july wrap up

Welcome to another monthly wrap up here at Stardust and Words! Though I know these aren't the most exciting posts in the world, I find them incredible helpful in tracking and remembering what I've read over the last month. I also really enjoy looking at other people's, so be sure to leave a link to your post in the comments! I am so ready for summer to be over. I hate the heat, the humidity, and the boredom that has settled over the too-long days. Do y'all know what I mean? I move back to school next week and I couldn't be happier. I did have a great reading month, with twelve books read and nine reviews posted, so I'm proud of that! Here is what I read and loved this month :)

1. My Lady Jane – Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows ☆☆☆☆

In five words: hilarious, romantic, fun, girl power!

blurb: The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

2. The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern #1) – Shannon Hale ☆☆☆☆☆*

In five words: nostalgic, magical, universal, beautiful prose
(alternatively: reads like an old friend) 

blurb: Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life under her aunt's guidance learning to communicate with animals. As she grows up Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but is never comfortable speaking with people, so when her silver-tongued lady-in-waiting leads a mutiny during Ani's journey to be married in a foreign land, Ani is helpless and cannot persuade anyone to assist her.

Becoming a goose girl for the king, Ani eventually uses her own special, nearly magical powers to find her way to her true destiny. Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can become queen of the people she has made her own.

3. This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) – Victoria Schwab ☆☆☆☆☆

In five words: monstrously amazing, flawed characters, engrossing

blurb: There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

4. Court of Fives (Court of Fives #1) – Kate Elliot ☆☆☆1/2

In five words: determined girls, friendship, oppression, hope

blurb: On the Fives court, everyone is equal.
And everyone is dangerous.

Jessamy’s life is a balance between acting like an upper-class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But away from her family, she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for the Fives, an intricate, multilevel athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom’s best competitors. Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an improbable friendship between the two Fives competitors—one of mixed race and the other a Patron boy—causes heads to turn. When Kal’s powerful, scheming uncle tears Jes’s family apart, she’ll have to test her new friend’s loyalty and risk the vengeance of a royal clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott’s first young adult novel weaves an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.

5. Listening for Lions – Gloria Whelan ☆☆☆☆

In five words: beautiful descriptions, inspirational, throwback fave

blurb: "If you are among evil people, you must be like the lion, gathering strength and awaiting your time."

Africa is the only home Rachel Sheridan has ever known. But when influenza strikes down her missionary parents, she is left vulnerable prey to her family's wicked neighbors. Surrounded by greed and lies, Rachel is entangled in a criminal scheme and sent to England, where she is forced into a life of deception. Like the lion, she must be patient and strong, awaiting the moment when she can take control of her own fate—and find her way home again at last.


 

6. The Girl Who Drank the Moon – Kelly Barnhill ☆☆☆1/2

In five words: found family, strange magic, bravery

blurb: Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and deliver them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.

One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on schedule--but Xan is far away. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Soon, it is up to Luna to protect those who have protected her--even if it means the end of the loving, safe world she’s always known.

7. Howl's Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones ☆☆☆☆

In five seven words: not like the movie, still read it!

blurb: Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.



  

8. The Graces (The Graces #1) – Laure Eve ☆☆☆

In five words: witchcraft, atmospheric darkness, obsession, acceptance

blurb: In The Graces, the first rule of witchcraft states that if you want something badly enough, you can get it . . . no matter who has to pay.

Everyone loves the Graces. Fenrin, Thalia, and Summer Grace are captivating, wealthy, and glamorous. They’ve managed to cast a spell over not just their high school but also their entire town—and they’re rumored to have powerful connections all over the world. If you’re not in love with one of them, you want to be them. Especially River: the loner, new girl at school. She’s different from her peers, who both revere and fear the Grace family. She wants to be a Grace more than anything. And what the Graces don’t know is that River’s presence in town is no accident.

This fabulously addictive fantasy combines sophisticated and haunting prose with a gut-punching twist that readers will be dying to discuss. Perfect for fans of We Were Liars as well as nostalgic classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the 1996 movie The Craft, The Graces marks the beginning of a new wave of teen witches.

9. The Lovely Reckless – Kami Garcia ☆☆☆1/2

In five words: bad boy, street racer, PTSD

blurb: I’ve become an expert at avoiding things that could hurt me—which means I will figure out how to stay away from Marco Leone.

Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux would do anything to forget the past. Haunted by the memory of her boyfriend’s death, she lives her life by one dangerous rule: Nothing matters. At least, that’s what Frankie tells herself after a reckless mistake forces her to leave her privileged life in the Heights to move in with her dad—an undercover cop. She transfers to a public high school in the Downs, where fistfights don’t faze anyone and illegal street racing is more popular than football.

Marco Leone is the fastest street racer in the Downs. Tough, sexy, and hypnotic, he makes it impossible for Frankie to ignore him—and how he makes her feel. But the risks Marco takes for his family could have devastating consequences for them both. When Frankie discovers his secret, she has to make a choice. Will she let the pain of the past determine her future? Or will she risk what little she has left to follow her heart?

10. Shiny Broken Pieces (Tiny Pretty Things #2) – Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra ☆☆☆☆

In five words: "unlikable" likable girls, ballet, DRAMA
(alternatively: my new favorite series: READ!)

blurb: June, Bette, and Gigi have given their all to dance at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school. Now they are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose…and no one is playing nice.

June is starting to finally see herself as a prima ballerina. However, getting what she wants might cost her everything—including the only boy she’s ever loved. Legacy dancer Bette is determined to clear her name after she was suspended and accused of hurting her rival, Gigi. Even if she returns, though, will she ever regain the spotlight she craves? And Gigi is not going to let Bette—or the other dancers who bullied her—go unpunished. But as revenge consumes her, Gigi may be the one who pays the price.

After years of grueling auditions, torn ribbons, and broken hearts, it all comes down to this last dance. Who will make the cut? And who will lose her dream forever?

11. An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) – Sabaa Tahir ☆☆☆☆☆* 

In five words: do you live under a rock??

blurb: Laia is a slave.
Elias is a soldier.
Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
  

A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) – Sabaa Tahir ☆☆☆☆☆

In five words: even better than book one

blurb: A Torch Against the Night takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.

In the city of Serra, Helene Aquilla finds herself bound to the will of the Empire’s twisted new leader, Marcus. When her loyalty is questioned, Helene finds herself taking on a mission to prove herself—a mission that might destroy her, instead.

 

One extraneous review from a book read in a previous month: 
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta ☆☆☆☆☆

What did y'all read and love this month?

xx
Caroline

a torch against the night: stardust arc reviews

A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2)
Sabaa Tahir

☆☆☆☆☆

goodreads/b&n/amazon

A Torch Against the Night takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.

In the city of Serra, Helene Aquilla finds herself bound to the will of the Empire’s twisted new leader, Marcus. When her loyalty is questioned, Helene finds herself taking on a mission to prove herself—a mission that might destroy her, instead.


FULL, FEELS-FILLED REVIEW UNDER THE CUT!!

spotlight on: motivation, determination and WORDS

Hello Everyone, and welcome to another installment of Stardust and Words' Monthly Spotlight! This is a feature where I pick a bookish topic each month and shine a spotlight on it. You can find the rest of these spotlight posts here! This is one of my favorite things on this blog, because I sometimes find myself falling into an endless cycle of reviews and Top Ten Tuesdays, without pausing to come up with some more creative outlets for this blog!



This month, I wanted to do something a little different than I've ever done before. I don't talk about myself, outside of my opinions on books,  a lot on here, because I just find it a lot more effective for me to stick to the books. But here's a tidbit: I write a lot. Not just blog posts and papers for school, but random short stories, journaling, snippets of books, plotting for series I want to write, and chipping away at novels and novellas. Writing, like reading, is something that centers me. It makes me happy. But it is also the hardest thing that I do on a day to day basis. Plenty of times (literally almost daily) I sit back and I'm so scared about the level of my writing and if I'll ever be as eloquent or creative as I want to be. But I keep going, even when I can only muster a hundred words in one sitting, and I thought I would share a little bit of why I do this and what keeps me going, just in case it helps someone out there, struggling with their desire to write and find their voice.

See, books are an enormous part of my life. Ever since I learned how to read, I've always had an inexplicable pull towards them. The librarians at my local library knew me from the time I was eight or so, because I'd check out 20 books at a time and walk out with them all balanced under my chin. When I was small and my parents wanted to discipline me, they would take away my books. And, to that token, I've always wanted to write a book that I would love to read. (if that makes sense) From a young age, I felt like there were gaps in the books available to me, and I would come up with ideas that I would write to fill these gaps. I don't really remember *deciding* that I wanted to be a writer, I just remember always having ideas and wanting to put them down on paper. And as I've gotten older, I've formed more tangible life goals for myself, but with this surety in the thing that I love has come a healthy amount of self-doubt! And sometimes this self-doubt threatens to keep me from moving the gears in my mind and getting words down. Which sucks! I think everyone who writes goes through this though, and the trick to it is finding ways to shut out the doubt and power through. So, here are my tips for getting through anxiety and doubt and self-consciousness when it comes to writing!

1. Write for yourself. This is something that I'd heard many times before it truly started to sink in, but it is the most valuable advice I've gotten in regards to writing. I think the trick to beating the doubt in yourself is to just free yourself from expectation and write something that you, and only you, are proud of. It truly does not matter if anyone likes your writing, as long as you like it. And when you're confident and in love with the worlds that you create, other people will see the passion and be drawn to your words. The minute you start thinking about how other people will perceive your writing is the minute you stumble and begin to sound false. Of course, be sensitive towards other people and their struggles, but don't change your ideas because you think people won't like them. If you want to write about vicious, sword wielding, lady space pirates, DO IT! Don't let the fear of other people's judgement stop you.

2. Determination is key. Whenever I find myself flagging, or getting discouraged, or berating myself because what I'm writing sounds stupid to me, I always always always want to stop. I just want to slam my computer closed or throw my pen across the room and watch approximately sixteen episodes of Gilmore Girls to drown out the thoughts in my head. But, I've found that stopping when you're at your weakest is the worst thing that you can possibly do for your writing. Stopping when you feel bad about what you're writing takes absolutely every single shred of motivation that you have and throws it out of the window. If you stop at a confusing place, or at a place where you're stalled and have no idea how to continue, it gets into your head, and you will avoid diving back into that quagmire with everything that you have. I once read an article about writing, it might have been written by V.E. Schwab, and it said that the greatest writers aren't the most talented or creative or eloquent, they're just the ones who are too stubborn to quit when their words sound like crap to them. So power through that lag! Write another hundred words, another five hundred words, as long as it takes for you to get back into that groove. Take it from someone who has abandoned many a project because she stopped when things got confusing: your writing is worth the time it takes to puzzle out your confusions. 

3. BUT! Know when to take a break, as well. Just as you should continue, even when you get frustrated, you should also know when to take a break. This is especially helpful when you are doing any sort of revision. If you find yourself getting super frustrated, or even angry, with the things that you're working on, that might be the perfect time to take a break. Any changes that you make in frustration could very well harm your draft, rather than hurt it. Even if the break consists of five minutes sitting cross legged on the floor, petting your dog, taking a breath away from the thing your working on can be remarkably clarifying. This might sound incredibly obvious, but it is important all the same. Stepping away for a breath of fresh air, a cup of tea, or a lunch with a friend will clear your mind like nothing else will. 

4. Find your environment. Everyone is different, and therefore everyone feels productive in different environments. For me, I find a little bit of noise helpful, because I can't work in places that are totally silent or too loud. I like coffee shops to a certain extent, but I feel like I do my best work from the couch in my apartment. I like instrumental music, because music that has words distracts me. I like tea or coffee when plotting, but no snacks or drinks when I'm buckling down to do word sprints. It really depends on your personal preference and focus level, and the best thing that you can do is identify the places that you feel most comfortable in and seek those out. If you aren't worried or distracted by your surroundings, that frees up more brainpower to focus on the thing that you're really trying to work on. If you are at a loss of how to begin with finding out the things that work for you, here are some helpful sites and playlists that have given me a lot of aid over the years! 

 https://coffitivity.com/ – simulates the sounds of a coffee shop, with different settings for how busy you want it to sound.

http://8tracks.com/ – different types of user-created playlists! you can search by mood or genre.

(my favorite 8tracks playlists are: here, here, here, and here) 

http://grantaire.tk/post/147615497201/writing-masterpost – this post has a ton of tips and tricks

https://mynoise.net – tons of sound experiences, you can alter them as is comfortable to you

books like this! super helpful for when you're stumped and need inspiration!   

5. Read a lot. Reading a ton of books, especially in the genre of the thing you're trying to write, can be super helpful. Especially if you can use these books as inspiration for your own writing. I'm not talking about "borrowing" ideas, of course. I'm talking about taking apart the mechanics of these books, looking under the hood, if you will, and seeing what works and what doesn't. Seeing how confident other writers are in their voices can help you find yours, and seeing when things are really awesome or really abysmal can also be an enormous boost. Be careful of comparison, though. Every writer is different, and of course there are people that you're going to look up to, but comparing yourself to them is only going to hurt your own progress! Admire them while also having confidence in your own art! 

so those are my top four tips for keeping on track with writing! there are tons of other things I've picked up along the way, but they're more specific and these were the ones that I felt like were the most universally helpful. I hope you find this helpful, even if it is stuff that you've heard before, I hope hearing it from a different perspective helped you!

xx

Caroline

 

shiny broken pieces: stardust reviews

Shiny Broken Pieces (Tiny Pretty Things #2)

Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

☆☆☆☆

goodreads/b&n/amazon

June, Bette, and Gigi have given their all to dance at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school. Now they are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose…and no one is playing nice.

June is starting to finally see herself as a prima ballerina. However, getting what she wants might cost her everything—including the only boy she’s ever loved. Legacy dancer Bette is determined to clear her name after she was suspended and accused of hurting her rival, Gigi. Even if she returns, though, will she ever regain the spotlight she craves? And Gigi is not going to let Bette—or the other dancers who bullied her—go unpunished. But as revenge consumes her, Gigi may be the one who pays the price.

After years of grueling auditions, torn ribbons, and broken hearts, it all comes down to this last dance. Who will make the cut? And who will lose her dream forever?

the lovely reckless: stardust arc reviews

The Lovely Reckless
Kami Garcia

release date: October 4th

☆☆☆1/2

goodreads/b&n/amazon

I’ve become an expert at avoiding things that could hurt me—which means I will figure out how to stay away from Marco Leone.

Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux would do anything to forget the past. Haunted by the memory of her boyfriend’s death, she lives her life by one dangerous rule: Nothing matters. At least, that’s what Frankie tells herself after a reckless mistake forces her to leave her privileged life in the Heights to move in with her dad—an undercover cop. She transfers to a public high school in the Downs, where fistfights don’t faze anyone and illegal street racing is more popular than football.

Marco Leone is the fastest street racer in the Downs. Tough, sexy, and hypnotic, he makes it impossible for Frankie to ignore him—and how he makes her feel. But the risks Marco takes for his family could have devastating consequences for them both. When Frankie discovers his secret, she has to make a choice. Will she let the pain of the past determine her future? Or will she risk what little she has left to follow her heart?

the graces: stardust arc reviews

The Graces (The Graces #1)
Laure Eve

☆☆☆

goodreads/b&n/amazon

In The Graces, the first rule of witchcraft states that if you want something badly enough, you can get it . . . no matter who has to pay.

Everyone loves the Graces. Fenrin, Thalia, and Summer Grace are captivating, wealthy, and glamorous. They’ve managed to cast a spell over not just their high school but also their entire town—and they’re rumored to have powerful connections all over the world. If you’re not in love with one of them, you want to be them. Especially River: the loner, new girl at school. She’s different from her peers, who both revere and fear the Grace family. She wants to be a Grace more than anything. And what the Graces don’t know is that River’s presence in town is no accident.

This fabulously addictive fantasy combines sophisticated and haunting prose with a gut-punching twist that readers will be dying to discuss. Perfect for fans of We Were Liars as well as nostalgic classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the 1996 movie The Craft, The Graces marks the beginning of a new wave of teen witches.

full review under the cut!

the girl who drank the moon: stardust arc reviews

The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Kelly Barnhill

☆☆☆☆

goodreads/b&n/amazon

Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and deliver them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.

One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on schedule--but Xan is far away. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Soon, it is up to Luna to protect those who have protected her--even if it means the end of the loving, safe world she’s always known.

The acclaimed author of The Witch’s Boy has created another epic coming-of-age fairy tale destined to become a modern classic.

full review under the cut!  

Finnikin of the Rock: stardust reviews

The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta 

Book 1: Finnikin of the Rock

☆☆☆☆☆

goodreads/amazon/b&n

Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.

Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance . . . and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father.

But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her . . . but in himself.

full review under the cut!

court of fives: stardust reviews

Court of Fives (Court of Fives #1)
Kate Elliott

☆☆☆1/2 – ☆☆☆☆

goodreads/b&n/amazon

On the Fives court, everyone is equal.

And everyone is dangerous.

Jessamy’s life is a balance between acting like an upper-class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But away from her family, she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for the Fives, an intricate, multilevel athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom’s best competitors.

Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an improbable friendship between the two Fives competitors—one of mixed race and the other a Patron boy—causes heads to turn. When Kal’s powerful, scheming uncle tears Jes’s family apart, she’ll have to test her new friend’s loyalty and risk the vengeance of a royal clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott’s first young adult novel weaves an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.

full review under the cut! 

this savage song: stardust reviews

This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1)
Victoria Schwab

☆☆☆☆☆

goodreads/b&n/amazon

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

full review under the cut!

my lady jane: stardust words

My Lady Jane
Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

☆☆☆☆

goodreads/b&n/amazon

The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

full review under the cut :) 

june wrap-up!

hi everyone and welcome to another monthly wrap-up here at Stardust Words! :) Here we are, halfway through 2016. It is completely unreal to me that this year is going by so fast! I hope that you guys are having good years, both reading-wise and in your personal lives.

This month, I ended up reading 11 books and posting 5 reviews, which isn't a huge number, especially considering it's summer and I'm a lot more free, but it has been a pretty busy month, so I'm okay with it! Here's my wrap-up :)

1. One Paris Summer – Denise Grover Swank ☆☆☆1/2

Most teens dream of visiting the City of Lights, but it feels more like a nightmare for Sophie Brooks. She and her brother are sent to Paris to spend the summer with their father, who left home a year ago without any explanation. As if his sudden abandonment weren't betrayal enough, he's about to remarry, and they’re expected to play nice with his soon-to-be wife and stepdaughter. The stepdaughter, Camille, agrees to show them around the city, but she makes it clear that she will do everything in her power to make Sophie miserable.

Sophie could deal with all the pain and humiliation if only she could practice piano. Her dream is to become a pianist, and she was supposed to spend the summer preparing for a scholarship competition. Even though her father moved to Paris to pursue his own dream, he clearly doesn't support hers. His promise to provide her with a piano goes unfulfilled.

Still, no one is immune to Paris’s charm. After a few encounters with a gorgeous French boy, Sophie finds herself warming to the city, particularly when she discovers that he can help her practice piano. There’s just one hitch—he’s a friend of Camille’s, and Camille hates Sophie. While the summer Sophie dreaded promises to become best summer of her life, one person could ruin it all.  

2. Brightwood – Tania Unsworth (3.5) ☆☆☆1/2

Daisy Fitzjohn knows there are two worlds: the outside world and the world of Brightwood Hall, her home--and the only place she’s ever been. Daisy and her mother have everything they need within its magnificent, half-ruined walls. They may not have a computer or phone, but Daisy has all the friends she could want, including a mischievous talking rat named Tar and the ghostly presence of a long-ago explorer who calls herself Frank.

When Daisy’s mother leaves one morning, a strange visitor arrives on the estate, claiming to be a distant cousin, James Gritting. But as the days tick by and Daisy’s mother doesn’t return, Gritting becomes more and more menacing. He wants Brightwood for himself, and he will do anything to get it, unless Daisy, with only her imaginary companions to help her, can stop him.  

3. The BFG – Roald Dahl (reread)

Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It's lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast.

When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!





 

4. Wanderlost – Jen Malone ☆☆☆☆ (link to GR review) 

Not all those who wander are lost, but Aubree Sadler most definitely is on this novel’s whirlwind trip through Europe.

Aubree can’t think of a better place to be than in perfectly boring Ohio, and she’s ready for a relaxing summer. But when her older sister, Elizabeth, gets into real trouble, Aubree is talked into taking over Elizabeth’s summer job, leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour through Europe.

Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop in Amsterdam before their perfect plan unravels, leaving her with no phone, no carefully prepared binder full of helpful facts, and an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help it, especially with the most romantic European cities as the backdrop for their love story.

But her relationship with Sam is threatening to ruin her relationship with her sister, and she feels like she’s letting both of them down. Aubree knows this trip may show her who she really is—she just hopes she likes where she ends up.

5. Love and Gelato – Jenna Evans Welch ☆☆☆☆☆

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then Lina is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept from Lina for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

6. Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies – Laura Stampler ☆☆☆☆

Harper Anderson always believed she belonged somewhere more glamorous than her sleepy Northern California suburb. After all, how many water polo matches and lame parties in Bobby McKittrick's backyard can one girl take? That's why Harper is beyond ecstatic when she lands her dream internship as a dating blogger at the elite teen magazine Shift. Getting to spend the summer in New York City to live her dream of becoming a writer? Harper's totally in.

There's just one teeny, tiny, infinitesimal problem: Apart from some dance floor make-outs, Harper doesn't have a lot of - or, really, any - dating expertise. In fact, she might have sort of stolen her best friend's experiences as her own on her Shift application. But she can learn on the job...right?

From awkward run-ins with the cute neighborhood dog-walker to terrifying encounters with her crazed editor, from Brooklyn gallery openings to weekends in the Hamptons, Harper finds out what it takes to make it in the Big City--and as the writer of her own destiny. 

7. Sing – Vivi Greene ☆☆☆

Multiplatinum pop icon Lily Ross’s biggest hits and biggest heartbreaks (because they are one and the same):

1. AGONY. (That feeling when her ex ripped her heart out of her chest and she never saw it coming.)
2. GHOSTS. (Because even famous people are ghosted by guys sometimes. And it sucks just as much.)
3. ONCE BITTEN. (As in: twice shy. Also, she’s never dating an actor or a musician ever again.)

But this summer’s going to be different. After getting her heart shattered, Lily is taking herself out of the spotlight and heading to a small island in middle-of-nowhere Maine with her closest friends. She has three months until her fall tour starts-three months to focus on herself, her music, her new album. Anything but guys.
That is . . . until Lily meets sweet, down-to-earth local Noel Bradley, who is so different from anyone she’s ever dated. Suddenly, Lily’s “summer of me” takes an unexpected turn, and she finds herself falling deeper and harder than ever before. But Noel isn’t interested in the limelight. She loves Noel-but she loves her fans, too. And come August, she may be forced to choose.
 

8. Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles #1) – Melina Marchetta ☆☆☆☆☆

Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.

Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance . . . and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father.

But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her . . . but in himself.

9. Tiny Pretty Things – Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra ☆☆☆☆ (reread)

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.





 

10. Eleanor and Park – Rainbow Rowell ☆☆☆☆☆ (reread) 

Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
 

11. More Happy Than Not – Adam Silvera ☆☆☆☆

In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again--but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.

Why does happiness have to be so hard? 

what did you guys read and love this month?

xx
Caroline