Tag: Ashton’s Literary Ramblings

Ashton’s Literary Ramblings: Rebecca Ross: Sisters of Sword and Song

Posted on by Ashton

Have you ever been so desperate for something to read you just grabbed a random book with a beautiful cover and just started reading it even though you really didn’t want to you were just that desperate? No? Oh, yeah, me neither…..

Anyways, Rebecca Ross hit the author spotlight with her duology: The Queen’s Rising. First, I just have to gush over the beauty of the covers in this dulogy! I mean.. just look at them! They are so so pretty!

Anyways, I read the first one and it was such a unique read that I was totally ready for the next one. I fell in love with Brienna: her journey of self discovery, her thoughts filled with doubt, her strength in herself growing. I just couldn’t get enough of Brienna. Brienna’s story isn’t just about her romance with Aodhan Morgane, that’s a lower factor. The story is about her discovering herself and who she is and finding her strength inside of her. I loved it!

Sorry, I veered off track a little, the purpose of this blog is to highlight Rebecca’s new book, Sisters of Sword and Song. I just love that title.

Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross

After eight long years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been proudly serving in the queen’s army. But when Halcyon appears earlier than expected, Eva knows something has gone terribly wrong. Halcyon is on the run, hunted by her commander and charged with murder.

Though Halcyon’s life is spared during her trial, the punishment is heavy. And when Eva volunteers to serve part of Halcyon’s sentence, she’s determined to find out exactly what happened. But as Eva begins her sentence, she quickly learns that there are fates much worse than death.

-Goodreads

It sounds so good! If you’re a fan of Ember in the Ashes, Sky in the Deep or Court of Fives, then I guess this is the book for you. It said so on Goodreads, so if you are a fan of those and you end up not liking this book, don’t blame me, blame Goodreads!

Ashton’s Literary Ramblings: Midnight Sun

Posted on by Ashton

It’s finally here! Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer was published on August 4th. I have been waiting for this since I was a twelve year old girl reading the Twilight Saga for the first time and falling in love with Edward and Bella and the whole Cullen family! Midnight Sun had been rumored to be in production or in writing stages and nothing had ever come of those rumors and now…my life is about to be completed!

I just have to say one thing: it’s about time! I was waiting patiently…okay, impatiently, for this. When the Chemist came out, I totally lost all hope that she was even going to write it. Then it was announced and I was shoved back into my twelve year old self discovering the series again! The announcement of this book wasn’t even the best part! The best part is that we finally get to see Edward’s POV!

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella’s side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward’s version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.

This unforgettable tale as told through Edward’s eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting beautiful, mysterious Bella is both the most intriguing and unnerving event he has experienced in his long life as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward’s past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he let himself fall in love with Bella when he knows that he is endangering her life?

In Midnight Sun, Stephenie Meyer transports us back to a world that has captivated millions of readers and, drawing on the classic myth of Hades and Persephone, brings us an epic novel about the profound pleasures and devastating consequences of immortal love.

-Goodreads

Okay, that cover? Beautiful! That summary? Don’t even get me started! I’m even more excited to read this than I was before reading that summary. I love the myth of Hades and Persephone so knowing that she used that as some of the inspiration is going to make this story that much better! My fingers are yearning to grab my Twilight book and start reading it already, but I really will force myself to wait. I want to read Midnight Sun, first then re-read the Twilight Saga for the umpteenth time after. I think seeing the story through Edward’s eyes will possibly change how we read and see the story ourselves!

Are you excited for this?

Ashton’s Literary Ramblings: Katherine Applegate: The One and Only Bob

Posted on by Ashton

So awhile back, I wanted to try an audiobook. I wanted a book that I didn’t really have to concentrate on but that would be interesting enough that if I had tuned out I could get back into it easily enough. I came across, Katherine Applegate‘s The One and Only Ivan. I thought to myself, what could it hurt.

Well, truth is, it hurt me. The One and Only Ivan is an absolutely amazing story and it still touches my heart and even occasionally makes me tear up when I think about it. While I was a little put off about it being a juvenile book, it didn’t stop me from being entertained and captivated by the story of Bob, Stella, and Ruby.

Thankfully, Katherine Applegate understood that Ivan just had to be shared with more people and is now adapting the book for the big screen with the help of Disney. The movie will star Angelina Jolie and Bryan Cranston and will premiere August 21, 2020 on Disney +. I am so excited to see this amazing animated film!

However, she also decided to write another story and she made it the sequel to the One and Only Ivan. and I am so so excited to listen to the audiobook of this one as well!

Published May 5, 2020

 

Bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family.

-Goodreads

Ivan is in it and so is Ruby and that is enough for me to get behind this book and read it–or in my case-listen to it as well! Katherine Applegate will surely entertain even the most serious of readers with this and hopefully, she doesn’t tear my heart out like she did with The One and Only Ivan, I mean, thankfully, she gave me my heart back, but still.

 

Ashton’s Literary Ramblings: Kiera Cass: The Betrothed

Posted on by Ashton

I’ve always been a fan of YA Romance. Between reading The Twilight Saga, The Hunger Games, and the Divergent Series, I’ve been well taken care of in the YA Romance department. However, two years ago, I discovered Kiera Cass‘s series, The Selection. It was such a great series to read; I would definitely rank it with the other YA series listed above. Cass reports on her web page that The Selection will be made into a Netflix movie sometime in the future.

A new YA Romance by Cass was published on May 5, 2020,  and I couldn’t be more excited to read it!  I’m even more curious to see how it will differ from The Selection series!

When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked—and thrilled. After all, she’s grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the king’s attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.

But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine.

-Goodreads

First of all, that cover is beautiful! Secondly, I literally cannot wait to read this! The eager book beaver inside of me just wants this book right this very second! Kiera Cass has a way of writing about royalty that keeps the characters likeable and interesting, rather than overbearing or annoying. As with her other books, I know that Cass will weave a tale that draws me into a world of intrigue and romance.

Ashton’s Literary Ramblings: Suzanne Collins: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Posted on by Ashton

Most of us have either read or seen the film adaptations of the Hunger Games. The series took over every high school, middle school, and even some elementary schools by storm. Many libraries had to buy multiple copies and many families bought their children their own copies of the trilogy.

Me? I never actually bought the books or the movies, but I’ve seen all of them and read all of them. While I wasn’t as obsessed with Katniss and Peeta as I was with Bella and Edward (Twilight), I was still entertained by their story and the idea of the Hunger Games itself.

Coriolanus Snow, the villain from the Hunger Games, is getting his own book! I hated Snow because of the movies and the books; however, maybe this is the author’s way of making us understand his brilliantly evil mind. Aren’t you curious?

Expected Publication Date: May 19, 2020

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the 10th annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to out charm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined – every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

-Goodreads

It’s going to be interesting to see what made Snow into the tyrant and killer we all have come to know and hate. I’m curious as to how the games were played during the first decade or two of their creation. Hopefully, one day, we get a prequel of this prequel about Dean Casca Highbottom, the man who created the Hunger Games, or even the world before the Hunger Games and why they were created in the first place? With all these ideas that Suzanne Collins has at her disposal, I’m eager to see all that she creates in the world of her making!

Are you going to be reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes too?