I am so so so so excited to have this wonderful person here with us!
Our
Guest Blogger this week is Ashley Townsend!
 |
| yup! That's just for you Ashley 💗 |
One day (feels like forever ago now) I received this random message on my Instagram of a writer asking me if I would like to read her book. I don't often accept e-books but it sounded good, so I made an exception and said yes.
A few days later the new bookish love of my life was dead 😭
I love Ashley.
I hate Ashley.
Both those statements are accurate! 🤣
I am kidding... I obviously love her. But I shall remind her at every opportunity for the rest of our lives that she broke my heart 😄
The book in question on Goodreads: Defying Shadows
Her Favorite read in 2017
was Blacksouls by Nicole Castroman, and Ashley has kindly agreed to
share her review of it here in Glimpses of my Books.
But
before we get to her review, here is a little Q&A with her and
the many ways in which you can go follow her after we are done!
Hi
Ashley!
Tell
us a little bit about you before we go into bookish questions…
Where are you from? Have you always lived there? Provided you don’t
think it is rude, how old are you? What are your hobbies besides
reading? We will not ask for home address and phone number at this
point! 😜
Hey,
there! Thanks so much for having me, Anne! I was born in SoCal and
moved back and forth between the coast and Colorado a lot when I was
younger, though I’m happy to say I’ve been settled back in San
Diego for a decade now. When I’m not reading, I’m writing my own
science fiction novels and killing off fans’ favorite characters .
. . sorry, Anne. You can also find me doing anything in the great
outdoors, baking like a manic in the kitchen, crafting my own cosplay
costumes, or listening to any music I can get my hands (and ears) on.
Though a lady never reveals her age (*cough* 26 *cough cough*), I’m
happy to provide you with my home address! Provided that you’re
willing to bring books, drink coffee, and have a bake-athon with me. --Count me in!--
-
When/What got you into reading?
Books
called to me like the precious from a young age, ever since I
discovered that they could transport me to places I’d never been to
and that I was able to live a thousand different lives through them.
They fascinated me and were my escape pretty much since age five, and
I would read anything within reach, especially mysteries. Eventually
I went through all the books at my local library and had to start
expanding my shelves. When I went through a reading slump, that was
when I turned to writing, and the Rising Shadows trilogy had its
start!
-
We know what your favorite read in 2017 was now, but what were your
top 3 2017 book releases?
Oooooh.
I just finished The Afterlife of Holly Chase in time for Christmas,
and it was such a clever, entertaining, and moving retelling of A
Christmas Carol. Also, I was in a major book-retelling mode this year
(since I’m working on a twisted Tarzan novel right now!), and so I
immediately went out and bought Hunted by Megan Spooner—Beauty and
the Beast, magic, a beautiful story, and all. The. Feeeeels. Kasie
West is my auto-buy author, meaning I will literally pre-order
anything she writes without reading a thing about it, and her latest
release, Lucky in Love, was adorably fabulous. She doesn’t let me
down!
-
Do you have a favorite genre?
Typically,
I gravitate more toward sci-fi or fantasy, and also any type of
classic literature/fairytale retelling (which is basically everything
I write, too. Haha). I love exploring new worlds through the eyes of
another writer and seeing how the environment affects the characters.
And who doesn’t love a fresh take on classic stories?
-
Is there a book you really did not enjoy reading this past year?
Which one? Why?
Umm.
A few. -_- But one that sticks out is Strange the Dreamer. I was so
looking forward to this book because I adore Lani Taylor and just
ended up being so bored and disappointed and confused by the world
and plot. It took me forever to finish it, and I honestly tried so
hard to like it, but this one just wasn’t for me.
--It is always nice to know I am not alone! I didn't hate it, but I certainly didn't see what all the fuss was about. I was bored for most of it--
-
Do you have an all time favorite book or book series?
Oh,
cruel question!!!!! *gathers books together to cover their ears* I
have no favorite children, but
if I had to choose
series in different genres, it would probably be The Mark of the Lion
series by Francine Rivers, The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra
Clare, and The Madman’s Daughter trilogy by Megan Shepherd. This
last series actually had a hand in inspiring my current work in
progress!
--YES!!! TID!!!--
-
How about a favorite author?
Okay,
this is a bit easier. Kasie West is my auto-buy author (I will
blindly follow her anywhere) because she always serves up hilarious
and sweet stories with heart. Nadine Brandes and Francine Rivers are
also amazing
and are writers I will be reading for the rest of my life.
--Confession time: I have only read one book by her and didn't love it. I didn't think it was terrible I just wasn't that excited about it. It was By Your Side.--
-
The bookstagram world has exploded with bookish merch this past year,
are you into any of it? If so, share us some of your favorite
companies. --Our head blogger might hold it against you if you answer
yes and forget the best bookish shop on etsy. Just saying 😜
Heck,
yes, you’re one of my favorites (Etsy)!!!! Since just seeing your bookish
letter for The Night Circus inspired me to buy
the book . . . I think that speaks of your talent and my faith in
you. ^_^ I also really love CreateExploreRead. I’m a total sucker for bookmarks and nerd-merch.
-- Oh no... I hate that book! The Night Circus has a beautiful cover so I am always happy to paint for people but I will never understand why people like the actual book--
-
Last but not least, where else in this big wide web world can we find
you?
I’m
all over Pinterest with my novel inspiration boards and
word-nerdisms, but you can also find me at the links below. I always
love connecting with the bookish community, so feel free to shoot me
a message anytime!
Website:
https://ashley-townsend.com/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/townsendtales/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/townsendtales
The
review:
I
really enjoyed Blackhearts, but BLACKSOULS!!!!!! ^_^ The expansion of
the world and addition of characters were so well done, and I teared
up at the end when Teach lost some of his crew. This story was fun
and exciting, and I loved the fact that the pirate adventure really
began in this book.
And
Teach. *le sigh* I felt like this was really his story, and as much
as I like Anne, I kept waiting until it turned to his perspective. He
is such a fantastic character, fun and protective, engaging,
fascinating, dynamic, and an amazing captain who cares for his crew
and friends. There's also the addition of Captain Easton, who is a
riot! He's basically this fabulously swaggering pirate who is the
perfect Jack Sparrow addition of humor to this story. I just loved
it!
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