Mid-year book freak out tag

Thank you to the lovely Katie @ Read with Katie for tagging me! The mid-year book freak out tag was created by two fabulous YouTubers, Read Like Wildfire and Earl Grey Books, they’re pretty awesome book vloggers so go take a look at their channels.

Some of these books didn’t come out in 2017, but I read them this year, so it counts…

The best book you’ve read so far in 2017

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

This was kind of an unexpected treat, I’d seen it mentioned online and as a fan of dark fantasy novels I hoped I’d enjoy it, but I didn’t expect to love it quite as much as I did. I’ll post a review soon, but suffice it to say this is definitely the best book I’ve read this year, and probably since A Court of Mist and Fury this time last year. It’s bloody, and sexy, and really, really dark (literally, for a book called Nevernight there’s a surprising amount of darkness). If you like your YA fantasy on the more mature side, check this little beauty out. The sequel, Godsgrave, comes out this year and I cannot wait to read it.

Best sequel of 2017 so far

The Sleeping Prince (The Sin Eater’s Daughter #2) by Melinda Salisbury

I’ve read a few sequels this year, but the only one I’ve given 5 stars to is The Sleeping Prince. The Sin Eater’s Daughter was one of my favourite books of last year, and book two is a bit of a departure from book one, mainly due to the fact it has a completely different protagonist who we didn’t meet in the first book. As you read further it becomes clear how the new story ties in, and I actually think it was a stroke of genius to show a different side to the events of the story – it takes place after book one, but is set in another town and reveals more of the fictional world and its inhabitants, which I love. If you like quite traditional fantasy inspired by fairy tales then you’ll love this series. The third and final book came out this year and is sitting on my bookshelf just waiting to be read!

A new release you haven’t read yet but want to

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

I’m stealing Katie’s answer to this one because I received my copy of Lord of Shadows a week or two ago and it’s just sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finish my library books so I can dive right in. Cassie’s books are the kind I need to read as soon as they come out in case I get spoiled on Twitter or Instagram. I’m definitely planning to read this one as soon as possible, I really enjoyed Lady Midnight, although if we’re being honest it was probably my least favourite Shadowhunter novel so far (sorry everyone, I know it’s a lot of people’s favourite). But I love all the characters and I’m so intrigued about the laws for parabatai who fall in love and the consequences, so I’m really excited to read this sequel, even if it breaks my heart (Julian & Emma, Mark & Kieran, all the ships!).

Most anticipated release of the second half of 2017

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

Surprise! Not. I cannot wait to see where Mia goes next, the end of Nevernight broke my heart (please don’t be true!) and I need to find out what happens to all my favourite stabby babies – and Mr. Kindly (smol cat of shadows).

Honourable mention: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

I’m not quite as excited for this book as the usual Throne of Glass novels, I’m expecting to not see anything of Aelin, Rowan and the gang, so that’s slightly disappointing. I am excited to find out what happened when Chaol and Nesryn travelled to the Torre Cesme to find a healer for Chaol’s spinal injuries. Everyone was pretty disappointed when Chaol wasn’t even mentioned in Empire of Storms, despite the short story included at the end of the book, so I’m glad he’s getting his own full length novel (it was intended to be a novella but Maas has trouble trimming her word counts, clearly!). After A Court of Wings and Ruin, it’s clear Maas is trying really hard to write more diverse characters and she has done well in depicting realistic portayals of depression and PTSD in the past, so I’ve got high hopes for her depiction of Chaol’s disability.

Biggest disappointment

The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine

I feel like I’m harping on about this now, but I’ve decided to put The Shadow Queen down and maybe come back to it later and try again. I struggled through the first hundred pages and had a stack of library books and new releases building up on my shelf that were calling to me, so I reluctantly DNFed this one. As a fairy tale retelling, there’s no reason why I don’t love this book, so I’m hoping I’ll enjoy it more second time around. There’s nothing I can put my finger on as to why I wasn’t loving it, so I suspect it’s just me.

Biggest surprise

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

I’d heard of Mark Lawrence before I picked this one up from the library, but being adult fantasy it wasn’t at the top of my list. Until I received the February Illumicrate with Lawrence’s newest novel, Red Sister. I decided to start at the beginning with Lawrence’s first book, which isn’t set in the same universe as Red Sister, but I figured would be a good place to start and an introduction to his style. Well, I absolutely loved it, I practically inhaled it on holiday in Turkey this April. I’ve just started King of Thorns, book two in the Broken Empires series, and I’ve got Emperor of Thorns ready to go straight after. It’s a similar sort of vibe to Nevernight, so if you’re into dark and bloody adult fantasy, check it out.

Favourite new author

Definitely Jay Kristoff. I’ve heard such good things about the Illuminae series too, so I plan to read those at some point this year.

Newest fictional crush

Ronan Lynch from The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. I might not be his type, but this is fiction after all!

Newest favourite character

Mr. Kindly from Nevernight. A sassy talking cat, made from shadows who drinks fear? Where can I get one?

A book that made you cry

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

The series finale made me tear up once or twice – I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, but there was a particular death that really got to me. I’ll let you guess which one in the comments!

A book that made you happy

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling

This was an absolute treat to read! Growing up with Harry Potter, it was devastating when I finished the final book and thought I’d never get to live in that world again. I read the other two companion books at the time, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (now a movie, in case you didn’t know!) and Quidditch Through the Ages. This was the last book (before the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child screenplay came out) that I hadn’t yet read. I saw it in my local library and had to get it, and I’m glad I did, I enjoyed every second of it and laughed and cried whilst reading.

Favourite book to movie adaptation you’ve seen this year

Logan

Not strictly a book, as I haven’t seen any book-to-movie adaptations yet this year, but it’s a graphic novel I think, so that counts right? And it was amazing, a totally gripping and heartbreaking movie, let alone superhero movie (which I’m obsessed with anyway). If you haven’t seen it and you’re in any way slightly interested in X-Men definitely watch it immediately (you don’t have to like X-Men, but it’s better if you know a bit of back story).

Favourite review you’ve written this year

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

I fell in love with The Scorpio Races after years of it sitting on my TBR untouched and unloved. It reminded me of my all-consuming love for Maggie Stiefvater, which had been hidden, but never lessened, in the years since I read The Wolves of Mercy Falls and the Books of Faerie. Since reading The Scorpio Races, I’ve ploughed through almost all of The Raven Cycle, and I’m dying to get my hands on All the Crooked Saints. I loved writing this review because I was so happy to have rediscovered a favourite author and discovered a new favourite book.

Most beautiful book you bought or received so far this year

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Just look at that cover! Am I right? This was another book that came in the February Illumicrate, and I haven’t cracked it yet, but it’s an absolute stunner. It’s a sort of Labyrinth reimagining as far as I understand, with a young girl seduced by the Goblin King. I think it’ll be a lovely wintery read, so I might save this one until later in the year.

Books you need to read by the end of the year

There are so many! I’ll try to keep this brief:

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
Illuminae & Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Shades of Magic by V.E. Schwab
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch
The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye
The Young Elites by Marie Lu
The Gold Seer Trilogy by Rae Carson
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

I nominate

Louise @ Dragonspire UK

Julianna @ Blots of Ink and Words

Sarah @ Between the Pages

And as always, if you want to do this tag but I haven’t tagged you, feel free to give it a go!

Lyndsey

Ten book series I want to read

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is ten series I’ve been meaning to read but haven’t, so get ready to scream at me in the comments for not having read your faves yet! TTT is a weekly meme hosted by the fabulous ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish, head over there and check out next week’s topic so you can join in the fun.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

First on my list is The Lunar Chronicles because it’s probably the biggest, most popular series I still haven’t read yet. I’m taking part in a buddy read of Cinder next month, so this one is due to be rectified very soon! Have you read The Lunar Chronicles? Would you recommend it? I’m not usually a sci-fi fan, but I can’t escape how well-loved this series is.

Lux by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This one has been on my list for absolute years, and I’ve heard the love interest is serious book boyfriend material, but I’ve just never gotten round to it. If you’ve read Lux, did you love it? It has great Goodreads reviews, but I worry it will be a little too Twilight for my taste…

Shades of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Now, this one I really, really need to rectify! A Conjuring of Light came out this year so I can finally binge the whole series, I just need to get my hands on it. I have a feeling I’ll be waiting a while if I request it from the library…

Monsters of Verity by Victoria Schwab

Continuing the Schwab love, I also need to read This Savage Song and Our Dark Duet. Like, immediately. Which Schwab series would you recommend I read first?

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

I haven’t read any Marie Lu yet, but I hear all good things, so this is right up there on my list. It’s said to be a villain origin story, which sounds amazing (Vicious by V.E. Schwab is another villain origin story on my list) and it has a pretty high rating on Goodreads, so I’ll check this one out soon too.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

I’m not usually a fluffy contemporary girl (in case you didn’t notice from all the fantasy on this list!) but I’ve seen so many people flailing over this series and how cute and adorable it is, how diverse and amazing it is, so I put it straight on my TBR. This is another trilogy where the final book was released recently, so I won’t have to worry about a long wait between books!

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Set in 19th Century Scotland? Yes, please! The Falconer sounds amazing, and I follow the author on Twitter and she’s just fabulous, so I’m dying to get round to this series soon.

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

I don’t even have an excuse for not starting this series, I own Rebel of the Sands and have Traitor to the Throne on hold at my library. I’ll definitely read this one in the next few months!

Gentleman Bastard by Scott Lynch

This is billed as part Robin Hood, part Ocean’s Eleven – how good does that sound? Living near Sherwood Forest, I have a soft spot for anything even remotely Hoody. Anti-heroes are definitely my jam, just ask Kaz Brekker. I’m definitely going to see if my library has this now…

Penryn & the End of Days by Susan Ee

This is another that has been on my list for years, and I’m slightly worried might not be my thing anymore. My tastes have changed quite a bit since Fallen and Hush, Hush. If you’ve read this, would you recommend it now?

Time for you to sound off in the comments – have you read any of these? Loved them? Hated them? Pop your TTT post links in the comments too, I need more series recs to add to my vertiginous TBR!

Lyndsey

The ABCs of alphas, betas and critique partners

Today, I want to discuss the stage of writing that I’m currently at, which is sharing my writing with readers!

I recently finished my first novel, The Fair Queen, and sent it to a few trusted friends and family to read. Some of them are actually proofreading it – I keep getting messages with grammatical errors and misspellings! I’m really grateful to them all, and so far everyone’s really enjoyed it, which is amazing to hear.

As scary as it may be, letting people read our work is the only way to progress – whether that’s improving our writing skills by getting feedback from readers and editors, or seeking to publish by sending our stories to agents and publishers. It’s an integral and crucial part of being a writer.

Let’s talk about the process of sharing our work with others.

Critique Partners

From what I’ve read, most writers recommend having a Critique Partner. This is someone who really gets your writing – they most likely write within your same genre and age range so they really understand the requirements and standards of the genre.

A critique partner is basically a really good friend who loves your style of writing and enjoys reading your stuff. It should be a mutual relationship ideally – well, all the best friendships are! They should compliment the bits they like, critique the bits they don’t, and explain why it’s not working for them (if they can, it’s not always cut and dry). Ultimately, your critique partner should help you see past any blind spots you have for your own writing, and push you to improve your craft. Their work should inspire you to be a better writer, and yours should do the same for them.

The usual process with critique partners is to send short segments of your writing as you go, rather than sending a full manuscript at the end. You can agree on a frequency that suits both of you, whether that’s chapter by chapter, or 1,000 words at a time.

There are some great blogs about finding critique partners, I’ll leave a few links below rather than go into the how, as I haven’t actually got a critique partner so I’d rather you learnt from someone in the know!

5 places to find critique partners | writability
How to meet awesome critique partners (and keep them) | Writer, writer, pants on fire
5 things to look for in a critique partner| Writer’s Digest

And if you’re ready to find your one true critique partner, pop along here:

Critique Partner Matchup | Maggie Stiefvater

Alpha Readers

I’ve seen the term alpha readers bandied about online, and from what I understand they are the people you love and trust to read your finished manuscript first. They’re the friends and family members with an eye for detail and a firm grasp of the English language who you know will appreciate your work and give you a list of notes to help make improvements before it goes out to beta readers.

They might not be big fans of your genre, or know anything about the writing craft, but they want to help you be the best you can be, and they’re willing to give you another perspective.

Not everyone uses alpha readers, or they might not call them that, they just give their MS to their husband/wife, or mum, and get another pair of eyes on it before anyone else sees it.

Beta Readers

Now these are your potential fans, readers who are willing to read your polished MS and tell you which characters they love and hate, which plot twists they saw coming a mile off, and which romantic relationships felt forced. Beta readers probably won’t proofread, they might not even suggest any edits, but they will tell you what they liked and didn’t like about your book, and that is crucial to any writer. If you want your book to sell, it has to appeal to people other than yourself.

Beta readers might be fellow writers, if so it’s polite to offer to beta read their work in exchange for them reading yours. At the end of the day though, beta readers are just that – readers. They will look at your novel from the perspective of a reader and help you to make it as enjoyable as you possibly can. They’ll point out plot holes and inconsistencies, they might even act as sensitivity readers if they have experience of any of the issues within your story.

ABCs of alphas, betas, critique partners Lyndsey's Book Blog

Not every writer will want or need to use CPs, alphas and betas, but the more eyes you can get on your writing before sending it to a professional editor or submitting it to agents, the better. At the very least you should let a few people read your completed manuscript and highlight spelling/grammar issues and any plot holes you may not be able to see as you’re too close to the project.

You want to iron out as many creases in your work as you can before sending it to agents and publishers, querying can be an uphill battle and first impressions really do count. Don’t waste your chance at publishing by sending in a sloppy first draft that has never been seen by another human being.

I know how scary it can be to share your precious story with someone else, but it’s the only way to make it better, and if your intention is to publish then one day someone is going to read your work and you need to prepare yourself for that! The more people who tell you how great your writing is now – even if they critique it – the less it will hurt when that first negative review rolls in, and it will. It’s a fact of life for all writers. You can’t please everyone, and nor should you try. Write for yourself, or that one person you know will enjoy it, I promise you will find others who feel the same way.

Be brave, writer friends! Send your story to a friend today and start building your support network of readers, they’ll be the ones cheering the loudest when you bag that agent, sell your novel, and see your book on the shelf for the first time.

Lyndsey