EXCERPT: 

“This life is not glamorous,” Duke told her. “We travel constantly. We sleep on the ground most nights. When we’re not in danger from storms, we’re in danger in cities where we are considered criminals. This life is not for the faint of heart.” “There are things I do not know, things I will have to learn. But I am capable. I am familiar with sacrifice. I know what it is to make hard choices.” “Tell me you’re not considering this,” Locke said to Duke. The old man was silent for a long moment, both Locke and Roar looking to him for support. Duke rubbed at his mustache, a habit of his when he was thinking deeply. “Let’s think about this, Locke. She’s smart. And determined.” “She’s a child.” Roar’s shoulders hunched in Locke’s peripheral vision, and he swallowed back the guilt. He could apologize later. For now, it was imperative that he won this argument. “You were a child when I brought you into the fold,” Duke said. “She’s a young woman with a good head on her shoulders. And if this is what she wants, I’m inclined to at least hear her out.” Just like that, Roar’s shoulders straightened, and Locke turned to watch a devastating smile bloom across her mouth. His weakness when it came to her only made him more cross. “What skills do you have?” he snapped at Roar. “Skills?” “Yes, skills. What can you do? Or do you just plan to tag along for the ride?” A flush spread over her cheeks, and her voice was tentative when she answered, “I’m good on a horse. Very good.” Where in the world would she have learned to ride? He quickly hardened his expression. “Horses are fine for travel, but they don’t do well in storms. They, unlike you, have good survival instincts.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Locke could have sworn he felt an updraft—the first sign that bad weather could occur—and he knew that this time he had pushed too far. Roar marched toward him, spearing a finger into his chest and said, “I can read and write. I can speak Taraanese, Finlaghi, and Odilarian. I can read maps. I know enough about grassland vegetation and wildlife to survive without a market to buy food and drink. I’m good with knives and a bow. I learn quickly, and I’m not afraid of hard work. And I’ve spent my entire life reading as much about storms as I could get my hands on.” For a moment, her voice cracked under the weight of her anger, but she took a huffing breath and continued: “I’m good with numbers. It’s been a while, but I think I can probably still draw the constellations from memory, which should make me decent at navigation. I can—“ “Enough.” Locke’s voice came out in a deep rasp. He captured her long, delicate finger in his fist before she could continue poking him. He felt short of breath at the sight of her—livid and lovely. “Enough.” The old Locke might have kept arguing, and Roar would have met him toe-to-toe. But if becoming a storm hunter had taught him anything, it was that fighting head-on wasn’t always the way to win. Sometimes strategy was required. He met Duke’s eyes over her shoulder, and if he had thought Roar looked smug before, she had nothing on his mentor. The man raised his eyebrows in a challenge and asked, “You?” He hated the idea of bringing someone into this dangerous life, but if it was going to happen regardless, he sure as hell wouldn’t hand her safety over to anyone else, not even Ransom. And at the very least, it would give him the opportunity to change her mind. He gritted his teeth and nodded his acceptance.

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Publisher: Harcourt
Source: Paperback
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Summary:

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.

She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

As most readers out there I am always searching for new material to "devour". The problem is that, as a consequence of reading very much, I have become very particular about what I enjoy reading. With this, finding prospective reads that excite me has become harder and rarer.

The advantage of having more work to find something to read is that you end up finding yourself venturing from your usual kind of reads. I have noticed that my reading habits have become more diverse. I now want to read more than fiction! Currently, I am reading The Sacred and the Profane by Mircea Eliade, something I wouldn't have picked up before.

The list have for you today does not reflect these new genres but, hopefully, in the future, I will share some them with you. I am planning to dedicate a whole post to it.

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.
She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2) by Cynthia Hand,  Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)
Or does she?
Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders... but her father isn't a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife's dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers' pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed--and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.
But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it's worth--especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: ebook (purchased by me)
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Summary:

"My name is MacKayla, Mac for short. I'm a sidhe-seer, one who sees the Fae, a fact I accepted only recently and very reluctantly.
My philosophy is pretty simple - any day nobody's trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven't had many good days lately. Not since the walls between Man and Fae came down. But then, there's not a sidhe-seer alive who's had a good day since then."
When MacKayla's sister was murdered, she left a single clue to her death, a cryptic message on Mac's cell phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed - a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae.
As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister's death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho...while at the same time, the ruthless V'lane - an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women - closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac's true mission becomes clear: to find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book - because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control both worlds in their hands.

Hello, my lovely readers! It has been a month since I last wrote/posted anything on this blog. You may ask: What happened to me? Where have I been? Why am I not posting as much? Well, today I am here to answer your questions!

As you may know, I and currently in the second year of my university course in Languages, Literature and Culture, saying that things are getting harder is a gross understatement. My constant strive towards perfect grades and the level of work that I demand myself have been wearing me down. Sadly, I am not achieving my academic goals for the year and that makes me sad and unmotivated. In my search for motivation, I have found many tricks and support in the studyblr community. It is a great group of people that want to obtain success in their academic careers and help each other.

In the midst of my inner struggle, I was accepted to study a semester abroad! The whole process of applying and now, after acceptance, the paperwork and research necessary to actually go to my destination are wearing me out. I am supposed to spend the Autumn Semester of 2018/2019 at the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom. I have always dreamed of studying in the UK hope to do my masters there so I am hoping that spending some time taking in their higher education system and the day-to-day living improves my chances of future success. To be honest I hope that I come out a more fulfilled person out of all of this.

Thanks to all my worries and lack of self-confidence my mental health has been really down. I have no energy and I have been neglecting my creative outlets: I haven't written, painted or drew in over a month. I have not been reading. I have been secluded in myself and in my pain. There are too many things happening in my life that are bringing me down and I have been letting them.

The past weeks I have been trying, even more, to come out of this well I put myself into and have been going to a psychologist to help me deal with my problems and get me back to a better place. I have been taking baby steps towards a better mental health and a better sense of myself. Spoiler alert: I has not been easy. The step I am taking this week is coming back to this blog, my baby and cutting  (added) sugar from my diet for 6 days.

I am happy to inform you that I have started reading again and that I hope that soon I will have good content to post for you. In my point of view if I am not going to post good content then I should not post anything at all. I have also started posting some pictures on the blog's Instagram page, meddling with new ways to promote my "brain child" is always fun and relaxing.

I am very excited to be back and hope that you are excited to have me back. Thank you for supporting me!

Love, Ana

Celaena Sardothien is one of my favorite characters ever 🔪 She's a badass and cultured woman and such a good role model for girls. I took these pictures in my backyard! The flowers are in bloom and the light was amazing! . . . #thebewtichedreader #throneofglass #celaenasardothien #chaolwestfall #dorianhavilliard #heiroffire #crownofmidnight #ya #literature #bookstagram #book #sarahjmaas

Uma publicação partilhada por The Bewitched Reader (@thebewitchedreader) a 13 de Abr, 2018 às 1:01 PDT

*Blog Tour | Review | Guest Post | Giveaway: Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers, #1) by Brenda Drake*

*Review: Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2) by Brenda Drake*

Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Source: ebook (given by Netgalley)
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Summary:

The gateways linking the great libraries of the world don’t require a library card, but they do harbor incredible dangers.
And it’s not your normal bump-in-the- night kind. The threats Gia Kearns faces are the kind with sharp teeth and knifelike claws. The kind that include an evil wizard hell-bent on taking her down.
Gia can end his devious plan, but only if she recovers seven keys hidden throughout the world’s most beautiful libraries. And then figures out exactly what to do with them.
The last thing she needs is a distraction in the form of falling in love. But when an impossible evil is unleashed, love might be the only thing left to help Gia save the world.