diary of a wannabe writer

2017 was very good year in books for me. I've read over 190 book, some amazing, some just OK. These eleven are my favourites. I'm not including re-read here, just books I've read this year for the first time. :) They made me think and feel, smile and cry, they stuck with me since reading and change me in a way. I love books with magic, but good ones are hard to find (Harry Potter set the bar quite high). I've read three amazing book with really interesting magical systems, all very different but equally amazing. First year A Darker Shade of Magic Stolen Songbird I like romance as part of the story not the whole story, however these two book were very pleasant surprises. Both made me smile and feel things and were just amazing Right Text. Wrong Number Exposure Next one was a total surprise. I haven't read many books in this kind of genre (virtual reality/dystopia/games kind of genre :) there is probably better word for it.

Rating: 💚 💚 💚 💚  Authors: Gwendolyn Kiste, Tom Deady, Meg Elison, John Boden, Somer Canon, Calvin Demmer, Theresa Braun, J.L. Knight, Madhvi Ramani, Scott Hallam, Robert Dean, Leo X. Robertson, Jennifer Williams, Laura Blackwell, Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi, Sarah L. Johnson Title: Hardened Hearts Genre: short stories Published: December 4th 2017 by Unnerving Number of pages: 260 Goodreads:  Hardened Hearts Amazon: Hardened Hearts (affiliate link) Received from Author in exchange for honest review It was the year of many changes and trying new things. Venturing in new worlds, so for the last day of the year it's quite fitting to talk about book, that is very different than books I usually love and I would never reach for in the past. Hardened Hearths is collection of short stories, all talking about love. But not in the way we are use to (at least me). These are not happy ending, romance stories. Each story is very different, but has the same elements to it. These ar

Rating: 💚 💚 💚 💚 💚 Author: Sylvie Parizeau Title: Apprehension Series: Incendescent #2 Genre: romance Published: November 22nd 2016 Goodreads:  Apprehension Amazon: Apprehension: Volume 2 (Incandescent Series) (Affiliate link) Recieved from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for honest review Incandescent series continues with Zac, ultimate bad boy. He is daredevil, always up for a challenge, never settling in one place for too long. He meets Magali in coffee shop and is instantly taken by her, so he decides to impress her by pulling a stunt. It backfires stunningly. :) It's a good thing too, because it makes him rethink his life and find a home in the process. When they meet again, he is determined to earn her love. Magali thinks about him all the time. She feels guilty about that night and thinks she will never see him again. She is finishing college, to be midwife. When she start working in a hospital she stumbles on him. I usually don't like romance th

Rating: 💚 💚 💚 💚 Author: David A. Wilson Title: Looking for Dei Published: March 23rd 2018 by Seeker Press (expected) Genre: ya, high-fantasy, magic Goodreads:  Looking for Dei Received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review Story is set in high-fantasy world, full of magic. Magic is a gift from Dei (their deity). Every few years they test young people with special weapon in announcement ceremony, to see if they have any gifts. Those with gifts are celebrated, but her little town didn't have any gifted for very long time. Nara discovers the reason, and is determined to fix it, causing more trouble for her and her friend, than she could ever imagine.  Nara has a secret, she has a gift, but not just one. She is always holding back, so there she isn't even sure what she is capable Announcement ceremony goes horribly wrong and before she knows it, she, her best friend and Bylo are on the run.  I love the world Author created and the magical system in i

I mostly read sci-fi or fantasy, so romance books are very rarely on my TBR. I love it, when story has romance it, but not when romance is the whole story.  Next five books are total contradiction to that. :) I loved reading them, and the stories stayed with me for a long time. Going in with low expectation, I was blown away. Pen & Xander is one of those stories that you have to read, because the story is as good as is important to read in this time. Pen & Xander Exposure is one of the most positive books I've ever read, ultimate feel good story, that I just want to read over and over again. :) Exposure The Boy I hate I read very fast and couldn't put down. Just the kind of story I like. :) The Boy I hate Right Text. Wrong Number. is such a sweet story, that keeps you glued to the book from first till the last page.  Right Text. Wrong Number. Happy reading, Anie

Rating: 💚 💚 💚 💚 💚 Author: Jane Austen Title: Pride and Prejudice Genre: romance Number of pages: 405 Published: 1813 Goodreads:  Pride and Prejudice Amazon: Pride and Prejudice (affiliate link) I re-read Pride and Prejudice at least once a year. It's one of the best books I've ever read. I love the way characters say thing, even insults sound beautiful (Especially if you hear them with heavy English accent in your head :)). The language of the story is so beautiful and flows effortlessly.  Not only a fantastic romance, but detailed description of the time in history. Elizabeth is one of the strongest female characters. Ahead of her time in some ways I admire her strength not to take the easy route and to listen to her heart. She is witty, smart and quick to judge (especially Darcy :)), however she can admit her wrongs too.  Once I start reading, I can't put it down. From the first page on I was pulled in family dynamic, social interaction, lovely roman

I love fantasy and my favourite fantasy books are the ones with any kinds of magic, especially if magical system surrounding it is interesting and well developed. Here are some of my favourite magical systems in books :)  1.  Harry Potter This wouldn't be a good list without Harry Potter in it. This series made me fall in love with magic, I love reading the books (I re-read them at least once a year) and all 7 are truly magical. :) In Harry Potter people with magic live along side Muggles (non magical people), but in secret. They are born with magic, but have to go to school (I wish I could go to Hogwarts too :)) to learn to use it. The is ministry of magic, whole bunch of magical disciplines and a lot interesting magical creatures. Simply perfect. :) 2. Poison study In the land of Ixia, where Yelena (main characters) live, magic is forbidden. In the this fantasy world, there are still many people with magical abilities, most live in other lands. Magic is like a blan

Rating: 💚 💚 Author: S. M. Soto Title: The Darkest Hour Series: The San Diegan Series #1 Number of pages: 340 Published: October 17th by Solstice Publishing Genre: romance Goodreads:  The Darkest Hour Amazon: The Darkest Hour: A San Diegan Novel (Affiliate link) Received from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for honest review Aliza lost entire family in horrible car accident. 3 years later she is still not even close to being OK. When she gets fired, she decides to move to the beach. Maybe to have a new start. But feeling like that don't just go away so fast. She meets Chase but is reluctant to let herself feel anything. I couldn't get into book, it didn't grab me or pulled me in. I didn't care for any of the characters... There was to much angst for me like it, I think. Maybe it would be good fit, for someone who likes in depth emotional journey within the story. Happy reading, Anie

Author: Gloria Silk Title:   From Geek to Greek Billionaire Published:  December 12th 2017 Genre: na, romance Goodreads:  From Geek to Greek Billionare Amazon: From Geek to Greek Billionaire: Did he deserve her second chance? Was he ready to love? (affiliate link) Synopsis: Olivia Moore has landed her dream job—to renovate a very special beach house for her best friend, Maria. The last thing Olivia needs is to bump into her teen crush, the geeky yet sexy Alexander Anderson. She fell in love with him so hard and completely and he broke her heart. Now he’s her best friend’s brother-in-law. Despite his devastating mistake a decade earlier the shy, enigmatic bachelor now asks Olivia to help him with a special makeover and an infusion of confidence to woo a particular, special woman (unaware that she’s the one he’s after) she wants nothing to do with him. After all, despite her generous nature to help, she cannot risk getting closer to him. Her life has no room for romance or

Rating: 💚  💚  💚  Author: Loren W. Cooper Title:   CrossTown Genre: fantasy, sci-fi Published: November 14th 2017 by Red Hen Books Number of pages: 340  Goodreads:  CrossTown Amazon: Crosstown (Affiliate link) Received from  Bewitching Book Tours in exchange for honest review Synopsis :  CrossTown is the crossroads of possibility.     Zethus is a sorcerer―a self-described spiritual thug for hire. He makes his living in CrossTown, a place where the manyworld hypothesis of modern physics manifests itself, where possibilities and probabilities overlap. Caught up in a web of intrigue as he investigates the death of his master, Corvinus, and pursued by agents that want to erase all knowledge of Corvinus’ work, Zethus discovers that the key to his master’s murder lies in the last project he had pursued before his death. The roots of this project lie deep in the past, at the origin of CrossTown’s fractured reality. Once he understands the stakes, Ze

Rating: 💚  💚  💚  💚  Author: Cassie Leigh Title: Skin Deep Series: Ink & Brazen Women #1 Number of pages: 197 Published: September 26th 2017 by Sassy Typewriter Press Genre: contemporary, romance Goodreads:  Skin Deep Amazon: Skin Deep (Ink & Brazen Women) (Affiliate link) Received from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for honest review Skin Deep is such a lovely story, quick pick-me-up read. Gigi comes from rich family, her father is a lawyer and mother is stay at home wife, she also has a brother that moved away. She dreads weakly dinners with her family, they (especially father) are not supportive and very controlling of her. She caught father cheating on her mother multiple times. And because of that she doesn't date, she only sleeps with guy, one night and that is it. She had to quit her job, because she was harassed and is looking for a new one. Her friend recommend her step-brother's tattoo shop. It's not something her parents would appro

Rating: 💚 💚 💚 💚 💚 Author: Chris Myers Title: Date with the Dead Series: Ripsters #1  Number of pages: 313  Genre: paranormal, ghosts, urban fantasy, ya Goodreads:  Date with the Dead Amazon: Date with the Dead (Ripsters Book 1) (Affiliate link) Received from NetGalley I LOOOVE this book. Such a fun and quick read. I just flew through the pages and couldn't put it down. Jolie has a very hard life. She lives with her mother. They moved from New Orleans after Katrina, to her aunts place in Plymouth, MA. Aunt died in sea previously and left them the house. There are bills and mortgage payments due and they are about to lose the house, but Jolie has a plan. She has a special gift that runs in the family, she can talk to ghosts. (Her mom can channel dead, so they speak through her). There is one ghost Drew, that doesn't cross over, she is always with her and is her best friends. She wishes he was alive, so they could be together. In New Orleans she was a par