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Book recommendations for Halloween

For everyone who would rather spend Halloween at home with a good book, here are a few recommendations that bring you into that Halloween vibe, without even going outside!

Nevernight is definitely one of my recommendations. It’s like Hogwarts on steroids and it had shadow’y cats. What else do you want? The story revolves around Mia Corvere, whose family got killed and wants to take revenge, but before she can do it, she has to learn all the best techniques at the Red Church. But entering isn’t the biggest issue, surviving the school is…

One of my all time favorite horror writers is Christina Henry. I’m an intense Alice in Wonderland fan, so when I found her horror version, I had to have it. And it’s so creepy and amazing. Just be prepared, after this Alice in Wonderland story, you will never be so hyped for a tea party ever again. And for the people who love it, there’s also a second book ánd a novella with 4 stories in the same world is coming out April 2020!

Another recommendation is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. This amazing thriller follows Pippa, who decides to research a closed case of a murder that happened five years ago. This case was easily closed, since the police had evidence that her boyfriend killed her and then committed suicide. But what if that’s not really what happened…? This thrilling murder mystery sets you on a different path every page and keeps you thrilled until the last page!

For the people who also loved Alice, we have Dorothy Must Die. This retelling of the Wizard Of Oz, is about a girl from Kansas, but not thé girl from Kansas. Amy Gumm gets taken away from Kansas and ends up in Oz. But Oz looks different then she expected. Everything is upside down. And it’s all Dorothy’s fault. Amy has been recruited and has only one mission. Dorothy. Must. Die. This apocalyptic Oz story is totally different than you expect. It’s exciting, crazy and harsh. So walk over that yellow Brick Road and be amazed. And don’t forget: Wicked is Good and Good is Wicked…

And last, but not least, we have a spot-on horror novel that’s perfect for the fans of Pretty Little Liars. This story follows the identical twin Ava and Lexi. When they were younger, they made up a third twin, Alicia, who was always to be blamed when something went wrong. Now they are grown-up and a guy ended up dead, with Alicia as a suspect. Which of the twin did it, or might it be that Alicia is real…? This book keeps you on your toes and makes you even second guess yourself. Be careful with imaginary persons, before you know it, they might turn out to be real…

So get yourself a good book and settle down on the couch. But remind yourself to close the windows. You never know what might fly in on Halloween. And don’t ever, EVER start a tea party…

A year later: How to survive without Throne Of Glass…

Throne of Glass is probably one of the series I have the biggest connection to, next to Alice In Wonderland. I discovered the series when the third book came out and I immediately fell in love. The world, the characters, the storyline, I loved it, and I still do. For years I enjoyed seeing the next book come out, and the next, and the next. But since 23 October 2018 the series is officially over. Yes, the World of Throne Of Glass is still coming, but the storyline is done. So this is a blog for everyone who finishes this perfect series one day and thinks WHAT NOW?!? Here some tips:

Reread. Again and again. I think I’ve reread the whole series around the four times now, with QoS as a highlight, which I have probably read around the 10 times now. No joke. That reunion scene is my go to place whenever I need some love. But a reread is always effective. And also, there’s a scene from Heir Of Fire that isn’t in the standard books, definitely read that one! It’s absolutely amazing and answers questions I know you all have about the origin of the Fire-Breathing Bitch Queen name. You can read this here.

Merchandise. Merchandise is something you can hold while you cry. Like prints, bookmarks, and my personal favorite: Funko’s. I sadly only have one TOG funko, but hopefully I get more one day. Then I can literally hold on to something 3D while crying. Which I will. Often.

Read other books in the same style. I know, you feel like nothing can ever compare to TOG, I totally get it. But we still have the ACOTAR series, which isn’t officially finished. There are also other books that I can definitely recommend. To Kill A Kingdom from Alexandra Christo is one of those. Fierce female characters? Check. Good fantasy storyline? Check. Hardheaded men? Check! The Shatter Me is also a recommendation. Juliette isn’t as awesome as Aelin in my opinion (but really, who even is?), but the storyline is amazing and definitely has some veeeeery interesting men ;). And one that’s still very new, but also has all the points above, is A Curse So Dark And Lonely. Check it out if you love Beauty And The Beast in a way awesomer world.

And last, but not least, try to accept. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, I also still cry and eat ice-cream after Kingdom Of Ash. But what was it a good ending of an amazing series. Yes, it wasn’t perfect, but what even is? I couldn’t have asked for a better ending. Even though I’m still not over the deaths. Fans, you all know what I mean… *grabs tissue and ice-cream*

@theQueenOfGeek

Recensie Izombie seizoen 4

Spoilers als je seizoen 1 t/m 3 nog niet gezien hebt!

De wereld staat op zijn kop. Ofja, Seatlle. De mensen weten eindelijk van het bestaan af van zombies en velen zijn er ook in veranderd. Het is aan Fillmore Graves om de orde in de hand te houden. Maar wat als deze tegenover alles staan waar Liv Moore voor staat..

Al drie seizoenen kijk ik met veel plezier naar Izombie, dus toen ook eindelijk seizoen 4 op Netflix stond, kon ik niet wachten met het te gaan kijken. Seizoen 3 was geëindigd op een flinke cliffhanger, dus ik was zeer benieuwd hoe het nu verder zou gaan.

Over het algemeen vond ik het seizoen weer een goede combinatie van een grote hoeveelheid humor en een ontzettend sterk verhaal. Het hoofdverhaal wordt over het algemeen steeds duisterder en daarmee ook spannender, waardoor ik toch geboeid bleef om door te blijven kijken.

Daarentegen vond ik het concept van ‘hersenen eten en moorden oplossen’ langzaamaan een beetje saai worden. Ze blijft goed in typetjes spelen, maar het begint herhalend te worden. Daarnaast heeft ze al zo veel typetjes gehad dat er niet meer echt iets vernieuwend tussen zit.

Het einde was daarentegen wel weer erg interessant, iets wat vaak is bij deze serie. De laatste afleveringen waren spannend en ook best gruwelijk, wat ik zelf best kon waarderen. Ik ben daarentegen wel blij dat er nu nog maar één seizoen komt en het dan ook officieel voorbij is. De serie is te goed om hem te lang te laten doordruppelen. Ik ben erg benieuwd wat de makers nog in petto hebben voor het laatste seizoen!

7/10

Wat vonden jullie van het vierde seizoen?

Review Izombie season 4

Stop reading if you haven’t watched season 1, 2 and 3! Spoilers ahead!



The world has turned upside town, or better yet, Seatlle has. The people in the city finally know about zombies and a lot of them even got turned into one. It’s up to Fillmore Graves to keep order. But what if their actions go against everything Liv Moore stands for…?

I’ve been a fan of this series for quite a while now. I even own all the comics (which are only four but oh well). So when, after waiting for way too long, it finally arrived at Netflix, I couldn’t wait to start watching it. The last season ended on quite a big cliffhanger, so I was pretty curious to see what they would come up with in this season.

Overall, the season had a good combination of the humor and good storyline which makes me like this series so much. The main storyline is getting more gruesome and heavier, which makes the story really interesting. On the other side, the concept of ‘eating brains and solving murders is slowly getting pretty boring in my opinion. It’s starting to feel like a lot of repetition, especially since she has already played so many types of people, that there isn’t anything new about them anymore.

The last few episodes were really interesting though. The main storyline got more focus, which I like way more and at moments it was more serious than funny, which is way better, in my opinion. I am glad there’s only one season left. I really like this series, but I think the quality would go down hard if they went and made another season. I can’t wait to find out what the makers have planned for the ending! No spoilers please!

7/10

What did you all think about the fourth season?

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

When four students find an old videogame they’ve never heard of, called Jumaji, they get sucked in. When they wake up, they are in a jungle, transformed in the characters that belong to the game. They have to play the game and win, especially when they find out that Game Over is meant literally…

I often heard about this movie, but I hadn’t really given it much attention. I thought it be one of those cliche funny movies that’s nice once and you forget all about it the day after. Then it came on Netflix and Nerdygeekyfanboy and decided to give it a chance.

And I’m so happy we did! It’s been long since the last time I laughed this hard. The four students take over the bodies of the game characters that are their exact oppposite. Like the timid Spencer, who takes over the body of main character Dr. Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), the chosen one to save the jungle. One of his power moves is his sultry look. Every time I almost pied my pants, it was just hilarious.

But the absolute best thing about this movie was definitely Jack Black. His body gets taken over by a typical white girl and SHE. CAN’T. DEAL. He plays the role with so much conviction that you just really believe the white girl is in his body. His performance in this movie is amazing.

For the people who don’t watch movies just for the comedy, is this movie still a recommendation. The storyline is well thought through and the serious parts are perfectly woven into the humor. At moments it was seriously tensive. It’s not often that humor and an interesting storyline go hand in hand.

I was pleasantly suprised with this movie. I can’t wait to find out if the next movie is going to be as brilliant as the first one, but I am excited to find out!

10/10

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Wanneer vier middelbare scholieren een oude videogame genaamd Jumanji ontdekken waar ze nog nooit van hebben gehoord, worden ze meteen de junglewereld van van het spel ingetrokken. Ze veranderen in de game-personages die ze zelf kozen en moeten het spel uitspelen. Maar dan ontdekken ze dat hun echte levens op het spel staan! Hoe gaan ze dit overleven?

Ik had deze film al vaak voorbij zien komen, maar niet veel aandacht aan besteed. Ik had het gevoel alsof het vooral een grappige film voor tussendoor zou zijn, en daar heb ik niet altijd de behoefte tot. Tot hij op Netflix kwam! Nerdygeekyfanboy en ik besloten om deze film maar eens een kans te geven.

En wat ben ik blij dat we dat hebben gedaan! Het is lang geleden dat ik zo hard heb gelachen bij een film. De 4 middelbare scholieren komen namelijk in lichamen terecht die hun exacte tegenpolen zijn. De timide Spencer komt bijvoorbeeld in het lichaam terecht van Dr. Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), een stoere kerel die de jungle moet redden. Één van zijn sterke punten is zijn zwoele blik. Elke keer als die voorbij kwam, proestte ik het uit.

Maar degene die het het allerbeste deed was toch wel Jack Black. Een standaard white girl komt terecht in zijn lichaam en SHE. CAN’T. DEAL. Hij speelde de rol met zoveel overtuiging dat je ook daadwerkelijk geloofde dat zij in zijn lichaam terecht was gekomen. Wat een ontzettend goede, maar ook intens hilarische acteur is hij toch.

Voor de mensen die humor niet zó belangrijk vinden en liever naar het verhaal kijken, hebben aan deze film ook een goede. De verhaallijn is goed opgezet en serieuze actiestukken zijn goed verwerven met de humor. Op momenten was het ook echt spannend. Het is niet vaak dat de humor en de interessante verrhaallijn gelijkwaardig aan elkaar zijn.

Deze film heeft mij blij verrast. Ik kijk er erg naar uit om het volgende deel te zien. Ik vraag me af of die net zo grappig zal zijn als de eerste film, maar ik ga het met veel plezier ontdekken!

10/10

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Owlcrate Fear The Night Unboxing

It’s almost Halloween, so it is to expected that multiple bookish boxes would do a Halloween edition. Owlcrate is one of them. I have a subscription on Owlcrate, since I’m in desperate need of their Queen Of Nothing box and this was the only way to get it. That did mean I would also get this box. I didn’t really mind, since I kinda like Halloween materials, so let’s go!

@theQueenOfGeek

The first thing was a little box with a trinket dish in it. I already had one from a former Fairyloot box and I don’t use that one, so I sadly don’t have a lot of use for this trinket dish. But the design is absolutely gorgeous. It’s made by Stella Bookish Art, a designer with a style I adore. I also really like the used quote, but if I’m really gonna use it, I wonder…


The second item were the fingerless gloves. I immediately got a flashback to my good old emo period where these kind of items were a fashion statement. I have a pretty cold room, so I might use them when I’m working in my home!


The third item, that you could also see in the last picture is the coffee. Even though the taste sounds absolutely delicious (you can wake me up for everything involving caramel), I don’t have a coffee machine in my home. Yes, I know you don’t exactly need one, so I’m thinking about using it without the machine, since I’m really curious to find out how it tastes. The coffee is from Bones Coffee Company.


The next item, which is probably my favorite, is the Glow In The Dark skull pin by Lapels and Spells. Owlcrate always has an enamel pin in their boxes and It’s always one of my favorite items in boxes. I love the amount of details enamel pin artist can get in such a small surface. And the glow in the dark part is such a fun extra!


There was also an art print in this box. I always love to see artists making gorgeous fan art, but I didn’t think this one was that special. Not because of the art style, which is pretty, but because it’s based on a quote from Ray Bradbury’s ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes, but it’s not something that really interests me. The artprint is made by Anne Lambelet Illustration.


In this box there wasn’t one, but two books! Next to the official book, there was also a Penguin Horror Classic in it. I was kinda hoping for Dracula or Frankenstein, but it was The Haunting of Hill House. I gotta be honest, I haven’t read this book yet, so it’s kinda a good thing that this one was the chosen book! And also, it’s curated by the amazing Guillermo del Toro, so it’s definitely going to be amazing!


The featured book in this box is The Bone Houses. This book is about Aderyn, who is a gravedigger and goes through a tough time since both her parents died. When Ellis, a map maker, comes in town, the awakened dead, also known as Bone Houses, get a new ferocity. Together they have to travel to find a solution to both their problems. This book isn’t one I would have bought for myself, but I am pretty interested in the story. I kinda like getting books in different genres, to find out if my tastes have changed overtime. So I can’t wait to start this book!


I was pretty suprised about how much I liked this box! I loved almost all items, even though some of the items I’m probably not gonna use (in the near future). My favorite item was defintely the enamel pin. It’s such a beauty. I kinda hoped that this box would have a candle, since that’s something I think would have been a befitting item. Maybe next time. I will also get Owlcrate’s next box, Dawn Of A New World, so I can’t wait to find out what’s going to be in that box!

@TheQueenOfGeek

The Grace Year

Written by Kim Liggett
Published by Wednesday Books

Girls have magical powers. The power to seduce men and other special traits. Before they turn sixteen, they get send to the woods to live there for a year and lose their magical powers. But before that happens, a few girls get chosen to marry men from the village. Tierney knows she will not be one of them and she is happy with that. She dreams about a world where women have a better life, in a worls where women aren’t allowed to dream. But when it’s time for her Grace Year, everything goes against what’s she had planned from the moment the girls get chosen for marriage. How can Tierney survive in the woods where she has to fear the poachers, who want to sell her skin on the black market, but also the other girls from the Grace Year…?

This book was…mindblowing. I was sold from the very first page. Before I started this book, I was worried that this would yet be another one of those feminist books where all men are evil, but this book wasn’t at all like that. The men from the village don’t know anything else from what they learned their whole life. Yes, there are quite a few evil men, but there also good men, with good intentions, which made this book way more realistic. This book has some major Hunger Games vibes, only this book is so much worse. There were literally scenes where I had to put the book down, because I felt nauseated.

Tierney is one of the best characters I’ve ever read about. A feminist woman in a male focused society is pretty terrible, but Tierney keeps on trying to do the right thing. Even when girls she considered her friends turn on her, she still helps them. She is caring, smart and just amazing. All of her actions were logical, even when you wish she did something else. I wish I could read more books about this girl!

What is a good book without a terrible villain? And boy (or girl), did Kim Liggett create a nasty villain. I haven’t despised a character for this much until Kiersten. Kiersten is a girl who is perfect and has it all, and makes it her live mission to ruin Tierney’s life and many others. Even though you get to know a bit more about her and it isn’t always her fault, you still hate her. I’ll be honest, I don’t wish it often, but throughout the book I seriously was hoping she would die. Whether that happens or not, I will not tell you all, of course 😉

The thing I liked most about this book were the revelations at the end. Throughout the whole book I often got mislead, which is something that doens’t happen to me often. At the end you get answers to questions you didn’t even know you asked. All loose ends are tied up nicely, which made me enjoy the book even more. I even thought about rereading this book, to find out if I could have seen some of the revelations coming, but my TBR didn’t let me, sadly…

What a terrible, heartbreaking, nauseating and gorgeous beauty this book was. I literally can’t wáit to see what Elizabeth Banks is going to do with the movie! I’m already looking forward seeing more of Tierney and have more hateful moments with Kiersten. Oh and the tissues are already waiting to be filled with tears, since there are quite a few cryworthy scenes in this book…

10/10

Review Stalking Jack The Ripper

Written by Kerri Maniscalco
Published by Little, Brown & Company

Audrey Rose Wadsworth is a curious lady. While other girls from her age and heritage are knitting and drinking thee, she’s dissecting corpses in secret. Normally no one would accept this, but her uncle has no choice. With a serial killer on the loose, all help is needed. Together with the smart, but arrogant Thomas Cresswell, they search for the killer. But what if he’s closer than you expected…

I was so hyped to finally start this series. So many people are fan and the blurb sounded amazing. It’s been a long time since I really read a good whodunnit. I’m a Sherlock fan, so it’s pretty hard to find a good one after that. And this one is definitely not it. 

There were definitely quite a few things good about this book. I loved the writing, it was gorgeous and really befitting of the story. Audrey was a character I really loved. Beautiful and feminine, but also curious and powerful. I really enjoyed her. Except for any interaction with Thomas Cresswell. 

I heard so many stories of people loving him, but he was anything but interesting. Such a typical self centered, arrogant and irritating guy. Even Sherlock himself has more charms than this guy has. And Audrey, powerful woman as she is, had many situations where she almost changed in one of those giggly girls around him. He had a few good scenes, but overall, I really did not like him. 

But the thing I was most dissatisfied with, was the culprit. I won’t spoil anything, but for me it was obvious who it was at 10% of the book. There was one culprit everyone was looking at, and it was so obviously that that wasn’t him, that I just wanted to skip all those parts. Which was like, half of the book. 

The reasoning of the deeds was pretty interesting, that I did not expect. But there were still so many loose ends. Like, you know why the culprit killed the women, but there was a terrible explanation about why it was so gruesome. It didn’t make any sense. 

The writing was so beautiful that I did like to read the book and Audrey is one of those characters I absolutely love. But Thomas? I don’t know at áll why people love him. But oh well, maybe it’s good we all got different tastes 😉. I don’t think I’ll read the second book anytime soon, but I did like the storyline. Let’s hope that the culprit keeps itself hidden a bit more this time.

5/10

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