Reading Right Now! (#2)

So, this past week and weekend, I tried to read two books at once and really failed miserably. I just don't know how to stop at one story and jump right into another. There are two books that I am Reading Right Now! with one book being the main priority and then the other book being picked up as soon as I finish the main one.

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

I'm on page 268 which makes me 76% done with the book.

This is the book I'm focusing most of my reading attention on. I'm sure a lot of you already know what this book is about and probably have already read it yourselves. I bought this book a couple of years ago, but I have this problem where I check out books from the library and then never end up reading the books that I have bought. Luckily, my friend Ali (of the youtube channel Alison Murfitt: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHFB_m9xeyzDpcaZC5lhNmw ) noticed my problem and suggested we read this book together, and I'm glad she did. 

I'm loving this book. It's such an easy one to get sucked into. I love the incorporation of all these creepy pictures and all these peculiar children traipsing through the pages. This is a book that has gotten tons of hype, so I was a little worried about being disappointed, but so far that ain't happening. It's really fun and I'm glad Ali made me read it. I do wonder how everything is going to turn out in the end and what Jacob is going to do. I can only imagine that something big is going to happen that will force him to make the decision.

For those that don't know, Miss P's is about a boy named Jacob who grew up listening to his grandfather's fantastical stories about an orphanage, an island, and some very peculiar children. As Jacob got older, he thought that his grandfather was just pulling his leg. When his grandfather dies, Jacob is heartbroken and at the suggestion of his therapist goes to this mysterious island. What he finds there is his grandfather's stories come to life and all the children too. Now Jacob is finding out about his grandfather's past and his own role in the story.

Great book. Go Read It!

Title: Hallowed (Unearthly #2)

Author: Cynthia Hand

I'm on page 30 which makes me 7% done with the book.

This is the book that I had to set on the backburner for Miss P's. I tried to read both of them at once and ended up just failing miserably. It seems I can only keep my attention on one book at a time. This is the second book in the Unearthly series, which is about a half-angel named Clara who must complete her destiny. All half-angels are given a mission to do in their life, and after sort of failing at her mission, she is now trying to figure out what comes next. It's been awhile since I read Unearthly, so I don't remember all the minor details or even major ones. I'm sure I'll get it together once I get farther in the book and more sucked into the story. I'm enjoying this book. This series has beautiful covers and an interesting storyline. I think it does fall more on the highschool, younger side of YA with the whole gushy romance and teen problems, but there are two hot boys in here and I'm interested in the story.

So that's it for my Reading Right Now post for the week. I know I'm so off and on with these. Also I decided to number them just to make life more interesting. So tell me what you guys are Reading Right Now!

Review of: Soulless (Parasol Protectorate 1) by Gail Carriger

Title: Soulless (Parasol Protectorate 1)

Author: Gail Carriger

Published by: Orbit / Hachette Book Group

Released: 2009

Summary: Alexia Taribotti has many things working against her, Italian blood, spinster with no prospects, brash and aggressive manner, and she was born without a soul. In the hustle and bustle of Victorian London complete with vampires, werewolves, and ghosts. Alexia Tarabotti will take no prisoners. When Alexia inadvertently kills a crass and lisping vampire, she's thrust into a serious situation. Using her politeness and preternatural abilities, Alexia must cope with the handsome and bossy Lord Maccon, a plethora of bad hats, and people who are out to kill her. A true Victorian adventure.

My Thoughts: A very funny, witty, and highly enjoyable read. I wasn't sure I'd like this book when I first started, but after I got through the first chapter, I was hooked. The characters are what really make this story. Alexia, Lord Maccon, Professor Lyle, Ivy Hisselpenny, Lord Akeldama, and even Floote are such fun personalities to get to know. The humor is also evident and highly enjoyable in this story. The plot and action were top notch with a tiny bit of romance and romantic tension sprinkled in. Just a great, highly enjoyable adventure that will leave one breathless for more. This is a series I will definitely continue with.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

I really want to know what happened with that hedgehog. Oh to be a fly on that wall :)

Reading Right Now!

Title: Deadline (Newsflesh #2)

Author: Mira Grant

I'm on page 160 of 581 pages which makes me 28% done with this book.

So this weekend I'm reading Deadline by Mira Grant. This is the second book in the Newsflesh trilogy. I read Feed quite awhile ago, it was actually the first book that I reviewed on this blog. I think it might have been 2 years ago that I read it, but I saw this book at my library and thought why not continue on with a series that I've already started. I've heard a lot of good things about this series in the booktubing world. When I read Feed, I remember liking it, but not loving it. I thought too much importance was placed on the news, and the truth, integrity, blah blah blah. The characters of Georgia and Shaun were semi-irritating, since Georgia was kind of a know-it-all and Shaun was just doing what I considered stupid things to do during a zombie apocalypse. I really enjoyed the world building in Feed though, that part was super interesting.

So... I'm having a little trouble getting into Deadline. I think it has a lot to do with what irritated me about Feed. There's just this off-putting, melodramatic air to it that I'm really not enjoying. I know drama is to be expected, because it's the end of the world zombie apocalypse after all, but this kind of melodrama just feels like a soap opera or even 7th Heaven to me. I like action in my zombie books. Doing what has to be done in order to survive. Maybe that's what irritates me about these books, because this whole blog/news thing really has nothing to do with survival or trying to fix the world and cure the zombie plague. It just seems like people being overly serious about things that don't really matter that much and being really focused on fame and views ( I realize this could apply to me and booktubing/ book blogging, so I could just be the biggest hypocrite, oh well).

 This book is hard for me to talk about without spoiling the first one, so I'll try to not give anything away. I will just say that the "voice" inside Shaun's head is just weird. I think if Grant had wanted a certain character to still be a relevant part of the story, she shouldn't have killed he/she off in Feed. That just seems like bad planning.

I'm definitely gonna push through this book and finish it and I also definitely plan on reading the last book in the trilogy. I'm sorry this is such a negative Reading Right Now! post, but the sad truth is that you won't like every book you read. Who knows, I could be blown away by the end, but right now it's just meh. So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! Tell me what you're reading in the comments below. Lets interact!!

Reading Right Now!

Wow, it's been a little bit and a while since I posted a Reading Right Now! It really doesn't make any sense, because these posts are the easiest to write and kind of do. They take the minimum amount of effort, and then I slack off and don't post one in forever and a day. Here's to hoping I can keep up and keep posting, because you guys deserve better from me. So, lately I've been reading a bunch of adult books, just because I've been in the mood for them. I've been devouring mysteries, thrillers, crime novels, really any kind of book that I've been able to get my hands on. I really like using the library for my random adult picks, because they are usually books that I'm interested in reading, but would never really contemplate buying. So onto the book I'm Reading Right Now!

Title: The Six-Gun Tarot

Author: R.S. Belcher

I'm on page 211 which makes me 57% done with the book. Yee-haw!

This book caught my eye just based on the wonderfully weird cover. It kind of reminded me of Harry Potter and the character Mad-Eye Moody with the whole weird eyeball thing. It's not like Harry Potter though, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I have no idea how to describe this book. All I can say is that it's a weird western with some supernatural bits. This book is about this town called Golgotha located in the Nevada Desert. We start off with a boy named Jim as he's running away from his past and some things that he did, and almost ends up dying in the desert. He's rescued and taken to Golgotha, where every resident seems to have a secret or be hiding from something. The sheriff is a dead man walking, the deputy is half coyote, and there's something evil lurking in the town. Something that will endanger all the citizens of Golgotha, unless they can beat it.

I'm enjoying this book. It's weird. I don't claim to understand everything that's going on in it. It is an adult book, and I know some of you stick around this blog just for the YA stuff, but I'm a reader that likes to read almost anything.

I did have a moment of smartness while reading this book though. Every chapter has a name, and for the longest time the chapter names really made no sense. They didn't have anything to do with what happened in the chapter. Then, I had an epiphany where I wondered if the chapters were really names of Tarot cards, since Tarot is in the title of the book. And Eureka! The chapters are Tarot card names. I felt incredibly smart for a couple of minutes :D

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! Tell me what you're reading in the comments below!!

Review of: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Title: Die For Me (Revenants #1)

Author: Amy Plum

Published by: HarperTEEN

Released: 2011

Summary: When Kate's parents die in a car accident, she is devastated. She and her sister move to Paris, France to live with her paternal grandparents. In a depression, Kate spends a lot of time reading and mourning the loss of her parents. Kate's grandparents and sister are worried about her and convince her to go out and explore Paris. 

One day, while reading in a cafe, Kate sees a devastatingly handsome boy. The boy's name is Vincent and pretty soon he becomes a fixture in her life. Vincent draws Kate out of the dark hole of depression and makes her realize her life is not over. But Vincent isn't all that he seems. He has a secret life and and an extraordinary destiny. Kate must decide whether to accept his secret or not.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. It was a light, frothy read where girl goes to Paris, meets boy, and finds out boy's not exactly human. Die For Me reminded me of a lot of other YA teen paranormal romances out on the market today. While it wasn't the most original or different thing I've ever read, it was a nice, enjoyable read and I will be checking out the second one in the series.

I had heard through the grapevine that this was a sort of zombie romance, so let me just say that there was nothing really zombie-tastic about this book. Sure, Vincent might have referred to himself as a zombie, but that's not what he really was. For any readers craving a good and pure zombie tale, this isn't it. Not saying the story wasn't good, but there are no shuffling, rotting corpses in these pages and anyone who expects them will be sorely disappointed.

I also kind of laughed when the villains of the story were mentioned. When Vincent told Kate of the "numa" she shuddered and even thought the word sounded evil. I don't think the word numa sounds scary or frightening. It brings to my mind that kid doing the Numa Numa Dance.

Die For Me is an enjoyable read giving a very detailed atmosphere of the city of Paris. It lets you travel to it without the expensive airfare. An enjoyable and romantic read.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Great Paris atmosphere, but the zombies are a lie!

Bout of Books 9.0 Read-A-Thon Wrap-up!

So, the Bout of Books 9.0 is over. It's actually been over for a little while. Okay, so maybe I'm a week late in this post. My blog really has been suffering and I want to do better because I feel bad about just having it sit here all alone with no one to love it and post on it. So anyway, with my guilt out there in the open, I'm just going to go on to this Bout of Books 9.0 wrap-up.
I really feel that I had a successful read-a-thon for the week. I managed to finish two books and read a chunk of a third one. I didn't hate any of the books I read for the week, I actually really really loved two of them. So here's the books that I read for the read-a-thon.

Title: Vicious

Author: V.E. Schwab

My Rating: 5/5

I had started this book before the read-a-thon started so I finished the last 85 pages during the reading week. IT WAS AWESOME!! Sorry for the caps, but it totally deserved the caps and my 5 star rating and the awesomeness that I will continue to say about it. I loved every single minute of this book. I loved the super hero aspect (or the E.O.'s as they are called). The characters are super awesome too. I love Victor and his little gang of merry men. I wanted him to win, even though he had some bad/evil tendencies and his power was all about causing discomfort. Eli was also an interesting character. I really didn't like him, but at the same time I kind of wondered what I would have thought of him if the story had started from his viewpoint. His whole idea was super messed up and I would have loved to have some insight into his past and what made him think the way that he did. Not that anything he said would convince me that he was right, but still I would have loved to know what made Eli tick. In the end, I loved this book and just wanted more and more and more. I hate that I'm hearing it's a stand alone book. I want more of this world and more of these characters. V.E. Schwab, Give Me More Vicious!!

Title: The Spook Lights Affair

Authors: Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini

My Rating: 3/5

This book was just an average read for me. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the greatest thing ever either. I managed to zip through all 250 pages of it. I was interested in the mystery and the characters were enjoyable. I really liked the fake/real/I don't know Sherlock Holmes character. How can you not like a guy that pretends to be Sherlock Holmes and dresses up in all kinds of fancy costumes. I did think that the mystery was solved in a Nancy Drewish kind of way. I just felt like it was set up for the detectives to figure out everything so smartly and the wee reader wasn't smart enough to put it all together. Overall enjoyable book, even though it didn't deliver the ghosts like I thought it would.

Title: The Hero's Guide to Storming The Castle

Author: Christopher Healy

Illustrator: Todd Harris

My Rating: 5/5

This was the last book I managed to get to in the read-a-thon and I managed to read 210 pages of it. This is another series that I love just for the pure cuteness and vast amounts of funny included in the pages. The illustrations by Todd Harris are so good and add so much to the story. I love the humor of these books. I finished it not that long after the read-a-thon ended and can't wait for the third book to come out. I love this series and these characters. The personalities given to every Prince Charming make for very fun reading. Go Pick Up This Series!!

So that's it for the Bout of Books 9.0 Read-A-Thon. I very much enjoyed myself and plan on joining in on the next one. Tons of fun and I didn't get into a reading slump afterward which is always a sign of a good read-a-thon.

 http://boutofbooks.blogspot.com/

Bout of Books Read-A-Thon 9.0

I realize that I have been a horrible blogger for the year of 2013. I haven't posted like I should, or I haven't posted at all. I'm going to try to be better at my blog, and one thing I decided is that I'm going to try to join into more blog community stuff. The first thing I decided to join with is the yearly Bout of Books Read-A-Thon. Because I would probably suck at describing just what this Bout of Books Read-A-Thon is, here's the blurb provided by the Bout of Books website:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 9.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team


I'm going to try and read as much as I can through Jan 6-12. Here's to hoping all goes well in this Read-A-Thon and that I'll be able to get my library books down to a more manageable size. I will be posting updates along the way to tell of how my reading progress is going. Here's to a successful Bout of Books Read-A-Thon and a successful 2014 in keeping up this blog. 
I also want to thank all the new followers who have found their way to my blog. Thanks! I hope you enjoy your stay and be prepared for more posts in the future :D