diary of a wannabe writer

  review There is something about this kind of book that just speaks to me. :) It has all the elements of the books I love: all kinds of paranormal being mixed together, reluctant team, and lots of badassery. :)  I love the setting, supernatural prison, especially the trials... :)    It's one of those books that you can't put down. Once I started it, I had to finish it in one sitting. :)  The story is full of unexpected twists and turns, an awesome storyline and so intense. :) Loved it! rating 💜💜💜 💜 cover 💙💙 💙 received from Xpresso Book Tours series Atlantis Institute for Dangerous Criminals #1 published July 1st, 2020 genre fantasy, romance, paranormal number of pages 304 Amazon || Goodreads happy reading, anie Follow @anie_1027 Anie

Sunday It's been a very good reading week, I feel like I had my head stuck in a book all the time. :) It's the best feeling. :) I spend the Sunday finishing books. I want to clear a lot of old, forgotten, half-read books and start the year fresh. I'm nowhere near close, but it feels awesome to be proactive for once. :) So first I finished Under an Alaska Sky . I wanted to love it so much, but that guy, seriously, I wanted to smack him. :) And the next one Mistress of Death was not a win either. I just couldn't connect with it. Usually, that puts me in a foul mood, but it's Christmas time, so no bad mood allowed. :) Monday It's been a long time since I've read Graceling (another Advent Calendar read:)), and I forgot how much I loved it. I still haven't read the next one in the series, which might be on future TBR, because I just want to know what happened next. :)  It's such an awesome feeling to be totally sucked in a book so that the entire world d

  review Angelbound, the first in the series, is one of my all-time favorite books. I've read almost all in the series so far (there is a lot), and while I like most of them, they are just as awesome as the first one. Only one, by far, that is the same level of awesome, is Armageddon. The style, originality, and intensity and at the same level as Angelbound. And I loved every page of it! Myla and Lincoln are happily married, a queen and king of Atrax, and they a little son, a scala heir.  They found that he is in danger too late and go after him into hell. It's time for all of the pretenses and old secrets to be revealed. I love the storyline, and the writing and characters, and ... just everything. :) rating 💜💜💜 💜 💜 cover 💙💙 💙 received from Netgalley series Angelbound Origins #7 published October 14th, 2014 genre fantasy, romance, paranormal, angels and demons number of pages 330 Amazon || Goodreads happy reading, anie Follow @anie_1027 Anie

  review We follow Cassie and Tank, they have been best friends forever, but there is little something else brewing between them. There is a lot standing between them, like his ex and his family live, and Cassie's business. It a slow brewing romance, with a whole lot of obstacles. I liked Cassie, but Tank was not my favorite, by far. I wanted to love the story because the premise sounds right up my alley. But I could connect with the story, it just wasn't the best fit for me. rating 💜💜💜 cover 💙💙 💙 received from Netgalley series Wild River #2 published April 28th, 2020 by HQN genre romance, contemporary number of pages 384 Amazon || Goodreads happy reading, anie Follow @anie_1027 Anie

  review I always seem to forget how much fun it is to read middle-grade books until I pick one up. Set in a city build on mangrove tree roots, it's a fantastic tale of Briar. He is a wild boy, set on being an explorer, very good at claiming the roots and stay under the water for a long time. He lives with his mother. His father, who was also an explorer disappeared a long time ago.  At first, it seems that his dreams are too far out of reach, but when he saves a boy and proves himself, the job is his.  One day on a swim he realizes he can breathe underwater and soon discover a whole new world to explore with his new friend Verity. It's a page-turner for sure. :) I was hooked from the start and love to see the adventure Briar got on. It's a lovely story. The only thing I wasn't the biggest fan, was the writing at times. rating 💜💜💜 💜 cover 💙💙 received from author published November 1st, 2020 genre middle grade, mermaids number of pages 146 Amazon || Goodreads happy

  It's my favorite time of the year. :) I'm not into religion (to believe in, I love to study it.:)), but I do believe there is something magical about this time of year. There is magic all around us... It's in the air we breathe, in the cookies we bake (and devour:)), in the millions of lights all around us, and in the books we read, of course. :) Nothing quite compares to reading on Christmas day. This year I'm planning on reading one of the Harry Potter books, not sure which one yet. :)  I'm not sure why, but there is something about Harry Potter that screams Christmas to be. I try to read at least one book every Christmas, it put me in a spirit. :) A nd How the Grich stole Christmas, I love that one, to read to my niece, or just to myself - it's a classic.   How are you spending your Christmas day? merry Christmas, anie quick disclaimer // Harry Potter books, the entire series (and by the entire series I mean books 1-7-I pretend there were no more books, cau

  review The little tree has been looking forward to being the Christmas tree since he was just the little sapling. But everyone tells him he is too small to even hold ornaments up. One day he finally gets pulled from the ground and put on sale, but nobody picks him and even the farmer forgets him there. Until one special family finds him and takes him home and makes all of his wishes come through. :) It's a lovely Christmas book for kids with beautiful illustrations. :) rating 💜💜💜 💜 cover 💙💙 💙 💙 illustrations 💚💚💚💚 received from Netgalley published December 8th, 2019 genre children's number of pages 36 Amazon || Goodreads happy reading, anie

  review She had it all figured out. New dream job, move, and boyfriend. Only the boyfriend end up dumping her and moving back. And her dream job doesn't come without a bump. A consultant was hired to help the story, and his first order of business, fire her.  It's up to her to show him, that her work matters. It would be easier if he wasn't so hot. :)  It's such a cute enemies to loves romance. It's was very quick to read and very fun too. :) rating 💜💜💜 💜 cover 💙💙 💙 received from NetGalley published August 25th, 2020 by Carina Press genre contemporary, romance number of pages 393 Amazon || Goodreads happy reading, anie

    review That was a delight to read. :) Millie, an unusual for and her friend Ozy are quite a pair. Millie is quite unique, she thinks and acts quite differently and Ozy is her partner in crime but also grounds her. They have the best/most out there conversations on everything, from the universe to everyday life. You never know what you'll get on the next page. :) Written as a graphic novel, it's a quick read, with a whole lot of little adventures and deep thoughts.  rating 💜💜💜 💜 cover 💙💙 💙 💙 received from Netgalley published March 2nd, 2021 by Andrews McMeel Publishing genre children's number of pages 176 Amazon || Goodreads happy reading, anie

    review I wanted to love the story, but I was a little bit disappointed. Wynn is single, by choice. She has a son, a business, and a huge crush on a cop next door, but is too afraid to do anything about it.  Garrick has a pregnant daughter, who has to move in with him. They use to be tight, but she pushed him off the last few years. He is excited about a new chance to reconnect and asks Wynn to help him decorate the house before she arrives. The more time they spend together, the more they grow closer until they fall helpless in love. But the romance is not the focal point, it's more about them coming to terms with their past and for Garrick to reconnect with his daughter. I like the storyline, but the writing wasn't my cup of tea especially the dialogs, they didn't seem real somehow. I wanted a bit more tension, but it was all too perfect for me to love. rating 💜💜💜 cover 💙💙 💙 💙 received from Netgalley published September 29th, 2020 by HQN Books genre romance, con

  review Lion, pride and laud and tortoise, small and crafty, both want to marry princess Gazelle. She gives them the task of making her a house and whoever finishes first, wins her. The lion is very sure of himself and doesn't worry too much, so the tortoise makes a plan, to distract Lion and win at the same time.  I like the story but wasn't the biggest fan of conning the tortoise was. In the end, princess Gazelle would be better on her own. :) However, the illustrations are very, very pretty!  rating 💜💜💜 cover 💙💙 💙 💙 💙 illustrations 💚💚💚💚💚 received from Netgalley published August 19th, 2020 by Imaara Kids Books genre children's number of pages 32 Amazon || Goodreads happy reading, anie

  Saturday It's been a very long time since I wrote of my reading diaries. It's been a very hard year and while I like to pretend I was not affected, but, it bruised me deeply. The stress levels very and still are turned to the max, which doesn't help with my chronic illness. :) I found myself lost and without the will to do anything I use to love, especially read. If elt empty and lost and not myself for a while.  The stillness and being stuck, with the current situation made/force me to deal with stuff I shoved away for the last too many years. That little box was bursting with crap and it just exploded out one day. I'm starting to pick up the pieces, but I'm still in the starting position. :)  I needed a kick in the ass to get moving, to fix and heal and it came in the form of an advent calendar. I always buy a toy advent calendar for my niece and this year in addition I made her one with crafts and coloring pages and treasure hunts. And because she is the best,

  review Gabriel has trained all a long time for an opportunity to prove herself as an assassin, but her first mission goes astray, and she barely makes it. Then she finds herself in a whole new set of trouble. As an apprentice to Death, most fear assassin and a whole lot of men want to possess her. Matthew is a police officer, who found Gabriel when she was barely conscious. Even though is against everything he believes is, he saves her and just can't let her go.  The writing is very poetic and while I like the storyline very much, I had a hard time connecting to it. It's one of those -it's not you, it's me- things when every book just isn't for everyone. rating 💜💜💜 cover 💙💙 💙 💙 received from Xpresso Book Tours published June 15th, 2020 genre fantasy Amazon || Goodreads happy reading, anie

  review One of the best books I've read all year!  The story was heartbreaking, it moved me to tears many times and ever since I read I can't get it out of my mind. The story starts with a scientist trying to recruit Billy Jakober for research. He is still a little kid but has very unique psychic abilities. He can absorb other people's pain and other emotions, feel the world around him and push his will onto others with just his voice. As a kid, he was too afraid to speak. Fast forward to the present, Billy was just woken from his last sting in the tank. And is slowly remembering the past. He is basically the property of The Thorne Century that is supposedly using his abilities for making medicine. He is stationed in the small town of Heaven's hole. And there is the town he meets Natalia. She, with her family immigrated to Heaven's hole, where her mother works insane hours for the company, while Natalia takes care of her little brothers and sick grandma.  When they

  review I really wanted to love the book, the premise sound awesome and just my cup of tea, but I couldn't get into it.  The story starts with the introduction of the character, and there is a lot of them. :)  They somehow fit together in a large picture. The info-dumpy narrative was a bit overwhelming at the start. But after a while the storyline emerges, it gets more interesting. While it's a bit overwhelming, it sets the world, the characters, and the tone for future books, and there is a lot of them. I love the idea behind the storyline, but no a fan of the execution. rating 💜💜💜 cover 💙💙 received from author series Fierce Girls at War #1 published January 29th, 2018 genre sci-fi number of pages 252 Amazon || Goodreads happy reading, anie

    review This is how a sci-fi book should look like! :) People are colonizing Mars, with the second ship about to launch. Going through rigorous screening and a lot of luck, the new crew is picked. They spend last year training and think they are ready for what comes. :) Jane wants to start over, escape her old life, and leave it on Earth, with a new name and past she is really for an adventure.  After a little bit of time on the ship, it becomes clear that the voyage will not be the smoothest. There is someone on the ship trying their hardest to sabotage it and it's up to Jane and her close friends to use all her skills to find him and stop him. I just love writing. The story and the characters jumped from the pages and I felt like I was right there with them. My favorite part was the life on the ship, the dynamic between the characters, and who they all dealeth with isolation. It's masterfully done! I love the story, but the ending is just heartbreaking. :) rating 💜💜💜 💜

review This series just keeps on getting better and better. :) I love writing! Multiple points of view create tension and intensity, the way the story jumps around intensifies the pace, and the character just jumps from the pages. Zombies are no longer just Denmark's problem. They are spreading to the neighboring countries and it seems like the situation is hopeless. I love the direction the story is going. :) Also, the way people react to crises is scarily realistic, and very much in line with the current state of the world. Highly recommend the series!! rating 💜💜💜💜 cover 💙💙💙💙 received from author series Dead Meat #6 published December 15th, 2020 genre zombies, horror, ya number of pages 205 Amazon || Goodreads happy reading, anie

guest post by C.M. McGuire Creative Writing and the MFA So a little about me. I am the author of the recent YA debut, Ironspark, and in the process of wrapping up my Masters in Creative Writing through  Manchester Metropolitan University. I’ve noticed a little confusion about what, exactly, the value of this degree is, so here’s my take on why you should or should not get it. WHY NOT TO DO IT To Get Published If you have an MA or MFA, that means you are very knowledgeable about a topic academically speaking. However, it is important to remember the publishing industry is just that. An industry. It’s entirely possible your work is a brilliantly structured masterpiece, but if the content isn’t what’s “in” these days, then nobody’s going to snatch it up.  One hint? If a program promises to get you published or leans heavily on publishing as a core value, it’s probably just trying to entice students. This isn’t to say it’s a bad program, it’s just bad marketing. WHY TO DO IT To Learn This

  review Tessa grew up on a distant, dusty planet, in a tight community where is not much room for individuality. Every career is determined from the start, and Tessa's is to become a historian like her mother and her grandmother before. Her grandmother Maris's name is not spoken aloud, she is considered a terrorist. Tessa is very curious about what when down when Maris and the rest of the people first came to the planet. When she comes across her personal journal she dives deep into the past and slowly unravels the truth. The story is very complex, switching from present to past. I love the way the world is created, it's very vivid and unique, it just jumps out of the page. When I read it I felt like I was right there. :) I love the writing, it pulled me in initially, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the storyline. I wish the story was more concise because I often lost the thread of the story. rating 💜💜 💜 cover 💙💙 received from author published August 11th, 2020 by

  review In A Tracker's Tale, we follow the story of Katherine, a brilliant FBI agent, who is physics. She is a tracker, if parasapiens step out of the line, she tracks them down, no matter what. She has a daughter who has the same abilities and had trained her on the down-low. Alex is already almost as badass as her mother. :) Aley is by far my favorite, she can totally kick ass, knows how to handed weapons and at the same time seems like a magnet for trouble. Katherine isn't far behind, she is brilliant, resilient and the definition of badass, and looks like someone who is fun to hang out with. :) I love the dynamics between them. Even if you are badass you can more than one thing, you can have family and still kick ass on the regular. :) The story is set in a world where parasapiens-paranormal live alongside ordinary people. It's not all rainbows and unicorns. There is a lot of prejudice and peace seems to be very fragile. I would love to read more set in this place. :)