TBR August

This months TBR (to be read) pile isn't very big. Since we've moved to my parents in law and I changed jobs, I don't really have a lot of time to read, and when I do find some time, after I work out, I just fall asleep lol. But, I'm hopefull for this month, I'm already halfway through Clockwork Angels and liking it very much, I can't wait to start on the other books.

More about the books:

Book series review: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

Titles:
• The Alchemyst (2007)
• The Magician (2008)
• The Sorceress (2009)
• The Necromancer (2010)
• The Warlock (2011)
• The Enchantress (2012)

Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

"When in doubt, we follow our hearts. Words can be false, images and sounds can be manipulated. But this...' He tapped his chest, over his heart. 'This is always true”

Michael Scott wrote 6 books with a story that only happened in less than 10 days. This series is the outcome. And because of this, the story is super fast paced and very well constructed. There are a lot of twists and turns. Michael Scott added a lot of interesting subplots that are connected to the main plot. While reading this book, you learn a lot of mythology and legends, because lots of the characters are based on them, manipulated to fit into the story. I think that's awesome. I've always been interested in mythology and I like to learn more about it, through reading fantasy stories (like Percy Jackson).

What I also liked about this series, there were no romances involved. I like this because, I always think 'love' in YA novels is a bit to cheesy to me most of the times. The protagonist did not go and find love, but the character development was strong anyway. They switch sides, you see them develop.

The ending to this series was amazing, I never would have guessed this would happen. But I still have a lot of questions. I wanted to know more about Sophie's future, have a bit of a closure on her story. And there were other subplots I wanted to read more about. We didn't find out the fate of Black Hawk, Billy the Kid or even Machiavelli after the action was all cleared up. There was also a rather vague description of what happened with other characters like Scatty, Joan and Virginia. But besides all of this, I did liked the ending. It surprised me and I like surprises!

And how beautiful are those covers! Each book represents an element, and the title a character from the book. The design is beautiful and the spines look awesome next to each other in my bookcase. To be honest, I bought the first book, just because I thought it looked amazing, lol. Cover artist Michael Warner did a great job.

If you love mythology, folklore, history, fantasy, and action, then I highly recommend this series!

Travel: Summer Vacation TBR

On vacation I always read a lot. I read on the plane, on the beach, at the pool, in bed etc. I love reading from 'real' books, but since I like to travel light, I always bring my e-reader. I picked a few books that have been waiting on my e-reader for a while. I like to switch genres, so I picked out 2 light summer reads by Jenny Han, 1 distopian young adult novel, 1 middle age fantasy book, an adult thriller and an adult high fantasy book. This is my summer vacation TBR (To Be Read):

Jenny Han - The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1)
Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

Jenny Han - To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1)
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

Susan Beth Pfeffer - Life As We Knew It (The Last Survivors, #1)
Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - Relic (Pendergast, #1)
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human... But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?

Brandon Sanderson - The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with color once more?

Rick Riordan - Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus, #5)
Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them—and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake.

Books: Reading Habits Tag

1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?
I read everywhere! When I'm at home I have my fave spot on the couch, or I read in bed. I also like to sit near the windows, so I can feel the sunshine and have nice light to read in.


2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?
I love bookmarks and I even made some myself. But sometimes I don't have one on hand and I'll use whatever is available.


3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter/ a certain amount of pages?
I just stop when I have to, like when my train arrives at the station. I don't mind stopping in the middle of a chapter.


4. Do you eat or drink while reading?
Yes. I don't know why. But when I'm reading I always want to eat something.


5. Multitasking: Music or TV while reading?
I like to listen to music when I'm reading, so I won't hear the world going on around me. Sometimes music really fits with the book I'm reading, giving it an extra dimension. I don't mind the TV when it's on (when my bf is watching), when I'm really in a book, I don't hear a thing.


6. One book at a time or several at once?
Most of the times I read one book at a time, but sometimes I read my e-reader while commuting and at work, but when I'm home I'll read another 'real' book. This usually happens when the book I like to read is a big (heavy) one.


7. Reading at home or everywhere?
I read in the train, on a bench in a park, at Starbucks or wherever I am when I have to wait for someone or something. It's a perfect way to pass time when you're waiting.


8. Reading out lout or silently in your head?
I read silently in my head. But sometimes I read out loud when there's nobody home, it's good practice, since I read in English and my native language is Dutch.


9. Do you read ahead or even skip pages?
Nope. Never.


10. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

Keeping it like new. But I always buy hardcover books, so this isn't a problem :)

11. Do you write in your books?
No, I just read my books ;)

Books: All the books I've read in 2014

The goal for this year was to read 50 books and I made it! I've had a super good reading year and most of the books I've read I absolutely loved. You might have seen it in my 15 goals for 2015, but next year I want to read another 50 books, wish me luck! Now onto the list, the 10 books I liked best are bold!

1. Karin Slaughter - Fallen (Will Trent, #5)
2. Jonas Jonasson - The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
3. Meg Wolitzer - The Interestings
4. John Green - The Fault in Our Stars
5. Karin Slaughter - A Faint Cold Fear (Grant County, #3)
6. John Green - An Abundance of Katherines
7. Chelsea Cain - Kill You Twice (Gretchen Lowell, #5)
8. Alexandra Bracken - The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)
9. Karin Slaughter - Indelible (Grant County, #4)
10. Michael Scott - The Sorceress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #3)
11. Cinda Williams Chima - The Demon King (Seven Realms, #1)
12. Ransom Riggs - Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #2)
13. Cinda Williams Chima - The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms, #2)
14. Michael Scott - The Necromancer (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #4)
15. Veronica Roth - Divergent (Divergent, #1)
16. Cinda Williams Chima - The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms, #3)
17. Tahereh Mafi - Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)
18. Michael Scott - The Warlock (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #5)
19. Veronica Roth - Insurgent (Divergent, #2)
20. Veronica Roth - Allegiant (Divergent, #3)
21. Tahereh Mafi - Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2)
22. Tahereh Mafi - Unite Me (Shatter Me, #1.5, #2.5)
23. Tahereh Mafi - Ignite Me (Shatter Me, #3)
24. Cinda Williams Chima - The Crimson Crown (Seven Kingdoms, #4)
25. Michael Scott - The Enchantress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #6)
26. P. C. Cast - Divine by Mistake (Partholon, #1)
27. Victoria Schwab - The Archived (The Archived, #1)
28. Cassandra Clare - The City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)
29. Karin Slaughter - Faithless (Grant County, #5)
30. Ransom Riggs - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel
31. Rainbow Rowell - Fangirl
32. Cassandra Clare - City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)
33. Karin Slaughter - Beyond Reach (Grant County, #6)
34. Michel Houellebecq - Whatever
35. Karin Slaughter - Fractured (Will Trent, #2)
36. Sally Green - Half Bad (The Half Bad Trilogy, #1)
37. George R. R. Martin - A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
38. Michael Grant - Messenger of Fear
39. Richelle Mead - Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1)
40. Cassandra Clare - City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3)
41. Karin Slaughter - Broken (Will Trent, #4)
42. Cassandra Clare - City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4)
43. Rick Yancey - The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave, #1)
44. Corinne Duyvis - Otherbound
45. Rainbow Rowell - Landline
46. Brian K. Vaughan - Saga #1
47. Emmy Laybourne - Monument 14 (Monument 14, #1)
48. Brian K. Vaughan - Saga #2
49. Morgan Matson - Since You've Been Gone
50. Emmy Laybourne - Sky on Fire (Monument 14, #2)
51. Veronica Rossi - Under The Never Sky, Under The Never Sky, #1)
52. Veronica Rossi - Trough The Ever Night (Under The Never Sky, #2)
53. Veronica Rossi - Into The Still Blue (Under The Never Sky, #3)
54. Samantha Shannon - The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1)
55. Cassandra Clare - City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5)
56. Brian K. Vaughan - Saga #3
57. Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
58. Jake Woodhouse - After the Silence (Amsterdam quartet, #1)

My December TBR pile

In December I like to stay indoors, I just don't like the cold, the rain, snow.. I'm made for summer. I just can't function without my daily dose of sunshine! So, I always read a lot in December, under a blanket, curled up against The Mister.
Today I want to share my December TBR pile. TBR means 'To Be Read', so in other words: These are the books I'd like to read in December.

A little bit more info about the books:

Jake Woodhouse - After the Silence (Amsterdam Quartet, #1)
A murdered policeman, a dead businessman hanging from a hook, a building burnt to the ground in an arson attack and a missing girl - identity unknown.
It's up to damaged, world-weary Inspector Jaap Rykel of Amsterdam's finest to piece it all together. Alongside him he's got an inexperienced female detective wrestling with the ghosts of her past, and a Sergeant with a drugs habit. And then there's the internal affairs investigation...

I'm really curious about this book, especially because it's set in Amsterdam. I love crime novels, so I'm having high hopes for this book. I won this signed copy at the Amsterdam Book Center.

Victoria Schwab - The Unbound (The Archived, #2)
Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

This is the second book in The Archived series. I've read the first book a while ago and this months it's time to pick this series back up!

Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (in Dutch)
Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, for fifteen-year-old Christopher everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, a neighbor's dog, Wellington, is killed and his carefully constructive universe is threatened. Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favorite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes. What follows makes for a novel that is deeply funny, poignant, and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing are a mind that perceives the world entirely literally.

I'm super excited to read this book, since I've heard so many great things about it. I've borrowed this book from a friend who recommended it to me.

Birthday Bookhaul

My birthday was in September and I asked for some books! So I got this pile from a bunch of friends and my sister in law! I can't wait to read them all :)

I've bought this leather satchel from Dr. Martens with the money I got on my birthday. I love it, it's perfect to take with me to the office!

Drink Tea, Read Books

A lot of you know that I love books, I love to read and I love to collect pretty books. I always watched a lot of Booktubes and already decided that I wont ever do that. I'm just not comfortable in front of a film camera and I hate editing movies. But I did like the subjects of these Booktubes; the monthly wrap ups, TBR's (To Be Read), Book hauls, the tags, you name it. So I figured why not start a separate blog about it? The Dainty Dream Blog is a lifestyle blog, with Arts, Crafts, Recipes and lots of people aren't that into books and I don't want to bother those with my bookramblings.

That's why I started Drink Tea, Read Books. And I hope to see some of you there!

Booklist 2013

For years I've been keeping a list of the books I read. I used to read a lot when I had to travel longer to work. Now I'm in the train for only 10 minutes in stead of 40, so the list is a little bit shorter than usual. Too bad, cause I've got an endless 'to read' list too, lol. But here they are, the 18 books I've read in 2013!

1. J. K. Rowling - The Casual Vacancy
2. Carlos Ruiz Zafón - The Prisoner of Heaven
3. Rick Riordan - The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus #1)
4. Rick Riordan - The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2)
5. Rick Riordan - The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3)
6. Kami Garcia - Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1)
7. Deborah Harkness - A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1)
8. Deborah Harkness - Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2)
9. Dan Brown - Inferno
10. Gillian Flynn - Gone Girl
11. Robert Galbraith - The Cuckoo's Calling
12. Gary Paulsen - Hatchet
13. Gary Paulsen - The River
14. Rick Riordan - The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus #4)
15. Kami Garcia - Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles #2)
16. Douglas Preston - Extraction
17. Karin Slaughter - Blindsighted (Grant County #1)
18. Karin Slaughter - Kisscut (Grant County #2)

As you can see I've read a lot of series and I have to finish almost all of them. So I have a lot reading left! I started this year with reading 'The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared' by Jonas Jonasson. I've read half of it right now and I'm loving it.

If you like, you can check out my lists from previous years here: 2012/2011/2010

Booklist 2012

1. Janet Fitch - White Oleander
2. David Baldacci - Simple Genius
3. Robin Hobb - Shaman's Crossing (Soldier Son #1)
4. Robin Hobb - Forest Mage (Soldier Son #2)
5. Robin Hobb - Renegade's Magec (Soldier Son #3)
6. Kathryn Stockett - The Help
7. Robin Hobb - Ship of Magic (Liveship Traders #1)
8. Rick Riordan - The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)
9. Rick Riordan - The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2)
10. Rick Riordan - The Titan Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3)
11. Erin Morgenstern - The Night Circus
12. James Dasher - The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1)
13. Rick Riordan - The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4)
14. Rick Riordan - The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5)
15. Lois Lowry - The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1)
16. James Dashner - The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2)
17. Rick Riordan - Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles #1)
18. Christopher Paolini - Inheritance (The Inheritance cycle #4)
19. Rick Riordan - The Throne of Fire (Kane Chronicles #2)
20. Margeret Peterson Haddix - Among the Hidden (Shadow Children #1)
21. Margeret Peterson Haddix - Among the Impostors (Shadow Children #2)

Budapest Photoalbum

I finally decided to make a photo book about our trip to Budapest! I chose to make it with the HEMA tool and I love how it worked out! It wasn't cheap, but definitely worth it!

Books: Harry Potter

And not just any Harry Potter book. Let me introduce you to my pride: The Special Edition Harry Potter Boxed Set. A mouth full :). A very special boxed set of the complete seven titles in this phenomenal bestselling series. Each book has cloth binding, a ribbon bookmark, gilt-edged pages and gold foiling on its cover. If you want to see more, click Read More ;)

Books: Eragon's Guide to Alagaësia

After reading the first three books of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle (the fourth will be out in november, eek!) I saw this book on Bol.com. I just had to have it. Because I loved reading the Inheritance Cycle and because of the beautiful artwork and fun little extra's.
The book is like a real guide Eragon's sent you because he doesn't have the time himself to tell you everything yet. So you got this guide to become a dragon rider. Make sure to check out the artwork, so click read more!

Books: High Voltage Tattoo by Kat von D

Another book from Kat von D. Also filled with beautiful tattoos and art. But also Kat's life story on how she became a tattoo artist. A book fun to read and to watch. It's filled with eyecandy!

If you want to see some inner pages, click read more!

Books: Jeremyville Sessions

If you like fun drawings, designer toys, street art or whatever, just cool stuff, you're gonna love this book. I mean, come on, just look at it! The shiny cover says it all. Click 'Read more' to see some of the pages!

Books: The Snow Yak Show by Mark Ryden

Another book from my favorite artist, Mark Ryden. This time about The Snow Yak show. Beautiful light paintings, fun drawings and more. Click 'Read more' to see more!

Books: The Tattoo Chronicles by Kat Von D

I got this book for christmas from my SIL. I love tattoos, everybody knows that. And this book is amazing. It has beautiful stories, pretty photography and cool typography. I really enjoyed reading all her stories and just watching the photos and her weird but cool collections. If you want to see some of the inside of this book, just click 'Read more'.

Books: The Tree Show by Mark Ryden

This time I'm showing you a book from one of my favorite artists, Mark Ryden. He makes pretty cool paintings in a new genre called 'Pop Surrealism'. Ryden has trumped the initial surrealist strategies by choosing subject matter loaded with cultural connotation.
This book is about The Tree Show. The fun thing about his books is that it doesn't only shows paintings, but also sketches, color research, installations etc.
Want to see more? Click 'Read more'!

Books: Travis Louis's Curiosities

I want to introduce a new item on this blog! You all know that I love to read (a lot of) books, but I also collect fun special books from different kind of artist. Once in a while I want to show you one of my books. This time it's Travis Louie's 'Curiosities'. This books shows drawings of 'beings' like they're photographed in their sundays clothes for family portraits. Every drawing in this book got a name and a little story about it.
Do you want to see more? Than click 'read more'!