Gillyweed'sReads

  October Wrap Up #1     Legendary    ⭐⭐⭐ I had originally listened to the audio book for this one and didn't like it.  The narrator's voice just kinda grated on me...  I had all but given up on this series and then I remembered how much I loved the first book, Caraval .  So I decided to do a re-read, but this time I picked up the physical book.  The rating went up, but not by too much.  Legendary  takes us to the next event of Caraval with Tella, Scarlett's little sister, playing the game this time instead of Scarlett.  Tella has to win the game and find out the true name of Legend for a mysterious stranger before she runs out of time and loses her life.  I never really liked Tella in the first book so that didn't really help with my enjoyment of reading it.  Overall, this book was just ok for me.  I still want to pick up the final book and find out what happens, but it's not on my priority list. Which is unfort...

Broken Wish by Julie C. Dao Shout-out to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the advance copy! 😊😊😊 I want to say I loved this book so much.  Middle-grade, fairy-tale retelling, rich, dark world, not to mention that GORGEOUS cover...  But unfortunately it just didn't resonate with me.  We follow Elva as she struggles to keep her magic a secret from the town she lives in who don't approve of magic.  When one day she  accidentally uses her powers and sees the future, it's looking pretty grim.  Her parent's farm they've worked so hard to maintain and make a living off of is completely destroyed by an awful storm.  Elva then decides to get help from the only person who might understand her powers and help her change the future, the Witch of the North Woods.  The only problem is that people say she has been cursing any who venture too close to her home and that she has been stealing children who stray too far into the depths of the woods. This premise ...

Keeper of the Lost Cities Neverseen by Shannon Messenger It's safe to say that this series is one of my all-time favorites.  Each book raises the stakes even higher than the last.  If you haven't picked up the first book yet here's a synopsis.  In the first Keeper of the Lost Cities book we meet Sophie.  A girl who is different than the rest of the kids her age.  She is advancing in her studies so much quicker than is normal and is having trouble fitting in and making friends.  She's also been having terrible head aches because for some reason she can hear other people's thoughts.  When she goes on a field trip with the rest of her classmates she meets a mysterious boy that tells her she doesn't belong to this world.  She's an elf.  And from there Sophie enters a whole new world.  One with people just like her.  We follow her as she embarks on an adventure where she learns about magic and how to live in this fantastical, new place ...

The Slippery Slope and The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket I have to say, I always re-read the first few books in this series for nostalgia's sake, but upon continuing through the series this time I am absolutely loving it!  Lemony Snicket's writing had me laughing out loud so many times and the descriptions he uses are so enjoyable to read.  It's crazy how such depressing books can put a smile on your face even while your heart is breaking for the Baudelaire children the whole time. The Slippery Slope starts out with the Baudelaire siblings getting separated and each having their own perilous journey.  Fighting to survive and to get away from the evil Count Olaf, they are determined to get back to each other.   Growing up, maturing, learning new interests, and maybe even a little romance, 😉 this book gave me all the feels.  Be prepared to want to rid the world of Count Olaf (one of my top villains of all time), and to feel so sorry for the three sibli...

Peter Pan By J. M. Barrie What an adorable story!  I had such a fun time reading this one.  Not only was the story heartwarming but reading the MinaLima edition was such a neat experience!  With interactive elements it really made the story come to life.  Peter Pan flies through the window and invites Wendy Darling to come to Neverland with him to be his 'mother'.  Wendy's two younger brothers insist on coming and it all starts from there!  Entering Neverland, the three siblings have many adventures.  From battling pirates, to swimming with mermaids, to meeting all of Peter's friends, and then living with a snooty fairy.  Personally, I loved the beginning and ending the best.  The Darling parents were my absolute favorite characters (that ending was a tear-jerker 😭).  But, of course, Neverland was a joy to read about.  Reading this as an adult, sometimes Peter was pretty annoying to me (I feel ya, Hook. I feel ya.....), and he was ...

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner I super duper enjoyed this book.  Gen, our main character, is one of my most favorite personalities to be able to enjoy seeing everything from his perspective.  Cocky, funny, arrogant, and altogether lovable for it.  We find Gen starting out in prison for stealing the king's seal ring and bragging loudly about it to anyone who will listen.  Aaaaaand, of course, who should hear it but the king's guards.  Then, as is another favorite trope of mine, a mysterious visitor comes knocking on the cell door to ask him if he would like to be released from prison to go on an adventure, all expenses paid, and when he completes the task set for him he will be freed.  All he has to do is steal something for him.   Adventure, friendship, hilarious banter, and mystery.  This book had me loving every second I was reading it.  Not too much happens in this first book, but in the end it sets this series up for a much la...

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins Well, that escalated quickly...  This book had me on a roller coaster of emotions.  The origin story of Coriolanus Snow.  The in depth view of the 10th Hunger Games.  How it all started.  I fell deeply into this story.  The fact that there is even another Hunger Games book is amazing!  I was a little leery of this when I heard it was about Snow's life before Katniss, but this book did not disappoint.  I was so immersed and got so very nervous when the ending drew near.  I never thought in a million years I would be rooting for Snow.  The deterioration of his personality and how quickly it turned violent was horrible to watch and, as much as I wanted to look away, I couldn't.  There were about 50 pages toward the last half of the book that got a bit boring, but once you get past those few pages it gets intense.  Wow...  From the reviews I'm seeing it looks like I'm one o...