Nevernight Review + GIVEAWAY!

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff 🌌

5/5 🌟’s.

Synopsis from Goodreads: “The first in a new fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author.

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?”

As soon as I got this book I felt the need to start it because the cover looked so gorgeous and I had a feeling that it was going to be a good book and I was right. Nevernight is right up there on top of my favorites list with TOG series and TFK series ❤️

I didn’t know what to expect from this book and I got into it without knowing anything and that worked as a perk for me because had I read the synopsis of the book I wouldn’t have been as surprised and I would have tried to predict everything .. And frankly I think that would make the book less interesting.

The world building in this book is very descriptive and phenomenal and I was gripped by throat from the very first page ✨ The characters, oh boy the characters are just AMAZING .. I honestly was interested in every single character that was mentioned in this book even the animals 🐴 and Mia is just the perfect antihero kickass girl 💪🏼 I hated her and loved her at the same time but the love ruled out the hate and to see her grow and develop throughout the book is just heartwarming and entertaining.

So if you know me you probably know that I freakin hate flashbacks, I just do. The beginning of the book had a couple of flashbacks and I was like “Oh no…” but as I kept on reading I fell in love with the author’s way of writing and I also fell in love with this book’s flashbacks. The way the author played with the flashbacks is just amazing and I was insanely hooked! It took me longer than usual to read this book and that’s because there are so many informations in this book (especially the footnotes) and I honestly didn’t want to miss out on anything and I wanted to fully comprehend and digest everything. I also was busy with my best friend’s wedding and I really wanted to take the book with me to the wedding (IT MATCHED MY DRESS!) but yeah they had to snatch out of my hands just so I wouldn’t look weird 💁🏻 anyway as I was saying it took me about a week to finish it (I usually finish a book within 2-3 days) but I didn’t get this “ugh I’m bored I wish I could be reading something els” feeling which I usually get when I read a book for more than 3-4 days and that says a lot.

I know many people are not impressed with the author’s way of writing this book but I certainly was. I loved everything about this book and I honestly wouldn’t want a thing to change 📖 I’m a reader not a critic, the book was written for us to enjoy not to complain about (I totally don’t understand why anyone would complain). I loved it soooo much and I can’t wait for the next book to be released!! Do you have a favorite character? I really love Mia and I was also a bit obsessed with Cassius I mean they call him The Lord of Blades so that’s something ⚔

GIVEAWAY!

I’m givingaway a UK hardcover copy of Nevernight with a poster, bookmark and a signed book plate! The winner will also receive a Luna Lovegood Funko pop figure, Infernal devices ring and ofc AN EMPIRE OF STORMS MAGNETIC BOOKMARK BECAUSE THE BOOK IS OUT SOON!!

TO ENTER:

• Repost this picture once on Instagram (No need to spam people!) using the tag #HAYASNEVERNIGHTGIVEAWAY
• Mention me in your caption but don’t tag me please ❤️.
• Must Follow @Hayaisreading.
• The giveaway is open internationally 🌏.
• If you’re under the age of 18, please ask your parents (or a guardian) for a permission to give out you address.
• Mention 3 of your friends who you think are interested in this giveaway in the Instagram comment section.
• one entry each person 👤 No giveaway accounts and accounts must be public!

 

The Giveaway will end on the 10th of September Good luck to you all ❤️

The Nerdy Bookworm August Box 💙

The Nerdy Bookworm Box is a monthly UK based bookish subscription box that ships internationally 🌏 Inside the box you will find a new Fantasy or Sci-fi novel, their monthly mini-magazine and 4-6 (mostly) exclusive bookish items and goodies!! What’s so special about this subscription box is that the novels they send are awesome pick-me up books and sometimes they send some books even before the release date (HOW COOL IS THAT?). Beside that, the items they send are AMAZING and like i said before they’re usually exclusive and they’re from incredible shops. If you thought that i was done then you’re wrong. They also gift-wrap every book they send out so beautifully ✨ Their boxes are truly and utterly beautiful.

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate this quote on the box 💙

 

The theme for the August box was …

🔱 DYSTOPIAN 🔱

If you’re a fan of The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games and Divergent then this box was a gift from heaven to you.

 

The first item we’ve got here is this gorgeous HUNGER GAMES themed mug that was designed exclusively by the awesome Nerdy Bookworm Box 🔥 I will be using that a lot for my late night hot cup of tea.

 

This Arrows & Anarchy coffee goes perfectly with the “Fire is catching” mug. This coffee sachet was created by Cracked Blank Inc. I feel like this is the perfect coffee to drink during Autumn because there’s some pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and many other delicious spices 🎃.

 

Next, we have those awesome wax melts 🕯 This warm/outdoorsy scent was made exclusively for this box by Owlchemy. I love the color of the ribbon and wax melts together .. it just looks and smells so good!! I’m definitely going to melt those tarts next time i watch The Maze Runner 🍃.

 

How cool is this keychain that was designed by Fable and Black? I LOVE IT ✨

 

From New Leaf created these cute Factions magnetic bookmarks! They sent out different ones, so which one did you get? I got Candor and Abnegation!

 

THERE IS A POSTER, I REPEAT THERE IS A POSTER! AND IT’S GORGEOUS. This tiny owl lent me a helping .. body? to showcase this beautiful poster that was designed by Nerdy Bookworm Box.

LOOK AT THE WAY THE BOOK IS WRAPPED UP!!!

Every single detail counts.

The blue string? YES.

The “Happy Reading” blue sticker? YES.

THE FREAKIN ARROW CHARM? HECK YEAH!!!!!!!

 

And the book of the month is … UNPLUGGED BY DONNA FREITAS. This a YA dystopian novel and it’s the perfect book for fans of The UGLIES series ✨

 

I saved the best for last .. so one of my favorite things about this subscription box is that they send out a mini-magazine instead of a card and it’s just so entertaining and creative.

 

Inside this month’s mini-magazine is an interview with the author, dystopian quiz, featured bookworms and many other awesome things ✨ I am seriously looking forward to those mini magazines!!

 

Here’s a full unboxing:

That was one of my favorite boxes that i have ever received and I’m looking forward to the September “Queens” box 👑 It’s sold out already BUT the October “Dopplegangers” box is going to be live soon so make sure to use my code HAYA10 when you’re subscribing so you could get 10% the full price!

Fairyloot’s August box unboxing 💜

You have probably heard of Fairyloot by now (if not you can check out this blog post where i explain what Fairyloot is) and you also know that their themes are AWESOME!!! So when i read that the theme for the August box is Dark Deeds i freaked out because I’m that person who is constantly falling in love with the villain instead of the hero (unless he is a clown then I’m out) and i knew that i was gonna love it and love it i did 😈

💀 Dark Deeds 💀

Let’s all take moment to appreciate this gorgeous unboxing guide/card .. it’s hauntingly beautiful minus that spiders ofc .. unless you really like spiders 🕷

 

The first item is THE DARK SIDE candle that was made exclusively by Geeky Clean for this month’s box. It smells evilly delicious (Just like fruit loops) ❤️.

 

Moving on to this lovely evil coaster that was designed by the amazing Bookotter 🐍 As you can tell already my boy Malfoy said that and damn him and his big mouth .. you gotta love him though 💚.

 

Who can say no to a hot steamy shower with Rhysand? I’m pretty sure that nobody is complaining .. 🔪. The scent of this soap bar is so good to the point where it must be a illegal! I love it and i totally freaked out when i saw it in my box. You can still mange to snatch a Rhysand soap bar by Behind The Pages even if you missed out the chance of getting this box 💙.

 

Next we have this BEAUTIFUL coloring notebook .. it’s enchanting! I’m pretty sure you will lose yourself while gazing at the breathtaking art work in this notebook ✴️.

 

Mwahahahaha now my nails can look deadly too with those assassin nail decals that were made exclusively for this box by House of Wonderland  🔫.

 

And last but not least THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK ❤️ Nevernight by Jay Kristoff is one of my most anticipated books of the year because this book sounds INCREDIBLE! The book came with a signed bookplate, art poster, bookmark and a very special letter from the author.

I’m genuinely so happy with this box (like always) and i can’t wait for the upcoming boxes✨

My Reading Nook ✨

Some of you might be wondering what’s a “reading nook”? For me, a reading nook is a place in your room (or house) that you specifically read in. I know most of you are like BUT I READ ON MY BED well so do i but i also have a reading nook because every reader needs a place where your mind kinda registers that you have to sit your ass down and read.

I know some rooms are smaller than others and you really don’t have to go all out when you’re creating your reading nook, you can simply put a comfy chair in front of your bookcase and BAAM you got your self a reading nook.I’m going to show you my reading nook and the items that are in it and from where i got everything and hopefully that will inspire you to create your very own reading nook where you get to finish many books 📚

My reading nook consists of a sofa, table, pillows, lamp and a clock. I rarely ever show the clock in my pictures although it’s one of my favorite things in my room. I got the sticker from Ikea (I looked for a link but i don’t think it’s available anymore!) and a vintage fair clock that is super cute and i kinda love it because it reminds me of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 🎪 My floor lamp is also from Ikea and it matches my old nightstand lamp and ceiling lights.

The size of this sofa is perfect because it doesn’t take that much space yet it’s comfy and big enough for you to lie down on it. That’s not all, it’s also a sofa bed!! The two pillows at the back are from ikea as well (no surprise there, lol). “I Read Past My Bedtime” & “The World Belongs to Those Who Read” pillows are from Bookwormboutique store in Society6, and there’s absolutely nothing like bookish pillows to make your reading nook comfy and cute and Lauren has one of the best designs ever. The Throw is from Pottery Barn and it’s really cozy and warm .. plus the knitting is gorgeous.

If this table had a mouth it wouldn’t stop complaining and whining about all of the stuff that i pile on it 😂 You can clearly see that I’m not the most organized person on earth (I try my best) and i tend to stuff random bits and bobs on that shelf but this table is great, the size fits the sofa perfectly and i use the surface of this table as a backdrop for my pictures.

I usually change the items on my table depending on the season and as you can see I’m pretty excited for Fall 🍂 This table is where i place my bookmark or cup of tea while reading. This round wooden plate like thing is from ikea.

Inside it i have my planner, pen, candle and some baby breath and fairy-lights placed in a mason jar.

You thought I’d miss out on the chance of talking about my planner? that aint happenin. So i started wanting a planner around March and then i was like “Uhh it’s too late already” and then in July i went to Scotland and i visited a paperchase shop and i found this awesome planner. So it’s a 2016/2017 planner that starts from the last week of June 2016 and ends around the same time on 2017 .. so if you thought it’s too late to get a planner then you’re wrong! it’s pretty awesome from the inside too and i love it 💛.

In case you’re wondering what’s the candle that is in the round wooden plate thingy, it’s “Brave Wizards” from FrostBeard .. It smells AMAZING! and i had to show some house pride because Gryffindors are the best 🦁

Since we already talking about Harry Potter i thought that i could show-off this amazing sticker that i got from the Nerdy Post June box!

I love this mug! It’s adorable and it makes life much easier for me because with this mug i don’t have to get up and throw the tea bag away after it brewed whilst I’m reading .. i can simply put the tea bag in the compartment that is in the front! Amazing, I know. Plus who can say no to a cute cat mug?

You might have noticed a box that’s filled with books and it’s pushed against the farthest wall in my reading nook .. This is my box of shame AKA the box that is filled with my TBR books, at least it’s not a bookcase anymore 🙊

 

I hope that this blog post has helped you in case you were thinking about creating a reading nook or simply if you’re looking for cute/bookish things ❤️  I have a question: Where do you do most of your reading?

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child

4/5 🌟’s

Where do I even start? So if you have read/watched Harry Potter you probably know what happened and how things ended and this book start off right from the ending of the last book/movie ✨ It’s such a bittersweet moment to see the characters you love all grown up with children and jobs but I loved it .. I loved it with all of my heart ❤️ Reading Harry Potter and The Cursed Child made me love and appreciate characters/ships that I didn’t love as much as I do now so I’m very thankful! It’s hard to review this book because it’s a HARRY POTTER book 🔮 This definitely a heart-warming book that kinda floods you with emotions, I have to admit there were moments where I was bored and I was like oh c’mon, how even!! And no that does not make me less of a Potterhead but the moments that were good and entertaining rule over those moments .. So yeah it’s not the best Harry Potter book (ik it’s not a book, it’s a script) but it’s amazing and it’s good to be back in this magical world. The new characters that were introduced in this book are really interesting and I truly enjoyed seeing the different dynamic and personalities that each character has .. My love for the Malfoy’s is endless 😻

Open Road Summer

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord 

5/5 ‘s

 

Synopsis from Goodreads :”ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own.

Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence.

This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking.

A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.”

This is a very cute book to read during summer time that talks about friendship, moving on, being a better person and stepping out of your shell The main character Reagan is amazing, I love kickass girls who are not afraid to be themselves and stand up for what they believe in .. I couldn’t have asked for a better heroine! At the beginning of the book I was glad that this book is not about “Dee” simply because she’s so innocent and sweet .. I just don’t really like characters like that but halfway through the book I started liking her and by the end of the book I was like I NEED A BOOK FROM DEE’S POINT OF VIEW!! Now let’s talk about Matt who’s one of the most swoon worthy characters of all the male fictional characters He’s like a ball of adorableness that hit you right at the face and it hurts, damn it hurts but it’s worth the pain.

As you can tell already I really loved the book and enjoyed reading it. I feel like this author is very good a writing contemporary novels that are fun yet they have a deep meaning behind them so I’m definitely going to check out her other books and I already own When We Collided and I’m pretty excited to start it soon!!

🌊 Summer Drinks 🌊

Long time no see! Well, i have a been a lazy slug lately so that explains everything but I WILL (yes, there’s no probably or anything of that sort) start blogging more 💪🏽. A while ago i posted a picture of a drink that i love to make and drink during summer time and i got a lot of questions about the ingredients and how it’s made so i decided to share with you the recipe for two of the yummiest easiest drinks to make in summer 🍹.

So i know that they’re not the healthiest drinks out there but i think that you can substitute some of the ingredients and make it healthier (if you want to).

 

Ingredients:

• 7up or Sprite and you can also use sparkling water instead of those.
• Blue Lagoon syrup for the blue drink 💙.
• Peach syrup for the orange drink 💛.
• Coconut Water (i didn’t have any so i skipped that).
• Some fruit slices (Lemon for the blue drink🍋, Peaches for the orange drink🍑) and some mint leaves 🌿.
• Ice cubes.
• Some colorful straws.

 

💙 Blue Drink 💙

First of all, you should fill about 1/5 of your glass with the blue lagoon syrup.

The reason why you should pour the syrup first is because you want the color of your drink to go from darkest blue at the bottom to the lightest/almost see-through color at the top. After that, fill your cup with ice cubes.

You can also cut some lemon slices/mint leaves and freeze them with the ice cubes. That would look prettier and it would also be less messy and faster to use. Then you pour in your coconut water and fill it in till it’s about 2/5 of your glass. Be careful when you’re pouring the coconut water, trust me you don’t want to over do that because not everybody likes the taste of coconut water .. it can be overwhelming sometimes.

Next fill up your glass with 7up/Sprite or sparkling water. Finally, add some lemon slices and mint leaves to make it prettier and more summer-y.

 

🍑 Orange Drink 🍑

You basically do the same thing (Wow, I’m so professional) but you use the Peach syrup.

The trick here is to add the peach slices and mint leaves with the ice.

Then add your coconut water and Sprite/7up (or sparkling water).

And voilà!!

Super easy, delicious and refreshing ☀️ plus they look so cute in pictures! You can also play with the ingredients and recreate it with your favorite fruits or frizzy drinks.

If you make any of those drinks please share with me your pictures and opinion .. I would love to hear what you thought about it.

My Lady Jane

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows 🐴

5/5 🌟’s

Synopsis of the book: “The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.” 🐴

Let’s start right from the beginning .. So I knew NOTHING about Lady Jane and her story which says something because I love history and historical figures like that but I’m very glad that I got to know about her by this book although it’s an altered version of what actually happened and I can’t deny that I like it better than what actually happened in the past 🙄 I know so many people are against the whole “changing” history thing but I don’t think anybody can deny how amusing this book is.

History will always be the same and let’s face it .. Sometimes it suck because of all the unfairness that happened in the past although it helped shape up our life and future but don’t you ever wonder about what would have happened to those in the past if things were different? Anyway back to the book .. it was absolutely fun to read because of the way the authors wrote the book and the plot twist in this book is just .. Magical 🔮 You can’t help but love the characters especially Jane because you’re like SHE IS ME!! 📚 There were some very sweet, funny and weird moments but I loved it all and I love how things ended 💖 Everything is just perfect ✨

Yes, I did cry while reading the actual story of Lady Jane Grey because it broke my heart 😭 My mistake guys is that I read about her after finishing the book so yeah I totally think of Lady Jane as the Lady Jane from the book and I’m like MYYYY BABYYY 😂😭 and after seeing “The Execution of Lady Jane Grey” painting I kinda stopped functioning 😔 but everything happens for a reason and I’m very glad that even after 462 years people still remember her

Stealing Snow

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige ❄️

4/5 ⭐️’s

Synopsis from goodreads: “Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent the majority of her life within the walls of the Whittaker Institute, a high security mental hospital in upstate New York. Deep down, she knows she’s not crazy and doesn’t belong there. When she meets a mysterious, handsome new orderly and dreams about a strange twisted tree she realizes she must escape and figure out who she really is.

Using her trusting friend Bale as a distraction, Snow breaks free and races into the nearby woods. Suddenly, everything isn’t what it seems, the line between reality and fantasy begins to blur, and she finds herself in icy Algid–her true home–with witches, thieves, and a strangely alluring boy named Kai, none of whom she’s sure she can trust. As secret after secret is revealed, Snow discovers that she is on the run from a royal lineage she’s destined to inherit, a father more powerful and ruthless than she could have imagined, and choices of the heart that could change the fate of everything…including Snow’s return to the world she once knew.
” ❄️.

At the beginning I thought this book is a new retelling of The Evil Queen story and that’s simply because Snow & Queen stuck with me so I came up with that conclusion on my own 😂 halfway through the book I realized that ITS ABOUT THE SNOW QUEEN who I still have no slight idea of who she’s but I’m assuming that she’s Elsa 🌬 This is a Fantasy YA book so there was a lot of world building, some places were described incredibly while others were unclear because the description was a bit vague whoever I believe that the author did this on purpose so we could explore it more in the other books of the series .. The world that was created is beautiful and unique in every aspect and I simply can’t deny that 🌏
The characters of this book are complex and odd .. Some you will like, others you will hate and the main heroine falls right in between 🙇🏻 However, she does start changing and you get to see different sides of her character .. She grows on you the more you read. Overall it’s an interesting book and I seriously want to start the second book ASAP!

My Fair Princess

My Fair Princess by Vanessa Kelly 👸🏻

5/5 🌟’s

Synopsis from goodreads: “Despite being the illegitimate daughter of a prince, Gillian Dryden is happily ignorant of all social graces. After growing up wild in Italy, Gillian has been ordered home to England to find a suitable husband. And Charles Valentine Penley, the excessively proper, distractingly handsome Duke of Leverton, has agreed to help transform her from a willful tomboy to a blushing debutante.

Powerful and sophisticated, Charles can make or break reputations with a well-placed word. But his new protégée, with her habit of hunting bandits and punching earls, is a walking scandal. The ton is aghast . . . but Charles is thoroughly intrigued. Tasked with taking the hoyden in hand, he longs to take her in his arms instead. Can such an outrageous attraction possibly lead to a fairytale ending?” 👑

I love to read historical romance books but I rarely ever read a historical romance book that I absolutely love and it’s safe to say that I LOVED this book 💖 it was fun, sexy and cute .. Totally what I needed after reading a fantasy book ✨ I love stories where the girl is willing to stand up for what she believes in and she’s a strong character .. Not a dainty weak princess who’s waiting for a guy to save her (there’s nothing wrong with that, I just simply don’t like it) Charles is a Duke that can weaken your knees and steal your breath away. The story is absolutely amazing and I’m definitely going to check out the rest of the author’s work 💪🏼