Victoria Moschou's Blog, page 92

August TBR

Hello awesome nerds and happy August everyone!

2019 is passing by so freaking quickly, but luckily I’m already more than halfway through my Goodreads’ reading challenge for the year. And if things go as planned this month, then I’ll be able to focus more on my writing projects this coming fall.

If you’ve been following me for quite some time, you probably know that I normally don’t stick to specific TBRs. Still, this month I’m going to participate in the Disney-a-thon, plus I’m expecting some really fun book mail, so it seems like August is going to be a pretty busy reading month.

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With all that being send, here’s my August TBR, starting with the books I’m planning on reading as a member of Team Lion King during the monthly Disney-a-thon:

1. RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE, BY CASEY MCQUISTON 

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“A big-hearted romantic comedy in which First Son Alex falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends…

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.

The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?”

Everyone’s been talking about this amazing contemporary novel and it’s been a while since a read one that features LGBTQ+ characters, so I feel this is going to be the perfect book for me to try once again this particular genre. Plus, not only it will help me complete my Simba challenge (read a book featuring a male protagonist), but I also realised that the President of the United States in this book is a woman, and that the Prince of Wales, naturally, has a dry sense of humour. WooHoo! It’s gonna be EPIC!

2. KINGSBANE (EMPIRIUM, #2), BY CLAIRE LEGRAND

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“In this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Furyborn, two queens, separated by a thousand years, connected by secrets and lies, must continue their fight amid deadly plots and unthinkable betrayals that will test their strength—and their hearts.

Rielle Dardenne has been anointed Sun Queen, but her trials are far from over. The Gate keeping the angels at bay is falling. To repair it, Rielle must collect the seven hidden castings of the saints. Meanwhile, to help her prince and love Audric protect Celdaria, Rielle must spy on the angel Corien—but his promises of freedom and power may prove too tempting to resist.

Centuries later, Eliana Ferracora grapples with her new reality: She is the Sun Queen, humanity’s long-awaited savior. But fear of corruption—fear of becoming another Rielle—keeps Eliana’s power dangerous and unpredictable. Hunted by all, racing against time to save her dying friend Navi, Eliana must decide how to wear a crown she never wanted—by embracing her mother’s power, or rejecting it forever.”

I’ve been reading the sequel of Furyborn for the past couple of months, but I’m finally determined to finish it this month, in order to complete my Mufasa challenge (read a book featuring war and politics).

Of course, there will be a spoilery review once I finish the book, but all I can say for the time being is that Rielle needs to pull her sh*t together, and that Eliana has finally started growing on me, mostly because she doesn’t remind me of Celaena Sardothien anymore.

3. ME BEFORE YOU (ME BEFORE YOU, #1), BY JOJO MOYES

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“Discover the love story that captured over 20 million hearts in Me Before You, After You, and Still Me.

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation and perfect for fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?”

I read Me Before You for the first time in 2016, and I will gladly reread it now, in order to complete my Nala challenge (read an adult novel). Although I’m not quite certain whether I’m prepared for the emotional damage or not.

4. TRULY DEVIOUS (TRULY DEVIOUS, #1), BY MAUREEN JOHNSON

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“Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym, Truly Devious. It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.”

It’s because of Emma, from emmmabooks, why this book has been on my TBR for quite some time, and I think that the time has come for me to finally read it. Truly Devious will help me complete my Scar challenge (read a book that will push your emotions over the edge – this book must be completed in a day), which is why I’m planning on doing a 24-hour readathon for this particular novel.

5. ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVERING THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE (ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVERING THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE, #1), BY BENJAMIN ALIRE SÁENZ

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“Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.”

I’ve read mixed reviews about this beauty, but I’m in a queer mood lately, so anything revolving the LGBTQ+ community is a big, fat YASSSS from me.

Aristotle and Dante is the group book and it will help me complete my Timon challenge (read the group book), which means I do need to get my hands on it soon.

6. WICKED FOX (GUMIHO, #1), BY KAT CHO

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“A fresh and addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.

Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret–she’s a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.

But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead–her gumiho soul–in the process.

Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl–he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He’s drawn to her anyway.

With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon’s.”

It seems original, it seems unique, and it’s something I’ve never read before, so I’m really excited to pick it up. Because, that’s the featured book of the July FairyLoot box, right? (Please, don’t tell me whether I’m right or wrong, because I’m still waiting for my box to arrive!)

Aside from these books, I will keep reading A Torch Against the Night and Fire & Blood.

Since August is my vacation month, I really hope I’ll manage to finish all of those eight books, in order to finish the first draft of Creator of Divine Mysteries by the end of September, and start redrafting and editing later in 2019. If everything goes as planned, the sequel of the Guardian of the Auras will be published in late February, early March of 2020.

How about you, dearies? What are your reading plans for the month of August? Have you read any of the books mentioned in this post. If yes, which ones did you like and which ones you didn’t?

Thank you all for coming here once again. It truly means the world to me and I want you to know that I don’t take your presence here for granted, and I never will.

Have an amazing month, book-dragons!

Till next time… Toodles!

June Wrap Up

Hello awesome people and happy Saturday everyone!

I can’t believe that June is almost over and that Camp NaNo is just around the corner, nor that I only read two books this month.

The future of Victorious Pages

Hello awesome nerds and welcome to the second-to-last post for the month of June. Or, to be honest, the second-to-last post for quite some time, as I will be taking next month off to focus solely on my main work in progress, aka the Creator of Divine Mysteries, which is the second book in The Auras’ Chest series.

Sure, I will try to update you on how things will be going during NaNo and of course I’ll post in case I receive bookish mail and the like, but generally speaking, July will be my blogging-break-month, after what seems a really long time.

Aside from Camp NaNo, the reason why I’m taking next month off is because I’m thinking of upgrading my blog this coming fall, so I need to work a little bit more on that. To do so, I will need your help.

That’s why I created this poll, asking you:

Take Our Poll

It is because of you that I keep writing and blogging. It is because of you that I try to become better as a writer and blogger. So, naturally, I want you to be happy with the blog’s content.

Do let me know what your thoughts regarding this change are, make sure you vote in the poll, and if you have any other ideas of your own, I would be more than happy to read them in the comment section down below.

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

Love you all to Pluto and back!

July TBR ~ Or the absence of it…

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a lovely weekend and you had time to relax and recharge your batteries.

I honestly cannot believe how quickly this year is flying by and that June is almost over. I can’t believe that Camp NaNo is only a week away and that all I will do for the next 31 days will be focusing on my WIP, the sequel in The Auras’ Chest series.

Well, I won’t do just that, but I will definitely not have as much spare time to read for pleasure, which means that July’s TBR may not be a thing. Not that June’s was, but anyway…

July TBR ~ Or the absence of it…

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a lovely weekend and you had time to relax and recharge your batteries.

I honestly cannot believe how quickly this year is flying by and that June is almost over. I can’t believe that Camp NaNo is only a week away and that all I will do for the next 31 days will be focusing on my WIP, the sequel in The Auras’ Chest series.

Well, I won’t do just that, but I will definitely not have as much spare time to read for pleasure, which means that July’s TBR may not be a thing. Not that June’s was, but anyway…

July TBR ~ Or the absence of it…

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a lovely weekend and you had time to relax and recharge your batteries.

I honestly cannot believe how quickly this year is flying by and that June is almost over. I can’t believe that Camp NaNo is only a week away and that all I will do for the next 31 days will be focusing on my WIP, the sequel in The Auras’ Chest series.

Well, I won’t do just that, but I will definitely not have as much spare time to read for pleasure, which means that July’s TBR may not be a thing. Not that June’s was, but anyway…

July TBR ~ Or the absence of it…

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a lovely weekend and you had time to relax and recharge your batteries.

I honestly cannot believe how quickly this year is flying by and that June is almost over. I can’t believe that Camp NaNo is only a week away and that all I will do for the next 31 days will be focusing on my WIP, the sequel in The Auras’ Chest series.

Well, I won’t do just that, but I will definitely not have as much spare time to read for pleasure, which means that July’s TBR may not be a thing. Not that June’s was, but anyway…

July TBR ~ Or the absence of it…

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a lovely weekend and you had time to relax and recharge your batteries.

I honestly cannot believe how quickly this year is flying by and that June is almost over. I can’t believe that Camp NaNo is only a week away and that all I will do for the next 31 days will be focusing on my WIP, the sequel in The Auras’ Chest series.

Well, I won’t do just that, but I will definitely not have as much spare time to read for pleasure, which means that July’s TBR may not be a thing. Not that June’s was, but anyway…

July TBR ~ Or the absence of it…

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a lovely weekend and you had time to relax and recharge your batteries.

I honestly cannot believe how quickly this year is flying by and that June is almost over. I can’t believe that Camp NaNo is only a week away and that all I will do for the next 31 days will be focusing on my WIP, the sequel in The Auras’ Chest series.

Well, I won’t do just that, but I will definitely not have as much spare time to read for pleasure, which means that July’s TBR may not be a thing. Not that June’s was, but anyway…

July TBR ~ Or the absence of it…

Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a lovely weekend and you had time to relax and recharge your batteries.

I honestly cannot believe how quickly this year is flying by and that June is almost over. I can’t believe that Camp NaNo is only a week away and that all I will do for the next 31 days will be focusing on my WIP, the sequel in The Auras’ Chest series.

Well, I won’t do just that, but I will definitely not have as much spare time to read for pleasure, which means that July’s TBR may not be a thing. Not that June’s was, but anyway…