Reading Right Now! (134)

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

-- Queen of Hearts (#1) by Colleen Oakes -- Off With Her Head! This is an Alice in Wonderland re-imagining and I'm really enjoying it. I haven't had the best of luck with Alice in Wonderland  stories, they tend to be too weird for me, but I'm glad to say that this one is good so far. I'm about 75% ish of the way through. It's about Dinah, the future Queen of Hearts, and mysteries she encounters before she takes the throne. That's probably a horrible description. Whenever I think of the Queen of Hearts, I think of the Disney Alice in Wonderland  Queen of Hearts version, who was not a nice woman. I'm sympathizing with Dinah in this. I don't know if she'll turn out evil in the end, but right now I'm on her side.

My initial thoughts before finishing is that this is really good! I can't wait to finish it this weekend and am already planning to get my hands on the sequel. Also, the cover is just so cool looking. A+ for Design!

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

Review: Every Heart A Doorway (#1) by Seanan McGuire

Title: Every Heart A Doorway (#1)

Author: Seanan McGuire

Published by: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC (TOR Books)

Released: 2016

Source Library

Summary: A door opens, a child steps through, and embarks on an adventure into a world full of fantasy, whimsy, or darkness. Sometimes those journeys come to a close. The fantastical world doesn't want that child anymore. The world of fantasy kicks them out, and these children, forever changed, spend the rest of their lives looking for that one door to open again.

Back in reality, these children don't function. Their families want the child they lost, not the changed one who came back. These children are sent to Eleanor West and her Home For Wayward Children. The school is filled with kids unable to let go of the magic and fantasy that ensnared them. Ely West offers compassion and therapy.

When the unthinkable happens to the school, targeting its special population, these Wayward Children must save the school and themselves.

My Thoughts: This was a fun, magical adventure. I quite enjoyed it. The premise is very interesting, because it's essentially What Happens Next? after Alice returns from the rabbit hole or the children come home from Narnia. The children in this school are unable to let go of their magical experiences, and long to go back to a world that has kicked them out. It was just a very fun concept.

I picked this one up because of the hype it has gotten on booktube. As far as the story goes, it's good, but it wasn't what I'd consider the perfect story. I do recommend reading it, it's an enjoyable experience.

A lot has been made of how diverse this book is, which really has no bearing as to the need I feel to pick up a book. If the diverse aspects hadn't been there, I wouldn't have missed them, it still would have been the same story. It just felt like diverse aspects were thrown in just to have diversity. I know some people will run to a book, or snatch it up, based solely on the fact that it has diverse characters or diversity. I personally think that's a kind of lame reason to pick up a book. I'm in it for the story, not what a character looks like or is. I say this especially when it comes to fantasy or science fiction books. I know I'm of the unpopular opinion, but I don't care.

My one major gripe about this book is that it is just too short. Everything just wraps up too nicely and conveniently in the end. It ended just as things seemed to be getting started. 

The murder mystery is what made this book fun, but that was very rushed. Someone was dying every chapter, and who the killer was didn't come as a surprise to me.

The first 70 pages of this book were kind of slow for me. I felt there was a lot of info-dumping concerning the fantastical worlds, which I'm still not sure I really understand.

I did enjoy this book. It was a lot of fun and it had such an interesting concept. It seems that there is a prequel coming out sometime in 2017, (it's already out) and I'm interested in giving that a read.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.7/5

Different and Magical

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Books I've Read Because of Booktube/Blogging/Etc.

Welcome, Welcome to another Top 5 Wednesday Post!! This week's topic is fun, it's one I can get on board with. Top 5 Books I've Read Because of Booktube/Blogging/Etc. Ever since I joined the book social media communities, be they bookstagram, GoodReads, blogging, or booktube, I've been introduced to so many great books. I don't think I would know about half the good books that I've read if it wasn't for me being a part of this community. My list is some of my favorites I've discovered. Of course, I'm probably forgetting some, but oh well.
Here's my Top 5 Books I've Read Because of the Book Community:

 

  

-- Vicious by V.E. Schwab -- Love it!! And we're supposed to be getting a sequel *squee*! I think this was the first super hyped book on booktube that I ended up loving just as much as everyone else. Sometimes hyped books can let me down, but this one was golden.

-- Gone Series by Michael Grant -- Loved this whole thing! Such a fun, reading time. I am jealous of the UK's colored pages though.

-- Shadowlands Series by Kate Brian -- I was addicted to this and still remember how much fun it was to read. I don't know if I've found another series recently that held me in the same grasp. Book One had such a crazy twist.

-- Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake -- The cover is what made me really want to read this, because it is gorgeous and spooky. It really felt like an episode of Supernatural. I still haven't read the second book, but I'm still kind of bummed that this is only a duology.

-- These Broken Stars by Aime Kaufman and Meagan Spooner --  I still need to read the rest of this series, but this first book was everything I wanted. The cover is gorgeous, the inside is more than you think it will be, the ending is slightly confusing. It was just a lot of fun to read.

So those are my picks! Which of your favorite books got introduced to you because of bookish social media? Let me know. And if you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday Fun, you totally should. Each Wednesday is a new, fun topic to contemplate and consider. Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers HERE!

Review: House of Ash by Hope Cook

Title: House of Ash

Author: Hope Cook

Published by: Amulet Books

Released: September 26, 2017

Source: NetGalley and Amulet Books Review Copy (e-book format)

Summary: Curtis has a lot on his plate. His dad suffers from a severe mental illness and Curtis must make sure he takes his medication, as well as caring for his younger sister. If his dad has an episode, he can turn violent. Curtis worries that he might end up sick like his dad too, especially when he hears a howling wind and whispering voices while riding through the woods. Curtis can't go off the deep end, his family depends on him.

In 1894, Mila is on a ship headed for Canada. Her mother is to marry a man named Deemus, and they will live at his estate called Gravenhearst. The house is enourmous, but there's something not right about it. Gravenhearst holds dark secrets. Mila needs to get herself and her family out of there.

Curtis in present day, Mila in past. Connected by strange occurrences. Can they help each other before the evil wins?

My Thoughts: I received this for review through Amulet Books and NetGalley. Thanks to them for letting me review an early copy. Looking at the cover, I was expecting a middle grade, haunted house story, but I was so, so wrong. First off, it's YA, and it deals with some heavy topics. I think the cover doesn't do it justice for what a crazy ride this is. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice cover, but it's not scary enough for what's inside this book.

THIS BOOK WAS INTENSE!!!

I was hooked from page one. I enjoyed having Mila's chapters and Curtis's chapters. I liked how there were two different time periods that were so connected, and happening simultaneously. The mystery was really interesting too. I needed to know what happened to Mila, Gravenhearst, all of it! I just couldn't seem to put the book down.

I also liked how the author incorporated severe mental illness in the story. I felt bad for Curtis, I felt bad for his sister, and I felt bad for his Dad. I can't imagine not being in control of your mind, and just the thought of the only treatment being numbing drugs is sad. It showed how much of a toll it took on the whole family. It was heartbreaking watching it all unfold.

Curtis's struggle was also heartbreaking. Having him questioning his sanity and afraid he'd end up like his dad. I could sympathize with that fear. That future would have been a nightmare, to go from sane and able-bodied, to not in control of oneself anymore.

Mila's story was super interesting too. I needed to find out the mystery just as much as she did.

The pictures/illustrations in this book felt very unnecessary to me, at least in this ARC format. There weren't very many of them, and they just seemed kind of random instead of adding anything to the story. The best picture was probably the first picture of Curtis and his motorcycle.

This book was a heart-pounding thrill ride. I Loved It! I really was hooked and couldn't put it down until I reached the last page. I would love to know what happens with these characters next. 

I was also surprised by the ending. I didn't suspect the villain, or the big reveal, or really anything.

I really could see this book working as a perfect scary movie. I was on the edge-of-my-seat reading it, and could only imagine how terrified I'd be of it on screen.

The writing style reminded me of Dawn Kurtagich and Megan Shepherd, both authors I really enjoy.

House of Ash was really, really good. It was thrilling, addicting, mysterious, and would make a great Halloween read. I definitely recommend it. I was hooked reading it, and I think others would feel the same way.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

What A Thrill Ride!

Review: Tales of the Peculiar (#0.5) by Ransom Riggs

Title: Tales of the Peculiar (#0.5)

Author: Ransom Riggs

Published by: Dutton Books

Released: 2016

Source: Library

Summary: Peculiars have been around through the centuries. Their histories written and shared. These tales serve as lessons and morals to other struggling Peculiars. In these tales reside ghosts, cannibals, and fork-tongued princesses. Embrace the Peculiar inside you.

My Thoughts: Well, this was fun and strange. Just what I suspected it to be really. It reminds me a lot of The Tales of Beetle and the Bard by J.K. Rowling, fairy tales set in a magical world we are already familiar with and enjoy.

I'd say, if you are already a fan of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, give this a read. It's a good time.

Probably my favorite, favorite thing about this book is the design. It's so pretty! I love the woodcut illustration style. That is a real talent. Visually, it's great to look at.

So that's really all I have to say about this book. I liked it. I thought it was a fun add-on to the series. It's not something you have to read, but it's fun to read.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

What a Peculiar Set of Tales

Reading Right Now! (133)

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

-- Bzrk (#1) by Michael Grant -- I'm a really big fan of Michael Grant, ever since I read his Gone series, which I LOVED so much! And I'm really excited because the Gone series is getting a kind of spin off series happening. It's going to be new characters, and after the events of Gone, but I can't wait to read it!

Anyway, since I loved Gone so much, I wanted to read other stuff that Michael Grant wrote. Bzrk is the start of a science fiction series, where two groups of people are at war, and the weapon is micro robots mixed with human DNA. I'm about 65% through and I'm mixed on this one. I'm not loving it as much as I loved the Gone series, so far. The first 30-40 pages were AWESOME! They were intense, and I thought it was going to be a great book! As the story goes on, it gets very convoluted and kind of confusing. There's a lot of characters. People are changing names. The reader is kind of thrown into this world of macro and micro, with these weird, tiny, robot-human hybrid things. And all the tiny robot scenes are kind of weird and gross. They remind me of that episode of The Magic Schoolbus where all the kids get shrunk and explore the human body. And it's also kind of creepy because they are messing with peoples' minds through these robots.

There's also been insta-love that happened and I don't know how I feel about it. The insta-love happened too quick and I'm not a fan of that.

I don't know. I want to love it because it's Michael Grant, but it's not doing it for me like the Gone Series did. It's too much stuff going on, too many names and people introduced, and the concept is just weird and icky. We'll see what happens, what I think, when I'm finished with it.

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

BLOG TOUR and REVIEW: Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel

Welcome to my stop on the Black Bird of the Gallows Blog Tour hosted by Chapter by Chapter and Entangled Teen! I'm happy to be a part of it. I was provided with an e-arc to read and review through Netgalley and Entangled Teen. My Blog Tour Stop is a Review Post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and 100% my own. Just because I was provided with a free copy to read doesn't influence my opinion.

Here's what I thought of Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel!

Title: Black Bird of the Gallows

Author: Meg Kassel

Published by: Entangled Teen

Released: September 5, 2017

Source: Review Copy from Entangled Teen through NetGalley

Summary: It starts simply enough, a new boy moves in next door. Angie Dovage is interested in Reece Fernandez, but he's the kind of guy who would never be interested in her.

The more Angie watches Reece, the more mysterious he becomes. He has secrets, secrets that Angie is determined to figure out. Could he be more than human?

There have been mysterious happenings in Angie's town of Cadence too. A murder of crows have taken residence, one that likes to give Angie gifts. There's also a strange, foreboding man. His face shifts and bees always seem to be near him. Forces are at work in Cadence, forces beyond anyones' imagining.

My Thoughts: Thank You to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for letting me read and review an early copy of Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel. My thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and 100% my own.

I'm also excited to be a part of the Black Bird of the Gallows Blog Tour! This tour is hosted by Chapter by Chapter and Entangled Teen. I'm happy to be a part of it.

Black Bird of the Gallows is an interesting mix of things. First and foremost, it's a paranormal romance, which I always love. There are also sprinklings of disaster fiction, danger, mystery, and a bit of horror. It's an interesting mix for a book, a mix I rather enjoyed reading. The book introduces the different parts in different spots. It unveils itself as it goes along. It definitely kept me reading.

This story brought to mind some other stories I have read and enjoyed. The beginning and middle really reminded me a lot of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, in a good way! I know that comparison might not be a good omen for some people, but reading Black Bird of the Gallows gave me that feeling of when I first read Twilight, how sucked in I got to the story, and how much fun I had reading it. Black Bird of the Gallows also had a more sinister vibe, and it reminded me of a more sinister book I had read a couple of years ago. That book is The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman, which is a crazy, scary, and good book! More people should read that one.

Black Bird of the Gallows had a lot packed into it. It almost felt like it could have been put into two book, instead of just the one. There was a lot to take in, and everything went pretty fast. I would have liked the last half of the book to have been slowed down a little, but that's just because I really like reading disaster fiction.

I really liked the premise of this book. I'll admit, when I started it, I had no idea what a Harbinger of Death was. It was a very interesting life to imagine. I would have loved for Angie to have been looking at old disaster articles and pictures, and then spotting Reece in them, that would have been cool.

I also enjoyed Angie as a character. I liked how she did her own thing, and her being a DJ was an interesting hobby to have. I also really liked the relationship she had with her dad.

I don't know if I would say I swooned over the romance. I liked it well enough, but it did kind of speed along. I did enjoy the build up to it, Angie spying, but not spying on this cute, mysterious boy across the street.

I wasn't mad at the ending of the book, in fact, I think it did a good job wrapping up. As I was getting near the end, I really did wonder what was going to happen. There were directions this could have gone that I wouldn't have been happy with. So while I do think this book could have benefitted, or had the potential to be a series, I appreciate how everything wrapped up.

All in all, I enjoyed this read. Black Bird of the Gallows was fun! It had the most interesting mix of paranormal romance, mystery, horror, and disaster. It was a story that sucked me in and I enjoyed. I'd definitely say give it a read.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.8/5

A Cool Mix.

If this book sounds good to you, here's where you can purchase it!

Amazon | Amazon Australia | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Meet the Author

Meg Kassel is an author of paranormal and speculative books for young adults. A New Jersey native, Meg graduated from Parson’s School of Design and worked as a graphic designer before becoming a writer. She now lives in Maine with her husband and daughter and is busy at work on her next novel. She is the 2016 RWA Golden Heart© winner in YA.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

There's also a cool giveaway going on for a t-shirt when you leave a review for the book on different platforms. You can check it out HERE!

There's also another giveaway going on HERE where you can win the stuff pictured below.

Check out all the other tour stops here.

Thanks for stopping by mine :D

BLOG TOUR and REVIEW: The Siren Chronicles: Book 1 by Douglas J. Sloan

Welcome to my Blog Tour stop for The Siren Chronicles: Book 1 by Douglas J. Sloan! I have a review post for this bright, shiny new book. I was provided with a free e-arc to read and review through NetGalley and Gruh Entertainment, Inc. I would like to thank them for providing me with a review copy and letting me share my thoughts on it. All thoughts and opinions on this book are 100% honest and 100% my own. I wasn't paid for my review, just provided with a free copy to read.
So, with all that introduction/explanation out of the way, here's what I thought of the book!

THE REVIEW:

Title: The Siren Chronicles: Book 1

Author: Douglas J. Sloan

Published by: Gruh Entertainment Inc.

Released: June 19, 2017

Source: NetGalley Review Copy through Gruh Entertainment, Inc.

Summary: Deep in the depths of the ocean lies a hidden land, a hidden people. They exist in myths and legends, where they've been given a sinister reputation. Mermaids, Sirens, whatever you want to call them, they exist!

Three Mermaids have been charged with the task of a Land Quest. Seanne the warrior, Lorilei the artist, and Millisine the thinker are specially chosen. They don't know exactly what they are supposed to do, but will recognize it when they see it.

Catastrophe happens when they swim into an oil spill and get separated. Land is a strange and dangerous place, filled with strange and dangerous creatures.

These three Sirens must find their way back to each other and complete their Quest, so they can save their home.

My Thoughts: I want to thank  NetGalley and Gruh Entertainment, Inc. for providing me with a review copy to read and review. I was drawn in by the cover and the subject matter of mermaids. I love a good mermaid tale.

I'm also excited to be part of the Blog Tour for this book!

Mermaid/Siren books are always fun for me to read. They bring back my childhood memories of watching Disney's The Little Mermaid, which had some similarities to The Siren Chronicles. We've got Mermaids coming to land, not knowing what to do, and trying to navigate human life. We also had some danger and evil, which made for some fun.

This author, Douglas J. Sloan, has written for a lot of TV Shows, a heavy emphasis on kids' shows, which I can see. I think this book would have worked really well as a show. The way it was written was good, but maybe a tad flat. I think being able to see what was happening would have had more impact, more oomph, than just reading it.

I wish the characters would have felt more real to me. They all felt very flat. Maybe it was because there were three Mermaids to follow. Maybe they would have felt more real on screen. I also thought the other Mermaids weren't very fair to Seanne, always making out like she was the bad one, the mean one. In my opinion, Seanne had a harder time then the other two. Did I like Seanne all the time? No, but the other Mermaids should have cut her some slack.

A reason this book didn't grip me was that I didn't feel the intensity of the Quest the three Sirens were sent on. They didn't even know what their Quest was, which was just odd.

I did think the ending was interesting. The villain and his lackeys added a bit of spice. It didn't wrap up at the end, it just raised many more questions, questions that I am curious about.

All in all, I thought this book was all right. I'm happy that I got the chance to review it, and be on a Blog Tour for it. Thanks again to NetGalley and Gruh Entertainment, Inc. I say, if you really like mermaids, give it a shot!

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

Darling it's better Under Da Sea!

Want the book? Go get it here:

THE SIREN CHRONICLES, BOOK 1 is available now in Paperback and for Kindle. Additional eBook formats are coming soon.X

Website: http://www.douglasjsloan.com/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Douglas J. Sloan has been a world-renowned storyteller for more than 25 years. He has been the writer, director and executive producer of some of the most successful young adult and children’s programs in history. Starting with the multibillion-dollar franchise Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, for which Sloan wrote, directed and/or produced over 200 episodes, for Fox Kids and then again for The Disney Channel.

Over the next several years, Sloan concentrated on long-form TV programs, starting with the beloved Disney Channel Movie, Johnny Tsunami. What followed was a string of highly successful “DCOMs,” including Motocrossed, Minutemen, and The Princess Protection Program starring Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato and the Nickelodeon smash TV movie, The Boy Who Cried Werewolf, starring Victoria Justice. Most recently Sloan has been the executive producer and head writer of the wildly successful Dreamworks Dragons: Riders of Berk, the 119-episode TV series based on the How to Train Your Dragon book series and film franchise.

Throughout his career, Douglas has either won or been nominated for nearly every television award, including the Emmy, The WGA Award, the Humanitas Prize, The Saturn Award, and the Kid Screen Award. He currently lives in Glendale, CA with his wife, Mindy and their three dogs, Cocoa, George and Betty.

Visit Him on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSloanwrites/

Instagram: #thesirenchronicles

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vrdjs143 / #thesirenchronicles

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35557519-the-siren-chronicles-book-1

Website: http://www.douglasjsloan.com/

Thanks for stopping by my Blog Stop Tour and checking out my Review!

Reading Right Now! (132)

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

Still this

-- The Siren Chronicles (#1) by Douglas J. Sloan -- I'm still making my way through this. I got it through NetGalley, so I need to read and review it. I thought I was going to be on a blog tour for it, but I haven't heard anything back about that, so I don't think it's going to happen.

I feel like I've been trudging my way through this, and I shouldn't be, because it's not a long book. There are reasons that I haven't knocked this one out yet. First, I just started a full time job! I'm super pumped that I got on full time, I need the insurance, and I like where I work, but Full Time Job means Full Time Hours, which means less time to read, so there's that.

The other reasons are that I'm not finding myself blown away by this book. Looking at the cover, I thought I was going to get a dark, siren tale, but it's really not. It's almost like The Little Mermaid Disney movie where 3 beautiful sirens/mermaids wash up on shore. They meet with beautiful, friendly people who help them on land. These mermaids are supposed to be on some sort of quest to save their home, but we don't know what the quest is, apparently they'll figure it out once they see it. It's also just kind of a bland story, all the characters are kind of flat, I'm not really seeing them as complex characters. I don't know. I don't want to not like it, but it's not blowing me away.

I read that the author has written for a lot of TV shows, and maybe this book would have worked more in the visual sense, like on television. I don't know. I'm almost done with it, so I do think I will finish it this weekend.

What I Want To Read Next!

-- Bzrk (#1) by Michael Grant -- I really like Michael Grant's Gone Series, so I want to read something else by him. I think this should be quick and fun, and I think I'll probably like it.

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

Review: Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel

Title: Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1)

Author: Sylvain Neuvel

Published by: Del Rey

Released: 2016

Source: Library

Summary: A young girl takes a walk in the woods of South Dakota and falls into a mysterious hole. The rescuers discover her laying in a giant, metal hand. No one knows where this hand came from, what it is, or even what it is made of. It's a mystery that lies unsolved for 17 years.

That little girl has now grown up to be a scientist, and she crosses paths with that Giant Hand again. She's determined to figure out the purpose of this hand that had a great impact on her life.

Told in a series of interviews with a mysterious government agent, this novel is exciting and intriguing.

My Thoughts: Well, that was fun. I've been wanting to read this book ever since I heard about it. I was intrigued by the synopsis, and the epistolary style it was written in. I think it's best to go into this book knowing only the vaguest of vague about its inside contents. A little girl falls into a hole and lands on a mysterious, giant hand, that's all you need to know. Then you can have fun discovering everything that happens next.

I'm always excited when books are written in a different format. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it can get repetitive. I think the epistolary format worked in the case of this book. The characters switched up, and it was fun to read.

One aspect that made this book fun was all the drama between the characters. Each character had a distinctive voice, distinctive personality, (except maybe one) and I felt like I liked most of them. I was surprised with how real the characters felt, because that can sometimes be hard to do in a novel written in mostly interviews.

I also felt an X-Files vibe while reading this. Our mysterious interviewer/man-with-all-kinds-of-connections reminded me of the Cigarette Man on the show. I think our mysterious interviewer was nicer, and had a soul, unlike Cigarette Man, but he was so mysterious, powerful, and had this influence over all kinds of government agencies. He also knew all kinds of secrets. He's the character that I'm probably most curious about.

This novel did have weird time jumps that I don't know if I was the biggest fan of. At times, it could feel kind of scattered.

I'm also not sure how I feel about Dr. Rose Franklin. She was just kind of an ehh character for me, not the most fun or exciting. Her story could be very interesting in the sequel though.

For all the hype about this book, I think it held its own. It was a very interesting story that I enjoyed reading. I'm excited to see what happens in the sequel. I would recommend giving this book a read. I thought it was fun.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Okay, I'm Intrigued.

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Books To Read Without Knowing the Synopsis

I'm baaaaack for another Top 5 Wednesday! This week's topic is the Top 5 Books To Read Without Knowing Anything About the Synopsis. So basically, books that you go into blind. It's hard for me to go into a book without at least trying to find out something about it. The books I picked though, I do think they are more fun if you go into them knowing next to nothing, or just the vaguest of vague. I'm just going to list my picks, but I'm not going to tell you anything about them, because that would defeat the purpose!

 

  

-- Shadowlands by Kate Brian -- Read it and Find Out!

-- Night Film by Marisha Pessl -- Read it and Find Out!

-- Vicious by V.E. Schwab -- Read it and Find Out!

-- And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich -- Read it and Find Out!

-- The Merciless by Danielle Vega -- Read it and Find Out!

Those are my picks! There were probably more I could have put. Now I know some of my picks are kind of popular, and you might already know something about them, but I think they would be fun to go into blind. If you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should! Each Wednesday is a new topic to consider and enjoy. Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers Here!

#TheReadingQuest Progress Post #2

#TheReadingQuest is over, officially, and I didn't complete my quest...

Even though it's technically over, I'm going to continue on with it anyway. Since it's based on a video game format, I'm going to do my own thing. The way I rationalize it is that it takes me FOREVER to beat a video game. I'm that type that plays for awhile, gets stuck at some point, stops playing for a time, and eventually picks back up where I left of. So, I'm seeing #TheReadingQuest as just a big game. I would love to maybe finish all the Quests. I'm just going to keep making my way across the board.

For my ROGUE QUEST, I managed to finish three books in the allotted time. The Three Challenges I finished were:

A BANNED BOOK:

Gossip Girl (#1) by Cecily von Ziegesar

A BOOK COVER WITH A PARTIALLY OBSCURED FACE:

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

A BOOK WITH <500 RATINGS ON GOODREADS:

Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel

The two challenges that I didn't yet complete were A BOOK PUBLISHED BY A SMALL PRESS and A BOOK WITH A ONE WORD TITLE although I do have ideas of what I'm going to read for those.

So I failed at completing #TheReadingQuest in the time allotted, but I'm going to continue on anyway. I had a lot of fun taking part in it. If I was better at readathons, I might have succeeded and finished it, but I'm not. I might keep doing my progress posts because they are fun. Did you do #TheReadingQuest? If so, did you complete your Quest?

book cover images are from www.goodreads.com and the gif is from https://giphy.com/gifs/swamp-people-troy-tRJJmcOu5EBYk/links

Review: Chew, Volume 6: Space Cakes by John Layman and Rob Guillory

Title: Chew, Volume 6: Space Cakes

Written and Lettered by: John Layman

Drawn and Colored by: Rob Guillory

Published by: Image Comics, Inc.

Released: 2013 (Omnivore Volume 3 Edition)

Source: Library

Summary: The adventures just get tastier in Chew, Volume 6: Space Cakes. Tony is out of commission for a while, in the hospital, so his family and friends have to pick up the slack.

His sister Toni has a lot to do this Volume. As an agent for NASA, she can investigate anything and everything. She also has some secret special skills.

John is getting used to his new partner POYO, who is taking all the glory.

Crime is on the rise, with painters being kidnapped, vampires showing up, and a tragedy to eclipse all tragedies.

My Thoughts: CHEW IS THE BEST!! I have so much fun reading this comic series. The story is wacky and zany, I never know what's going to happen next. The art is fantastic too! Bright and colorful, and a lot of times really disgusting. I also love finding all the little hidden extras in the panels. It adds just that much more fun!

This comic series is an experience, an experience I recommend everyone partaking in.

I enjoyed the story in this Volume, how we got to spend a lot of time with Toni. Her interactions with everybody were just a lot of fun. I loved the back and forth she had with Caesar. I was also kind of sad with how it ended. Tragedy, TRAGEDY!

Can't wait to see where everything goes next. It will be awesome. I can't recommend this series enough. It's a ton of fun!

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

Deliciously Disgusting!

Reading Right Now! (131)

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

-- Gossip Girl (#1) by Cecily von Ziegesar -- I picked this one up for a couple of reasons. One, it's been on my shelf forever. Two, I'm taking part in this thing called #TheReadingQuest, which I know I have no hope of actually completing. I'm taking the Rogue's journey, and one of the squares I had to complete was a banned book. The Rogue path was a hard path to take. So I was searching my shelves for a book that I could use that had been banned, and Gossip Girl totally worked for it. It had been banned from some school libraries because of crude, sexual content and a lot of drug use, which is kind of accurate. I mean, I don't agree with banning books, but the lifestyles practiced by the characters in Gossip Girl are not good influences for teens haha.

This book is all about a group of ridiculously wealthy teenagers and their exploits in New York City's Upper East Side. This first book is a lot like the first episode of the CW Show. I am enjoying reading it. It's very addictive and kind of fun. These kids are soooo far from where I was as a teenager, so I can't relate to them at all. I do have almost all the other books in the series, so this #ReadingQuest kind of gives me a great excuse to go through them.

Oh and #TheReadingQuest officially ends on September 10, 2017, but I plan on continuing making my way around the gameboard and just seeing if I can eventually finish it. It's supposed to be in the same vein as a game, and I don't know about you, but it takes me forever to beat a game.

What are my plans for what I'm reading next???

I'm very mixed on what I want to do next. Since I'm almost finished with Gossip Girl, there are so many books I want to pick up and read. Maybe I'll try that reading more than one book at a time thing again, see how I do. Probably not well, but I'll try anyway. So here's what I might dive into next:

  

-- The Siren Chronicles: Book 1 by Douglas J. Sloan -- I need to read this one so I can review it. I thought that I was going to be on a blog tour for it, but I haven't heard anything back about that. It's a short read, so it shouldn't take me too long. I can also use this for my #ReadingQuest as a book published by small press.

-- Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley Doyle -- I just want to read this one. I saw it on my library shelf and snatched it up. It's new, so I imagine that maybe I won't be able to renew it because other people will want to read it. I also really enjoyed this author's first book, The Accident Season.

-- Bzrk (#1) by Michael Grant -- This is coming up due at the library, so I need to read it. I really, really love Michael Grant's Gone Series, and have been meaning to pick up some more of his books. This book would also count towards the #ReadingQuest Rogue path as a One Word Title. If I finished this, and The Siren Chronicles, then I will have completed the Rogue Path for #TheReadingQuest which would be AWESOME!!

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! and my plans for what I would like to read next. What are you Reading??

Review: Bluescreen (Mirador #1) by Dan Wells

Title: Bluescreen (Mirador #1)

Author: Dan Wells

Published by: Balzer + Bray

Released: 2016

Source: Library

Summary: Welcome to Los Angeles 2050. The future is an interesting place. Technology has advanced so much that it's literally inside you. The majority of the population has a djinni implanted in their heads, and are able to plug in anywhere and everywhere. VR Gaming is super popular, and with a blink, you can check your email.

Technology also has its downsides. Since robots have taken over most of the menial labor jobs, work is hard to find. The city can be split up into the very rich and the very poor.

Marisa lives in Mirador, a lower income neighborhood of Los Angeles. She's a great VR gamer, trying her best to aim for the big leagues. She's also a pretty skilled hacker.

When a fancy new drug starts making the rounds called Bluescreen, Marisa thinks nothing of it. When her friend Anja takes it, she starts to get worried. This new drug is dangerous, and has a more evil intent than anyone could have ever realized. Marisa must save her friend and her city from a new evil.

My Thoughts: This was a pretty fun ride! Dan Wells did not disappoint. The world was a pretty cool thing to witness. All this technology right at your fingertips. The world was also interesting in how dangerous and corrupt it could be. Drugs, gangs, gaming, danger, Wells pretty much stuffed it all in there. I'm interested to see where everything goes next.

I will say, it did take me a little bit to get into the world. There was a lot going on, and it took me a little while to catch up. I found it interesting and sad how far the technology had come, but also how poor most of the population was. There was no middle ground.

I would also recommend this book as a diverse read. Some people might not count it because it's written by a straight, white guy, but ignore those people. It had characters from all over the world, and it also had a main character that was an amputee. Sounds diverse enough to me.

I am kind of curious how this is going to translate into a series. I think it could have worked really well as a stand-alone. I assume the next book will be about Marisa finding out about her past, which will be interesting.

This was a fun, exciting read, with a lot of twists and turns. I'm excited to see where it goes next and what Dan Wells does with this series. It was a fun ride.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Drugs Are Scary.

Review: The Lost Causes by Jessica Koosed Etting and Alyssa Embree Schwartz

Title: The Lost Causes

Authors: Jessica Koosed Etting and Alyssa Embree Schwartz

Published by: Kids Can Press

Released: September 5, 2017

Source: NetGalley and Kids Can Press e-arc

Summary: Five kids struggling with life walk the halls of their high school. Sabrina, whose family fell apart after the death of her brother, is addicted to drugs and always searching for the next high. Z, who is not the favorite child in her wealthy family. Justin, whose anger is always red hot and ready to erupt, Gabby, whose OCD rules her life, And Andrew, convinced that his body is falling apart, but doctors disagree. They feel alone, ignored, and that their families don't care.

These five kids all get called to a mysterious meeting, with two people claiming to be therapists. Nash and Patricia say they were picked for this meeting because nobody seems to care about them. They are Lost Causes to their families.

After the meeting, the five notice differences about themselves. Their physical problems have disappeared, and they've acquired some mysterious new abilities.

Patricia and Nash are with the FBI! And the five of them have been recruited to solve the murder of Lily Carpenter. Even though Patricia and Nash lied to them and changed them, they are happy to be part of something, and to have a purpose.

These five loners become a group, whose special skills help them in solving crimes, and so much more. 

My Thoughts: Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for letting me review an e-arc. Even though I received this book for free to review, all thoughts, opinions, and reviews are honest and my own.

This was great! I was hooked from the first page. I loved the concept of it. I love anything with powers, friendships, murders, and crime solving. This book was just fun for me.

It was kind of a mash-up of Criminal Minds, with a pinch of X-Men, and the fun of Scooby-Doo. It just really worked for me all around.

I enjoyed all the characters. Each one was different from the other, and each one had a special place in the group. I also loved how they acted like immature teens from time to time. They weren't written as little adults in teen bodies, they felt realistic.

I found Andrew to be the most annoying of the bunch, but I still liked him. His hypochondriac status before the serum was extreme, as well as a little amusing. To all those people that really suffer from that, sorry, I wish you didn't. When Andrew got his super brain, he was still annoying, but likable. Always bragging about his super brain. He reminded me a lot of Spencer from Criminal Minds.

Z was the hardest character for me to pin down. 

I liked Sabrina's character, but I can't say I was the biggest fan of her romance. I don't know why I didn't love it, it just didn't do anything for me.

Justin and Gabby were great too! I think their issues were well thought out and felt real. And I absolutely loved their little romance! It was so sweet and adorable.

I love super-power anything, so I really enjoyed them getting their powers and learning how to use them. I'm glad each power was unique and different. Powers are just so fun!!

My favorite part of this book was the friendship this group formed. It was kind of heartwarming. And it didn't feel rushed, it felt like a natural thing.

I found the whole case really interesting too. I had no idea how it was going to go or how everything was going to turn out. The twists and turns were great! I had to keep on reading to see how everything would end.

I just thought this book was a really fun ride. It kept me hooked. I loved this little group of Lost Causes, and I want to see what happens to them next. I want more books in this series! This one did end on a cliffhanger, so I really hope we get to learn what happens next. Thanks again to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for letting me review an e-arc. I definitely recommend picking this one up when it comes out.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.2/5

So Addicting and Fun!

August 2017 Wrap-Up!

Here's all the books I read in August! I feel like I had a pretty good month. I read two review books, which I'm pretty proud of. I've been trying to do better with reading my review and NetGalley books, because as a blogger, I feel like I'm supposed to be better at that haha. I watched some TV this month too, as always. I'm thinking about bringing back my Movie/TV Series Reviews because I kind of miss doing them. Would anyone be interested in those posts? Let me know.

BOOKS READ IN AUGUST

  

  

-- The Lost Causes by Jessica Koosed Etting and Alyssa Embree Schwartz-- NetGalley Review Book -- RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 -- 4.2/5 -- This was my favorite book of the month! I loved it and definitely recommend getting it for yourself. My review for it will be up tomorrow. I just loved the friendship in this, I loved the special abilities aspect, and I really enjoyed the mystery of it all. As far as I know, this is a standalone, but I want it to be a series so badly. I just had a lot of fun while reading this one and am so glad I got to discover it and read an early copy through NetGalley.

-- Doubt, Volume 2 (Doubt #3-4) by Yoshiki Tonogai -- Library Book -- 4/5 -- This was a fun manga horror. I didn't expect the ending at all, but I kind of had an early inkling of who the baddie was. I'm going to read more from Yoshiki Tonogai, because I did enjoy this series.

-- Breaker by Kat Ellis -- Library Book -- 3.7/5 -- This read was decent, I liked it well enough. It is a mystery/thriller about a boy who is the son of a serial killer. He goes to a new school and finds himself in the same class as the daughter of his father's last victim. Again, I figured out the baddie before the end of the book. I also thought more could have been done with some of the side characters, because they interested me, and it felt like whatever story they could have had was cut short. I had questions about some of the side characters, that's what I mean. But I enjoyed this. I'm going to read more by Kat Ellis.

-- We Were Liars by E. Lockhart -- Library Book -- 3/5 -- I don't think you can be on any type of book social media: booktube, blogs, goodreads, bookstagram, and not be at least somewhat aware of this book. This book has so much hype surrounding it. So many people that say it's fantastic. I am sad to say that I wasn't impressed by this. I can see why people liked this. It's written in a very lyrical, mysterious way that can draw you in. I just found this overhyped. I figured out the ending, I thought it was fairly obvious, so I wasn't shocked by that. I also didn't really sympathize with any of these characters. I felt like they did stupid things, and that stupidity led to the ending they got.

-- Emma In The Night by Wendy Walker -- NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Review Book -- RELEASED: AUGUST 8, 2017 -- 3.5/5 -- This was another NetGalley Review Book that I got to read, so thank you St. Martin's Press! It's already out. My review is already posted here. I really do enjoy mystery thrillers, I find them a lot of fun. This one was just an okay read for me. It was a little dull in the way that they unraveled the mystery. I understand why it was told that way, but it wasn't the most exciting thing to read. I was surprised by the twists and turns this took. I'm interested in reading more by Wendy Walker. 

And I just want to say, I love getting the chance to read books early and share my reviews. It's awesome, and I hope I get to continue to do it. My ultimate dream is to be one of those people who gets physical arcs mailed to me, that would be the best!

-- Chew, Vol. 10: Blood Puddin' (Chew #46-50) by John Layman and Rob Guillory -- Library Book -- 4/5 -- Chew is my FAVORITE FAVORITE comic series at the moment. I love it! and find it to be so much fun. This Volume wasn't my favorite of the series that I've read so far, but it's Chew, so I still love it. Tony was very angry in this Volume. This Volume also contained the much anticipated battle with The Collector, and that battle just felt too short considering all the build up. Can't wait to read the next Volume though! I don't have many more Volumes left, which makes me sad.

-- Daughter of the Pirate King (#1) by Tricia Levenseller -- Library Book -- 3.7/5 -- I was really excited to read this one because I LOVE PIRATES!! The character in this had been compared to Captain Jack Sparrow, which is one of my favorite fictional pirates! But... I wasn't blown away by this book. I don't feel like a lot happened in it, in the grand scheme of things. I wasn't completely onboard with the romance, especially the quick(ish) way it started. I also wasn't the biggest fan of Alosa, like I didn't fall for her. She was nothing even remotely close to Captain Jack Sparrow. I also felt like this book toed this weird line between being a light hearted Pirate adventure and then switching to the dark side. I'm going to read the sequel, because I am interested to see what happens. I know I said Alosa wasn't my favorite character, but she does seem to have an interesting backstory, which I want to learn more about.

That's everything I read in August. I don't think I did too bad a job. I'm happy I read two review books. I'm going to continue to try knocking my review books out. The only way that I think I'll be able to completely keep up with my review books is if I get my library book addiction under control, which has a very, very slim, pretty much nonexistent chance of ever happening. I feel like I mostly enjoyed all the books I read in August too! There was only really one that disappointed me.

TV SHOWS/MOVIES WATCHED IN AUGUST

 

  

As I said earlier, I'm thinking of bringing back my movie/tv show reviews. And if I do manage to stick to that goal, I want to write reviews for all these things that I watched in August. I don't know if you guys would be interested in that. Let me know if you would. But if I really feel like doing it, I'll just do it.

-- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me -- Rented from Library -- I was bad and never wrote up my July 2017 Wrap-Up, but I'm going to try to put that up at a later date. But in July, I binge-watched Twin Peaks Seasons 1 and 2, and I really enjoyed it. It was weird, funny, and just an experience to watch. I'm really excited to eventually watch Twin Peaks: The Return. I think it's so cool that they brought it back 25 years later!

Anyway, after I finished the Series on Netflix, I wanted to watch all things Twin Peaks so I could be ready for The Return, whenever I do watch it. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is supposed to be a prequel to Twin Peaks chronicling Laura's last days.

I did not like this movie. It just felt like David Lynch was given free rein, and he took everything too far. Most of the characters I really liked in the TV Series weren't in this, they had filmed scenes for it, but they had all been cut. None of the lighthearted humor from the show was included, which was one of my favorite parts. This whole thing was just dark and weird and not that fun to watch. It wasn't a pleasant experience. 

-- The Twilight Zone TV Series -- All the episodes that were on Netflix -- I've been watching this on Netflix for a couple months and finally finished it. I love The Twilight Zone. I thought it was really fun watching all the old episodes. There were some episodes that were just okay, but most of them were a lot of fun.

-- The Defenders -- Netflix -- So Fun! I really enjoyed this highly anticipated Netflix series. I can't wait for the next season, but I know it will be a long time before it comes out. I was familiar with almost everyone's story before watching this, I just have to go back now and watch Seasons 1 and 2 of Daredevil. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are probably my favorites, but Daredevil is edging his way in there too. This was just really fun. I love it.

-- Firefly -- Rented from Library -- WHY DIDN'T I WATCH THIS SOONER!?!?! I loved this. I now feel the pain of all the original fans, after it got unfairly canceled. This was great! It's a Sci-Fi/Western Mash-Up. It has the best crew. And it's just a whole lot of fun. I'm mad that this only got 1 Season. FOX Network, you messed up, you messed up baaaad. LOVED THIS!

And that was my August 2017! How was yours?