About Happy Books

Reading next #22 - it's a wrap

2013-05-23T19:49:00.002+02:00

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I finally read all the books on this massive reading pile. I loved three of the books (Scarlet, Nadia knows best and Deadly Sting), but also struggled with some of the books. Still it was overall a good reading pile

Sisters of Glass - Stephanie Hemphill

historical YA, free verse, stand-alone

I don't know exactly why, but this book did not manage to fascinate me or to grab my interest. The book did not leave a lasting impression on me and I didn't care that much about what happened to the characters.

The girls guide to (man)-hunting - Jessica Clare

contemporary romance, adult, #1 in the Bluebonnet series

This was an enjoyable start into a new contemporary romance series. The characters were likable and the love story nice. But the book didn't leave a lasting impression on me, right now I'm not sure if I will go on with the series or not.

Angelfall - Susan Ee

post-apocalyptic, YA, #1 in the Penryn & the End of Days series

I know that a lot of readers praise this book as special and fantastic, unfortunately in my opinion it was a mix of a boring writing style, illogical events and overall it was not that entertaining. I could not see the fineness others have experienced when reading the book. I struggled with all of the characters and the ending was for me way too over the top weird and too many things in the book did not make any sense. This book was clearly not for me.

Harbinger - Sara Wilson Etienne

mystery/fantasy, YA, stand-alone

This was another weird book, especially the ending of the story is special and you will either love the explanation to what was going on or not. Unfortunately the ending did not work for me, I could not completely believe in what was going on. But still this book was thrilling and interesting, but definitely not perfect for me.

A deadly yarn - Maggie Sefton

cozy msytery, adult, #3 in the Knitting Mystery series

This was another nice book in the series, I once again enjoyed reading about all the characters and the little town the series is set in. However I wish that another crime than a murder would have been chosen for this story, it's not that believable that somebody is murdered in every book. I also wish that the main romantic relationship of the series would move on a bit faster. I will go on with reading book #4 in the series and hope that there will be some new developments.

Jenseits des Karussels - Ju Honisch

steampunk, YA, German

I thought that the worlbuilding and most of the characters were fascinating, but unfortunately the writing style was not perfect for me. It made it hard to get into a good reading flow and I did not manage to get used to it. I still plan to give another book, maybe the upcoming one, by the author a try.

Me and Mr. Darcy - Alexandra Potter

contemporary romance, adult, stand-alone

I didn't like the two main characters and also struggled with the writing style. This book was definitely not for me.

Deadly Sting - Jennifer Estep

Urban Fantasy, adult, #8 in the Elemental Assassin series, first book in the series: Spider's Bite

Fast-paced, full of action and very enjoyable, that's how I would subscribe this book in a few words. Once again I loved Jennifer Estep's writing style and her way to tell stories. It was once again very easy to reconnect with all of the characters. The plot in "Deadly Sting" was a very entertaining and in the end deadly one. Gin had once again to fight hard to make sure that her loved ones stay safe and to survive. There was some progress in the Gin/Owen situation and I hope that they will be able to solve their issues in the next book.

This series is still going very strong for me and if you are a fan of Urban Fantasy series that are not too dark, then please check out "Spider's Bite", the first book in the series.

The Elite - Kiera Cass

dystopian, YA, #2 in The Selection trilogy

This was one of those middle books in trilogies that seem a bit unnecessary. The story itself did not offer that many new developments and I did not enjoy the ones that were about Prince Maxon. He behaved in a way that I not always enjoyed. The way he was handling the selection in this book did not work for me and it made me like him a bit less. The whole love triangle situations (yes, there's the possibility of two) is not one I enjoy in general and I don't think that they are necessary to make this series interesting. Instead I would have liked to learn more about the world and especially the rebels.
Still I enjoyed reading most parts of the story, I enjoyed once again meeting America and loved how she tried to help one of her friends. She is a good person and her doubts about her future felt real to me. I think this might end up to be one of these trilogies that would have worked better as a duology.

Even though "The Elite" was not a perfect book for me and I struggled with parts of the story, I still enjoyed the book overall and I'm very excited to find out what will happen in the final book of the trilogy.

Nadia knows best - Jill Mansell

chick-lit, adult, stand-alone

This is one of my favourite books from this reading pile. The story was fresh, full of interesting characters, some drama, several romances and a lot of feeling. Plus the book made me smile and love a lot. "Nadia knows best" felt a bit tamer than some of the other books by Jill Mansell I read and that's something I liked a lot. The main romance developed rather slowly, it was nice to see how Nadia and her man fell in love and how they in the end managed to get together. There was only one character in the book that annoyed me and that was Nadia's ex. I wanted him to have to pay for what he did, but I can live with the fact that Nadia did get in the end her HEA.

This book made me very excited to read Jill Mansell's newest book "Don't want to miss a thing". If you enjoy mostly light-hearted, lovely chick lit romances with a lot of fascinating characters, then "Nadia knows best" might be a great book for you.

Skylark - Meagan Spooner

dystopian, YA, #1 in the Skylark series

This YA book sounded fascinating, but unfortunately the story itself did not manage to grab my interest. When reading the book I didn't feel a lot and even though parts of the book were enjoyable, overall the story and the characters did not impress me. I would still recommend this book to readers who like dystopian novels, maybe the world Meagan Spooner created will work better for you than it did for me.

Scarlet - Marissa Meyer

SciFi fairytale retelling, #2 in the Lunar Chronicles quartet, first book in the quartet: Cinder

I loved reading this book, beginning to end the story managed to capture my whole attention. Once I started reading the book I couldn't stop because I loved every new development that had to do with Cinder, and I also loved reading about Scarlet and her life. When I read "Cinder", the first book in the series, I enjoyed the book but was not as amazed by it as other readers were. But now I can understand all the praise and the love for the series. "Scarlet" made me want to go back to rereading Cinder and to rediscover the book. "Scarlet" made me super excited to read the next two books in the series, waiting for them in 2014 and 2014 will be painful. ;)

"Scarlet" is a modern fairy tale retelling that is set in a world that is fascinating and daunting at the same time. A world with SciFi elements and with special beings. The book is full of emotion, action, betrayal, power plays, deadly attacks, love and hope. The mix was perfect for me and everything in the story made me excited for more and entertained me. I could go on with praising the book but I think you have to discover its fineness yourself. So if you haven't read "Cinder" and/or "Scarlet", buy yourself copies and enjoy reading them!

Shadows Cast by Stars - Catherine Knutson

dystopian, YA, stand-alone

This is another book that sounded great, but that left me a bit unimpressed and unsure about what to feel. I had some minor issues with the world-building, the romance seemed rushed and one minor plot surrounding a girl from the village the book is set in made me feel uncomfortable. Something in the book made it hard for me to get into a good reading flow and the whole spirit world thing is something I struggled with. Even though the book was not for me, I still think that it's interesting and could be a great book for other readers.

I also read and loved the following ebook

Babycakes - Donna Kaufmann

contemporary romance, adult, #3 in the Cupcake Club series, first book in the series: Sugar Rush

This was exactly the kind of nice and cozy contemporary romance I love to read. The book and the whole series is set in a lovely, small town and there are a lot of likable and a bit eccentric characters living in that place. The two main characters of "Babycakes" are the kind of people you would like to have as friends, they are the kind of people you root for and want to see happy. The story was heart-warming, lovely and made me smile a lot. Turtles played an important role in the book and adding this little extra worked perfectly for me. And of course cupcakes and baking played once again an important role, needless to say that I loved this aspect of the story. :)

You can read this book as a stand-alone, however the other books in the series are also great, so I would recommend to start with the first book which is called "Sugar Rush". If you are in the mood for a cozy contemporary romance, then "Babycakes" and "Sugar Rush" are great books for you.

I will show you my new reading pile tomorrow, so stay tuned And Happy Reading!

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my bookish Youtube channel.

Buying books is fun - big & pretty books

2013-05-19T13:43:00.003+02:00

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Eight new books have moved into my little (not so little anymore :) ) home library and here they are.

Ulysses - James Joyce
Wildwood - Colin Meloy
Strictly Seduction - Shelley Bradley
Grimm - Christoph Marzi
Gabriel's Rapture - Sylvain Reynard; first book in the series: Gabriel's Inferno
The night before Christmas - Scarlett Bailey
Sweet Peril - Wendy Higgins; first book in the series: Sweet Evil
Of Poseidon - Anna Banks

I hope that you also managed to buy some great new books in the last week. Happy Reading!

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my bookish Youtube channel.

Cover favourites

2013-05-15T13:07:00.000+02:00

via Infinite Curio

via Handwritten Girl

The Hundred-year-old man who

climbed out of the window and disappeared

via Infinite Curio

Buying books is fun

2013-05-11T13:40:00.000+02:00

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It's that day of the week, that day when it's time to share the new books I bought. This week I bought eight new books and all look very shiny, pretty and happy.

The new books I bought are
Belle & Book and the Goodnight Kiss - Mandy Sutcliffe
I wished for you - Amy Huberman
Mermaid - Carolyn Turgeon
Fortunes' Women - DeNosky, Colley and Betts
Bronze Gods - A.A. Aguirre
Howl's moving castle - Diana Wynne Jones
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
You don't know me - Sophia Bennett

Which new books did you get in the last seven days?

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my bookish Youtube channel.

Reading next #22 - a new and huge pile

2013-05-11T13:04:00.000+02:00

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It's time for a new reading pile and once again it's a very big one. Lately I'm just drawn to building big book piles. :) The books I'm going to read now & next are

Sisters of Glass - Stephanie Hemphill
historical YA, free verse, stand-alone

The girls guide to (man)-hunting - Jessica Clare
contemporary romance, adult, #1 in the Bluebonnet series

Angelfall - Susan Ee
post-apocalyptic, YA, #1 in the Penryn & the End of Days series

Harbinger - Sara Wilson Etienne
mystery/fantasy, YA, stand-alone

A deadly yarn - Maggie Sefton
cozy msytery, adult, #3 in the Knitting Mystery series

Jenseits des Karussels - Ju Honisch
steampunk, YA, German

Me and Mr. Darcy - Alexandra Potter
contemporary romance, adult, stand-alone

Deadly Sting - Jennifer Estep
Urban Fantasy, adult, #8 in the Elemental Assassin series

The Elite - Kiera Cass
dystopian, YA, #2 in The Selection trilogy

Nadia knows best - Jill Mansell
chick-lit, adult, stand-alone

Skylark - Meagan Spooner
dystopian, YA, #1 in the Skylark series

Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
SciFi fairytale retelling, #2 in the Lunar Chronicles quartet

Shadows Cast by Stars - Catherine Knutson
dystopian, YA, stand-alone

What are you reading now & next?

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my bookish Youtube channel.

Reading next #21 - it's a wrap

2013-05-08T17:28:00.000+02:00

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Reading pile #21 is history and here are my thoughts on the books.

A kind of magic - Betty Neels
contemporary romance, adult

This was exactly the lovely and nice romance I expected. I heart Betty Neels.

The Collector - Victoria Scott
paranormal, YA

The story was fresh and dared to be different compared to other paranormal YA books. I loved that the heroine is a normal girl, that she looks like a normal teen and not like a model. But I struggled with the male main character. I could not believe in the way he changed throughout the story and did not like him. I'm a reader who needs to like the main characters in a book, so I don't think that I will go on with the series.

Colours of love - Entfesselt (German book) - Kathryn Taylor
erotic romance, adult

This first book in an erotic romance duology was a lot of fun to read. The author's writing style was very engaging and made it easy to get lost in the story. The story itself was at times a bit too dramatic for my taste, however I still enjoyed reading about the characters and their love story. The first book was stronger than the second one, in the second one things seemed a bit rushed.
I'm happy that this book is a duology because two books were enough to wrap up the story in a good way. In 2014 a second duology is coming out by the author and I will definitely get it.

Love? Maybe. - Heather Hepler
contemporary, YA

This was an ok book, too much of it was about getting a date for Valentine's Day and I wanted to learn more about the characters and their stories instead. It was easy to read and I enjoyed the book, but the story was also easy to forget after I finished reading it.

Corralled - Lorelei James
erotic romance, adult

This book disappointed me a bit. I had issues with connecting to the characters, did not believe that the relationship between the woman and the two men could really work as it was portrayed in the book, and I also did not like all of the main characters that much. Plus how an attempted sexual assault was delt with made me not happy. I know that it was realistic, however I want my happy books to be better than reality. I need to know that at least in books the bad guys get what they deserve. I don't plan to read any other books by the author.

Dance of Shadows - Yelena Black
mystery, YA

The mix between the ballett school and the mysterious developments sounded very good, but unfortunately the story did not always work for me. Some things were a bit hard to believe for me and I'm not sure if there is enough in the story to make it a trilogy. I enjoyed the book while I read it, but I'm still not that interested in finding out more about the characters and what happens to them next. I don't think that I will go on with the series.

Dark Triumph - Robin LaFevers
historical, fantasy, YA
This second book in the His Fair assassin series was amazing! I enjoyed it as much as book #1 in the series and can't wait to find out how the story will go on. I loved pretty much everything about the book. The writing style was fantastic, from the first pages on I felt as if I was part of the story and I rooted hard for all the main characters. The story itself is thrilling and fascinating, overall it's a bit darker than in "Grave Mercy", but don't worry, it's not too dark. If you haven't read a book in this series please consider doing so, you miss great stories with fascinating characters, thrilling action, female assassins who rock, power plays, intrigues and love.

Tiger's Quest - Colleen Houck
fantasy, YA

Now I've finally read all the books in the Tigers saga. And I have two say that books #3 and #4 were the best for me, but since I know how the story started and the relationship between Kelsey and Ren was in books #1 and #2, the love triangle doesn't work for me anymore. Now that I read book #2 I'm now longer ok with how Kelsey went from one brother to the other. And still I enjoyed the series as a whole because I love the world-building and the authors writing style. So yes, I will giver her next book a chance.

Gilded - Karina Cooper
paranormal, adult

This second book in a historical series with paranormal elements was as fascinating as the first book. I loved that the heroine has a messed up past and that she still tries hard to do her best. Some of the new developments in the story did not work for me, and still I'm excited to read the next book in the series. If you like your books with characters that are messed up and a bit different, then this is a series you should give a try.

The Queen is dead - Kate Locke
steampunk, adult

Another second book in a series a enjoy and another second book that makes me excited for more. The stories continued to develop in a good way, I once again enjoyed reading about the goblins, the werewolves and the vampires, plus the mystery was interesting. Sometimes I felt as if too much was going on and one new development was a bit weird for me, but I still enjoyed the book and will definitely go on with reading the series.

Head over Heals - Jill Shalvis
contemporary romance, adult

This third book in a contemporary romance series was unfortunately just ok for me. I wanted to love it, but was not that interested in the characters and what happened to them. I don't plan to go on with reading the series.

Darkness Unbound - Keri Arthur
paranormal, adult

I know that a lot of readers love the books by Keri Arthur, but for me "Darkness Unbound" was just ok. I struggled a bit with the writing style and had a hard time with connecting with the characters. Right now I don't plan to read other books by the author.

Angelfire (German version) - Courtney Allison Moulton
paranormal, adult

This was another book that I enjoyed while I read it, but that didn't leave any lasting impressions on me. Not all things in the paranormal world the author created worked for me, and I don't think that I will go on with the series.

I also read the following two ebooks
The Nightmare Affair - Mindy Arnett
paranormal YA, #1 in a new series

A paranormal YA book that plays at a school for paranormals might at first glance not sound that fresh and original, because there are already a lot of books with this theme available, but believe me, "The Nightmare Affair" is both. The book was like a breath of fresh air for me, it entertained me beginning to end and made me excited for the next book in the series. A book with a heroine that is half human / half nightmare was definitely something that was missing from my life. :)

I loved that the author added special paranormals to her story like the afore mentioned Nightmare and also beings like Sirens. Everything that had to do with learning more about what being a Nightmare means fascinated me completely and for the first time in my life I liked reading about nightmares.

The mix of paranormal elements and the investigation made the whole book very entertaining, I was never bored while reading. Another thing that made it easy to like the book were the main characters. Both Dusty and Eli were very likable and I enjoyed how their relationship changed throughout the story. No new development was rushed and I liked that as well.

"The Nightmare Affair" is the first book in a series, and I will definitely go on with reading the second book once it's out.

and
Grace Grows - Shelle Summers
chick-lit, adult, stand-alone

I have mixed mixed feelings about this chick-lit novel. On the one hand I enjoyed the author's writing style a lot, it was very easy to get lost in the story and I could not stop reading the book. And I thought that the hero was great, at first I didn't know what to think of him but after a few chapters I loved reading about him. But I struggled a bit with the heroine and wanted to shake her at times. Some of her decisions were pretty frustrating and didn't make that much sense to me. But overall I still liked the book and I'm interested in finding out what the author will publish next.

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my booksih Youtube channel.

Buying books is fun

2013-05-04T16:40:00.000+02:00

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This week I have a small (do five books count as small?) and very nice book haul. I got one preorder and bought some other books rather spontaneously. Click on the titles to learn more about the books and watch my video to see the covers.

Colours of Love: Entblößt - Kathryn Taylor
This is the second book in a German erotic romance duology. I read the first book recently and just had to know how the story would go on. I already read this book this week and liked it, but not as much as the first book.

No strings attached - Kate Angell
This is the newest book by Kate Angell, it's a contemporary romance and the second book in a series, but who can usually read the books by Kate Angell as stand-alones. I had this book preordered some time ago and now it finally arrived.

The girl who would be king - Kelly Thompson
I recently discovered this book online and immediately knew that I had to buy and read it. The story is about two young women who are seperated by thousands of kilometers and yet both have extraordinary abilities.
For once I will let the synopsis talk for the book

"One girl driven to rescue, save, and heal; the other driven to punish, destroy, and kill.
And now they're about to meet."

I can't wait to read this novel about superheroes and anti - superheroes, and I hope that it will be as brilliant as it sounds.

The shapeshifters - Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
This collection of shapeshifter stories sounded to good to not buy it. I never read something by the author before and now have nearly 1000 pages to go through, you may call me crazy. :)

Howards End - E.M. Forster
Another book for my Penguin English Library collection, I love getting these classics and discovering new worlds I otherwise would never give a chance.

I hope that you also managed to buy some great new books this week.

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here in my bookish Youtube channel.

Preorders for May

2013-05-03T15:25:00.000+02:00

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It's already May, but I guess it's not to late to share my preorders for this month with you. So far I have only preordered four books, which is not a lot for me. Plus I have four books on my maybe list.

Preorders
Bronze Gods - A.A. Aguirre
steampunk, adult, book 1 in the Apparatus Infernum #1 series.
Transparent - Natalie Whipple
YA with a girl that can be invisible
You don't know me - Sophia Bennett
contemporary YA, stand-alone
Unbreak my heart - Melissa Walker
contemporary YA, stand-alone

Maybes
Ours to love - Shayla Black
erotic romance, adult, #7 in the Wicked lovers series
Black City - Elizabeth Richards
post-apocalyptic, YA, #1 in the Black City series
Chantress - Amy Butler Greenfield
fantasy, YA, #1 in the Chantress trilogy
Icons - Margaret Stohl
set in a futuristic world with aliens, #1 in the Icons series

Which upcoming releases do you plan to buy in May?

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my Booktube channel.

Cover favourites

2013-04-30T21:32:00.000+02:00

Left Overs

This song will save your life

Mortal Fire

via The Infinite Curio

The Bookstore

Darkbeast Rebellion

Austenland

Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop

via Handwritten Girl

Lamento - Im Bann der Feenkönigin

Starlight

Buying books is fun

2013-04-27T15:26:00.001+02:00

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It's Saturday, so it's time to show you the books I bought in the last seven weeks. I got some preorders, bought some books spontaneously and here are the books.

One good Earl deserves a lover - Sarah MacLean
Quinn - R.C Ryan
Married by Christmas - Scarlett Bailey
Daddy-Long-Legs - Jean Webster
The Elite - Kiera Cass
Colours of love - Entfesselt (German book) - Kathryn Taylor
Poison Princess - Kresley Cole

Which books did you buy in the last seven days?

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here in my bookish Youtube channel.

Reading next #21 - the new books

2013-04-26T21:49:00.000+02:00

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It's time for a new reading pile and here it is. The books on this #21 reading pile are

A kind of magic - Betty Neels
contemporary romance, adult
The Collector - Victoria Scott
paranormal, YA
Colours of love - Entfesselt (German book) - Kathryn Taylor
erotic romance, adult
Love? Maybe. - Heather Hepler
contemporary, YA
Corralled - Lorelei James
erotic romance, adult
Dance of Shadows - Yelena Black
mystery, YA
Dark Triumph - Robin LaFevers
fantasy, YA
Tiger's Quest - Colleen Houck
fantasy, YA
Gilded - Karina Cooper
paranormal, adult
The Queen is dead - Kate Locke
steampunk, adult
Head over Heals - Jill Shalvis
contemporary romance, adult
Darkness Unbound - Keri Arthur
paranormal, adult
Angelfire (German version) - Courtney Allison Moulton
paranormal, adult

What are you reading now and next?

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my bookish Youtube channel.

Reading next #20 - it's a wrap

2013-04-26T10:43:00.000+02:00

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Reading pile #20 is already history. Yesterday I finished the last book from the reading pile and now I want to share my thoughts on the books with you. Overall it was a really good reading pile, even though one book frustrated me quiet a bit.

Anne of the Island - L.M. Montgomery
I enjoyed the book, but not as much as "Anne of Green Gables". I once again liked reading about Anne, her wit and charm are always something to look forward to. But the relationships, especially Anne's relationship with a young man, did just not work for me.

Tiger's Curse - Colleen Houck
Only one more book to go and then I have finally read the whole Tiger Saga. You already know that I enjoyed the last two books in the series a lot, and I also liked this first book, but some things also bothered me. For example I did not like reading about Kishan in this book, I liked him in the other books, but not anymore. He acted like an ass for most of the time and annoyed me. But the book was still entertaining and fascinating. I very excited to read book #2 and then to know the whole story.

Heatseeker - Lucy Monroe
This was a typical romantic suspense book by Lucy Monroe. You have lots of intelligent, strong characters, two love stories that warm your heart (one between the heroine and hero, the second, smaller one, between two men that are team members of the hero), some really bad guys, action scenes and dangerous times. Plus some sexy times and romance. For me this combination was nearly perfect and I will definitely go on with reading the next book in the series.

Gabriel's Inferno - Sylvain Reynard
This first book in a contemporary (erotic?) romance trilogy was another good book. The relationship between the hero and heroine is very complex and at times messed up, the feelings in the relationship are super intense and even though both characters are not without flaws I still enjoyed reading about them a lot. The book was tamer than I thought it would be, that's why I'm not sure if it's really an erotic romance, even though there were not that many sex scenes, there were a lot of erotic moments. Overall I enjoyed this book and will definitely go on with the series. Book #2 will be bought soon. :)

Cupcakes at Carrington's - Alexandra Brown
This chick lit book should have been perfect for me, but from beginning to end I struggled with the writing style. From the first sentences on I tried hard to connect with the story, but it didn't work. I would still recommend this book to all fans of chick lit novels because the story is charming and lovely, but it just wasn't for me.

Night School Legacy - C.J. Daugherty
I really wanted to like the book because there is so much potential in the story. But unfortunately I had serious issues with how the author dealt with something that happened in the first book of this YA series.
Big spoilers coming!!!
In the first book the heroine is pushed into a wall by a guy, he groped her and forced kisses on her even though she clearly didn't want it, he only stopped because another guy came to rescue the heroine. So the heroine was sexually assault by this one ass in the first book of the series. And now in book #2 of the series the heroine becomes first friends with the guy who sexually assaulted her just a few months ago and then even gets together with him. This was a no go for me and I'm not happy with the message this whole situation sent to readers. There were other things I enjoyed in the book, but the whole mess overshadowed everything for me. Watch my video on this post to hear me rant some more.

The Madman's Daughter - Megan Shepherd
This YA book with historical and SciFi elements (elements a bit similar to what happens in Frankenstein) was fresh and quiet fascinating. There is a kind of love triangle, but it's not the main focus of the book and how it's solved is fascinating and a bit shocking. And there are weird beings who were created by a madman. Plus there is this young, courageous women who tries to stop the craziness. Some things were a bit over the top, but I didn't really care about that. Other things in the novel fascinated and entertained me so much, so it was easy to not focus on some slight issues. The ending surprised me a bit and I'm very excited for the next book in the series.

The lost art of keeping secrets - Eva Rice
This chick lit book that plays in the past (starting in the 1950s), should have been perfect for me. And yes, the book was charming and lovely, but the writing style was not for me. That's why I struggled with connecting with the characters and the story. So for me this was an ok book.

Legacy of the Clockwork Key - Kristin Bailey
This was a fresh YA book with very interesting steampunk elements. I loved the mix of the historical, mystery, steampunk and romance elements. There is a secret order of inventors and some of them are very dangerous and willing to do everything to gain power. Then you have this young woman who's parents died and who finds out that she holds the key to unravel some of the mysteries of the inventors. I liked the mix of faster and slower scenes and that there is no love triangle. I also enjoyed that when the book is finished most of the questions are answered, but there are still enough mysteries to solve to make the next books in the trilogy (series?) fascinating and thrilling.

Let the sky fall - Shannon Messenger
This was another good and fresh YA book. It has to do with air elementals, with deadly secrets, bad guys, finding out who you are and fighting for what you care about.
I loved reading about the two main characters, that the book is told from both their POVs is fantastic. The relationship between them progressed in a great way, everything felt like a natural and good development. Everything that had to do with the air elementals was fascinating and so interesting. I loved finding out more about their powers and society. The love story was also very good, I hope that it will stay this way in book #2 and that it will not turn in a kind of love triangle, Because in my opinion there is no room for that in the story. I will definitely go on with this series.

And I read two more books, books I didn't include in my original reading pile. I read both books as ebooks on my smartphone.

Mila 2.0 - Debra Driza
I enjoyed the first few chapters of this YA SciFi book a whole lot. Mila, the heroine of the story, recently lost her father in a fire and since that day something weird is going on with her. She can't remember anything from the day of the fire and realizes that certain things about her have changed. But she has no idea what happened and her mom is not willing to give her any clues. In the first chapters of the book you have no idea what is going on with Mila but you crave to discover it. Because you can guess that it's something big and serious. In the first chapters it was fascinating to read about Mila's fresh start at a new school and about the nice guy she met there.

But then things changed and it was revealed what was going on with Mila. Unfortunately the explanation to the whole situation was not one I enjoyed that much. I don't want to give away too much, but I can tell you that it has to do with the military. Things got very dramatic and dangerous after the revelation, and unfortunately my interest in the story started to cease. But I'm sure that if the explanation will work better for you than it did for me, that you then might enjoy this book a lot.

For me it was a book with a great start and an ok rest. Right now I'm not sure if I will go on with the series or not, I might read on because I want to know what will happen next with Mila.

Wedding Night - Sophie Kinsella
Wedding Night is the newest stand-alone novel by Sophie Kinsella and it's a book I enjoyed, but that at times was a bit too over the top for me. It's a tale of two sisters, told in alternating POVs, and their lifes, especially their romances.

I enjoyed reading about the relationship between the sisters, I liked that they supported each other and tried their best to be there for each other. Their romances were at times fascinating to read about, but sometimes a bit too crazy and annoying. In one scene a few honest words, a honest discussion between two adults would have solved everything. But instead there was no talk and chaotic times followed. I often like reading about these chaotic times, because they can be quiet hilarious and charming. But in "Wedding Night" I sometimes got the feeling that things were a bit too constructed, maybe that's why I could not always laugh in funny moments.

But there are also a lot of lovely and charming moments in "Wedding Night" that I enjoyed, so for me it's an ok to good book. It's not the big hit I was hoping for, but it's also not a miss. I think if you like chick lit novels about sisters and their, at times, crazy relationships, then this might be a great book for you.

Did you already read one of the books from this reading pile? What did you think about it?

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my bookish Youtube channel.

Favourite places to read

2013-04-24T20:44:00.000+02:00

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As you know reading is one of my favourite things to do. And there are two places where I like to read the most and where I get a lot of reading done.

The first is a comfy seat at home in our living room. I love sitting down in the seat and getting lost in a good book. Whenever I sit down at least one of our four cats will come to cuddle and of course I also love that. At home I don't have to worry about anything and I can forget everything that happened over the day.

My second favourite place to read is on the train or even on the bus. On a normal day I spend over 2 hours on the train/bus and I get most of my reading done there. I know that some people hate commuting to work but I think it's something very positive. Because on the train there is nothing to do for me besides to relax and spend my time reading, it's heaven for every reader. :)

I'm not the only person who uses the train to read and I love to be surrounded by other readers who also get lost in books. Every morning I feel as if we are one big community of bookaholics and that's just wonderful. I can not understand the people who get frustrated or even angry by the time they have to spend on the train, but I guess that they are no readers.

Which are your favourite places to read?

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my bookish Youtube channel.

Buying books is fun

2013-04-20T17:18:00.000+02:00

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New books, new weeks - it's business as usual at About Happy Books. I bought some great new books, bought an adorable new bookmark and got a little surprise package in the mail.

My new books are
White Forest - Adam McOmber
Harmonic Feedback - Tara Kelly
A passionate love affair with a total stranger - Lucy Robinson
A kind of magic - Betty Neels
Deadly Sting - Jennifer Estep
Corralled - Lorelei James
The Collector - Victoria Scott

And then I finally discovered a shop in Germany that sells the Gorjuss bookmarks, so of course I had to buy one. I think next week I will go back to buy more. Gorjuss bookmark - see all available here.

Today I got a little surprise book promo from the German publisher of "Bitterzart", this is our Version of "All these things I've done" by Gabrielle Zevin. The book is a dystopian in which chocolate is illegal and that's why the publisher sent out little smuggling mails with chocolate inside. I love this idea!
My German post on the covers of the books by Gabrielle Zevin - here.

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my bookish Youtube channel.

Buying books is fun

2013-04-14T13:45:00.000+02:00

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New books, all bought, have been allowed to move into my home and here they are. :)

Lifesaving for Beginners - Ciara Geragthy
Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare
Wildthorn - Jane Eagland
Dark Triumph - Robin LaFevers
Franny and Zooey - J.D. Salinger
Fifty Shades Darker - EL James
Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
My invisible boyfriend - Susie Day
Fire Spell - Laura Amy Schlitz
The complete poems of Emily Dickinson

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my bookish Youtube channel.

Reading next #20 - a big pile of new books

2013-04-13T13:54:00.000+02:00

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Reading pile #20 is waiting to be started and the books on it are

Anne of the Island - L.M. Montgomery
Tiger's Curse - Colleen Houck
Heatseeker - Lucy Monroe
Gabriel's Inferno - Sylvain Reynard
Cupcakes at Carrington's - Alexandra Brown
Nicht School Legacy - C.J. Daugherty
The Madman's Daughter - Megan Shepherd
The lost art of keeping secrets - Eva Rice
Legacy of the Clockwork Key - Kristin Bailey
Let the sky fall - Shannon Messenger

Once again I'm very excited to read all the books and I hope that most of them will be fantastic. This time I should be able to go through my reading pile faster than I did with #19, but who knows what will happen. :)

I hope that you also have some books that are waiting to be read, happy reading!

Can't see the video above? Then watch it here on my bookish Youtube channel.

Reading next #19 - it's a wrap (finally)

2013-04-12T20:51:00.000+02:00

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Woho, I finally managed to read the last book from my #19 reading pile. It took me over a month to get through the reading people, but I don't feel bad about it. I enjoyed reading most of the books on my reading pile and that is all that matters. I loved two of the books, Whiskey Beach and Anne of Green Gables, and enjoyed most of the other books as well.

The books on my #19 reading pile were

Ditched - Robin Mellom
contemporary YA, stand-alone

Some things in the book worked for me, others frustrated me because they made no sense. This was an ok book for me and even though I did not love the story, the book was still a nice start into this reading pile.

Needled to death - Maggie Sefton
cozy mystery, adult, A Knitting Mystery #2

Another good book in this cozy mystery series. The mystery seemed at times a bit too constructed and all the knitting started to annoy me a bit, but the story was still very entertaining and lovely. I will definitely go on with reading book #3 in the series.

Tiger's Destiny - Colleen Houck
fantasy, YA, #4 in the Tiger saga

I enjoyed this final (?) book in the series a lot and once again the love triangle worked for me, I know that this is shocking! I wish that some decisions regarding the relationships in the book would have been made earlier and not shortly before the ending, but still everything that was going on somehow worked for me and felt right. Now that I have read book #3 and #4 in the series, I'm super excited to find out how everything started.

Hip Check - Deirdre Martin
contemporary romance, adult, #10 in the New York Blades series, the books can be read as stand-alones

This was another lovely and very good contemporary romance. I liked all of the main characters and enjoyed how their romance developed. The big break up seemed a bit forced, the drama surrounding it made not always sense to me, but I was ok with it because it got my happy ending. :)

Bared to you & Reflected in You - Sylvia Day
erotic romance, adult, #1 & #2 in the Crossfire series

These two books were very entertaining, sexy and full of emotional moments. Not everything in the books worked for me, especially the best friend of the heroine annoyed me a lot. And still I was entertained by the books and plan to read the third and final book of the series as soon as it's out. If you like erotic romances, some drama and deeply wounded characters, then this series could be something for you.

Whiskey Beach - Nora Roberts
stand-alone, romantic suspense, adult

This was another great and emotional book by Nora Roberts. I loved reading about the hero and heroine of the story, they were both fascinating characters that went through hell in the past and deserved the second chance they got. At the end of the book I felt as if they had become friends of mine and I loved that. The mystery was also quiet good and it was not that easy to guess what was really going on.

Magus of Stonewylde - Kit Berry
fantasy, YA, #1 in the Stonewylde series

I thought that the premise of the book was fascinating, but unfortunately the world building in the book did not work for me. I could not believe that such a place as Stonewylde could really exist in modern Great Britain, plus I struggled a bit with the characters. This was an ok book for me.

The Game - Krystyna Kuhn (my copy is the German original)
mystery, YA, The Valley season 1 #1

This YA book was quiet mysterious, from beginning to end. It plays at a school that is set in a secluded valley and weird things are going on there. At times things were too weird and seemed a bit to far-fetched for me. I guess that's why I could not connect to the story as much as I wanted to, this was an ok book for me.

Come fly with - Addison Fox
contemporary romance, adult, #2 in the Alaskan Nights series

This was another very nice and lovely romance in the Alaskan Nights series. I enjoyed reading about the main pair a lot, one of the secondary pairs did not work for me, but all in all this didn't bother me too much. I like the cozy town the book is set in and I'm very excited for the next book in the series.

Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
stand-alone, children's book

I adore this book and loved everything about it. The story is full of charm, wit, love, friendship and adventure. I especially loved reading about Anne, she is such a special and lovable character. For once I'm happy that there will be more books in the series because I want more of Anne.

Daughter of smoke and bone - Laini Taylor
fantasy, YA, #1 in the series

Some parts of the book worked for me, others didn't. I enjoyed the world-building, it was quiet fascinating and unique. But the love story did not work for me, I could not believe in the chemistry and the emotions between the hero and heroine. I plan to go on with the second book in the series, but it's not a book I'm going to rush out to buy it. I can definitely wait for it until a paperback version is out.

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The glorious feeling of falling in love with Anne

2013-04-10T18:27:00.000+02:00

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Yesterday morning I started with reading "Anne of Green Gables" by L.M. Montgomery, a book I had heard only great things about in the past. Growing up in Germany means that I mostly read children's books written by German authors and that I never read about Anne's adventures. Now as an adult I felt it was finally time to change that. So I bought the pretty Puffin version of "Anne of Green Gables" and to be honest I had no idea what to expect of the book. Maybe that's why I was so surprised and amazed by how Anne, the charm of the book and all the little adventures made me fall in love at first sight. I read the book within a few hours and afterwards immediately went online to find out if there are more books about Anne. You can imagine my happiness when I discovered that it's part of a series and that there are seven more books to read.

Falling in love with a book, its characters, its setting and its writing style is one of the best feelings in the world. It makes you all smiley and happy, it makes your heart feel warm and it makes the sun shine even on a cloudy day. Falling in love with a book is one of the best rewards for every reader, this is something I'm always looking forward when starting with a new book.

My only issue right now is that I want all eight books in the series, but I'm not the biggest fan of the available versions. But I guess I can live with not so pretty covers, as long as I get more of Anne, her charm, wit and her world. I saw that there will be new, pretty versions of the first two books in the series, "Anne of Green Gables" and "Anne of Avonlea", coming out by Vintage Children's Classics, let's hope that they will publish all eight books in the same style, because then I would be in heaven.

Books like "Anne of Green Gables" make me happy to be a reader and they make me excited to read more. I hope that you recently also fell in love with the book, it's something every readers deserves to experience as often as possible. Happy reading!

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Preorders for April 2013

2013-04-03T17:09:00.000+02:00

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My preorders for April
Whiskey Beach - Nora Roberts
stand-alone, romantic suspense, adult

No Strings Attached - Kate Angell
#2 in the ... series, contemporary romance, adult
book #1 in the series: No tan lines

Lifesaving for Beginners - Ciara Geragthy
stand-alone, women's fiction, adult

Dark Triumph - Robin LaFevers
#2 in the His Fair Assassin series, fantasy, YA
book #1 in the series: Grave Mercy

The Elite - Kiera Cass
#2 in the Selection series, dystopian YA
book #1 in the series: The Selection

The Collector - Victoria Scott
paranormal YA
Sweet Peril - Wendy Higgins
#2 in the Sweet Evil series, paranormal YA
book #1 in the series: Sweet Evil

Maybes
I plan to buy and read the following books, but I'm not sure if I will preorder them for April or wait some more time to get them.

Wedding Night - Sophie Kinsella
Someday, Someday Maybe - Lauren Graham

This is what happy looks like - Jennifer E. Smith
The grass is always greener - Jen Calonita
book #1 in the series: Belles
Natural Born Angel - Scott Speer
book #1 in the series: Immortal City

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Cover favourites

2013-04-02T14:16:00.000+02:00

Lucia on holiday

via Edel's book and beauty blog

Frostgras

Beautiful things never last

Curtsies & Conspiracies

Tough Girl

A fatal likeness

Someday, someday, maybe

A passionate love affair

Coco's Secret

via Handwritten Girl

Buying books is fun

2013-03-30T12:56:00.000+01:00

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This week I bought a very nice mix of books from different genres, I even bought a non-fiction book which rarely happens. In some other news I'm happy to share that since last week BookLikes has a rating system that allows half stars, this news made me very happy because sometimes I want to give a book a half star rating and now I can finally do it, at least on BookLikes. Btw, you can find me on BookLikes here.

No more dirty looks - O'Connor & Spunt
Jenseits des Karusells - Ju Honisch (German book)
Adaptation - Malinda Lo
Hauting Violet - Alyxandra Harvey
In Honor - Jessi Kirby
Warm Bodies - Isaac Marion
The perks of being a wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

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My thoughts on lists, hysteria and assassins

2013-03-27T19:00:00.000+01:00

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Even though I'm still not finished with reading my current reading pile, I still read some other books in between last week. All of a sudden I was in the mood to read some recently released YA books and that's what I did. I picked up "The Reece Malcolm List", "Hysteria" and "Sister Assassin" (Mind Games) from my TBR pile, read the books and now I'm ready to share my thoughts on them.

"The Reece Malcolm List" by Amy Spalding is a book I read a lot of very positive and enthusiastic reviews on in the last weeks. So of course I expected the book to be fantastic, but unfortunately I was a bit disappointed by it. I loved the idea of the book with the list of things you know about your mom and I'm normally a fan of these second chances stories. But several things in this book did not work for me. The characters and the emotions between seem stayed too superficial for my taste. I wanted more tension, more emotions and more details. Plus the romance between Devan and a boy she met at her new school did not work for me. I did not believe in their feelings and I think the book would have worked better for me without the romance. Plus the writing style did not manage to fascinate me and to make me crave more by the author.

What I enjoyed about the book were all the friendship moments between Devan and her new friends. I liked how they got to know each other and how they became friends. I also enjoyed how Devan continued to work on her list and how she got to know her mom. Even though I did not enjoy everything about this book, the story still entertained me and overall it was an ok reading experience.

"Hysteria" by Megan Miranda is a book I was very excited to read. Last year I read "Fracture" by the author and I enjoyed the book a lot because it was crazy, thrilling and extraordinary. I expected the same from "Hysteria" and I got it. The story was once again very special and thrilling. At times I didn't know what was going on and several developments surprised me a lot.

In the past something bad happened to Mallory, the heroine of the story. She was involved in a situation that forces her to leave home and to start at a new school. But the weird things are not stopping, they seem to follow her wherever she goes.

"Hysteria" takes you on one wild ride, it often leaves you a bit breathless and without knowledge what will happen next. I think at times too many different, crazy things were going on. I would have liked to have more scenes with Mallory and her best friend from home, and with Mallory and the young man she is inetrested in. At times less action and more relaxed scenes would have been nice. But don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed "Hysteria" and I'm already very excited for the next book by Megan Miranda, because she always manages to surprise and thrill me.

"Sister Assassin" by Kiersten White was my favourite book of this YA trio. The book is a bit crazy, full of messed up characters who are living in a kind of prison and are forced to do things they don't want to. In the center of the book are two sisters with special abilities, these abilities made them a target for a dangerous and powerful organisation. But now things are changing and the two sisters have to fight hard to survive.

One of my highlights of the book were the characters, I was fascinated by them and was always very excited to find out what would happen next. The relationship between Fia and Annie, the two sisters, was very emotional and I enjoyed every second of reading about them. Their relationship is not an easy one and the reader is in for some big surprises throughout the story. The book took me on one wild ride and that was exactly what I was hoping for. I could connect to the story completely and loved the author's writing style. For once I'm happy that this book is the first book in a trilogy because I want more of the craziness and messed up things from "Sister Assassin".

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Buying books is fun

2013-03-23T16:10:00.000+01:00

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Another week is over and another pile of new books has arrived in my home. This week I managed to read four books, so yes I'm back to reading again. The nice thing about my situation is that right now I'm totally relaxed about reading and not reading. I don't stress myself out about reading any more and I like that.

The new books I bought this week are
Extraordinary - Nancy Werlin
Persuading Annie - Melissa Nathan
Sisters of Glass - Stephanie Hemphill
A deadly yarn - Maggie Sefton
A temptation of angels - Michelle Zink
Die Drachenkämpferin - Licia Troisi

I also received one print ARC this week and it is
Whiskey Beach - Nora Roberts
Thanks so much to Piatkus

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Buying books is fun

2013-03-16T17:26:00.000+01:00

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A new Saturday always means it's time to share which new books arrived at my home this week. All of the books I got this week are books I preordered or ordered last week. This week my brain needed a breal both from reading and buying new books, I hope both will change next week. :)

The new books I got this week are

His dark materials - Phillip Pullman
Let the sky fall - Shannon Messenger
Legacy of the Clockwork Key - Kristin Bailey
Reflected in you - Sylvia Day
Tortall and other lands - Tamora Pierce
Heaven around the corner - Betty Neels
The fortunes of Francesca - Betty Neels

I hope that you had a happy week and also got some great, new books.

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The end of Google Reader & a little update

2013-03-14T09:12:00.000+01:00

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When I was reading through some new blog posts of blogs I like, I saw Mission to read's post on "How to handle the end of Google Reader". From July 1 on google reader will no longer work for you and if you are reading blogs via the service, it's time for action. Go to Mission to read's blog post and look at what some of your possibilities are.
I personally don't need to take any action, because I'm reading all the blogs I like via bloglovin' and I'm very happy with it. Bloglovin' is easy to use, it looks clean and nice, and it makes sorting blogs into different categories very easy. If you are looking for a new way to read blogs, I would recommend taking a look at bloglovin'. You can import your list of blogs to bloglovin' here.

Btw, right now I'm in a very weird reading mood. I don't feel the urge to read, but I don't think that I'm in a reading slump. I think that because I normally tend to read a ton of books, my brain needs a little break, some time to think about something else, time to not read for a few days. That's why there haven't been any new posts this week, because right now I don't have that much new to say about books. But don't worry, this situation will soon change.

What service do you use to read your favourite blogs?

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