Most Anticipated 2016 Book Releases

1) Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard (February 9)


This is the sequel to Red Queen, which was a book I read last year. You can find my review for it here. The second book follows Mare Barrow as her adventure continues while on the run from the man who betrayed her and is now hunting for her. I'm excited for just as many twists and turns as the first!

2) The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig (February 16)

This novel has time travel, deals with grief, and apparently has beautifully crafter characters. To put it mildly, I can not wait for this. There are not enough time travel books, especially not time travel books in which characters can go whenever and wherever they want. I'm hoping that this will be a complex novel about what crazy things we will do for love. Also... that cover, you guys. That cover.

3) A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab (February 23)

This is the sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic, which was basically my favorite book I read last year. You can read a full review of that, here. If you love fantasy, magic, amazing characters, complex narratives, and beautiful writing, you will love this series and author. Please read the first, so that you can be just as excited for this next novel as I am!

4) The Forbidden Orchid by Sharron Biggs Waller (March 8)

Okay, so I really don't actually care what this one is about. (I did look it up, and it's about a girl who goes on an adventure with her father to find a rare orchid that could save their family from debt and prison.) Waller's A Mad, Wicked Folly was one of the best books I read in 2015. It was amazing. I actually think I want to reread it soon so I can do a proper review of it (Which is saying something, because I don't reread books very often.). The writing and the story were both beautiful, as were the characters, and I just can not wait for more from this author.

5) This Is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhang (March 22)

Let me tell you a few things about Amy Zhang: 1) her first novel, Falling into Place, is one of my favorite books ever, 2) her writing is beautiful, 3) her mastery over narrative and storytelling is breathtaking, and 4) her debut novel was first published when she was ... wait for it... only 18 years old. Seriously, she's one of my favorite authors, and I am so glad that there is more to come from her!

6) Love, Lies, and Spies by Cindy Anstey (April 19)

So, I just stumbled across this one a few days ago, and now I can't wait for it to come out. It follows a science-loving young girl in the 19th century who is sent to London for the season. She has no intention of find a husband though, but instead furthering the reach of her scientific research. Then she meets a man who is also too busy to be looking for a wife, and the two form a plan to court each other, you know, just to get everyone off their backs about falling in love. We all know where this is going to lead, right? Right. All boarding The Cuteness Express, please! I can't wait for this one!

7) The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh (May 3)

This is the sequel to Ahdieh's The Wrath and Dawn, which is a new take on A Thousand and One Nights. After the cliff-hanger ending of the last novel, I'm looking forward to see where all the characters are going to end up. Hopefully this one is just as intriguing and breathtaking as the first.

8) Futhermore by Tahereh Mafi (August 30)

Tahereh Mafi, author of the amazing Shatter Me series, is coming out with a new series. I repeat, TAHEREH MAFI IS COMING OUT WITH A NEW SERIES. I'm a bit excited.... Mafi's writing is beautiful and so poetic. I'm truly looking forward to what new things she does with this series, especially since its a middle grade novel. Hopefully its as fun, adventurous, and intense as the Shatter Me series.

9) Untitled by Sarah J. Maas (September 6)


I know what you're thinking, "Acacia, this is an untitled book with no cover. How can you be excited about this?" Yes, yes. I know. But SARAH J. MAAS! You know, author of MY FAVORITE SERIES EVER.... Okay, I promised I wouldn't do this again... Deep breath...  So, The Throne of Glass series is amazing and crazy intense and if you haven't picked it up yet, go NOW. NOW. GO READ IT AND THE NEXT THREE BOOKS AND THE PREQUEL AND LOVE EVERY WORD. Then come back here and you will understand why I love this series and these characters and this world so much. Okay? Okay.

10) Heartless by Marissa Meyer (November 8)


Oh yeah, and then there's this! You guys know Marissa Meyer, right? I went on and on about her last year and her amazing series The Lunar Chronicles, which is a sci-fi retelling of classic fairytales. Its amazing. Well, now she's doing it again with a new series focusing on the world of Alice in Wonderland, specifically the Queen of Hearts. Did you just squeal as loud as I did? No? You obviously need to go read her first books then. Do that, and then you'll understand.

Well, that's it for my top 10 most anticipated books of 2016. Are there any books you're looking forward to this year? Let me know in the comments!

Your Pemberley Reader,
Acacia

Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Synopsis: Claire Beauchamp Randall's life hasn't been easy. Her parents died when she was young, she got married months before World War II broke out, and then for the years to follow, she nursed British soldiers while her husband did work elsewhere for the war effort. Now, after the war has finally ended, her and her husband have reunited and are taking a belated honeymoon to the Scottish Highlands. Out exploring one day, however, Claire is ripped from her time in the 1940s to the early 1740s. Stuck in a country heading towards war where English soldiers seem to be sticking around just to throw people in jail and flog them, Claire has very few options for safety. She must find a way to protect herself while trying to find a way back home. Especially when the Scots she spends her days with think she's a spy, and the British she keeps running into think there's something too suspicious about an unmarried English woman living alone in the middle of the Highlands. The clearest, but by far not the simplest solution is to marry. Luckily, Jamie Fraser, for his own safety, is also in need of spouse. The two are married, and Claire, as she falls in love with her new husband, begins to wonder if trying to find a way back to her own time is really her top priority.

Review: This book was the perfect way to start the year. I started reading it during Christmas break, and finished just last week, which is actually fairly fast considering that this book is 850 pages. This brick of a book is full of romance, adventure, action, and time-travel, though, so it went by fast. The beginning was a little long, but once Claire was fixed in her new life, the plot picked up and seemed well-paced. The setting was extraordinary, of course. Anything entirely set in the Scottish Highlands is going to be amazing. Castles, towns, forests, hills... The setting couldn't have been better.

The characters were a fun mix of oddities, passions, and humor. There were some characters who I absolutely hated, others I was indifferent towards, and some I absolutely loved. I espicially loved Claire, who is a great protagonist. Placing a 20th century woman into the 18th century is sure to be humorous at times, especially when she screams "Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ" and everyone stares at her in confusion, but the best part was Claire's ability to adapt to her situation. There is no time spent "boo-hooing" over her situation. She seems to just carry on with life with only the occasional glimpse of remorse and sadness over not being with her husband in the 20th century. From her attitude, to her assessments of the situations she and Jamie find themselves in, I loved her character!

Jamie Fraser, the man Claire marries, is probably one of my favorite characters to exist ever. He's one of the characters that you imagine as part-puppy. You want to make sure he has all his basic needs, so that you can just sit and watch him be happy and adorable. His snark, his strength (of character, that is), his shyness, his love for Claire, all of it adds up to a character that I absolutely loved.

There were a few things I especially did not care for in this novel. For one, the writing was sometimes beautiful, but other times awkward and choppy. The reading experience was a little odd and inconsistent because of this. Secondly, there is a section of the book in which Claire puts some of the men she and Jamie are traveling with in danger and almost gets herself killed. In 1740s Scottish culture, a person, man or woman, is usually hit or whipped in some way or another if they put the rest of the party in danger. This results in a scene with Clair being hit by Jamie with the expectation from every other person in their party that it would happen. I felt like this scene was too forced and unnecessary. It was a) fairly abusive, b) oddly handled by Claire who after putting up an intense fight, thereafter comes to realize that the men were right and pretty much "gets over it" and c) felt out of character for both Claire and Jamie. Nothing like it happens again throughout the book, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

The above may be seen as a trigger-warning for some, and so I should also disclose that other parts of the book may be hard for some readers. There were scenes and chapters where characters suffered intense physical and sometimes sexual abuse from British soldiers. So, just be aware of that if you're thinking about reading this book.

I think my favorite part of this novel was the build-up to Claire's decision to stay in the 1740s and stop pursuing a way home. The tension to get back is suddenly released and it is like Claire takes on this whole new self. She is suddenly so much happier and relieved and just throws herself into her new life. The shift in her and Jamie's relationship after this point is well-worth the wait, as everything sort of settles and the two seem to finally accept the home they have found in each other.

This novel was fun, romantic, and action-packed. The tensions worked well and were interesting, the plot moved fast, and the characters were fun to get to know. This book has been made into a television show, which is still airing. I have the first part of season 1 on DVD and am very excited to watch it! There are also about seven more books in this series, all of which are just as long, if not longer. Despite the scene I didn't like in the novel, I think I'll be continuing with the series, as I don't think it will be something that is repeated. If it is, I probably won't continue the series.

I would highly recommend for anyone wanting to read a traditional "romance" novel, but who wants more plot and action than some other romances offer. I would also recommend for those who are interested in the Highlands and the Scottish/English conflict, as there is quite a bit of history in these books.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Cups of Tea


Your Pemberley Reader,
Acacia

Adventure Time: Amazon Books

I've decided I need a new segment on The Pemberley Reader! This is going to be called Adventure Time, and it's going to be about different bookstores or fun, book-related places and events that I go and explore. Living in Seattle during the school year, I get plenty of opportunity to check out cool bookstores and events. I don't feel like I take full advantage of this, however. I think having this segment will help me want to do more and start writing about it. So, without further ado, here is my first Adventure Time:

Amazon Books

Address: 4601 26th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105

Amazon decided to open an actual, physical store, and it is amazing. The store is in UVillage, a cool outdoor shopping mall in Seattle. There is a free parking garage right across from the store, which is great for a poor college student wanting to spend all her money on books. I went with some of my roommates a few weeks ago and made sure to take a lot of pictures, because this is currently Amazon's only physical store.

The coolest thing about this store is that the prices are all the same as Amazon's online prices. Basically, you get the perks of buying books online (aka reduced prices), but also with the perks of going to an actual physical bookstore (aka physical books you can smell and touch). It's amazing. And you get to check the price by either using the Amazon app on your phone, or by scanning the item on the cool scanners located throughout the store.

They also had an area in the middle with all of their electronics that they sell. Most of it consists of the different kinds of kindles, the cases for them, etc. You can go up and play around with all the different kinds that they have though. It's sort of like going to the Apple store to play with iPads. There are pre-downloaded books and apps so that you can mess around with them. They had two big televisions that kids were sitting at the whole time playing games on. I think you can buy the remote and adaptor that was allowing the games on the television, but I'm not sure what they are.

Back to books, though. That's what truly matters.

The set up is pretty cool, with all of the books facing out towards the shopper instead of having their spines out. This made for a new shopping experience. This may be something other, perhaps small bookstores do, but I've never been to a store that's done this so I thought it was neat.

They had a fairly good selection for each section of the store. It definitely is a small store, so some sections were smaller than I would have preferred. The cool thing about the store, though, is that it reflects what's popular online. So they are selling their most popular newly released books mixed in with the most popular classics and older books. So right next to a copy of Pride and Prejudice is the newest New York Times Bestseller.

There are ups (The cool space and prices.) and down sides (They might not have the exact book you want.), but overall, this is definitely an awesome book experience, and I'll be going again soon. If you are ever in Seattle, I highly suggest going. Even if you end up not liking it, which I'm pretty sure you will, you can say that you've been to Amazon's first official store!

Hopefully this store sticks around for a while, and seeing how its Amazon, it seems likely! Thanks for joining me on this Adventure Time!

Your Pemberley Reader,
Acacia

New Year, New Posts, New Books!

Happy New Year!

I hope all of you had a wonderful month of holidays, celebration, and family time. I know I did. With the new year, I am excited to announce that I am only taking 15 credits at school and will be able to post regularly again! 18 credits and working is apparently just not conducive for blogging, let alone finding time to read. This next quarter should be better though!

As some of you may remember from my post Books That Terrify Me, I was having problems in 2015 with not reading certain books because of length or time restraints. I was always overly concerned about how reading a long book would affect my yearly reading goal. Well, not this year! I've decided that this year I will not be caught up in the need to speed read through books in order to stay on track. No, this year, I am going to take my time with my reading and not worry about how many books I read.

With that being said, my TBRs may be a bit different this year. They will consist of books I hope to get to over the month, but that I may not end up reading. There may be fewer books, as I'm hoping to read some longer books this year. There may even be some months that I decide not to have a TBR, but just let my wandering reading habits decide what to pick up next.

So, with that being said, here is what I hope to read in the month of January:

1) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon


I'm already about half way through this one, and am really enjoying it thus far. It's a super long romance novel that follows a woman who, while on her "second honeymoon" in the late 1940s England, gets transported back to 1740s Scotland. Because of unforeseen circumstances there, she marries a man who is to protect her. The transition to this new life is extremely interesting, while the transition to a new husband is romantic and very different from her life in the 1940s. I'm looking forward to finishing this novel and seeing what happens. It is fairly long, though, at 850 pages. So, this may take me a while. However, like I said, no goals means I can take as much time as I'd like.

2) Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon


This book is also pretty long at around 600 pages, but it is flying by! I got this book on Christmas and have been reading it while reading Outlander. It is a biography on the mother-daughter pair Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley, who if you don't know, I love with an insane passion. These two are amazing. I thought I knew a good bit about them, but after reading only 50 pages, I have learned so much more and am increasingly more impressed and in awe of these two women. I highly suggest this book, and I'm not even close to done with it yet. If you want to read about two women who beat the odds of their time in order to prove the greatness of women everywhere, read this book!

3) Austenland by Shannon Hale


I've been wanting to read this novel for a while. As many of you may know, I'm sort of an Austen addict, so this novel is right up my alley. It is about a woman who goes to a sort of Austen "camp" where women can act as if they are in an Austen novel. There, the woman falls in love with one of the men, and I'm guessing he also falls in love with her. I'm really looking forward to this read!

4) The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon


I know a lot of people on tumblr who have read and love this book, so when I saw it for $5 or so at Barnes and Noble a few months ago, I made sure to pick it up! I'm not entirely sure what its about, but I know its a fantasy novel, which is always right up my alley. I also know it's supposed to have amazing characters and really great writing. Definitely excited to read this one.

5) Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs


I am finally going to pick this up, and I can not wait! For those of you who don't know, this is the third and last novel in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Series. This series combines old photographs, children with special abilities, time travel, and creepy monsters. In other words, it's amazing and you need to read it if you haven't. Anyways, this third installment has been one I've been looking forward to for a while, so I'm really excited to reading it. I highly suggest starting this series! The movie adaptation will be released later this year as well, so be a hipster and get in on it before it gets HUGE.

Well, that's it for this month's TBR. I'm looking forward to another great year of reading, blogging, and interacting with you all! I hope you all had a great New Year and are enjoying the many books you hopefully got over the holidays!

Your Pemberley Reader,
Acacia