SUMMARY: march☂

I've decided to post a summary of the past month, every month! I'll also add my most anticipated books for the next month. Since this is the last week of March, here's most everything I've read in the past month.😊

REVIEW: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Release Date: February 28, 2017

My Rating: 5 stars

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

MINI-REVIEW: Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

Release Date: February 7, 2017

My Rating: 4 stars

Summary: Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta'an wants vengeance.

The only surviving heir to an ancient Kalusian dynasty, Rhee has spent her life training to destroy the people who killed her family. Now, on the eve of her coronation, the time has finally come for Rhee to claim her throne - and her revenge.

Alyosha is a Wraetan who has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. Despite his popularity, Aly struggles with anti-Wraetan prejudices and the pressure of being perfect in the public eye.

Their paths collide with one brutal act of violence: Rhee is attacked, barely escaping with her life. Aly is blamed for her presumed murder.

The princess and her accused killer are forced to go into hiding - even as a war between planets is waged in Rhee's name. But soon, Rhee and Aly discover that the assassination attempt is just one part of a sinister plot. Bound together by an evil that only they can stop, the two fugitives must join forces to save the galaxy.

REVIEW: Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

**I received an ARC from Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Release Date: March 14, 2017

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary: Three friends, two love stories, one convention: this fun, feminist love letter to geek culture is all about fandom, friendship, and finding the courage to be yourself.

Charlie likes to stand out. She’s a vlogger and actress promoting her first movie at SupaCon, and this is her chance to show fans she’s over her public breakup with co-star Reese Ryan. When internet-famous cool-girl actress Alyssa Huntington arrives as a surprise guest, it seems Charlie’s long-time crush on her isn’t as one-sided as she thought.

Taylor likes to blend in. Her brain is wired differently, making her fear change. And there’s one thing in her life she knows will never change: her friendship with her best guy friend Jamie—no matter how much she may secretly want it to. But when she hears about a fan contest for her favorite fandom, she starts to rethink her rules on playing it safe.

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde, chosen by readers like you for Macmillan's young adult imprint Swoon Reads, is an empowering novel for anyone who has ever felt that fandom is family.

REVIEW: Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

**I received an ARC from a giveaway (thank you Balzer + Bray!). These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

Release Date: November 22, 2016

Summary: Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden.

Now, Denna must learn the ways of her new home while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria’s formidable warhorses—and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine—called Mare—the sister of her betrothed.

When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two become closer, Mare is surprised by Denna’s intelligence and bravery, while Denna is drawn to Mare’s independent streak. And soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more.

But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms—and each other.

REVIEW: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

 **I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Release Date: March 7, 2017

My Rating: 5 stars

Summary: The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer.

Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human.

Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves.

REVIEW: This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

Release Date: October 4, 2016

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary: Sloane isn't expecting to fall in with a group of friends when she moves from New York to Florida—especially not a group of friends so intense, so in love, so all-consuming. Yet that's exactly what happens.

Sloane becomes closest to Vera, a social-media star who lights up any room, and Gabe, Vera's twin brother and the most serious person Sloane's ever met. When a beloved painting by the twins' late mother goes missing, Sloane takes on the responsibility of tracking it down, a journey that takes her across state lines—and ever deeper into the twins' lives.

Filled with intense and important friendships, a wonderful warts-and-all family, shiveringly good romantic developments, and sharp, witty dialogue, this story is about finding the people you never knew you needed.

first post!

Hi!! My name is Michelle, and today I launch my book blog with this post! I'm new to this platform, so be warned, I am very confused and this blog will probably be a bit of a mess for the first couple of months. However, I am not new to the book-ish community; I've had a tumblr (mydarlinginej) for a while, and you might know me in particular for my Six of Crows posts. You can also add me on goodreads or follow me on twitter! The links are in the sidebar.

While I've only recently begun posting full book reviews, I have been a reader my entire life. My aim with this blog is to post mainly about books that bring several diverse aspects, whether race, sexual orientation, or religion. I hope to post at least once every two weeks, but I am fairly busy with school and my extracurriculars. My next posts will be old reviews that I originally wrote on my goodreads account.

Thanks for reading! -💙