Books, Books and more Books!

As you might have noticed, I’ve decided to post once every 2 weeks instead of once a week. I made this choice because I already was (and still am) writing so much that having to write a blog post every week became a bit of a burden instead of something I liked to do.

So anyway, what do you think I'll be talking about this week?

You guessed it right: books, books and more books!

Book reviews

I’ve been reading six books over the last two weeks, but I've only finished two so far.

1) Anne of the Island (Anne of Green Gables #3) by L.M. Montgomery

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

New adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs her bags, waves good-bye to childhood, and heads for Redmond College. With her old friend Prissy Grant waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and her frivolous new friend Philippa Gordon at her side, Anne tucks her memories of rural Avonlea away and discovers life on her own terms, filled with surprises . . . including a marriage proposal from the worst fellow imaginable, the sale of her very first story, and a tragedy that teaches her a painful lesson. But tears turn to laughter when Anne and her friends move into an old cottage and an ornery black cat steals her heart. Little does Anne know that handsome Gilbert Blythe wants to win her heart, too. Suddenly Anne must decide whether she's ready for love.

This was yet another great Anne book, though I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous two. Thankfully the ending—which was perfect—made up for everything.

2) Queen’s Peril by E.K. Johnston

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

When fourteen-year-old Padmé Naberrie wins the election for Queen of Naboo, she adopts the name Amidala and leaves her family to the rule from the royal palace. To keep her safe and secure, she’ll need a group of skilled handmaidens who can be her assistants, confidantes, defenders, and decoys. Each girl is selected for her particular talents, but it will be up to Padmé to unite them as a group. When Naboo is invaded by forces of the Trade Federation, Queen Amidala and her handmaidens will face the greatest test—of themselves, and of each other.

THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING. I love how Queen's Peril is written from another point of view than The Phantom Menace, meaning that not Anakin and the Jedi but Padmé and her handmaidens are at the center of the story. This gives more insight, not only into them, but also Naboo, its elections, its art etc and also Captain Panaka and his wife! As someone who loves The Phantom Menace and has watched it about a million times, this book is a quick and easy read (and an absolute joy). I do wonder if it doesn't get a bit confusing for people who haven't watched the movie though. Apart from that, I loved EVERYTHING about it. I recommend it to all SW fans, but especially to the ones who fell in love with Amidala back in 1999.

My current reads

I am currently reading four books. Again, Goodreads will tell you what they are about, and I will tell you how I am liking them so far.

1) A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6) by Diana Gabaldon The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution, the long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. Men lie dead in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest. With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and Crown. But from his wife Jamie knows that three years hence the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the result will be independence — with those loyal to the King either dead or in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny clipping from The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports Jamie’s death, along with his kin. For once, he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future.

I LOVED the first three books, I liked the fourth, but I was extremely dissapointed when I read the fifth. So far book six isn’t much better, but it isn’t worse either. And I mean, I keep reading it, so it can’t be that bad. (Thank God we have the TV series, season 5 was perfect!!)

2) Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine’s Peculier Children #3) by Ransom Riggs

The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children. They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

I really like this book so far. It’s not as good as the first two, but I can’t imagine giving it any less than four stars.

3) The Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer Accomplished neurosurgeon Beatrice Trovato knows that her deep empathy for her patients is starting to impede her work. So when her beloved brother passes away, she welcomes the unexpected trip to the Tuscan city of Siena to resolve his estate, even as she wrestles with grief. But as she delves deeper into her brother’s affairs, she discovers intrigue she never imagined—a 700-year-old conspiracy to decimate the city. As Beatrice explores the evidence further, she uncovers the journal and paintings of the fourteenth-century artist Gabriele Accorsi. But when she finds a startling image of her own face, she is suddenly transported to the year 1347. She awakens in a Siena unfamiliar to her, one that will soon be hit by the Plague. Yet when Beatrice meets Accorsi, something unexpected happens: she falls in love—not only with Gabriele, but also with the beauty and cadence of medieval life. As the Plague and the ruthless hands behind its trajectory threaten not only her survival but also Siena’s very existence, Beatrice must decide in which century she belongs.

I love this book! It’s everything I love in a book mixed together—historical fiction, time travel, Italy, a sweet romance, a painter (who by the way is also a wonderful human being), a kind woman who’s not afraid to stand up for the people she cares about… do I need to go on?

4) When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele. Raised by a single mother in an impoverished neighborhood in Los Angeles, Patrisse Khan-Cullors experienced firsthand the prejudice and persecution Black Americans endure at the hands of law enforcement. For Patrisse, the most vulnerable people in the country are Black people. Deliberately and ruthlessly targeted by a criminal justice system serving a white privilege agenda, Black people are subjected to unjustifiable racial profiling and police brutality. In 2013, when Trayvon Martin’s killer went free, Patrisse’s outrage led her to co-found Black Lives Matter with Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi. Condemned as terrorists and as a threat to America, these loving women founded a hashtag that birthed the movement to demand accountability from the authorities who continually turn a blind eye to the injustices inflicted upon people of Black and Brown skin. Championing human rights in the face of violent racism, Patrisse is a survivor. She transformed her personal pain into political power, giving voice to a people suffering in equality and a movement fueled by her strength and love to tell the country—and the world—that Black Lives Matter. I already talked about this book in my last blog post, so I won’t be saying much about it, apart from the fact that I think it’s a good book and you should read it.

Next on my TBR:

Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned. Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony. The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made. And love makes fools of us all.

I've been hearing a lot of great things about this book, so I am excited to give it a go soon!

Okay, okay, I will end this post properly, and I'll do it with a question: What is the next book on your TBR-list? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments.

Have a good week, stay safe and be happy :)

Love,

Annabel