- A Discussion of Shades: Heroism, Villainy, and the In-Between ft. Novels & Marvel Films // I’m Back?!
Hello friends! It’s been a while hasn’t it? How have all of you been? I’m back after my biggest gap in posting (6 months), and was going to blame it on school, but really I… More - 2021 WRAP UP | Reflections and Stats!! ft. Rating books based on Disney References
Hello friends!! ONE DAY MORE. ONE MORE DAY TO REVOLUTION 2022. I’m echoing everyone’s sentiments: How is it already the 31st of December, with 2022 being… tomorrow? Well regardless, there’s one last day of closure… More - My Top 10 Books of 2021 | Raw, Radiant and Resonant Reads that shaped my year!
Hello friends!! Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas yesterday if you celebrated, if not a restful weekend as we hurtle towards the end of the year? Despite being in denial about 2021 being over, I’ve… More - ARC Review: Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong | A Searing Finale to the Iconic Duology that Illuminated the timeless tale of Romeo and Juliet
Hi friends! Yes, the day has come. These Violent Delights which I read earlier in January, emerged one of my favourite books for this year so far, and given the hype, Our Violent Ends is… More - My 1st Blogiversary! | Reflections and Gratitude
So this is pretty surreal. Hello friends! I honestly cannot believe that I have been book blogging for a whole year already, or rather a year and a month, I confess I’m a month late… More - Blog Tour: Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan | A Dramatic 武侠 (wuxia)/仙侠 (xianxia) inspired YA fantasy filled with Chinese culture [Review]
Hello friends! First and foremost, guess who finished their exams? Ah after more than 2 months of disappearance preparing for them, I’m back, and I’m thrilled to bring to you my blog tour stop of… More - ARC Review: The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker | Folklore, Death and Identity in a Brilliant #Ownvoices Biracial Historical Fantasy set in 1890s Japan
Hello friends!! How has everything been going? I’ve been busy the past 2-3 months with school, and finally my end-of-year exams start next week with a duration of a week and a half, which explains… More - Double Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh & The Boy With Fire by Aparna Verma | An Alluring, Immersive YA Retelling and An Ambitious But Lackluster Fantasy Debut
Hello friends! Contrary to popular belief, I have not disappeared off the face of the earth, but I admit to disappearing of the face of the blogosphere because: school. My finals are coming up in… More - JULY WRAP UP | A Wonderful, Terrible Month ft. More books by Asian authors!
July was a wonderful, terrible month. Tell me I’m not alone. School has reached a tyrannical, dictatorial level, and yet my sanity still remains (perhaps because it was already whittled down to none in the… More - If You Liked That Marvel Movie, Read This Book!
Hello friends! I just realised that it has been 11 months on the blog and I haven’t declared this officially which is just, to say the least, preposterous, so here we go: I’m seriously obsessed… More - Double Review: The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman & Descendant of the Crane by Joan He | The Sci-Fi and the Fantasy: Two Beautiful, Twisty and Thoughtful YA Novels
Hello friends! How is July going for you? For me, after school break in June, it has been such a hectic period loaded with so many projects and academic work. So I apologise for my… More - 2021 Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag | Relishing the chance to scream about my favourites (again) + Showcasing a fraction of my huge 2021 TBR!
Hello friends! Has the realisation that the middle of the year has dawned and past shattered your mind, soul, spirit yet? Because it certainly has for me. However, instead of morning and mourning the supersonic… More - Blog Tour: Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim | A YA Fantasy Retelling of Curses, of Cranes, of Family, and of Hope 🦢
Hello friends!! Today’s post is a very special one, at least for me, I’m bringing to you my blog tour stop of Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim which was one of my most anticipated… More - JUNE WRAP UP | My first Five Star Read of the year – New favourite series incoming! (no prizes for guessing)
Hello friends! Hope you all had a lovely June though ah it’s already about mid year where has time gone? Ignores the fact that I question time Every. Single. Wrap up. For me with school… More - Double Review: Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim & We Are Not Free by Traci Chee | A Whimsical, Fantasy Mulan Retelling & A Poignant Yet Heartfelt WW2 Novel That Touches On Discrimination and Identity
Hello friends! Today’s post is a double review of two books I’ve enjoyed, Spin the Dawn and We Are Not Free, the first being a whimsical Mulan retelling that was lovely but fell a little… More - Review: Skyhunter by Marie Lu | A YA Sci-Fi that is brutal yet brims with hope, a testament to Marie Lu’s storytelling magic
Marie Lu? The author who nurtured the deeply flawed but compelling Adelina Amouteru? And the one who brought to life the tenacious, rainbow-haired hacker Emika Chen? Yes, yes and yes. She’s also now the one… More - APRIL & MAY WRAP UP | returning from my long hiatus, starting bookstagram & redesigning my blog (again)!
hello friends! i’m so happy to be finally writing a post, having been on a seemingly never-ending hiatus since february dawned thanks to a hectic study life and now that it’s nearing break, i’ve some… More - Blog Tour: The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He | a melancholic and moving tale of sisters, climate change and humanity [Review + Giveaway]
Hello friends!! Today, I’m incredibly excited to bring to you a blog tour of one of my most anticipated releases for this year: The Ones We’re Meant to Find, and am pleased to announce that… More - FEBRUARY & MARCH WRAP UP | In which I disappeared from the face of the blogosphere
Hello everyone, happy end-March! I’ve become more and more convinced that time is a social construct, that it doesn’t exist, as two months off the blogosphere just flew by in a series of hectic schedules… More - Blog Tour: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna | A raw, fiercely feminist YA fantasy filled with soul [Review]
Hello everyone, and also a very happy 2nd day of the Lunar New Year! Today, I’m here to persuade, convince and urge YOU to pick up this raw, fiercely feminist YA fantasy novel filled with… More - JANUARY WRAP UP | Much less books but an incredible start to the year!
Raise your hand if you’re not used to writing 2021. *raises right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot* I know everyone has said this but let me reiterate: I can’t believe that we are… More - Review: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong | A Brutal, Atmospheric and Kick-ass Romeo and Juliet Retelling set in 1920s Shanghai
A Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, whilst a monster rages across the city with a complex enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers that employs such atmospheric writing? Y’all were right, These… More - Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig | Did it really deserve to be crowned the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards Winner?
You know there are those few books you finish in a blur with a kind of quiet peace in your heart? Those that take a while to sink in and realise how beautiful it was?… More - 🌷 December Wrap-Up || 2020 Wrap-Up & 2021 Goals
Wow. Wow. Wow. Happy New Year Everyone! We have finally conquered that beast of a year, and it feels so good to start anew. - MY TOP 10 READS OF 2020 💖 || ft. gushing galore and cherelle doing the impossible of ranking favs!!
Hi everyone! Today I bring to you my most anticipated post of the entire year, my top 10 reads of 2020. For me, 2020 has been a year where I truly immerse myself into the… More - Review: A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir [An Ember in the Ashes #2] | A Compelling Sequel Edging Towards the Dark Side
Second books in series were never my thing, I mean come on, the infamous “second-book syndrome” is a real problem, where various middle books in series were essentially just extensions and filler books. Typically, only… More - Baby It’s Cold Outside book tag ❄ || in which cherelle scrambles to do tags while in season and not use the same book for every prompt
Hi everyone! Today I’ll be doing a book tag (long time no see) created by Erin @ Reading On A Star. You all know how behind I am on tags (my sincerest apologies) so I have to do the seasonal ones first before they are irrelevant haha. (and for once, I am on time!) - Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir [An Ember in the Ashes #1] | A Compelling Start to a YA Fantasy Quartet set in a brutal, Roman-inspired Empire
“Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. Such moments are tests of courage, of strength.”
Life is made of many books (though they all mean a lot). Then one day, a single book (aka AEITA) comes along to define every book that comes after. Such books are stories of courage, of strength.
I FINALLY READ IT AND GOBBLED IT IN ONE DAY, IT WAS THAT GRIPPING, OKAY?
- 5 books I want to squeeze in before 2020 ends (JSBT #5) 📚 | Character Chat #2
Hi everyone! We are officially nearing the last 3 weeks of 2020, the year that will forever be notorious. Today, I’ll be sharing 5 books that I want to squeeze in before this year ends, thanks to the prompt from the weekly feature: Just Some Bibliophilic Things, that Riddhi @ Whispering Stories hosts! - Discussion: Redemption Arcs in Books 😇 (Let’s Talk Bookish #1)
Hello everyone! Yes This is the first discussion post on A Bolt out of the Book by yours truly… (it was about time you stopped procrastinating right cherelle?)
Today, I will be participating in Let’s Talk Bookish, a weekly meme where discussion prompts are given for book bloggers to write about. it’s hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and Dani @ Literary Lion. I came to know of this meme thanks to Millay @ Millay’s Musings, a lovely blogger you all should go say hi to!
Anyway, let me stop rambling and plunge headfirst into the discussion that I have been dreading to write (because spoiler alert: cherelle does not know how to write a discussion post).
- 🌷 November Wrap-Up || a splendid month with ½ of this year’s 5 star reads?! 🤩 || ft. GIF-y Love #3 || Character Chat #1
Hello everyone! I somehow dread and love writing these wrap-ups at the same time. It gives me great pleasure to look back on the month and talk about some of the highlights with you all, but it’s scary as it flew so fast… 2020 is *wild wind whooshes in*.
But nonetheless, I truly enjoyed my month of November, and it was one of many great milestones for blogging for me. I changed my site name from “cherelle the bibliophile” to “a bolt out of the book”, something I always wanted to do but was apprehensive, you can learn about the new name here!
Furthermore, I set up a book club with Ashmita @ The Fictional Journal on Goodreads: BOOKS GO BOOM!! You can learn more about it here (my post) and here (Ashmita’s post). We just decided on the Book of the Month for December which is SET FIRE TO THE GODS by Kristin Simmons and Sarah Raasch, I am so excited to read it with you all in the club!
Okay without further ado, let’s see November!
- Welcome to A Bolt out of the Book!🌩
Hey everyone! This is still Cherelle from cherelle the bibliophile. Except not really. I have decided to change my site name and address to:
a bolt out of the book
new site address: https://aboltoutofthebook.wordpress.com/
Don’t worry! It is still the same site, the same theme, the same cringy tagline, the same ugly graphics… I’m still following all your lovely blogs, my old posts are intact… just that some of my comment links won’t work anymore and I won’t receive pingbacks linked to my old site address :(. (Please give me a while to sort out the visuals!)
Okay okay but why??
(because of my itchy fingers) - Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab | A slow yet sonorous and reflective historical fantasy with a unique premise
*proceeds to publish a review no one needed because there are a ton of nuanced ones but doesn’t care because she HAS to talk about it* I think that The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of the most hyped-up books of this year… if not the most. Everyone has been gushing about it though there is a bit of criticism sprinkled here and there. Of course, I had to jump on the bandwagon and experience Addie’s story for myself. I’m eternally grateful that I did. And I know proudly join the crowd of Addie lovers. - Fall Time, Cozy Time Tag || The Pumpkin Spice Latte Book Tag 🍂
It’s time to ignore the fact that its eternally summer here and dive into some fall tags! Again, my apologies I had to do the seasonal tags first or I would have to wait till next year! I know I am super behind on tags haha, but I have them all jotted down somewhere and eagerly look forward to all of them. - Review: Geekerella by Ashley Poston | A Sweet, Fluffy Yet Resonant Love Letter to Fandom
I’ve finally unleashed my true fangirl side in Geekerella. Geekerella is a retelling of Cinderella, with Elle who grew up with her life devoted to the sci-fi TV show: Starfield and actor Daniel Freeman who is playing the prestigious Prince Carmindor in the reboot. Honestly, I was pretty skeptical, and wasn’t expecting much upon going in. I have read my fair share of Cinderella retellings and it does get repetitive over time, thus I was wondering if Geekerella would spice things up. And it did and took me aback. The thing I loved most about this book would be the element of fandom. BECAUSE FANDOM IS MY LIFE and probably yours too, dear readers. I grew up loving my favourite books to extremities, reading and writing fan fiction, spending way too long on Pinterest memes, fangirling with fellow fans, and essentially recommending those books to everyone I encountered in my path and thus, I could highly relate to Elle who was nuts for Starfield. - 🌙 Favourite Author (JSBT #4) || GIF-y Love #2 || Lost in Translation Tag
Hello everyone! How has the first week of November been for you all? I hope that you all are having a beautiful day with a good read. ❤ Today’s post will be a bit on the long side but very light-hearted and fun so stick with me, won’t you? I’ll be venturing into my fourth Just Some Bibliophilic Things weekly meme, the second GIF-y Love meme and the Lost in Translation tag. Without further ado, let’s get into this week’s JSBT hosted by Riddhi from Whispering Stories! Click here to see her answer for the week and here to learn more about it. This Week’s Question: Who is your favourite author? Why? Which book is an absolute favourite of yours written by that particular author? Ahh once again, the agony of having to choose! - Review: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys | A Well Thought-Out War Novel that Failed to Emote
“I moved from body to body, treating blisters, wounds, frostbite. But I had no treatment for what plagued people most the most. Fear.”
As an avid historical fiction fan, people have always been recommending me Ruta Sepetys books. And now I have finally experienced one. (And fulfilling one out of ten of my fall tbr!)
Honestly, I have no idea how to feel about this one. I went in with high expectations of it being a haunting and emotional book. I came out with a bit of a mash-up. There are many aspects of it I love and many that were lacking in.
It was both haunting and dry. Harrowing and flat.
- 🌷October Wrap-Up || book blogging has given me superspeed reading abilities?? || ft. GIF-y Love #1
Hello fellow bibliophiles! October is going to be over in less than 24 hours 🚀, (I will now intentionally stop myself droning about how fast October went) but it has been an extremely fulfilling month for me! I’ve conquered my end of year exams ✏️ (other students out there still facing it, you can do this! 💪), adjusted to the world of book blogging, interacted with so many new bloggers (love you guys 💞 ) and read more 📚 than my measly amount in September. Today, I bring to you my monthly wrap-up which I had so much fun writing and reflecting… especially with the new format I will be adopting. It wouldn’t only be about books read but also books hauled, quotes, blogging stuff and random life highlights! I have also linked a lot of blogs through this post for you guys to go check out! Let’s begin, shall we? 👇 - 6 books about music that will resonate with you 🎶
Hello bibliophiles! Today, the 27th of October is a special day. Exactly 238 years ago, a musical genius was born. Niccolò Paganini, an Italian virtuosic violinist. He started the violin at 7, started performing at 11 and became on of the greatest composers, having the reputation of composing the hardest and most impossible violin repertoire, which included many insane hand positions (he had an unusually wide hand span), various supersonic speed passages and a huge amount of techniques like left hand pizzicato. His skill was unparalleled to the extent of people thinking he had made a deal with the Devil. - The story behind the genre I don’t read (JSBT #3) || The Black Cat Blue Sea Award
Hello bibliophiles! I hope that this week has been treating you well… any recent favs? As for me, I just went on a big book haul and picked up a lot of books bloggers have been repeatedly reminding me to read! Should I do a post on it? Anyway, today I bring you another Just Some Bibliophilic Things Answer as well as my nomination of The Black Cat Blue Sea Award! Without further ado, let’s jump into the question of the week for JSBT, hosted by Riddhi from Whispering Stories! Click here to see her answer for the week and here to learn more about it. (I’m sorry that I’m a day late but better late than never!) - A Book Related Memory (JSBT #2) || Never Have I Ever Book Tag
Welcome back everyone, how has everything been for you all? Today I’ll be participating in Just Some Bibliophilic Things and another exciting book tag! Without further ado, let’s jump into the question of the week for JSBT, hosted by Riddhi from Whispering Stories! Click here to see her answer for the week and here to learn more about it. This week’s question: One book related memory that you love. Ooh that’s a good one… - Review: We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter | A War Novel of Luck and Family based on a real life story
I haven’t cried over a book in such a long time. But I weeped my way through We Were the Lucky Ones. We Were the Lucky Ones was inspired by Hunter’s own family story and tells of the Kurc family surviving the war, different family members encountering different horrors and troubles: death camps, hiding as gentiles, exile… At a first glance, admittedly it does sound like your typical WW2 historical fiction novel, but let me assure you it is not… - Some thoughts and a check in with you all || My blog turns one month old ❤
Hello everyone! Yes yes the header stole my thunder of announcing this. But let me do it again. MY BLOG TURNS A MONTH OLD TODAY. I am utterly stupefied… - Bookish Fictional Land (JSBT #1) || Finally Fall Book Tag 🍂
Hello bibliophiles! Today you guys are getting 2 in 1! Whooo! 🤪 I am super excited to finally be able to participate in Just Some Bibliophilic Things, a weekly meme on Saturday, created by Riddhi over at Whispering Stories… - Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth | Nah, Hunger Games Supremacy Forever, How is this a Comparable Title?
“I am selfish. I am brave.”
I LOVED The Hunger Games. It was one of those books that roped me into the YA genre and one that has shaped my reading life a lot! And everyone has been squawking: “Oh Divergent is the new Hunger Games!”, “You enjoyed The Hunger Games then read Divergent!” etc.
And so because I just needed more Hunger Games goodness (err that isn’t an appropriate word for killing children but you know what I mean), I picked up Divergent with high expectations. I mean, I could see the obvious similarities of districts & factions and all but I think that is where the similarities ended. I was really disappointed.
- August & September Wrap-Up || first month in blogging!
Today we are 10 months into the new 10 years! This new decade has taken an unprecedented turn but here we are, fellow bibliophiles, surviving it and reading more in turn! ❤📚 But before I welcome the month of October, here’s my wrap-up for August and September. - Get To Know Ya Book Tag!
Hello bibliophiles! How is everything going? Sniffing books? Binge-reading? Trying to organise that never-ending TBR? Ah, that’s the life. I saw this book tag in many blogs and thought I’d try it out as a good way to introduce myself! Let’s not dawdle and just dive right in: favourite book of all time ❤: - Review: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn | An Enthralling War Novel of Female Spies and Revenge
This was an ENTHRALLING read: Female Spies Yes. War novel? Both world wars! Revenge? Mhm. There were so many moments where I held my breath, many where I felt like echoing Eve’s and Lilli’s string of colourful French curses… I stayed up late to finish this and it was so worth it. The Alice Network was a network of female spies during WW1 and this book tells of Eve Gardiner joining the fight against the Germans as a spy. That was in 1915. In 1947, she crosses paths with Charlie St. Clair who is unwed and pregnant (yes you heard right). Both women have their own missions, Charlie’s of seeking the truth and Eve’s of revenge… - Review: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr | A Heart-warming yet Heart-wrenching WW2 novel of Hope and Family AKA My Favourite Book of 2019
“Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.”
One word.
Stunning. I was torn apart by this book.
Anthony Doerr outdid all the historical fictions out there. “All The Light We Cannot See” tells a heartwarming and heart-wrenching tale of how love is still evident even in the midst of war, not a novel concept but one beautifully executed. (translation: A NEW FAV BOOK!!)
- Review: Lovely War (Julie Berry) | A Soulful, Sweeping and Swoon-worthy War Novel narrated by Greek gods
Lovely War stands out with its multiple themes of love, loss and music, and not forgetting its uniquely crafted point of view. Told from the perspective of four Greek Gods: Aphrodite, Apollo, Hades and Ares, it is insanely creative in the way these Gods share their own opinions on the story and also intervene in the affairs of the books like there being a sudden push during intense moments or even them posing as ordinary people…
A Bolt out of the Book 