Audiobook Review: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Salt to the Sea Author: Ruta Sepetys Narrators: Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, & Michael Crouch Publication Date: February 2, 2016Publisher: Philomel Books Add to Goodreads Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets. Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war. As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. Yet not all promises can be kept. Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling...

Thoughts on J.K. Rowling's new Harry Potter "books"

Back in February the world lost its mind when J.K. Rowling announced that she would be releasing The Cursed Child (the new Harry Potter sequel being released as a play in two parts later this year in London) as a book.

Shortly after the original announcement, Rowling clarified that this was not a separate book, but was actually the screenplay itself being published.

Like the rest of the Harry Potter fandom, I was ecstatic over this news! The world has been asking for a new Harry Potter book for YEARS and it seemed that Rowling was (kind of) finally delivering!

When I realized that J.K. Rowling had not actually written the screenplay, but had only collaborated with the writers, I was a little disappointed, but still preordered a copy. After all, I'm not going to be making any trips to London in the near future and I haven't heard any word of The Cursed Child being released on Blu Ray, so my only option is to read it!

The world has also been pretty excited about the upcoming release of the new film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which will be a separate story, but still based within the universe of Harry Potter. Unlike the play, the movie is actually being written by Rowling herself! Of course I can't wait to see it!

On Tuesday we received another piece of information about the expanding Harry Potter universe - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is being released as a book! You may ask, "Isn't it already a book though?" Yes, yes it is.

The Fantastic Beasts film was actually based on a very short book by the same name, which was released in 2001 as a companion to the Harry Potter novels.

"So then what is the new book?" you may wonder. The new Fantastic Beasts book is none other than... the screenplay of the movie. It seems a bit odd for the screenplay of the movie to be released, in my opinion, especially when it's very common for the novelization of a film to be released. But, honestly, who is going to complain about another Harry Potter book, even if it's just a screenplay of a movie we can all see in theaters later this year?

I've seen a mixed reception of this news - some think it's amazing fan service, some think it's a needless cash grab, and some don't care one way or another.

My biggest concern is that the original Fantastic Beasts book may become more and more difficult to find in the wild. Already The Hogwarts Library (a three pack with Fantastic Beasts included) has been removed from Target's website, although it was an easy find as recently as a couple weeks ago. I've heard from others that the original book may be removed from store shelves altogether to make room for the new screenplay and I would find that to be very upsetting. No matter what happens, I'll have my set, which I ordered today just in case!

I'm curious to see what your thoughts are about these new developments in the Harry Potter world! Will you preorder both these books and read them immediately? Do you feel that releasing The Cursed Child script and Fantastic Beasts screenplay was a good move or a bad one?

Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday #98: The Merciless II by Danielle Vega

Happy Wednesday, fellow book lovers! This week's "can't wait to read" is: The Merciless II by Danielle Vega Publication Date: July 5, 2016 Danielle Vega—YA’s answer to Stephen King—once again brings major scares in the spine-tingling sequel to horror hit The Merciless, which MTV calls “Mean Girls meets The Exorcist.” Sofia is still processing the horrific truth of what happened when she and three friends performed an exorcism that spiraled horribly out of control. Ever since that night, Sofia has been haunted by bloody and demonic visions. Her therapist says they’re all in her head, but to Sofia they feel chillingly real. She...

Top Ten Tuesday #93: Delightful bookish products

Today's Topic:   Ten Eight Delightful Bookish Products That I Wouldn't Mind Owning I'll admit, this week's topic stumped me. I didn't know quite what to do with "book worm delights," but the first thing that came to mind was some of the amazing bookish products I've stumbled across on Etsy. Off to Etsy I went! Today I'm bringing you eight of the coolest book-related items I've found that I would LOVE to have (or have already purchased).         Ravenclaw House Crest Pendant Peter Pan Never Grow Up Pendant No Admittance Except on Party Business Doormat    Hogwarts Crest...

Audiobook Review: The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

Title: The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1)  Author: Richelle Mead Narrator: Kristen Sieh Publication Date: April 5, 2016 Publisher: Razorbill Add to Goodreads Big and sweeping, spanning from the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court. Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear...

Weekly Recap: 4/17 - 4/23

My Super Exciting Life  This week was a little less hectic than last (thank goodness) and I was able to get in a bit more reading thanks to some free time and a great audiobook selection at my library! I started off the week with a re-read of A Court of Thorns and Roses in anticipation of A Court of Mist and Fury, which comes out on May 3rd. I had intended to read it slowly in addition to whatever else I was reading in order to stretch it out a couple weeks but... I accidentally binged it. Then I had a terrible book hangover and had an awful time trying to focus on anything else! I believe the only thing that will cure this...

Book Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Title: Not a Drop to Drink (Not a Drop to Drink #1) Author: Mindy McGinnis Publication Date: September 24, 2014 Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Pages: 309 Add to Goodreads Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water. Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all. Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood...

Happy two years to me - blogiversary giveaway!

Where has the time gone?? It seems like only yesterday I decided to start a blog so that my reviews could have a place to live. At the time I had absolutely no idea what I was doing (sometimes I still don't) but I found such an amazing family among the book blogging community that I could not begin to imagine leaving! In honor of two amazing years among all of you, I'd like to take a quick book back some of the posts that have been the most liked here on Cornerfolds over the last two years! Most viewed reviews:  The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson Winter by Marissa Meyer The Story of Her Holding an Orange by Milos Bogetic Hottest...

Waiting on Wednesday #97: A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

Happy Wednesday, fellow book lovers! This week's "can't wait to read" is: A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir Publication Date: August 30, 2016 A Torch Against the Night takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts. In the city of Serra, Helene Aquilla finds herself bound to the will of the Empire’s twisted new leader, Marcus. When her loyalty is questioned,...

Top Ten Tuesday #92: Favorite witty characters

Today's Topic:   Ten Five Books With Witty Male Characters That Made Me Chuckle I knew I was in trouble when I read today's topic, but I didn't realize just how few humorous books I actually read! (Hint: It's basically none.) Instead, I decided to pick my five favorite witty male characters, which were much easier to come by.           Lucien - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas Thorne - Cress by Marissa Meyer Ezra - Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff Freddie - The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan  Sturmhond - Siege...

Book Review: Alight by Scott Sigler

Title: Alight (The Generations Trilogy #2) Author: Scott Sigler Publication Date: April 5, 2016 Publisher: Del Rey Pages: 448 Add to Goodreads Review for book 1 M. Savage—or Em, as she is called—has made a bewildering and ominous discovery. She and the other young people she was chosen to lead awoke in strange coffins with no memory of their names or their pasts. They faced an empty, unknown place of twisting tunnels and human bones. With only one another to depend on, they searched for answers and found the truth about their terrifying fate. Confronted by a monstrous enemy, they vowed never to surrender—and, by any means, to survive. The...

Weekly Recap: 4/10 - 4/16

My Super Exciting Life  I. Am. Exhausted. Wow. This week has been insane. My brother left on Monday evening and from there things got pretty crazy. I got a couple of new dog walking clients recently and it seemed like everyone was gone at once! I spent the entire week with lots of puppies, which my own furbabies were not very happy about... Haha! But I made it through and I believe things may slow down a little for a few days. I definitely need the rest! My birthday was also this week! I turned 28 on Thursday and spent the day with about 9 different dogs, including my own, and also got to meet a friend for lunch. I got several...