Book releases: August 2017

Here are some books that are to be released this August.

1 - Wonder Woman: Warbringer, by Leigh Bardugo

Release date: 29th of August
Sinopsis: 
Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.

Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war. 

(Source)

2 - Little Boy Lost, by J.D. Trafford

Release date: 1st of August
Sinopsis:
Attorney Justin Glass’s practice, housed in a shabby office on the north side of Saint Louis, isn’t doing so well that he can afford to work for free. But when eight-year-old Tanisha Walker offers him a jar full of change to find her missing brother, he doesn’t have the heart to turn her away.

Justin had hoped to find the boy alive and well. But all that was found of Devon Walker was his brutally murdered body—and the bodies of twelve other African American teenagers, all discarded like trash in a mass grave. Each had been reported missing. And none had been investigated.

(Source)

3 - Shimmer and Burn, by Mary Taranta

Release date: 8th of August
Sinopsis: 
Faris grew up fighting to survive in the slums of Brindaigel while caring for her sister, Cadence. But when Cadence is caught trying to flee the kingdom and is sold into slavery, Faris reluctantly agrees to a lucrative scheme to buy her back, inadvertently binding herself to the power-hungry Princess Bryn, who wants to steal her father’s throne.

Now Faris must smuggle stolen magic into neighboring Avinea to incite its prince to alliance—magic that addicts in the war-torn country can sense in her blood and can steal with a touch. She and Bryn turn to a handsome traveling magician, North, who offers protection from Avinea’s many dangers, but he cannot save Faris from Bryn’s cruelty as she leverages Cadence’s freedom to force Faris to do anything—or kill anyone—she asks. Yet Faris is as fierce as Bryn, and even as she finds herself falling for North, she develops schemes of her own.

With the fate of kingdoms at stake, Faris, Bryn, and North maneuver through a dangerous game of magical and political machinations, where lives can be destroyed—or saved—with only a touch.

(Source)

4 - Camp Half-Blood Confidential, by Rick Riordan and Jesse Bernstein

Release date: 15th of August
Sinopsis: 
In response to an awful camp orientation video created by the god Apollo, Percy Jackson and other residents of Camp Half-Blood answer such questions as “What is this place?” and “Do I get to keep the T-shirt?” Newbies can check out the section on the Divine Cabins, read up on Magical Landmarks, and consult the chapter of Training Arenas. But Camp Half-Blood Confidential explores much more than just the buildings and grounds. It includes info that can only be learned from those who live there.

(Source)

5 - Girl in Snow, by Danya Kukafka

Release date: 1st of August
Sinopsis: 
When a beloved high schooler named Lucinda Hayes is found murdered, no one in her sleepy Colorado suburb is untouched—not the boy who loved her too much; not the girl who wanted her perfect life; not the officer assigned to investigate her murder. In the aftermath of the tragedy, these three indelible characters—Cameron, Jade, and Russ—must each confront their darkest secrets in an effort to find solace, the truth, or both. 

(Source)

Favorite authors

Do you need some inspiration? Do you want to read something new? Here is a list of my favorite authors and their books.

1 - Cassandra Clare
(Young Adult fiction)

If you want to read, Cassandra has plenty of books, most of them set in the same world: the Shadow World. I recommend for you to start with City of Bones. There are six books in total in this series but don't despair! You also have The Infernal Devices trilogy and she already has published two books from The Dark Devices trilogy.

 2 - Sarah J. Maas
(Young Adult Fiction)

Do you want to read something that will take you to another world? You found the perfect author for you! Sarah has a trilogy, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and it is already completed. You can also fall in love with Celaena Sardothien, the King's Assassin with a royal heart in the Throne of Glass series. One of the things I also love about Sarah is that she publishes two books a year!
If you want to read something a bit more adult, I recommend A Court of Thorns and Roses but if you want something full of adrenaline, definitely go for Throne of Glass.

3 - V.E. Schwab
(Fiction)

Also known as Victoria Schwab, she might be the author that will make you think you've just read one of the best books ever. She has a way of writing the best books with the best villains and the best (or worst) world ever. If you think this is the kind of fiction you need, you can always fall for three different Londons in A Darker Shade of Magic, or with the most recent duology, This Savage Song.

4 - Rainbow Rowell
(Young Adult Contemporary)

Do you need to read something really cute? Well, Rainbow has the sweetest books ever! She manages to write a good story with relatable characters and a good ending (most of the time). If you want to start with the hyped Fangirl, which I loved, feel free to fall in love with Cath, a fanfiction writer or you can also start with something shorter, like Kindred Spirits, in case you feel you don't want to read such a big book (or need to put your Reading Challenge up to date).

5 - Philippa Gregory
(Historical Fiction)

If you want to read an author that does her/his research, I can guarantee you that you will not be disappointed with Philippa's books. She does her research and the books are beautifully written. You have plenty to choose from this author, but I recommend for you to start with The Cousins' War series and then follow the other books she wrote about the Tudors.

TV Series Review: Supergirl - Season 2

Supergirl (CW - 2017)

During the first season, Supergirl belonged to another channel. Since it didn't renew it, the CW took the chance the add another superhero to its prime-time. And it was not only a wise choice but also a choice that brought something new to the series. 

This season, characters were on the edge. I was on the edge of my seat, that's for sure. The writing is much more fast-paced and I felt that some characters had some time to breathe and evolve. One of those characters is worth mentioning: Alex. This character, very sure of herself, with no fears but of losing her sister on season 1, gets a new dimension that now makes all sense and we can look back at the previous season and just think that she was shy. But in fact, the other channel didn't exactly know what to do with her. 

The special effects are also better and the clever arcs throughout the season really made Supergirl into one of the best series. It has less humor now, but the dramatic wheel also brings some sighs. And this is the moment where I want to mention the romance between the last daughter of Krypton and the Prince of Daxam. Mon-El turned out to be one of the key elements for this season with a bit of comic relief when it came to the adaptation to Earth and the fun interaction with Kara who was an amazing host to him, but he also brought the family drama between him and his mother and the question of who he wants to be on Earth. All of that, allied to a beautiful writing and  Chris Wood's acting, allowed Mon-El to be a special character that will always be on Supergirl's heart. And in ours, too.

Another aspect worth mentioning was Superman's appearance, at the beginning and the end of the season. This Superman cannot be compared to the darker version of the cinematic universe and, in fact, I believe that Tyler Hoechlin's Superman might be my favorite. Just don't tell Henry Cavill, okay? This Kal-El still has some happiness within him and the clumsiness that is so intrinsic to these aliens who live on Earth. I believe that Clark Kent was a great addition to the series, since he and Kara know each other - and are family.

One of the losses of this series was, unfortunately, Cat Grant. This amazing, wonderful, inspiring woman showed up at the same time as Clark Kent did - at the beginning and at the end. There was not a moment I did not miss her. She became so essential to the show during the first season! And now, Kira will not have those motivational pep-talks and the resilience Cat kept showing us, episode after episode, sometimes even making me cry. She is my superhero, no matter what. 

Since it now belongs to the CW, the show was part of two crossovers, but none of them interfered in the storyline since they are so brief. My only wish for next season is to change this; since The Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow all have crossovers that make us jump from one episode to the next, it would be terrific to have the Legends, the fastest man alive and the Green Arrow on Supergirl's Earth.