My Bucket List (2016 Edition)

Hi guys. Today I have a more general type of post for you. 2015 has been a year of challenges and self-discovery for me and while it wasn't always easy, today I know myself a little better and I'm starting to have a better view of where I want to be later in my life. This is why I've decided to put together a bucket list. I feel I've grown just enough as a person to know which dreams are worth pursuing and what are those which will never be anything more than a fancy. And so, here's my bucket list ^^

I want to visit the French countryside with my sister

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It's going to be a sister only trip to France with Pooja, my little sister. The plan is to visit the countryside rather than actual cities and spend our trip at a B&B. There's a French TV program we both love which features beautiful B&B places in small French towns and that's what got us enamored with the idea. These towns are famous for their castle ruins and local produce like cheese and jam and that's the side of France we want to discover. 

I want to have a library in my house

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Once I have my own place, I want to have a room dedicated solely to my books. It's kind of a rational dream too since by the time I get my place, I would have probably accumulated enough books to fit a room anyway. Mine would probably not look like the library in the picture but a girl can dream right?

I want to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

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If you've been around for a while now, you probably know how much of a Potterhead I am. You might also remember that time I decided to turn my house into Hogwarts for my sister's 18th birthday. So ideally, I'd not only visit the park, but I'd also have my sister with me. Sporting our Gryffindor and Slytherin scarves no less. She's the Slytherin by the way...

I want to read the complete X-Men comic series

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So this one might be a little tricky, especially since X-Men has practically countless spin-offs and that some of its first issues are hard to find. I did already start reading the first issues from the 60s though and I'm already in love enough with the world and the characters to be motivated to make it all the way through the series. There are over 300 issues in the main series so this goal will probably linger on my bucket list for a few more years. But that's okay 'cause I do enjoy reading these comics. 

I want to visit Disneyland (again)

Taken at Disneyland Hong Kong, December 2014

I was able to visit Disneyland Hong Kong with my family in December 2014 and it was so magical that I can only hope to do it again one day. I'm as big a fan of Disney as I'm a Potterhead so Disneyland simply has to be on my bucket list. In the best of worlds, I'd also get to actually stay in one of the hotels in the park. There's no age to have breakfast with Mickey. Just sayin'...

I want to visit Japan

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I love Japan from all the books I've read by Haruki Murakami and all those anime I've watched. I'm not sure if you can call me an otaku though since I tend to be fan of anime most people often haven't even heard of. I'm completely enamored with Japan though and would love to see it's tech-crazy cities and walk under the branches of sakura blossoms.

I want to work in the publishing industry

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Originally, my dream was to study languages or creative writing and pursue a job in the publishing industry. Then, I realized that we don't actually have creative writing courses here in Mauritius and that our publishing industry is basically nonexistent. No, publishers of primary school textbooks don't count. My dreams kinda squashed, I instead went for a bachelor degree in Marketing. Now, 4 years later, I'm glad things happened the way they did. After I started this blog, I realized that maybe I could still participate in the publishing industry as a blogger and a reviewer. And now, having graduated from uni, I've realized that my life doesn't have to be restricted to something as trivial as geography. So yes, I still dream of working in the publishing industry. I may have to move abroad and it's certainly going to be hard, but I'll do my best to make it happen. 

So that was my bucket list. I wonder what the 2017 edition will look like. Hopefully I'd have made a dent in my X-Men TBR by then. All the travelling will have to wait though 'cause I still have my Master degree to start this year. Not to mention that I don't actually have a job yet XD.

And now, tell me...

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How I organize my blog

Hi guys! Today I want to share with you some tips to help you get more organized and make your blogging more efficient. Back when I had just started this blog, I didn't plan ahead much and would write post sometimes only a few hours before they were due to be posted. Now, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of spontaneity but with life getting more hectic later during the year, I quickly found that this freestyle approach to my blogging was becoming a little strained. So, after a few months of blogging, I began to change the way I plan and organize my posts. 

Whether you're a new blogger or you've been blogging for some time now and want to make things more efficient, I hope you'll find these tips useful ^^

Keep a blog journal

It doesn't have to be anything fancy so long you have something where you can jot down blog post ideas and quick post drafts. I use this beautiful cloth bound journal covered in dragon patterns that I bought in Hong Kong during my 2014 Christmas vacation there. The purpose of a journal is to give you a place where you can store all your ideas and bits and pieces of writing that cross your mind. Once you have all of your thoughts and ideas in one place, later, it'll be easy for you to reference to them when writing a blog post. Like I said, your journal doesn't have to be overly fancy. However, things that visually appeal to us are more likely to motivate us. So if you're going to be using a journal, you might as well pick one that'll motivate you to use it ^^

Make lists of ideas

You can list down all the blog post ideas that come to your mind in your journal so that when you need to write a post, you only need to pluck an idea from your list. You can add to your lists ideas inspired by other blogs and YouTube videos, Pinterest boards and things you come across in your everyday life. You can have different lists for different categories of posts. You enjoy doing tags? Why not make a list of all the cool tags you enjoy? Thus, whenever you feel like writing a tag post, you'll can have your pick from all those in your list. You can have different lists of ideas to cover as many topics and post categories as you choose. You can use color tags or sticky notes to index your various lists in your journal to make the referencing easier for you.

Use a planner or an agenda

Once you have all your ideas in one place, it's easy to allocate specific posts to specific dates. Aside from my journal, I use a planner where I write the specific post titles I want to publish on specific dates. I usually publish around 7 posts every month. So whenever I'm planning a particular month's post schedule, I simply pick out 7 post ideas that I'd like to do from my journal and decide on which day I want to do each of them. Thus, when I open my planner to a particular month, I know at a glance what are the posts I need to write for that month.

Write your posts in advance

Having your posts already planned for the month makes it simple to write them in advance. You already know what you need to write about so there's no need to spend hours browsing Pinterest boards for blog post ideas. I usually have around 4 posts written in advanced and ready to be published. I spend a couple of days during the week working on the upcoming month's posts and then I take a break from writing during the remaining days of the week. I use that free time to catch up and comment on the posts of other blogs I enjoy reading. Whether you're still studying and you have assignments creeping on you unexpectedly or life suddenly just gets crazy, having at least one or two pre-written posts can help you account for those days where you simply don't have time to sit down and write a full post.

So those were a few tips on how you can organize your blog to make it more efficient. I hope you found these useful. If you have other tips for me, feel free to share them with me in the comments! Happy blogging guys ^^

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Cover art by Of Stacks and Cups via Pagemodo

How To Read More

Ever since I started my blog, I've had people ask me how I manage to read so much each month. I usually read an average of 10 books every month. To be honest though, I had never thought about it much until people started to ask me questions about it. Well, whether you're trying to read more or you just want to know more about my reading habits, here is a bunch of reading tips I've compiled for you. 

The first thing you need to remember though is that reading is supposed to be fun. So even if you read only one book in a month, so long you're enjoying it, you shouldn't worry about figures and page counts :)

1. The book in its different incarnations 

If you really mean to read more, I suggest you consider reading books in their different forms. This will give you flexibility in terms of when and where you can read. For instance, back when I was still a student, I was too scared of my print books getting creases and tears from staying in my bag to actually take them to class. I was however still able to get some reading done through ebooks and that was a major lifesaver back when I was still a freshman and had yet to make some friends. As to audiobooks, they have encouraged me to get through more children and mid-grade books, which are genres I find a bit hard to read in actual print editions. 

2. Kindle app for mobile platforms 

So how does that make you read more? Well, staring at your phone, whether you're in the bus, in class or just about anywhere else, is less likely to have people try to peek at your screen or interrupt you by asking what you're reading. 'Cause, well, they probably think you're just texting someone. Ain't that convenient? Also, depending on where you're going and what you're wearing, you might not always be able to have a book with you. Think tiny party bags, ladies. With your books on your phone though, you can literally have your books in your pocket. Not only are you never getting bored in obligatory family dinners again, but you also get to read more. I personally love this app, especially since my Kindle died on me last year and I haven't been able to get it replaced yet. 

3. Listening to audiobooks while doing tasks around the house

I'm super lazy when it comes to tidying my room. Recently though, I've taken to putting an audiobook on while I'm going about my chores and not only does it take my mind off the fact that I'm actually doing chores, but it also helps me get some more reading done. Audiobooks have also helped me get through books I would have normally never read. Plus, if you get one narrated by someone who's very good at the job, listening to a book can become a really entertaining hobby. 

4. Listening to audiobooks while driving 

Audiobooks are also an awesome way to get some reading done when you can't actually pick up a book. Plus, listening to some Roald Dahl on your way to work in the morning is an awesome way to kick-start the day on a cheerful note. I personally recommend Matilda narrated by Kate Winslet!

5. Extra reading time in the morning 

If you really need to read more, like maybe for school for instance, I suggest you get up at least half an hour earlier than you usually do. This is just to give yourself some extra time in the morning which you can devote to reading. I personally rather enjoy having something to read when I'm sipping my tea in the morning. If you take the bus to school or work, you can also use that time to read a bit from your book. I personally used to find it a bit hard to read on my way to uni because the lull of the bus usually put me to sleep ten minutes into the trip! 

6. Reading before bedtime 

Another awesome way to get through a few additional pages of your book is to devote fifteen to thirty minutes to reading before you go to bed. Be careful of page-turners though, 'cause with those you might just end up reading till morning without even realizing it. Happens to all book lovers at least once. Yep. 

So these were my ideas for reading more. If you have more tips and ideas you want to share, feel free to drop me a line in the comments! 

My Most Anticipated Book to Screen Adaptions of 2016

Hi guys! Today I'm going to share with you the list of all the upcoming movies and TV shows adapted from books that I'm most excited for. If there's a screen adaptation which I've not included here but which you've been anticipating, it could be that I haven't yet read the source material. So feel free to recommend me books I haven't read yet and movies you think I might enjoy ^^

Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them

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While I haven't actually read the book this movie is based on, I'm pretty hyped about watching this one. It follows the adventures of Newt Scamander, the man who will eventually write the fictional book Fantastic Beasts that features as a textbook in the Harry Potter books. The movie will be set in New York, 70 years before Harry's story starts and stars Eddie Redmayne as the main character.

A Monster Calls

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This movie is based on a book by Patrick Ness which follows the story of a young boy, Conor, after he meets a strange monster that seems to want something of him. The book is full of beautiful black and white illustrations and looks at how the young character learns to cope with tragedy and loss. I have high hopes for this movie and am really looking forward to it. It stars Lewis MacDougall as Conor and Liam Neeson as the Monster. 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

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This is based on a book by Ransom Riggs that follows the story of a teenager, Jacob, after he stumbles across a place where children with strange abilities live under the protection of the equally mysterious Miss Peregrine. The book was great and I'm hoping the movie will do it justice. It's being directed by Tim Burton so I'm guessing the strange side of the story will be there in the movie as well. It stars Asa Butterfield as Jacob and Eva Green as Miss Peregrine. When I read the book, I had imagined Miss Peregrine as an old woman but I love Eva Green so I'm kind of okay with the casting despite her being much younger.

Looking for Alaska

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I'm not the biggest John Green fan out there but I did read his book Looking for Alaska and I did enjoy it, so when this movie comes out, I'll definitely be watching it. What I'm especially looking forward to is the scene of the school speech. If you've read the book, you know what I'm really talking about XD Now this movie might be released either in 2016 or in 2017 and nothing has been announced yet for the cast. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Shadowhunters

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This TV show is adapted from the Mortal Instrument books by Cassandra Clare and started airing this month itself. From the promos I've seen so far, it seems that they're keeping the show as accurate as possible with minor changes here and there to make it work better on screen. I'll have to wait to actually see the episodes to judge but I do really love the books and I'm pretty hyped by the show as well at this point. It stars Katherine McNamara as Clary and Dominic Sherwood as Jace. May I also point out that this show has a really attractive cast. Not that it has anything to do with the content but still... ^^

So those were some of the movies and TV shows that I'm looking forward to in 2016. What book to screen adaptation are you most excited for this year? Let me know in the comments!

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My Favorite Female Characters

Hi guys! Together I've compiled a list of my 5 favorite female characters. If you want to know more about the books they feature in, you can click on the titles and they'll take you to each book's Goodreads page.

Let's start!

Elphaba from Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Let it be heard once and for all: Elphaba is my favorite female character of all time. Yep. In Maguire's adult retelling of the Wizard of Oz, Elphaba is a very human characterization  of the Wicked Witch of the West whom you can't help but root for. Born with green skin, this very special girl grows to become a very intelligent young woman who sees the hidden horrors of her world's society and decides to do something about it. And as she sets out to do what she can to change things, her transformation into the legendary Wicked Witch of the West begins. She's a rebel. She's a feminist. She's simply awesome. 

Cinder from the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

All the leading ladies from the Lunar Chronicles are pretty cool but Cinder remains my favorite. Each book in this series is based on a fairytale and Cinder is based, as you can guess, on Cinderella. She's a rather unique Cinderella in that she's a mechanic! She's always covered in oil stains, she's very down to earth and she's quite a strong female character  and that, too, without being your traditional kick-ass heroine. I mean, she doesn't even really knows how to fight but she's still a pretty cool female character. She's got her sensitive side and has the same apprehensions any young girl in her situation would have. And yet, she still succeeds to become a strong character with a lot of potential for great things. 

Cath from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Most of us who've read this book have probably recognized themselves to some degree in Cath. I mean, she's an introvert, she's a fangirl, she writes fanfic and she's pretty much a book nerd. Cath and her twin sister are beginning university and while her sister is pretty hyped for it, Cath is equally anxious. She'd rather be typing away on her computer than talking to people around the campus. And yet, as she begins to let people in and actually try her hand at this university thing, things slowly begin to get swinging for her. This book was very realistic while remaining super endearing and Cath is a great character a lot of us are bound to relate to.

Alana from the Saga graphic novels by Brian K. Vaughan

Now here's an actual kick-ass female character. In this epic sci-fi graphic novel series, there's an ongoing war between two alien species. When two people from these enemy races, Alana and Marko, fall in love and have a child together, authorities and bounty hunters alike begin to hunt them down. Alana fiercely loves her family and never shies away from grabbing a gun or wielding a sword to defend them. She's super flawed too, but in my opinion, that just makes her a very relatable character. 

Agnes from Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

In 1839, Iceland, a woman called Agnes is accused of murder and until her sentence is finalized, she's banished to a remote farm in the care of the family who owns it. This family is initially horrified to be housing a criminal but as time passes and the date of the final sentence looms closer, they begin to discover the truth about Agnes. What I loved about Agnes is that she never, at any point in the novel, seeks the sympathy of this family. She quietly offers her help around the house and keeps to herself mostly and it only after some time that everyone, the reader included, that we begin to get to know her. In her own way, Agnes is pretty much a strong character of her own right.

So those were my favorite female characters. Leading ladies in books can be pretty bad-ass sometimes ^^ Do you have a favorite female character? Let me know in the comments!

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Cover art by Of Stacks and Cups via Pagemodo

Mini Reviews - My December Wrap-Up

Hi guys! Before I start with this post, I wanted to share with you something I've been thinking about. Maybe you've noticed I've neither posted a monthly wrap-up nor a review in a long time. See, I do enjoy writing both posts. Trouble is, with my monthly reading amounting to 10 or more books, it was become a little tedious for me to write wrap-ups. The posts were simply getting too long. I also wanted to tell you about all the great books I was reading but narrowing these to 1 or 2 per month, in view of reviewing them, was also becoming a little difficult. I simply couldn't pick which book I wanted to review!

So I've thought about it and I think I've come up with quite a good solution. Starting this month, I'll be doing a wrap-up of a 'selection' of the books I read the previous month. And for each book mentioned, I'll write a mini review so that you can know what I thought about them. The books to make the cut will either be books I enjoyed a lot or new releases you guys might be interested to know more about.

Alright, time to get started. I hope you enjoy this post. Let me know what you think of my revamped monthly wrap-up. Your feedback is, as always, most welcome ^^

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Genre: Young Adult

My Rating: 5 stars

The Plot: Eleanor is the unfortunate new girl in town. At school, she’s bullied for her weight, mismatched clothes and unruly red hair. At home, she does her best to stay out of the way of her violent stepfather and finds what little peace she can in the chaos of a family too big crammed in a house way too small. Park seems to come from an entirely different world than hers. Dressed all in black, his headphones on and his comics open in his lap, he plays it cool enough for everybody else to leave him alone. And then, one day, Eleanor and Park meet on a ride in the school bus. What ensues is the unlikeliest of friendships and the strongest of young loves.

My Review: This was a reread for me and I loved it even more than I did the first time. The prose is beautiful, the story is as unique as it's touching and the characters are not only relatable but they are also very likable. It's a YA novel that breaks away from tropes and clichés and asserts itself as a powerful piece of literature of its own right. It might not be for younger teens due to certain topics discussed but it's the perfect book for adults who don't normally read YA and young people who are seeking books about people of their age but with deeper and more meaningful stories. Oh, and by the way, Eleanor and Park totally made a mess out of my heart. 

Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith

Genre: Adult, LGBTQ+

My Rating: 5 stars

The Plot: Girl meets boy is a modern retelling of Ovid’s tale of Iphis, in which a woman disguises her daughter as a boy to save her from infanticide, only for the girl to fall in love with another girl when she grows up. By the grace of a Goddess, the girl is turned into a real man and is then able to marry the girl she/he loves. Although as in the original myth the book discusses gender and sexuality, it remains above all a love story as timeless as it is charming.

My Review: Though at first glance it might seem simple, the writing is both deep and poetic. The approach to the prose though, makes the depth of the story more easily approachable for a reader who may not necessarily read such adult fiction frequently. The story isn't quite as linear as in regular novels, although the narrative is simple enough to follow and is accompanied by just the right amount of descriptions to make the story vivid and easy to follow without being overwhelming. I would recommend this one to people who are either interested in discovering Ali Smith's books or who simply might want to make the transit to adult fiction. The book also does a brilliant job discussing sexuality and gender in a way that will make the story relatable to concerned parties without scaring away readers who are only now beginning to explore this genre. 

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

Genre: Children Mystery

My Rating: 4 stars

The Plot: It’s winter and at Greenglass House, an old inn famous for its clientele of smugglers, the innkeepers and their adopted son, Milo, are getting reading to spend the holidays together during what is supposed to be the low season. Then, as snow begins to fall and it slowly starts to get colder, five guests unexpectedly show up. These strangers all seem to be rather secretive and no sooner has Milo begun to wonder about what secrets they might each have, things start to go missing in the house. And thus, as the snow deepens around the remote inn, inside its walls, secrets begin to unfold.

My Review: This is one of the best children books I've read lately and I'd recommend it to everyone who enjoys a good winter mystery read, especially during the holiday season. It was very well written in a fast-paced and compelling way that will suit adults and children alike. The book is full of secret maps, treasure-filled attics, smugglers and pirates and a good share of mystery. It was a fun read and I'll definitely be checking out the author's other works.

So those were my mini reviews for some of the books I enjoyed in December. Have you read any of these books? If yes, do share your thoughts about them with me in the comments.

The Mean Girls Book Tag!

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Today I'm doing the Mean Girls Tag, created by Sarah-Jane from the blog The Book Life. If like me you love Mean Girls and have watched it more than a few times, consider yourself tagged ^^ Please note that I've omitted some of the original questions to re-adapt the tag to my blog. If you wish to do the full original tag, head over to Sarah-Jane's blog.

“She doesn’t even go here!” - Which character would you like to place in a fictional world from another book or series?

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I'd love to see how Percy Jackson would be like in Harry Potter's world. Can you imagine Percy hanging out with Harry at Hogwarts? Fangirl dream right there!

“On Wednesdays we wear pink!” - Repetition. Repetition. Which book gave you deja vu of another book whilst reading it?

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That would be Silas Marner by George Elliot. It's about a bitter old man who gets all his money stolen, only to find a baby abandoned near where he lives shortly after. As he loses one treasure, another enters his life. A few pages into this and I realized it was almost the same story as another book I had just recently read, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Turns out The Storied Life is based on Silas Marner! LOL

"You all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores." - Which book gave you the complete opposite of girl power feels?

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Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. Eclipse by... Oh, you get the point. 

“You go Glen Coco!” - Name a character you felt like you wanted to cheer on whilst reading.

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Elphaba from Wicked by Gregory Maguire. She's Maguire's version of the Wicked Witch of the West in his adult Wizard of Oz retelling. In this version, the Wicked Witch becomes a unique female character who is a feminist and pretty much a rebel in her own way. I was just rooting for her throughout the book, which is not something you'd normally say about the Wicked Witch of the West.

“Get in loser, we’re going shopping!” How long do you typically spend at a book shop?

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If I have friends waiting for me, I'd say about 15 mins. If I'm on my own? I have no time limit ^^

“I can’t help it that I’m popular.” - Which overhyped book were you cautious about reading?

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I was super wary of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and rightfully so. Wasn't impressed by it. Nope. If you've read thriller books by authors like Sidney Sheldon before, you can tell where this book is going by the time you're fifty pages in. 

“I’m not like a regular Mom, I’m a cool Mom.” - Your favourite fictional parents.

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Mr and Mrs Weasley from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Molly Weasley in particular is such a loving mum. She's also a fabulous mother figure to Harry. She looks after him as if he was one of her own children. Plus, Harry even gets one of the horrible sweaters she makes every single Christmas for her children. If that's not a proof of love :)

“That is so Fetch!” - Which book or series would you love to catch on?

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I wish more people would read Gregory Maguire's books. He writes mostly adult magical realism and fantasy books based on fairytales and popular children stories like the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland.  I feel like I keep talking about his books on this blog but I can't really help it XD They're just brilliant that way!

So that's it for this tag guys! If you love Mean Girls, feel free to do this tag. If you do it, don't forget to send me a link so that I can read it :)

My Most Anticipated Books of 2016!

With a new year comes new resolutions which you may or may not keep, new blog posts waiting to be written and read and, above all, lots and lots of new exciting book releases!

Today I'm sharing some of those new releases I'm most excited about. If there's a book you've been anticipating but I haven't included in my list, let me know so that I might check it out. I've tried listing the books according to their release dates although for some it hasn't been finalized yet.

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

Released on: February 2nd

This is the sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic, which I haven't actually read yet but which I'm hoping to soon. I read Vicious by the same author last year and loved it and I can't wait to read more of her books.

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer 

Released on: February 2nd

This is an anthology collecting the different companion short stories Marissa Meyer wrote for her series The Lunar Chronicles and it will come with a bunch of newly written stories as well. While I'm still a bit sad that the series is now over, this collection comes as a little bonus trip back to the universe of Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Released on: March 8th

This will be the first book in a new Shadowhunter series, set in the same world as The Mortal Instruments and taking place a few years after the events of TMI's last book. TMI and the Infernal Devices, the first two Shadowhunter series by Clare, are among my favorite YA fantasy series and I can't wait to read more books set in this universe. Also, I hope some old fan favorites will be making cameos in Lady Midnight!

The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan

Released on: May 3rd

After angering Zeus, the God Apollo is banished from Olympus and sent down to Earth as a mere mortal. With the looming threat of countless mortal and immortal enemies who want nothing more than to get back at him now that he's mortal, Apollo decides to seek help at the one place where he might still find some: good old Camp Half-Blood. 

This marks the start of a new series set in the Percy Jackson universe. As excited as I am by the promise of some more of Greek demigods and Camp Half-Blood, I'm also a little apprehensive as to how the book will be executed. Apollo will be going to Camp Half-Blood as a mortal teenager. Sure, sounds just like your regular Rick Riordan quest adventure. Except for the tiny fact that this newly mortal teenager is actually the father to a whole bunch of kids at Camp Half-Blood! I will be reading the book because I'd read anything by Rick Riordan, but I'm just a little anxious as to how it'll play out. 

The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase #2) by Rick Riordan 

Released on: October 4th

Here's one Rick Riordan book I'm totally hyped for. Last year I read the first Magnus Chase book and really enjoyed it. The last pages of the book left us on quite a cliffhanger and I can't wait to see how this sequel unfolds from that point. This series follows the adventures of a Norse demigod and much like previous Riordan series, it's full of gods, monsters and myths come to life drenched in a fair share of humor and sarcasm. 

Heartless by Marissa Meyer 

Released on: November 8th

Along with Rick Riordan and Cassandra Clare, Marissa Meyer is one of my favorite YA authors. I absolutely loved her Lunar Chronicles series and now that she has a new book coming out, I have more of her cool universes and beautiful prose to look forward to. Heartless will be a retelling of Alice in Wonderland focusing on the Queen of Hearts. I'm not sure yet about the details but so far, the premise looks very promising. 

So those were some of my most anticipated book releases of the year, although I'm sure I'll be adding more titles to my TBR as the year unfolds. Which of these books are you most excited for? Let me know in the comments!

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Cover art by Of Stacks and Cups via Pagemodo