These Violent Delights by Victoria Namkung

*These Violent Delights is now available!*

These Violent Delights by Victoria Namkung. Griffith Moon, 2017. Hardcover. 243 pages.

These Violent Delights is an intricate, carefully-written story of the sexual abuses that many woman face, along with the complexities and seemingly endless complications that come with it. This book does this by telling the story of three women's struggles to come forward and have their accusations taken seriously and fairly. I have incredibly conflicting thoughts about this book, so let's start with the things I liked.

The subject matter of this book is so important. As mentioned, These Violent Delights focuses on the stories of three women who were sexually abused by the same man--an educator-- when they were teenagers. We are seeing scenarios strikingly similar to this everyday, and it is disheartening to see people who either don't believe victims or who feel that it is okay to further harass the victims. This aspect of the book was all too accurate.

Namkung clearly did her research on these topics and took extreme care to tell this story with the utmost sensitivity and, at times, brutal honesty that they deserve. Her writing is sharp and poignant at many times,drawing clear points to many effects that often come with sexual abuse, such as victim-shaming and other difficult obstacles. I am incredibly impressed with the content itself and how realistic the entire story and circumstances were.

What I didn't like about this book was that I didn't really care about any of the characters. I sympathized with them and everything that happened to them, and their circumstances also made me think more about other women in this same position, but the characters themselves just had no life. It was presented in a very exemplary manner to me, as if this book was solely written to send a message and forgot to include characters and writing that draws the reader in to be emotionally invested in the story, and thus make the story truly successful at sending its message. I just wanted more from this book.

Much of the content of this book is given in newspaper articles, letters, etc., which got a bit dreary at times. I felt certain areas were rushed or not fully given the time and effort that they should have, which was slightly frustrating. I really just wish that this book had been written in a more engaging and accessible manner since the topic is so incredibly important.

Overall, I've given These Violent Delights three-and-a-half stars. I loved the message of this book and I would heartily recommend it for that alone, but the story itself just lacked the depth and emotional investment that it needed, and for that reason I had to dock some stars from its rating.

Buy the book!

You might also like:

Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch

Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

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TBR Thursday: Blackwing by Ed McDonald

TBR Thursdays is hosted by Kim @ Kimberly Faye Reads! This feature was created with the intent of spotlighting a title from your shelf that you planning on reading in order to discuss why you want to read it, as well to discuss the book with others! If you'd like to join, feel free to use the banner created by Kimberley (or your own), and stop by her page to participate.

This week's TBR Thursday choice is Blackwing by Ed McDonald! I actually finally picked this one up and so far I'm loving it, but I've had it on my TBR for so long that I thought it fit well for this post. This year has been such a success with fantasy debuts, and I'm hoping that this one will be yet another fantastic addition to this year's releases.

About the Book:
Synopsis from Goodreads:

"Set on the ragged edge of a postapocalyptic frontier, Blackwing is a gritty fantasy debut about a man’s desperate battle to survive his own dark destiny…

Nothing in the Misery lasts…

Under a cracked and wailing sky, the Misery is a vast and blighted expanse, created when the Engine, the most powerful weapon in the world, was unleashed against the immortal Deep Kings. Across the wasteland, teeming with corrupted magic and malevolent wraiths, the Deep Kings and their armies are still watching—and still waiting.

Ryhalt Galharrow is no stranger to the Misery. The bounty hunter journeys to a remote outpost, armed for killing both men and monsters, and searching for a mysterious noblewoman. He finds himself in the middle of a shocking attack by the Deep Kings, one that should not be possible. Only a fearsome show of power from the very woman he is seeking saves him.

Once, long ago, he knew the woman well, and together they stumble onto a web of conspiracy that threatens to unmake everything they hold dear and end the fragile peace the Engine has provided. Galharrow is not ready for the truth about the blood he’s spilled and the gods he’s supposed to serve…"

Are you interested in reading this book? What books are on your TBR?

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Waiting on Wednesday: Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:
Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray
Publication Date: October 3rd, 2017

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

From Goodreads:

New York City.
1927.
Lights are bright.
Jazz is king.
Parties are wild.
And the dead are coming...

After battling a supernatural sleeping sickness that early claimed two of their own, the Diviners have had enough of lies. They're more determined than ever to uncover the mystery behind their extraordinary powers, even as they face off against an all-new terror. Out on Ward's Island, far from the city's bustle, sits a mental hospital haunted by the lost souls of people long forgotten--ghosts who have unusual and dangerous ties to the man in the stovepipe hat, also known as the King of Crows.

With terrible accounts of murder and possession flooding in from all over, and New York City on the verge of panic, the Diviners must band together and brave the sinister ghosts invading the asylum, a fight that will bring them fact-to-face with the King of Crows. But as the explosive secrets of the past come to light, loyalties and friendships will be tested, love will hang in the balance, and the Diviners will question all that they've ever known. All the while, malevolent forces gather from every corner in a battle for the very soul of a nation--a fight that could claim the Diviners themselves.

Heart-pounding action and terrifying moments will leave you breathless in the third book of the four-book Diviners series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray. 

I love Libba Bray's Diviners series so much, and I feel like I've been waiting for this third book for so long that I can't believe it's almost finally here! I can't wait to dive back into this incredible world and reunite with all of these lovely characters. If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend them.

What do you think about this upcoming release? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

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Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas. Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books. Hardcover. 672 pages.

Note: There are no spoilers for this book in my review, but there will be inadvertent spoilers for previous books in this series as I discuss the events of Tower of Dawn. Please be aware if you have not read the previous books and plan to!

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. In fact, almost didn't even pre-order this book. Eventually, however, it occurred to me that I know I'm going to read it no matter what because I love this series, so I went ahead and pre-ordered it anyway, and I'm so very glad I did.

As most of you probably know (or even if you don't), Tower of Dawn is the sixth installment in the Throne of Glass series, but instead of following Aelin and the regular cast of characters, it follows the events of Chaol and Nesryn as they travel to Antica in hopes of having Chaol healed by the famed Torre Cesme healers.

In the beginning of this series, I really like Chaol's character and I don't remember having any major problems with him. However, as the series continued, I started losing interest in him and stopped caring much about his own story arc. A lot of people talk about his character being ruined throughout the series, which I can understand even if I don't fully agree. Other people, however, still completely love him and have been anxiously awaiting this release. If you, like me, lost interest in Chaol and are hesitant about reading this book -- do it! Even if you don't love him, it's still a fascinating story and contributes so much to the series, as well introduces some great new characters--I definitely understand why Maas says it is necessary to read this in order to understand the rest of the series.

In Tower of Dawn, the perspective is split between three characters: Chaol, Nesryn, and Yrene, a healer at the Torre. These three perspectives are, overall, fairly evenly split throughout the book and provide an interesting look into a variety of different aspects of this particular kingdom. I defintely enjoyed Chaol and Yrene's chapters the most, as I simply found their actions the most interesting to follow. Nesryn's sections are still interesting, but seem to be much more information-heavy and action-packed and tended to drag just a bit every once in a while for me.

I found Chaol's entire character arc in this specific book really well done. He is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the battle in the previous books (though certain body parts still function, as was repeatedly mentioned), and as expected from someone who used to be captain of guard, work out regularly, and train soldiers, it frustrates him quite a bit. We get to have a very personal understanding of his struggles and how things both big and seemingly minor bother him regarding his feelings towards being unable to walk. What I most appreciated about this entire plotline is that whether or not he regains the ability to use his legs (I won't say!), he overcomes this, eventually realizing that having a disability does not make him any less of a man or person in any way, and I think that that message itself is extremely powerful and important to convey.

Yrene is a new character that we are introduced do and one that I found myself really liking. She is an intriguing character, both confident and unsure at the same time. As a healer, she has great knowledge of her own powers and how she can improve, and I loved her strong work ethic and compassion for what she does. However, she also has her fair share of insecurities and struggles from her past, which were interesting to explore and allowed me to understand more about her and why she acted as she did in certain situations.

I really don't have that much to say about Nesryn. To be completely honest, I didn't really remember that much about her, so I really had no opinion on her or her character. She is certainly not my favorite character, but she is still a complex, driven woman who brings a lot to the story.

The other main plot of this book is Chaol and Nesryn's attempt to persuade the khagan to join their cause. The khagan has six children, which, I won't lie, I had a hard time remembering and telling apart at first. In addition the way the ruling and power works in their kingdom is a bit complicated and cutthroat, but I'll let you explore that for yourselves instead of trying to explain it all in a confusing manner. I found it to be particularly interesting, and definitely found myself enjoying reading about this particular political system.

Now: the world-building. Tower of Dawn vastly continues on the worldbuilding that Mass has already set up in the past couple of books, and if you have been hoping for more in-depth worldbuilding-- here it is. This world is so vibrant and multi-faceted and there are many cultures, customs, kingdoms, and creatures, that make it up. I really enjoyed exploring this land  and the different peoples within it, and I look forward to seeing where else Maas takes this story.

There is some romance in this book, but it is very much more of a small subplot. The romances are not forced or overused, but seem to fit in perfectly with the rest of the events of the book. As always with Maas, you never really know what to expect, and I appreciate that. Also, if you're wondering if there are any explicit sex scenes like in her previous novels, it's safe to say that there is only one sex scene, and it is not all that explicit.

Overall, I've given Tower of Dawn five stars! I really loved this book and had a great time reading it. It was a unique experience to read a book in the same series that didn't include Aelin herself, but I loved all the mentions of her and Rowan and Dorian, as it really made the book cohesive and not at all out-of-place.

And a quick note: before I end this review, I feel as though I should comment upon all of the Sarah J. Maas drama. I don't really like to get involved, but I feel that it is important to note that I think Maas has really listened to her readers' complaints and wishes and has really developed her writing well. If you're hesitant, I do implore you to give this book a chance and see what you think!

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You might also like:
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff (spoiler-free!)

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff. Thomas Dunne Books/Harper Voyager UK, 2017. Hardcover. 448 pages.

Where do I even begin writing a review for a book that I found to be simply flawless? Godsgrave is installment number two in Kristoff's Nevernight Chronicles, a trilogy that has only one more book to go. I'd been waiting for Godsgrave since I read the ARC of Nevernight last year in late June and completely fell in love with the world, characters, and writing style Kristoff created for this trilogy. Just as a preface before I fully dive in to this review: I'm going refrain from mentioning any specific plot points, largely because they could easily give away spoilers for Nevernight, and that's not something I want to do in case you are interested in this series and haven't yet read started the trilogy (my review for Nevernight can be found here!).

The first thing about this book that I loved before I even read the first page was a beautiful, in-depth character list found at the beginning of the book. It listed all of the important characters from the first book along with a brief-but-thorough description of who they are and what they did/what happened to them in Nevernight. It was so helpful.

 This book was truly brilliant. Kristoff's worldbuilding is once again filled to the brim with fascinating details and vivid descriptions. It is a wonderful blend of Ancient Rome and Old World Venice, which creates a truly exciting backdrop for the events of this book, while also maintaining an overarching sense of a historical setting that is wonderfully appealing.

Mia herself is such a fantastic character with so many things that I love about her. She's tough as hell, but at the same time... she's utterly human. She struggles just like the rest of us, and even though she seems like a tough shell that's impossible to crack, we reader are allowed to see that she still has doubts, uncertainties, and hard emotional struggles to deal with. However, she does possess a strong amount of confidence that grows throughout this book, although she is often knocked down a peg or two, which seems to keep both her character and the events of this book extremely realistic. Her confidence and ability to find strength in the hardest times is part of what is so enticing about her.

I also love Mister Kindly and Eclipse. They are perfect in every way, and I can't get enough of their additions to the dialogue. Mister Kindly feels like that inner voice that we all (well, I, at least) have and he is absolutely one of the best characters.

As much as I want to into depth about some of the other supporting characters, I'm going to refrain from doing so because the could be spoiler-y in general. However, I will say that new characters we meet are just as wonderfully crafted as Mia and every other character in Nevernight.

One of the best things about Kristoff's writing is you never know what's going to happen. I'm pretty sure that he just delights in throwing curveball after curveball to keep his readers--and his characters-- on their toes. Just when you think you know how something will work out, he does something completely contrary to whatever you're thinking and it blew my mind. Even if you're right about how something will work out overall, the way in which it gets to that point is absolutely crazy. If you want a crazy, intense, amazing ride--read this book. Oh, and there's blood. Lots and lots of blood. And yes, many figures in this book will indeed meet a dark, bloody end.

The last area I'd like to discuss is prose. Some people don't like Kristoff's narrative voice or his usage of footnotes in these books, but they are what make me love this book so so much. His voice is incredibly distinct and full of life -- it is witty, sarcastic, and wonderfully done. The footnotes only serve to further comment on and expand upon certain ideas or parts of the world, which only enhanced the worldbuilding.

Overall, absolutely five stars!

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

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You might also like:
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Took A While To Get Through - Some Paid Off, Others Not So Much

 

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly book blog meme hosted by the lovely girls over at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is books you had a hard time with - tweaked however works best - so I chose to feature some books that took me a while to get through. Some of these books were worth the slog, but others... well, I wouldn't want to pick them up again.There are quite a few books in this list that are really popular, so that makes me just a tad bit nervous to share them, but hey, we all have our own opinions, right? Let me know what books were a slog for you to get through -- or if any of these were the same for you!

Footnotes in Gaza by Joe Sacco: The story and content itself is fascinating, but this graphic novel just has so much information and the way it jumps around can be confusing. I liked it overall, but getting through it was challenging.
(Review)

Chronicles of a Last Summer: A Novel of Egypt by Yasmine El Rashidi: Something about the writing style of this book just made it impossible for me to enjoy, and I ended up DNF-ing this book. I really wanted to like this one, but I just didn't.

The Once and Future King by T.H. White: I hated that I didn't immediately love this book. I wanted to so badly. There were parts of this book that I loved and enjoyed, but there were more parts that just seemed dry and seemed to be a bit of a slog to get through. I don't know, I was disappointed. Would I still recommend it? Absolutely.

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley: The cover alone is enough for me to love this book, but unfortunately the content was just.. disappointing. I wasn't that engaged in the story and it just felt rather odd and disjointed; it ended up taking me longer than normal to get through this one.
(Review)

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace: Look, I'm glad I read it, but... I wouldn't do it again. And I'm hesitant on whether or not I would recommend it.

Wildwood by Colin Meloy: This book... I don't even know. The cover, the premise, everything just screams amazing middle grade fantasy. The reality? Something extremely long-winded and, quite frankly, rather boring. I also DNF-ed this one.

Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie: This is one of Rushdie's weaker works, in my opinion. I just didn't care about anything that was happening, nothing really made sense, and I really had to force myself to finish it.
(Review)

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George: I couldn't find the plot! It had such a fantastic concept and strong start, but it just fell flat int he middle and didn't seem to pick itself back up.
(Review)

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen: I actually might consider rereading this one someday, but as of right now I just found this incredibly slow and uninteresting.  I would like to give it another chance, though.
(Review)

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut: Over the years, I've discovered that Kurt Vonnegut is just not for me. I had to force myself to finish this one. I won't say that Vonnegut isn't talented,because he clearly is, but his writing just isn't for me.

The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak: I was so hesitant to include this one since it's such a beloved book to many people, but my god I hated it. I thought it was extremely gimmicky and confusing and just not at all interesting. I didn't care for any of the characters and I ended up DNF-ing it. If you love it, that's awesome and I completely respect that, but I personally just didn't get this one.

S. by J.J. Abrams: To be clear, the marginalia story in this book was incredibly interesting and entertaining, but the main story itself was such a drag to get through. 

What books have you struggled to finish? Did it pay off in the end? Let me know in the comments!

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Anticipated July 2017 Releases!

It's already almost July, and that means new releases! Here is just a small selection of some of the incredible new books coming out next month. 

Lost Boy by Christina Henry || July 4th

The Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody || July 25th

Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw || July 25th

First We Were Four by Alexandra Sirowy || July 25th

Hook's Tale by John Leonard Pielmeier  || July 19th

The Hidden Lives of the Tudor Women by Elizabeth Norton || July 4th

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay || July 11th

The Intuitives by Erin Michelle Sky & Steven Brown || July 25th

The Five Daughters of the Moon by Leena Likitalo || July 25th

Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine || July 11th

Casanova's Secret Wife by Barbara Lynn-Davies || July 25th

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell || July 18th

The Apprentice Witch by James Nicol || July 25th
The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman || July 25th

What are your anticipated July releases?

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Books that Conquered the Sequel Slump

Sequels: equally the most loved and hated by book lovers everywhere. Sometimes they are a fantastic, mindblowing addition, and sometimes it'd be better off if they weren't ever made. Today I thought I would look through some of my favorite sequels and share them with you all, so below I present to you just a few of the sequel that I felt were just as good - if not better! - than the first book. (And in the next month or so I plan to feature some of my least favorites... so stay tuned!)

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss: I loved The Name of the Wind and I thought that the sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, continued on this trilogy beautifully! I am still patiently awaiting the third installment, though I don't mind when authors take their time with a series -- I'd rather the book be exactly what they want it to be than rushed to a finish because fans are breathing down their necks.

The Sandman Vol. 2: Technically this came out as a comic initially, but since I read the Sandman graphic novels as individual volumes, I have to say that volume two was even more exciting than the first one, Preludes and Nocturnes. The Sandman series was the first graphic novel series I ever read, and to this day it remains my favorite; it is incredibly inventive and impossible to put down.

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson: I'm not quite if this one needs an explanation! Sanderson is a master at world-building and character-development, and his expansion on his world and the plot of this series was astounding. I can't wait for Oathbringer (#3) this fall!

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: I love these characters. ❤  I love the dynamics, the story, everything. Crooked Kingdom was such a fantastic addition. As much as I would love to have more in this world, I am incredibly satisfied with this duology. Review.

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab: So I liked A Darker Shade of Magic, but I wasn't quite on board. I didn't like Lilah that much in the first book - I actually found her quite annoying - but the second book is when I fell in love. The characters became stronger, the world became more wide-ranging and complex, and the magic system flourished. Definitely stick around for book two. Review. 

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray: The Diviners was fantastic, Lair of Dreams was also fantastic. That's all I have to say. (Also, the third book is coming this fall!)

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas: I really loved ACOTAR when I first read it. I had been going throw a pretty rough patch in my life and it really helped me through things and helped me have an outlet for all my difficulties. I wasn't sure if future books could be as good as I hoped ...and then I read ACOMAF, and I realized that the first book was nothing compared to this one. Review. 

Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman: Illuminae was brilliant and fortunately Gemina completely lived up to all expectations!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer: I went into Cinder, book one, extremely skeptical because nothing about it seemed that interesting to me... and I ended up really enjoying it! I then decided to dive into Scarlet and found it to be a solid addition.

What do you think of these sequels? What are some of your favorites?

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Anne Bonnie Volume #1: The Journey Begins by Tim Yates

Anne Bonnie #1: The Journey Begins by Tim Yates. Blue Juice Comics, 2014. 180 pages.

Hands down, this was easily one of the most entertaining and enjoyable things I've read this year. 

This is a fast-paced, not overly serious comic series of a young girl named Ariana who wants nothing more than to be a pirate on her own ship like all of the pirate legends she's grown up hearing about. And because of this passion, she gets into more than a bit of trouble on the high seas. Right off the bat, you know that this is going to be a great adventure, and it doesn't disappoint.

Ariana is someone you can't help but love. She's crazy and makes some rather impulsive decisions that can be frustrating, but it's also what makes her so endearing -- and also what makes us wish we could be more like: someone who takes risks and lives life to its fullest, even if it might not always go our way. 

The additional characters, such as Shen Kenoshi, Mary Reed, and Finn, are all wonderful additions and only serve to make this story pop even more. I loved that it was such a diverse cast not only in appearance but also in personality. Ariana is loud, outgoing, and rash, whereas Kenoshi is more thoughtful and knows when things should be kept quiet. Finn is also on the quieter side and less sure of himself, but still a strong character in his own right who is quite charming. Another character I loved was Mary Reed, who is a wonderfully badass woman who you can't help but love for her strength and dominating force. 

In addition to the wonderful characters and exciting plot were the beautiful illustrations, which I loved. There is something so easy and relaxed about them, and I found the bright, vibrant colors to add an even more pleasant addition the this adventure story. The personality of each character was rendered brilliantly, and it is obvious that Yates knows what he's doing. 

This comic seems incredible age-less to me. As an adult, I love this, and I can also see teens and even younger kids enjoying this as well. I don't really know what the target audience is supposed to be for this one, but I definitely see this as appealing to any adventure-lover.

Anne Bonnie is a blast, and I cannot recommend this one enough to anyone who loves pirates, adventures, or characters that are full of personality. Overall, I'm giving Anne Bonnie five stars! I can't wait to read more -- and stay tuned for more Blue Juice Comic reviews coming soon!

*I received a copy of Anne Bonnie courtesy of Blue Juice Comics; this is no way influences my review.*

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Arabella of Mars by David Levine

Airwoman by Zara Quentin

Heartless  by Marissa Meyer