Victoria Moschou's Blog, page 62

My Quarantine TBR: Books that will keep me company until late April

Hello awesome people and happy Saturday everyone.

It’s another quarantine day (I don’t know which one because, obviously, I’m not counting the days), and since yesterday I finally received two of my pre-orders AND it was officially announced that all educational facilities will remain closed until late April, therefore I’ll keep working from home and I’ll have more spare time, I decided to organise my quarantine/COVID-19 TBR, as the days will sometimes feel long and I do need something to cheer me up a little bit.

I mean, all I need in order to feel happy is a good book and a hot cup of coffee.

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With all that being said, let’s get to my quarantine TBR: the books I’m already reading and the ones I’m planning on reading soon.

1. GRAVEMAIDENS (GRAVEMAIDENS, #1), BY KELLY COON

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“The start of a fierce fantasy duology about three maidens who are chosen for their land’s greatest honor…and one girl determined to save her sister from the grave.

In the walled city-state of Alu, Kammani wants nothing more than to become the accomplished healer her father used to be before her family was cast out of their privileged life in shame.

When Alu’s ruler falls deathly ill, Kammani’s beautiful little sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of three sacred maidens to join him in the afterlife. It’s an honor. A tradition. And Nanaea believes it is her chance to live an even grander life than the one that was stolen from her.

But Kammani sees the selection for what it really is—a death sentence.

Desperate to save her sister, Kammani schemes her way into the palace to heal the ruler. There she discovers more danger lurking in the sand-stone corridors than she could have ever imagined and that her own life—and heart—are at stake. But Kammani will stop at nothing to dig up the palace’s buried secrets even if it means sacrificing everything…including herself.”

I’m currently halfway through this book on Audible and I’m enjoying it a lot so far. The writing style is really good, the premise is so very unique and intriguing, and the whole girl-power vibe I get is truly empowering.

2. A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN (CURSEBREAKERS, #2), BY BRIGID KEMMERER

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“Find the heir, win the crown.

The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Win the crown, save the kingdom.

Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been on the run since he destroyed Lilith. He has no desire to challenge Rhen–until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?

The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.

In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.“

So, I started reading this beauty last Sunday and OH MY GOSH! I’m absolutely ADORING it so far! I love seeing the story through Grey’s eyes and I feel completely fascinated by Lia Mara and this breath of fresh air she brought into the story. Truth be told, I think I will manage to finish the book by the end of the weekend, mostly because I’ve nothing else to do, aside from prepping my tutoring classes for next week, and because a very exciting readathon starts on Monday.

3. HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD (CRESCENT CITY, #1), BY SARAH J. MAAS

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“Bound by blood.

Tempted by desire.

Unleashed by destiny.

Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.

With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.”

Along with a few Bookstagram friends, we decided to start a buddy read of this beauty this coming Monday and I’m so happy I finally got my copy of the book, as because of coronavirus there are so many delays lately on the post office. Luckily though, I received it three days prior to the start date of the readathon and I can actually participate. My excitement is ginormous, as I’ve read that this is probably the best Sarah J. Maas book so far. Let’s see if it’s gonna beat A Court of Mist and Fury.

4. THE QUEEN’S ASSASSIN (QUEEN’S SECRET, #1) , BY MELISSA de la CRUZ

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“Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

Caledon Holt is the Kingdom of Renovia’s deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in brawn or brains, which is why he’s the Guild’s most dangerous member and the Queen’s one and only assassin. He’s also bound to the Queen by an impossible vow–to find the missing Deian Scrolls, the fount of all magical history and knowledge, stolen years ago by a nefarious sect called the Aphrasians.

Shadow has been training all her life to follow in the footsteps of her mother and aunts–to become skilled enough to join the ranks of the Guild. Though magic has been forbidden since the Aphrasian uprising, Shadow has been learning to control her powers in secret, hoping that one day she’ll become an assassin as feared and revered as Caledon Holt.

When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they’re forced to team up as assassin and apprentice to hunt down a new sinister threat to Renovia. But as Cal and Shadow grow closer, they’ll uncover a shocking web of lies and secrets that may destroy everything they hold dear. With war on the horizon and true love at risk, they’ll stop at nothing to protect each other and their kingdom in this stunning first novel in the Queen’s Secret series.”

I’ve read Melissa de la Cruz’s books in the past and I thoroughly enjoyed them, so I have great expectations about this book, too, despite the conflicted reviews I’ve read so far.

The Queen’s Assassin was the featured book in the February FIGHTING FATE Beacon Book Box and the Beacons haven’t disappointed me so far, so I do trust their judgement!

By the way, if you guys haven’t ordered your April box or your BLOOD & HONEY special edition box, you can do so by following the link above and subscribing to the company’s website. You can also use my coupon code, VICTORIOUS5, in order to save some bucks.

5. CHAIN OF GOLD (THE LAST HOURS, #1), BY CASSANDRA CLARE

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“Chain of Gold is the first novel in a new trilogy that stars the Shadowhunters of Edwardian London.

Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.

James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love.”

It’s been a while since I read a Shadowhunters’ book so I’m more than ready to dive into this universe again, especially considering the fact that The Infernal Devices is one of my all-time-favourite series and The Last Hours is essentially a spin-off series.

Y’all know how much I love Cassie’s writing style, how much I adore the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and how excited I get every time I talk about these amazing characters that were there for me during one of the shittiest periods of my life.

These are the five books that are on top of my quarantine TBR pile at the moment and I do believe I’ll manage to finish them by the end of April, while also making progress on Ninth House and A River of Royal Blood. People claim that they’re both great books, so I’m willing to give them a shot, now that I spent every day at home.

What about you, dearies? Have you set a quarantine/COVID-19 TBR pile yet? What are you currently reading?

Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Have a wonderful weekend, awesome nerds.

Quarantine & Other Little Tales

There are endless possibilities when staying at home. You can read a book, watch a movie, bake some brownies, and so on and so forth. If you’re like me, you’re even working from home, trying desperately to teach via Skype, despite the fact that the WiFi has gone nuts, trying to organise this chaos called “invoices”, and even do a little bit of customer service because, as we all know, we’re into the future and customer support and service can happen even if the client is miles away.

Staying at home though can also make you reevaluate some things, and realise how easily people can judge somebody else, even if they don’t know the half of what’s going on in that person’s life. Staying at home made me reevaluate how eager we are to play it know-it-alls, how ignorant we can get and how this attitude can actually turn against us.

And I have Love, Simon to thank for that.

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Love, Simon is a 2018 American romantic teen comedy-drama film directed by Greg Berlanti, written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, and based on the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. The film stars Nick Robinson, Josh Duhamel, and Jennifer Garner. It centers on Simon Spier, a closeted gay high school boy who is forced to balance his friends, his family, and the blackmailer threatening to out him to the entire school, while simultaneously attempting to discover the identity of the anonymous classmate with whom he has fallen in love online.

Simon Spier is a closeted gay high school boy living in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. He has a close and loving family—parents Emily and Jack, and sister Nora—as well as three best friends: Nick and Leah, whom he has known most of his life, and newcomer Abby.

One day, Leah informs Simon about an online confession of a closeted gay student at their high school, known only by the pseudonym “Blue”. Simon begins communicating with Blue via email using the pseudonym “Jacques”. The two confide personal details and form a connection. However, their emails are accidentally discovered by another student, Martin, who is infatuated with Abby. After learning his secret, Martin blackmails Simon by threatening to make his emails public unless he agrees to help Martin win over Abby. Simon begins to suspect that his classmate Bram is Blue.

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I’m not gonna spoil the movie for you, although those who have read the book and have watched the movie probably know what happens at the end. What I’m going to say though is that this movie reminded me how important it is to listen to a person’s story before using a certain label for them or judging them. I know it’s easier to judge somebody else instead of judging our own selves, but this way, we’ll never evolve, we’ll never become better people. And now that we have plenty of time to stay inside, we can reevaluate our stance and worldview. We can try new recipes and watch some interesting documentaries, read a book and spend some quality time with your family, loved ones and pets.

You can focus on ourselves instead of focusing on others. Funny, isn’t it?

As a person who always respects and follows rules, I implore you to STAY HOME and break the chain of this pandemic. History is being written right now, dearies. Let’s make a change today, so we can have a better tomorrow.

Have you guys read Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda? Have you watched the movie? What do you think of it? Do you stay inside, trying to eliminate the casualties of COVID-19 and protect the people around you?

I will make sure to upload a post focusing solely on activities you can do when staying inside and following the coronavirus social isolation measures. There are extroverts here who I know are struggling a lot because of this outbreak.

Let me remind you though that we’re all stronger than we think and braver than we believe.

Thank you all for stopping by once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.

Take care of yourselves, dearies. Stay safe. Stay home.

Till next time… Toodles!

BOOK REVIEW: Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta’s Academy, #1), by Sandhya Menon ~ I expected something completely different

It’s really sad when one of your most anticipated releases ends up disappointing you so very much that you regret reading the book in the first place.

BOOK REVIEW: Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta’s Academy, #1), by Sandhya Menon ~ I expected something completely different

It’s really sad when one of your most anticipated releases ends up disappointing you so very much that you regret reading the book in the first place.

BOOK REVIEW: Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta’s Academy, #1), by Sandhya Menon ~ I expected something completely different

It’s really sad when one of your most anticipated releases ends up disappointing you so very much that you regret reading the book in the first place.

BOOK REVIEW: Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta’s Academy, #1), by Sandhya Menon ~ I expected something completely different

It’s really sad when one of your most anticipated releases ends up disappointing you so very much that you regret reading the book in the first place.

BOOK REVIEW: Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta’s Academy, #1), by Sandhya Menon ~ I expected something completely different

It’s really sad when one of your most anticipated releases ends up disappointing you so very much that you regret reading the book in the first place.

BOOK REVIEW: Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta’s Academy, #1), by Sandhya Menon ~ I expected something completely different

It’s really sad when one of your most anticipated releases ends up disappointing you so very much that you regret reading the book in the first place.

BOOK REVIEW: Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta’s Academy, #1), by Sandhya Menon ~ I expected something completely different

It’s really sad when one of your most anticipated releases ends up disappointing you so very much that you regret reading the book in the first place.

BOOK REVIEW: Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta’s Academy, #1), by Sandhya Menon ~ I expected something completely different

It’s really sad when one of your most anticipated releases ends up disappointing you so very much that you regret reading the book in the first place.