February Wrap-Up 2017!

I slowed down some on my reading in February. I didn't reach the epicness that I managed in January. I didn't read anything I really loved in February. There was one book I liked, two books that were okay, one that I really didn't like, and one that failed to impress me. So, here's what I read.

 

  

--The Revolution of Ivy (#2) by Amy Engel-- Rating: 4/5-- This book was one of the only ones I really enjoyed reading this month. By finishing this, I also finished a series, Yayy Me! I think this duology is really fun, and the romance is just destined. This finale wasn't as good as the first book, The Book of Ivy, but it was still pretty good.

--Flying (#1) by Carrie Jones-- Rating: 2.5/5-- This was my least favorite of the month. It had a cool concept of an alien hunting teenager, but it never reached that potential the premise promised. I found the main character to be super annoying and childish. I didn't like her, which is why I didn't end up enjoying the book.

--Y: The Last Man, Volume 9: Motherland by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, Goran Sudzuka, Jose Marzan, Jr.-- Rating: 3.7/5-- This Volume was fine. I really do enjoy this series. I'm excited to almost be finished with the series. I've got one more Volume to go and then I will know all! And hopefully what really did happen to all the men, and if the world can be saved. I hope it ends well.

--The Wild Adventure of Jasper Renn (#3.5) by Kady Cross-- Rating: 3/5-- This is a novella in one of my favorite steampunk series. It follows the adventures of Jasper Renn during the time period of the third book. It's supposed to explain what he was doing while all the other characters were looking for Emily. I thought this novella was pretty pointless to the overall series. It's really not a must to read it, which is how I tend to judge novellas. Should it really even exist? Does it add anything to the overall series? This novella is pretty much just a love fest between Wildcat and Jasper. It's not even a fun love fest, I kind of felt like that awkward third wheel that's been dragged along with a friend and her boyfriend. The characters already knew each other, they'd already been in a relationship before, so all the fun back-and-forth chemistry had already happened. This was just meh.

--The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet (#1) by Becky Chambers-- Rating: 3.2/5-- This was my disappointing read of the month, in that it didn't turn out as awesome as I was expecting. This book is overhyped. It's got some cool characters, but no plot. It took me longer to read it, and I kind of got bored at some points. There were just a bunch of little vignettes, with this crew stopping here and there, but it had no overall driving plot. I was just disappointed. I wanted to love it and I just didn't.

TV Shows, Netflix, and Entertainment

I finished two shows this month and thought I'd talk about them too!

A Series of Unfortunate Events (Netflix)

I really enjoyed this adaptation Netflix did of A Series of Unfortunate Events. It covered the first four books (I've only read the first three, I wanted to reread the books before I watched this, but that didn't happen). I really enjoyed Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf. All his costumes and accents were pretty funny. I also really like all his henchmen, or his acting troupe as they liked to be called. I really enjoyed the humor in this adaptation. The kids were all right. I thought the baby who played Sunny was adorable. The older kids were okay, they were a little depressing, but because of the story, they were supposed to be. If and or When Netflix comes out with a Season 2, I will watch it.

Fear The Walking Dead Season 2 on DVD (from library)

This Season was just craziness. Not so much crazy, intense action, but just really weird characters. Season 2 finds our characters out on the open sea, in a luxury yacht called the Abigail. The yacht seems to be owned by Strand, who Nick met while being held in the confinement center. The sea proves just as dangerous as the land, when it comes to mean people and zombies.

Nick has to be the weirdest character I've watched in awhile. He's just strange. Not necessarily strange in a bad way, strange in a way that I kind of want to keep on watching. The actor who plays Nick is strange too. The DVD included a bunch of extras, one of which was a kind of convention where the actors were on stage being interviewed. The guy that plays Nick shambled on, in this old man looking suit, his hair was all ratty, he looked like he just stepped off the set of the show. He also couldn't sit still. It was so weird to watch him.

The Chris character also had a crazy journey that his dad got dragged along on too. I won't say what happens on that journey, just that it wasn't what I expected.

The Walking Dead is still my favorite when it comes to this universe, but I did enjoy Fear The Walking Dead. I wish I could watch it on Netflix, but I think they made a deal with Hulu, so it only plays on there.

So that was my February 2017. How was yours? Did you read anything good, bad, meh? Did you watch anything good? Let me know!

Review: Endless (Shadowlands #3) by Kate Brian

Title: Endless (Shadowlands #3)

Author: Kate Brian

Published by: Hyperion

Released: 2014

Summary: Juniper Island is struggling. Paradise has turned in to an island plagued by constant rain, fog, and suspicion. The balance has been upset and must be fixed. The residents' of Juniper Island must fix the wrongs and catch the ones responsible before it's too late.

My Thoughts: This series is so addictive and I LOVE IT! This finale did not disappoint. I was pretty pleased with how everything turned out, and mostly okay with how everything wrapped up.

I'm still pretty amazed that this whole series took place in the span of two weeks. That is just crazy for me.

I don't know how I feel about the love triangle Rory ended up in. I don't know if it was needed. I think if I'd had to pick, I'd have gone with Joaquin. He's been the dependable, protective guy in all the books, and I would have gone for that. Joaquin made my heart pitter patter ;)

I also don't understand why Tristan ran and stayed hidden for so long. That was never really explained. An innocent person doesn't run. Maybe that's part of the reason I went with Joaquin.

I kind of suspected who the traitor of the island was. There were some clues given that kind of gave it away. The villain might still shock some people though.

The ending, I liked, but kind of wanted more. I guess I wanted to see the island at peace and fulfilling the purpose it was designed for. Like a fast-forward in time to see how Rory was doing and how the island was doing. Just a little more closure would have been nice.

This series was so good, and so fun! I really enjoyed it. The whole series is so addicting and I flew through them. I definitely recommend reading them!

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

So Addictive!

Reading Right Now! (104)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

--The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers-- and...

I'm struggling. My main problem, this book really has no plot. Everyone goes on and on about the fantastic characters, and they can be entertaining, but I just need some type of plot, some purpose to this whole thing. I'm a fan of character driven novels, but they've got to have some draw to keep me reading. I don't really feel like this does. 

Some could argue that the overall plot is journeying to the Toremi space to complete this job, and maybe I could buy that, if the trip hadn't taken forever!!!

I'm currently on page 330, so I can see the end in sight. If I didn't have this weird thing with having to finish all the books I read, I would have quit this one already. This book is overhyped. It's boring. Sure the characters are okay, but that's all it's got going for it.

There's been some relationships that just cause me to scratch my head. Like a guy falling in love with the AI, ummm... she's essentially a computer program. I'm not feeling the chemistry. I once watched a documentary about people who fell in love with inanimate objects, like trains, a ferris wheel, bridges, and a pair of speakers, and I thought that was weird too. Also Rosemary's  crush/thing came out of left-field for me and I don't really buy it.

I won't apologize for my opinions. If you love it, great! I'm happy for you, but books are a subjective thing, not everyone has to like the same thing. I'll probably have a lot to say in my review when I do finally finish this. I just expected this wonderful, fantabulous book, and am disappointed by the reality.

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading?

book cover is from www.goodreads.com

other images/gifs are from a google image search

Around The Year in 52 Books: Week 32

WEEK 32:

A Book With A Long Title (5+ Words, Excluding Subtitle)

PROGRESS POST

1. What are you reading this week?

I'm reading The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet (#1) by Becky Chambers

2. Did you have a hard time finding a book with a long title?

Kind of. I think what I had the hardest time with is finding a title that was long, and didn't contain a bunch of the's, a's, and to's.

3. Do you think the title was fitting for the book?

Yes, I think the title was a good fit for the book. Pretty much explained what was going on.

4. If you were choosing a title for the book, would you keep the author's title? If not, what title would you give the book?

Yes, I would keep the author's title. I think it fits the book, and the story.

So that's what I'm reading for this week's challenge. You should go and participate too! Check out the group here!

Review: The 100: Homecoming (The 100 #3) by Kass Morgan

Title: The 100: Homecoming (The 100 #3)

Author: Kass Morgan

Published by: Little, Brown and Company

Released: 2015

Source: Library

Summary: The dropships from the rest of the Arc are on their way to Earth. Unfortunately, not everyone made it onto a dropship. At first, The 100 are excited and overwhelmed by the new company. Turmoil then rears its ugly head. Some people want the rules that governed the Arc to be the rules that govern the Ground. How will everyone live peacefully together on this place they can finally call home? The drama isn't over yet for Wells, Clarke, Bellamy, Glass, and Luke.

My Thoughts: As always, I love The 100 anything! I started reading this just after the Season 3 finale of the show, which could have had some impact on my thoughts. I've been in a weird mood since the show ended. I have this sense of loss. I also have nothing to look forward to watching on Thursday nights. Is anyone in the same boat as me? (Funny enough, this review was written awhile ago, and Season 4 of The 100 is now airing, so I'm not as sad. I get to watch The 100 again!!!)

Season 3 of The 100 was just a meh season for me, and that's kind of the same way I feel about the book. I think I liked the first two a little more. There were still some good shocks and surprises with this one, but the first two were just more exciting.

The whole novel takes place on Earth. We've got interactions between the Earthborns and the Spaceborns. We also get a new villain in Vice Chancellor Rhodes. He wants the space rules to apply to the Ground, which means people can't live free, and can get into trouble for dumb things. Rhodes got on my nerves, especially when he tried to hurt a certain someone.

There were definitely a few shocking scenes in this installment. One that I didn't see coming at all and feel kind of sad about.

I think I missed space. All the craziness that happened up there in the previous books. I really did enjoy that aspect of the story. I also missed the flashbacks. Homecoming really only had a few flashbacks and they were all very short.

Things got wrapped up very quickly in the end, again. Maybe that's why I wasn't that worried during any of the battles. I had a feeling that most everyone would get out okay. I also wasn't happy with how the ships/Jaha story wrapped up.
All in all, this was just an average read. It wasn't my favorite of the series. It had some shocking and unexpected bits that I enjoyed. I am excited to learn there will be a fourth book to the series. Can't wait to see where that goes.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Danger Danger Everywhere!

Reading Right Now! (103)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

  

I'm trying to do that thing where I read more than one book at a time. It hasn't worked for me before, but try, try again. So here's the books I've got on my list:

--The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet (#1) by Becky Chambers-- This is the one I'm farthest in so far. It's been described as a space opera, and I down to read a book like that. During the past 2 years or so, I've discovered that I really like space/sci-fi books. I'm only about 35 pages in, so I really don't know too much about what's going to go on in this book. So far, I've learned of a character named Rosemary, who's running from something, and she has just gotten a job on this ship called the Wayfayer. Looks like there are a cast of characters on this ship. And that's it, that's all I know. So far, I'm liking it.

--The Wild Adventure of Jasper Renn (#3.5) by Kady Cross-- I've read a chapter of this novella so far, and I think I'll enjoy it. It is a part of Kady Cross's Steampunk Series, and I'm already a big fan. This novella concerns where Jasper Renn was during the third book (I think) and explores his relationship with Wildcat. I think this one is going to be a good time.

--Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu-- I haven't started this one yet, but I'm planning to. I think this one involves a crime, where a boy disappears, and then mysteriously comes back. I'm sure there are secrets, and twists, and turns that will reveal themselves.

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading? Tell me in the comments below. Sorry for the blog being in-active, or not as active this past week. I had plans for posts, but then I got lazy. I was going to do a review for The 100 Season 4, Episode 2, but the site where I get my screencap pictures hasn't uploaded the screencaps for Episodes 2 and 3. Just know I'm really enjoying this Season so far. I want more people to watch The 100. I need a Season Five!!!!

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Favorite Non-Written Novels (graphic novels, comics, manga, and more)

These week's Top 5 Wednesday is our Top 5 Favorite Non-Written Novels! This is exciting. Non-Written novels would include things like graphic novels, comics, and manga. I love comics, mangas, and graphic novels. They can be so refreshing to read between the long, traditional novels. If you haven't tried out a book/story in this format, I highly recommend you do. I was introduced to manga in middle school. I had a friend who's sister loved manga, and I got to borrow some of it. I was introduced to comics and graphic novels since joining booktube and all the other bookish communities since 2012. Here are some of my favorite non-written novels.

 

  

--Fushigi Yugi (The Mysterious Play) by Yuu Watase-- This is a manga that I started in middle school and it continues to hold a special place in my heart. I'm a really big fan of Yuu Watase. I've read a lot of her stuff, but Fushigi Yugi was the first, and therefore special. 

This series is about a girl named Miaka who finds herself mysteriously transported to a different world and different time. She finds out she's special, a chosen one, and has special warriors who have been called to protect her. 

Now, be warned, Miaka can be kind of annoying, but the love story is sweet and I love all the side characters.

--Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and Goran Sudzuka-- I've been reading this series the past year and some change, and I've been enjoying it. Is it my absolute favorite thing ever? Probably not, but I've been having fun reading through the series. I'm on Volume 9 now, which means I only have one more Volume left until I'm finished with the whole thing. This series is about a plague or an event, I'm still not really all that sure, that wipes out every single male of every species on Earth. The only man to survive is Yorick Brown and his male pet monkey Ampersand. He gets put under the protection of Agent 355, who takes him across the country and the world to search for a cure.

This one is written by the oh-so-popular Brian K. Vaughan. Yes, he's the one of Saga fame. I thought about putting Saga on the list, but while I like Saga, I don't think I'm in love with it.

--Marmalade Boy by Wataru Yoshizumi-- This was the first manga I really go into, so it holds a special place in my heart. It was the first manga that I would go to bookstores and buy the volumes for. It's essentially a cute love story between two teens, who become step siblings because their moms marry each other's dads. Yes you read that right. It might sound a little icky, with that whole brother/sister thing, but they aren't really related. I just loved it. I loved the art, I loved the story, I loved the sweet little romance. I really wish that my book hoarding phase had been as strong then, because I regret selling them off.

--iZombie by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred-- This series I just find fun. I love the art work. I wanted to check it out because of the CW show, which I don't really watch, but the concept was interesting to me. It's essentially about a girl who gets turned into a zombie. The only way to protect herself from turning into a shambling, hungry corpse is to eat a brain every now and again. She works as a gravedigger, which is how she gets her brains. Once she eats the brain of the recently deceased, she is bombarded by their memories, and sometimes has to go bring the dead peace.

She's also friends with a were-terrier, a ghost, and she kind of has a crush on a monster hunter.

--Chew by John Layman and Rob Guillory-- This series is my favorite!! I love the humor of it, the art style. It's so fun. It's about this guy named Tony Chew who has this special ability to eat things and tell exactly where they come from and what happened to them. He works to solve crimes.

Tony and his partner John totally remind me of Miles and Sawyer from Lost, I LOVE IT!

I love reading this series. It's just fun and it makes me laugh. I think the final volume just came out.

So that's my Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Non-Written Novels. Have I interested you in any of them? Do we share any favorites? Let me know in the comments below. If you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should. Each Wednesday is a fun, new topic to think about and answer. Check out all the other Wednesday-ers HERE!

Review: Chew, Volume 4: Flambe by John Layman and Rob Guillory

Title: Chew, Volume 4: Flambe

Written and Lettered by: John Layman

Drawn and Colored by: Rob Guillory

Color Assists by: Steven Struble

Published by: Image Comics, Inc.

Released: 2011

Source: Library

Summary: Tony Chu and John Colby never get a break from their jobs. With the odd, possibly alien writing swirling around the Earth, people don't know what to do. Some see it as the end-of-times, others see it as an excuse to eat chicken without fear of being arrested. One thing is for sure, Tony Chu is going to have to eat more weird things. Poor Tony.

My Thoughts: I love this series!! It might not always make sense, it might not always have a flowing plot, but it is always fun. I live for the fun this series provides. Tony and John are the best team ever!

My one nitpick about this Volume, and this series in general, is that sometimes I question how one escapade connects to the next. There are a lot of separate little scenes and stories, and I don't know how they will play into the bigger picture. That's just my nitpicky thing though.

I love the humor in this series. It never fails to make me laugh. I also love the colorful artwork. It is just a super fun reading experience.

I love these comics. They are so fun, mixed with crazy, mixed with color. I can't wait to see what happens with Tony and John next! I mean, I have to know because of that ending.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Love It!!

Reading Right Now! (102)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

--Flying (#1) by Carrie Jones-- Sadly, I'm not really enjoying this one so much. I picked it up based on the cute cover and synopsis. It's about a teenage girl who discovers her mother is an alien hunter. She gets into a fight with crazy tongue, acid spitting alien, and comes home to find her house trashed and her mom gone. She teams up with her mom's alien hunting partner, who she has never met before, in order to save her mother.

I thought this was going to be a cute, fun read. Fast-paced, full of action. And to an extent it is. I bet there are people out there who would really like this book.

My problems so far is that I don't really like the main character Mana. I find her really annoying. Things she says that are supposed to be funny just irritate me. She also doesn't act like a mature teenager, which is fine, because not all teenagers are mature, but because of that, I'm finding her hard to like and connect with. My other problem is that I feel like it took forever to get to the main action/journey part of the story. I'm 120ish pages in, and she's just finding out stuff about her mom. This book only has 249 pages, so that seems like an awful lot of time to spend on build-up.

If I was the type to quit reading a book, I would have probably quit reading this one by now. But I have that thing where once I start a book I'm compelled to finish it. 

This might be the perfect book for someone else, but so far, it's not turning out to be the book for me.

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading?

Review: Deceptive (Illusive #2) by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Title: Deceptive (Illusive #2)

Author: Emily Lloyd-Jones

Published by: Little, Brown and Company

Released: 2015

Source: Library

Summary: The past year has taken our gang of talented criminals to different places. Ciere is working to pay off her debt to the mob by lending her services to them.

After being sent away by Ciere, Devon is trying to figure out where he belongs. When a unique job opportunity presents itself, Devon decides to just go along with it.

Daniel is cut off from all his old friends. He knows they won't ever be safe around him. Daniel has to decide what to do since his old life is closed to him.

Life is complicated, especially when you have the immunities of super memory, illusions, and a knack for escaping. Things are about to get serious for our old gang of criminals.

My Thoughts: I really love this series. It's so fun, with super powered criminals and various moral dilemmas. I think one of this series true strengths is that this story can go pretty much anywhere. The world is their oyster. New threats can pop up, new heists can be planned, the possibilities are endless. When I first started this, I realized that it didn't exactly feel like a direct sequel, it just felt like a continuation to a world I really enjoyed, and characters that I really was interested in. It's just such an interesting premise and I love it!

There were some thing that didn't exactly work for me in this book. One was the strange time jumps. Every so often, a character would remember something that happened in their past, and the reader would then get transported there. It just became a little confusing as to whether I was reading present or past, and then exactly where the past parts ended, and we went back to the present. 

I also thought the romance that happened was a little rushed and weird. Not that I'm against it, I guess I just wanted to feel the journey more.

Everything else I loved though. I liked how we got Devon, Daniel, and Ciere's stories. I liked how the characters were facing moral dilemmas. There were all these different shades of gray that were just super interesting. I liked how all the characters were questioning where they belonged.

I did miss Kit thought, I wanted more of him in the book.

This book and this series is so fun. It plays out like a movie. Very fast-paced, full of action, and in such a cool world. I could read countless books in this series and never get bored. I really hope there are more books in this series. The way Deceptive ended didn't feel the most final, and I would hate for it to be the last one. I Want More! I Need More!

This book was great. This series is great. I really recommend it to anyone and everyone. It's a lot of fun that shouldn't be missed.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

I WANT MORE!!

What Did I Think Of: The 100: Season 4, Episode 1 -Echoes- (SPOILERS!!)

It's back! It's back! Yippee Yippee Yay!! The wait for this new season has been so long, so excruciatingly long! I'm so excited it's back!

So, this picks right back up from the Season 3 finale. Clarke now has the unfortunate news that nuclear radiation will kill everybody in 6 months, and that kind of seems like an impossible thing to save everybody from. I mean, she's still determined to save everybody, but it's kind of a long shot at the moment. Her main plan is to get King Roan to help her. Yes he's alive! Yayy he's alive!

She needs King Roan, because there are a whole bunch of angry Ice Nation soldiers and an old friend, turned foe, turned I'm not sure what she is now, named Echo. 

So, let's see where I want to go with this...

Clarke

I'm not sure how I feel about Clarke at the moment. During the majority of last season, she really irritated me, and I got a little bit of that same feeling in this episode.

The main problem I have with Clarke is this idea she has that she always has to be in charge, that it always falls on her to "save her people". She's got a hero-complex. If any of you are Harry Potter nerds like me, you might remember in one of the books (I think it was the 5th) where Hermione made a comment to Harry about his need to always be the savior, and how most times he just acts without thinking things through. I think Clarke has that problem.

I'm also not the biggest fan of her being the "main" lead in the show. I think this show works so much better when it's the characters working together as a group. Each character is important to the overall story, and they shouldn't always have to bow down and do whatever it is Clarke wants to do. This is just a me opinion thing, but I'm really not the biggest fan of just Clarke.

Clarke and Bellamy!

Reunited and it feels so good.

I am excited to see Clarke and Bellamy being a team again. They work so well together. I hope it continues.

Now, I used to ship Bellarke a lot, but I've realized that I care more about Bellamy Blake's happiness than I do Clarke. I just want him to be happy.

Roan

I'm so glad Roan is alive!! Although, he did revive rather conveniently. He was one of my favorite characters from Season 3, so I hope he stays as an ally. I love his and Clarke's interactions, because of the banter. I hope Roan stays alive, because he is one of my favorites.

Echo

I'm not sure how I feel about Echo. She seemed kind of conniving in this episode, how she had King Roan's ear, and was trying to tell him what to do without out right ordering him. She kind of reminded me of Jafar from Disney's Aladdin. I don't know how to feel about her yet. Maybe that's because we never really knew that much about her character. In Season 2, she helped Bellamy escape because it in turn helped her get out. And in Season 3, she betrayed the Skaikru and let Mount Weather be blown to bits. Is she a super ruthless Ice Nation soldier? Or is she someone who can be considered a friend to our characters? I'm not sure. Some people have started a ship for Bellamy and Echo, and I'm not there yet. I don't trust her.

Octavia

I'm excited to see Octavia's story this season, as well as a little sad. Lincoln's death was so brutal and really sent her over the edge. I think it's going to be cool seeing a ruthless Octavia, but I don't want her to go so dark that she can't come back. I hope she remembers that she'll always have a place with Bellamy and The 100. I really do wonder who her father is, and Bellamy's father. I think it would be cool for Kane to be one of their fathers.

Raven and Gang at Arkadia

Raven and the gang are still at Arkadia and they are fine. Raven confirms what ALIE told Clarke about imminent nuclear disaster, and she shares it with the rest of the gang. Also, Raven's got like a super brain now because of ALIE. Hopefully that super brain will help her save the world.

Harper and Monty still have their relationship thing going on, I'm still not sure I'm a fan. It just seems so random. I know, I know, some people said that relationship started in Season 2 during the bone marrow extractions, where Harper and Monty were caged away from everyone else, but I didn't see it. Monty is a precious child, but I really have no feelings for Harper.  

Jasper... super depresed

Jasper is daaaarrrrkkk still. Super depressed. Doesn't know how to cope. It's sad. When he put that gun to his head, I was a little worried. I mean, I knew he wouldn't do it because of promo pictures from the upcoming season, but still. It's also dark how he's happy about imminent nuclear doom, because that means he doesn't have to expend the energy of killing himself when the world is going to do it for him. I want Jasper to be happy again. I want Monty and him to repair their awesome friendship. I need that friendship.

So those were my rambling thoughts about The 100, Season 4: Episode 1 -Echoes- Hopefully I can get back into the swing of these reviews. 

I'm excited to see where everything goes. I want all my favorites to live. And I want a Season 5. What did you think of the episode? Are you as excited for this Season as I am?

Remember, The 100 comes on Wednesdays, 9:00 pm est on the CW Network. Watch it. Bellamy Blake commands it.

images from http://screencapped.net/tv/the100/ and google images

Review: Hereafter (Shadowlands #2) by Kate Brian

Title: Hereafter (Shadowlands #2)

Author: Kate Brian

Published by: Hyperion

Released: 2013

Summary: Juniper Island is full of secrets, secrets that Rory is determined to learn. Things start to go weird on the island, people start to look at Rory with suspicion. 

This is an exciting, second installment to the addictive Shadowland Trilogy.

My Thoughts: I'm going to have to be really careful in this review not to spoil anything. Everything is really a spoiler. I'm going to have to keep this review short then, or short-ish.

I really enjoyed this. I found it very addicting and just flew through it. Hereafter jumps right in to where Shadowlands left off. I'd recommend just bingeing the series, so you get the full impact, and don't forget anything.

This was just a lot of fun to read. I felt like I couldn't stop. I'd fly through the chapters and be astounded at just how much I had read in one sitting.

This series has a lot of mystery, a lot of intrigue. It left on such a cliffhanger too. I need to see what happens next. I definitely recommend this trilogy. It's a good time!

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

I Need To Know What Happens Next!!

Reading Right Now! (101)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

--The Revolution of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #2) by Amy Engel-- I'd say I'm about 2/3 of the way through this sucker, and I'm really liking it. This is the kind of book that is just in my comfort zone. As soon as I start reading post-apocalyptic books, with some romance, and some danger, I just feel good. It's fun for me to read.

For those that don't know, this is the sequel to The Book of Ivy, which is about a dystopian/post-apocalyptic world where a nuclear bomb went off years ago. Survivors straggled together and eventually formed this town called Westfall. But there was a fight over who would control the town, and it was mainly between two families, the Westfalls and the Lattimers. The Westfalls lost and they had to subjugate themselves to the Lattimers. The punishment is that once the Westfall girls reach the age of sixteen, they are married off to the victors' sons. Ivy is an original descendant of the Lattimer's and today is her wedding day, she is going to marry the President's son. Ivy has a secret though, she's going to kill him.

I'm enjoying this one so far. I did get bogged down a little in the middle, because Ivy was going through all of this love angst stuff, and just wouldn't express her feelings to anybody, which got a little irritating. But I really like the survival aspect and her relationship with Bishop is just so precious! I'd definitely recommend giving this series a read, if it sounds good to you.

What are you Reading Right Now!? Let me know in the comments below!

January 2017 Wrap-Up!

Another month has come and gone, and it's the first one of 2017! I'm pretty proud with the number I read this month. I'm currently ahead on my GoodReads 2017 Reading Challenge, which is a great feeling. That could definitely change the further I get in the year, but right now, I'm ahead.
So, I read 10 things this month, 4 comics/graphic novels and 6 books. So here's what I read, and my ratings!

  

  

  

--Lies I Told (#1) by Michelle Zink-- 3.8/5-- I think I was in a little bit of a I don't feel like reading mood when I read this, which caused me to read this really slowly, but I definitely did enjoy it. The premise is just something I like. It's about a family of grifters who move to this beach community for their next big score, but our main character has to decide if what she's doing is right or wrong. I liked it, and I can't wait to read the sequel.

--Y: The Last Man, Volume 8: Kimono Dragons by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, Goran Sudzuka, Jose Marzan, Jr.-- 3.5/5-- I'm getting close to being finished with this series. I liked this Volume, but I didn't love it. I did like how Yorick and Agent 355 were a duo again in this. I'm still not liking Dr. Mann that much. Alison is just a prickly character that I have a hard time trusting or liking. Excited to see where this one goes next.

--Bluescreen (Mirador #1) by Dan Wells-- 4/5-- I'm a Dan Wells fan, and I thought this book was fun. I'll continue on with the series.

--Chew, Volume 6: Space Cakes by John Layman and Rob Guillory-- 4.5/5-- I Love Chew!! Tony was out-of-commission for most of this volume, with being in the hospital, in a coma. And this one was kind of sad because we lost someone. Chew is always just fun for me to read.

--Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel-- 4/5-- I liked this one. I was surprised by how real the characters felt in a novel told entirely through interviews. I did feel like there were some weird time jumps. I'm excited to see where this goes next.

--Tales of the Peculiar (#0.5) by Ransom Riggs-- 4/5-- This was fun and weird. My favorite part was the design of this book, it was sooo pretty.

--Every Heart A Doorway (#1) by Seanan McGuire-- 3.7/5-- I liked this, but I felt like it was overhyped. The beginning was a little slow, with a lot of info-dumping concerning the world. The second half was pretty good with the murder mystery, although that ended too quickly, and the murderer became fairly obvious. A big problem was, it was too short. So, I wouldn't say not read this, but just don't attach yourself blindly to that hype train.

--Locke & Key, Volume 6: Alpha & Omega byJoe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez-- 4/5-- I finished a series!! I was satisfied with how this ended.

--Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas #1) by Zoraida Cordova-- 3.2/5-- This was my least favorite of the month. I just thought the main character was boring. There was this character Rishi, that I just had no use for and really questioned why she was in certain scenes. Like, I know why she was in there, but I didn't buy the reason for it at all. It was also this weird feeling of being a fast-paced book, but I just didn't care what was happening in it. Felt like a weird dream that I didn't really want to be a part of.

I did love the character of Nova in this book. If I read the sequel, I hope I get more of him in it.

--Nailbiter, Volume 3: Blood In The Water by Joshua Williamson, Mike Henderson, Adam Guzowski, John J. Hill-- 4/5-- I'm super interested in this series. It is very violent, very disturbing, and I want to know what is going on in this town! I thought I was going to find out some secrets, and then I was rudely slapped with a TO BE CONTINUED...

Definitely plan on continuing this, but it might be a while until I can get my hands on the next volume.

My TV Addiction For The Month

I think this is an alien show. Well, I'm pretty sure this is an alien show, but we haven't exactly seen the aliens yet. Something came down and took over the world, and the world is forever changed. The United States has been separated into different colonies and no one is allowed out of their colony. We're not even sure what happened to the rest of the world. In Colony we are following one family, who are trying to survive, and trying to find the son they got separated from on the day of the invasion.

Main reason for watching this one... Josh Holloway. I am not ashamed. In Lost, I loved Sexy Sawyer, and I can stare at his face, and his amazing dimples in this again. How could I not watch it? He's adorable!

So far in the show, I'm a fan of Josh's character, who's name is Will. I'm not the biggest fan of his wife's character. I can't remember her name right now, but she played Lori on The Walking Dead. So I binged Season 1 on Netflix, and now I have the long wait for Season 2 to be on there.

So that's my January 2017. How did you do? What did you read? What did you watch? Let me know in the comments below!

all images found through google image search. I do not own any of the images.

Top 5 Wednesday: Current Favorites That Aren't Books

This week's Top 5 Wednesday has absolutely nothing to do with books, and I love it. I think it's fun to explore other things that people are interested in. Now, I'm a pretty big dork, so most of what I'm interested in is nerdy things. There's no real order to this list. These are just all things that I like!

TV: The 100 Season 4! Premieres February 1st, 2017 (today!) on the CW at 9:00 pm est. !!!

I love it, I love it, I love it!! For those that don't know, it's a post-apocalyptic drama where 100 juvenile delinquents were sent down from space to a nuclear ravaged Earth, to see if it was survivable or not. What happens next is the tough job of surviving. Not only are the elements against these young adults, but there's also the angry natives. 

I first became curious when I saw this on Netflix, and then ended up bingeing the first season. The first 3 episodes aren't the strongest, but once you get past them, it gets SO GOOD! Season 2 was awesome! Season 3 wasn't the best in the line up, with all the deaths and then the absurd (in my humble opinion) reaction of some "fans". And then there was such a long wait for Season 4, but it's finally here!! It premieres tonight!! I'm sooooo excited. My main hope is for happiness for Bellamy Blake.

Last season I did episode reviews (all except for the last two episodes... oops.), and I'm thinking that I might like to do that again for Season 4. If you think I should, leave me a comment down below. But most importantly watch the premiere, and then stick around for the whole of Season 4, so that it can get good ratings, and we can get a Season 5!

Video Games: Ratchet and Clank Series and Uncharted Series

 

I love these game series! I don't consider myself to be a hardcore gamer, but I do like playing video games. Ratchet and Clank has been one of my favorite series for a long while. I own almost all the games in the series (I think I'm missing Quest for Booty and the remake with some new content of Ratchet and Clank that got released for the PS4). I just find the games to be a lot of fun. There is action, really fun weapons, and a lot of humor. This is a pretty beloved video game series too.

I also love the whole Uncharted game series. I own all four of them and just find them to be a lot of fun to play. It stars Nathan Drake who is a treasure hunter, and in each game, you are going after some legendary treasure. Most times, the treasure turns out to be a little something different than expected. I love Nathan Drake as a main character. He's got that sarcasm that just speaks to me. I also love Sully! I still have to beat the third game and the fourth game, but they are all awesome.

Colourpop.com : Lippies, Highlights, and Eyeshadows!

This is a makeup website that I have spent so much money on the last year, and will probably spend too much on again this year. I was introduced to this brand through youtube. KathleenLights has done a lot of collabs with them. I like this brand because their prices are reasonable, I really like their lip stuff, and they are always coming out with more stuff. The only downside is that you can only order online and can't buy them in stores, which is a turn-off for some people.

https://colourpop.com/

Juvia's Place: The Saharan Palette

I just bought this and am having fun messing with it. This is the newest palette to release and I own the three other palettes.

I'm on my way to becoming a make-up hoarder.

https://www.juviasplace.com/

Subscription Boxes: Ipsy and Boxycharm

I love Beauty Subscription Boxes! They are so fun for me and I just love the surprise of what I'm going to get every month. Ipsy is $10 a month, with 4-5 sample size (sometimes full size) products, and a cute bag every month! Boxycharm is $21 a month, with 5 pretty much full size products. I really like getting to try new stuff every month.

I've been contemplating trying Sephora Play, which is $10 a month too, but I don't know if that would be excessive to get another one.

So that's it for this week's Top 5 Wednesday! What are you favorite things that aren't books? I'd love to know. If you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should. Each Wednesday is a new, fun topic to consider. Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesdayers Here!