Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

Book: Good Omens
Authors: Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
Releasedate: November the 28th, 2006

It's been a while since I've read this one but I HAD to write a review about it, because I am beyond enthusiastic how great this book is!

I've seen the TV series first on Amazon, at least three times, so I had to buy the book to see if that would be even better. Because I LOVE the TV series. I absolotely love it. And not just because David Tennant stars in it! It has this bizarre, British humor kinda feel and I really like that. The casting is awesome, the story telling is awesome and I just don't have any negative things to say about the TV series. I am really looking forward to season 2!

So, I have bought the book. Because they usually say that the book is better then the movie or TV series. There are definitely differences between the book and the TV adaptation, but I don't think it's annoying that they did that. After reading the book I really got the same vibe the TV adaptation gave me. This whimsical, funny and bizarre story just left me giddy after reading. I was like so many times 'this is amazing'  and 'it really feels the same way'. You can absolutely pciture what happens alongside the TV adaptation. It even gives it more depth and I can honestly say that the TV adaptation is worthy of the book. It must've helped that Gaiman himself helped adapting the book for the TV series. That's why I have faith in the second series, because there will be elements in the series that Gaiman and Pratchett discussed what they wanted for a sequel. 

So, if you like the whimsical, funny British humor with a touch of insanity, I would recommend reading this book and also watching the series. You will enjoy it! 

The Heir, The Crown - Kiera Cass

Books: The Heir, The Crown
Author: Kiera Cass
Releasedates: May 5th, 2015 - May 3rd, 2016 

Well, you've probably read what my thoughts were on the Selection series, so you can imagine my hopes weren't that high for the last two books.

Fortunately, these books were way better then the first series. I don't know what happened or if Kiera had a stroke of inspiration to do it well, but these ones were so much more fun to read. It has more depth, you really get to know Eadlyn and how she works and it gives her an honest persona. 

At first I found a detail that was really predictable, so I was like 'here we go again', but fortunately it worked out well. 

I liked The Heir and I couldn't put down The Crown. Especially the last book was definitely the best and it is such a shame that it took Kiera until the last book to finally write something worthwhile. (Sorry)

So, if you don't mind having a guilty pleasure in the Selection, then it's definitely worth it to keep reading on to the last two books.  

I really, really wasn't sure who she would choose during the books. Who does she end up with. So I definitely switched between favorites and the ending was really fulfilling though. She added a minor detail in some family drama in the books, that wasn't really necessary for me to be honest, but I did enjoy the Crown a lot. It was sweet, honest, an easyreader and it put a smile on my face once I was done reading. And it wasn't a smile as in 'Finally, I'm done', but I was content when it finished, because what happened in these books, I don't know why these books are better then the first three she wrote, but I'm glad she did! 

The Selection, The Elite, The One - Kiera Cass

 

Books: The Selection, The Elite, The One 
Author:  Kiera Cass
Releasedates: April 24th, 2012 - April 23rd, 2013 - May 6th, 2014

Okay, usually I review the books I've read per book, but I couldn't do this for this series. 

To be honest, I had very high hopes for this series. I've read on several pages that this series was a 'must read' if you liked YA. So, I brought the first book along with me from our amazing bookstore and started reading.

For me, it's a compliment to the author if I own a book of yours and it ends up in my bookcase. For book 2 and 3, I've bought them as an epub so I could read it on my e-reader. Catch my drift?  

I really, really wanted to like this series and in a way it is entertaining, but it was so incredibly predictable. It lacked the immersion I usually enevelop myself in when I start reading a book. Yeah, it was fun to read, but it wasn't very good if I compare to several authors I've previously written. And that is a shame, because it had the potential to be something great. 

So I kept on reading through the books in the hope that it got better, but it didn't. Even the ending was sloppy, easy and hasty in my opinion. There could've been so much more! So, if you like an easy read, without much depth, then this series is just right up your alley! Just don't get your hopes up too high. 

I... I just don't have much words more for it without it being too spoilery. The idea is really nice, yet predicatble. I had hoped it was a Hunger Games gone royal kinda vibe, but it fell through. Alas, I can't read everything and expect it to be great. 

Where Hope Is Found - Rebecca L. Marsh

Oh boy. Did I get sucked into this book! It's not your average story. It is bound to give you feelings you might not even want to experience, but it is really good to do it anyway!

The start of the book drags you right into the story and you just feel what Rebecca is building towards. And when it happens, you're still shocked.

I don't want to spoiler the book, because you really need to experience it for yourself. But what I can tell is that it's really well written. It's not hard to visualize what is happening right in front of you. You really feel for the characters in the book. And when it ended. Well, I had tears in my eyes that rolled down. My facemask instantly took care of the bit I was able to see, because my glasses were blurry instantly. It's my glasses, yes, definitely. 

If you're looking for an easy to read and well written book in which you aren't afraid to be confronted with some heavy stuff, then this one is really up your alley. It's lovely, it's emotional, it's heartbreaking and it ends so satisfying.

Thank you, Rebecca for letting me read this one up ahead. I really enjoyed it!

And for those that are curious. Keep your eyes peeled on her Facebook account, because the book is 

coming out this Fall!

Wingspan - Heather Trim

Well, that was amazing! I have enjoyed every bit of the third and last installment of this series. Wingspan is truly a worthy ending to the trilogy and I loved every second of it.

Wingspan is surprising, emotional and full of moments you just get sucked into it while reading. We get to see how it fares for Kava and Tolliver, for Ledger and Hollis, for Alouette. And you see the struggles and insecurites they live with and there's always someone you can identify with during the story. 

I mean, you already get sucked into it by seeing this gorgeous cover! And then the story offers you so much more. You can really see Heather took an effort in pouring her ideas and thoughts into this story and she doesn't leave any loose ends. The story finishes very satisfying and I couldn't help myself but smiling at the end of it. It's a shame the story ends. I would've loved to see more of this world she created. We experience growth, and pain, and joy throughout the story and it really gives the story it's completion.

Heather's writing style is easy and rich. You can envision yourself easily in her world.

Thank you, Heather, for asking me to read all of your books. I loved every single one of them!

Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon

Book: Dragonfly in Amber
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Releasedate: 1st of July, 1992

Welp, it's October and I finally have finished the second book in the Outlander series. With it's 848 pages in my e-reader it was quite a task to read this one, but I enjoyed pretty much every bit of it. There are some parts that tell a lot about armies and their layouts and I didn't find that much interesting, but it was necessary for the story though.

We follow Claire and Jamie after they've fled Scotland to France. She manages to get entangled in the intrigues and deceit of the French court which is pretty interesting to see.
I don't want to go much into spoilers for this book, because I'm afraid everything I tell, says too much for what is happening.

We do learn who Brianna is and her struggles with the truth and that was really good to read, since the series bring the emotion of the whole situation a tad different.

As I expected I did like the style Diana writes in and it's easy to read!
I'm afraid the next review will have to wait quite some time too, lol, since I definitely plan on going on ahead with the third book and this one counts 960 pages on my e-reader. Haha.

Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

Book: Outlander
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Releasedate: 1st of June, 1991

After seeing the Outlander TV series, which I was hooked on, I decided I needed to start reading the book series as well. I really loved the series, despite the high amount of sexscenes (which aren't just set for the sex, but to illustrate the passion that transpired between husband and wife and which was properly done so), I just loved the story itself, based in Scotland. 

However, I am not writing a review of the tvseries here, but of the first book.

In the first book of this series we get to know Claire and how she ended up in 1743. The writing style of Diana is rich and really drags you into the scene of the Scottish Highlands. Her choosing of words makes you feel like you were there. What I even found more impressive is that she made the Scottish accent readable and I loved that. I could picture everyone saying their sentences. Which is also pretty impressive if you realize Diana is born in Arizona, North America. 

Since I've watched the series, I had a vague idea what would happen in the book and to be honest, I really do like the book better then the series, because it goes so much more deeper and shows more what transpires in Claires head. And Jamie... Well, Jamie is more of a Scottish brute in the book then he is in the series, but he is also more obvious higher educated, which tends to get a little lost in the tv-series. And to be honest, the tv-series follows the book pretty good. Even some sentences are literally what  transpired in the book, but the book is obviously more richer in what happens, so I can definitely recommend reading it. Don't get frightened by the amount of pages (850 according to Goodreads!), it really is worth the read! If you like history, romance, Scots and a true vision of what transpired back in those days, it really is worth the read.