WWW Wednesday – May 3

May 3, 2017May 3, 2017 ~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 4 Comments

WWWWednesday

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words and was formerly hosted by A Daily Rhythm. It is open for anyone to participate, even without a blog you can comment on Sam’s post with your own answers. It is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

ACourtofWingsandWuin

“It’s a rare person to face who they are and not run from it – not be broken by it.”

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas. I bet you would never have guess that I picked this up the very first moment that I could. It was agony having it delivered and not being able to read it immediately. As a bit of a surprise, so far it hasn’t been as good as the first two books. Sure, it’s a 700 page monster and there is plenty of time to get to some action but I’m jonesing. Hopefully I will have a full review for you over the weekend.

What did you recently finish reading?

APerilousUndertaking

“Well, I have to keep them covered or else you lose the power of speech”

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn. I love historical fiction. I love mysteries. So how could I resist a historical mystery? The first book in the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries, A Curious Beginning, was excellent so I had high hopes for A Perilous Undertaking. Both books have witty dialogue, an engaging mystery, and a colorful cast of characters. Worth picking up.

What do you think you’ll read next?

30095464

“Then perhaps we should carve a world one day where the strength lies in who you are, rather than in what they expect you to be.”

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco. Not going to lie to you, folks. I genuinely have no idea what this book is about. That cover pulls me in. I need to touch it. I’ll end up reading this one just because that cover has it’s hold on me. Reviews of this book on Goodreads seem to be hit or miss but I’ll give it a shot.

That’s all folks! I hope everyone is having a fabulous day and, as always, feel free to leave a link to your own WWW Wednesday in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Covers

May 2, 2017May 2, 2017 ~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 21 Comments

Happy Tuesday, everyone! You know what this lovely Tuesday is? Today is the release of A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas. I know I’m not the only one on pins and needles waiting to open it up to the first page. So, while I not-so-patiently wait for my copy to be delivered, I bring you my first ever Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! These are some of my favorite book covers. I tried not to judge them by my like or dislike of the book itself but on the merits of the cover alone.

The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford – This is one I haven’t personally read but the cover speaks to me. It’s lovely and I know I’ll get to the book eventually.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber – I had high hopes for Garber’s Caraval but, in the end, it was a bit of a let down. Either way, the cover is very eye catching.
Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst – Haven’t read this one either but the lovely gold scrolling lettering on the fairly simple background is powerful.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – I love how bold this cover is while still keeping to a simple color scheme. Walking around in a book store this cover always catches my eye even though I own it and have read it a dozen times.
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer – This cover are reminds me of some bold, lovely sculpture displayed in a museum or private collection. It is easy to sit and try to pick apart the pieces of it to try to figure out what they represent.
The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan – I’m not entirely sure why this cover always draws my attention, but it does. Flowers and the pinkish color scheme typically aren’t up my alley but this one calls to me none the less.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco – What can I say, I have a thing for purple and the lovely gold scroll work makes for a very striking image.
Wicked Like a Wildfire by Lana Popović – So, yeah, my love of purple continues. And that moth/butterfly in the corner is artfully placed to draw your eye. Beautiful.
The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine – The detail on this cover looks like stitching and, to put it simply, it’s lovely. I’m sure it’s relevant to the story but, if anything, I think it would look better without that drop of blood.
A Twist in Time by Julie McElwain– Elegant is the best word I can think of to describe the art on A Twist in Time. Again, a more simple color scheme but absolutely lovely

This was my first Top Ten Tuesday and it was really pretty fun to do! I found several books I want to read while browsing the cover art. As always, thanks for reading!

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn

May 1, 2017 ~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 3 Comments

APerilousUndertaking

Sequels. Whether in books or movies you never quite know what to expect. Traditionally the sequel doesn’t meet the same expectations of it’s predecessor. Take the original Star Wars trilogy for example. Some of the absolute most popular films in history and yet that second one, The Empire Strikes Back, is typically considered the most lowly of the three. The curse of the sequel.

I read the first book of Raybourn’s Speedwell mysteries, A Curious Beginning, a few months back and very much enjoyed every page. When I spotted A Perilous Undertaking at the library I was excited to jump back into it’s Victorian era mystery but at the same time apprehensive. Would it live up to the first book or would I be left wanting?

I should never have doubted Raybourn. A Perilous Undertaking is every bit as good as A Curious Beginning. Shame on me.

We return to the story with Veronica Speedwell, a lepidopterist, some months after having learned that she was a bastard child of the royal family. A family that would never, and could never, claim her. She accepted this and was quite content going about her own life in pursuit of scientific inquiry of butterflies. She and her companion (not in the connubial sense) Stoker have planned a new expedition and are excited to leave London behind in search of adventure.

Their plans are thwarted when one of their party (the one with the deep pockets) falls ill and they are forced to put their expedition on hold. In the meantime, Veronica has found herself at a club in the company of one of the royal princesses. Princess Louise asks for Veronica’s help in correctly solving a murder and clearing the name of the man currently blamed for the deed.

“The hardest lesson I had learnt upon my travels was patience. There are times when every muscle, every nerve, screams for movement, when every instinct urges escape. But the instinct to fly is not always a sound one. There are occasions when only stillness can save you.”

Going through some other reviews of this book on Goodreads and Amazon and such I’ve noticed several people commenting that it takes this story a while to get going. I don’t agree. Every act, every moment in the first few chapters is important. You are reacquainted with the cast of characters, given information on their current lives as they do differ slightly from the first book, and are introduced to the mystery at hand. I didn’t think it was slow moving at all but instead necessary information to make the story complete.

Of course Veronica takes up the mystery with the aide of dear Stoker and once again they find themselves investigating a murder. I was, as I was the first time, thrilled with Veronica’s decidedness to be her own woman. She did not allow the social aspect in the Victorian era of letting the male oppress the woman rule her. I love what a strong, intelligent, willful character she is.

The investigation takes the duo to some very interesting places. A vast private home being used to house and teach budding artists, an opium den, Scotland yard, the royal palace, and a grotto on a piece of private property which was obviously used as a salacious sex den. All the while Veronica and Stoker keep up their witty banter which I quickly fell in love with in the first book. They are both highly intelligent people on a mission and their dialogue is marvelous. The dynamic between those two is so entertaining that they could be having a discussion about the common house fly and make it interesting.

If you enjoy a good mystery or have an interest in Victorian era historical fiction I highly recommend giving this series a shot. The story was thoroughly engrossing and while I suspected the eventual murderer it was still a joy to watch the duo come to the same conclusion. As a side note, while I am not particularly squeamish I know that some topics can be delicate for folks and would like point out that the murdered person was a pregnant woman. I’m sure it would be a touchy subject for some people and prefer to give readers a heads up.

I hope that if you do choose to pick up these Veronica Speedwell mysteries that you enjoy them as much as I do. The third book featuring these characters, A Treacherous Curse, is due out in January of 2018.

The Greek Gods Book Tag

April 28, 2017 ~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 6 Comments

Hello, everyone! I spotted this tag over at The Books Cover Girls and, due to my eternal love and obsession for ancient cultures, had to do it. Seems like a fun tag that I haven’t seen around before so lets get to it, shall we? The original tag was created by Zuky @ Book Bum.

Rules:

Pingback to Zuky’s post
You can use Zuky’s graphics if you like, but you don’t have to if you don’t want
Tag as many people as you want, but please, share the love

Zeus

ZEUS: KING OF THE GODS – YOUR FAVORITE BOOK

– It is impossible to choose an absolute favorite book. It changes fairly regularly depending on mood and whatever else is going on in my life. However, I certainly do go through book obsessions. My current obsession is the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas. Her writing style is immersive and I’m very much looking forward to A Court of Wings and Ruin‘s release on May 2nd.

Hera

HERA: QUEEN OF THE GODS – A BAD ASS FEMALE CHARACTER

-I love a book with a bad ass female. A woman who doesn’t need saved by anyone else. A woman who isn’t there just to further a ridiculous love story. For this, I give you Paige from The Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon. In a world ruled by a highly corrupt government that oppresses it’s people, Paige rises to lead a rebellion to end her people’s suffering. To allow them to live in the light. She is such a strong character and I have loved watching her develop through the first three books of the series. Can’t wait for Shannon to release the next.

Janus

JANUS: GOD OF BEGINNINGS – YOUR FAVORITE DEBUT(S)

-I had a little bit of trouble with this. Admittedly, I’m a little bit picky with my reading and tend to only pick up books (or at least only pay for books) that have numerous strong, positive reviews. Typically those are found in established authors. That being said, The Case of the Green-Dressed Ghost by Lucy Banks has been one of my favorite books so far this year. It’s an easy read but has entertaining characters and a fun story line. Wonderful debut.

thecaseofthegreendressedghost

Athena

ATHENA: GODDESS OF WISDOM – YOUR FAVORITE NON-FICTION BOOK

–The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones. As I may have mentioned, I have a vibrant love of history. While my main interest is certainly Ancient Egypt, medieval Europe is certainly a close second. I feel like Jones captured the history and eccentricities of the ruling family of Plantagenets. He kept to the facts while keeping it interesting. Very nice read if you enjoy that kind of thing.

ThePlantagenets

Aphrodite

APHRODITE: GODDESS OF LOVE – A BOOK YOU ADORE AND RECOMMEND EVERYONE READ (OTHER THAN YOUR FAVORITE BOOK!)

-Usually when given this task I will spout off Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore without a second thought. This time, I think I’ll do something different. Recently I had the pleasure of reading Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I did not expect to love this book. I expected yet another over-hyped knock around. What I got instead was a wonderfully written, thoroughly engrossing fantastical story. Even though I finished it weeks and weeks ago I still can’t get it out of my head. I know at some point I will pick up the rest of the books in that series and I hope they are just as magical as the first.

Hades

HADES: GOD OF THE UNDERWORLD – AN EVIL BOOK YOU WISH DIDN’T EXIST

–SeQuence (The Heart of the Ocean #1) by Lorraine M.L.M. This piece of trash needs to go in the garbage and never be heard from again. I have never read a story that has angered me the way this one did. The “leading lady” has no ambition and happily allows herself to be controlled by others. She doesn’t have an original thought in her head and is always saved from her predicaments by a man who claims to love her but spends most of his time ignoring or avoiding her. I can’t believe this book was written by a woman because it encourages women to be little more than door mats. Complete and utter rubbish.

Poseidon

POSEIDON: GOD OF THE SEA & EARTHQUAKES – A BEAUTIFUL & GROUND-BREAKING BOOK

-Let’s be honest, I seriously entertained jumping into the Pit of Sarcasm this morning and putting a book about archaeology here. You get it? Ground breaking? Archaeology? Work with me here, people. My snarkiness aside, I can’t think of a book I’ve read that is truly ground breaking. To me that means pushing the boundaries of what is currently considered fiction and opening the world’s eyes upon something new and mind altering. If/when I stumble across a book like that, I’ll let you know.

Apollo

APOLLO: GOD OF THE ARTS – A BEAUTIFUL BOOK COVER

–Mayan Mendacity by L.J.M. Owen. Perhaps this cover isn’t conventionally beautiful but I find it stunningly eye catching. Simple yet bold color scheme and with the use of Mayan eyes at the top this cover never ceases to catch my attention.

Hypnos

HYPNOS: GOD OF SLEEP – A BOOK SO BORING YOU ALMOST FELL ASLEEP

–The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova. Usually I can find something nice to say about just about any book I read but oh my God this book was boring. Kostova is a critically acclaimed author and this book was highly anticipated upon it’s release among the community. However, getting through it was a complete and utter chore. I feel like I could have found my way out of a tar pit more easily than it was to drag myself through this thing.

theshadowland

Hermes

HERMES: MESSENGER OF THE GODS – A BOOK YOU SPED THROUGH

–A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. If you haven’t heard me gush about this book before, it was amazing. Stupendous. I loved every word on every page. I love it so much I loaned out my hard copy of it for someone else to read. I have only ever done that once before as I am very proprietary about my books. I started reading this on a mere whim one afternoon and was sucked in within the first couple of pages. Wonderful book with vivid details and obsessive story.

ShadesOfMagic

Well, that’s that. I really did enjoy doing this tag and if you want to do it as well, please feel free! I hope everyone has a wonderful day and happy reading.

This or That Book Tag

April 27, 2017April 27, 2017 ~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 8 Comments

It’s 3am and I can’t sleep. So, laying in bed wondering exactly how far I am from a spider at that exact moment (I hate spiders), I decide to get up and find myself a book tag to do. Lo and behold I found this little beauty over at Book Princess Reviews. Please, join me and my sleep addled, arachnophobic brain for the This or That book tag!

misunderstood-spider-1

Rules

Mention the creator of the tag (Ayunda @ Tea and Paperbacks)
Thank the blogger who tagged you
Choose one of the options, you don’t have to tell the reasons why you chose that but you can also do them if you want to.
~~Tag other people to do this tag to spread the love!~~

READING ON THE COUCH OR ON THE BED?

-I have absolutely no preference either way. Lately I have been relaxing in my husband’s old man recliner to read but I’m just as content sitting on the stairs or sprawled out on the floor. If I have a good book in my hands it doesn’t matter where I am.

MALE MAIN CHARACTER OR FEMALE MAIN CHARACTER?

-I’ve noticed that most YA books seem to have female leads but, after some consideration, I don’t think that I have a preference either way. One of my favorite series, Bryant and May by Christopher Fowler, has two aging gentleman detectives but I also adore a strong female lead. As long as it is a good book I don’t honestly care.

SWEET SNACKS OR SALTY SNACKS?

-I’m one of those weird people who don’t like sweet things. Chocolate has little draw for me but I also don’t find myself reaching for salty things often. Hm. Maybe this needs a savory/other option. My typical reading snack is a cheese stick or maybe a grapefruit. If I do reach for a candy or something along that line it is usually sour. Now I want some war heads…

TRILOGIES OR QUARTETS?

-As long as it is a good series, the more books the better. Sometimes you run across a quartet when the fourth book feels forced that leaves you wishing they’d stopped at a trilogy. Other times you can read five or more books with the same characters and still want more. It all depends on the story and the author.

FIRST PERSON POV OR THIRD POV?

-Usually I find myself gravitating to a more third person POV. I’m not sure why but when I pick up a book written in first person I feel an immediate turn off toward it. When that happens it isn’t a conscious choice just an automatic knee jerk reaction. I honestly couldn’t tell you why. I’m sure a psychologist could have a field day with that…

READING AT NIGHT OR IN THE MORNING?

-While I usually only have time to read in the mornings I love reading late into the night. Recently when my husband was out of town I was up until nearly four in the morning devouring a book and it was glorious. GLORIOUS I TELL YOU!

LIBRARIES OR BOOKSTORES?

-Libraries. Definitely libraries. The older I get the more and more I dislike wandering through a book store. It just feels overwhelming and I end up never finding anything I want. Typically I will research a book to read at home and then reserve it at my local library. The only time I buy books anymore is if I am obsessing over getting my hands on a certain book that my library hasn’t been able to locate for me or if I fell in love with a book or series and want to add them to my shelves.

BOOKS THAT MAKE YOU LAUGH OR BOOKS THAT MAKE YOU CRY?

-I love a good laugh. If I want to cry and get depressed I’ll turn on the news. I read for enjoyment, not to bring myself down.

BLACK BOOK COVERS OR WHITE BOOK COVERS?

-Black, white, color, who cares as long as it’s a good book.

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CHARACTER DRIVEN OR PLOT DRIVEN?

-Interesting question. Both can be equally good but I think I am more drawn to a character driven story. The book would still need a good plot but a well written character can save a lot of floundering plot lines. Also, I love witty banter between characters and you don’t typically find that in a more plot driven story (at least in my experience).

Thanks for joining me in my middle of the night ramble! If this tag catches your fancy, tickles your pickle, floats your goat, or any other silly saying please feel free to go ahead and do it!