Review: The Scarecrow Princess by Federico Rossi Edrighi

Title: The Scarecrow Princess

Author: Federico Rossi Edrighi

Published by: The Lion Forge/ROAR

Released: October 24, 2017

Source: NetGalley and Publisher

Summary: Morrigan lives in a family of authors who like researching obscure myths for their books. They've traveled to a new town in search of information regarding The King of the Crows. Morrigan is not happy. She's tired of always going to a new place, tired of always having to make new friends, and be the new kid at schools. She makes her displeasure known.

Things start happening in this new town. Things that put her family in danger, and it is up to her to save them.

My Thoughts: I want to thank NetGalley and The Lion Forge for letting me review this book. Unfortunately, this wasn't the book for me. I'm always thankful of getting the chance to review books and share my opinions honestly.

I don't think this was the book for me. I didn't like it. I didn't like the main character. She was very whiny, and just a brat. I didn't really love the art style. The coloring was pretty, but it just wasn't art I'm drawn to.

The plot of the story progressed very quick, almost too quick. It could have done with a little more development and build up.

I also wasn't a big fan of the dialogue. It didn't grip me, or really entertain me.

I don't think I got whatever point this story was trying to make. I just thought it was weird, confusing, and I didn't really like it. This review is just my thoughts and opinions. Don't let me stop you from reading this book if it sounds good to you. It's a super quick read. I'm thankful that I was given a chance to review it.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 2/5

Not For Me.

Reading Right Now! (137)

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

-- The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike and Translated by Deborah Boliver Boehm -- I'm still reading this one. I started this during #Spookathon, and just haven't managed to finish it yet. It's a very slow book, very wordy, but I'm enjoying it. It's a horror book about an apartment built in the middle of a graveyard, and weird things start to happen there. I'd describe this as a slow scare. It creeps up on you. There are definitely a lot of slow parts, so I could imagine people abandoning this or getting a little bored by this. I don't know if it's because it's a translated work, but the writing is almost overly descriptive and some of the phrases are weird. I'm liking it, but at the same time, I wish it would hurry it up a little.

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

#Spookathon Wrap-Up

Here it is, my #Spookathon Wrap-Up. Don't get too excited because I didn't do that great. I mean, I did about what I expected to. I knew I wasn't going to finish a lot of books, and I didn't, so I'm not surprised. Here's how I did.

  

I Finished Death Note, Volume 8: Target by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata which I enjoyed. It took me a little while to get back into it because it had been awhile since I read the first one. The beginning was a little confusing, just because I was struggling to remember everything. Once I got into it though, it was pretty good. I used Death Note for the challenges of Read A Book With a Spooky Word in the Title (Death) and Read A Book With Orange on the Cover.

I got a little less than halfway through The Dire King (Jackaby #4) by William Ritter but then I had to return it to the library before I was done with it. *Sob Sob* I'm planning to get my hands on another copy as soon as I can. I really want to finish this series. I'm excited and nervous because I loved the first two, but the third was disappointing. From what I read of this, it seemed like it was going to be good. I wasn't sure even what challenge I wanted to use this for. It didn't really fit any of them. I do consider it a Halloween-ish read, because it takes place in a town where the supernatural always comes out to play, or to mess stuff up.

The last book I started and got about halfway through was The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike and I'm enjoying this one too. It's about an apartment complex built in the middle of a graveyard, and things turn spooky. It's translated from Japanese and I'm noticing this book is really wordy. I don't know if that's because it's translated or if that was the original intent. It's taken me a little while to get into, but the creepy stuff is happening now. I think it's going to be a slow burn scare. This book goes for the challenges of Read A Book Based On A Childhood Fear (which is my fear of basements, especially when it's dark and you can't see what's down there. I remember being scared of parts of my basement when I was little) and Read A Book That Has A Spooky Setting (which is a graveyard, they can be pretty spooky).

So I only finished one book for the #Spookathon but I'm not surprised, or disappointed. I did get halfway through two other books, so that's not awful. The only challenge that I didn't get to was Read A Thriller, but I'll read thrillers as the year goes on, I'm sure. So that's what I did during #Spookathon. I know other people did awesome.

Review: The Wild Adventure of Jasper Renn (#3.5) by Kady Cross

Title: The Wild Adventure of Jasper Renn (#3.5)

Author: Kady Cross

Published by: Harlequin TEEN

Released: 2013

Source: Library

Summary: Did you ever wonder where Jasper was during the events of The Girl With the Iron Touch? Then this novella is for you! While the others were turning London up and down searching for Emily, our fastest cowboy was helping out another friend.

Jasper's former friend, Wildcat, has come to town. She's searching for her sister, who she's afraid might be in danger or being taken advantage of. Because he's a gentleman, Jasper has to help, and maybe their flame will be rekindled.

My Thoughts: Well, that was something I read. I love this series, but I didn't particularly love this novella. In the grand scheme of things, it felt unneeded.

When reviewing/rating/judging novellas in series, my biggest question is: Did I gain anything important while reading this? Is it necessary to read this? Does it add any new information to the series overall? In this case, I don't think it is. I didn't really learn anything new, and the novella itself was just kind of ehh. I mean, if you love Jasper Renn, then sure, give this novella a read. But if you're not on the edge-of-your-seat wondering about his adventure, then it's okay to give this a skip.

This novella was just kind of meh for me. It's primary focus was on the attraction Jasper and Wildcat felt for each other. They'd already had a pre-existing thing going from Jasper's past, so there's really no relationship build-up. It's pretty much picking up things where they left off. So there's none of that magic of first glance attraction, chemistry, and build-up, because they've already had it. That kind of took some of the magic out of it for me.

The whole mission to find Wildcat's sister just felt so secondary. Didn't feel like they were rushing to find her.

I didn't really feel anything while reading this story. I wasn't caught up in their love parade. I wasn't blown away by the romance. It was fine, but it just wasn't gripping me.

I'm a big fan of Kady Cross's Steampunk Chronicles, so I don't regret reading this novella, but I don't think I would have missed anything if I hadn't read it. This is why I have such a complicated relationship with novellas in series. Sometimes they just feel like a way to make money instead of adding substance to the series. Just my two cents.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

A Big, Old MEH.

Review: Y: The Last Man, Volume 9: Motherland by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, Goran Sudzuka, Jose Marzan, Jr.

Title: Y: The Last Man, Volume 9: Motherland

Written by: Brian K. Vaughan

Pencillers: Pia Guerra and Goran Sudzuka

Inkers: Jose Marzan, Jr. and Goran Sudzuka

Published by: DC Comics

Released: 2006

Source: Library

Summary: Secrets are about to come out. What caused the plague in the first place? Will Yorick ever find Beth? Will Dr. Allison Mann ever smile? 

Being the last man alive is dangerous. Four years and Yorick is still on this never ending journey. The end is near!

My Thoughts: I thought this Volume was okay. It focused a lot on Dr. Allison Mann, who has never been my favorite character. I enjoy the dynamic of Yorick and Agent 355 more. Anyway, we find out some interesting revelations about Dr. Mann and her family. I will say, I'm still confused as to what caused the plague and why Yorick survived. It could be because I've been reading this series slowly, and I tend to forget details.

It's also hard for me to believe that 4 years have passed in this series. That's so long, and sometimes it can feel kind of slow.

I wouldn't say this was my favorite Volume, but I didn't hate it. I'm excited that I'm almost at the end. I hope I'm satisfied by the ending. I'm excited to be this close to finishing. I would definitely recommend this series.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.7/5

The End Is Near... And I'm Excited!

#Spookathon : I'm Trying It

Another week, another readathon haha. But seriously #Spookathon is going on right now and I decided to throw my hat in the ring. I don't have a hard, concrete plan yet. I know I won't complete all the challenges, or probably even read that many books, but I thought I'd try it anyway. Are you doing the readathon? Let me know in the comments below.

My SPOOKATHON Book Plans At The Moment

  

-- Death Note, Volume 8: Target by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata --

-- The Dire King (Jackaby #4) by William Ritter--

-- The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike --

I'll post a wrap-up after the readathon's over just to show how I did. I don't imagine it will be great, but readathons are kind of fun. What's even more fun is a readathon centered around Halloween and Scary Books, which are things I like to read anyway. So, let the reading commence! Technically, this started on Monday, but whatever.

Review: Flying (#1) by Carrie Jones

Title: Flying (#1)

Author: Carrie Jones

Published by: TOR Teen

Released: 2016

Source: Library

Summary: GIMME AN A-L-I-E-N-S! WHAT DOES THAT SPELL? ALIENS! Wait, what?

Mana is your typical high school student/cheerleader. She's peppy, she tumbles, and she enjoys her life with her plain jane mom that loves her.

Everything changes when she tries to save the cute drummer boy Dakota Dunham, and he turns out to be an ACID SPITTING ALIEN! Reeling, Mana goes home to discover her house ransacked, her mother missing, and a mysterious man named China, who claims to be her mother's alien hunting partner. What is going on? How can her boring mother be an alien hunter? One thing is clear, Mana must save her mother, and get the truth about what is going on in her world.

My Thoughts: Nope. I did not enjoy this. Did it have potential to be something I would like? Yes, or I wouldn't have picked this up. An alien fighting cheerleader just sounds like a good time. How very misled I was.

My main problem with this book, the reason I disliked it so much, is because I pretty much despised the main character Mana. Despised might be too strong a word, but I really didn't like Mana. I guess a plus for her is that she acted like an actual teenager. She felt like a 16 year old girl. I just found Mana to be extremely annoying, like I wish she would stop talking annoying. It was hard to sympathize with her because I didn't like her. I didn't find her funny or snarky. she was just an irritant.

I also felt like aspects of this book were very judge-y. They came through the mouthpiece of Mana, and gave her an I'm Better Than Everyone Else attitude.

There were some aspects of this book that reminded me of the X-Files, and I wish those parts had been focused on more.

There were aspects of this story that I had kind of figured out from page one, yet it took Mana forever to figure it out. 

There were some unexpected twists that were kind of interesting.

So, I just didn't have fun reading this. It was a chore. If I was in the practice of DNF'ing books, I would have quit this one. Some people could totally love this book, but I wasn't one of them. It could have been a fun, alien hunting time, but instead it was an irritating teenager, doing irritating teenage things, and messing stuff up. Not for me.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 2.5/5

No, Just No.

Reading Right Now! (136)

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

-- Dead Letters: An Anthology edited by Conrad Williams -- I actually started this awhile ago, but with short story collections, I tend to read a couple stories and then put it down, eventually coming back to it. This anthology is all about Dead Letters, letters that get lost in the mail for years, letters that show up to the wrong houses, mysterious letters.

What's interesting about this book, and I'm pretty sure I'm remembering it right, is that the editor actually sent mysterious/strange letters as prompts to the contributing authors for their stories. I just thought that was pretty cool. I would have loved to have had a brief description of the prompts that inspired each story in the book, but that's just because I'm curious.

I'm enjoying this anthology. Not every story is great, but that's just a given. Some stories have been really interesting, but then the endings have just kind of let me down. I'm liking this though. It's kind of fun. So, I really plan on finishing this this weekend. I'm like 85% of the way through, so I think I can do it.

Next up is...

-- Death Note, Vol. 8: Target by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata -- I need to read this one and I've just been putting it off. I think the ending of Volume 7 really shocked and saddened me, and I've just been in a state of denial. I need to know what happens next though.

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

Review: The Revolution of Ivy (#2) by Amy Engel

Title: The Revolution of Ivy (#2)

Author: Amy Engel

Published by: Entangled Teen

Released: 2015

Source: Library

Summary: Ivy is now behind the fence, out in the wild, all alone. After being kicked out of Westfall, Ivy must embark on a new journey. She meets dangers and weather elements. She also meets people living beyond the wall, and has to decide whether she can trust them or not.

Apart from survival, Ivy is also besieged by memories of all she left behind. Her family, who didn't even come to say goodbye. Bishop, who she wasn't supposed to care for, then she did. She can't get his face out of her mind.

Ivy has to survive in this new world she's been thrust into. But can she ever forget Westfall?

My Thoughts: This was my kind of book. It was my aesthetic. As soon as I started reading this, I knew I'd enjoy it. I really liked the first book when I read it. It presented an interesting world, and a really sweet romance. This second book, and finale, was a good ending to the series. I do think the first book, The Book of Ivy, is stronger, but this finale wasn't bad.

The sweetest thing about this series has to be the romance. If only I could find a guy like Bishop Lattimer. He's pretty perfect. He's patient, understanding, and just all the things you want. Ivy is lucky to have him.

There were some really brutal scenes in this one, which I liked. Amy Engel does a really good job at writing intense scenes. It totally fit with the post-apocalyptic world happening in this series.

I do wish there had been a little more world building in this book. I love those scenes of abandoned houses and abandoned towns, hidden dangers, and people that can't be trusted. I wanted more of that. I wanted to know how Caleb and Ash survived the world they lived in, and just had Ivy do some more exploring in an abandoned world.

I really liked the characters of Caleb and Ash, but I wanted to know more about them. I wanted to hear about their pasts, especially Caleb's. They were good characters, but they just felt very background, supportive.

The only other gripe I had was that the middle felt a little slow. Not a lot happened.

I really enjoyed this finale, and I really enjoyed this series. It was just fun to read. It had the sweetest romance I've read in a while. It was just fun reading.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

So Satisfying.

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Favorite Creepy Settings

Welcome to a spooooky Top 5 Wednesday! In honor of this glorious season, this week's topic is Top 5 Favorite Creepy Settings. One of the best things about picking up a scary book is getting immersed in a creepy setting with crazy stuff happening. Here's a few of my favorite creepy settings...

--Haunted Houses-- It's a classic for a reason. It's creepy. Sometimes the characters get stuck there and can't leave. They can be haunted by ghosts or other weird secrets. Haunted Houses are a win.

--The Woods-- This goes more towards the fear of being alone or lost in a place where there is no one around to help you. There could be someone stalking you in the woods. They are dark. Shadows everywhere! The woods can be scary! and a great setting for a good, creepy book.

--A Town Full of Weird Residents With Creepy Secrets-- Oddly specific, but such fun for a scary book. I love it when characters think they are coming to a normal town, and then it's not. The danger tends to ratchet up. People usually get crazy. And there's often no escape. Fun Fun Fun!

--An Asylum-- Asylums are creepy! Be they Asylums with people still being treated in them or abandoned, old Asylums full of the old equipment, with the history still seeped in the walls. I would hate to be trapped in an old Asylum. I know some people do tours of old ones, spend the night and stuff, I'm simply not brave enough. But a great setting for a scary book.

--Abandoned Places-- This is general and broad, but I do love creepy books set in a place that has been long forgotten. Or sometimes the characters just think it's been long forgotten. There's the opportunity for a variety of abandoned places to. Usually they are empty, away from society, and there is no escape. Fun!

So that's my Top 5 Favorite Creepy Settings! I love creepy, scary books, so this topic was right up my alley. What are your Top Creepy Settings? 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 new, fun topic to contemplate and consider. Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers HERE!

Review: Nailbiter, Volume 3: Blood In The Water by Joshua Williamson, Mike Henderson, and Adam Guzowski

Title: Nailbiter, Volume 3: Blood In The Water

Story by: Joshua Williamson

Art by: Mike Henderson

Colors by: Adam Guzowski

Letters and Book Design by: John J. Hill

Published by: Image Comics, Inc.

Released: September 2015

Source: Library

Summary: Why does Buckaroo produce so many serial killers? We might be getting closer to the answer. With help from the Nailbiter killer, a town sheriff and a former NSA officer explore forgotten places in the hope of finding an answer.

My Thoughts: This comic series is so weird, so disturbing, and yet, kind of fun. I felt like I was so close to finding out what was going on in this town, and then it was still held just out of my grasp. I WANT THE ANSWERS!! 

I'm mixed on how I feel about Warren. I mean, he's a serial killer, and there are times when that fact is so obvious. Then there are other times when he's helpful and funny.

I do find I have trouble remembering the other characters' names. Especially the NSA officer, is it Finch? And then the sheriff? I just forget their names.

We did find out one secret in this Volume, which was pretty major. We also got some flashbacks, which I enjoyed.

The ending was mean with that To Be Continued... I will pick up the next Volume when I can, but it might be awhile before I get my hands on it.

This comic series is fun and pretty disturbing all at the same time. I need to know Why This Town!?

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

What Is With This Place?!

Reading Right Now! (135)

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

-- Ten by Gretchen McNeil -- I'm reading with the seasons. Yep, that's me. But in all seriousness, a lot of the time I don't tend to read books based on the season. If I want to read a scary book, I'll read a scary book no matter if it's October or July. So I'm kind of pleased with myself that I'm reading a scary book in October. HALLOWEEN IS COMING!!!

So this book is supposedly based off a classic Agatha Christie book, which I have not read. It's a teen slasher book and it's really good so far. I'm enjoying it. It's about these 10 teens who have been invited to a secret party on an island you can only reach by ferry. When the teens get there, their hostess hasn't arrived yet. The teens then start dying off one by one. So far, only one teen has died at the point I'm at, but I'm already playing detective and trying to figure out who's the baddie. I have a couple people on my suspect list.  Now to finish and see if I'm right.

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

Review: Labyrinth Lost (#1) by Zoraida Cordova

Title: Labyrinth Lost (#1)

Author: Zoraida Cordova

Published by: Sourcebooks Fire

Released: 2016

Source: Library

Summary: Alex is one in a long line of brujas and brujos. What makes her different is that she doesn't want her magic. She is actively searching for a way to give it back.

On her deathday, just when she is about to be blest for her magic, Alex does a cantos to give it back. Alex's spell backfires, and her whole family is sent to the dangerous world of Los Lagos.

With the help of a mysterious boy named Nova, Alex must go to Los Lagos to save her family. Los Lagos is plagued by an evil known as the Devourer, and to rescue her family, Alex must beat her.

My Thoughts: Meh. I didn't really enjoy this. When I first started it, I was enjoying it, but the farther I read, the more my enthusiasm started to dim. There are reasons, and I will explain my feelings.

First, I'll focus on what I liked. The cover drew me in. I really liked the skull mask motif and thought it did a good job of fitting with the book theme. Update: This book has a cover change and I can only ask myself why?! The new cover isn't awful, but it's not as pretty, or draws your gaze, like the old cover does. I don't understand cover changes. I also really liked the inside map. It was very detailed and was fun to turn back to to see where the characters were at.

My favorite character has to be Nova. I always tend to like the snarky characters who are usually more complex than the reader thinks at first. Nova is kind of broken, mysterious, funny, and cute. He was the most interesting character to me. I wanted to know more about his life and motivations. He's a very flawed character, which made him interesting.

Now on to Alex. She was boring. Maybe that's why I kind of felt meh about this story, because I felt meh about her. I can't say I really understood her. The whole idea of having magic powers and then not wanting them, that's hard to wrap my head around. I get that Alex's story was about not being sure of herself, and eventually learning to accept what makes her special, but she was just a boring character to me.

This book also offered a weird contradiction to me, it was very fast in its pace, but I read it pretty slowly. I just didn't feel compelled to pick it up and read it. It almost felt like things were happening too fast, that I was thrown here and there. I'm also not sure that I ever loved Los Lagos. This book, and especially the chapters that occurred in the magical setting just felt like a weird dream to me. It was all random flashes of various images, and just not really that interesting. I didn't feel any real danger or fear, and I guess I just didn't care about what was going to happen.

My biggest gripe has to be with the character of Rishi. She was just the biggest waste of space. I didn't understand why she had to accompany Alex on her journey. She wasn't important to the overall story. Everything she was involved in could have happened just as well without her. I also feel like Alex and Nova had this fun, teasing thing going on between them on their journey together, and then Rishi showed up and ruined it. I didn't think she was cute. I didn't think she was funny, she really just shouldn't have been there. I mean, I know the main reason Rishi was included, and that was just to add a bit of diversity when it came to sexuality, but the book didn't really need that. It was already a diverse book just because of the main character and her family. Hate me if you want, but my review, my opinion. Adding all these diverse attributes doesn't make for a better story. Sometimes it can feel so forced and become annoying.

I did think the brujo/bruja aspect was cool. So there's another pro.

All in all, I wasn't really a fan of this read. It wasn't compelling to me. It suffered from a dull main character, a unneeded character (Rishi), and a journey that I just didn't end up caring about. I liked the bruja/brujo aspect and Nova. I might read the sequel just to see what happens, but I wasn't impressed by this first book.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.2/5

No Magic For Me

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Books Featuring Witches

It's time for another Top 5 Wednesday! This week's topic is our Top 5 Favorite Books Featuring Witches. I'll try not to go for the obvious, so no Harry Potter, sorry. I love books about witches, featuring witches. They are a lot of fun.
Here are my Top 5 Books With Witches in them:

  

  

-- The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare-- I don't remember when the first time I read this was, but it was a childhood book that I really enjoyed. It's a witch book, but not a magic witch book. It is set in the past, in the time of the Puritans, and it deals a lot with the Witch Trials, or what can happen to people who were accused of consorting with the devil. I just remember really liking this. I remember really liking the romance. I think it's a book that's worth a read. Witches have a place in history that's not all fun and games.

--Spellbinder (Nightworld Series) by L.J. Smith-- L.J. Smith books and I were fast friends when I was a preteen, before the YA explosion hit hard. I still have a bit of resentment because she still HASN'T FINISHED THIS DARN SERIES!!! I love this Nightworld series, I haven't read all the books published in it yet, but I do own those nifty bind-ups. I liked this series because it had supernatural creatures and always a love story, a soul mate. I mean, how romantic is it to imagine a soul mate out there meant just for you? I know! My teenage self was smitten. Spellbinder was a book that focused on witches. There was a good witch and her dark witch cousin, and they were fighting over a boy. It just screams READ ME!

--The Secret Circle: The Initiation (but really the whole series) by L.J. Smith-- Oh look, another L.J. Smith Series on my list! I read the whole series of this and really liked it. It's kind of about a coven of witches. A new girl moves into town and finds out stuff about herself. She also falls for the Coven Leader's Boyfriend, which causes tension.

--Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood-- I really enjoyed this book when I read it. I still need to read the rest of the series. It was about a family of witches, sisters, who have to hide their powers in their male dominated society. Finishing this series is on my list of things to do.

--Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore-- I almost forgot about this one and I can't believe I did! I really, really liked this one when I read it. If I'm remembering right, I don't think our main character has any powers, but she comes from a family with powers. It's set on a ranch, with a hot cowboy, and a haunting that they have to solve. This book wasn't what I was expecting when I read it, but I loved it so much.

And that was my Top 5 Books With Witches! Do you have any witchy book recommendations for me. I'm all ears. I love witch books. If you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should! Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers HERE!

Review: Locke & Key, Vol. 6: Alpha & Omega by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Title: Locke & Key, Volume 6: Alpha & Omega

Written by: Joe Hill

Art by: Gabriel Rodriguez

Published by: IDW Publishing

Released: 2014

Source: Library

Summary: All the pieces are in place. The keys have made their way into the hands of the wicked. Dodge has a big plan in store. After years of waiting, victory is within his grasp. Can the Locke children figure out what's going on in time? Discover the adversary in their midst? And stop a villain that has been wreaking havoc for centuries? All questions will be answered in this final volume. Sacrifices will be made, friends will be lost, and hopefully, evil will be eradicated.

My Thoughts: After picking up the First Volume a year or more ago, it's bittersweet to see it end. I enjoyed the ending. I think it did the series justice. It was full of craziness, violence, and hope. I was satisfied with how it ended. It was a series that took me on a wild ride, and I don't regret going on the journey.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

A Satisfying End.

September 2017 Wrap-Up!

Another month has flown past, which is crazy. It's crazy to believe it's already October and in two months and change it will be Christmas again. Where has this year gone?!? Anyway, I had a pretty good reading month in September. I read 7 books, which is decent.
September was kind of a crazy month. I got a full time job. YAYYY!!! So I've been having to get used to full time hours and fitting in my reading time within that. I also became an aunt September 18, which is weird. I've never been an aunt before. My sister had a little boy named Hudson, and it's been pretty cool. I'm not the biggest small baby person, they tend to make me nervous, with being so small and fragile, but I'm happy that Hudson is here. So September has been a month full of changes and life stuff.
My reading was pretty good. I participated in two blog tours, read some review books, library books as always, and really enjoyed some books. Enough jibber jabber. Here's my September Wrap-Up!

  

 

 

-- Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel -- I got this one for review from NetGalley and EntangledTeen and was on a blog tour for it. I liked it. It's a paranormal romance with some creep factor and other surprises. It was a good time and I'm glad I got to review it. I love the cover. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

-- Gossip Girl (#1) by Cecily von Ziegesar -- This was actually a book from my own shelf! I know, shocking! I read this for #TheReadingQuest Rogue Challenge, which was to read a banned book. I really liked this. It was super addictive and kind of fun. Really reminded me of the pilot episode of Gossip Girl. I own more books in the series, so I'm definitely going to continue with it. It might not be the series for everyone, especially super critical people who complain about everything, but I  liked it. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

-- Those Left Behind (Serenity #1) by Joss Whedon and others -- I watched Firefly not too long ago, loved it! and then weeped in despair at the sad fact that it was canceled after one season. I then watched the movie Serenity which I also really liked, I was emotionally scarred from some of the deaths though. So I know I'm years late, but I'm now a Firefly fan. I might be on my way to becoming a Browncoat. So after watching all that I could find to watch, I discovered some graphic novels of the series to read, YAYY! This graphic novel was awesome. It had that same, great feel of the show, the art was fantastic, and it left me just wanting MORE MORE MORE! I can't believe they canceled Firefly. What idiots. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

-- The Siren Chronicles: Book 1 by Douglas J. Sloan -- This was also a review book that I got through NetGalley and was on a blog tour for. My review is up and posted. This book was all right. It was the author's first book, he's known for being a writer for TV. I think this book would have worked better as a TV show. It wasn't bad, but I could have been something more. The ending was interesting though. I'm glad I was given the chance to review it. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

-- BZRK (#1) by Michael Grant -- I love The Gone Series by Michael Grant and wanted to read more by him. I was just so so on this book. I thought the subject matter was kind of weird. It reminded me a lot of The Magic Schoolbus episode where they get small and go in the human body. It was kind of gross and kind of weird. Also kind of unnerving and scary. There was also some insta-love in there that I was just mehh about. There were also almost too many characters for me to keep track of and know who they were. The first 30 pages were so intense and good!, but then it just kind of got weird and confusing. Still going to continue with the series because I'm not a quitter. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.3/5

-- Saga, Vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples -- I wasn't blown away by this Volume. I don't know if it's just that Saga is losing its sparkle for me, that it just feels kind of dragged out and not as exciting. I just felt like this Volume was a filler volume. Sure some stuff happened that was important and a little shocking, but overall, I just felt meh about it. I'm also mixed on the art. It's gorgeous, but I don't understand why it has to be so dirty and not safe to read in public. It sometimes just feels excessive on the shock. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.7/5

-- Queen of Hearts (#1) by Colleen Oakes -- This probably ties for my favorite of the month. I don't know what it was about this book, but it hooked me. I usually don't love Alice in Wonderland inspired books, they always tend to lose me with the overdone weirdness. Maybe I just haven't read enough. But this one was really good. I liked the Wonderland presented. It had that magical quality to it, but it didn't go overboard. It also had this darkness to it that piqued my curiosity and helped set this mood. I'm interested in Dinah's story. Her father was the WORST! The ending got crazy and I requested the sequel pronto because I have questions and I need answers! I've heard this described as a more political intrigue kind of book, and I haven't read a lot of those, but I might like more of them after reading this. Definitely recommend. Also, the cover and book aesthetic is so pretty. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

And that was my reading month of September 2017! How was yours? What were you favorite books? Have you read any of the ones I read? Do you agree or disagree with what I had to say? Let me know, I love discussing books!