Book Review - Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, War. 

Published: June 9 2011

Pages: 344 pages (Paperback) (Penguin)

Read: January 8 2016 - January 9 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Book 2/65 - 2016 Goodreads Reading Challenge

I fell in love with Ruta Sepetys writing and her writing style last year when I read 'Out of the Easy', Ruta Sepetys second novel. And I just had to dive into her debut especially since all I heard about this book was praise.

I added this book to my Christmas wishlist and got it, which I was so happy about. I then dived into this book as soon as I could. I am a massive fan of Historical Fiction novels and the reason that I picked up this book is simply because 1, it was Ruta Sepetys and 2, she told a story about a part of the war that is not highlighted in the history texts. 

I went into this book knowing that it would be brutal. I knew that it was going to bring up so many emotions in me. I knew I would end up crying because every person who has read this book has said the same. 

And boy, did I cry. Lina's story is such a remarkably hard story to read. There is this constant worry as I read through this book. Worry for Lina, worry for her brother, worry for her family and worry for everyone else that ultimately became their family as they tried to survive. 

Lina was an admirable character. She was such a strong heroine, for herself, for her brother, for her family. I really connected with Lina and felt a lot of emotions for her as I read her story. I wanted everything to be ok for her. She was just such an amazing character. Through everything, she kept her head. She ultimately survived this unbelievable and harsh circumstance in her life. 

Honestly, I can't believe what these people had to suffer through and I admire Ruta Sepetys for bringing this topic into the public eye, for allowing young adults and adults alike to see through the eyes of a fictional character as she survived through what hundreds and thousands of people had to go through when Stalin was dictating. 

I also enjoyed the way Ruta Sepetys brought a little conflicted romance into this story. It was a tiny ray of hope in the darkness of this book.  It was something, other than the survival of the characters, to put your hope on.

I just loved this remarkable story and I  have no more words to explain the deep feelings that I had while I was reading this book and even now after I've finished it for over a few weeks those feelings are still there.

I literally cannot wait to get my hands on Ruta Sepetys new novel 'Salt to the Sea', because I know that it will be just as extraordinary as this, Between Shades of Gray, and Out of the Easy were. 

My Updated TBR

My Updated TBR

I believe it was around this time last year that I did this TBR Pile of Shame post and well I just wanted to post an updated TBR. There is no more TBR Pile of Shame though. Yes I would like to decrease the size of my TBR down to about 30, I am no longer ashamed of the amount of books on my TBR, I just have a challenge and goal for myself with no pressures attached.

So here we go, if you've read any of these books let me know what you thought of them or which one you recommend the most!

1. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
2. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
4. Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne
5. The Manifesto on How to be Interesting by Holly Bourne
6. Soulmates by Holly Bourne
7. The Diviners by Libba Bray
8. Awakened by P.C Cast
9. Destined by P.C Cast
10. Hidden by P.C Cast
11. Revealed by P.C Cast
12. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
13. The Lost and The Found by Cat Clarke
14. Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
15. Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan
16. Resist by Sarah Crossan
17. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
18. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
19. Vendetta by Catherine Doyle
20. Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar
21. Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
22. Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
23. Deadline by Mira Grant
24. Blackout by Mira Grant
25. Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray
26. Shadow of the Wolf by Tim Hall
27. Afterlight by Elle Jasper
28. Everdark by Elle Jasper
29. Rogue by Julie Kagawa
30. Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom
31. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
32. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
33. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
34. Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
35. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
36. Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
37. Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
38. Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
39. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
40. A Storm of Swords PI by George R. R. Martin
41. A Storm of Swords PII by George R. R. Martin
42. A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin
43. A Dance With Dragons PII by Geroge R. R. Martin
44. Crow Moon by Anna McKerrow
45. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
46. Dark Flame by Alyson Noel
47. Night Star by Alyson Noel
48. Everlasting by Alyson Noel
49. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
50. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
51. Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes
52. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
53. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
54. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
55. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
56. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
57. The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
58. Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott
59. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
60. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
61. Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder
62. Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder
63. Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder
64. Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder
65. Allies & Assassins by Justin Somper
66. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
67. Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater
68. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
69. Eden by Keary Taylor
70. Salted by Teri Terry
71. The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
72. Fragments by Dan Wells
73. Ruin by Dan Wells
74. In The Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Stats:

Last TBR Post - 20 January 2015

Down 56 Books from 130!

39 Books Still On My TBR From Last Year

All in all I don't think I'm doing too bad with my TBR and hopefully my goal is to have my TBR at or below 50 for the beginning of 2017!

January 2016

January 2016 Book Haul / Wrap Up

It's the first month of 2016 and it's already over! I had a great reading month this year and I hope that you all did too!

January 2016 Book Haul

The only book that I got this month was the following:

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

This book was so cheap on The Book Depository so I just had to pick it up because well everyone knows one of my goals for 2016 is to read the whole Harry Potter series so I would be getting the whole series anyway this year.

January 2016 Wrap Up

I read a total of 6 books this month and they were all 4 or 5 star reads which was amazing!!

What Was Read:

• Winter by Marissa Meyer (5 Stars)
• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (5 Stars)
• Soundless by Richelle Mead (4 Stars)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling (5 Stars)
• Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick (5 Stars)
• The Rose Society by Marie Lu (5 Stars)

(Reviews will be posted soon! I've made out a schedule!!)

Defeating My TBR Progress!!

My TBR is down to 74! Woop, Woop!! Yay!! I'm back on the going down slope! Look out for my Updated TBR post this week!!

Other News:

Currently Reading:

The book I'm primarily currently reading is Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo.

If you'd like to see the memes I participated in this month click the link below! I participated in 3 Top Ten Tuesdays, 3 Wishlist Wednesdays and the Best of the Bunch meme.
2016 Memes

I also held a discussion about Broadening My Reading Horizon - Outgrowing YA? which is my thoughts on the subject that was spiraling around BookTube recently. 

And that is it for my wrap up and book haul!!

How was your first month of 2016??

Top Ten Tuesday #4

Top Ten Tuesday #4

Top Ten Historical Settings I Love.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish and consists of them picking a topic each week for us bloggers to list our Top Ten.

I'm a big history fan. I love all times in history but I haven't read as many books as I'd like to in the historical fiction genre or featuring an historical setting. But here are he times I love the most:

1. World Wars I & II
Books about the war really just strike me and I have a good few World War Books on my TBR yet to read which I'm really excited about. Must Reads - The Book Thief by Markus Zusack, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys.

2. Victorian England
I love Victorian England in any book. If it has the words in the synopsis, I will usually jump on that bandwagon straight away. All those dresses and the way they speak and just the general vibe of Victorian times is something I extremely love. Must Read - The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.

3. French Revolution
I love this time in books and I've only read one book during this time and it is an all time favourite. The tension and the time of the French Revolution just interests me so much. Must Read - Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly.

4. Old West
I have yet to read a book about the old west / western but I really want to read Erin Bowman's Vengeance Road. I love this time from my studies in history and from scarcely watching old westerns on tv, so I'd love to add this to my reading life too.

5. Ancient Rome / Greek / Egypt
Anything with Ancient in its title usually grabs me in and I am a sucker for this times in books too.



And that is really all I can think of so far. As I've said I loved studying history in school and I love the topic in general but I haven't read many historical fiction novels yet which is a tragedy. So if you have any suggestions, post them below too! 

Book Review - Winter by Marisa Meyer

Winter

(The Lunar Chronicles #4)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fairy Tale Retellings. 

Published: November 12 2015

Pages: 823 pages (Paperback) (Puffin)

Read: December 25 2015 - January 3 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Book 1/65 - 2016 Goodreads Reading Challenge

I craved this book! I read Cress in August of 2015 and after finishing that book all I could think about was Winter! I needed Winter as soon as I finished Cress but alas, like all of us, I had to wait. And I waited, and then it released and well I waited some more because my little brother had gotten me this book for Christmas and as you can see I cracked open this beauty on Christmas Day. 

And well, what can I say? I fell in love with this book from the very first page. I was already in love with each and every character from the previous books and well, I didn't fall any less in love with them in this book. I was just so excited to see what would happen in Winter.

Let's start off with the characters. I love them. *Sigh*. Well all the main characters anyway. Levana and her minions were just pure evil you couldn't help but despise them. I thought Winter was such a unique character. I loved her and her personality. Her loyal nature and her craziness made her all the more adorable. Then of course there was her love interest, Jacin. Jacin was such an admirable character also. I admired how much he took care of Winter and their relationship was perfect, even in their flawed ways. 

As for the setting of this book. I really enjoyed seeing the world of Luna. It was this aspect that I was really most excited to see and it didn't disappoint. Even though I could kind of see a similarity to the 'Hunger Games' world there on Luna, most dystopias and science fictions do have that similar aspect though so it wasn't too hard to bypass this little snippet.

A lot of the negative comments for Winter seem to be about the predictability of this book. But I knew it was going to be predictable from the beginning. It is a fairytale retelling and well, fairy tales end with a happily ever after. Honestly, if there was a not happily ever after to any of the story retellings here in The Lunar Chronicles I don't think I would have been able to cope. I would have just crumbled and never resurfaced.

To end this I was extremely happy with the conclusion of The Lunar Chronicles. I loved the additional characters, the new setting, the way the plot unfurled and the way all the ships sailed! I really want more from this world though and literally cannot wait for the release of Stars Above.

And of course the Queen of Retellings is writing an Alice In Wonderland retelling called 'Heartless', that is coming out in November and I just can't wait!! Eeeeeeppppp!!  

Broadening My Horizons - Outgrowing YA?

Broadening My Horizons - Outgrowing YA?

I suppose this is a response to WhittyNovels Youtube Video 'Outgrowing YA Fiction?'. Since watching this video I've just been thinking constantly about the topic and I've watched many other Youtubers also give their opinions and I support every one of their opinions. I can see where everyone is coming from and I can see all the pros and cons and well I just wanted to add a little insight here and just write down my thoughts, maybe for all you guys to see but personally for me to look back on too.

I started reading YA six years ago in 2009, because of Twilight. I did read ocassionally before that. As a child I read books like Animal Ark and Dolphin Diaries and all the rest but I hadn't considered my reading to be a full fledged hobby at that point. It was the beginning of reading Twilight that started my obsessive hobby of bookworming. In truth it took me a whole year to read those four books but once I finished Twilight, I branched out into the YA genre. I went into Marked, Hush, Hush, Vampire Diaries and City of Bones and never looked back. Still I can tell you that I have basically only read YA books.

Why? Because I enjoy them! And that is why I read. I read for enjoyment. I read to fall in love with a story and to see all these different places and all these different characters. I wouldn't say in my 6 years that I've read as much as many other book lovers in the book community. I've read barely over 250 books, but I can see the repetitiveness easily in some books. In YA there seems to be a set way of things. You can see the same characteristics in main characters, in love interests, in those love triangles and sometimes they are predictable. But you can always, always find those hidden gems that break all the rules. There's no predictability. Our characters are different. The writing is beautiful and the stories are just so unique that you just can't find that pull anywhere else. 

Personally I think the standard of YA is getting higher and higher. I have fallen head over heels in love with books in all the different YA sub genres from Contemporary to Fantasy to Historical Fiction. But in saying that you can find those pretty bad books too, sometimes more than you find the gems. It all really depends on what you choose to read and how fast you read.

I have stopped going with hype. It is generic. After all, we all don't have the same tastes. Just looking, even at this month alone, the YA books that were hyped to oblivion were Passenger and Truthwitch. Neither book I will be picking up because they didn't interest me. Don't hate me for this but it is my choice. I have decided to read books only if I am so completely, over the moon interested in them and it seems to work for me. I won't read a book that gives off a vibe of being predictable or in some ways a copy cat of books I've read before. There has to be something different, something that inevitably draws me in before I'll add a book to my TBR these days. But not every book is great either, so of course I'll come across some books I hate too even if something did draw me to them in the first place.

So yes, I love YA. Most of the books I've read in my lifetime are YA. Over 90% of my current TBR are YA. And I know I'll be reading YA for a long, long time into the future. Just because I'm turning 20 in a few months is no indication that I'll be giving up YA.

In saying all this, I have had an itch. An itch to explore more in the genres of books. I have started to want to read New Adult, I'm going to give Colleen Hoover a try, along with Adult Fantasy, Thriller, Historical Fiction and Romance. All which have one book on my shelves at home. Plus I have wanted to start reading Classics and I've even made it a goal for 2016 to read three.

So in no way shall I ever give up YA (I literally cannot see that in my future right now) but I will be exploring more. Whereas in the past I could have said that I only read YA, now I'll be saying that I read a mixture with most of my books being YA. I'm excited to explore these new genres to me and well as they say, let the adventure begin.

December 2015

December 2015 Book Haul / Wrap Up

I'm so sorry for this being so late but I'm just going to post this little wrap up because honestly I'm being lazy but anyway....

December 2015 Book Haul

I got a lot of books in December.... it completely destroyed my TBR but I'm so excited about all of these books that I have no worries :p Let's just read!!

• Crow Moon by Anna McKerrow
• Fairest by Marissa Meyer
• Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes
• All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
• You by Caroline Kepnes
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
• Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
• The Diviners by Libba Bray
• The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
• In The Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
• Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick
• Soundless by Richelle Mead
• Winter by Marissa Meyer
• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
• Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
• Rogue by Julie Kagawa
• Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

December 2015 Wrap Up

I read 8 books this month! Yay!

What Was Read:

• Empire of Night by Kelley Armstrong (5 Stars)
• A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray (5 Stars)
• The Accident Season by Moira Fowley Doyle (4 Stars)
• Fairest by Marissa Meyer (5 Stars)
• Talon by Julie Kagawa (5 Stars)
• Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (5 Stars)
• After The Bridge by Cassandra Clare (5 Stars)
• On The Bridge by Cassandra Clare (5 Stars)

Defeating My TBR Progress!!

My TBR has gone all the way up to 92 thanks to Christmas but hey you don't see me complaining :p !

And I'm just going to wrap it up here! I hope everyone had a happy December and a great New Year :)

Wishlist Wednesday #3

Wishlist Wednesday #3

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Pen to Paper. This meme is where you showcase one book that is on your wishlist and that you can't wait to get off your wishlist and into your hands.

On my Wishlist Wednesday today is....

The Mystery Of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos

All Imogene Scott knows of her mother is the bedtime story her father told her as a child. It's the story of how her parents met: he, a forensic pathologist, she, a mysterious woman who came to identify a body. A woman who left Imogene and her father when she was a baby, a woman who was always possessed by a powerful loneliness, a woman who many referred to as troubled waters.

When Imogene is seventeen, her father, now a famous author of medical mysteries, strikes out in the middle of the night and doesn't come back. Neither Imogene's stepmother nor the police know where he could've gone, but Imogene is convinced he's looking for her mother. She decides to put to use the skills she's gleaned from a lifetime of her father's books to track down a woman she's never known, in order to find him and, perhaps, the answer to the question she's carried with her for her entire life. 

This book is Rebecca Podos debut novel and I just am so intrigued by the premise of the book as you can see from the synopsis above. I just really want to read this book and hopefully it shall be good. This book comes out next week on January 26th 2016.

Have you read this book?? 
Is it on your wishlist??

What have you got on your wishlist??

Top Ten Tuesday #3

Top Ten Tuesday #3

Top Ten Books I Recently Added To My TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish and consists of them picking a topic each week for us bloggers to list our Top Ten.

I'm going to base this on the books that I have added to-read on Goodreads meaning that I may physically own some and not others but I'll let ya'll know down below. So without any further comments here are the last 10 books I've added as to-read on Goodreads!

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
As you may know reading the full Harry Potter series is one of my goals for 2016 and this book was going cheap on The Book Depository a few weeks back so I bought it! I now need to only get book 4, 5 and 6. This is a book that I do physically own!

2. Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray
This is another book that I own. I just got it at the end of December and it is the sequel to A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray. I loved that book and can't wait to dive into this one.

3. Rogue by Julie Kagawa
Another book that I do own and was purchased the same day as the book above! Rogue is the sequel to Talon which I really loved and I cannot wait to continue on with the series!




4. How It Feels To Fly by Kathryn Holmes
This book is about anxiety and courage and making your dreams come true. It releases in 2016 and I just found the premise so interesting that I added it to my TBR.

5. The Smell Of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
I just really, really have a good feeling about this book, that is exactly why I added it to my TBR. This book is about four teenagers, all living different types of lives in different types of houses and then their lives entangle and that's all I really know. This book releases on February 23 2016!

6. Wild Swans by Jessica Spotswood
This book was added to my TBR because I am really intrigued by the premise and synopsis and I feel it will be just one of those amazing contemporary novels. This book releases May 3 2016.



7. Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
This book just sounds so good! I am really, really intrigued and well that is why it's on my TBR. This book releases on March 22 2016.

8. Vicarious by Paula Stokes
This book just sounds so badass! I found it recently and added it to my TBR. Vicarious is out on August 16 2016!

9. A Study In Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Ahhh it's a Sherlock Holmes and Watson retelling!! So of course I added it to my TBR after I saw it on Goodreads. This book is released on March 1 2016.



10. A Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
I loved, loved, loved Vampire Academy series and the Bloodlines series. I have Soundless waiting to be read so of course I'm going to add Richelle Mead's new series to my TBR starting with A Glittering Court. This book releases on April 5 2016!




What books did you last add to your TBR?

Wishlist Wednesday #2

Wishlist Wednesday #2

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Pen to Paper. This meme is where you showcase one book that is on your wishlist and that you can't wait to get off your wishlist and into your hands.

On my Wishlist Wednesday today is....

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

London, April 1812. Eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall is on the eve of her debut presentation to the Queen. Her life should be about gowns and dancing, and securing a suitable marriage. Instead, when one of her family's housemaids goes missing, Lady Helen is drawn to the shadows of Regency London.

There, she finds William, the Earl of Carlston. He has noticed the disappearance, too, and is one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of powerful demons that has infiltrated every level of society. But Lady Helen’s curiosity is the last thing Carlston wants—especially when he sees the searching intelligence behind her fluttering fan. Should Helen trust a man whose reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her headstrong sense of justice lead them both into a death trap?

I first saw this book as an arc at an event I was at. The arc cover intrigued me so I looked further into this book and that is where I got hesitant.... I wasn't sure whether I was going to add this book to my wishlist or not and I spent days thinking about it. Should it go on my wishlist, should it not? And then I finally came round and caved and said yes, yes it should. Was I the only one to think this was like The Infernal Devices by hearing about its premise alone? It was my love for that trilogy that actually got me to add it to my wishlist as well as that our main character is eighteen and it's set in London and it is back in the past. This book basically has everything I love in it so I'm hoping to god that I love this book to. This book deosn't come out till next week on January 21 2016!

Have you read this book?? 
Is it on your wishlist??

What have you got on your wishlist??