End of Days by Susan Ee

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other? – Goodreads

Alright, it’s no secret that I’m a little bit obsessed with the Penryn and the End of Days series. I reviewed Angelfall and World After, both with glowing reviews. I enjoyed End of Days, too, but not as much as the first two in the series.

Though I still loved the darkness, the apocalyptic/survival-is-priority feel in book three, it fell a little bit short of my expectations for the end of the series. For one, the relationship between Raffe and Penryn was obnoxious and angsty. If there is one thing I hate more than angsty teenage love, it’s angsty love between an immortal and a teenager (*cough* Twilight *cough*). Ohhhhh, she’s just so much younger and inexperienced at life that my decades-old self….ohhhhh, woe is me, but she is a soooo mature and special….but this will never work….Ugh, shut it. If we think it’s creepy and inappropriate for a seventeen-year-old girl to date someone, say, in their thirties—how the eff is a thousand-year-old angel any different?

I digress.

The monsters that Ee fabricates in this book are fantastic and original. Whips with creepy detached heads that chew through your body so they can pop your head off and use your body for themselves? That’s messed up. Not to mention, her descriptions of places are amazing. I could almost smell the rotten egg sulfur smell of the pit of hell. I could see the desecrated streets of the Silicon Valley. Her descriptions are what makes a book pull you in—it’s like watching a movie in your head. It’s like you’re there. I truly hope Ee writes more, because this is my favorite part of her writing.

Penryn is still a great main character. She cares about her family and their survival above all else. She’s strong and kick-ass. What more can you ask for? I let the whole weakness for muscled archangels thing slide—she’s a hormonal teen, after all.

The ending was the bit that killed me. I have high expectations for the third book in a series. After all, I’ve dedicated about 950 pages to get to that point—the conclusion. The conclusion had me like, “Wait, I have 1% left in this damn book? I’m almost done? What the hell can happen in two pages?” and then shaking in disappointment. I won’t give it away, but I’ll be honest: I thought the ending was kind of a cheap letdown.

Overall, I rated End of Days a 3.5 on Goodreads. I give the entire series a 4.5/5 and highly recommend it.

Top Ten Tuesday: 5/26

Ten Books I Plan To Have In My Beach Bag This Summer

1. Finniken of the Rock by Melina Marchetta | I’ve heard great things about this book! I love fantasy and summer wouldn’t be complete without a great fantasy series.

2. Thrive by Arianna Huffington | I picture myself sitting on my back porch, coffee in hand, reading this in the morning before it gets too hot. I snagged a copy from Blogging for Books, so it should be coming in the mail soon!

3. Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding | I loved the first two books, and despite the abysmal rating on this one, I want to give it a shot.

4. Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews | It say’s summer in the title…need I say more?

5. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks | I just realized that it’s been several years since I’ve picked up a Sparks novel. Do I think they all follow the same formula? Yes. Is this sometimes annoying? Yes. Will I read this and secretly love it? Probably.

6. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen | I love ALL of her books, so of course I’ve gotta get my hands on her latest!

7. Leave Your Mark by Aliza Licht | okay, okay it’s not technically a ‘beach read’ but I will have it with me until I’ve finished it!

8. Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra | I’ve been wanting to read this since forever ago but it’s not released until TOMORROW. Finally!

9. The Devil You Know by Trish Doller | This isn’t out for another week, but I AM SO EXCITED. It sounds so flipping good.

10. Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham | A kick-butt female private eye trying to solve her father’s murder? Of COURSE this is on my list, it’s perfect for me!

I don’t think my ‘beach reads’ really fall into the same category as most people’s… haha.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by the Broke & the Bookish. Check out more Top Ten features on their site.

After We Fall by Emma Kavanagh

A moody, intense debut psychological thriller by a former police psychologist, this debut novel explores four lives that fall apart in the tense aftermath of a plane crash, perfect for fans of Tana French, S. J. Watson, and Alice LaPlante. Unraveling what holds these four together is a tense, taut tale about good people who make bad decisions that ultimately threaten to destroy them. Debut author Emma Kavanagh deftly weaves together the stories of those who lost someone or something of themselves in one tragic incident, exploring how swiftly everything we know can come crashing down. – Goodreads

This one was interesting, though I didn’t find it as intense as the summary implies.

The tale is told from several character’s points of view (all in third person). Each character is connected to another in some way or another. If anything, it makes you realize how small the world really is. The story takes place in the span of a week and is set in Wales.

It starts with a plane crash. Nobody knows why the plane went down, but many people died. The plane is manned by a pilot, whose daughter, Freya, is a narrator. Among the crash survivors is a flight attendant, Cecelia, who is also a narrator. Her husband, Tom, narrator and a detective in the investigation of a police officer’s death. The officer’s father, Jim, also narrates. Throughout the book, their stories are weaved together as connections become clearer and the murder investigation continues.

The unique part of this story was the fact that there was no single mystery—there were multiple. There were plenty of twists and turns.

I figured out the murderer pretty quickly, which was a bummer. I think that if it been a little more difficult to figure out those twists I would have enjoyed the read much more. That being said, the characters were extremely well developed and really helped drive the story.

If you prefer character development, snag this. If you want action and blood, skip it. I rated it a 3.5/5 on Goodreads.

I received a free copy of After We Fall from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl & Spoon by Sara Forte

The bowl is a perfect vessel in which to create simple, delicious, and healthy meals. When gathered together in a single dish, lean proteins, greens, vegetables, and whole grains nestle against each other in a unique marriage of flavor and texture. This is how Sara Forte, beloved food blogger and author of the James Beard Award–nominated book The Sprouted Kitchen, cooks every day—creating sumptuous recipes colorful enough to serve guests, simple enough to eat with a spoon while sitting on the couch, and in amounts plentiful enough to have easy leftovers for lunch the next day. In this visually stunning collection that reflects a new and healthier approach to quick and easy cooking, Sara offers delicious, produce-forward recipes for every meal, such as Golden Quinoa and Butternut Breakfast Bowl; Spring Noodles with Artichokes, Pecorino, and Charred Lemons; Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce; and Cocoa Nib Pavlovas with Mixed Berries. – Amazon

We eat a pretty clean diet 90% of the time (the other 10% is dessert and once-a-week pizza), so I’m always on the hunt for new, clean recipes to spice up our typically boring multiple-meal prepped week. I spotted this on Blogging for Books and knew I needed to check it out—after all, healthy and less dishes? Does it get better than that?

The Layout

The photos in this cookbook are gorgeous and simple. Even the recipes that don’t sound appealing looked appealing. The photographer is the author’s husband, so that’s cool, too. The layout is simple and clean, though the font is quite small. I also would have liked all of the recipes to have photos.

The Recipes

There are plenty of recipes in here, and they seem easy enough. My biggest issue, though, with most of the recipes? The amount of ingredients. And not just run-of-the-mill, hanging-out-in-my-pantry ingredients—fresh, obscure ingredients, like sambal oelek or lacinato kale or delicata squash. I would definitely need to plan a dinner in advance, and once in a while to boot, based on how much each recipe would cost. There are some less elaborate recipes, like Turkey Meatballs or Soaked Oat Porridge, that I’ll be able to make without having to make a special trip to the store. Despite the special and lengthy ingredients, I’m still excited to try many of the recipes in the book.

What I Tried

Because I didn’t have many ingredients on hand (and couldn’t fit an extra fancy dinner into our budget this week), I made a dessert from the back of the book: Cocoa Banana Cups, which is essentially bananas blended with some other goodies to make a pudding of sorts. So good and so easy! This will definitely be a staple this summer.

The Verdict

I’m not 100% thrilled with this cookbook, but I’ll give it a few more recipes to see if I love it or not. Many of the recipes require fresh veggies, so it will be much better when summer veggies are in season. Lots of zucchini and tomato recipes, so I’ll be set. I rate it a 3/5.

I received a free copy of The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon from Random House and Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks

“I might be Cinderella today, but I dread who they’ll think I am tomorrow. I guess it depends on what I do next.”

American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it’s Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain’s future king. And when Bex can’t resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.

Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick’s sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he’s fated to become.

Which is how she gets into trouble.

Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she’s sacrificed for love-her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself-will have been for nothing. – Goodreads

So, if you’ve read my past reviews, you’ll know that I have this weird obsession with reality TV. What you don’t know is that that obsession spills over into all things concerning celebrity fashion and… the royal family.

I was BEYOND excited that Duchess Kate was pregnant again and was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new little prince/princess, so of course it happened the day I was flying to Hawaii! I’m pretty sure the entire Honolulu airport heard me when I squealed in delight (it was probably more of a screech, let’s be honest) when I saw the twitter updates that Princess Charlotte had finally arrived (of course, at the time, we had no name). My point in all of this rambling, is that the Fug Girls (Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan) twitter is how I heard about Princess Charlotte’s birth, and they are also the same brilliant ladies that wrote The Royal We. They run the Go Fug Yourself site as well (if you haven’t checked it out, please do so asap! #hilarious) and I’ve followed them on twitter for… forever really. Now, on to the review!

The Royal We is absolutely amazing. I got sucked into it very quickly & fell absolutely in love with all of the characters. Having read the summary, it did frustrate me that the story doesn’t immediately begin with Nick & Bex being together, but as I read my way through and finished it, I totally understood and appreciated it. It’s definitely not your average fairy-tale!

The characters were so well built – I think because of the way Heather & Jessica write, it makes it very easy to feel the way they want you to about certain characters – one is rude, one is a total playboy, one is completely eccentric, etc. and you see them for who they are and who they could be. The one character and relationship that I really didn’t like, was Bex & Lacey’s. I’m not sure if it’s because I don’t have a (blood) sister, or because of all the stupid crap that Lacey ends up doing, but she really just frustrated me. I hated when Bex would bend to Lacey’s will and make excuses for her! That drove me absolutely nuts and honestly? The book would’ve been better without Lacey in it at all.

The story line itself, along with Bex & Nick’s relationship, totally won me over. I devoured this book and after I finished, I was totally left with a book hangover. Nothing else sounded good or interesting after this, and while I hate that, it’s a wonderful feeling to read something that’s just that good.

Overall, I gave The Royal We 5/5 stars on Goodreads. It’s a wonderful read, and I really hope Heather & Jessica write a sequel (or more)!

Stir by Jessica Fechtor

At 28, Jessica Fechtor was happily immersed in graduate school and her young marriage, and thinking about starting a family. Then one day, she went for a run and an aneurysm burst in her brain. She nearly died. She lost her sense of smell, the sight in her left eye, and was forced to the sidelines of the life she loved.

Jessica’s journey to recovery began in the kitchen as soon as she was able to stand at the stovetop and stir. There, she drew strength from the restorative power of cooking and baking. Written with intelligence, humor, and warmth, Stir is a heartfelt examination of what it means to nourish and be nourished.”

Woven throughout the narrative are 27 recipes for dishes that comfort and delight. For readers of M.F.K.Fisher, Molly Wizenberg, and Tamar Adler, as well as Oliver Sacks, Jill Bolte Taylor, and Susannah Cahalan, Stir is sure to inspire, and send you straight to the kitchen. – Goodreads

Well, it didn’t send me running for the kitchen. But I did enjoy this read.

See, my mom had an aneurysm when my brother was born. She’s okay. And then my Oma had one. I remember that one. We spent a lot of time in the hospital. Lots of rehab. Lots of bouncing back. Aneurysms run in my family, and I’ve always had fear, respect, and interest when it comes to them. That’s why I picked this book up.

It opens with Jessica’s aneurysm, which happened while she was running at a hotel gym. The story then follows her struggles and healing process, which cooking and food plays a major key in. There are even recipes sprinkled throughout the book.

There’s something about reading books that feature real people that make me understand the “main character”. Maybe that’s because they’re real. But I got Jessica—I understood the pain and healing that she was going through. In a way, it gave me an inside look at what my mom and Oma went through.

It was a slow read for me, and I found many parts to be dragging. Can I really fault the story for that, though? Isn’t that the point of an emotional and physical healing process? I shouldn’t, but it did make me take a long time to read the story.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but I probably won’t be shouting about it from the rooftops. If you’re into inspirational healing journeys, this might be for you. I rated it a 3.5/5.

I received a free copy of Stir from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

SNEAK PEEK: Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan

I’m the daughter of murdered parents.
I’m the friend of a dead girl.
I’m the lover of my enemy.
And I will have my revenge.

In the wake of the devastating destruction of the luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell its story—and two of them are lying. Only Frances Mace knows the terrifying truth, and she’ll stop at nothing to avenge the murders of everyone she held dear. Even if it means taking down the boy she loves and possibly losing herself in the process.

Sharp and incisive, Daughter of Deep Silence by bestselling author Carrie Ryan is a deliciously smart revenge thriller that examines perceptions of identity, love, and the lengths to which one girl is willing to go when she thinks she has nothing to lose. – Goodreads

This felt like the shortest sneak peek of all time…so thanks for that, NetGalley. Seriously.

It took me the entire sneak peek to realize that the setting is a yacht, and that this is not a fantasy novel. That’s what I get for looking at the cover and not really reading the description. The time setting appears to be present day, but that was never really confirmed.

It’s a revenge thriller, which is a genre I’ve never really checked out. If anything, the sneak peek captured my interest, confused me, and then left me hanging. What a tease!

Though it was a short passage, I did enjoy the author’s writing, worldbuilding, and ten seconds of character construction.

I’ll definitely be checking this out when it’s released. Anyone else read the sneak peek?

I received a free sneak peek of Daughter of Deep Silence from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Top Ten Tuesday: 5/12

Ten Authors I REALLY Want To Meet

1. Mindy Kaling | She’s so cool.

2. JK Rowling | How could she not make this list?

3. John Green | He’s hilarious.

4. Leo Babauta | He’s so insightful!

5. Tina Fey | Maybe her AND Mindy would have lunch with me?!

6. Sarah Dessen | I follow her on twitter and she’s so funny! She came here on a book tour a few years ago but I wasn’t able to go, I regret it so much!

7. J.K. Rowling | DUH. Can’t leave her off the list!

8. Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi | We all know how much I LOVE reality TV and both Jersey Shore and Snooki & JWOWW are on my list of favorites, so of course I had to throw Snooki in – she’s an inspiration with how much she’s turned her life around and she’s written 4 books!

9. Sara Raasch | I LOVED Snow Like Ashes and I cannot wait to get my hands on Ice Like Fire. It would be SO awesome to meet her!

10. Maureen Johnson | I follow her on twitter too and she’s crazy – in the best way – and so hilarious! It would be a blast to meet her.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by the Broke & the Bookish. Check out more Top Ten features on their site.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down! – Goodreads

Well, I’m in a book hangover right now. You know, the kind where you’re so upset that you turned the last page that you can’t bear to start another right away? One of those.

I’ll be honest, I was a little annoyed with the book in the beginning. I thought that Feyre was overly stubborn and kind of an idiot (seriously, who the hell insults a murderous Fey? Do you have a death wish?). Though her survival instincts and resilience was strong when she had to take care of her family, it’s like it all disappeared when it was only her.

However, once I got over that, I fell in love.

First, the worldbuilding is great. It was so easy to picture the beauty and the terrible creatures that lurked there. The story is very Beauty and the Beast meets the dark faeries, which I surprisingly enjoyed (I am not a huge fan of faerie-lore). Except instead a library he gave her a room of paintings. She even wears a gold gown to dinner one time. Also they dance at a festival (which, in my head, was to the tune of “Tale As Old As Time”).

One gripe is the concept of the blight: I literally had no clue WTF that even was for the entire book. I kind of knew it was a curse, I knew it was bad…but it never really explained WHAT it was and how it could take shape.

The character development was fantastic, and I loved all of the characters by the end, the good and the evil. Though Feyre annoyed me at first, she grew on me, and I really liked her by the end. I think I also have a fictional crush on Tamlin. Lucien was like the sassy faerie version of Ron Weasley…but mostly I just pictured that because he’s a redhead.

I REALLY loved the romance in this book. Sure, it was a little Stockholm Syndrome-y/instalovey, but it worked. Totally worked. This book is definitely intended for older audiences—maybe fifteen and up? There are some pretty steamy scenes that don’t leave too much to the imagination. There aren’t any throbbing rods or glowing flowers or anything, but there’s no secret that they’re doing it.

Overall, loved the shit out of this book and highly recommend it. I rated it a 5/5 and added it to my favorites list. I think I like it better than the Throne of Glass series!

The Healthy Mind Cookbook by Rebecca Katz

A collection of more than 120 recipes formulated to optimize brain health, boost memory, improve mood, sharpen the central nervous system, and more.

Between digital overload, sleep deprivation, and the stress of modern life, most people’s brains are constantly in flight-or-fight mode, with levels of cortisol and other hormones and neurotransmitters out of whack. Brain conditions ranging from childhood ADHD and adult depression to memory impairment are on the rise, and medications for brain conditions, if available, do only a mediocre job while generating a host of debilitating side effects. Fortunately, Rebecca Katz has harnessed the latest research on brain functioning to identify how the foods we consume can improve the brain’s ability to control cognition, emotion, and physical function–all of which dictate memory, mood, and motion. These 120 recipes translate the very best of this science into the kitchen, incorporating nutrient-dense foods that best promote brain health and development from childhood through the golden years. – Goodreads

After this review, I think I’ve discovered something new about my blogging life: reviewing cookbooks might be my new favorite thing. Seriously. An excuse to try a new fabulous recipe? Count me in. When I was in college, I wrote a little cooking column for the student newspaper called Hooker in the Kitchen (because my maiden name is Hooker, you see). This kind of reminds me of those days.

The Healthy Mind Cookbook focuses on recipes that have ingredients that have been shown to help brain health, such as mind clarity, focus, and anti-depression. The introduction part of the book covers these ingredients and details some of the research behind the recipes. Recipe sections include meats, vegetables, sides, soups, drinks, dollops (sauces) and desserts.

First, the layout and design is gorgeous. The photos are vibrant and make you want to cook everything in the book. Because most of the recipes feature plenty of colorful vegetables and spices, they look great. The instructions and ingredients are easy to read and follow. Overall, the layout is clean and fresh.

Second, the variety is great. There is something for everyone here. Some of the recipes feature more obscure ingredients, and others are pretty basic.

Before I reviewed this book, I wanted to test out a recipe. I chose Baked Chicken with Minted Chimichurri Sauce. The baked chicken part was pretty simple—some chicken thighs marinated in the minted chimichurri sauce featured in the book.

The minted chimichurri was fan-freaking-tastic. It features fresh mint, fresh oregano, fresh parsley, lemon, sea salt, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Very fresh and green. It was super easy to make—simply blend the ingredients together in a food processor. It took me ten minutes to make the chimichurri, 45 minutes for the chicken to marinate in it, and 40 minutes to bake the chicken. Boom! Super easy, and I have extra sauce for another dinner this week.

It was awesome. Fresh, light, and will definitely be a summer staple. The husband loved it, too.

I’m very excited for my garden to begin growing because many of the recipes call for fresh fruits and vegetables. I can’t wait to bust this summer!

If you’re interested in healthy eating (for your mind, too!) and enjoy medium level cooking, I’d highly recommend this. I rated it a 4.5/5 — there were some ingredients that require special visits to special stores which can be a pain.

I received a copy of The Healthy Mind Cookbook from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.