The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

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I really wanted to like this book. I read this one with my friends as part of our monthly Books with friends, they had both read this on previous occasions and raved about it. Since our tastes in books are very similar I thought this was going to be a great read, how wrong was I?

The circus arrives without warning, no one knows when or where it will pop up. Inside the boundaries of the circus unique experiences full of breathtaking amazements awaits. Only one catch, it is only open at night. There is a competition that has been going for years and the two major players have been chosen when they were children and have since been training. They don’t know the rules of the game, especially the one where only one can survive the game.

It wasn’t that the book, that was supposed to be filled with so many wonderful things, was boring but it just felt like something was off. It took me more than half of the book to finally be pulled into the story, the jumps in the timeline had me confused most of the time and I had to reread several passages to finally get back on board.

There were some colourful characters in this story, and this was probably the only thing that really kept me reading, I wanted to find out what was going to happen to the characters, and in the end, if the circus will be able to survive the game. 

The Bronze Horseman - Paullina Simons

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Here we go, it took me a while to compile this review, which isn’t a surprise considering it took me almost 84 years to finish this book. I usually love war stories, even with the backdrop of the horrible events during that time period, most authors get to write wonderful tales that pull you in and make you want to fight for the characters. This was not the case with this book. To me, it felt the torture just kept continuing.

No wonder this book was so thick, there was so much useless information in it, and I usually like descriptions of settings in books, but here I learnt how one can overdo descriptions.

The characters were shallow, with little to no growth throughout the book. Almost everyone dies and that just makes you stop caring about any of the characters. Alexander had a horrible temper and what could be considered as an emotionally abusive relationship with both the sisters, but of course he is an officer and girls just fawn over him.

I knew this was a series of books before I started it, but honestly, I can’t think that I would ever pick up the rest of the series or in this case, anything by this author.

Riven - Lissa Del AKA Melissa Delport

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 After reading Rainfall I thought to myself, don't think this will be just your average contemporary romance, expect the unexpected. Lissa Del AKA Melissa Delport did not disappoint. I was on the edge of my seat, my phone had a couple of very purposeful flings across my desk, and she had me chocked-up with emotion. Exactly what I want from this author.

One thing that I both hate and love about Riven is that you can't really tell someone what it is about without giving the plot away. The safest I can do is say. It's about a girl who meets a boy, their love story is something that makes you yearn for your own version of it, and then there is a major plot twist that even though I was waiting for it, I did not expect.

This book was angsty with just enough frustration added to leave you gasping for more.

The characters are well written and I fell in love with them all almost right away. The one thing I truly appreciate is that all the characters in the book had a role to play, it wasn't just a reason to fill some pages.

Overall this was another great book by Lissa Del and I would recommend her books in a heartbeat.

The Legacy - Melissa Delport

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Dystopian books, I really thought by now that I’ve read most of them and that there won’t be another one that will get me, then I remembered I had two, yes you read that right, two copies of this book. Boy, was I surprised and irritated with myself for waiting so long to read this.

The book is set in a post-apocalyptic United States or not so the United States. Our heroine is a great character, with support from the rest. We have a love triangle that will set you on edge and wonder why you are rooting for both of them.

Rebecca Davis is one of the characters that really pulled me in, the sacrifices she was willing to make for the greater good of mankind really makes you sit back and hope that one day you will life up to her example. Melissa has a way of writing characters that become your best friends, you want to see them succeed, to kick ass and to overcome whatever obstacles are in their way.

The build up throughout the book was intense and it really got my heart racing, the action scenes was incredible and the way she described them I could picture this all happening in my head.

The ending made me want to grab the next book in the series as soon as possible, and that to me is a great way to continue a series. 

Wonder – R.J. Palacio

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This book was a wonderful eye-opener, something that makes you think, and I hope that more children and adults will read this, especially when the movie comes out.

This book is about August, a boy who was born with a facial birth defect. After several operations to help his live a normal life his parents decide it is time to send him to mainstream school. He is about to start 5^th grade which means he won’t be the only new kid at school. This is the story where Auggie has to show his friends that although his face is different to theirs he is just like them.

Auggie was a great character and I really enjoyed him so much, to be fair all the characters were really likeable. The flow of the book was gripping and it pulled me in from the beginning, with short chapters and a couple of parts through the viewpoint of different characters.

Reading this book has made me remember how mean kids can really be. I by no means had any facial deformities, but as someone who underwent a lot of surgeries that left me with scars on my leg, it reminded me of all the names I was called, and the questions children had about it.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone to read, even though it is a middle-grade book, pick it up and read it. It teaches you compassion, and definitely not to judge someone by the way they look.

How We Found You – J.T. Lawrence

This week we have a local author who I think needs so much more recognition. Her books are a guarantee buy when I see there is a new one one out, I have multiple copies of her books, and I love recommending her books. For those who have been around for a while, you might've noticed I haven't been giving that many Five hearts this year, well it took a JT Lawrence book to break the drought. 

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Words can’t describe how much I loved this book, but I will try my best.

Usually, with the second book in a series, it feels more like a filler book, one to tide you over for the last one. This sure wasn’t the case, it was action packed, with a storyline that was gripping.

How we Found you is the sequel to Why you were taken, a book set in the not so distant future in South Africa. I love that the futuristic elements weren’t as mind boggling as most authors tend to do. There were a lot of elements were you could actually see this happening. The story follows Kate, 4 years after the events of the previous book (GO READ IT). This book shows the lengths a mother will go to, to save her children.

Another thing that really impressed me was the way Lawrence juggled a couple of characters viewpoints in this book, and I didn’t get confused or lose the thread that she weaved throughout the book. Each character had their moment that made their part in the story vital.

Lawrence had me from the very first page right through to the last one! I needed my inhaler after reading some of the scenes as they were so intense. I adore her writing style and truly think this is an author who definitely needs more recognition.

How to be a Bawse - Lilly Singh

Lately, I am getting more into Memoirs, but then it I prefer getting them on Audible, just because you get that little bit more personal touch of hearing the author speaking. 

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This is a gentle mixture between a memoir, where we get to see a little bit more of the woman behind the Youtube sensation Superwoman, and a well thought out self-help book. I would recommend getting the audiobook as well, Lilly Singh being her quirky self while reading the book was just the cherry on top, I also loved the hardcover with all the photos and quotes, and you could see all her hard work come to life.

With Lilly’s unique personality, I have to say she got me all riled up and ready to make changes in my own life. At the end of each chapter, there are a couple of steps that you can follow to help you improve yourself. I am not saying this will be the case with everyone, but she does help you reflect on this, and plant that seed that will help you make the relevant changes in your life.

The photo’s inside and the way that it is laid out is really stunning.

I will definitely read this one again, to go deeper into all the tasks she sets out for you.