat some people don't really like it because it's pretty different from what Marvel usually do, but I was so addicted, I watched the entire season (ten episodes) this month. I liked that it linked to what was happening in Agents of SHIELD. It was also a little frustrating, because I knew but the characters didn't since it happened fifty years after. Anyway, this show made me laugh so much and it's a little ridiculous at times (in a good way) because it's a different spirit from our time. I love that it is set in a different era and that it's basically a prequel for the SHIELD, but maybe it's just the history nerd in me. Moreover, the characters were in a new setting, since the first season was set in New York and this one in Los Angeles. Peggy rocked it all, as always, and we got her backstory, how she entered the SSR and everything! I loved when she said she hadn't taken a day off since Pearl Harbor, that's totally her! :D Also, Jarvis is my fave!

Shadowhunters (1x08-1x12) - The show started to be quite different from the books, but I don't think it's a bad thing! I wasn't a fan of the first episodes of the season, but I found that it really improved since the beginning. Moreover, as a fan of the book, I like not knowing everything that's going to happen. The show made some plot elements come sooner and it was a good idea, because a book and a show are definitely not the same format. For me, books and TV show are different things and I'm pretty sure that's why I'm able to enjoy it when others really don't. I still have a hard time with Jace and Clary, I find them ridiculous, especially when they have dialogs like "It's you and me. Here and now." How can this be more cringe-worthy??? UGH. But I really enjoy the other main characters, when I wasn't Simon and Alec's biggest fan in the books! Also, can we talk about Malec? Because every time I livetweeted an episode, that's what I was talking about. I loved that they mentioned Church and Chairman Meow at some point, I was the heart eyes emoji. Literally. I'm cheating because I'm including the finale -which aired April 5th- and I wasn't overly impressed by uit. Nothing actually shocking happened in my opinion. Or did I just miss it?

The Flash (2x14-2x16) - I'm so obsessed with this show. I'm also a little late, for I watch it with my boyfriend and I haven't seen him since the last episode was released. Since Zoom's "maybe identity" came up, I've been looking up every theory I could find, I need to figure it out. Seeing Earth-2 was so cool, but I really thought they would stay longer... I hope they'll go back soon! In the episodes I watched, Diggle and Lyla made a cameo and it always makes me so excited when that happens, because well, I'm watching all DC's shows from CW. By the way, I really need to catch up on Supergirl, for the crossover episode with Flash!

Arrow (4x16-4x17) - Honestly, I think this show is getting better every year. I started watching it because it was the first comic show of the 2010s, but I found it to be all action and repetitive and I wanted more depth. Now that magic was introduced, I'm in awe. As always, the flashbacks aren't my favourite -it makes me laugh so much thinking he said he spent 'five years on an island with only one goal: to survive' in season one- but present day scenes are so good. Darhk is such an interesting and hard to beat villain, he is questioning everyone's beliefs and I love that. Lately, the show has been so gripping, I can't wait to see how it will end this year and damn... Who will be in the grave we saw all those episodes ago? I really need to know! Also, I'm wondering why so much breaks between the episodes, CW? There was a three weeks long one and another this week? Like no. 

DC's Legends of Tomorrow (1x03-1x06) - I like it but I find it's complicated to have character development with six main characters... This world is different from what I'm used to in superheroes shows, because it involves historical (but can we get in a more ancient time period, please?) and futuristic worlds. What I have a hard time believing is the whole team being able to work together like that, like when Snart said he did want to stay in the beginning, when it was all about the team? It felt a little out of character but oh well. I'm eager to know more about the time lords because that's a concept I love. Also, Oliver made an appearance, it was quite fun (or not?)! So far I really like the show, but I hope the concept of each time travel won't get too repetitive.

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (in theaters) - It was so dark, both visually and morally, which pleased me to no end (those settings, wow). With so many mixed reviews, I was scared to see it, but I really liked it! I think Ben Affleck was a really good Batman, but I wanted Alfred to be more like the usual Alfred. Also, I felt like something was missing in Batman's crusade against Superman. It didn't seem "enough". Jesse Eisenberg was acting so well as an insane Lex Luthor. I liked that he wasn't really good at making speeches, it helped for more diversity - which doesn't happen a lot in superheroes movies - he was this crazy genius. The highlight of the movie was of course Wonder Woman (except the ridiculous music when she fought) especially when Batman and Superman were wondering who she was with. She's with herself, you idiots. The movie was a great introduction to Justice League movies, because we saw glimpses of Aquaman, Cyborg and Flash. I have to admit I'm still a little bittersweet that they had to cast another actor for Flash, because I really like Grant Gustin... But he can't do the show and the movie, sadly. It contained some great action scenes, but it focused more on the characters, which made it long to start, but I didn't mind, because I liked all the built-up. I'm really excited for more DC movies now. 

 Have you watched Batman v. Superman yet? Do you watch any of the shows I mentioned?

A fantastic finale that involved a pet tiger | The Winner's Kiss

The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski

Published: March 29th by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Genre: young adult, fantasy

Goodreads summary: War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it, with the East as his ally and the empire as his enemy. He's finally managed to dismiss the memory of Kestrel, even if he can't quite forget her. Kestrel turned into someone he could no longer recognize: someone who cared more for the empire than for the lives of innocent people-and certainly more than she cared for him. At least, that's what he thinks.

But far north lies a work camp where Kestrel is a prisoner. Can she manage to escape before she loses herself? As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover unexpected roles in battle, terrible secrets, and a fragile hope. The world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and Kestrel and Arin are caught between. In a game like this, can anybody really win?

REVIEW

I marathoned the first two books in this trilogy last summer and I loved being in that world, no matter how ruthless it was. I'll confess I didn't like the second book as much as the first one, but the last one was... Wow. That's the only word I had in my mind when I finished the book.

The Winner's Crime ended on an evil cliff-hanger and I remembered it quite well -which doesn't happen often-, the book jumped back right after that. With that twist, Rutkoski managed to show us a new part of the world we hadn't seen yet, which pleased me, since it was a third book, and I wasn't expecting new world-building.  During this first part of the book, I was on the edge of my seat, I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to know how the characters were going to get away from that situation. I wasn't disappointed, I found it took the perfect length before it actually happened. But sadly, after that, I felt the book dragged, until it got exciting again.

Also, I got so many feels during the entire book. After the first two chapters, I was already crying, because it was so painful. I totally admire Rutkoski's skills to describe war. She talked about all the books she read on the subject in her acknowledgments and yes, she felt like an author that had done her research, because I could actually feel like I was there. Moreover, I didn't feel overwhelm during the battles, I could actually keep up with what was going on.

I found the characterization to be spectacular. In the Winner's Crime, I remember getting annoyed by the characters but they were amazing here. The consequences of what happened to Kestrel appeared realistic and it brought up the questions about identity, which is always enjoyable. I love her character so much and how useful her wits were necessary in the war. I found that Arin evolved a lot during the whole novel. In the beginning, he was ruthless, fully dedicated to war, but by the end of the novel, he was quite different. Yes, the author developed traits we knew he had, but it was such a joy to finally read about Arin that way. Now, let's talk about what everyone is waiting for: the romance. Well... It was hot.

It didn't happen straight away, because of what the characters went through, but I liked how the author built it up and the romance reached such a great climax. I could read about them together forever. 

The secondary characters felt more fleshed out in this instalment, I really cared about them. The dynamics between them and the main characters were really enjoyable to read about. Also, can we talk about Roshar and its tiger was the best thing ever? Because it was. Roshar must have been one of my favourite characters.

The ending was spectacular but yet... I found it to be predictable. Yes, in the end what I wanted happened but I wanted more tension until the very last chapter. Also, I wanted more important characters to die because it felt unrealistic. #sadistic 

Overall, it was an amazing conclusion to a great trilogy. I loved it and only had two minor issues: an uneven pacing and a predictable ending. Other than that, this book was everything I wanted and more. I'm really excited to see what Marie Rutkoski has in store for her next books. If you haven't read The Winner's Trilogy yet, please do it. I avoided it for a long time and I regret it a little, even if I waited less than everyone to read the last book thanks to my hesitation. But now, you have no excuse, just read it!!

Other:

• Review of the Winner's Curse

• Review of the Winner's Crime
  
  
  
   
  Have you read this book yet? The start of the trilogy? What did you think of it? Are you happy the characters finally got together?

It's Spring time! | March wrap-up & April TBR

Spring is finally here!

I don’t feel like I did much in March, I had to study a lot the first half on the month, and then I read all I could to feel better about it. I hope I’ll have a more exciting month in April, but this one was still fairly decent.

The first week of March, I was on holidays but well… I didn’t get the chance to rest, since I had a ton of assignments due for the next two weeks. On March 3^rd, I went to see the ballet Swan Lake, which was my second time seeing it. It was really good – well it’s Swan Lake obviously – but apparently the orchestra had drunk too much and played too fast, which means at some point, the dancers had a hard time following them. I couldn’t take pictures sadly, because it was forbidden, which I totally understand. Also, I have a problem with my computer since March 6th, which means I had to take a hiatus. My computer went back to the store two weeks ago, but I still don't have it. If I'm late on comments, it's because of that, because I can only use old and almost dead computers. 😕

 In the next two weeks, I was mostly working on my assignments, so I didn’t do anything interesting. On March 18^th, though, I went to my hometown’s museum. We have a partnership with Versailles, which means they lend us pieces of art and the museum can organize exhibitions. It was the last week of the exhibition, so they had organized a night where the exhibition was free and there were animations, like actors in the exhibition itself, a weird (like really weird) reimagining Sleeping Beauty’s ballet, songs and so on. You could see they spent a lot of time organizing the whole thing, it was really good. I’m excited for the next exhibition, but well, it’s about Napoleon, an era I’m not very fond of.

Lately, at university, they’ve been talking a lot about what we can do for our master degree, which is very stressful, because I don’t really know, but also quite exciting. I can’t believe it’s been three years since I graduated high school, time sure flies by. I’m pretty conflicted; because I want to work in cultural heritage or cultural affairs in general, but the degree I want only take students for the second year, which means I have to start something else in the meantime… Without knowing if they’ll accept me.

Last week was Easter, which I celebrated with my boyfriend’s family and they’re eating all the time. My stomach can’t follow them, sadly. We also went to see Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which I really liked, no matter how many negative reviews I’ve seen. I think I’ll do a post soon where I’m talking about all the movies and shows I watched this month, I’ll talk more about it then.

Also, it’s Spring now –even if it rained two days straight in Paris the last days of the month- which means lighter clothing, I’m so relieved, because I don’t really like the cold. ❄

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury 4.5 stars

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson 4.5 stars

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman 4 stars

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine 5 stars

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare 5 stars

Starflight by Melissa Landers 4 stars

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani 3 stars

The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins 3.5 stars

I Am Alice by Joseph Delaney 2 stars

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers 4 stars

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor 2 stars 

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows 4 stars

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder 3.5 stars
The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski 4.5 stars

E-NOVELLAS

The Black Knife by Jodi Meadows 4 stars

As you can see, I read A LOT this month, because I had a lot of free time in the second half of the month. I read some pretty good books this month, I hope to discover new ones in April! 😊

I got the card as a preorder gift for The Mirror King. 

If you can't see it very well, it says "This was love without masks"

I got COFA because I didn't own a copy anymore (a French version I lent to someone who never returned it... *sigh*) and it was a used copy. Moreover, I don't think I will be able to find this edition much longer. I don't own COHF as a paperback, but I have the hardcover first edition, so it's fine!

Goodreads challenge: 37/120. I'm REALLY ahead, but every time I read a novella I feel like it's cheating... If I have a reading slump, at least I won't stress out about my GR challenge. 😂

Flights of Fantasy: 25/50. Okay, I'll be done with this one in June. I read tenbooks for this challenge this month, so yeah. Fantasy is what I have the most of on my TBR these days, so I'm not that surprised.

Retelling challenge: 5/20. I'm slowly catching up and now I'm on track! I read the Forbidden Wish, The Shadow Queen and the Great Hunt, which were amazing or just good enough for the last one. These books made me want to read more retelling!

2016 Debut challenge: 6/15. I only read Into the Dim this month, which I had been anticipating for months, but it wasn't great *cries*. 

Starting next week, I'll do monthly posts where I talk about the shows and movies I watch. I'm still giving you the list because that's how nice I am. 😉

Shadowhunters - the Flash - Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Agent Carter - DC's Legends of Tomorrow - Arrow - Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice 

I'm not setting a huge TBR for myself this month, because I wanna read as many new releases as possible, but I don't know how it'll go, since I'll be on holidays at my parents' house half the month, which means my preorders might not be on time in Paris. But I shall have faith in the Book Depository.

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Asunder by Jodi Meadows
Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (reread)

Top 3 new releases I'm excited for:

1. Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima

2. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

3. The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows     

How was your month? Tell me your favouite book you read this month. What do you plan on reading in April?