Hello, Bookworms! Welcome to my blog once again. I know my over-productivity is weird after two years of MIA and Non-MIA in the blogging community. I guess you could say it was a slump and I didn’t know how to handle it AT ALL! I am glad that at last, I am typing on my screen (using a phone to make a blog). I feel so good being back and I am so so glad that I can restart🥺. So let’s go and check this blog out together??
So I created this challenge (hopefully I created it, not sure) but I started it with my best friend who doesn’t want to be mentioned here so I will leave her books aside and show you the books I will be reading after being challenged by my two other friends; Devananda and Nupur.
This blog is dedicated to the books that Devananda (my tiny curly-haired Dracula friend) has challenged me to read and I would like to point out that all these books are a pain in the rear end. She deliberately gave me humongous books and I hope she enjoys seeing me in pain while I am trying to complete the challenge.
Rules of this challenge (created by me):
- The Challenger gives 5 series with any number of books and 5 standalone books that has to be a single book and cannot be a book that has a second book upcoming.
- The person challenged (Challengee) has to complete the series and standalones in the year and by January 1st of the next year if they are not done with all the books (series and standalones included) they have to:
- In case they didn’t complete a standalone, for example they couldn’t complete 3 books out of 5 standalones, they have to gift the 3 books that the challenger wants to them because its a challenge and it should be taken a bit seriously.
- If you didn’t read the series, let’s say 2 out of the 5 series chosen, then gift the challenger an entire series of their choice. Only 1 series because a series can be expensive.
Now you ask why the gifting stuff? That’s because it will make the challenge more fun and also make people take it a little more seriously. See these are my rules, you can obviously bend them if you want to try this challenge. You can remove the gifting part.
Now let me take you through the treacherous path Devananda has created for me. Let’s go!
Series:
1. Ember In The Ashes by Saba Tahir.
This is a 4 book series that I have NO IDEA about. Devananda has read it and she loved it but I really don’t know if it is good or not. I didn’t even have the energy to check its synopsis because I am petrified of what sorcery I am being forced to read. This book is mostly according to what I have heard (only heard not read) is that this book is based on a rebellion and war. It’s based on old Rome and the freedom of some person who is the only key to somewhere (I don’t know if this is a spoiler).
The thing is my friends are making sure that I read books without even seeing their synopsis so that I don’t run away from them and that’s why I know nothing about this series. I will be picking it up around June or July time as I am tackling the bigger series first.
2. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
This is the biggest series that Devananda has given me. This series consists of 6 big novels and 6 novellas. I have just started the 1st book of this series; Shatter Me and I am 52% in it so I can give you a small basic knowledge of what this series might be about. But before I do that, guess the main plot of this book…three letters only; WAR!
I really want to ask you this Devu, please tell me: did you do this deliberately? Are you taking revenge? With the number of war books I am reading this year, I have a feeling that by the end of this year, I will have learned how to use a sword without even having laid my hand on one.
Well, let me just get to the storyline🤧, this book has a 1984 by George Orwell kind of world. The world is controlled by a Reestablishment and people are trying to rebel and fight against them. The main character Juliette is a person who can kill people when they touch her bare skin, just by inflicting paralyzing pain through her hands and the male main character wants to use her to help control the mob who is rebelling against the Reestablishment. The first part of the book is weird, the pacing is fast but still quite hard to grasp and somewhat boring too but this is a 12-book series so I am being patient. I will keep you updated on what I think about this series and books.
3. Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco.
MY ONE TRUE SAVIOUR!!!!🥺 This series has 4 main books and 2 novellas and it is my one true savior because, unlike the other books, these books are my genre! These books are mysteries. SERIAL KILLERS, MURDERERS, DETECTIVES! I am saving this series for the last so that I can savor them and enjoy myself while reading them. These books will be the last to start as I am aiming to finish the rest first. I can’t tell you the synopsis of this one as I haven’t searched about the books (they are too tempting🥺). Amid books like war, this is the most soothing thing I have ever heard, I am scared that if I read the synopsis I might end up reading them, and then I won’t have anything nice to treat myself in the last🥺. So please bear with me.
4. Throne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.
Now we get to the interesting bit. First I must inform you of the books. There are 8 books in this series; 7 of them are full-fledged novels and the 8th is a novel that comprises all the novellas. The 8th book is The Assassin’s Blade and this is the book that has to be read first. I am quite intrigued by the plot of this series.
The plot of this series is The Female Main Character decides to battle 7 warriors and animals to win her freedom from the prison and becomes the King’s Champion and the books advance in this main story. I will be starting this series as soon as I am done with Shatter Me Series and I am aiming to complete the series next month as I don’t want to waste much time on it (if it is not good) and if it is, then I want to still finish it in one go, I don’t want the series to be dragged.
5. Caraval by Stephanie Garber.
This book has me a little doubtful about whether I will like it or not. This series is luckily just 3 books (thank you for sparing my little left blood dracula🤧). This book is about two sisters, Tella and Scarlette who are stuck with a cruel father on a small island and run away to see the caraval where Tella is kidnapped and needs to be founded before the 5 days of the Caraval are over and some magic will make her disappear forever.
This series has my doubts. The reason: I don’t know if I will like it or not. Until now I have loved tiny Dracula’s all book recommendations but this one…🤔🤔. I will be starting book 1 for the Readers Retreat Bookclub in February and only then can I tell you what I feel about this series.
So yeah, these are the 5 series, let’s get on to the standalone books.
Stand-alones:
1. From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata.
This book is something I have no idea about. I was just forced to keep this in my TBR because Devananda loves Mariana Zapata🤷🏻♀️. I won’t be saying much about this book. I did try to read it last month but I ran out of time😭. January was quite productive. Will be posting a wrap-up soon. Also, this book has all the trigger warnings that I am not a huge fan of but will still be reading it. Thank you Devananda😒.
2. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
I feel like this book will be The Great Gatsby but more melodramatic. I haven’t read it and I don’t know what to think about this because Taylor Jenkin Reids is Devananda’s favorite author and there isn’t any BOOK she hasn’t read from her and I am so tired of the number of books I have to read. I am just gonna say, not a huge fan of her standalone choices and I have all the right to criticize her BECAUSE I HAVE TO READ THEM😭.
3. Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan.
OH LORD HAVE MERCY!!! HOW MUCH MORE TORTURE!?????? one more of her favorite books that she adored. This book is a SERIES but it can be read as a standalone (according to her). I will be adding another standalone to her list because she broke the rules and also because it will make me happy to see her suffer😈. This is a sad romance book that she has added here just to torture me and did I mention the trigger warnings? Well, attempted rape, gun violence, murder and so much more😒. I will find a book that has more than 50 trigger warnings and make her read that😒😏. Thank you once again Devananda.
4. They Never Learn by Layne Fargo.
After begging her to give me something that I can survive on, I got this book. I don’t know the synopsis, don’t ask me. I will be reading it in February as a Buddy read with two friends but after seeing how many books I have to read, I have stopped looking at summaries. I gave up. So I will give you more info on this month’s TBR post. Wait for it!
5. No Exit by Taylor Adams.
I don’t know this book either. I haven’t heard of the author Taylor Adams but it does look like an interesting cover. I will be reading this book this month. Also I still don’t know the synopsis so wait for the TBR post.
See this blog should not offend you because each and every book in this challenge is far away from my comfort zone, and this gives me a legitimate reason to rant. I created this challenge for fun but these books are kind of scary for me, especially because I haven’t even read a lot of fantasy series.
This blog was created after taking permission from Devananda. She is my good friend and all this is just sarcasm so don’t go after her or me. We are just friends reading books and having fun!
So will be posting reviews and updates. Hope you liked this post. New blogs and posts will be coming up soon!
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Magical BookLush. 
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