Bookish Feels: Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr

Another faery story by Marr? Yes, please!

The Book: Lilywhite Abernathy is a criminal. Her father’s “unconventional” business has meant a life of tightly held secrets, concealed weaponry, and a strict code. But Lily’s crime isn’t being the daughter of a powerful mob boss. Her guilt lies in the other half of her DNA—the part that can coax ancient rumors from stones and summon fire with a thought. Lily is part fae, which is a crime in her world.

From the time before she was born, a war has been raging between humanity and fae. The Queen of Blood and Rage, ruler of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts, wants to avenge the tragic death of her heir—a death that was the fault of reckless humans.

Lily’s father has shielded her from the repercussions of her ancestry…until she is sent to the prestigious St. Columba’s school, straight into the arms of the Black Diamonds.

Mysterious, glamorous, and bound together in their mission but constantly at odds, Zephyr, Creed, Will, Roan, Violet, and Alkamy are a Sleeper cell of fae, planted in the human world to help destroy it from within. With covers as rock stars and celebrity children, the Black Diamonds carry out the queen’s war against humanity. And unbeknownst to Lilywhite, she’s been chosen to join them.

Now more than ever, Lily’s heritage puts her in peril, and even the romantic attention of the fae singer Creed Morrison isn’t enough to keep Lily from wanting to run back to the safer world of organized crime.

Melissa Marr returns to faery in a dramatic story of the precarious space between two worlds and the people who must thrive there. (from Goodreads)

My Feels: I loved The Wicked Lovely series, Marr's first tales of the faery realm, so I was so stoked to hear about this one so I pre-ordered it. It's oh so pretty!

The first thing I noticed while reading? This world is very different from Aislinn's and made me miss Seth. Marr does make up with it with a whole new cast though. But when I was reading, I was unaware that this was a part of dualogy, so the number of characters tripped me up a bit. That being said, this is not as plot-driven as Wicked Lovely, but character-driven. Marr brought the characters to life in an interesting world all in their very own unique circumstances. 

The two stars of the cast based on the blurb are Lilywhite and Will, but I felt myself more drawn to the complex position Zephyr and Alkamy were in. If you like complicated relationships, this is for you. 

If you love fae books, this is for you. However, if you're new to it all, I highly recommend Wicked Lovely prior to reading this as it'll help ease you into this world. 

My current eats, reads, and other miscellaneous things.

Never ever come to my blog hungry. If you do, I'm afraid you'll hate me for it, because look at this:

Okay, maybe that's not the most appetizing picture since it's, well...bone marrow. But it's seriously amazing and goes so well with the marmalade. This was a dish from 99 Park, a new restuarant in Bellevue that Michael and I have been frequenting.

The food, drinks, and staff have been absolutely perfect and on point. I have yet to be disappointed here and I hope I never do!

Another place we frequent is The Walrus & The Carpenter. Probably once of our favorite resturants in Seattle.

As you can tell, Michael and I love food. 99% of our date nights happen at restaurants, partly because I am obsessed with delicious tasting things, and Michael loves trying new wine and pairing it with food. It also gives us a chance to splurge since I tend to make the same thing for dinner all week.

The past two weeks has had its fair share of ups and downs, but I think I'm on the upswing. Plus, it's Friday, and that always boosts my mood!

In the meantime, I'm working my way through my TBR pile. As of now, I'm about halfway done with my print books. My Kindle, however, holds many more! My current read is Seven Black Diamonds. I have less than a hundred pages left, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It has a different vibe from Wicked Lovely, so maybe I'm still acclimating to the change. But, you can definitely expect a 'Bookish Feels' post on all of these.

Other things I'm obsessed with? Music! Halsey, Zella Day, Troye Sivan, and Parachute (their new album 'Wide Awake' released today!) have dominated my playlists!

I also burned through season one of UnREAL. All in all, a good week!

What are your current eats, reads, or other things that have made your week? Comment below, Blaire would like to know! :)

Bookish Feels: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

My heart broke when the series ended, but luckily Meyer came out with this pretty little thing! Definitely helps with closure.

The Book: The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

--
The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….
The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.
Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.
The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.
After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.
The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess
The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.
Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century... (From Goodreads)

My Feels: For me, this book gave me so much closure. I am going to miss these characters, but I'm excited for Meyer's Heartless (so something to look forward to!). If you were madly in love with this series and currently nursing a broken heart, I recommend this to replenish your FEELS.

The big highlight for me was the Something Old, Something New. I really wanted to know what would happen with Kai and Cinder. Though the end of the series wrapped up really well, these short stories were the 'Happily Ever After' vibe I wanted and felt was missing from Winter.

Thorne was also one of my favorite characters in the series, so his short story was just so perfect. SWOON.

Draft One Complete of my WIP: A Different Kind of Universe

So this happened yesterday!

I finished draft one of my WIP. The first completed thing since post Pitch Wars! I had started on another draft in between, but put it aside to work on this baby!

I love jotting down my progress in my writing notebook! So if you're into data, this draft took me 5 working weeks to complete. I say 'working weeks' because I took a two-week break in between for my offer and revisions on my previous MS. So, I'll still consider this my fastest draft despite the intermission ;)

My end word count was 71K, with 38 chapters! I posted a screenshot of my titles for fun. Draft one chapter titles are always key words or phrases to let me know what the scene is about. They will all change by the time I get it to my CP's.

For those who follow my blog, you know my process is typically:

1. Fast Draft
2. Take a break (almost always that means a book binge and getting back into my workouts)
3. Read through the whole thing and come up with a revision plan
4. Revise, revise, revise. Then one more read-through before sending off to CP's.
5. Revise based on CP's feedback
6. Send to Betas
7. Revise & Edit before sending off to agent (this used to be querying)

***steps 1-4 are done in Scrivener, 4-7 I switch to MS word

But now I'm going to try juggling multiple projects! So during my break from this draft, I'm going to start jotting some notes for another story I have my eye on and work on it while I'm waiting for CP's or betas to get back to me. Usually I take a break during this period, but I'm working on conditioning myself to always be writing--even if the story never comes to anything. Any project is something to learn from, and I'm trying to remember that, because even the failed projects helped me get where I am today.

So always be reading and always be writing. Take a break when you need to, but never give up. (This is something I always tell myself, so thought I should share!)

But back to this draft! What did I learn from it?

• A support system is like wings - In all honesty, this draft went by so quickly due to the encouragement and support of my writing friends who always held me accountable, and who inspired me by their own passion for the craft. They lifted me up when I needed it. So thank you Joan, Michella, and Krystal!
• A first draft is a first draft - Nothing is permanent, things can be changed and/or fixed. Give yourself permission to suck. Give yourself permission to not get it right the first time. Get to know your story as you attempt to tell it to yourself. I found that once I got to the end, the characters started to come alive--they showed me who they were, I didn't have to make them. This is their story, and though I am the author, I don't know the whole story. They're still sharing it with me and we're figuring it out as we go.
• Doubt likes to make herself comfortable during this period - I kept going back and forth, wondering if this story was clever or just plain weird. And then I saw deals with similar storylines and wondered if I should even finish. What if it wasn't marketable? Or what if I was wasting my time? Doubt can be so manipulative! So I reminded myself that I shouldn't be worrying about things out of my control. The only thing I can control? Is finishing the draft.

And cheers on that last note, because I did!

Bookish Feels: A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

Aaahhhhh the sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic!

The Book: Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games—an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries—a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again—meaning that another London must fall. (From Goodreads)

My Feels: Can I just say that I love Kell and Rhy? They are the swooniest (is that a word? ha) brothers in fiction! Lila is pretty bad ass, but I feel like feisty woman are always in books as of late, so I'm afraid I overlooked her a bit. BUT the chemistry she has with Kell! I'm all over it, and will ship them to the ends of the earth.

So as a sequel, this book did not disappoint despite the cliffhanger. From the twittersphere, I knew it was coming and I had a good idea when it could come. So that said, I think the sequel really set up the overall story for books 2 & 3 and left the reader wanting more.

Schwab created this awesome world that's so captivating (can someone please find me an Antari to bring me to Red London? I will take the high chance of being blown into a million pieces just so I can see it). She also did a great job with character development. I love seeing these characters I care about get into a mess of trouble and continue to grow from it.

great characters + awesome setting + magic = AMAZING!!!

The book's been out for more than a week now and I am so happy for the author for hitting the NYT Bestseller list! She truly deserves it, and I cannot wait for the last installment of this magical series.

So if you haven't started the book, I suggest you do so now and help me get over my FEELS, because I am suffering from a book hangover.

I will say chapter 2 of the last section of the book was my favorite scene so far in the series. When you get to that part, let me know so we can swoon together!

Bookish Feels: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Alright you 'Man in The High Castle' and Book Thief fans, this is for you.

The Book: The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule the world. To commemorate their Great Victory over Britain and Russia, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball.

Yael, who escaped from a death camp, has one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female victor, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin's brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move. But as Yael begins to get closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?

(blurb from Goodreads)

My Feels: So my friend who is also an amazing book blogger (Michella, looking at you), recommended this beauty. The first few chapters were well done and set up things really nicely, but then I decided to put it aside for a bit to work on some writing stuff. BIG MISTAKE. When I picked it back up, I couldn't stop.

For one thing, the language was gorgeous. I eat up pretty words when it's done right (not a fan of the over flowery dramatics--which this was not). Also, I like that it played with form. Books that play with form and it works get major kudos for me.

But back to the story. The main character Yael was the kind where you wanted to follow where she went. The supporting characters took me awhile to figure out, because I didn't know if I could trust them. Those conflicted emotions I felt meant the writer did a superb job of blurring the lines. This is perfect when it comes to books with duplicity, and this was exactly that. I also enjoyed how all the characters were vibrant and complicated, it truly brought them to life, and I felt my own loyalties along with Yael's were tested.

Then you throw in the awesome shape-shifting ability, a motorcycle race, and a setting across the globe in an alternate historical universe, and it's like SO MUCH AWESOME. Lots to love about this book. I want the sequel NOW! But I guess I have to wait. On the plus side, a short story comes out next month about two of the characters that I've been dying to read. YES!

And the twists! Ugh! Well-planted, I couldn't believe I didn't see them. So yeah, my heart ached at some parts, and I may have fallen for one of the love interests.

Bookish Feels: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Instead of my normal book reviews, I've decided to do something new on my blog. No more 'book review' posts; in its place will be 'Bookish Feels.' Basically, it's my way of fangirling over the books I'm reading instead of rating them. Then you can decide for yourself if you'd like to pick it up and have some FEELS of your own! Got it? Cool.

The Book: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.

(blurb from goodreads)

My Feels: So I read this in like two days (I would have stayed up all night to finish, but I'm cranky if I don't sleep, and I didn't think the best way to show up Monday to work would be cranky with a book hangover--because so many FEELS).

The best way to describe the adventure within these pages is a rollercoaster. You creep up, slowly, slowly, slowly, anticipating that drop, and suddenly your plummeting into the ride and you're going with it, not stopping until the coaster slows down to an abrupt stop.

That's how I felt the whole time I read it. The up, up, up feeling from the immersive world, getting my bearings, and then once that inciting incident happened, I was plummeting through the plot, devouring it all--the characters, the setting, the dialogue.

And then you have me today. At that abrupt stop, because I pre-ordered the sequel (which comes out today), but it wont be delivered until Thursday. AAGGGHHHH! The agony!!!

So here I am, licking my wounds, while everyone else is devouring the words and I'm twiddling my thumbs waiting for my copy.