May Wrap up - Book Haul & What to Expect Next Month

Hi all! I'm a little early with my wrap up, again..

This is because I'm traveling, again..

What can I say?! I just love exploring new places and take every chance I get to travel.

I'm leaving for Tirol this Wednesday and I will be back on Monday the 29th.

Since my agenda is very full the next couple of days and also when I get back, I'm writing my wrap-up already!

Enjoy 💓

   

 

  

DIGITAL BOOKS

(either from Netgalley, authors, giveaways or self-bought)

   

PHYSICAL BOOKS

(either from Celebrate Books, authors, giveaways or self-bought)

   

   

 

   

   

What book are you excited to read next month? 

What was your best buy this month?! Let me know!

>

Get To Know Me Tag #1

Hi dear blog readers.

I've been blogging for a couple of months now, and I'm enjoying this so much!

The fact that people actually read what I write about books, comment and share their thoughts with me is a great experience. Also have authors actually asking me to read their book is something new and unique to me.

I thought it would be nice to add a little depth to my blog,

by doing a Get To Know Me Tag.

I'll answer 8 questions about me, so you'll get to know me a bit better!

I'll end the tag with the next physical book I'll be reading.

Let me know what you think about this tag, and share some cool tags with me that you did!

• What is your middle name?
  My name is actually Tamara Esmeralda and my parents called me Esther. So Tamara Esmeralda is on my passport, but my name is Esther. Yeah.. Confusing. Especially when they call you Tamara on airports or offices while everyone else calls you Esther.

• What is your favorite colour?
  I always thought that I didn't have a favorite colour, but I figured out that I actually like pink. All shades of pink. My favorite bag is pink, and when I have to choose a colour for my nails, I have the urge to pick pink, ALWAYS.

• How tall are you?
  The better question is: How short are you? People tease me with my length! I'm 1 meter and 61 centimetres...

• Cats or dogs?
  CATS CATS CATS!! Look at this cute one... Her name is Roxy.

• How many countries have you visited?
  I've been to; Sweden, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Czech Republic, Zambia, Namibia and USA (Chicago). So 13.

• Are you in/gone to college?
  Yes. I've been studying to become a teacher for primary schools at a University in the Netherlands. After that I've done my Masters in Special Educational Needs. And now I'm working as a teacher in 2nd and 3rd grade (group 4/5 in The Netherlands) 5 days a week!

• What was your favorite/worst subject in High School?
  My favorite was English, since I've never had a lot of trouble with that subject, it was kinda easy for me. I hated Economics and French, after 2 years I chose other subjects and dropped those.

• What is your favorite drink?
  I'm a real person for warm drinks. I love tea but coffee is my #1 addiction. I start my day with coffee at work and then at 10.00 I need another coffee. In the evening I always drink coffee as well. Yum!

And the book I'm about to pick up..

A young woman wakes up in a cold, dark cellar, with no idea how she got there or who her kidnapper is. So begins her terrible nightmare.

Nearby, the body of another young woman is discovered buried on a remote beach. But the dead girl was never reported missing - her estranged family having received regular texts from her over the years. Someone has been keeping her alive from beyond the grave.

For Detective Inspector Helen Grace it's chilling evidence that she's searching for a monster who is not just twisted but also clever and resourceful - a predator who's killed before.

And as Helen struggles to understand the killer's motivation she begins to realize that she's in a desperate race against time.

Well that's it for today! Let me know what you think of this tag...

I appreciate the opinions!

Thanks for reading.

>

Review: Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2)

Author: Marissa Meyer
Started reading: May 7th 2017
Finished the book: May 14th 2017
Pages: 454
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, YA
Published: February 5th 2013
Source: Bought the book
Goodreads score: 4.30
My score:

Synopsis
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. 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

My thoughts

This series is so unique, I loved this second book. Have read the first book twice now, and it's one of my favorites. The second wasn't a favorite, but I still enjoyed to read this book very much! The way Marissa Meyer can transform a fairy tale into a great sci-fi story and the fact that you still recognize the fairy-tale, is a real talent.

Pros

• Characters: This second book introduces a couple of great new characters. Some series don't need new characters, but I feel that the new characters in this series can definitely add something unique to the story. The characters are likable and add a new layer to the story. Wolf is very intriguing and Tanner adds a nice dose of sarcasm and testosterone. 
• Stories coming together: The way the stories in this book come together is really cool. Scarlet has her own story, as well as Cinder. The way their stories are woven together to a new story with all the history around it is very well thought through.
• Action: The action in this book is awesome. I like action when it's adds something to the story and when it's written well so you can vision it in your head. The last part of the book has some gruesome action to it and I highly enjoyed it!
• Queen Levana: The big "bad guy" (bad girl in this case) in this book is someone to be afraid of. Some books have an evil person and sometimes they don't scare me, but Queen Levana is someone to be afraid of, which she proves again in this book.

Cons

• Vibe: The first book had a vibe, a feeling to it, which made me love it and add it to my favorites. I didn't feel the vibe in this book, although I absolutely enjoyed the book. Maybe it was because Cinder was on the run and the story had a lot of different aspects to it, while in the first book you really only followed Cinder around.
• Plot-twists: I felt like this book didn't have that much plot twists, or maybe I figured them out too quick. There were some minor aspects that I didn't see coming, but in the end the book didn't leave me with big surprises that needed thinking through.

Overall

Such an enjoyable series that turns your modern fairy-tale into a great action paced sci-fi story. I love how every book evolves around a different fairy tale and how the different fairy tales are woven to one new story. This series is something very unique and enjoyable to read!

Little Red Riding Hood, eat your heart out!

Other opinions about this book

"Returning fans of Meyer's Cinder will gladly sink their teeth into this ambitious, wholly satisfying sequel."

- Publishers Weekly

"The author has stepped up the intrigue and plot from the first novel, and readers will be eagerly awaiting the next."

- School Library Journal

"Further development of this futuristic world plus plenty of action, surprises, and a fast pace will keep readers invested in their journey."

- The Horn Book

Memorable quotes from this book

"I think I realized that I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you."

"It would be easy to abuse a person when they never recognized it as abuse."

Whats your opinion on this series? Did you read it and what did you think?

And if you didn't read it yet; are you planning on reading it?

  

>