Book Traveling Thursdays: Favorite Book For 2015

The Book Traveling Thursdays meme is created by Danielle at Danielle’s Book Blog and Catia at TheGirlWhoReadTooMuch. Every week you choose a book for your blog post that fits the weekly theme (which you can find in the Goodreads group), you share why you chose that book and finally post picture of the original cover, the covers from your country, your favorite cover, and your least favorite cover.

"It's the last day of 2015! Choose your favorite book read in 2015"...and that's exactly what I'm going to do today! Drum roll please...
...
...
...
My favorite book for this year is "Don't Tell Mummy" by Toni Maguire, because it was a really emotional and powerful read.

Original Cover:

I really like this cover. I like the slightly childish way in which the title is written.

Favorite Covers:

                 1) Italian                                   2)Danish

I like these covers for the same reason - they are both depressing and fit the book perfectly.

Least Favorite Cover:

This Spanish cover could have been really good, but the color scheme, the font and the proportions are so wrong, that the cover is now ruined.

If you have a Book Traveling Thursdays blog post, share it in the comments. I would love to check it out :)

Top 5 Wednesday: Books of the Year (Non-Fantasy)

Top 5 Wednesdays was created by gingerreadsLainey and there is a Goodreads group where you can find a list of participants as well as Top 5 Wednesday topics.

The end of the year is knocking on the door and it's time to share some of my favorite reads throughout 2015. The topic for this week is "Books of the Year", but I can't possibly narrow them down to only five, so I'll make this list a non-fantasy one. If you are interested in finding out what my favorite fantasy books are, check out my TTT: Favorite Fantasy Reads in 2015.
Without any further ado, here are my favorite non-fantasy reads for 2015:

"101 Cities for Kids"

I love travelling. Sadly I don't have the opportunity to travel a lot, so instead I enjoy reading travelling guides and "visit" so many different places. This book is a really quick read, which swiftly introduces some really intriguing places.

"Still Alice" by Lisa Genova

I loved this book. It was heartbreaking, but sad books are my weakness.

"Remembering Sarah" by Chris Mooney

I love well written mystery novels and this one had a rather unexpected ending, which I really appreciated.

"To All the Boys I've Loved Before" by Jenny Han

Like a lot of people out there, I loved this book so much.

"Don’t Tell Mummy: A True Story of the Ultimate Betrayal" by Toni Maguire

Apparently I love memoirs. This one steals the prize for best book of 2016 in my list. I was crying throughout a huge part of the book, which I kind of needed during that time. Definitely one of the best non-fiction books I've read so far.

If you haven't read any of these books and you find their topics interesting, definitely give them a try. I loved all of them.

Share your Top 5 Wednesday in the comments :)

2016 Reading Challenges and Blogging Goals

2015 is almost over and it is time to think about some reading challenges for the upcoming year. There is a ton of reading challenges, which I want to take part in. So let's get started.

Goodreads Challenge

As usual my goal will be 100 books. I've done it this year, so it shouldn't be a problem to do it again.

2016's Ultimate Reading Challenge

This challenge is created by PopSugar and here is the lovely list of books you have to read:

I Dare You Book Challenge

This challenge is created by All Challenges All The Time, which is a group on Goodreads. Some of the topics for the books overlap with the ones from the Ultimate Reading Challenge, so that is awesome because otherwise I would have been drowned in TBR books for 2016. You can find the list of books here (it's quite a chunky one).

This challenge is hosted by Bea's Book Nook and I have a blog post with a list of series I'll try to finish next year right here.

This challenge is hosted by Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book. It's an alphabet challenge so all you have to do is to read one book that has a title starting with every letter of the alphabet.

I have too many books on my TBR so this challenge is just perfect! It is hosted by Second Run Reviews, Chapter Break, and Bookworm Brandee.

Guidelines For The Shelf Love Challenge 2016

• Read books that are in your personal library that were obtained before January 1, 2016.
• Responsibly obtain books for your personal library. You may wish to abstain from purchasing books or set a book budget for yourself. You decide the best way to get control of your TBR pile and read the books you already own.
• Library books (and textbooks) do not count for the challenge. You may use your library to obtain different formats of books you already own and count those towards your goal.

Now Select Your Goal For The Shelf Love Challenge 2016!

• 1-10 books: shake hands with your shelves
• 11-20 books: pat your shelves on the back
• 21-30 books: give your shelves a warm friendly hug
• 31-40 books: regular date night with your shelves
• 41-50 books: my shelves are now my bff
• 51+ books: my shelves and I are going steady

My goal is going to be 31-40 books: regular date night with your shelves. Hopefully I can achive it...

As for my bloggin goals, they are not so many.

Publish posts more frequently

I really want to become better at blogging and as we all know you become better with more practise.

Write more book reviews

I'm not really good at writing book review, but I'm trying. May be some of you are wondering why my book reviews are so short - it's because I don't like reading long reviews.

Be more interactive with other bloggers

I like to feel like a part of something and all of the bloggers are such nice people, so I want to feel like a part of that amazing big family :)

Make a giveaway

Because free books. I know all of you would like that :)

So these are my reading/blogging goals for 2016. Wish me luck. What are your reading/blogging goals for the year?

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases For The First Half of 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by the Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is "Most Anticipated Releases For The First Half of 2016" and there are some really awesome books coming out before June 2016, which I'm going to share with you right now.

"When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi
Expected publication: January 12th 2016

Synopsis:
"A profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir by a young neurosurgeon faced with a terminal cancer diagnosis who attempts to answer the question What makes a life worth living?"

I love memoirs, I love sad reads, so this book sounds just like my cup of tea. If you have anything similar to recommend, I would very much appreciate it.
"The Killing Jar" by Jennifer Bosworth
Expected publication: January 12th 2016

Synopsis:
"“I try not to think about it, what I did to that boy.”
Seventeen-year-old Kenna Marsden has a secret. 
She’s haunted by a violent tragedy she can’t explain. Kenna’s past has kept people—even her own mother—at a distance for years. Just when she finds a friend who loves her and life begins to improve, she’s plunged into a new nightmare. Her mom and twin sister are attacked, and the dark powers Kenna has struggled to suppress awaken with a vengeance."

Catchy title + Gorgeous cover + Interesting story = Adding this book to my TBR.

"The Forbidden Wish" by Jessica Khoury
Expected publication: February 23rd 2016

Synopsis:
"She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world... 
When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes. 
But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?"

I don't think I've read anything about Jinnis, so this book got me really intrigued. Plus, this is a retelling of Aladdin and I love the Disney animation.

"The Steep and Thorny Way" by Cat Winters
Expected publication: March 8th 2016

Synopsis:
"A thrilling reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Steep and Thorny Way tells the story of a murder most foul and the mighty power of love and acceptance in a state gone terribly rotten.
1920s Oregon is not a welcoming place for Hanalee Denney, the daughter of a white woman and an African-American man. She has almost no rights by law, and the Ku Klux Klan breeds fear and hatred in even Hanalee’s oldest friendships. Plus, her father, Hank Denney, died a year ago, hit by a drunk-driving teenager. Now her father’s killer is out of jail and back in town, and he claims that Hanalee’s father wasn’t killed by the accident at all but, instead, was poisoned by the doctor who looked after him—who happens to be Hanalee’s new stepfather.
The only way for Hanalee to get the answers she needs is to ask Hank himself, a “haint” wandering the roads at night."

I'm not a big fan of "Hamlet", bit this story sounds really interesting, so I would love to give it a try.

"Tell the Wind and Fire" by Sarah Rees Brennan
Expected publication: April 5th 2016

Synopsis:
"Tell the Wind & Fire is about a young girl called Lucie who lives in a New York very different from the New York we know: the city is torn between two very different kinds of magic, and Lucie’s own family was torn apart years ago by that conflict. Lucie wears magic rings and carries a burden of guilt she can’t share with anyone.
The light in her life is her sweetheart boyfriend Ethan, but it turns out Ethan has a secret too: a soulless doppelganger created by dark magic, who has to conceal the face identical to Ethan’s with a hood fastened by a collar nobody but a Light magician with magical rings can take off… and who introduces himself to both of them by, for reasons nobody can understand, saving Ethan’s life…"

Doppelgangers...

"Down With the Shine" by Kate Karyus Quinn
Expected publication: April 26th 2016

Synopsis:
"There's a reason they say "be careful what you wish for." Just ask the girl who wished to be thinner and ended up smaller than Thumbelina, or the boy who asked for "balls of steel" and got them-literally. And never wish for your party to go on forever. Not unless you want your guests to be struck down by debilitating pain if they try to leave.
These are things Lennie only learns when it's too late-after she brings some of her uncles' moonshine to a party and toasts to dozens of wishes, including a big wish of her own: to bring back her best friend, Dylan, who was abducted and murdered six months ago.
Lennie didn't mean to cause so much chaos. She always thought her uncles' moonshine toast was just a tradition. And when they talked about carrying on their "important family legacy," she thought they meant good old-fashioned bootlegging.
As it turns out, they meant granting wishes. And Lennie has just granted more in one night than her uncles would grant in a year.
Now she has to find a way to undo the damage. But once granted, a wish can't be unmade..."

This book sounds like a fun read with a fantasy touch, so I think I'll like it.

"Everland" by Wendy Spinale
Expected publication: April 26th 2016

Synopsis:
"Forget the story of Peter Pan you know. Because in Everland, the only way to grow up is to survive.
London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived are children, among them Gwen Darling and her siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the ruthless Marauders -- the German Army led by Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer.
Unsure if the virus has spread past England's borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook hunts for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the survivors. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until the day they grab Joanna. As Gwen sets out to save her, she meets a mysterious boy named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and the fierce sharpshooter Bella, who have all been living in a city hidden underground. But in a place where help has a steep price and every promise is bound by blood, it will cost Gwen. And are she, Pete, the Lost Boys, and Bella enough to outsmart Captain Hook?"

Everyone who follows my blog may already know that I hate "Peter Pan". But Peter doesn't sound like a brat in this book, so fingers crossed...

"The Crown's Game" by Evelyn Skye
Expected publication: May 17th 2016

Synopsis:
"Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death."

This book sounds like the "Hunger Games" set in Russia. I haven't read anything set in this country before, so I'm really interested to find out what this book has in store for us.

"Age of Myth" by Michael J. Sullivan
Expected publication: June 28th 2016

Synopsis:
"What does it mean if the gods can be killed? The first novel in an epic new fantasy series for readers of Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson, Peter V. Brett, and Scott Lynch.
Set in the world of his popular series, the Riyria Revelations, The First Empire series unveils new truths for Sullivan’s long-time fans while providing a great entry point for new readers."

One passionate reader of Peter V. Brett right here! I'm sure I'll like this one.

"And I Darken" by Kiersten White
Expected publication: June 28th 2016

Synopsis:
"Ever since Lada Dragwlya and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.
Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, who’s expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion."

The synopsis got me so hooked. I hope this book will make it into my favorites list.

Some of the other books I'm excited about can be found in my Top Ten Tuesday: 2016 Debut Novels. I don't like repeating myself so you won't find any of that debut novels here.

Are you excited for any of these books? Share a link to your TTT in the comments and I'll be sure to check it out :)

The Liebster Award

I am nominated for The Liebster Award!

A huge thank you to Lauren at Always Me for nominating me! I'm not usually tagged or nominated for anything, so when I find out that I'm nominated for something, I get way too excited.

Her blog is really awesome and she always has a lot of interesting things to say in her posts, so check her out!

The Liebster Award is a tag that helps new bloggers be discovered - it's also a great way to get to know the blogger!

The Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions the nominator has given you.
3. Tag 11 bloggers who have less than 1000 readers.
4. Think of 11 questions to ask the bloggers you have nominated.
5. Let them know you've nominated them through social media or their blog.

Lauren's Questions for me:

1. How do you organize your bookshelves?

I'm currently reorganizing my bookshelves, because I received new bookshelf for Christmas (which I begged for throughout the whole year). I organize my books by hight, then author names. I'm also trying to keep my series on the same shelf and my stand alones on another one.

2. You've been tasked to rewrite a book, which book would it be and why?

I suck at writing, but if I could write, I would have liked to rewrite "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", because of one particular death. Since I don't want this post to be spoilery you can find my answer in The Ultimate Harry Potter Tag (Question 29).

3. What 2016 book release are you most excited for?

I'm really excited for "This Is Where It Ends" by Marieke Nijkamp, which is a debut novel. It sounds really interesting.

4. What group of fictional friends would you like to share a lunch table with?

I would love to share a lunch table with Harry, Ron and Hermione. They are the definition for true friends.

5. If you could recast any classic tv show with modern actors, what show would you choose and what modern actors would you select?

I would never choose modern actors over the initial actors of a TV Show. If I love a TV Show or a movie, I would never want to change the cast for it. Since I never watch a TV Show that I don't love, I have no answer for this question.

6. If you could see any musical group, past or present, which would you want to see and what song would you like to here them perform?

Years & Years, hands down. As for a song - all of them. They can do no wrong. All of their songs are amazing and interesting and I love them.

7. Which hyped book were you most thrilled by?

"Daughter of Smoke & Bone" by Laini Taylor. I honestly don't know why I've been waiting for so long to read this one.

8. Which hyped book were you most disappointed by?

"Divergent" by Veronica Roth. Oh my God, how I hated this series. I didn't like the first book, but everything went downhill after it, which I thought was not possible.

Sorry! Please, don't kill me...

9. What's a book that you love, but isn't very well know?

"Angelhead: My Brother's Descent into Madness" by Greg Bottoms. It's a non-fiction, which may be the reason why it doesn't have so many ratings/reviews on Goodreads. It only has 596 ratings, which is ridiculous. I love this book.

10. What social media website do you prefer?

Goodreads, Facebook and Instagram (does it count?). I don't actually have an Instagram account, but I'm considering creating one. I can literally spend all day there, watching pictures...

11. What 2016 book to movie adaptation are you most excited to see?

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". November is so far away...

My Nominees:

Geraldine @ Corralling Books

Tanya @ Girl Plus Books

Katrina @ Chased By My Imagination

Sabrina @ Sabrina's Stories

Books By Proxy

Lucie @ Tea, Books and Fun

Amy @ powisamy

Jennifer @ YA Book Nerd

Emily @ Midwestern Book Nerd

Sarah @ Sarah's Chapter

Cheryl @ I Heart Fictional People

My Questions:

1. If you can choose one book to unread, which one would it be?

2. If you can choose one book to reread for the first time, which one would it be?

3. Who is your fictional crush?

4. If you can switch places with one fictional character, which one would you choose?

5. Do you prefer reading series or stand alones?

6. If you can bring back to life one dead author, who would it be and why?

7. Which author do you want to meet the most and why?

8. Is there a fictional world you would hate to live in? Which one?

9. What's your favorite position to read in?

10. Which one of your posts you enjoy writing the most (book reviews, discussions, tags, other features like Top Ten Tuesday and Top 5 Wednesday)?

11. Share a book that you love, but is underrated.

Music Monday: In a summery mood

Music Monday is created by Lauren at Always Me. Every week you choose one or two songs to share, video of the songs and your thoughts on the songs (or any other thoughts you have). More for the rules and how to participate you can find here.

This week I'm in a summery mood for no particular reason. I will share two songs that just make me happy and make me want to dance.

INNA - Yalla is rather new song and I've just found it this past week, so of course I listen to it non-stop. I like the beat, but I'm not loving the lyrics. Still, it's a really catchy song.

INNA - Yalla

My second choice is Roya - Lie, because when I hear it somewhere I always sing along. The video is plain awful, but at least the song is good...

Roya - Lie

If you've done Music Monday this week, share it with me :)

12 Days of Christmas Book Tag

Hello lovely bookworms! It's leisure time, so I'm coming here with a tag just for fun! I was not tagged by anyone (surprise, surprise), but I enjoyed reading the answers for this tag at Book Coma and My Tiny Obsessions, so I decided to steal it away as usual.

The 12 Days of Christmas Book Tag was created last year by Ashley at Falling Down The Book Hole, so thank you Ashley for creating this lovely tag!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: A partridge in a pear tree.

The partridge stood alone in the pear tree. What is you favorite stand alone?

I have too many favorites in this department, but since I love emotional reads so much, I decided to pick "Please Look After Mom" by Kyung-sook Shin for this one.

This is a really, really emotional read, which I suggest you read without even looking at the synopsis. I was crying like a person, suffering from severe depression throughout the whole book!

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On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Two turtle doves.

Love is in the air! Who is your one true pairing?

Lara & Peter are just so perfect together. For the love of God, please, don't tell me what happens in the next book, because if they don't end up together I will very much appreciate it to be devastated while reading the book and not beforehand...

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On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Three French hens.

In the spirit of threes, what is the best trilogy you have read?

You expected this one, didn't you? I can not lie, this trilogy is amazing.

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On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Four calling birds.

Since series usually consist of four or more books, what is your favourite series?

I talk way too much about this series, but I love it. For those of you who don't know, this is "The Demon Cycle" series by Peter V. Brett

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On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Five golden rings.

One ring to rule them all! Who is your Favorite Villain/Antagonist?

Bellatrix is my favorite villain of all time! I adore her - she is evil, she is crazy...and the actress is damn brilliant!

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On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Six geese laying.

Creation is a beautiful thing. What is your favourite world/world-building?

Yeah, there is no way I'm choosing anything different for this question. I mean, this is "Harry Potter"!!!

I bet that there is no person who's read the book or at least watched the movies, and remained indifferent to it.

I want to go to Hogwarts, you want to go to Hogwarts, we all want to go there!

And I will admit, I was very depressed after watching the movie, because I didn't get a letter...My owl must have gotten lost or something...

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On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Seven swans a swimming.

Who needs seven swans when all it takes is one good animal sidekick? Who’s your favourite animal sidekick?

My favorite sidekick animal is Manchee and he is this loving dog in the "Chaos Walking" series by Patrick Ness. I would very much appreciate it if I ever have an animal friend like him....

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On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Eight maids a milking.

Milk is so 18th century. Which book or series takes beverages/food to a whole new level?

I haven't read a lot of books about food, but "Sushi For Beginners" by Marian Keyes is a really good book. It's a chick-lit and has nothing to do with sushi, except the fact the some of the main characters love eating it...

I do have a book about cupcakes, which I love...but I haven't read it all and it's just a book with recipes...

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On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Nine ladies dancing.

Dancing is just one skill of a Lady! Who is your favourite kickass female lead?

I don't read a lot of books with female leads, because I prefer my leads to be male - preferable physically strong and mentally a little bit broken. 

But Juliette from "Wool" by Hugh Howey is pretty amazing. She is smart, she has guts, she knows how to survive, she is compassionate...what's not to love...

This book is a really good Dystopian novel, so if you have a chance, definitely give it a try.

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On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Ten lords a leaping.

How about your favourite leading lad?

I love Cale, he is BAE!!!

He is just my type of male lead. Not too perfect, but perfect enough for me. He has some development throughout the books, which is a huge plus.

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On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Eleven pipes piping. 

What is your favourite book or bookish thing with musical influence? (It can be about music, reference music a lot etc.)

I don't really have one...but since Sebastian is one of my favorite characters from any manga or anime, I will just say:

"Please, Sebastian! Play some violin for me!"

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On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: 12 drummers drumming.

Drum roll please…what is your favourite read of this year?

"The Daylight War" by Peter V. Brett. I won't even say sorry for choosing this one for the nth time this year as my favorite. Because it is. I read it at the beginning of the year and nothing came close to it.

There you have it! That was the 12 Days of Christmas Book Tag! I tag everyone to do it!!!

Book Review: "Blood Eagle" by Craig Russell (Blogmas Day 25)

☆☆☆☆
Jan Fabel #1
Genre: Mystery
Source: Library

"The first woman had her lungs ripped out. When the same gruesome ritualistic method was used again, it was clear that the same killer was responsible. But there is no precise evidence to link the two cases, except for the tantalising email. In his first crime novel, Craig Russell introduces us to a new detective hero, Jan Fabel - half-Scottish, half-German - a man of conscience and imagination. Russell has also created a richly textured scenario where the City of Hamburg plays a central role - it is a city where the old Germany combines increasingly with the new, where gangs from Turkey and the Ukraine battle for supremacy. Blood Eagle is a violently exciting thriller and Fabel's desperate attempt to solve the case before more victims are discovered, gradually uncovers layer upon layer of intrigue. How can he track a murderer who leaves no trail, whose victims seem purposefully random and whose motive reaches far beyond greed and lust, into the darkest recesses of the human soul?" - Goodreads

Merry Christmas!

What better way to end this blogmas, than posting a review of a mystery novel, am I right?!

Once in a while I take my time and read some mystery books. As much as I would like sharing some really whimsical thoughts about them, I always find it hard to describe what they are all about. But let's give it a try, shall we?

The plot is not very different from every other mystery novel I'm afraid, but the writing style was drawing me in, so I ended up finishing this novel in less than two days. There were a lot of Norse mythology references in the book mixed up with some present-day political issues, which I really liked. The supposed gory scenes were not gory enough for me, but I will let this slide by me, since this is not a horror novel.

As far as the characters go, they were developed well enough. I did not feel particularly connected with anyone of them, but I suppose there will be some more development in the next books.

Now about the ending of the book -  I hope there will be some kind of explanation or continuation of it in the next book, because it was a little bit unsatisfying for me. For real, I closed the last page and I was like...

These are my feelings, a little bit mixed but I still really liked the book. If you enjoy reading thrillers/mystery/crime novels, give this series a try :)

Merry Christmas!

Hello, lovely bloggers and readers! I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Hope you are all having a wonderful time, celebrating the holidays!

I also want to thank all of you for reading and commenting on my blog posts. I'm really happy for every comment I get, because I feel like a part of this group of lovely people, who enjoy reading as much as I do.

Enjoy the holidays with your family, friends and loved ones!!!!

2016 Finishing the Series Challenge

Challenge Host: Bea's Book Nook

Challenge Dates: January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2016

I have too many unfinished series. Hopefully this challenge will inspire me to finish most of them.

My Goal: Level 4 (Expert series reader)

Complete 7 or more series

A Series of Unfortunate Events: I've read 4/13 books

I'm audiobooking this series and the books are not very big anyway, so this should be achievable.

The Cousins' War series: I've read 5/6 books

Anna and the French Kiss series: I've read 2/3 books

I didn't like the first two books, but I have to read only one more in order to finish this series and I'm going to do it.

Cormoran Strike series: I've read 2/3 books

At least for now there are only three books...

Howl's Moving Castle series: I've read 1/3 books

07-Ghost series: I've read 5/17 books

This may seem like a lot of books, but this is manga, so this should be quick.

The Left Hand of God series: I've read 0/3 books

I've read the first two books in this series two years ago, so I want to reread them before reading the third one.

Siren series: I've read 0/3 books

I've actually already read the first book, but I remember nothing...

There will be a page with all of my challenges for 2016 in the beginning of the year, where I will track the progress for all of my challenges!

Top 5 Wednesday: Series I Want to Start Next Year (Blogmas Day 23)

Top 5 Wednesdays was created by gingerreadsLainey and there is a Goodreads group where you can find a list of participants as well as Top 5 Wednesday topics.

The end of the year is near and it's time for some New Year resolutions. That's right, this Top 5 Wednesday is my first step towards me goals for 2016. The topic for this week is "Series You Want to Start Next Year" and my goal for next year will be to start and possibly finish 5 series, but only if I manage to complete 5 of my unfinished series, which are way to many. So for every finished series from my pile, I will start a new one.

The series that I'm looking forward to strat the most are:

"Eon" duology by Alison Goodman

The first book came out in 2008...You can tell I'm late, can't you? I've heard mixed things about this duology, but hey - there are dragons in it. Isn't that cool?!

"Anna" duology by Kendare Blake

I've finally bought these books this year, so next year I would love to give them a try. Hopefully these books will be horror enough for me.

"Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children" trilogy by Ransom Riggs

The last book in this trilogy came out this year, so now after the series is finished, I can finally read all of the books. I can't wait.

"Mistborn" series by Brandon Sanderson

Yep, I have yet to read this well-known series. After all the hype it's getting, I'm really hoping that the books won't disappoint me.

"Parasol Protectorate" series by Gail Carriger

Steampunk is definitely not my favorite genre and I'm having a hard time finding steampunk novels that I like. But you know what ? - Just look at these gorgeous covers. I don't even need to read the synopsis.

I know that these are some old series, but I don't really care. They are all finished and I don't have to wait for the next books the come out, so that's one of the reasons they are with top priority when it comes to starting some new series.

What were your picks for this topic? Share your Top 5 Wednesday in the comments :)

Bout of Books 15

What better way to start the year than participating in a read-a-thon! Be prepared, because in the beginning of 2016 I'm going to try and read as many books as possible!

This is my official sign-up post for Bout of Books Readathon which runs from 4th to 10th of January.

Stay tuned for my TBR and goals post, which I'm going to share next year!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Are Presents (Blogmas Day 22)

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by the Broke and the Bookish.

I love receiving presents and books are my favorite type. Not only do I like receiving books, but I also love choosing books as presents. Even for people who don't usually read. This week's topic is "Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year" and limiting it down to 10 is really hard, because I there is a ton of books, that I would like not only to read, but to own, too.

I will limit this down to books I have yet to read.

"Cold" series by Narise Konohara

I have actually read "Cold Sleep" and "Cold Light" and I loved them, so of course I would like to own them, along with the third book in the series. These are yaoi novels, so they might not be your thing, but they are my guilty pleasure.

"The Kingkiller Chronicle" series by Patrick Rothfuss

I've read "The Name of the Wind" long time ago and I remember nothing, but the fact that I really liked it. I would love receiving these particular editions of the books, because they are gorgeous.

"Black Butler" series by Yana Toboso

Manga is freaking expensive, but I love this series so much. Anyone willing to spend all of his money to buy the rest of the series for me will be in my best friends list forever.

"Love Comes Softly" series by Janette Oke

I absolutely adore the movies and when I found out there are books, I immediately added them to my TBR, because I expect them to be awesome.

If you haven't watched the movies, five them a try - they are amazing!

"The Name of the Star" by Maureen Johnson

I like reading about serial killers, don't ask me why, I don't even know that myself. This is a retelling about one of my favorite serial killers - Jack the Ripper. How awesome is that?! I don't even care about the next books in the series, I just want this one.

"The Last American Vampire" by Seth Grahame-Smith

I've read "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" and I really liked it, so I'm looking forward to this second book. Hopefully it will live up to my expectations.

"Forbidden" by Tabitha Suzuma

I've heard mixed review about this book, but what really drawn me into it is the fact that it's about forbidden love between brother and sister. I have never read anything with incest in it, so I'm really intrigued by this one.

"Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbitt

I loved the movie and I expect the book to be an emotional rollercoaster, so I would love to find it under my Christmas tree.

"Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things" by Jenny Lawson

First off, this is a memoir and I love reading those. Second, the book deals with mental illness and this topic is my weakness. And third - gorgeous happy cover.

"The Amazing Book is Not on Fire" by Dan Howell and Phil Lester

For those of you who don't follow their channels - you should. They are hilarious. If you don't know, their channels are AmazingPhil and danisnotonfire. I've recently found them and I'm so glad I did, because they always make me smile.

Have you read any of these books? Do you find them amazing? I'll be happy to read all of your thoughts in the comments and if you share your blog post about this topic with me, I'll be sure to check it out :)

Music Monday: Sometimes listening is not enough (Blogmas Day 21)

Music Monday is created by Lauren at Always Me. Every week you choose one or two songs to share, video of the songs and your thoughts on the songs (or any other thoughts you have). More for the rules and how to participate you can find here.

I love listening to music, but I also enjoy my fair share of AMVs. This week I was watching  some of my favorites and decided to share two of them with all of you.

SPOILER! sssShawnnnn - Pizza Rolls is pretty hardcore so some of you may not be able to listen it until the end. This is actually a mashup of 53 different songs and the AMV consists of 40 different anime. I've heard this song for the first time during an anime convention and it was really catchy, so of course I had to find it on youtube. Enjoy!

If your ears start bleeding, you've been warned!

sssShawnnnn - Pizza Rolls

My second choice is Not Literally - I Ship It, because ship happens all the time, am I right? It's a parody so don't take the song too seriously. It's definitely a funny AMV to watch, so enjoy it!

Not Literally - I Ship It

And a little bonus song as a surprise. I like it so much that it became my ringtone! I find it really relaxing, so give it a try.

Flume - Warm Thoughts

If you've done Music Monday this week, share it with me. Did you enjoy any of the AMVs posted? Or at least the songs? Don't be too shocked by the first one!