Top 10 of 2014 - Day 2

 I had so much fun with this last year I had to join the fun again. This meme is hosted by Two Chicks On Books click on the above button to heard over to their blog.

Best Book Covers of 2014 (MUST be a book released in 2014. Would be best if it’s a book you’ve READ in 2014, but it’s not required)

10.

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout - What really draws me into this book is the colours with that hint of red it just stands out. 

9.

Fire of Stars and Dragons by Melissa A. Petreshock - The fire in the background looks stunning and it was that, that wanted me to read this book.

8.

Come Back To Me by Mila Gray - There's just something about this book cover that draws me in. I love that this could be a part of a scene in the book which is something that I like to see in book covers.

7.

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick - Becca Patrick does it again as every book cover that she has had I have loved and this one is no different.

6.

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout - This cover is the America version and I just wish that us in the UK had this one as it's stunning and ours is a bit too plain for my liking.

5.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski - For me this cover was what made me want to read this book I just wish the story lived up to the cover.

4.

Apolonia by Jamie McGuire - There may not be much in this cover but with the patterns and colours it makes it stand out.

3.

Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven - This cover is so cute. The colours are bold which did draw me in but what drew me in even more was the heart which looks shattered it looks so effective.

2.

Happenstance by Jamie McGuire - Another cover of McGuire that I love, I could've even had more as her covers always seem to stand out from the crowd.

1.

The One by Kiera Cass - The whole Selection series has stunning covers and for me this one just outshines them all as well as any other covers of 2014. 

What where your favourite covers of 2014?

Showcase Sunday #105

Showcase Sunday is a weekly Meme that I am taking part of. This weekly meme is hosted by Vicky over at Book, Biscuits and Tea.

Click images to take you to Goodreads.

Kindle Book Bought

This one is a spin off from her The Secret series which even though I have only read the first in that series but I thought I would still buy this one while it was only 77p.

Free Kindle Books

  

  

Review Kindle Books

  

  

 

What did you receive this week?

BOTM #31

Not a huge amount of books this month as there was a book the I DNF so I wasted a bit of time on (which doesn't happen very often but because I didn't finish it I won't add it to the list and maybe try it again another time) plus it was Easter. Apart from that April was a good month as only one book I read was below 3/5!

Here's the books that I read in April:

• The Winner's Curse (Winner's Trilogy, #1) by Marie Rutkoski - 2.5/5
• Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles, #1) by Kresley Cole - 5/5
• Frigid (Frigid, #1) by J Lynn - 4.5/5
• Walking Disaster (Beautiful, #2) by Jamie McGuire - 5/5
• Suddenly Royal (Suddenly, #1) by Nichole Chase - 5/5 (reread, originally read in February)
• Recklessly Royal (Suddenly, #2) by Nichole Chase - 5/5
• Out of Control by Sarah Alderson - 4/5
• Into the Deep (Into the Deep, #1) by Samantha Young - 5/5

And the Book of the Month goes too...

 

This one was a really hard choice so for the first time it's a three way tie. I just couldn't decide which was better because for me they where all amazing in their own way. It would have been four but Suddenly Royal was a reread so I took it out of the running. For my review of each of these three books click on each of the pictures.

Book Review: The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1) by Marie Rutkoski

Format: Kindle (Review)

Publishers: Bloomsbury

Published: 3rd July 2014

Pages: 368

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Main Characters: Kestrel, Arin

Date Read: 2nd April - 7th April 2014

Rating Given:

Blurb:
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.
Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 
Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

I felt like I needed to read a good YA book as at the minute NA and Adult books are so much better, so I thought I would be ok with this one especially after all those rave reviews. Oh boy was I wrong...

Before I even read all the reviews I wanted this book just because of my love of the cover. The cover stands out for me because of the dress with all those ruffles it reminded me of The Luxe series. I loved the layout of the title and the authors name as it worked really well with the rest of the cover.

When I first started this book I was going to stop reading it as not only could I not get into it but it was a review book from Netgalley with every other line having no spaces so it was very difficult to understand. For quite a lot of the book there was anything of interest happening you just knew that something was going to happen and it did which made it a lot more interesting. There was moments in this book where I couldn't put it down but for the most part I just didn't get all those five star ratings. I thought the romance was very much lacking and I would loved to have a bit more focus on it but it was more believable than some books as it wasn't love at first sight and it took awhile for them to understand their attraction towards one another. Towards the end I was thinking about giving it a higher rating as I really got into it but then the ending happened and it put me off, although I do feel like I am more likely to read the next book than what I did in the beginning.

For the most part of this book I didn't really have any feelings towards the characters and it wasn't until closer to the end when I started liking them. Kestrel I felt grew up a lot during this book because at the beginning she seemed a little too naive and annoying but on the other hand you could tell she was a clever person. I thought I was going to really like Arin but I just couldn't warm to him until the end when he started to be sweet. There was a few other characters in there but I wasn't really sure who to like as they all seemed to have a hidden agenda.

Overall the beginning should have started off more like the second half of the book as then it would have been amazing but in the end I just found this book a bit lacking.

Showcase Sunday #78

Showcase Sunday is a weekly Meme that I am taking part of. This weekly meme is hosted by Vicky over at Book, Biscuits and Tea and for more info click on the SS image which will take you straight to the blog.

Click images to take you to Goodreads.

Free Kindle Books

  

 

Review Kindle Books

  

  

I did get a few more but I could be here all day mentioning them all so just mentioned the ones I'm most excited about. I hate you Netgalley (not really) I should stay away but I just can't.