#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.