Series Review | To All the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy, Jenny Han

                            

Hello, guys! And welcome to this series review. This time it's turn for the known contemporary, YA trilogy by Jenny Han, To All the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy. It was originally going to be a standalone, then a duology, and finally it's come to be a trilogy. It says in the acknowledgments of the third book that there will be no more books in this series, so that's as far as Lara Jean's story gets. I've reviewed both To All the Books I've Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You in the past, so I thought it would be nice to review the last book in the series (Always and Forever Lara Jean) in relation to the previous two - what is commonly called a Book Series Review, right? I guess?

The series follows a teenage girl named Lara Jean who comes from a multi-racial family - her mum has a Corean origin and her dad is a white American. Lara Jean has a habit of writing letters to the boys she loved once she stops loving them, but she never sends them. One day, the letters get mysteriously sent out to the boys, who one by one come to her to ask for an explanation she doesn't want to give.

Summer Book Haul!

Hello, guys! It's been quite a while since I last posted a book haul, and since then I have become the proud new owner of more than a few literary works. As summer is about to end, with school just around the corner, I thought why not write a post including all the books that have come to live in my shelves during this summer.

If you follow me on Twitter you'll know I've been traveling quite a lot around Europe this summer. First I went to Rome with my family as a surprise birthday present; a few weeks later I went to the UK for a university course at Newcastle and then to London for a few days with some of my friends; I then went to Pamplona (Spain) for San Fermines festivities; two weeks later I went to Paris with my sister; and last but not least I went to Mallorca for the weekend (the past weekend). This is A LOT for anyone, but it feels huge for me because I usually don't travel much, and for some reason it has come all at the same time. The thing is, I love buying books when I travel instead of the usual souvenir, so some of the mountains of books I bought this summer came from my travels. The rest, you'll find out about as you read along!

Without further ado, let's see how big my family has grown! 

The following books are in chronological order of purchase. I've included all my purchases from the day my summer started back in May.

Cova Reviews | Caraval, by Stephanie Garber

Hello once more! This post will be a review of this year's release Caraval, by Stephanie Garber. It is a young adult, fantasy novel - the first in a series of books that are still to come. I listened to this book on Audiobook :)

"Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away." (Goodreads)

Cova Reviews | Salt to the Sea, by Ruta Sepetys

Hello everyone! It's time for a new book review :) You'd be rare if you didn't already know about Ruta Sepetys' multiple award-winning young adult, historical fiction novel Salt to the Sea. At least, if you frequent the page Goodreads, you'll know it won last year's (2016) Goodreads Choice Award for young Adult Fiction. It had such a good reception I had to read it! Moreover, I listened to it on audiobook -thus it contributes to the 2017 Audiobook Challenge I am taking part in!

"Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.
Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.
As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.
Yet not all promises can be kept.
Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope." (Goodreads)

Cova Reviews | Famous by Default - MK Harkins

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review via NetGalley. This does not in any away affect the truthfulness of the following statement, which reflects my honest opinion on the novel

Hello, guys! Hope everything's going well :) This week's post will be a review of Famous by Default, by M.K. Harkins. It is a light young adult, contemporary novel about love, loss and finding oneself.

"Jax

Buried,By my family's fame.Dying to escape the limelight,And finally, I do.

Being raised as a Jayne, I'm under constant scrutiny. The rock band my brothers formed makes it impossible to stay under the radar. Paparazzi, tabloids, rabid fans--you name it and I've got it. It all makes me sick. But getting shipped off to crazy Aunt Betty's house in my senior year of high school isn't any better. After all, there isn't a stray kid or pet in the world that my aunt wouldn't take in.

Then I meet her. She's cautious, suspicious, and not interested in me at all. But that's fine by me. Sivan Holt may be beautiful and intelligent, but she's nothing I'm looking for.

Sivan

Drowning,In my past.Struggling to feel settled.And finally, I do.

Growing up in the foster care system, I longed for a sense of belonging. All I wanted was a place to call home.At the age of seventeen, I'm finally starting to feel it here. Home.

When he comes along, it unsettles me. I don't want him to ruin everything we've built--everything that matters. Jax Jayne is arrogant, privileged, and I want nothing to do with him. But those green eyes of his keep drawing me in. If I let down my walls, will it be my final undoing?" (Goodreads)

Cova Reviews | The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater

Hello again! Today I bring to you a review of amazing YA, paranormal novel The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater. I'd heard some about it, and I found an awesome deal, so I just decided to buy it and only then asked if it was any good :P Luckily for me, I ended up really loving it! It is the first book to a series that has 4 books in it so far - The Raven Cycle. As I read it in audiobook format, it adds to the list of books I've listened to for my 2017 Audiobook Challenge! :D (surprisingly, I am 50% done with it and were're only half-way through March!). 

"“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore." (Goodreads)

Cova Reviews | Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng | 2017 Diverse Reads Challenge

Hi there! This post is a review for the 2017 Diverse Reads Challenge for the month of February. I know it's probably a bit late, but honestly I haven't had much time to sit and write blog posts for a while now - exams and family visits take up too much of my time! (yes, my scheduled post came in handy 😏) So sorry this one's coming slightly off time 😀 

So anyway. February's topic was POC main character / Biracial / Multiracial. I went for biracial with Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste NG. I was really excited to read this book because I'd read about it in so many different places and, although I didn't really know what it was about, it caught my attention. Sadly, it didn't quite lift up to my expectations :(

Lydia is a half-Chinese/half-American teenager who lives in the 70s. She lives with her family - Chinese dad, American mum, and an older brother and a younger sister. The book starts off telling you Lydia is dead. That we know. What we don't know is how, when or why. We will find out as we dive into Lydia's past and her family's, and we will see how difficult it is to be raised in a country that's just starting to accept people of other races. 

Cova Reviews | The Wrath and the Dawn, by Renée Ahdieh | Diverse Reads Challenge

Hello, people! So here is the first post of the series of posts I am planning to make for the 2017 Diverse Reads Challenge I signed up for this year :) January was the month for Folktale/Mythology, and I decided to go for the first option. 

The Wrath and The Dawn, by Renée Ahdieh is a YA, re-telling of the One Thousand and One Nights tale. In some part of Arabia, a whole kingdom is terrified and outraged by their young boy-king Khalid. No one knows why, he takes a girl from the city every so often, marries her and kills her the next morning. Families are destroyed, and no explanation is given to them. One day, Shahrzad volunteers to be the next girl, but she has no intention of dying.

Most exciting releases of 2017!

Hello, hello! Even though it's not the start of the year anymore, I thought I'd still write a post about the books I'm most excited for which will come out this year. I don't usually search for books that are not yet published -I'm used to waiting for other people to read them and see what the bookish community thinks. But for some reason, this year I've found myself searching for books that I could read for my reading challenges, and some of the ones I found had not been published yet but still I really wanted to read them! Also, as most people do, I always wait for book sequels to come out, and there are two I am very excited about this year!

So summing up, here are the 2017 releases I am most excited for! If you click on the images, it should take you to the Goodreads page for the book :)

Cova Reviews | To All The Boys I've Loved Before - Jenny Hann

Hey, guys! First of all, Merry Christmas everyone! I have been away for some time due to my finals, but I am back to say goodbye to 2016 :D Today I bring to you a YA, contemporary novel by Jenny Han - To All The Boys I've Loved Before (the first of the to-be trilogy To All the Boys I've Loved Before). I hadn't heard a lot about this novel, but what I'd  heard was great, so I (wrongly) decided to pick it up just before my exams period. I started listening to the audiobook, but then I just really wanted to know what was going to happen next quicker than the audiobook would let me and I picked up the e-book. I absolutely loved this novel! But let's just get right into the details :) 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is about a girl named Lara Jean who has the habit of writing a love letter to every boy she likes when she stops liking them. She keeps them in a box, and never sends them -it's just so she can move on, like a good-bye letter. The thing is that one day, the letters are somehow sent to the boys, and her secrets exposed.

Book Series Review: The Mortal Instruments (Cassandra Clare)

Hello everyone! Today I'm going to be talking about and reviewing book series by Cassandra Clare - The Mortal Instruments (yes, I know the picture I posted right above these lines is from City of Bones - the movie, but it's so beautiful!).

Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma

Forbidden by British author Tabitha Suzuma is a young adult, contemporary novel  about two siblings who fall in love. I directly tell you it is an outstanding read.

"She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister." (modified from Goodreads)

Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard

Hello everyone! This week's post will be about Glass Sword -the second book to the Red Queen series, by Victoria Aveyard - her young adult, dystopian, fantasy series. As a note, I will tell you that the author has recently announced her plan to add a fourth book to what originally was going to be her first trilogy. The title and release dates of both the third and fourth novels has not been set yet (I don't think even the 3rd one is fully finished, so... :P). What I know is that the third novel will be out in 2017, and I can guess it will be around February - just as the previous two were. Let's hope it's not later than that!

I would advise you to only read the following plot summary if you've already read Red Queen (I won't write any spoilers, but I wouldn't read about a second book if I haven't read the first one). Otherwise, you can read what the first book (Red Queen) is about here. 

"If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. 

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. 

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. 

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul. " (Goodreads)

A Thousand Pieces of You - Claudia Gray

Hello everybody! I know it's been quite a long time since I last posted anything. Being a college student is hard! As you may know if you follow me on Twitter, I have a few reviews to write, so I'll start posting them whenever I get the chance.  

As for this one, it is about A Thousand Pieces of You, by Claudia Gray. It is a young adult, science-fiction (some even say fantasy, though I wouldn't quite agree) novel - the first part of the Firebird Series.

"Cloud Atlas meets Orphan Black in this epic dimension-bending trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray about a girl who must chase her father's killer through multiple dimensions.
Marguerite Caine's physicist parents are known for their groundbreaking achievements. Their most astonishing invention, called the Firebird, allows users to jump into multiple universes—and promises to revolutionize science forever. But then Marguerite's father is murdered, and the killer—her parent's handsome, enigmatic assistant Paul— escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.
Marguerite refuses to let the man who destroyed her family go free. So she races after Paul through different universes, always leaping into another version of herself. But she also meets alternate versions of the people she knows—including Paul, whose life entangles with hers in increasingly familiar ways. Before long she begins to question Paul's guilt—as well as her own heart. And soon she discovers the truth behind her father's death is far more sinister than she expected.
A Thousand Pieces of You explores an amazingly intricate multi-universe where fate is unavoidable, the truth elusive, and love the greatest mystery of all." (Goodreads)

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles 2) - Marissa Meyer

Hello once again! This post will be about the second novel to The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. The first novel of the series -Cinder- already has a review on the blog, which you can find here. 

As you may know, I am taking part in two challenges at the moment: 2016 Finishing the Series Challenge and the 2016 Audiobook Challenge, and Scarlet qualifies for both! I did listen to this novel in audiobook, and The Lunar Chronicles is one of the series I am aiming to finish by the end of the year :) yay!

"Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive. 
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner."(Goodreads)

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

Hello everyone :) Today I bring to you Fangirl - a young adult, contemporary novel written by Rainbow Rowell - a book which so many people are talking about. 

Honestly, I had seen Fangirl in bookshops so many times before, but I did not bring myself to buying it until quite recently after I read and watched so many good reviews about it. It is nothing like what I thought it was going to be. It is the first novel I read from the author, and I am really happy I did.

"A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. 
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...
But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?" (Goodreads)

Heima es hogar en islandés (Laila Soler)

Hello everyone! So this review will be in Spanish, as this book by Laila Soler has only been published in this language. Regardless, you can use the blog's translating widget that you will find on the right sidebar to have a look at it in case the novel ever gets translated into English or maybe just to satisfy your curiosity :)

Heima es Hogar en Islandés es una novela young adult de ficción y fantasía inspirada en un viaje a Islandia que la propia autora realizó con su familia. 

"¿Puede estar tu hogar a miles de kilómetros de casa?Ver la vida en blanco y negro no es divertido.Laura padece una extraña enfermedad que le impide apreciar los colores, pero si últimamente su vida es gris no es solo porque sufre acromatopsia. Acaba de romper con su novio y sus padres no dejan de pelearse tras el divorcio. Por eso, decide alejarse de todo y toma el primer avión que sale del aeropuerto.El destino la lleva hasta Reikiavik, Islandia. Allí conoce al simpático Orri, quien le propone emprender un viaje para recorrer el país con él y su no tan simpático amigo Guðjon. Quizá no sea una idea sensata, pero no es que Islandia ofrezca muchas opciones a una chica que se ha escapado de casa.Lo que Laura nunca podría sospechar es que los dos islandeses esconden un secreto imposible de creer, incluso para alguien como ella, y que ese viaje la cambiará para siempre." (Goodreads)

Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why is a Young Adult, fiction novel which tells us the story about a guy, Clay Jensen, who randomly receives a box with his name on it in which he finds seven double-sided tapes recorded by his deceased friend Hannah Baker, explaining the 13 reasons why she decided to commit suicide. Only those people who made the list will ever listen to the tapes, which leaves us with one single question - what did Clay do to be in the list?

I found this book absolutely refreshing. The story is just so original and creative, and the flow of the story is very good. This is the first book I ever decided to listen to on audiobook, and I think I made such a good choice! I wasn't really sure about listening to something you are meant to read, but if you ever think about trying it out, this book definitely is the right one to do so because the story is mainly the tapes of Hannah Baker explaining her story, so I literally felt as if I was listening to the tapes. Moreover this audiobook has two different voices - a male one for the part narrated by Clay and a female one for Hannah Baker's tapes, which I think is a brilliant idea. The audiobook definitely got a 5/5 from me. If you ever have the chance, please try it out. 

Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard is the first book of a young adult, fantasy series with the same name about a world in which there are two kinds of people - those whose blood has a red colour and those whose blood has a silver colour. The Silvers have special abilities which enables them overpower the Reds, who live in very bad conditions and tend to hate the Silvers. Our main character, Mare, is a Red, destined to serve the military in her next birthday, but her story is much more complicated than that...

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz

When I first heard of this book, I was a bit cautious with it because I thought the title implied it being a middle-school read which I wouldn't enjoy as much. However, I heard and read so many good reviews on it that I changed my mind about it, and decided to buy it. Here's what I thought about it.

First of all, let me please tell you that if you are thinking that maybe you'd like to read it, don't rely on the back-cover insight to the story. It's pretty poor, and it will make you think of it as a boring on, which is not.

It is about two 15-year-old boys, Ari and Dante, who don't really have many friends, and find each other at the town's swimming pool. From that moment on, they become really good friends, and you'll start knowing more about the two of them as the story goes on - as will them, really.