Review: Children of Blood and Bone

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Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Published: March 6, 2018
Publisher: Henry Holt Company
Pages: 544
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction
Rating: ★★★★★

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy. 

This is a book that I bought as soon as it came out but for some reason, it took just shy of two years before I picked it up. I am ashamed that it has taken me so long but I’m so happy I have finally gotten to it. Tomi created a glorious tale that tackles current events in our world as she pieced her fantasy tale together. My heart was breaking left and right as I read though this first novel. I am shocked this was a debut novel but I am not surprised from all the wonderful things I had been hearing for this book. The magic system was so intriguing as well as the mythology created to go with the world.

Tomi Adeyemi created such a stunning piece of work that I was shocked to find out this was a debut novel. I knew she has never written a book before but with the way she weaved a story together made my heart feel otherwise. Tomi confused my heart in more ways than one. I would love and then quickly dislike a character before loving them once again. Each chapter that lead me closer to the ending squeezed my heart more and more. Zélie is a character who is flawed yet still so agreeable. I loved her and her friendships as well as her relationship with her family.

While this is easily a five star novel, there was one thing I wish I had more of. The magic system was created from scratch and I love created mythology and magic systems. There are the tables to help explain the system as where it came from but I was still left wanting more stories and more magic development. I wanted more of the world created but knowing this was the first book in a trilogy, I am going to get more of the mythology and more of the magic system.

February 2020 Random Dance Play-athon

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Another month is ending so now it is time to announce our new round of Random Dance Play-athon! We have eight new songs and eight new prompts for February. You can find them down below.

Challenge One
Shadow by AB6IX
Read a dark colored book

Challenge Two
Play It Cool – Monsta X
Read a book written by two authors

Challenge Three
Say My Name – Ateez
Read a book by an author you share a name with

Challenge Four
Butterfly Effect – EXO
Read a book with angel wings on the cover

Challenge Five
Come With Me – N. CUS
Read a debut novel

Challenge Six
Touch You – VAV
Read a romance novel

Challenge Seven
Chain – NCT 127
Read a translated novel

Challenge Eight
Am I the Only One – SF9
Read an angsty book

Stuck On Repeat 01.04.20

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A new year brings a bunch of new songs! While only two of these songs are more recent releases, all have been on repeat this week. Either while I’m in the shower, on my way to work, and sometimes even at work.

Sherlock (Clue + Note) by SHINee

This is Chelsea’s favorite SHINee song and I can see why. It’s so catchy that i have it stuck in my head at some point almost every day. SHINee is a group that I listen to often because one of my favorite songs is by them so diving deeper into their discography brought me this song. That and Chelsea a long ass time ago was belting it out in her car.

Obsession – EXO

This was my first comeback with EXO and let me say, having the Ult of my Ult biases in this group, for this comeback, looking the way he did, this hit differently than any other comeback has for me. That and this song has that “I want you” and “I don’t think so” repeating phrases it creeps into my brain often. My Ult of Ults is Chanyeol in case you were wondering!

Like This – Pentagon

The first notes of this song hits and I find myself incredibly emotional. I think back to the night I saw Pentagon and the moment they performed this song. That was a moment I first heard my favorite song of all time. Something about it just hits me in a way I never felt a song hit my heart. That being said, I listen to this song at least once a day.

If I – Seventeen

So, while I am linking the live video of the song and not a lyric version is because this was the first time I heard this song. I promise has I waited until later in December to ask Chelsea to make my Top 100 songs, this song would have made it into at least the top 50. This is my favorite Hip-Hop Team song and I have been obsessed since I heard it.

TOP Gang – MCND

This is a new group, like they just debuted earlier this week new. Our friend Mo introduced Chelsea to them and in turn, she introduced them to me. While I have not fallen off the deep end for them like Chelsea and Mo have, I definitely enjoy these five boys. Check them out and STAN MCND!!

Taylor’s 2020 Goals

~ Taylor ~ Leave a comment

The new year brings a new list of goals. I have a handful of goals for my reading, for my YouTube channels, and for this blog! Below I have each listed, trying to keep them as organized I can but they all kind of bleed together.

Reading Goals

– Goodreads Goal: 75 to 100
– Try to read 12 different series
– Read one classic a month
– Complete 12 manga series
– Two net galley ARCs a month

While I am not exactly on a book buying ban, I do want to try to keep from spending money on books while I have such a vast library. So, trying to keep that in mind, I want to read 10 books before I buy one. Using my own personal library as well as utilizing the library in my city, I should be able to calm whatever desire I have to spend money on books.

YouTube Channels

– The first thing I wanted to do was open a Kpop specific channel and luckily I have done this already. Kpopish.Taylor
– For both channels, I do have a subscriber goal but I am keeping that to myself so I don’t jinx it.
– For my BookTube, I would like to post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday’s with a weekly vlog on Sunday.
– I would like to start doing more reviews.
– For the Kpop channel, I would like to do more reactions and unboxings since I am still growing my collection.

Blog Goals

– I would like to continue having daily posts. I have a schedule, just have to make sure I stick to it.
– I need to make dedicated ARC posts in order to share with Publishers and sites like NetGalley.
– I would like to start leaving drama reviews since I have been watching so many recently.

Chelsea’s January 2020 TBR

~ A Very Bookish Girl ~ Leave a comment

Happy New Year!!! So I have a lot to work on this year, and one of those things is to read more. I’m not sure what happened last year but I lost my love for reading, and I need to fix that. So this year, I’m going to try and read more of what I own as well as ARCs that I have been approved for. So I’m going to share with you all the books I plan to read this month for Random Dance Play-athon as well as my other catagories.

1. Stray Kids – Maze of Memories
Re-Read a Favorite Book
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Renegades – Marissa Meyer

2. The Rose – California
Read a book about coming/going home
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ARC – Jane Anonymous – Laurie Faria Stolarz

3. Exo – Obsession
Read a Hyped Book
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The Wicked King – Holly Black

4. AB6IX – Hollywood
Read a Book to Movie Adaptation
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Twilight – Stephenie Meyer

5. Day6 – Letting Go
Read a book Involving a Breakup
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Like A Love Story – Abdi Nazemian

6. Ateez – Win
Read An Award Winning Book
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(Graphic Novel Version/ARC) Wonder Woman Warbringer – Leigh Bardugo

7. VAV – Seniorita
Read an underrated book
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Now Entering Addamsville – Francesca Zappia

8. Seventeen – 247
Read a book you’ve been looking forward to
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ARC – Tweet Cute – Emma Lord

Other Arcs

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Don’t Read The Comments – Eric Smith
We Used To Be Friends – Amy Spalding

Owned Books

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Cinder – Marissa Meyer
Scythe – Neal Shusterman

Taylor’s January 2020 TBR

~ Taylor ~ Leave a comment

The start of the month always brings a new list of books I would like to read during the month. I have 10 books here that I would like to get to during the 31 days of January. Chelsea and I are going to see Seventeen early in the month so that leaves the remainder of the month to get some reading done.

Random Dance Play-athon TBR

Challenge One
Maze of Memories – Stray Kids
Reread a favorite book

Challenge Two
California – The Rose
Read a book about coming or going home

Challenge Three
Obsession – EXO
Read a hyped book

Challenge Four
Hollywood – AB6IX
Book to movie adaptation

Challenge Five
Letting Go – Day 6
Read a book involving a break-up

Challenge Six
Win – Ateez
Read an award winning book

Challenge Seven
Senorita – VAV
Read a book that is under-rated

Challenge Eight
247 – Seventeen
Read a book you have been anticipating

Other Books

January 2020 Comebacks/Debut

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The start a new month brings comebacks and debuts of new Kpop groups. Chelsea and I have decided to start listing the artists giving new music as well as new groups coming that we are looking forward to each month. The listed comebacks and debuts are not all of the ones happening for the month of January, these are just the ones that Chelsea and I are looking forward to most. This post will also include the Japanese releases.

What you will see for the comebacks is the previous title track. For debuts, there will be trailers or teasers listed. Linked in the group name is their Kpop Profile’s page.

January 2nd

DONGKIZ (comeback)

TST (comeback)

January 6th

Ateez (comeback)

Dustin (debut)

https://youtu.be/OJYxQon3ukQ

January 7th

SF9 (comeback)

VeriVery (comeback)

B.O.Y (debut)

January 12th

ENOi (comeback)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZSCrRyA0EM

January 15th

Tomorrow x Together (Japanese debut)

January 29th

Super Junior (Japanese comeback)

January Anticipated Releases

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With the start of a new month, that brings a new batch of books being releases. Here are some of the books we are looking forward to being releases in January 2020.

January 01
It’s My Life

January 07
Scavenge the Stars
Lady Hotspur
Loveboat, Taipei
A Heart so Fierce and Broken
One of Us Is Next
We Used to Be Friends
A Love Hate Thing
Jane Anonymous
Wonderwoman: Graphic Novel

January 14
Dark and Deepest Red
Infinity Son
Lucky Caller
Finding Mr. Better Than You

January 21
Tweet Cute
Rogue Princess
The Hand on the Wall
What I Carry

January 28
How to Build A Heart
Don’t Read the Comments

January 2020 Random Dance Play-athon!

~ Taylor ~ Leave a comment

While this post is going up before the New Year, I wish you all nothing but wonderful days in the next year. Happiest of New Years!! Here is our first RDP of 2020.

Challenge One
Maze of Memories by Stray Kids
Reread a favorite book

Challenge Two
California – The Rose
Read a book about coming/going home

Challenge Three
Obsession by Exo
Read a hyped book

Challenge Four
Hollywood by AB6IX
Read a book to movie adaptation

Challenge Five
Letting Go by Day6
Read a book involving a breakup

Challenge Six
Win by Ateez
Read an award winning book

Challenge Seven
Senorita by VAV
Read a book that is under-rated

Challenge Eight
247 by Seventeen
Read a book you have been looking forward to

Top Five Wednesday: 12.11.19

~ Taylor ~ Leave a comment

We have made it to the midway point of the week. I hope everyone’s week has been going well! Mine has not been too bad. I make it through today and I am off for two day in a row and I could not be more excited. Anyways, here is this week’s T5W!

Book Wishlist

So, this is based off of my own Wishlist and I am sticking to the physical books I have on this Wishlist from Amazon.

Five
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Four
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

Three
Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan

Two
Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

One
The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco