Wednesday Memes – Page 6

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at @Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

And I Darken

(Top image is Hardcover, Bottom is Paperback)

Author: Kiersten White

Book: Hardcover, 496 pages

Expected Publication: June 28th 2016

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Reasons: Vlad the Impaler. Anti-hero. Alternate POV’s. I am so intrigued by the synopsis of this book & after watching Kiersten White’s interview on PolandbananasBooks, I felt even more excitement for this book. I know nothing about Vlad The Impaler which is great because Kiersten White said that she researched him & Romania extensively in preparation for this book. I love when an author does their homework on their setting & time in history. It adds to the whole experience especially since I’ll never be able to time travel so the more detail the better (at least for my mind to envision anyways). We also are made aware that Lada is not your conventional hero as a matter of fact, she’s an anti-hero. I expect this to be a dark read which I’m looking forward to since I think it will make it stand apart from current YA Fantasy reads. Alternating POV’s between Lada & her brother Radu. My favorite books are told in alternating POV’s & sometimes can help push me to read if I ever reach a slumpy part. Also, alternating POV’s allow me to familiarize myself with a character’s frame of mind and I enjoy that aspect quite a bit. This is a trilogy & what’s even cooler about this series is that we start off with protagonists around their teen years & go up to about their early 20’s. I’m super excited about this book & will be getting my copy next week!!! 😃

Goodreads Synopsis:

NO ONE EXPECTS A PRINCESS TO BE BRUTAL.

And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, who’s expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

Top 5 Wednesday

Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Lainey from Gingerreadslainey & is now moderated by Sam from Thoughts On Tomes. Each week there’s a different bookish related topic (this varies & isn’t always strictly books) & you get to list your top 5 books or bookish answers related to the topic.
This week’s topic is Favorite Literary Fathers/Father Figures, chosen in celebration of Father’s Day. I seriously had a small pool to choose from and it’s because we don’t really see much positive representation of the “Parentals” as I like to call them, (include myself as a mommy of two) much less father figures. I count myself blessed for having an AMAZING relationship with my father & wish there were more positive father figures in our books, especially LGBTQ.Here are my top 5:

1- Mr. Mendoza (Aristotle & Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe)

It’s hinted that Mr. Menzoa suffered from PTSD after his time in Vietnam which affected his relationship with Ari. Mr. Mendoza however, realizes that Ari has an internal struggle going on & steps up to help him come out. Mr. Mendoza plays a key role in getting Ari to follow his heart & go after Dante. I loved seeing these two come together in the end & that Ari got the support he needed from his father.

2- Arthur Weasley aka Mr. Weasley (Harry Potter)

Although I also love Sirius Black because he always looked over Harry from afar & made sure he was never in need, I have a special place in my heart for Arthur Weasley. Mr. Weasley took Harry in as one of his own brood (a not so small one at that) & never treated him less than any of his sons. Seeing Mr. Weasley advise Harry & take care of Harry was heart warming. Even when Harry & Ron got him in trouble with his job for stealing his flying car to get to Hogwarts, Mr. Weasley did not come down hard on neither one of the boys.

3- Eddard Stark aka Ned Stark (Game Of Thrones)

I know i’m one out of a zillion who felt the loss of our beloved Ned Stark especially after he captured our hearts. Ned Stark loved all of his children including his “love child” (dislike the word “bastard”) Jon Snow equally. The many lessons in honor, loyalty, and leadership that he imparted on his children quickly made him a favorite of mine.

4-Haymitch Abernathy (The Hunger Games)

Ok, so he couldnt hold his liqour! so what! If I lived in their world i’d probably be staring at the bottom of a bottle often too LOL! all flaws aside, Haymitch really took care of Katniss & Peeta and made sure they survived. Haymitch served as a mentor to these kids & truly loved them.

5-Luke Graymark aka Lucian Garroway (Mortal Instruments)

My love for Luke goes back to his history with Jocelyn and how when she told him she was pregnant with another mans baby, he offered to marry her. She declined, but still his heart was in the right place. Afterwards, Jocelyn & Luke do enter a romantic relationship and he was an AMAZING father figure for Clary. How much cooler can it get than having a wolf for a step-dad?

Luke from the Shadowhunter tv series:

Luke from the Shadowhunter movie:

💭 This weeks topic has me now wanting to read more books with positive father figures so I will be on the hunt. If any of you have some suggestions, please let me know & I will def check them out.

Top 5 Wednesday

This week’s topic is Favorite Character Names. This also being my 1st T5W, I thought about my top 5 ALL morning smh lol SO, here they are:

1. Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter)– her name as strange & lovely as she is. I love me some Luna 😁

2. Celaena Sardothien aka Aelin Galathynius (Throne Of Glass)– Any way you put it, her name says one thing…Bow Down Bit***!

3. Mustang (real name: Virginia au Augustus; Red Rising)– Loyal, smart as hell, & strategic. A force to be reckoned with.

4. Karou & Akiva (Daughter Of Smoke & Bone)– yes, I cheated a little and chose two but c’mon now, these names are as strange as Lainey Taylor’s beautiful (still weird) writing. I miss these two.

& Last but not least!

5. Ava Lavender– Her name fit so well with her story, one of the few characters that made me fall in love with Magical Realism.

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at @Breaking The Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Author: Stephanie Garber

Book: Hardcover, 416 pages

Expected Publication: January 10th 2017

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

Before you enter the world of Caraval, you must remember that it’s all a game . . .

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

Then, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation to Caraval finally arrives. So, Tella enlists a mysterious sailor’s help to whisk Scarlett away to this year’s show. But as soon as the trio arrives, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nonetheless soon becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with her sister, with Legend, and with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

Why did I choose this book?

Besides that beautiful cover? lol. Caraval gives me such Night Circus feels & I have not found anything like it since leaving that world. It will be interesting to read a YA book of a similar concept. This book promises an invitation to a performance, a game, mystery, kidnapping, and magic. SOLD! since this seems to be book 1 in a series, i’m hoping Caraval sets the stage so well that it captures the magic of it all. I’m also loving the fact that it’s expected publication date is in January, i’m a mood reader & this just seems like the perfect time to pick up what i’m assuming will be a darker read.