(Image found here on We Heart It)

Author Spotlight!

Since my first book for the reading challenge is done and dusted, it is time to move onto the second... So I'm going to do an author spotlight on the author of the next book I'm going to read - Heartless!

Marissa Meyer

Marissa Meyer is the author of the Lunar Chronicles series and novellas. Heartless is her new standalone novel. Cinder, the first novel in the Lunar Chronicles series was written as part of the NaNoWriMo challenge - can you believe it? 

(Image taken from Marissa Meyer's website)

The Lunar Chronicles series are different fairytale retellings, brought to life in a futuristic sci-fi setting - seriously, can it get more awesome than that?

“He was the fantasy of every girl in the country. He was so far out of realm, her world, that she should have stopped thinking about him the second the door had closed. Should stop thinking about him immediately. Should never think about him again, except maybe as a client--and her prince.And yet, the memory of his fingers against her skin refused to fade.” 

Heartless is her new standalone novel, following similarly as a fairytale retelling. This time the story follows Catherine, the future Queen of Hearts in the Alice and Wonderland story.


To get in the Heartless mood, Meyer has even created a Spotify playlist for everyone to listen to - you can find it here!

PAGE COUNT ON HEARTLESS: 42/449.

Find Marissa Meyer at her website here! 

Have you joined us on our 100 Days of Summer Reading Challenge? Until next time...

Mad Claire

xo

(Image found here on We Heart It)

Book Spotlight!

My first book on my 100 Days of Summer Reading Challenge is Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. So today I'm going to be doing a Book Spotlight on....

Illuminae Series!

The Illuminae series will consist of three books: Illuminae (released 2015), Gemina (released 2016), and the Untitled Final book (released 2017). The Illuminae series is unlike any other I've read before - it's format is unique - the story written in all different styles of dossier files. I'm talking, chat messages, pictures, full written block of texts - it's absolutely stunning and so amazing to read. I fell in love with Illuminae when I read it last year and have been dying to read Gemina since then - so of course it had to be my first challenge book!

Illuminae is full of vivid images, whole new worlds, and beautiful description. I love the world they have created, and can't wait to dive into it further in Gemina. Gemina is a sequel and companion novel, which starts five minutes after Illuminae ends, and has a new set of main stars, if you will. 

"She is catalyst. She is chaos. I can see why he loves her."

Amie Kaufman, who co-authored the These Broken Stars series, and Jay Kristoff, who authored the Stormdancer series and Nevernight, are an unbeatable team. The detail in the pages of this novel are phenominal, and from what I've read in Gemina, it only gets better. 

I can't even imagine the time and effort it would have taken to come up with all the intricate details of the novel, and they way they've made them look on the page. For me, reading these novels aren't like reading other books. I can't speed read through these ones. They are long, but I have to be able to take my time with them. I like to read every single detail on the page, sometimes re-reading two or three times to fully grasp it all before I move on.

"You have me. Until every last star in the galaxy dies. You have me."

This style of novel, this format, I could not imagine reading it again for a different story. Jay and Amie have captured and put to page something truly unique. It saddens me that we're only going to have three books in the series, but if Gemina (and the Untitled third) are anything even nearly as good as Illuminae, I know that this series will forever hold a special place in my heart. BRING IT ON!!

"You deserve every star in the galaxy laid out at your feet and a thousand diamonds in your hair. You deserve someone who'll run with you as far and as fast as you want to. Holding your hand, not holding you back."

Have you read Illuminae? What did you think of the style/format when you read it? Were you as entranced as I, or did it put you off? I'd love love love to hear all your thoughts and frustrations and anything else to do with the Illuminae series - so make sure to comment below!

PAGE COUNT ON GEMINA: 254/ 659.

Have you joined us on our 100 Days of Summer Reading Challenge? Until next time...

Mad Claire

xo

(Image found here on We Heart It)

Summer is here...

And that means that university is over for the next few months, and THAT means I can finally start reading again. So I decided to set another challenge for myself - 

100 Days of Summer Reading Challenge!

In which I attempt to read at least 14 books, if not as many as I can, in 100 days! I am going to read between

21st November - 28th February

- just in time for uni classes to start up again!

As well as reading and reviewing fantastic books, I am going to have some fun posts as well - quotes, trivia, author love, book love, playlists, giveaways - basically anything that pops into my head! 

Even better, I have my gorgeous friend Hannah at Hannah Plus Books joining me on my challenge, so make sure you go over and say hey and leaving lovely, encouraging words!

* * *

Here are some of the books I'm hoping to read during my 100 days of glorious summer! 

Will you be joining us on our 100 Days of Summer Reading Challenge?

Mad Claire

xo