Review: A Fatal Likeness by Lynn Shepherd

Title: A Fatal Likeness

Author: Lynn Shepherd

Published by: Delacorte Press

Released: 2013

Summary: Detective Charles Maddox is hired to investigate aspects of Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley's life and finds more than he bargains for.

My Thoughts: So the way I came to this book was a little different. I found it at my library and decided to pick it up because it looked interesting. I enjoy mysteries and historical fiction and this one seemed to fit the bill. Then I came across an article Lynn Shepherd had written. An article that very much rubbed me the wrong way. (article here ). Shepherd pretty much told J.K. Rowling to stop writing adult books because every book she writes sells like hotcakes and pushes other lowly writers works into obscurity. Shepherd then went on to admit that she'd never read anything Rowling had wrote, including Harry Potter, and then went on to put adults reading YA down. It was mainly a sour grapes article that was very irritating to read. So, I was nervous going into this book. I wanted to judge the book by what was inside the pages and not based on the stupid article Shepherd wrote.

In the end, I just thought this book was okay. It was interesting in places, but it wasn't the most amazing, unputdownable book I've ever read and there were definitely things that irritated me.

Irritation #1: The way that the narrator talks directly to the reader in little asides, forays into modern times, and the use of terms and facts that the character's had no way of knowing at the time. It was just a little weird and kind of pulled me out of the flow of the story.

Irritation #2: The way the story dragged at various points. The "mystery" we unravel doesn't really contain all that much excitement or resolution and does cause the story to drag and sort of prolong itself. Also, I don't really think this is a mystery.

Irritation #3: I didn't really like any of the characters. Some were just despicable people and others just thought too much of themselves in their talent and intellect department. Some characters were obnoxiously full of themselves.

Irritation #4: The way the author fictionalized the life of the Shelley's as villains and despicable people. Shepherd took known facts and then wildly invented things about the Shelley's and their life. I don't claim to know anything about the Shelley's, except that Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, or this group of "Romantics" the Shelley's belonged too. This book just kind of messed with my mind and insinuated and accused things of the Shelley's that might not be true. If you're interested in knowing about the Shelley's, then don't start with this book, because Shepherd makes up a majority of things about them that might hamper your views on them. Is Shepherd right in her assumptions? Who knows! Even she really doesn't. It's a dark, make-believe of the Shelley's lives that tries to confuse fact with fiction. It felt like a reporter who writes libel on persons with no ability to defend themselves.

So yeah, this wasn't my favorite book ever. I found parts of it interesting. I would suggest that Shepherd really think things through before writing articles about other authors. And if she's gonna make stuff up, make the whole thing up so people don't have a confused view of historical figures. But what do I know, I'm just a lowly reader.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

Not Blown Away.

Review: I Don't Want To Kill You (John Cleaver #3) by Dan Wells

Title: I Don't Want To Kill You (John Cleaver #3)

Author: Dan Wells

Published by: TOR A Tom Doherty Associates Book

Released: 2011

Summary: John Cleaver called a demon on the phone and challenged it to a fight, so it's no surprise when another killer shows up in Clayton County. John now has to find out who Nobody is before Nobody finds him. John also has to figure out if a sociopath can really feel anything. As much as John has explored evil and death, he must now explore love. In this final installment, we find out just what kind of person John Wayne Cleaver is destined to be.

My Thoughts: I really love this series. It's deliciously creepy, at times very disturbing, and always compelling. John Wayne Cleaver is such a great character to get to know and grow with in these books. Seeing how it all ends and what he's really become was such an enjoyable process. Dan Wells' writing sucks us into the mindset of a teenage sociopath, who goes from scary to noble in the span of these three books. I really enjoyed this ending, and yet, at the same time I didn't want it to end. I could see myself reading about John Cleaver and his work for so many more books. This end gave me a little closure, but definitely left me wanting more.

I really like how John had some humanity and feeling mixed in with his monster hunting tendencies. The relationship came a little out of left field, but I really did enjoy it. It was nice to see John happy.

I also enjoyed the hunting serial killers and other things that go bump in the night aspect to it. It's so creepy and fascinating. One of my questionable guilty pleasures.

The ending kind of tore me apart. I'm glad to see shadows of John's future mapped out, but all the stuff he had to go through made my heart ache for him.

This entire series is creepy and fantastic. For anyone that loves reading about the darker side of human nature, this book series is for you. Get introduced to John Cleaver and grow with him on his journey. Also be prepared for many instances of embalming. 

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Why did this series have to end!?! I want more of John Wayne Cleaver!

Review: Invisible Murder (Nina Borg #2) by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis

Title: Invisible Murder (Nina Borg 2)

Authors: Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis

Translated by: Tara Chace

Published by: SOHO CRIME

Released: 2012

Summary: It all starts when two boys discover something in an abandoned hospital that really shouldn't have been discovered at all. What happens next is a case of crime, terror, and race issues for all involved. Nurse Nina Borg just wants to help some sick Roma children suffering from a mysterious ailment, but she gets sucked into something bigger than she could have ever imagined.

My Thoughts: This is another one of those Swedish/Danish/Nordic crime mysteries that I've been loving lately. Although, I did manage to do something stupid (again!) and pick up the second book in the series. That's okay though, because I don't think you necessarily have to read the first book to understand the story in this one.

This book was just an okay read for me. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. The first half of the book was really slow and jumped around from character to character. I knew their stories would merge at some point, but it felt like it took forever to do so. Also, the crime aspect of the book didn't kick in until a good chunk into the book. I guess I just figured that with a title like 'Invisible Murder,' there would be a murder to begin the story.

This story also covered a lot of issues. There was racism, terrorism, sex trafficking, kidnapping, chemical weapons, just soooo many things. It was hard keeping up with everything. Once everything came together, it was a very enjoyable read. The ending was a little depressing though, it seemed like none of the characters really ended up happy or that their lives were better off.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It wasn't my favorite Nordic crime fiction that I've ever read, but it was good. None of the characters really stood out to me as favorites and some of them felt sort of thrown away in the end. If you're a fan of Nordic crime fiction, then give this one a shot. Just be warned that the beginning is a slow one.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

Just an okay, Nordic crime read.

Review: Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed (Unearthly #2)

Author: Cynthia Hand

Published by: HarperTEEN

Released: 2012

Summary: In this second book in the Unearthly Trilogy, Clara has to deal with being a half-angel who has failed at her purpose. After the events of the last year, Clara is uncertain as to what this year has to offer. Is there a punishment for failing at your divine purpose? Clara then starts getting another vision, one that involves a graveyard, black shoes, and an all-consuming feeling of sorrow. It seems someone in Clara's life is going to pass on from this life. Clara also has to juggle two boys, Christian and Tucker, as they fight for her affection. Two boys who each offer something different to Clara. Who knew being a half-angel could be so complicated?

My Thoughts: I remember reading Unearthly and really enjoying it. The half-angels, divine purposes, and two hot boys. I was very excited to go into Hallowed, to find out just what was going to happen to Clara next.

This book was just very depressing for me, I guess the blue cover suits it well. This book has a death in it that takes up the majority of the story. The whole story is pretty much focused on death and sorrow and it was just sort of depressing to read about. Also, the person who died is someone that I don't want to think about dying, not the character as much as the role he/she has. It was just a downer kind of a book and I don't like thinking about those things or dwelling on them. I guess sad books aren't my first go to for reading pleasure.

Also this romance, love triangle thing was a little blah. I understood the two sides and I felt bad for the situation she is in. In Unearthly, I was firmly Team Tucker, just because he's such a genuine, nice guy. In this book, Tucker doesn't get a lot of scene time and his awesomeness is just kind of replaced with mushy kiss scenes. I think I know which way Clara's heart will go and I kinda understand it. I think Tucker is going to be heartbroken, but maybe staying with Clara would hurt him more in the long run. Tucker is still an awesome guy though!

All in all, this book was just an okay read. It was majorly sad and depressing which made it not the most fun story to read. I really can't wait to see what happens in the last book and what happens with Jeffrey. I think Jeffrey is hiding some secrets. For those of you that haven't read Unearthly, go do it! This is an enjoyable YA series with beautiful covers.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

Sad. Be sure to have a box of tissues handy.

Reading Right Now! (#16)

Here's what I'm Reading Right Now!

Title: House Of Leaves

Author: Mark Z. Danielewski

Progress: This one is a little difficult to say, because this is a very different book. I just finished the introduction to the story, so I'm probably less than 1% done with the book. Just to clarify, it's a huge book at 709 pages.

So what I'm Reading Right Now! is a book I've heard about and had my eye on for awhile. I requested it from my library through the consortium/inter-library loan program. I don't really know a lot about this book either. I do know that it's supposed to be very stylistically and differently written. It's supposed to be a horror/mess with your mind book. And a lot of people either really like it or aren't impressed by it. I don't think there is very much middle of the road when it comes to this one. All the synopsis really mentions is that a couple buys a house and the house is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. It also says something about their children coming back with stories of some kind of beast. So I'm interested. The book is sort of told in a way that sets out to make it look real, but all the text and authors mentioned are fictitious. I just finished the introduction written by Johnny Truant and I'm definitely curious. Truant starts by explaining how messed up he is and talking about the death of Zampano that started it all. I can't really say much about this book because I just started it and am really in the dark. I can't wait to read this sucker and see just what I think of it. I'm also a little scared that it could scar me for life. In one of the praise blurbs, they mentioned being scared of their closet after reading it. I hope that doesn't happen to me because I don't want to be afraid of my closet. So that's it for what I'm Reading Right Now! Let me know what you're reading and let me know if you've read House of Leaves and what you thought of it!

Top 5 Wednesday! Top 5 Books I'd Recommend for Halloween

Oh Halloween, one of the most fun holidays of the year. It's a time for ghouls, goblins, monsters, and candy! I will admit to loving reading horror and scary books all year, but Halloween gives the perfect excuse to pick up something scary. So this Top 5 Wednesday is all about books that I'd recommend for Halloween and I'm happy to oblige. Here are some Top 5 Halloween Reads in no particular order.

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood

Author: Kendare Blake

When one thinks of Halloween, one thinks of ghosts and this book is perfect for that. In fact, the cover pretty much screams Halloween. This is also a great book for people that love the show Supernatural. We are with this kid named Cas who hunts ghosts for a living as his family profession. Cas starts to hear rumors of a house that no one comes out of alive, a house haunted by a ghost of a girl named Anna, who still wears the bloody dress she died in. This book is perfect for Halloween because is has a creepy, haunted house, a ghost, a cool ghost hunter, and a whole bunch of gore. Loved this book and it's perfect for Halloween.

Title: The Monstrumologist

Author: Rick Yancey

This book was one that really grew on me as I read it. In the beginning, I thought this is going to be lame. The monsters at first reminded me of the Looney Tunes Monster. Here he is :)

And I never really found the Looney Tunes Monster to be all that scary. I think his name was George. But as the book went on, the monsters became TERRIFYING!! They ate people, they had razor sharp teeth, and they would pop out of the ground with no warning and kill everybody! Also the atmosphere of the book was really creepy. There was a little humor in the book too, with a sort of mad scientist professor and an orphan named Will Henry under his care. If you want a book that will grow on you and the scare comes more gradually, then definitely pick this one up. It is great for Halloween and I can't wait to finish the rest of the series.

Title: I Hunt Killers

Author: Barry Lyga

This one makes my Halloween list just because it is so darn creepy! While reading this at night, I had trouble going to sleep. I would hear creaks and noises and automatically think that a killer was in the house. This book deals with the son of a serial killer and his struggles to separate himself from his father and his fears that he will turn out like his father. Then some murders start happening around his hometown and it resembles his imprisoned father's crimes a lot. Jasper decides that he must catch the killer and hope that he never becomes one. If you want chills, over the top creepy, and looking over your shoulder in fear every 10 minutes, then go ahead and read this one. There is a tremendous cliff hanger at the end, which is why I'm waiting for the third book to come out so I can finish the series without having to drive myself crazy with the waiting. 

Title: I Am Not A Serial Killer

Author: Dan Wells

So yeah, another serial killer book, don't judge me. This is also a creepy, great Halloween read. In this book, our main character John Wayne Cleaver is a sociopath. He works in the family funeral home and loves being with the recently deceased. John also has many fantasies of killing people. He has steps and rules that he follows to stop himself from having the urge to actually kill anyone. Then some pretty messed up murders start happening in his town. Victims are ripped apart. John decides that he's going to hunt the killer and discovers more than he every imagined. I love this book and I love this whole series. John Wayne Cleaver is probably one of the creepiest characters I've ever come across. While reading, you are in John's head and you don't really want to think like John Cleaver. If you want to be creeped out, then go ahead and read this series. Don't say I didn't warn you though.

Title: The First Days

Author: Rhiannon Frater

ZOMBIESSSS!!! You know I had to put at least one zombie book in here and I thought I'd put in one of my favorites. Zombies are kind of a Halloween staple. The scary factor about them is not just the flesh eating, undead monster, but the vision of the end of the world and humanity struggling to survive. This is the start to one of my favorite zombie series. It's full of action, death, and zombies. This is a zombie book that should definitely be on your list to read.

So that's it, that's my Top 5 Recommended Halloween Reads. I hope you found something deliciously scary to sink your teeth into. Tell me what books you love for Halloween. I'm always excited to add another scary read to my TBR. If you want to take part in Top 5 Wednesday for yourself, then go ahead! It's full of fun topics to discuss every Wednesday. Here's the list of all the Top 5 Wednesday-ers!

Review of: Night Film By Marisha Pessl

Title: Night Film

Author: Marisha Pessl

Published by: Random House

Released: 2013

Summary: Stanilas Cordova has fascinated Scott McGrath for many years. Five years ago, McGrath set out to uncover the secrets of Cordova and thanks to a mysterious source, Scott finally thought he had something to go on. Using the information from the mysterious source, McGrath makes a claim about Cordova that gets him in trouble. Five years later McGrath has lost his job and his family, so he decides to forget about Cordova. Then Cordova's daughter is found dead of an apparent suicide and McGrath is sucked into the Cordova web once again. McGrath, with the help of two other people, set out to investigate Ashley Cordova and are shocked by what they find. Cordova is hiding more secrets than anyone could imagine, secrets that might be too dark to ever see the light of day.

My Thoughts: I first just want to point out that this is a beautifully designed book which is one of the first things that drew me to it. I love a book that incorporates pictures and documents because the story becomes more real and takes on a life of its own. Night Film felt more like a movie than a book. I felt like I was experiencing a movie rather than reading. I loved the story, the characters, really everything about this book. Entering the world of Cordova was so creepy and fun and you don't know what twist or turn was going to happen next.

I really enjoyed our band of intrepid investigators, Scott, Nora, and Hopper. I thought they made a good team and were just different enough to compliment each other.

I really loved the story as well. Being along on the journey to uncover the secrets of Ashley Cordova and her father was a ton of fun and went in some very different directions than I was expecting.

At times, it felt a little long and a little low on the action, but it was always interesting enough to keep me reading.

That ending though! It definitely left me wanting a real conclusion and I didn't really get it. I want to know what happens to Scott McGrath. The ending sort of reminded me of a Cordova film. Night Film is definitely a good book and I highly suggest you read it!

BOOKCITEMENT 4.5/5

Uncovering Cordova's secrets couldn't be more fun!

Review: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Title: I Hunt Killers

Author: Barry Lyga

Published by: Little, Brown and Company

Released: 2012

Summary: Lobos Nod is famous for being home to the notorious serial killer Billy Dent who had victims in the triple digits. The Billy Dent slipped up, was caught, and sent to prison. These days, Lobos Nod is still home to a Dent, Billy's son Jazz. Jazz wishes he could be a normal kid, but with a legacy like Billy's hanging over you, it's impossible. When a batch of new murders pop up in Lobo's Nod, everyone is on edge, Jazz especially. Jazz knows that with these new killings, attention will return once again to Billy and to him. Jazz decides to track the killer down for himself, but struggles with doing it for good or just for the chance to redeem himself.

My Thoughts: This book creeped me out! I enjoyed Jazz, Howie, Connie, and G. William as they rushed to catch a killer and I loved the guessing game of who-done-it. But this had to be one of the creepiest, most disturbing, scary YA books I've read yet. There were a couple of nights that I would put the book down and be afraid to go to sleep. I would hear noises outside and then be afraid that a killer was right outside my window. If you want to freak yourself out, then go ahead and read this at night, but if you scare easily, then stick to daytime reading. 

I liked Jazz. The struggle that he was going through felt so real. Is he destined to end up like Billy or is he destined to do good things in the world? Also having Billy's voice in his head and nightmares was just plain scary. I think Jazz characterized what it really must be like to be the child of a notorious killer. Super super creepy.

I really liked Howie and Jazz's friendship with him. Howie offered a bit of light to a very dark story.

I wasn't blown away by the relationship Jazz and Connie shared. I just felt like the chemistry wasn't really there. I also really thought Connie would end up on the victim list eventually.

And that ending!! Why do that to me when I don't have the second book nearby? I have to know what happens next.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I was very creeped out through most of it and enjoyed the mystery aspect. If you want a good scare, then pick up this book.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Be afraid, be very afraid cause Billy Dent is terrifying

Reading Right Now! (#15)

Title: Shadowlark (Skylark #2)

Author: Meagan Spooner

I'm on page 123 of 327 so that makes me 38% done with the book.

I just finished the first book, so I decided to jump right in to the second one. My main reason for doing that wasn't necessarily because of an undying love for the series, but rather because I checked this book out from my library through an inter-library loan, so returning it and then checking it back out would have been a teeny tiny bit of a hassle and wait. At the ending of the first book, I was a little intrigued as to what was going to happen next.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't love the first book. I just thought it was an average read with a main character that was annoying at times. This second book is so far slightly better than the first. The reader is still with Lark as she journeys through the wilderness, tries to understand her powers, and tries to find her brother. Lark still manages to annoy me at various points in the story. The new place they are in is interesting, so I'm curious as to what's going to happen there. Also I'm curious as to what is going to happen with Oren. I do like Oren and want things to work out for him.

So yeah, I really don't have that much more to say. So far I'm thinking it is just going to be an average series, average read. The world, while confusing, is sometimes interesting. I still want to know more about these past wars and how they managed to destroy the world.

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! Are you reading anything good? Do you have any suggestions for what I should be reading? Let me know in the comments below.

Review: Death Note Black Edition Volume I by Tsugumi Ohba

Title: Death Note Black Edition Volume I

Author: Tsugumi Ohba

Art by: Takeshi Obata

Published by: VIZ Medai, LLC

Released: 2003, 2010, 2011

Summary: Light Yagami is a top of his class high school student who one day stumbles upon a DeathNote dropped by a Shinigami, (Death god) Ryuk. With this Death Note, Light can kill people just by writing down their name and picturing their face. So what does a normal high school student do with this power? He kills people, lots and lots of people, and sets in to motion one of the biggest manhunts Japan has ever witnessed. Is Light Good? Bad? and will he ever be caught? Read the manga and find out.

My Thoughts: I was extremely curious about this series because of all the awesome stuff I've heard about it. Many of my booktube friends have read the series and loved it, so when I saw the first volume for cheap, I decided to pick it up and give it a try. At the beginning, I wasn't sure that I would love it, but as I got farther and read on, I just couldn't put it down.

Light is so twisted in how he categorizes good and evil and who he decides to kill. It's also interesting how he doesn't see himself as evil or bad when he's going around murdering everybody and then enjoying the game of his manhunt. It's also interesting to see him go from killing criminals only, to killing the good guys in the world. Light is super twisted and it'll be interesting to see how far he can go before he's caught. The shinigami, Ryuk adds a nice bit of comic relief, even though he's not that pretty to look at.

I'm really enjoying the story and I'll be interested to see how it all works out. Hopefully I can pick up more books in the series soon. This is a fun manga and I highly recommend it.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Death Notes be scary, especially when Light Yagami has one

Reading Right Now! (#14)

Title: Skylark

Author: Meagan Spooner

I'm on page 182 of 344 which makes me about 53% done.

What I'm Reading Right Now! is Skylark by Meagan Spooner. I picked this book up through my library after reading and loving These Broken Stars. These Broken Stars was written by the author duo of Aimee Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Since I absolutely loved These Broken Stars, I decided to check out any other works/books that the authors' had written.

This book is the first in a trilogy and centers around a girl named Lark. Lark lives in this domed city, sealed off from the outside world by magic. The rest of the world has been destroyed by some past wars and all the remaining citizens live in these dome shaped cities. The cities are powered by magic that is carried in all children. Children are called to be Harvested, stripped of their power to fuel the city and then assigned to jobs in the city. Being harvested is the passage to adulthood. Lark is impatiently waiting. At 16, she is one of the oldest people to have not been harvested. Finally her day comes when she is taken to the Institute to be harvested of her powers. But what should be a quick procedure turns into a nightmare when Lark learns that she is a Renewable and her power never completely goes away. The city plans keep her captive and strip her power from her again and again. Seeing that as a fate worse than death, Lark plans to escape the city and try to survive in the wasteland outside of it.

So I'm about halfway through this book and so far it is just a ho-hum, average read. I'm having a hard time really getting into the world that Spooner has created. Sometimes I'm like, oh this is interesting and cool, and then a man eating tree will come along and the randomness of it will just pull me out again. Also, I'm not sure that I'm really liking Lark as a main character. She's kind of getting on my nerves. She is scared of everything, like the sky and the rain, and I just want to tell her to get over it.

I do have the second book in the series checked out as well, so I'm probably going to end up reading that. 

Unless something super stupendous and awesome happens, I don't think I'm going to end up loving this book. So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! Let me know what you're reading and if you're enjoying it or not.

Review: Plagued The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment by Better Hero Army

Title: Plagued: The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment

Author: Better Hero Army

Published by: Better Hero Army

Released: July 6, 2013

Summary: Tom has lived in guilt ever since that fateful night when the zombies rose. His sister was only out of his sight for mere seconds, but that was long enough for Larissa to get bit and be lost to the zombie curse. He and his older brother have been tasked with returning to the zombie states year after year to find their sister and get her home.

While on Biter's Hill, Tom comes in to contact with a half-breed. She's not fully zombie, but not fully human either. She fascinates Tom. When Biter's Hill gets overrun by zombies, Tom and his brother are separated. Tom must try to survive until help can arrive.

My Thoughts: I received this book to review from Better Hero Army and I want to thank them for the opportunity to read it. I love a good zombie tale, and this one was pretty darn good. It had an interesting world set up that I enjoyed reading. Some territory had been abandoned to the zombies and it was this territory that our two brothers ended up venturing to. Zombies can be made non-contagious in this world and are captured and bought and sold as slave labor. There are also half-breeds in this world, which are neither human or zombie. Just some really interesting kind of nuances to add to the genre.

I really enjoyed the struggle for survival and trip to Midamerica. I enjoyed most of the characters in the book too. Not all of them were developed as much as they could have been, but I kinda liked Peske. Tom as a main character was all right, sometimes he just felt kind of flat to me.

All in all, a quick and enjoyable zombie yarn. I'm so excited I got the chance to read and review it. If you love anything and everything zombie, then go pick this one up. It has enough action, suspense, and intrigue to keep reading until the last page.

**Look out for my review on Book 2 in the series in the near future**

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Zombie-licious

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Female Characters!

Time for another Top 5 Wednesday and this weeks topic is Top 5 Female Characters. I interpreted this as Top 5 strong/kick-ass female characters. I don't know why my mind went there, but it did. So these were the top female characters that came to my mind. They are tough, kick-ass, and just all together awesome female characters. I have read all the books they are in (except for one. I haven't read Hunger Games yet. Please don't kill me, it is on my to do list.) So here are some of my favorite tough girls from books in no real particular order.

1. Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games

 

Katniss Everdeen is a duh on this list. When one thinks of tough, kick-ass female characters, she has to be one of the first girls that comes to mind. Now sadly, I haven't actually read The Hunger Games. Why haven't I read them? I really don't have a good excuse. I have this slightly hipster thing going on where I don't want to read something just because it has suddenly gotten popular. I want to read it before it is popular, so I can brag and say, "Oh yeah, I've already read that." I know, shameful. I will read the books one day though because the movies have made me really want to read them. Katniss Everdeen is super tough and super awesome! She is great with a bow and arrow and because of her I got myself a bow and arrow. I wish I was as good of a shot as Katniss. Also, she survived the Hunger Games!! And lets be honest, I would have died in the first few minutes of the games. I would have been like that little curly headed kid in the movies, scared, afraid, and Dead Dead Dead.

2. Hermione Granger from The Harry Potter Series

 

Hermione Granger makes this list because of her bravery, which is probably why she made it into Gryffindor. She knows more insanely useful magical tricks then anyone I know. Dumbledore could know more, but for a young witch, she knows soooo much stuff. Yes, sometimes Hermione can be annoying and a bit of a know-it-all, but without her Harry and Ron would have been dead so many books ago. Hermione always stands by her friends and is determined to save the world from those who seek to destroy it. Hermione definitely deserves a place on this list.

3. Luna Lovegood also from the Harry Potter Series

 

Luna Lovegood could sound a little out there, but she is on this list for reasons that I will explain. First, I must say that Luna has to be one of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter series and I wish she could have been in all the books. Luna exhibits a lot of bravery and shows a lot of loyalty to people important to her. Luna is also not afraid to be herself no matter what other people think, that is one of the things I love about her and really strive to be for myself. Luna earns a spot on this list because she is awesome!

4. Allison Sekemoto from The Immortal Rules Series

 

Allison Sekemoto from Julie Kagawa's Immortal Rules is one of the toughest, fiercest, most dangerous, kick-ass female characters I know. Well, I don't know her, but of characters from books I've read, she is the fiercest. I've only read the first book in the series and I loved it. I need to read the rest soon. Allison lives in such a screwed up dangerous world and she manages to survive and wield an awesomely dangerous weapon. You do not want to mess with Ali, cause if you get on her bad side, then you are probably dead.

5. Dekka from The Gone Series

 

I almost forgot about Dekka when making this list, but when looking back on books I've read and thinking about tough female characters, I realized that Dekka was my missing piece for this list. For those of you that don't know who Dekka is, she makes her appearance in mid to later books in the Gone Series. And if you have no idea what The Gone Series is, you need to remedy that right away. I love the Gone Series so so much. Dekka is a mutant freak and I say that with so much love. Dekka has the power to cancel gravity and she uses that power to team up with Sam and save the kids numerous times in the FAYZ. Dekka is tough. She's not really a friend that one can giggle and laugh with, she has a hard shell that friends have to work to break through.Once you do break through that shell though, Dekka is brave, loyal, and awesome. Dekka is totally deserving of a spot on this list.

So those are my Top 5 Female Characters. Do you agree or disagree with the girls on my list? Did I overlook an awesome female character? Let me know! Top 5 Wednesday is a thing that happens every Wednesday. People with any kind of social media can join in the fun. Here's a link to the rest of the Top 5 Wednesday-ers! 

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Terrible Covers

I figure since it is still Wednesday, I can still do this post. This week's topic is Top 5 Terrible Covers, a fun one to be sure. Everybody has those covers that they hate, that they think are ugly, and can't understand why the book designers designed such an abomination. Let's be honest, hating on things can be fun! So here are my Top 5 Terrible Covers in no real particular order.

Title: Shades of Earth

Author: Beth Revis

Probably one of the worst ideas for a cover change in history. You'll probably notice as you scroll down this post, that a lot of the books I picked have suffered from unfortunate cover changes. This one has to be one of the worst. The first two books in the series had beautiful covers, and then someone had the bright idea to change it to this! And have it be the last book as well with a totally different cover! I haven't read the series yet, and I know a lot of those glass half full people will say that these new covers really capture what's happening in the books. I don't really care. It is an ugly cover. Just blah. I will read the series though, but bad bad cover change.

Title: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

This is another cover change, and a lot of people tend to like this cover change decision. To be honest, I didn't think the original cover of this book was that great either. What makes this a terrible cover for me is the eyes. Eyeballs kind of creep me out when they are on covers. And when you think about it, eyes really aren't that beautiful of an image. Especially just one eyeball with weird eyelashes and an overabundance of water. I sometimes feel like the eyes on book covers are following me. I just don't like eyes on covers, which is why I don't like these covers. The color scheme is alright, but I's don't like the eyes.

Title: Vampire Academy

Author: Richelle Mead

These covers have been unfortunate looking from the start. There is always something about sticking a random close up of a face on a cover that usually doesn't spell beautiful. I will say that the designers did stick with a cover idea and carry on with it until the last book, so bravo for that. I've never been a real fan of these covers and I don't think they've ever really tried to make them look better or fix them. The girl on the cover really reminds me of a Laura Croft/Angelina Jolie. Does anybody else see it? I still need to finish this series. I've read the first book and need to get on with the others.

Title: Bloodlines

Author: Richelle Mead

This makes my terrible covers list for the same reasons the book above did, I just don't have a thing for random girl faces on a cover. I love the typography and the swirly swirls on her face, but I don't like the weird profile shots of her and the boy. I think on the shelf, this series looks fantastic because the spines are beautiful. But the fronts are half terrible. If they had just went with the typography and the swirls, it would have been A+, but throw in random, closeup human faces, and it becomes terrible.

Title: Nightshade

Author: Andrea Cremer

This is another book that got a terrible cover change midway through the series. The cover for the first book was beautiful, and then they decided to go with this. First thing wrong, random girl profile. The idea they were going for with the wolf thing was kinda cool, but it didn't work itself out into anything spectacular. Just stop with the random girl faces.

So that's it for this weeks Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Terrible Covers. What book covers do you think are the most terrible? I'd love to know. Here's a complete list of all the Top 5 Wednesdayers if you wanna check them out and join in on the fun.

Reading Right Now! ( #13)

Title: Her Dark Curiosity

Author: Megan Shepherd

I am on page 63 of 420 pages, which makes me 15% through the book.

Here's what I'm Reading Right Now for this week: Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd. Yayy! I loved loved loved the first book in the series (The Madman's Daughter,) so I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel. For those of you who haven't read the first book, I'm not going to spoil it for you. In this book Juliet is back in London trying to forget everything that happened on the island. Then London is plagued by a killer who's calling card is a flower dipped in blood and deep slashes in all the victims chests. Juliet thinks she has an idea who the killer is and now just has to catch them before it is too late.

I'm really enjoying this sequel so far. I loved the first one and recommend it to everyone who hasn't read it yet. So if you haven't read it yet, go pick it up NOW! This series is so creepy and atmospheric. It is a perfect Halloween read cause it has all the chills and thrills. 

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! and probably what I'll be reading for a little while longer. Tell me what you are Reading Right Now! in the comments below, cause I always do like to know.

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Non YA Books

So here's a fun category for this weeks Top 5, my Top 5 Non YA Books. This topic wasn't too hard for me, because I like to read all kinds of books, not just YA. This Top 5 will be adult books that I have loved and enjoyed from all time and as recently as 2014. So here's my Top 5 in no real particular order.

Title Confessions of a Shopaholic

Author: Sophie Kinsella

I love anything Sophie Kinsella. If you want a great chick lit, laugh-out-loud, romantic book, then Kinsella is the one to turn to. I've read most of her Confessions of a Shopaholic series and some of her other novels and have loved them all. Her writing and the situations she comes up with for her characters actually makes me laugh out loud. That might not sound like much to you, but it is rare for me to really laugh out loud while reading a book. I'll find situations funny inside my head, but LOL's are a rare thing for me. So yeah, I love Sophie Kinsella. Any book by her is going to be great.

Title: Vicious

Author: V.E. Schwab

This has been in so many posts, but I can't help it cause I love it. Anti-Heroes!!! Super Powers!! Victor!!! I'm not gonna say a lot because I've already gushed about this one enough. If you haven't read it yet, Go... NOW!! You won't be disappointed.

Title: Night Film

Author: Marisha Pessl

I believe I've talked about this one before too, but I'll talk about it again. This book was one of the most addicting books I've read in a long time. It didn't really feel like a book, but more like a weird movie that I just couldn't turn away from. I loved the incorporation of pictures and files and extra bits of fun that was sprinkled all throughout the text. The ending might not have been exactly what I wanted, but I enjoyed every moment while reading this one.

Title: The First Days

By: Rhiannon Frater

One word, Zombies. Do I need to say more? So, it is no surprise that I have a love for any and all things zombie. Hello Walking Dead? So I devour anything zombie I can get my hands on (haha I made a sort of pun or something there. If you didn't get it then it is understandable because it was probably a bad pun. Probably wasn't even a pun. I should probably look up the word pun and see what it means.) I fell in love with this book. From the first page I was hooked. It's all about being right there as the zombie apocalypse starts to happen and the struggle for survival. It's not so much the zombies that I end up loving, but the story of how people struggle to survive in such harsh conditions. I also like how this is not one of those zombie books that tries to change my view of zombies from monster to human being that shouldn't be killed. In my mind, once a person succumbs to the zombie bite and dies their first death, their reanimation as zombie doesn't make them human anymore. They are forever altered, forever changes, and beyond coming back. The cure is not gonna happen for them. They only way to deal with them is to put them out permanently and try to rebuild the world. I'm always happy to read zombie tales that try and go a different way though. Anyway, all you need to know is this is an awesome zombie book and start to a great series.

Title: The Six Gun Tarot

Author: R.S. Belcher

This one is kind of my wild card pick I guess. I read it this year (2014) and the story was so strange and fun. I picked this book up mainly cause the cover caught my eye. One thing that I think the library is especially good for is picking up and trying books that you would never take the chance of buying. Sometimes you discover something really cool and this book was something fun and unexpected. So judging books by their covers isn't a bad thing at all. Oh and details Western, a sheriff that doesn't die, a deputy that's more animal than man, and a strange jade eye.

So those are my Top 5 Non YA Books. Some of these choices were my favorites and others I just really enjoyed. These are some books that have really stuck in my mind because of their awesomeness. Sometimes venturing out of the YA bubble can be fun. I encourage reading whatever you want and maybe experimenting and having a mix of books in your life. 

If you want to do your own Top 5 Wednesday, then you definitely should. Here's the link to the goodreads group

Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Title: These Broken Stars (#1)

Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Published by: Disney Hyperion

Released: 2013

Summary: Lilac and Tarver come from two different worlds. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe, while Tarver comes from a modest family and has become a highly decorated military officer. They are traveling on the Icarus, the biggest luxury spaceship in the galaxy. When Tarver and Lilac meet, the attraction is instant, but there is no hope for any romance to bloom. Then the unthinkable happens, the Icarus crashes. Lilac and Tarver are the only survivors on an uninhabited planet. They must work together to survive, but there might be more to this planet than meets the eye. A breathtaking space saga that is a great start to a new series.

My Thoughts: 5 stars! Loved it, loved it so much. I've really been into space books lately, and this one was just fantastic. 

I loved Tarver right from the start. He was such a dependable, honorable guy and I wanted the best for him.

Lilac was an interesting character in that I grew to like her. In the beginning, she seemed to be a mean little rich girl, but as the story progressed, she grew and changed and became a person that was worthy of Tarver's affection.

I really loved the background and setting of the story. The Titanic-like Icarus, the vaguely Victorian time period, and just the mystery and suspense of this strange, uninhabited planet.

I also really enjoyed the survival aspect to the story and the love that develops between the characters. The mystery of the story kept me intrigued and reading until the end.

I did feel like I read this book kind of slowly, but I think that was more me than something being lacking in the book.

So, I loved this book. Loved the space, survival, mystery, love thing that was going on throughout it. I really came to like both of the characters and rooted for them. There was also some twists that really surprised me. I can't wait to read more in this series. Kaufman and Spooner made a great team and created a beautiful space epic. I'm definitely gonna recommend this book to as many people as possible.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 5/5

Out of This World Good!

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

Published by: Quirk Books

Released: 2011

Summary: Jacob has grown up listening to his grandfather's fantastic stories of a mysterious island, an orphanage, and a group of very peculiar children. As Jacob grows older, his grandpa's stories start to become more fiction than reality. The monsters Abe claims to see are thought to be just hallucinations of an old man. Then Jacob's grandfather dies in a mysterious manner and Jacob sees something that can't be real. Jacob is heartbroken, confused, and scared. As a form of therapy, Jacob decides to visit the island of his grandfather's youth. On the island, Jacob discovers things that lead him to believe that his grandfather was telling the truth all along and that the peculiar children might be the least of his worries.

My Thoughts: This book has been sitting on my shelf for quite awhile being neglected and all that stuff. Because of my library addiction, I tend to focus just on reading library books and not the books that I actually own and keep on buying. My friend Ali suggested that we read this book together and I'm glad she did. Ali has a youtube channel and I highly recommend checking her out because she is one of my favorite people!  ( https://www.youtube.com/user/alisonmurfitt ). I enjoyed every second of this book. The premise was cool with all the peculiar children, they mysterious island, the monsters, the grandfather's secrets, and Jacob's role in the whole thing. 

I also loved the design of this book. Quirk did an awesome job at making a pretty book. It felt like a book I actually could have picked up and flipped through in Miss Peregrine's library. And also, the pictures! Those awesomely creepy, sometimes disturbing pictures that were incorporated in the book. They added a little something extra to the story and it just made it all the more interesting to know that they were real pictures of real people and places. I do feel that there was one opportunity missed, and that was including a picture of Miss Peregrine's Home. I would have loved that.

I really enjoyed this story and can't wait to continue on to the next book. This is a book that deserves all the hype that it gets and I highly suggest you go read it. It won't disappoint.

One thing I don't know about is the relationship between Emma and Jacob. It just feels slightly wrong and a little icky. Great book though.

                         BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

Climb aboard and let's go to an island filled with Peculiar Children!

Reading Right Now! (#12)

Title: The Program

Author: Suzanne Young

Progress: Page 199 of 405 which makes me 49% finished

So long time no see again. I know I am a horrible person with this blog. My excuse this time is a crazy, homework filled, summer class that I am finally finished with, Yayy! I'm not going to make any promises with this blog, because I always seem to break them and disappoint myself. I'll update this blog on my own time, when I feel like it, because really no one is forcing me to do this blog or these reviews. This is something I do for fun and I want to keep having fun doing it. If this starts feeling like a job or something I'm forced to do, then the fun feeling goes away and I don't want that to happen. So, I will try to update this blog whenever I can or whenever I want to and I hope that's okay with everybody :)

So this week, I'm reading The Program by Suzanne Young. I had planned on reading this book with friends, but I didn't get around to reading it when they were reading it. For shame on me. I have one friend (Kristina from youtube at ThePrincessGummyBear, go check her out she's awesome!) who loved this book. My friends Ke-sha (theforsaken707) and Alyssa ( from ACReads, she might have changed her name, I'm not to sure on that) only thought it was an okay read. Oh and their channels are awesome too, so go check them out as well!

This book is about a world where teen suicide is an epidemic and society has gone to great lengths to prevent more teen deaths. Any teen that shows symptoms of depression or signs of suicide, is taken from their friends and family and entered into The Program. The Program treats these kids by wiping their memories and releasing them back to their families. The main character Sloane and her boyfriend James believe The Program is a fate worse than death. When Sloane's life starts falling apart around her, she is taken into The Program and what happens next is something you'll have to read to find out. No really, I don't know what happens next because I haven't gotten that far yet.

So far, I'm enjoying this book but not absolutely loving it. Suzanne Young's writing is really good and pulls me into the story. The premise is interesting and I'm excited to learn more about it. The book does have a depressive feel about it which makes sense because it's about teen suicide. The only thing that makes me scratch my head is just why suicide has become such an epidemic? It's not really explained and I think that kind of hurts the story. It doesn't really make sense for all these teens to just decide to end their lives on their own, so I would think that there would need to be a more significant reason for it. But I am enjoying the story. Definitely.

So that's it for what I'm Reading Right Now! Share what you are reading in the comments.

Review: Deadline (Newsflesh #2) by Mira Grant

Title: Deadline (Newsflesh #2)

Author: Mira Grant

Published by: Orbit Books/ Hachette Book Group

Released: 2011

Summary: After the catastrophic events of last year, The After The End Times blog/news site is trying to deal and come back from the tragedy that befell them. Shaun Mason has lost the edge that makes him a good Irwin. He has now been put in charge of the site and really doesn't know what to do. When someone starts targeting the headquarters and the staff, Shaun knows he's on to something big, something that affects the whole pre-rising world, and it's up to him and his staff to uncover the truth.

My Thoughts: I read Feed a couple of years ago and although I didn't love it, I did want to continue on with the series. I was excited to pick up Deadline and couldn't wait to get back into this zombie world. Unfortunately, I really didn't end up enjoying the majority of Deadline. Certain characters really got on my nerves and it really ended up as more of a government conspiracy plot than an end of the world zombie novel, which is probably more of what I wanted. I also really didn't enjoy this whole melodramatic flair for the truth and doing anything for the news. I don't understand the mindset of a bunch of these characters.

I did get more into this story as I got near the end, but then it just ended in a massive cliffhanger which I had my own problems with.

Overall this was just an okay book and an okay series, that could do with more survival and zombie action with less melodrama and government conspiracy. I do plan on finishing the series just to see what happens.

SPOILERS!!! This part of my review will contain SPOILERS, so if you haven't read Feed yet, don't read this.

I did wonder how the series was going to go on with killing off Georgia and I think that's what disappointed me the most. The whole Georgia living, talking, and interacting in Shaun's head through all of Deadline just irritated me. It just seemed like that author had no plan on how to continue the story without Georgia, so she just stuck her back in. What was the point of offing Georgia and then keeping her around. And that ending/really non-ending to Deadline, just annoying. It just seemed like awful planning to decide to kill off a character, but then regret killing her off. I should have known when we heard about the whole clone thing in the beginning. SPOILERS OVER.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 2.5/5

just mehh. I want zombies, not government conspiracies.

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Books Read So Far in 2014!

So this is a topic that I have no trouble talking about and picking books for. I've read some okay books, good books, and great books so far in 2014. These books are my top favorites of the year so far. They are books I devoured and loved. Luckily, I've managed to read some really great books this year, so it was no problem picking five of my favorites. So without further ado, here are my Top 5 Books of 2014... so far!

5. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Witches, romance, and a historical setting. How could I not love this book? Obviously I couldn't. I must get my hands on the sequel asap. The feels in this book were so good and I loved the alternate historical setting. This book was just addicting for me, which is why it earns a place in my favorites.

4. Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

This book was also super addicting and just sooo good. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure was mine. This book is about bad werewolves... kind of. The public knows werewolves exist and are scared of them. Our main character loses her best friend to a werewolf attack. An anti-werewolf group comes to town to hunt down and find any and all werewolves. These anti-werewolf people are baaad news and our main character must fight to protect those she loves. I loved this book. I loved the two kinda/sorta love interests, the action, the intrigue, the twists and turns. Also a book where I need the sequel asap. This book earns a place on my list because of how addicting it is. And I will admit to loving some supernatural fiction.

3. Night Film by Marisha Pessl

This book took me for the biggest ride and I had no idea how it was going to end. I loved the incorporation of newspaper articles, website pages, pictures, and all the other fun little extras packed in the pages. I've become a real fan of books that use more than just words to tell the story. Having something in the story that looks different from the actual text just makes me more intrigued in the story and wanting to read it. This book is all about the elusive director Cordova who makes tons of creepy films, but keeps his true self in the shadows. Our plucky, private investigator Scott McGrath sets out to find the secrets of Cordova through the investigation into Cordova's daughter's death. This book took me on so many twists and turns and so much stuff happened in it. What I thought would constantly change from page to page. This is just a book that I had a lot of fun reading, which is what all books should be like. The only thing though was that ending didn't give me what I wanted!!! But loved this book and it definitely earns a place on my favorites of the year so far.

2. The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy

I'm already a fan of this series, so it was pretty much a guarantee that I would love this book as well. This is just a fun, middle grade series that explores just who those Prince Charming's really were in all the fairy tales. Lets just say that those minstrels took a lot of poetic license when they described them. This book gets a spot on my list because it's pure fun. It contains awesome illustrations that make the book that much more enjoyable to read. Christopher Healy is a fantastic writer of humorous stories. There were quite a few times I laughed while reading the story, and I really don't do that in a lot of books. I can't wait for the next one to see what hijinks the Princes get themselves into next. If Duncan is involved, then it will be sure to be ridiculous.

1. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

So this book has already been in a couple of Top 5 Wednesday posts and for good reason, because it is AWESOME!!! This is my first Victoria Schwab book, and I can definitely see more in my future. This book is addicting with a capital A! The characters are a little messed up, but you still root for them anyway. Well you root for most of them, I won't say all of them. The concept of ExtraOrdinaries was really cool and all the different powers were just fun to read about. This is not a book about Superheroes, more a book about people granted with great power and how they use that power. If you've ignored my other commands to go read this book, then remedy that and READ IT NOW! You will not regret it. So this book gets a place on my list because I love it and I want more of it. V.E. Schwab, please write a sequel.... please!!!

 So those are my Top 5 Books of 2014 so far. These are great books that you should definitely get to reading. What are your Top 5 Books of 2014 so far? Let me know in the comments below. Here's the list of all the Top 5 Wednesdayers!