Review: Y: The Last Man, Volume 8: Kimono Dragons by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, Goran Sudzuka, and Jose Marzan, Jr.

Title: Y: The Last Man, Volume 8: Kimono Dragons

Written by: Brian K. Vaughan

Pencillers: Pia Guerra and Goran Sudzuka

Inker: Jose Marzan, Jr.

Published by: DC Comics

Released: 2006

Source: Library

Summary: Welcome to Japan! Yorick and Agent 355 are on the trail of a monkey who's the key to saving the world. Unfortunately, Ampersand is in the hands of a very powerful person, and it might take more to save him then first thought.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mann decides to take a stroll down memory lane. And an old villain returns (?) Just another day for Yorick and the crew.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this volume, but it wasn't my favorite. My favorite parts of it had to be Yorick and Agent 355 being together and sharing stuff. I like them as a duo.

I wasn't really the biggest fan of getting Dr. Mann and Israeli Crazy Chick's backstories. Maybe because I just don't like those characters very much. I just don't enjoy the time I spend with them. I've never really liked Dr. Mann though, so that's no real surprise.

I also don't think a whole lot happened in this Volume. It was nice filler, I enjoyed reading it.

I'm getting closer to the end of Y:The Last Man, and I'm excited to see how everything ends! This is definitely a comic series that I enjoy. Yorick is fun and Agent 355 is awesome!

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Not bad.

Review: Emma In The Night by Wendy Walker

Title: Emma In the Night

Author: Wendy Walker

Published by: St. Martin's Press

Released: August 8, 2017

Source: Review Copy via NetGalley and St. Martin's Press

Summary: Two sisters go missing. A car is discovered at the beach, shoes left in the sand. The car belongs to the older sister Emma. Did she drown herself in the ocean? Was she taken? Where's her younger sister Cass?

Three years later, Cass returns to her mother's house, but not Emma. Cass has a story to tell, a sister to save, and secrets to expose.

My Thoughts: I want to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc to review. I'm always really grateful to read and review books early. This is going to be an honest review, like all of my reviews are, and all opinions are my own.

I'm just kind of meh about this book. I really enjoy mysteries and thrillers, and I really enjoyed the idea for this one. If I had to describe my feelings for this book in a couple words, they would be interesting, but dull.

Emma In the Night is very much a tell instead of a show. It's pretty much just Cass telling her story and experience in order to find her sister. All that telling made it a little dull. It definitely is not the most exciting mystery thriller I've ever read.

The story switches perspectives between the characters of Cass and a psychologist/therapist who works for the police named Dr. Winter. Neither character was a very exciting voice to follow.

Cass definitely gives that feeling of an unreliable narrator. What she's telling everyone is constantly referred to as a story, which made me question just what to believe.

Dr. Winter is kind of consumed by this case, mainly because of one aspect. She believes that Cass and Emma's mother suffers from a severe narcissistic personality disorder. Dr. Winter has a lot of bias in this assessment, because she believed her mother suffered from the same thing. I don't think Dr. Winter was able to separate her past from the case.

I thought the Narcissistic Personality Syndrome was interesting, but I do feel I got hit over the head with it. It seemed to be always mentioned, always brought up. I must have read the word Narcissistic at least 50 times. 

I will applaud this for its twists and turns. I wasn't expecting how things were going to go, how it all was going to end. It did a great job with that.

I thought this book was okay. I enjoyed the mystery of it and not knowing who or what to trust. I wish it had done more showing and less telling, although, maybe the story Wendy Walker was trying to tell wouldn't have worked out like that. I did find parts of it a little dull. I'm interested in reading more from Wendy Walker, I think she can tell a good mystery. Thank you again St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for letting me read and review this!

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Interesting, but a little Dull.

Reading Right Now! (129)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...
Or I should say that my Reading Right Now! Plans for this Weekend Are...
Honesty is always the best policy... right? haha

 

and maybe...

As you can see, I'm always indecisive. I like a mix of books, even though, in reality I'll probably only get to one of these haha.

-- Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller -- I've had my eye on this one for awhile, ever since I saw it as a selection for an Owlcrate Box. My main reason for wanting to read this is PIRATES!!! I love Pirates! I've heard it's like a lady Jack Sparrow, and that's the draw right there. I love Captain Jack Sparrow. I could watch movie after movie and I would be happy. I've already started this one, read the first chapter, and I enjoyed what I read so far.

-- Zero Repeat Forever by Gabrielle Prendergast -- This is a review book through NetGalley that I really, really, really want to get to. It comes out August 26th, 2017, I think. I fell in love with the cover mainly, and it sounds like a sci-fi kind of thing, which I really do enjoy. I've been trying to get better with my NetGalley books.

-- Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel -- This one I need to read because it is a NetGalley book and I'm on a blog tour for it! This one comes out September 5th, 2017. My blog tour date is September 21 and it's going to be a review. In a perfect world, I'd read this and have it done by September 5th, but I'm realistic and know that probably won't happen. What I know about this is Harbinger of Death! And the reviews that I've seen on GoodReads so far have been pretty good.

So that's my Reading Right Now! plans. What are you reading?

Review: Lies I Told (Lies I Told #1) by Michelle Zink

Title: Lies I Told (Lies I Told #1)

Author: Michelle Zink

Published by: Harper Teen

Released: 2015

Source: Library

Summary: To anyone else, Grace's family looks normal. A mother, a father, a brother, and a sister. They show up in town, they have money and good clothes, but they also have a secret.

Grace and her family are con artists, grifters. She and her brother Parker were adopted by Cormac and Renee to play out the best cons. The family scopes out their victims, gets close to them, steals their valuables, and then moves on to another place.

Playa Hermosa is the place of the next job, and it's a big one. Grace's job is to get close to Logan Fairchild and his friends. Grace is having more trouble with this con though, her conscience is starting to bug her, and she's developing feelings for her mark. Is Grace destined to lead a life of crime or can she be something else?

My Thoughts: Not bad, not bad. I love stories about criminals, heists, and questionable characters. I love reading about characters who are doing wrong things, but I end up rooting for them anyway. I just find stories like this to be a lot of fun.

I did have a weird reading journey with Lies I Told. I was reading it during the holiday season, and was just reading it very slowly. There was nothing wrong with the book, I just don't think I was in the reading mood at the time. That slumpiness probably had an effect on my enjoyment and reading, but I managed to get over my slumpiness eventually, and devoured the rest of the book.

I just found the whole concept very interesting. It kind of had the slight feel of the TV show Revenge and the TV show Leverage.

I found the parents kind of despicable most of the time, because they only adopted these kids to further their cons. That's just not right. I also appreciated Grace's struggle with the life she's been brought into. She doesn't want to be bad, but she feels this gratefulness for her adoptive parents. She also knows what she's doing is wrong, but she still does it. It's an interesting conundrum. 

The story really hit its high point for me in the middle. The action started to pick up and I had to race to the end to see what would happen. And what an ending! What's going to happen next? I must know.

I enjoyed this book. If you like stories about cons and criminals, then I would definitely recommend it. I will be checking out the sequel ASAP.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.8/5

What A Heist!

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Books From Before You Joined Bookish Social Media

I'm finally posting another Top 5 Wednesday! Sometimes I don't post because I'm lazy, sometimes I don't post because I can't really think of books for the topic. I liked this week's topic though. This week is the Top 5 Books From Before You Joined Bookish Social Media! That's kind of a cool topic to think of. Booktube/Blogs/Bookstagram/GoodReads have introduced me to a lot lot lot of books, but before I joined those, I was most definitely a reader. So I tried to think back to books I read and loved before I even knew what Bookish Social Media was. Here's the books I came up with!

 

  

-- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling -- I really don't remember exactly how old I was when I read this, but it was definitely before the bookish social medias. I would imagine this is on a lot of peoples' lists, especially people that are around the same age as me.

-- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer -- I like to be a little bit of a hipster about this one, because I read it before it was super popular. I saw it on an end cap at Barnes and Noble, picked it up, and was hooked! I really like Twilight. I really need to reread it. I get tired of hearing all the hate people say about it. They act like it's the worst book ever, which just annoys me, especially from people who claimed to like it at one time. That is a rant for another time though. 

-- The Hero's Guide To Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy -- I want to say this series was at that point right before I joined some of the bookish social medias. I saw this on my library's new book shelf, picked it up, and was hooked. I think this series needs more love definitely! I love it so much. I want Christopher Healy to come out with a new book!!

-- The Merchant of Death (Bobby Pendragon series) by D.J. MacHale-- I remember this one from seventh grade. My friend bought it from a Scholastic Book Fair for her sister, and I ended up reading a couple of chapters. I think I ended up buying my own copy because I liked it so much. I finished the whole series, which I think is an accomplishment, because it's kind of long. I really like this series. I probably need to reread this one too.

-- Arteimis Fowl by Eoin Colfer -- I'm pretty sure this one came from a Scholastic Book Fair too. I was drawn in by the cover, it was pretty and gold. I really like this series too. I haven't finished it yet and I need to. I like Artemis Fowl because he's kind of an anti-hero. He starts off the series as not a good guy, I mean, he had that whole plan to steal a fairy! 

So those are my picks. What are yours? What books did you discover and love without the help of bookish social media? If you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should! Each Wednesday is a fun, new topic to contemplate and post about. Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers HERE!

#TheReadingQuest Progress Post #1

Here's my current progress for #TheReadingQuest
A sad, sad fact about me is that I'm not too skilled at doing readathons. I see them floating around, I get really excited about doing them, but in the end, I just don't end up reading a ton of books during them. I think it's just because of how I read. There was a time when I considered myself to be a fast reader. I felt I was knocking out books left and right. Since joining booktube, bookstagram, goodreads, and starting this blog, I've discovered that the one skill I thought I had, I'm not a champion of. Oh well.

So far, I have finished one book for my Rogue Quest. I have ideas about what to read for the other Quests, but I haven't started them yet. The book I finished was...

Title: We Were Liars

Author: E. Lockhart

242 Pages

Challenge/Quest: A Book Cover With A Partially Obscured Face

Hooray for me! I'm planning on posting a full review for this book, but I can say that I was underwhelmed by this. The hype let me down.

Now for my updated HP and EXP, if I've done this right.

ROGUE ASHLEY

20 EXP

35. 2 HP

Are you participating in #TheReadingQuest ? If you are, how are you doing?

Review: Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Title: Love & Gelato

Author: Jenna Evans Welch

Published by: Simon Pulse

Released: May 2016

Source: Library

Summary: Her mother's dying wish was for Lina to go live in Italy. Lina is staying with a father she's never met named Howard, and she isn't sure how she feels about it. Her mother also mailed a journal to Italy, chronicling her time there, and the magic she experienced.

The journal holds many mysteries for Lina, along with a lot of sadness. Lina decides to explore Italy with her mother's journal as a reference, with the help of a cute guy named Ren. Lina discovers more about her mother's life than she ever could've imagined, and maybe, just maybe, Italy might hold some magic for Lina as well.

The journey to truth and acceptance contains friendship, copious amounts of gelato, exploring Italy, and love.

My Thoughts: What a cute, fun read! This is the perfect book to escape into. It is a super fast read. I would find myself sitting down to read a couple pages, and reading 40 to 50 pages in no time flat. I got lost in the story, which is the mark of a good story!

I loved the descriptions of Italy, it made me want to visit there. It made it seem so beautiful and magical. I'm also now craving gelato, because it sounds delicious.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Ren and Lina. Their friendship that blossomed into something more was really sweet to watch. Ren was also a really supportive friend for Lina as she struggles with the loss of her mother. I wish that Ren hadn't had a girlfriend, because that just became a weird, unwanted complication. I don't think Mimi was needed.

I also really enjoyed the mystery of the journal. How Lina got to experience a younger version of her mom, who led her on quite a mystery. The journal just added a very interesting element to the story.

I will say, I don't like reading sad books. I don't like being sad, or thinking about losing a family member. I'm glad to say, this was a mostly happy, cute book, but I couldn't imagine, and do not want to imagine, Lina's pain of losing her mom. That part was sad. It just makes me appreciate how lucky I am to have my family and health.

I did notice a couple typos/editing mistakes while reading. I'm not a grammar enthusiast, but the mistakes did halt the flow.

This book was so much fun and a great debut! I really, really liked it. I will look out for Jenna Evans Welch's next book. If you want a cute, fun read, then I would say definitely pick this up!

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Oh What Fun!

BLOG TOUR and REVIEW: Project Pandora (Assassin Fall #1) by Aden Polydoros

Welcome to this stop on the Project Pandora Blog Tour!

Title: Project Pandora (Assassin Fall #1)

Author: Aden Polydoros

Published by: Entangled Teen

Released: August 1st, 2007

Source: Netgalley and Entangled Teen review copy (ebook format)

Summary/Synopsis: Pandora's Box Is Opening... Those words can turn an average kid into an unfeeling killer. When the hit is complete, the teen has no memory of it even happening. The perfect soldiers, the perfect weapon, the perfect killers. These teens are part of something called Project Pandora. A secret project, funded and run by despicable people. The aim is to take over the world, strategically.

What happens when the program glitches? When these teens start to realize what they are and what they've been made to do. Can they bring down Project Pandora?

My Thoughts: I received this book for free to review through Entangled Teen and NetGalley, and then found  myself on a blog tour for it! That's cool. I want to thank Entangled Teen and NetGalley for letting me read and review a copy early. As always, my review is going to be 100% honest thoughts on the book. What I liked, what I might not have liked. I won't lie to you.

My favorite part about this book is that it's an action thriller. I love those types of books! I don't think the YA genre has enough action thrillers. They are just fun to read. The action keeps me on the edge of my seat, with the pages flying by.

Project Pandora is about a secret program where kids are born and bred for nefarious purposes. I got a smidgen of an Orphan Black vibe with this. I really enjoyed that whole shadowy project vibe. Discovering all the secrets, and trying to unearth the purpose of why this all was happening was pretty interesting.

I enjoyed the writing of this story. It was good. It had a nice flow and kept me reading.

This book had some pretty intense scenes too! Some things that really shocked me, and made me feel bad for the characters.

This novel was split into four different character points of view, which I don't know was really necessary. My favorite character to read about was Hades. I found him the most interesting. He's not a good guy. His time in the Program has messed him up. He's a touch psychotic, kind of scary, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for him and intrigued by him. His story packed the most feels.

My second favorite character was Tyler. He's more the good guy character. The guy who's realizing what he has been forced into and trying to get out.

As for the two other perspectives, Shannon and Elizabeth, I didn't feel like they were really necessary. Everything could have been told from Tyler and Hades' points of view, and I feel I would have got the same story. Elizabeth and Shannon had some interesting moments, but I feel the book could have done better with less main characters to follow.

I also don't feel like this book had much of a plot. It had a cool concept, but I sometimes wondered what was the point of everything? What were they going to do next? What the ultimate plan was? How were they going to stop Project Pandora? A lot of the time, it just felt like the characters were running here and then there with no real purpose.

I thought this book was a lot of fun. I love action thrillers, conspiracies, assassins, and secret government programs. They are a good time to read. The ending left me with questions that I want answers to. I would recommend this book. Thanks Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Olympus is rising...

Check it out on GoodReads

Purchase Links: Amazon | Amazon.com.au | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Entangled

The Author

Aden Polydoros

 Aden Polydoros grew up in Long Grove, Illinois, the youngest of three children. Aden’s family moved to Arizona when he was in second grade. As a kid, he spent much of his time exploring the desert near his home. When he wasn’t searching for snakes and lizards, he was raiding the bookshelves of the local library. As a teenager, Aden decided that he wanted to be a writer. He spent his free time writing short stories. He was encouraged by his English teacher to try his hand at writing a novel, which inspired him to begin PROJECT PANDORA. The YA thriller is set for publication with Entangled Publishing in Summer of 2017. He is represented by Mallory Brown of Triada US

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads  

Check out the other tour stops and hosts HERE!

Review: Year of Mistaken Discoveries by Eileen Cook

Title: Year of Mistaken Discoveries

Author: Eileen Cook

Published by: Simon Pulse

Released: 2015

Source: Library

Summary: Nora and Avery became friends in grade school because of a shared connection, they were both adopted. Over the years they've grown apart, and with senior year flying by, they will soon go on their separate ways forever. Avery hasn't been really bothered by the demise of their friendship, they are into separate things, different hobbies. Avery is shocked when she learns that Nora is dead, by suicide.

With Nora's death, Avery's life starts to spin out of control. She's on a break from her relationship, her dream college has deferred her early admission status, and she needs a new partner for her senior project. Avery then gets partnered up with Nora's old partner, Brody. She decides to continue with the quest Nora began, and find her birth mother. 

What starts as a selfish way to impress the college board with an awesome senior project changes into something else, and new friends are made along the way.

My Thoughts: I liked this book. It gave me an interesting look into adoption and just what family means.

This book tried to tackle two pretty big issues: suicide and adoption. Well, maybe tackle isn't the right word, more like explore these two issues. I felt like it explored one thing more than it did the other. Nora was pretty much a jumping off point for Avery's search for her birth mother. The suicide aspect was almost kind of an add-on. A little was done with it, but not enough. Suicide is a shocking, tragic event. Knowing that you'll never see that person again, and they they left by their own hand can be almost too much to bear. It's a permanent fix to a temporary problem. I almost wish the author had picked a different way for Nora to die.

The adoption aspect, and the search for the birth mother was pretty interesting, but I felt like everything happened too quickly. It all came together too neatly. Maybe it was because it was such a short read, but I kind of wanted more from the search, and maybe finding her birth father too. I did feel bad for Avery at the end of her journey.

My other little gripes were that I wasn't the biggest fan of the quick romance and Avery's reasoning for embarking on the search. I was hot and cold with Avery's character. 

I did like the overall story and the ending. It was different because I don't usually read books about suicide and adoption. I wish things would have gone more in depth and been a little meatier, but all in all, I did enjoy it. I think I'm going to read some more of Eileen Cook's stuff, because I'm interested.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.3/5

I Am Intrigued.

#TheReadingQuest Readathon!

I've decided to join in on #TheReadingQuest Readathon. It's a Readathon mixed with a more game format. You pick a character, you follow that character's path, you earn Experience Points and Health Points for completing challenges, and you just have fun! For all the rules and explanations, I'm going to link to the blog Read At Midnight, who is hosting this challenge. All information and what-not can be found HERE!
This #TheReadingQuest has already started. It runs from August 13th to September 10th.
I've decided to embark on the character path of The Rogue! Just because I like the idea of being a Rogue, stealthy and all that. The Rogue's challenges are a little more difficult, but I'm going to try.

ROGUE ASHLEY

10 EXP

10 HP

Can be found at the blog ashleysgotbookcitement

On youtube at acbsgotbookcitement

Twitter and Instagram @gotbookcitement

THE PATH SHE MUST FOLLOW

THE FIRST BOOK SHE IS READING FOR HER JOURNEY

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart which goes towards the challenge of A Book Cover With A Partially Obscured Face

I don't know how well I will do at this challenge overall, but wish me luck. They also have a GoodReads Group where people can get together and discuss the topics. The characters and board images came from Reading At Midnight's blog and the cover for We Were Liars came from GoodReads, as do all my book cover images.

Review: Rosario + Vampire: Volume 1 by Akihisa Ikeda

Title: Rosario + Vampire: Volume 1

Story and Art by: Akihisa Ikeda

Published by: VIZ Media, LLC

Released: 2008

Source: Library

Summary: Tsukune didn't do too well on his high school exams, but luckily he was accepted into Yokai Academy. Students at the school are different, they are all monsters! Tsukune is the only human at the school, humans aren't even allowed there. Tsukune has to keep his humanity a secret if he wants to continue living!

Tsukune meets a beautiful girl named Moka who is completely out of his league. She's drawn to him though, maybe because she's a vampire who craves blood, or maybe because she likes him. Who knows.

My Thoughts: I thought this was enjoyable. It wasn't the best manga I've ever read, but it's not the worst either. This is a very episodic manga. Each chapter is kind of its own mini story. This seems like one of those mangas that can just go on and on because it focuses more on an episodic nature than a full on, involved plot. Sometimes I don't know how I feel about those mangas. I tend to like the ones with a single plot, but I do think the episodes work for this series.

I did think it would take longer for Tsukune to be revealed as human, so I was surprised it happened in the first ten pages.

I liked the art style overall.

This did seem to be geared to more male readers. Lots of short, short skirts, undies that you could see, and boob shots. So if you don't like that kind of thing, this might not be your manga.

Overall, I thought this was kind of fun. I'll probably read more of it.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Many Many Monsters.

Reading Right Now! (128)

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

-- Breaker by Kat Ellis -- This is what I'm Reading Right Now! and am almost finished with. I'm liking it. I think the premise is pretty interesting. It's about this kid named Kyle, whose father was a serial killer called The Bonebreaker. After he's executed, he moves with his mom to a new town to begin a new life. He enrolls in a private school where he meets a girl named Naomi. He recognizes Naomi as soon as she introduces herself. Her mom was the last victim of the Bonebreaker. Kyle doesn't know what to do, and even worse, he's falling for her. Then some mysterious things start happening at the school.

I'm enjoying it. I think the build up of the story is very nice. It has a creepy sort of atmosphere. I will say, I did figure out who the bad guy was very early on, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment. I just have mere pages left of this, so I will finish it this weekend.

Options for reading next...

  

-- We Were Liars by E. Lockhart -- I've been hearing about this one for a while and I want to read it. It's also coming up due at the library soon, so I need to get to it. And I haven't been spoiled for whatever the ending is, so please don't spoil me after I've done so well at staying away from spoilers.

-- Emma In the Night by Wendy Walker -- I got this one through NetGalley and really need to read it. It just came out this month. I love mystery/thriller kind of things. I think I requested it because of the genre and the cover.

-- Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller -- Surprise surprise, another library book that I need to read because it is coming up due. But it's about Pirates!! And I love Pirates!! I did my senior project in high school on pirates. I also love love love the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, I still need to watch the newest one that just came out. Anyway, I've heard good things about this one, so I want to read it.

That's what I'm Reading Right Now! and what I'm planning to read next. Sorry for the lack of posts this week on the blog. Laziness is a thing I suffer from pretty frequently.

Review: Nailbiter, Volume 2: Bloody Hands by Joshua Williamson, Mike Henderson, and Adam Guzowski

Title: Nailbiter, Volume 2: Bloody Hands

Story by: Joshua Williamson

Art by: Mike Henderson

Colors by: Adam Guzowski

Letters and Book Design by: John J. Hill

Edited by: Rob Levin

Published by: Image Comics, Inc.

Released: 2015

Source: Library

Summary: Welcome to Buckaroo, Oregon! What makes Buckaroo notable you ask? Well, what we're best know for is being the birthplace of a number of serial killers. Nobody knows why Buckaroo churns them out. Are we cursed? Is there something in the atmosphere that changes us? Nature or Nurture? Who knows. Buckaroo's got its secrets though.

Why yes, you did hear right, the serial killer known as Nailbiter is back living in town. He's been released. Mysterious deaths you say? Yeah, we've had some of those too. Hopefully our sheriff and that investigator named Finch will be able to sort it all out. Enjoy your stay!

My Thoughts: I was entertained and intrigued the whole time while reading this. There is a lot of weird mystery surrounding Buckaroo, a mystery that I want to find out. I'm intrigued by this town.

This series is dark and weird, but it hasn't exactly scared the socks off me yet. I feel like it's laying down the weird vibes, and there will come a time where the scares will get real intense. It's been very creepy so far, with a lot of dark humor.

I thought this Volume was fun. It definitely gave me more questions then it did answers. I'm excited to further investigate the mysteries of Buckaroo.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Oooh I'm Intrigued!

Reading Right Now! (127)

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

 

-- The Lost Causes by Jessica Koosed Etting and Alyssa Embree Schwarts -- This is a review book I got through Netgalley and Kids Can Press as an ebook for free to read. And guys, THIS IS AWESOME!!! I actually just finished it tonight. My review for it will be going up when it releases, September 5th, 2017. I definitely, definitely recommend picking this one up. It was so addictive. 

Anyway, it's about these troubled kids who come from different backgrounds. Their parents don't really care about them and they all have different problems in their lives that they are not really coping with. One day, they all get called to a session by the school counselor, and end up in a weird group meeting, with two people they never met before. After that meeting, they notice changes in themselves, and new abilities they've acquired. They've become The Lost Causes, and with their new abilities, they've been tasked with solving a murder in their small town. These kids who were never friends before, suddenly become part of something, and form a bond that's unbreakable.

I really liked it! It reminded me of Scooby Doo, little hint of X-Men, and a dash of Criminal Minds. It was great! 

-- Doubt, Volume 2 (Doubt #3-4) by Yoshiki Tonogai -- This is what I'm planning to read next. I really enjoyed the first omnibus volume and I can't wait to see how it all ends. It's been a little bit since I read the first book, but I think my memory of it is clear enough.

This one is about a dangerous game of a wolf hiding among the rabbits and killing them off one by one. It starts as a group of gamer friends meeting for the first time, and they find themselves trapped in a mysterious place with someone killing them one by one. It's the game come to life, and they have to find out who the wolf is before it kills them all!

That's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you Reading?

Review: Arata: The Legend, Volume 3 by Yuu Watase

Title: Arata: The Legend, Volume 3

Story and Art by: Yuu Watase

Published by: VIZ Media LLC

Released: 2009

Source: Library

Summary: Having escaped the prison island, Arata is now traveling towards the incapacitated Princess. His journey takes him through lands ruled by the men who are after him. He and his friends find respite in the house of a new friend, for a while, and learn just how dangerous their quest will be.

Meanwhile, the Arata in the present discovers high school, spicy mustard, and makes new friends!

My Thoughts: Really enjoyed this Volume. There is a reason Yuu Watase is one of my favorite manga artists. I love her characters, her art style, and her stories.

My only gripe is the same as I had in Volume 2. Some of the action scenes are too busy and cluttered, and it's hard for me to see just what's happening. 

I loved seeing the other Arata in present day! I think that's a fun, light part of the overall story to observe. The Arata in the past storyline is getting really interesting too!

I can't wait to see what happens in the next volume.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Fun!

Random Tuesday: Influenster and Maybelline City Mini Palette Review

When I say Random Tuesday, I really mean random. This post is not book related, it's about makeup. I have a makeup buying, hoarding, and trying addiction. I just find it really fun to do. I don't wear makeup everyday, but I do buy quite a lot of it. I'm also a big fan of the site https://www.influenster.com/ It's a consumer review site, where people can post reviews for products they've tried and they can see upcoming products. Influenster is a reviewers website. Based on a person's social media influence, they can sometimes be selected to try products for free to review. What happens is, they send a survey, you take it, and sometimes you get lucky and are chosen for a campaign. I love influenster. I think it's a really fun site and I've been lucky enough to receive a couple boxes.
This post is about the Maybelline City Mini Palettes that hit the makeup market not too long ago. I was lucky enough to qualify for the campaign, so I was sent a City Mini Palette for free to review. All opinions are 100% honest and 100% my own. I receive no payment for reviewing this product, I just received it complimentary to try out. So here's my review for what I got!

This is what arrived at my door! or mailbox if you want to be technical. All influenster campaigns come in there own cute little boxes that say influenster and the product you're testing on it. This box has been the smallest box I ever got from influenster. It's actually pretty cute. Inside the box are the products you're testing, along with a little information card.

I received the City Mini Palette in the shade Matte About Town. This palette is a Walgreens exclusive palette, so you can only purchase it there. They also have one palette that's an Ulta exclusive. There are six other palettes that should be available wherever Maybelline Products are sold. The Matte About Town Palette is a completely matte shadow palette, which I was pretty excited about. Matte shadows, I feel, can be harder to come across at the drugstore. Good matte shadows can be even rarer to find.

The Matte About Town Palette contains six shades, which I attempted to artistically swatch above. I love how that one shade matches the freckles on my harm haha. As you can see, I am pale, and I know some of the swatches don't look that impressive, but don't be fooled! I really liked how these shadows performed on my eyes. I found the shadows easy to blend, pigmented, and they had a really good lasting power. The shadows also have a very silky feel when you touch them. They aren't dry, they aren't chalky. Some of the shadows did have some kick-up powder wise, especially that lightest shade at the top left, so be sure to tap off your brush.

I'm really happy with this palette and I'm glad I got it for free to try out. I'm impressed with the shadows. I think Maybelline did a fantastic job. I can honestly see this palette becoming a staple for my eye looks. I need matte eyeshadows in a majority of my makeup looks, and these did a really good job. I liked this palette so much, that I went and bought two other palette shades in the line. Since I received a matte shadow palette, I wanted to see how some of the more shimmery shades preformed. I haven't used the new palettes on my eyes just yet, but I think they are going to be good.

If you are a makeup addict like me, I'd definitely recommend giving these a try. They won't break the bank, I think I saw them at Target for $7.99, and Maybelline always has coupons in the ads. These little palettes are a win for me.

Thank you to Influenster and Maybelline for sending them to me for free to review. I love getting campaign boxes, and I hope I get more. If you haven't joined Influenster, you totally should! It's a fun site where you can review products you've tried, and sometimes get free stuff!! If you don't mind sharing your thoughts and opinions about products on social media, then it's definitely a site you should consider.

So that's my little review for the Maybelline City Mini Palette in Matte About Town, and the end of this truly Random Tuesday Post. If you enjoyed reading a post about makeup, let me know, because I enjoy talking about it. I buy a shameful amount of makeup and I just can't stop.