Mundie Moms

Monday, December 31, 2018

2018 TOP TEN FAVORITE READS


Happy New Year's Eve! It's hard to believe it's the last day of 2018. I feel like I just wrote our 2017 Top Ten Favorites lists. This year has flown by. As I'm writing this post I feel like I ran out of time to read more books, write more reviews, and post more bookish features. While I wasn't as active here on the blog, I have posted a lot more bookish features over on Instagram. Check us out here.

I am so excited to share one of our favorite posts of the year! Our top 10 favorite reads of the year. Normally it's hard for us to narrow our lists. In previous years we couldn't, and ended up with more than ten. This year we may have been a bit more pickier with our 5 star ratings than in years past. Without further ado, here is our Top Ten Favorite Books of 2018



We always love comparing our lists after we make them. We love seeing which books we collectively have on our lists. This year we only had 4 books that were on at least two of our lists. The Cruel PrinceObsidio, as well as Ghosts of the Shadowmarket and Leah On The Offbeat.


Katie's Top Ten Favorite Reads of 2018 



  1. Legendary / Caravel by Stephanie Garber
  2. Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
  3. Ghosts of the Shadowmarket by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, Sarah Rees Brennan, Robin Wasserman and Kelly Link
  4. Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
  5. Sky In The Deep by Adrienne Young 
  6. Beyond A Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake
  7. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
  8. Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes
  9. Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh
  10. Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen


Emmaly's Top Ten Favorites of 2018



  1. Lifek1k3 by Jay Kristoff
  2. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
  3. Obsidio by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
  4. Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
  5. White Night by Ellie Marney
  6. Queen of Air & Darkness by Cassandra Clare
  7. Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas
  8. Fleshers by Alison Croggon
  9. Turtles All The Way Down by John Green
  10. Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman


Sophie's Top Ten Favorites of 2018



  1. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
  2. Ghosts of the Shadowmarket by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, Sarah Rees Brennan, Robin Wasserman and Kelly Link. 
  3. Our House by Louise Candlish (not YA)
  4. Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant (not YA)
  5. Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
  6. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren 
  7. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
  8. Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter
  9. Dear Martin by Nic Stone
  10. Obsidio by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

There are a lot of fantastic releases out this year. There are many more books we've read and really enjoyed, than what's featured here. This list is just a few of our favorites from 2018. You can read reviews for some of these titles by clicking on the title name. Be sure to check out all of our 2018 book reviewsWhat were some of your favorite 2018 reads? 

Friday, December 21, 2018

. @CassieClare Shares RED SCROLLS OF MAGIC Snippet #RedScrollsofMagic #Shadowhunters


Happy Friday Shadowhunters! Did you read the newest edition of Cassie's newsletter? It's definitely not one to be missed. One of the things she shared is this snippet of a poster for the RED SCROLLS OF MAGIC, along with the snippet below. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you sign up for her newsletter. 

Per Cassie's newsletter:

Check out this snippet of a poster Cassandra Jean illustrated to promote Red Scrolls of Magic! The poster will be handed out at ALA Midwinter, as well as other conventions throughout the year.

Red Scrolls of Magic comes out on April 9th, 2019. Enjoy an excerpt!
Alec gave a gratifying, wondering, “Oh,” as the train emerged around a bend into the heart of the French countryside. Dense, dark green forest framed mirrored lakes, and in the distance, white snowcapped mountains watched over the landscape. Closer, a rocky promontory rose like the prow of a ship from the distinctive tidy grid of bright vineyards below.

Magnus watched the landscape, then Alec’s face, then the landscape again. Seeing this with him was like seeing the world made new. Magnus had been through the Parc du Morvan before, but for the first time in a long while, he felt wonder too.

“At some point,” said Alec, “we’ll cross the Idris wards, and the whole train will jump from the near border to the far border in an instant. I wonder if we’ll be able to tell.”

There was a yearning note to his voice, though Alec had not lived in Idris since he was small. The Nephilim always had someplace they could return to, no matter what, a country of enchanted forests and rolling fields, and in its center, a city of shining glass towers. Given by the Angel. Magnus was a man with no homeland, and had been for longer than he could remember. Odd, to see the compass of Alec’s soul swing around surely and point home. The compass of Magnus’s soul spun freely within him, and he’d long been used to that.

Their hands lingered together, Magnus’s fingers curling around Alec’s as they looked out at heavy clouds rolling in from the east.

Magnus pointed at one of the cluster of storm clouds. “That long one looks like a serpent that tied itself into a knot. That looks like the croissant I had this morning. That one . . . a llama, I guess? Or possibly my dad? Bye, Dad! Hope not to see you soon!” He blew a sarcastic kiss.

“Is this like the thing with the stars?” said Alec. “It’s romantic to name the stuff you see in the sky?”

Magnus was silent.

“You can talk about him if you want,” said Alec.

“My father the demon, or my stepfather who tried to kill me?” Magnus asked.
 “Either.” 

Don't Miss Cassandra Clare & Holly Black on Tour! #CassieClare #HollyBlack


Cassandra Clare and Holly Black are heading over seas next year! I love that they're hitting the road together. Here's where they'll be going, per Cassie's newsletter:


February 20, 7PM
ST JAMES CHURCH

197 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9LL
Tickets Here


February 22, 12:30PM
GLEE CLUB ARCADIAN

 70 Hurst St, Birmingham B5 4TD
Tickets Here

February 23, 4PM
ST ANN’S CHURCH

St Ann St, Manchester M2 7LF
Tickets Here
 

February 24, 5PM
BEWICK HALL

Newcastle City Library
33 New Bridge Street West
Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8AX
Tickets Here
 

February 25, 6:30PM
ASSEMBLY ROXY

2 Roxburgh Pl, Edinburgh EH8 9SU
Tickets Here
 

February 26, 6:30PM
LIBERTY HALL

 Eden Quay, North City, Dublin 1, Ireland
Tickets Here

CHAIN OF GOLD by Cassandra Clare / Cover Reveal #chainofgold #thelasthours #cassandraclare #shadowhunters



Hopefully by now you've seen Cassie Clare stunning CHAIN OF GOLD cover. I still can't stop staring at it. It is absolutely stunning! This book is up for pre-order now though it won't be out until 11.19.19. It's the first book in her The Last Hours series. 

Here's what Cassie shared on social media when she first shared the cover:


The cover of CHAIN OF GOLD! Coming November 19, 2019: Cordelia Carstairs holds Cortana in front of the gates of Kensington Palace. Edwardian England, fabulous clothes, dark secrets...I can't wait for you guys to read THE LAST HOURS! 

Thursday, December 20, 2018

WILDCARD by Marie Lu / Book Review #WildCard


By: Marie Lu
Published by: Penguin Teen
Released on: September 18th, 2018
Series: Warcross #2
Purchase Links
Rating: 4.5 stars
Source: purchased book 

An Instant New York Times Bestseller!

Return to the immersive, action-packed world of Warcross in this thrilling sequel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu

Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo’s new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she’s always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.

Determined to put a stop to Hideo’s grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone’s put a bounty on Emika’s head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn’t all that he seems–and his protection comes at a price.

Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

In this explosive sequel to the New York Times bestselling Warcross, Marie Lu delivers an addictive finale that will hold you captive till the very last page.

Picking up immediately after Warcross ends, Marie Lu quickly throws readers right into the mix of unsuspecting plot twists, shocking discoveries, betrayal, and action. Like Warcross, this story follows Emika Chen, who now finds herself at a dangerous, and deadly cross roads. Featuring some of my favorite characters from the first book, this book dives deeper into the dark world of Warcross. It will leave you shocked at some of Emika surprising discoveries, and have you wandering how in the world you didn't see these twists coming. This high stakes, captivating sequel will have you feeling a wide range of emotion. If you loved Warcross (I absolutely loved it), I highly recommend you pick up this book! I really enjoyed this unpredictable storyline! 

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

SNOW IN LOVE by Melissa de la Cruz, Nic Stone, Kasie West and Amiee Friedman #SnowInLove


By: Melissa de la Cruz, Nic Stone, Amiee Friedman and Kasie West
Published by: Point
Released on: October 30th, 2018 
Purchase Links
Source: Purchased book

What's better than one deliciously cozy, swoon-worthy holiday story? Four of them, from some of today's bestselling authors.

From KASIE WEST, a snowy road trip takes an unexpected detour when secrets and crushes are revealed.

From AIMEE FRIEDMAN, a Hanukkah miracle may just happen when a Jewish girl working as a department store elf finds love.

From MELISSA DE LA CRUZ, Christmas Eve gets a plot twist when a high school couple exchange surprising presents.

From NIC STONE, a scavenger hunt amid the holiday crowds at an airport turns totally romantic.

So grab a mug of hot cocoa, snuggle up, and get ready to fall in love...


I am a huge fan of holiday anthologies, especially around the holidays. There's just something about reading a collection of feel good short stories centered on the holidays that I enjoy. This book includes authors all of whom have books I've really enjoyed, which is why I had to pick this one up. 

Each of the stories reads like a shortened version of a Hallmark holiday movie, and will definitely get you in the holiday mood. There's a little something for everyone. I liked most of the stories, but I absolutely loved Kasie West's 'Snow and Mistletoe'. I also liked that while most of the stories are around Christmas, Amiee Friedman's is around Hanukkah. If you're looking for a fun, festive read, pick up this book! It also makes a great stocking stuffer. 

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

OUT TODAY! 12/18/18 New YA Releases


Happy Book Birthday to today's newest YA releases! Here's what you'll find out on book store shelves now: 



Which new books are you looking forward to picking up? 

Friday, December 14, 2018

A VERY LARGE EXPANSE OF SEA by Tahereh Mafi / Book Review #AVeryLargeExpanseOfSea



By: Tahereh Mafi
Published by: Harper Teen
Released on: October 16th, 2018
Purchase Links
Add it to Goodreads
Source: Borrowed book 

It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped.

Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments—even the physical violence—she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother.

But then she meets Ocean James. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her—they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds—and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it down.
 


This is one of those tough, yet realistic reads that gives readers perspective. Mafi's story is a portrayal of what it was like for a 16 yrs Muslim girl in post 9-11 era in the USA. It not only offers what it was like for Shirin, but what I imagine is like for many hijab wearing Muslims like her. This story also gives it's readers a glimpse about what happens when we all have more understanding, and less judgments. While I didn't connect with Shirin, I understood where her anger came from. It made me mad reading what kinds of things she endured. 

I appreciated the differences in perspectives with Ocean, and Shirin's brother, and his crew in this story along with Shirin's. I loved Shirin and her relationship with her brother. Her brother definitely brought the humor to the book. They are the perfect ying and yang. I enjoyed the breaking dancing element to this story with Shirin and her brother. While I really liked Ocean, I did have an issue with the insta-love and all the angst that he and Shirin had for being together for such a short amount of time. 

Mafi's writing is a honest, thought provoking, raw portrayal of what Shirin was going through. This story comes across as a very personal one for Mafi (she's talked about it on her social media accounts). I couldn't help but feeling that with the sometimes choppy plot, that it actually mirrored real life and the complexity that it is, and the sudden turn of events or feelings about we sometimes have towards something. That choppiness felt like it was tied to all Shirin deals with and goes through, through out the book. It was almost written like we were getting a glimpse into her mind, and feeling the struggle she had with feeling one way, while realizing something else entirely that forced her to have these sudden changes. I liked that about the book. 

This book is a powerful read. It is one that will definitely make you think. It wasn't hard to be caught up in the emotional aspect of the story. The one thing I didn't like about the book, was the excessive language in it. Aside from that, this book reminded me a lot of a few other YA books that aren't afraid to tackle real issues, and make you think about not only the these things from the character's point of view, but it also makes you ponder that 'what would you do'. 

If you like The Hate U Give, I'd recommend picking up this book, and vis versa. 

Thursday, December 13, 2018

THE GREAT HUNT by Wendy Higgins / Book Review #TheGreatHunt



By: Wendy Higgins
Published by: Harper Harper
Released on: 3/8/16
Series: Eurona Duology #1
Purchase Links
Add it to Goodreads
Source: ARC from publisher to review

When a strange beast terrorizes the kingdom of Lochlanach, fear stirs revolt. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

Princess Aerity knows her duty to the kingdom but cannot bear the idea of marrying a stranger... until a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention. There’s no denying the unspoken lure between them... or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not the marrying type. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast—but the princess continues to surprise him, and the perilous secrets he’s buried begin to surface.

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale “The Singing Bone,” New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, and a princess willing to risk all to save her kingdom.


I love a good fairytale retelling. Wendy Higgins has done just that with THE GREAT HUNT. I've never read The Brothers Grimm, "The Singing Bone" before, but I've heard about the story. This book is based off that story. Higgins has done a brilliant job at creating a story entirely her own. I really enjoyed it! 

Higgins has created a story that stays true to the original; kill the beast that is terrorizing the village, and win the hand of the princesses thanks to her father's last ditch effort to rid his kingdom of the beast. From there Higgins has created a story rich in world building, her classic character chemistry that makes you what to do nothing more than to keep the two characters together, great characters you enjoy getting to know, and a story that takes a bit to lure you in, but once it does it leaves you wanting so much more. Being told from multiple points of views made this story that much more entertaining. I loved it. 

Aerity was so easy to like for me. She is one of those heroines that's so easy to root for. She is far from the damsel in distress you'd like she would be. She's a tough character who can hold her own, yet she is bound by the restrictions of her kingdom, and her duty. That doesn't stop her from pushing the boundaries. She's a fighter for change. I absolutely love that this girl can rock a bow and arrow, and her acrobatics make me wish I could do what she can. 

The romance in this book is the kind that Higgins is known for. It's that slow burning one that drives you crazy (in a good way), because you want to hurry and see these characters together. Pax is definitely a complex character, and for good reason. He has a lot to worry about. The more I got to know him, the more I liked him. It was incredibly easy to love his brother Leif. No, don't worry there is not a love triangle in this story. 

With action, romance, a bit of magic, rich world building, as well as good story telling, this is a book I absolutely enjoyed. It's one of those fun, easy, entertaining reads I blew through in a day. I have no idea why this ARC sat on my bookshelves untouched for so long. I am now picking up book 2 asap. This ending was brutal, and I need answers. 



Tuesday, December 11, 2018

OUT TODAY! 12/11/18 New YA Releases


Happy Book Birthday to today's newest YA releases. Here's what you'll find out on bookstore shelves now. 


Which new releases will you be picking up?

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