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text 2018-02-02 01:00
January Books

I had a ridiculously good month with 42 books read for January. I got to 5 of the 12 books from 2017 that I really wanted to read, but hadn't gotten to last year. For new 2018 books I was highly anticipating, I read 2 of the 7 that were out in January. I loved the majority of the books I read with an average score of 3.9 stars.

 

22 of my books were YA. 11 were graphic novels. My most-read genres were fantasy, romance, and contemporary.

 

My favorite books were The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air) - Holly Black and Foolish Hearts - Emma Mills. My least favorite was Vanilla - Billy Merrell.

 

5 Stars

Kissing Max Holden - Katy Upperman Roomies - Christina Lauren We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Saga Volume 8 - Brian K. Vaughan  The Cruel Prince - Holly Black  Prince in Disguise - Stephanie Kate Strohm  Foolish Hearts - Emma Mills  

 

4.5 Stars

Jackass! - Scarlet Beriko  The Last Black Unicorn - Tiffany Haddish  Flame in the Mist - Renee Ahdieh  The Hearts We Sold - Emily Lloyd-Jones  

 

4 Stars

You Can't Spell America Without Me: The Really Tremendous Inside Story of My Fantastic First Year as President Donald J. Trump (A So-Called Parody) - Alec Baldwin,Kurt Andersen  The Darkest Corners - Kara Thomas  American Street - Ibi Zoboi  The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles) - Mary E. Pearson  Secret of the Princess - Milk Morinaga  The Arsonist - Stephanie Oakes  Giant Days Vol. 5 - John Allison,Max Sarin  

Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake  Frostblood (The Frostblood Saga) - Elly Blake  Empress of a Thousand Skies - Rhoda Belleza  Animosity Volume 2 - Marguerite Bennett,Mike Marts  City of Saints & Thieves - Natalie C. Anderson  Only Dead on the Inside: A Parent's Guide to Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse - James Breakwell  Ms. Marvel Vol. 8: Mecca - G. Willow Wilson  

Fireblood (The Frostblood Saga) - Elly Blake  Girl of Nightmares - Kendare Blake  The Duchess Deal - Tessa Dare  The Wife Between Us - Greer Hendricks,Sarah Pekkanen  

 

3.5 Stars

Morrighan: A Remnant Chronicles Novella - Mary E. Pearson Batwoman Vol. 1: The Many Arms of Death (Rebirth) - Marguerite Bennett,James IV Tynion,Steve Epting  Original Sin: Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm - Marco Checchetto,Lee Garbett,Szymon Kudranski,Al Ewing,Jason Aaron,Simone Bianchi  Of Beast and Beauty - Stacey Jay Because I Was a Girl: True Stories for Girls of All Ages - Melissa de la Cruz 

 

3 Stars

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (A Marvel YA Novel) - Jason Reynolds,Kadir Nelson Snow Falling - Jane Gloriana Villanueva  Almost Midnight - Rainbow Rowell,Simini Blocker  Disney Manga: Descendants The Rotten to the Core Trilogy Volume 1 (Disney Descendants: The Rotten to the Core Trilogy) - Jason Muell  Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe - Melissa de la Cruz  Disney Manga: Descendants The Rotten to the Core Trilogy Volume 2 - Jason Muell  

 

2.5 Stars

Generations - Marvel Comics  

 

2 Stars

Vanilla - Billy Merrell 

 

 

Books by author gender:

  • Male: 9
  • Female: 30
  • Male/Female Mix: 3

 

Books by format:

  • Physical: 25
  • Audio: 17

 

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text 2018-01-31 21:12
Monthly Run Down - January 2018

Books I Read:

 

Jake Understood - 4 Stars -

 

Higher Is Waiting  - 3.75 Stars - Book Bingo: A Celebrity Memoir

 

The Magic Misfits - 4 Stars - Book Bingo: A Current Bestselling Children’s Book

 

Fifth Grave Past the Light - 4 Stars - A re-read. I’m loving re-exploring this series

 

Cherish Hard - 4 Stars -

 

New Year’s Eve - 4 Stars - A lovely little short.

 

Dirty Daddy: The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian - 3.5 Stars - Starts off slow, takes a bit to get used to the authors writing/thinking style

 

Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes and Growing Up - 3.5 Stars - I would love her to write a follow up in a few years.

 

The Beautiful Ashes - 4 Stars - Can’t wait til February first so I can read the next installment.




DNF:

 

Judgment Road - More pressing pause than DNF



Currently Reading:

 

Collision Point - Slow but steady? Learning a new world is always the roughest time for me with a book

 

Year to Date Totals:

 

January: 9 books

 

2018: 9 books

 



 

 

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text 2018-01-31 15:53
Books I Read This Month: January 2018
Faithful Place - Tana French
Not Ready for Mom Jeans - Maureen Lipinski

Hmm, well hopefully Booklikes let's me get my book covers in this post. I was having issues sizing them down the other day.


So far this year, I read 33 books. I only decided to have 50 books for my challenge this year, so if I hit a slump (it happens) I can just ride it out without pushing myself to read.

 

I also have to say that Ann Rule's book covers are atrocious. Glad I got that off my chest. 

 

5 stars

 

The Prize by Julie GarwoodBut I Trusted You by Ann RuleNo Regrets by Ann RuleDear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Fifth Witness by Michael ConnellyBitter Harvest by Ann RuleConfessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie KinsellaAshes to Ashes by Tami Hoag

We're Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle UnionFaithful Place by Tana French

 

 

 

4 stars

 

Worth More Dead and Other True Cases by Ann RuleThe Hanging Tree by Ben AaronovitchA Rage To Kill And Other True Cases by Ann RuleThe Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly

Too Late to Say Goodbye by Ann RuleThe Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble

 

3 stars

 

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaughtSmoke, Mirrors, and Murder by Ann RuleMidnight Curse by Melissa F. OlsonStrange Weather by Joe Hill

Mortal Danger and Other True Cases by Ann RuleRemember Me? by Sophie Kinsella'Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda QuickTesting Kate by Whitney Gaskell

True Love by Whitney GaskellA Bump in the Road by Maureen LipinskiSecrets in Death by J.D. RobbAn Irish Country Love Story by Patrick Taylor

 

2 stars

 

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

 

1 star

 

Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaughtHow the Light Gets In by Louise PennyThe Burial Hour by Jeffery DeaverNot Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski

 

I did read one book for the Horror Aficionados group read. So glad to be back with them.

Strange Weather by Joe Hill

 


And I also read one book for the (Mostly) Dead Writers Society 52 weeks challenge. 

 

Faithful Place by Tana French

 

My favorite book this month was "Faithful Place" my least favorite was "Not Ready for Mom Jeans."

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text 2018-01-31 12:00
January 2018 Reading Wrap Up
Dark Tide: The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 - Stephen Puleo
Hamilton's Battalion: A Trio of Romances - Alyssa Cole,Rose Lerner,Courtney Milan
Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal - G. Willow Wilson,Adrian Alphona
The Lotus Palace - Jeannie Lin
The Jade Temptress - Jeannie Lin

Pretty average month, mostly in the 2.5-3 stars range; however it was productive, thanks to COYER, BoB Cycle 21, and 24 in 48 challenges. The books attached to this post are my highlights for the month.

 

Challenges

BL/GR: 13/52 (25% completed)

COYER Winter Switch

              The Strict: 6 read this month; 10 books read overall for this phase

               The List: 6/30 (5% complete); 2 DNF

Participated in Bout of Books Cycle 21

Participated in 24in48 Read-a-thon

 

Read:

1. Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill - 3 stars

 

2. Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flatts by Kristen Iverson - 3 stars

 

3. The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued Their Bosses and Changed the Workplace by Lynn Povich - 3 stars

 

4. Dark Tide: The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo - 4 stars

 

5. The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking - 2 stars

 

6. Triangle: The Fire that Changed America by David von Drehle - 2.5 stars

 

7. A Right Honorable Gentleman by Courtney Milan - 1 star

 

8. Ms. Marvel, Volume 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson - 4 stars

 

9. Love is Love by Various Authors - 3.5 stars

 

10. Hamilton's Battalion: A Trio of Romances by Rose Lerner, Courtney Milan, and Alyssa Cole - 4.5 stars

 

11. The Lotus Palace (Pingkang Li Mystery #1) by Jeannie Lin - 4 stars

 

12. The Jade Temptress (Pingkang Li Mystery #2) by Jeannie Lin - 4 stars

 

13. Agnes Moore's Wild Knight by Alyssa Cole - 2.5 stars

 

DNF:

Something True by Karelia Stetz-Waters at 18% because I only liked one MC and the side characters were extremely annoying or stereotyped.

 

Currently Reading:

Gambled Away by Various Authors

The Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev

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text 2018-01-30 15:19
January 2018 Round -Up

   

Hello Everyone

 

I hope everyone survived the insane holidays and got some awesome new books. Now we made it through January and I can't believe the first month of 2018 is already over. Reading wise was great I got a lot more done than I thought I would.It helped not having to worry other blog stuff as much. I so needed a break. Plus as a bonus I was much more active on Goodreads and Booklikes which was awesome :) 

I still have to post a book haul which I will do soon... I hope. I'm still waiting on a box so we shall see when it comes or if ;) 

I don't have any real goals for February, except read The Cruel Prince by Holly Black which should finally arrive today. I had the hardest time getting this book.It was always sold out.  After that I plan on reading Scythe and Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman but we shall see if that actually happens or something else comes up. 

I hope everyone has a great February and you get to read a ton of awesome books. Here are my books for January, I no longer add the buy link, but you can get them easily through either Boooklikes and/or Goodreads which is always linked.

Happy reading :) 

 

 

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Cowboy Up by Harper Sloan

 

Cowboy Up - Harper Sloan

 

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Harper Sloan returns with a passionate and breathless romance about the sparks that ignite when a cautious cowboy and a once-scorned woman open up to each other in the third installment of the Coming Home series. As the eldest Davis, Clayton has always tried to lead by example. He takes his job as head of the family businesses seriously, making sure the farm and auto shop are running smoothly—along with keeping an eye on his brother and sister. For him, there's a time and place to let go of the control he holds with an iron grip. And with the way he grew up, coupled with disastrous end to his last relationship, he's just fine with his quiet, solitary life. Most of the time. What he hadn't counted on was cute, quirky, shy bookstore owner, Caroline Michaels. She's the proverbial woman next door—well, the next town over, that is. Caroline hasn't lived an easy life, but after escaping an abusive ex, she's finally living it for herself. The last thing she ever expected was a one-night stand with Clay Davis, a night she can't stop thinking about.So when she falls on hard times and Clay comes out of nowhere to her rescue, she realizes just how impossible it'll be to stay away from him. Now all she has to do is convince him to live a little... Will Clay be able to give up the reins and finally settle down? And, more importantly, will Caroline muster enough courage to lasso him up?

 

 

5★

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Until You're Mine by Cindi Madsen 

 

Until You're Mine (Fighting for Her) - Cindi Madsen

 

You might’ve heard of me, Shane Knox, the guy who rose quickly through the MMA fighter ranks, only to crash just as fast. No one cares about personal reasons when it comes to losing fights and money. I’m determined to get back to where I was. For you to hear my name again. I’ve finally convinced the owner of Team Domination to take a chance and get me back in fighting—and winning—shape. What I didn’t bargain for is the guy’s spitfire of a daughter. Factor in her two professional-fighter brothers who are acting as my coaches and the fact that my career hangs in the balance, and Brooklyn’s the last girl I should be fantasizing about.

The closer we get, the more I want Brooklyn. The stakes are high, and I know there’s a big chance of both of us getting hurt, but I won’t stop until she’s mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 5 ★

 

 

 

 

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Paper Princess by Erin Watt

 

 

Paper Princess: A Novel (The Royals) - Erin Watt

 

From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself. These Royals will ruin you… Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone. Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from. Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals. He might be right. Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.

 

 

4 ½ ★

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Broken Prince by Erin Watt

 

 

Broken Prince: A Novel (The Royals) - Erin Watt

 

 

THESE ROYALS WILL RUIN YOU...

 

Reed Royal has it all—looks, status, money. The girls at his elite prep school line up to date him, the guys want to be him, but Reed never gave a damn about anyone but his family until Ella Harper walked into his life.

 

What started off as burning resentment and the need to make his father’s new ward suffer turned into something else entirely—keep Ella close. Keep Ella safe. But when one foolish mistake drives her out of Reed’s arms and brings chaos to the Royal household, Reed’s entire world begins to fall apart around him.

 

Ella doesn’t want him anymore. She says they’ll only destroy each other.

 

SHE MIGHT BE RIGHT.

 

 

5 ★

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Twisted Palace by Erin Watt

 

 

Twisted Palace: A Novel (The Royals) - Erin Watt

 

From mortal enemies to unexpected allies, two teenagers try to protect everything that matters most.

Ella Harper has met every challenge that life has thrown her way. She’s tough, resilient, and willing to do whatever it takes to defend the people she loves, but the challenge of a long-lost father and a boyfriend whose life is on the line might be too much for even Ella to overcome.

Reed Royal has a quick temper and even faster fists. But his tendency to meet every obstacle with violence has finally caught up with him. If he wants to save himself and the girl he loves, he’ll need to rise above his tortured past and tarnished reputation.

No one believes Ella can survive the Royals. Everyone is sure Reed will destroy them all.

They may be right.

With everything and everyone conspiring to keep them apart, Ella and Reed must find a way to beat the law, save their families, and unravel all the secrets in their Twisted Palace.

 

4★

 

 

 

 

 

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The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

 

The Wrath and the Dawn - Renee Ahdieh

 

One Life to One Dawn. In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all. Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

 

 

4½ ★

 

 

 

 

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The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rose and the Dagger - Renee Ahdieh

The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.

Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.

The saga that began with The Wrath and the Dawn takes its final turn as Shahrzad risks everything to find her way back to her one true love again.

 

 

3 ½★

 

 

 

 

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City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

 

City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it’s hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.

Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary’s mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon.

But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…

 

 

 

 

4 ★

 

 

 

 

 

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City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

 

City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare

 

 

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what’s normal when you’re a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who’s becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn’t ready to let her go—especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary’s only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil—and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings—and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City’s Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

 

 

4 ½ ★

 

 

 

 

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City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

 

City of Glass - Cassandra Clare

 

Amid the chaos of war, the Shadowhunters must decide to fight with the vampires, werewolves and other Downworlders - or against them. Meanwhile, Jace and Clary have their own decision to make: Should they pursue the love they know is forbidden?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 ★

 

 

 

 

 

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This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter

 

This Heart of Mine - C.C. Hunter

 

A new heart saved her life—but will it help her find out what really happened to its donor?

Seventeen-year-old Leah MacKenzie is heartless. An artificial heart in a backpack is keeping her alive. However, this route only offers her a few years. And with her rare blood type, a transplant isn’t likely. Living like you are dying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But when a heart becomes available, she’s given a second chance at life. Except Leah discovers who the donor was — a boy from her school — and they’re saying he killed himself. Plagued with dreams since the transplant, she realizes she may hold the clues to what really happened.

Matt refuses to believe his twin killed himself. When Leah seeks him out, he learns they are both having similar dreams and he’s certain it means something. While unraveling the secrets of his brother’s final moments, Leah and Matt find each other, and a love they are terrified to lose. But life and even new hearts don’t come with guarantees. Who knew living, took more courage than dying?

 

 

5★

 

 

 

 

 

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The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

 

The Belles - Dhonielle Clayton

 

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

 

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

 

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

 

4 ½ ★

 

 

 

 

 

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The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

 

 

The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater

 

There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

 

3★

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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