Paper Girls Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan

Hey guys!
Last year at comic con I stoked up on some comics and graphic novels. It took me a while to go through all of them, but I finally had time to pick up Paper Girls. So let’s get talking about this one!

Paper Girls on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time. Suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide in this critically acclaimed story about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood.

The Rating:

Oh, I love this one!
The artwork is stunning and I could keep staring at these comics for hours. Its colorful images paired with a vibrant drawing style makes for great comics!

Then there’s the story. Well, no spoilers here so let me just say it’s really exciting and I can’t wait to find out more of it.

TMP Television Edition: Non-English

Hey, guys!
Welcome to another entry for Thursday Movie Picks.
It’s a series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves, so if you want to join the party, head over to her blog! It’s pretty easy: check out each week’s topic and come up with 3 to 5 movies that fit the theme.
Today’s TV post is actually a revival of a topic we did last year as well, but there are so many great shows out there, I’m glad I get to list more!

#1 Borgen

You konw how I learned about this show? A sociology professor at my University did a study based on it and talked about it in a lecture. It sounds brilliant, so I hope to check it out soon.

#2 Babylon Berlin

I haven’t seen this one yet, but I love everything about it already. The costumes? The music? I’m here for it.

The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag

Hey guys!
In this year’s very first Illumicrate box, I received The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag. The cover art is absolutely stunning and I was immediately excited to read this book. Let’s see how that turned out!

The Sisters Grimm on Goodreads

The Plot (as found on Goodreads):

Once upon a time, a demon who desired earthly domination fathered an army of dark daughters to help him corrupt humanity . . .

As children, Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea dreamed of a strange otherworld: a nightscape of mists and fog, perpetually falling leaves and hungry ivy, lit by an unwavering moon. Here, in this shadowland of Everwhere, the four girls, half-sisters connected by blood and magic, began to nurture their elemental powers together. But at thirteen, the sisters were ripped from Everwhere and separated. Now, five years later, they search for one another and yearn to rediscover their unique and supernatural strengths. Goldie (earth) manipulates plants and gives life. Liyana (water) controls rivers and rain. Scarlet (fire) has electricity at her fingertips. Bea (air) can fly.

To realize their full potential, the blood sisters must return to the land of their childhood dreams. But Everwhere can only be accessed through certain gates at 3:33 A.M. on the night of a new moon. As Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea are beset with the challenges of their earthly lives, they must prepare for a battle that lies ahead. On their eighteenth birthday, they will be subjected to a gladiatorial fight with their father’s soldiers. If they survive, they will face their father who will let them live only if they turn dark. Which would be fair, if only the sisters knew what was coming.

So, they have thirty-three days to discover who they truly are and what they can truly do, before they must fight to save themselves and those they love.

The Rating:

This book was promising from the very first page onward. We get magic, we get fairy tales, we get amazing female characters that are not stereotypicl. What else could I want?

The worldbuilding is amazing and you immediately get the gist even though some of the ideas might be a little more complex. I would have loved to get a little more background and information on Wilhelm Grimm, though. Where is he from, why is he like this, and what is his actual goal? I have quite a lot of questions here that didn’t get answered throughout the book and I’m a bit sad about it. I think, this would haven give the novel even more depth, drawn me into the story and I would have cared more about the outcome.

Top 5 Tuesday: Friend Recommendations

Hey, guys!
It’s Tuesday, that means it’s time for a bookish favorites posts. Top 5 Tuesday is hosted by Meeghan over on Meeghan Reads and is quite simple: check out the topic and write a post with your picks.
Today, I’m supposed to talk about books recommended by friends. However, I don’t have many real-life friends who a) read a lot and b) read the same stuff I do. So, there honestly aren’t that many books I had recommended – I’ll cheat a bit for this post but bear with me. 😉

#1 Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Last year I was at a birthday party and I got talking to a friend (shoutout to Lexa!). She told me how much she loves these books and that I absolutely must read them. Well, I am now five novels deep into this series and I’m hooked!

Skulduggery Pleasant on Goodreads

#2 Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

This is already my first cheat, as this was not a direct rec. Back in school I had a friend (shoutout to Ina!) who was a pretty big fan of these books. Well, a couple of years later I had moved to Vienna and was perusing the shelves of my local library when I happened to stumble upon the Percy Jackson novels. I remember how much my friend had liked them and picked up the first book.
If you follow my blog you’ll know that by now I’ve read pretty much every book Rick Riordan has ever written, so definitely a win!

Percy Jackson on Goodreads

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

Hello, my darling readers!
Today I bring you another novel I got via book subscription book. I am usually a rather fast reader but for some reason, it took me forever and a day to finish this one. Anyway, I am done now, so let’s talk about it!

The Merciful Crow on Goodreads

The Plot (as found on Goodreads):

A future chieftain.

Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime.

A fugitive prince.

When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns.

A too-cunning bodyguard.

Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own?

The Rating:

Although I quite enjoyed the novel and the idea behind it, I have a few things to criticise. So, let’s start with those.

First of all, the language. I get that Owen used a certain choice of words to support the world-building and the vibe of the book but she ended up repeating the same words and phrases so often I got more and more annoyed by the page. I kept thinking if she writes “betwixt” or “you ken me” one more time, I will scream.

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

Hello, my darling readers!
Let’s talk about a fascinating book I got in an Illumicrate box: The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski. Want to find out why it was so hard to put this down?

The Midnight Lie on Goodreads

The Plot (according to Goodreads):

Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.

Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest.

But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.

Set in the world of the New York Times–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, beloved author Marie Rutkoski returns with an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us—and the lies we tell ourselves.

The Rating:

The worldbuilding here. Wow.
I was immediately entranced by what Rutkoski has created here. It’s something new yet drawing from ancient mythology in ways. We get some lovely references to poetry but always with a twist.

The book comes with many interesting aspects that provide some food for thought. Furthermore, the character development was on point and I was more than excited to follow along with Nirrim.