Violets & Violence by Morgan Parker

Violets & Violence by Morgan Parker. Selfpublished in 2014. Received for review from Publishing Push and the author. Adult romance. 2 out of 5 stars.  

WARNING: This is quite a negative review and I apologize for that. There's also going to be some spoilers. 

I don't know where to begin with this review because the book has left me speechless - and not in a good way. 

When it was just released back in 2014, I saw it everywhere and I've been intrigued by it ever since. I noticed it a few months ago on publishingpush.com and my intrigue reawakened. Funny thing is, I've never known what it is about or heard anyone talk about it. There has been so much mystery around this book and that definitely pulled me in. 

Violets & Violence is about Violet. Violet is a performing illusionist. She can levitate, walk through glass and be in two places at one time. I'd really hoped that there would be real magic, because I would simply love that, but there unfortunately weren't. 
I'm quite at a loss for words because I really want to tell you what it's about, I just have no idea how. I've read the entire book and I actually have no idea what it's about. I feel like there is so many sub-plots without a main plot line and it doesn't really work. But let's try anyway; We have Violet. Violet sleeps with Luke - the one who is actually in control of the show. Violet brings a volunteer on stage, Carter, and long story short - they fall for each other. BUT Luke is still in the picture and then he's somehow held captured in New York for 3 weeks until Violet rescues him. Turns out Violet and Luke have stolen something of value, sold it (or something) so they could start the show. People want what Luke and Violet have stolen back, which is why they've captured Luke. There's also a 'plot twist' which is quite poorly doe and I'm disappointed with both the twist and the dramatic ending. There's more to tell, but I don't want to ruin the entire book for you. I can feel the author wanted the ending to be groundbreaking or mind-blowing but it really wasn't. I'm really sorry but it was awful. 

Another thing I have a problem with is the sex. I'm not against sex in books but I have no idea why it's in there. It does nothing for the story except making it longer and making me annoyed. It would definitely do better without. 

I however love that the story is told from Luke and Carter - not Violet. It's definitely my favorite thing about the entire book and one of the few good things I have to say! 
I also like the cover! It's captivating! I was also surprised to learn that the author is a man, I don't know why, but I've always pictured a woman writing the book. 

I have yet to give a book 1 star this year, but this one was close. 

Cover and title reveal - the next book in The Violet Hour series by Andrea L. Wells!

Last year I read both The Violet Hour and The Midnight Hour, which is the first book in The Violet Hour series and the prequel novella! I love both of them and I definitely admire the author! Me and Andrea have been in contact ever since I got a review copy of The Violet Hour. I have to admit that I'm beyond ecstatic for the next book in the series which is:

First impressions, Ugly Love

Received for review from the publisher, lovebooks

My current read is the Danish edition of Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover, which has been titled Forbandede kærlighed. Since I don't have anything special planned for today, I figured I'd talk a bit about my thoughts so far. 

To be honest I prefer the Danish cover to the original cover, I think it's more pleasing to look at and I love the blue ombre. It's simply gorgeous and will definitely hold a special place on my shelf! 

I'm about 40-50 pages in so far and it's definitely good! I didn't really want to put it down last night and right now I'm doing everything in my power to keep myself from reading it - because I know it's going to be hard putting it down again, and I have plans in an hour. So, quite the enjoyable read and definitely a page-turner. 

I just found the official movie teaser and I have to share it with you guys! I love Nick Bateman which they casted as Miles Archer, our male main character. Apparently I can't share it on here, but you can find it on youtube here. 

"Someone stabbed you in the neck, young lady."My eyes widen, and I slowly turn toward the elderly gentleman standing at my side. He presses the up button on the elevator and faces me. He smiles and points to my neck.

Quite the intriguing beginning! I love the theory of birthmarks showing the cause of death in a previous life so I'm ecstatic that Hoover has put it in her book! 

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig. Published by Hot Key Books on March 3. 2016. Received for review from Hot Key Books. 

I've been seeing The Girl from Everywhere everywhere on the interwebs so when I was contacted by the publisher I knew I had to read it! And I have to admit, it's one of the best books of 2016!

The Girl from Everywhere is about Nix Song, Nix can time travel through maps, or rather, navigate through time using maps. It has to be handmade maps though and you're transported to the maker's version of that time and place! They obviously can't travel to the future then, and they can only use every map once! I love how specific that is!
You don't have to be on a ship to navigate through time using maps, but that way you can take everything you want with you.

The Girl from Everywhere really surprised me. I had high expectations and most were met! I haven't read anything like this, usually time travel is just 'I want to go to ______' and they're suddenly transported there. The best way to explain it is probably that it is more believable - even though we know it can't happen. I love that they have to search for maps and the fact that they can't just use any map! It's detailed and very thought through - so intriguing and interesting!

I haven't read a lot of books featuring pirates, to be honest I can only name Tiger Lily and Peter Pan, so this was quite different - even though they're technically not pirates, I get a pirate-y feel from the book. I wish there were more books like this out there because this is definitely one of the special ones you see once, or maybe less, a year.

Nix is quite the character and her upbringing is nothing to brag about! Her mother died not long after she was born and her father, Slate, sought after her, found her and took her with him. He hasn't been the most loving and caring father but she loves him all the same and while it's not apparent at first - he loves her too. Nix has never had many friends since they don't stay in a place too long, she has the crewmates and Kashmir - a persian guy who jumped on the ship a few years back.
Kashmir is Nix's best friend and well, you know what happens between best friends in YA novels, right? I loved the two of them together and I love their friendship to a degree I can't express! Too many YA novels focus on romance and The Girl from Everywhere doesn't! There's some romance in there but it stays in the background and let the story run it's course. So thank you for that Heidi Heilig!

MAP, OAHU 1884

 I absolutely love the details of the maps in this books, and yes, there's a bunch of different maps! They're all completely different in style and shape and I love that amount of details! There's so much effort that has gone into the making of The Girl from Everywhere and it just deepens my love for the book.

ONE MORE LOOK AT THE GORGEOUS COVER

The Girl from Everywhere is one of the most special, and just plain different, books I've read this year and definitely one of the best. I'd expected a bit more which is why I've given it a 4.5 rating and not the whole 5 stars. I highly recommend it!

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I'd love to revisit

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday we create a list inspired by a particular topic! This week is all about characters we would love to revisit. 

I've been neglecting my Top Ten Tuesday's these past few weeks but I've made a blog planner for May and I'm hopefully going to start doing them again! I love lists and books so a mix of the two is THE BOMB! 

So, today is all about characters we would love to revisit. Either in 10 years or as a coming of age story if it's older characters. I'll explain everything as I go along, as usual

Dina from The Shamer Chronicles

Dina is the main character in The Shamer Chronicles by Lene Kaaberbøl. She's 10 years old in the first book and not that much older in the last one. I would love to read about her as an adult, how the world has changed, whether she has kids of her own and if they have the shamer eyes too. It would be quite an interesting read. 

Nix from The Girl from Everywhere 

I recently read The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig and I LOVED IT! I would love to get a novella or maybe an entire novel about Nix 10 years after the ending! I want to know where she've travelled to, where she wants to go, what she's seen. Also, her love life! Did she get kids, want any etc.? It would be so, so good! 

Auggie from Wonder

Wonder by R.J. Palacio is is one of my favorite reads ever! It's deep yet easy to read and I definitely think everyone should read it at one point in their life. I would love to revisit Auggie as a young adult or just as an adult. How his life has evolved, if it has gotten easier or tougher to life with the deformity and if he has a family of his own now! Auggie was such a fun character and I think it would be a funny and enjoyable read. 

Isac from The Fault in Our Stars

I intended to say Hazel, but I fear that it would get too many awful comments since we don't know whether she lives or not and I don't actually want to know. Isaac however I would love to read about, I think it would be intriguing since he's blind and it would be a great survival story and we'd probably still get some glimpses of Hazel and Gus. It will probably also be sad but I would read a book about coming to terms with blindness. There's not so many blind characters in literature and I would love to read more of it. 

Elsa and Thibault from I'm Still Here

I'm Still Here by Clélie Avit is one of my favorite reads this year and I so want to read about their relationship in 10 years from now! Do they get kids of their own, how is Elsa now etc. 

Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games

This is probably going to be quite a popular pick but I want more of them! The epilogue in Mockingly is simply not enough. 

There's bound to be some I've missed! Which characters do you want to revisit? 

And it's a wrap for April

READ IN APRIL

Another month gone! It's now May and I'm so excited because of my TBR this month but I'll talk more about that in another post!

In March I...

• Read 10 books and 1 novella! 
• 5 by female authors and the last 5 by male authors
• 3  new releases
• 6 adult books, 3 YA and 1 middle grade
• 7 paperbacks, 2 ebooks and 1 audiobook
• 5 in English and 5 in Danish
• 6 for review, 3 from storytel (like audible) and 2 of my own. (I listened to one of the review books on storytel). 
• Bought 15 books and received an extra 5 for review
• Started 2 new series; The School for Good and Evil and Flawed

reading goals

So, as mentioned I read 10 books in April even with a reading slump thrown in! I'm also feeling a reading slump coming on so I'm looking for the perfect read to get me out of it! Nonetheless, the 10 books I read added up to 2845 pages! 

1. February (Calendar Girl, #2) by Audrey Carlan ★★★★
2. March (Calendar Girl, #3) by Audrey Carlan ★★★★
3. Half Irish by Peter J. S. Waugh  ★★★★ (review)
4. I'm Still Here by Clélie Avit ★★★★★ 
5. The Premature Death of Ana Ivan by Mikkel Rosengaard ★★★★
6. The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1) by Soman Chainani ★★★.5
7. The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig ★★★★.5
8. Princess Bari by Hwang Sok-Yong ★★★
9. Violets & Violence by Morgan Parker ★★
10. Flawed (Flawed , #1) by Cecilia Ahern ★★★.5 (audiobook)

My favorite book this month is definitely I'm Still Here it was such a great read but The Girl from Everywhere is a close runner-up. A review of The Girl from Everywhere will be up later this week. 

I didn't finish any series this month so I'm still at 9 finished this year so far! I didn't reread or read any classics in April so those numbers haven't changed (2/5 and 5/10). 

My YA ratio is lower than any other month, I believe, so that's good! 

Since I focused on review books for the month of April I didn't read that many books from my shelves - only 2 so I'm happy with that number. Hopefully I'll read a bunch of my own books in May!

Just like last month I totally forgot about 365 stories and The Happiness Project but I've decided to drop 365 stories since I'm not enjoying it and just focus on The Happiness Project - which I love. 

The single novella I read was Black Box by Jennifer Egan which is a spy log written in a twitter format and with a second person narrative - quite an intriguing read! 

I want to do separate book hauls so look out for one! 

Announcing the winner of the Schism giveaway and a little ramble

I have been quite excited since it's my first giveaway with physical copies and it's even international so everyone could join. I got a lot of entries and I was looking forward to announcing the 10 winners, yes, there was going to be 10 winners but I had to disqualify so many that I only have a single winner! 

I had 3 obligatory entries; be a follower of my blog, leave your email and visit the author's FB page and the majority had just followed on twitter or IG instead of through bloglovin' or GFC. People also said that they'd left a comment, which they hadn't and so many other things. I was so excited about giving something back to my readers and know I'm just left with a feeling of bing worthless. 

How can I change this? 

Let's leave it at that before I get too emotional. I have already contacted Ria, the sole winner of the giveaway. Ria has won a lot of giveaways on here, because she's a loyal reader and she's usually one of the only ones who enter. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I have to think about what to do with the last 9 copies.