Hello, again! It's been awhile since I've posted a Friday Reads, but I've been loving what I'm reading and I wanted to share it with you all. I also wanted to say that I've got a few posts coming up, one of which will be my response to My Thoughts Literally nominating me for a Liebster Award. She has an amazing blog by the way, and is one of the nicest bloggers I've met through the Love-A-Thon. Anyways, that post will be coming soon, My Most Anticipated of the month, maybe even a wrap up... So, lots of exciting fun coming to the blog!
In the meantime, I'm going to be reading on with A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin and that's been really interesting so far. I'm almost halfway through, and I've loved reading all of the intricate story lines and the complexity of the characters.
I'm also doing another readalong with a wonderful blogger friend of mine, Kerrie. This month we're picking up a well known YA sci fi that neither of us have read before, Across the Universe by Beth Revis.
There are some other readalongs I'm participating in this month, but I'm not planning on starting either this weekend. Be sure to check out the currently reading button in the sidebar to see where I am at the moment in books, and let me know what your Friday Reads are!
From the paper world,
V
Friday, March 7, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The Five Star Spotlight - Cress by Marissa Meyer
Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.
In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.
In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.
*Spoilers for the first two books in the Lunar Chronicles in the following review!*
Cinder - hey, this is a unique idea. I like this book.
Scarlet - wow, this series is pretty interesting, I'm really enjoying myself!
The Little Android (one of the short stories) - this writing is beautiful, I can't wait to read more.
Cress - THIS SERIES IS AMAZING!
So, this is going to be a very positive review of Cress. Honestly, though, I've loved it. This was a book that I didn't expect to completely fall in love with, but I'm so happy I did. Everything came together in this book.
I'll start as I normally do, by talking about the characters. As each book comes, I find that each new narrator is better than the last. Cress is really fantastic. She brings a really good balance to the group, and I enjoyed reading from her perspective because everything was new and exciting. Also, we get to read more from Thorne, and he is now definitely one of my book boyfriends. Thorne is sarcastic, charismatic, and wity, but he does have a good heart. The combination of snarkiness but with depth as well is what makes a book boyfriend for me. Thorne and Cress are two characters that have a really great dynamic between the two, and seeing both of them in the group was really great.
The group was one element that I really appreciated in this book. Scarlet was more of two paralleling story lines, and while that worked for her story, I was glad to see more of a group dynamic in this book. We finally get some of the ensemble, where there are multiple narrators and everything is interesting. In general, I just really loved how all of the characters interacted. Each is unique and memorable, but work so well together that the conversation is always interesting and the story never drags.
Speaking of the plot, this book reads like an epic movie. It's one that I couldn't put down, and I ended up reading this in two days. The story line has two different settings- wonderful moments of the characters interacting and a lot of interest in what's going on with them, and then so much action and plot development that you have to read on. In short, the story never drags. However, the action and intense moments are never confusing- all of the narrators work really well together and as a reader I never felt like I was confused or unaware of what was going on.
The romance in this book is adorable, and I love how all of the characters act in general, but if you're looking for a dramatic love triangle or anything like that, this series is more about the characters and the overarching story line. To me, I liked stories like this, where if there is romance it's more a side story to the main conflict, so I appreciated that about this series.
This is by far my favorite installment to The Lunar Chronicles. While I had enjoyed the series before, this book solidified its status as a favorite. I am so excited for Winter, and I think that this series has some of the best characters I've read, as well as some epic action and a main conflict that I can't wait to see resolved in the conclusion.
Have you read this series? I'm in love, so feel free to comment down below, or tweet me about it!
From the paper world,
V
Friday, February 28, 2014
Reading Review - The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
In the darkest places, even love is deadly.
Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.
Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.
Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.
Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.
Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.
Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.
My Rating - Four Stars
Today's review is of The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd. When I first picked this up, I had thought it was a historical fiction, which typically isn't among my favorite genres. However, I found out soon after that this book is actually a retelling- which many of you know I love. The Madman's Daughter is actually a retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau, and this entire trilogy is retellings of the grim and creepy nature. In short, this is a series I should have known about long ago, and honestly a lot of my reactions throughout the first part of the book were astonishment, wonder, and 'Why didn't I pick this series up sooner?'. I've yet to read The Island myself, but I'd certainly like to after finishing this book.
The protagonist is Juliet Moreau, the daughter of the infamous doctor. She's struggling to survive in London in the aftermath of losing her parents and the enormous scandal her father left. Juliet is a really interesting character- as the story progresses she has an intense internal conflict. Juliet is a really interesting character to read about and journey alongside. She wasn't my favorite protagonist, as I felt she would become so mired in her thoughts and puzzlings that sometimes there would be more lengthy narration than interesting action furthering the plot. However, Juliet is generally an interesting and unique narrator with a moral dilemma and an internal conflict that drive her character throughout the novel.
The other characters added to the eerie and strange atmosphere of the island. Montgomery and Edward were always intriguing when they had a scene with Juliet. The doctor was an infuriating character, but definitely added a unique presence in the group. The characters interacted well, and scenes with multiple people in it were always interesting and engaging to read. However, the scenes when Juliet is alone and narrating her thoughts sometimes dragged on and slowed the pacing of the story. Since Juliet is unaware of any of the island's mysteries, following her along as she thinks about everything and doesn't come up with a conclusion wasn't as compelling as the rest of the novel. These instances slowed the plot down for me, although whenever other characters came into the scene there was a lot of mystery and suspense throughout.
I gave this book four out of five stars, and I ended up going to get the sequel shortly thereafter. In case you were curious, the sequel Her Dark Curiosity is said to be a retelling of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. The third and final installment is going to be a Frankenstein retelling. I am really excited to continue on with this series, and read more of these eerie retellings!
Have you read any retellings like this? What did you think?
From the paper world,
V
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Waiting on Wednesday - Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
Ah, Wednesdays. A time to look ahead at some wonderful books that are coming. I'm talking about Waiting on Wednesday, the weekly meme hosted at Breaking the Spine, and it's a lot of fun to post these weekly and talk about some exciting upcoming books. This week is yet another conclusion to a series- there seems to be a lot of series wrapping up this year. For this week? Let's talk about the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Reading Review - Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
I reviewed Ruby Red the other day. That's the first book in the Precious Stone trilogy by Kerstin Gier, more commonly known as the Ruby Red trilogy. This is a great time traveling series. This review is for Ruby Red's sequel, Sapphire Blue. THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR RUBY RED AHEAD. I would suggest checking out my Ruby Red Review if you're curious about the series, although I'll tell you now that I really enjoyed Ruby Red. Now, let's talk about Sapphire Blue!
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Character Chat - Top Five Book Boyfriends of 2014
As it is February, the month of love, and the Book Blogger Love-A-Thon that recently happened included a love letter to your book boyfriend, I thought it appropriate to introduce this new segment to the blog. Character Chat is going to be my discussions about various wonderful characters I've encountered through the books. Also, this feature will be talking about books I've read this year, so that way it can be a continual feature that I revisit in the coming years. So, there will be a chat on book boyfriends for 2014, 2015, etc. Now, I know it's very early in the year, but I want to do this and start the series, so without further ado...
Raffe is hilarious, strong, and surprisingly tender throughout Angelfall. He has some really adorable moments, but he is also a tough warrior with a very sarcastic side. The banter between him and Penryn is probably one of my favorite aspects of this novel, and I would love to travel around with Raffe and trade wit. He's also got a soft side, and there are glimpses of that throughout the book that made me want to hug him. So, I think that Raffe would definitely have to be one of my book boyfriend picks thus far in 2014.
Ah, another hilarious and sarcastic one with a sweet side. Yes, Thorne made himself my favorite character in this book. He's got a very dry wit, yet also is capable of gentleness and compassion. Thorne is a character that I love because he's very funny and snarky, but also because he's more than what many people think of him. He's brave and intelligent, very resourceful, and even if he isn't the best at something he's determined to try. Thorne radiates charisma and charm, but beneath all the fluff he's also got a lot of strong qualities. I can't wait to read more about him in Winter!
Ok, so I'm reading this book now, and I'm only just over 50 pages in. But, Warner has been a favorite of mine since Shatter Me. Before Destroy Me even came out I wanted to know more about Warner because who Juliet thought he was didn't seem to match with some of what Warner said and did. He is passionate and complicated, but he's also got a sensitivity and understanding to him that makes him an even more amazing character. And yes, I'm loving him so far in this book and will continue to do so. Warner is a fantastic book boyfriend! Also, thus far in Ignite Me, he has stolen every scene he is in and definitely remained my favorite character in this series- Warner is absolutely wonderful!
Look who is number one on the book boyfriend list. Morpheus, you aren't even surprised, are you? If you look in some other blog posts, you'll see constant mentions of Splintered, Unhinged, The Moth in the Mirror, and general Morpheus love. I've even written a love letter to him as a challenge for the Love-A-Thon. Morpheus is witty, dark, mysterious, and yet is loving and loyal. One can never guess what Morpheus will do, but he has certainly swept me off my feet. He will probably be my number one book boyfriend for a long time to come, so Morpheus will certainly be staying around the blog and fluttering through more posts! Also, this cover features Morpheus!
no. 5 - Raffe from Angelfall by Susan Ee
Raffe is hilarious, strong, and surprisingly tender throughout Angelfall. He has some really adorable moments, but he is also a tough warrior with a very sarcastic side. The banter between him and Penryn is probably one of my favorite aspects of this novel, and I would love to travel around with Raffe and trade wit. He's also got a soft side, and there are glimpses of that throughout the book that made me want to hug him. So, I think that Raffe would definitely have to be one of my book boyfriend picks thus far in 2014.
Sam is completely adorable. He is so sweet, kind, and gentle! Also, he's very musical, and any scene involving him and an instrument was beautiful. Sam's a great character because he's amazing and understanding, but also flawed. He has his doubts and fears, but he is a strong person anyways, and his character is really admirable. Numerous times throughout this book, I have wanted to just give Sam a hug.
Ah, another hilarious and sarcastic one with a sweet side. Yes, Thorne made himself my favorite character in this book. He's got a very dry wit, yet also is capable of gentleness and compassion. Thorne is a character that I love because he's very funny and snarky, but also because he's more than what many people think of him. He's brave and intelligent, very resourceful, and even if he isn't the best at something he's determined to try. Thorne radiates charisma and charm, but beneath all the fluff he's also got a lot of strong qualities. I can't wait to read more about him in Winter!Ok, so I'm reading this book now, and I'm only just over 50 pages in. But, Warner has been a favorite of mine since Shatter Me. Before Destroy Me even came out I wanted to know more about Warner because who Juliet thought he was didn't seem to match with some of what Warner said and did. He is passionate and complicated, but he's also got a sensitivity and understanding to him that makes him an even more amazing character. And yes, I'm loving him so far in this book and will continue to do so. Warner is a fantastic book boyfriend! Also, thus far in Ignite Me, he has stolen every scene he is in and definitely remained my favorite character in this series- Warner is absolutely wonderful!Look who is number one on the book boyfriend list. Morpheus, you aren't even surprised, are you? If you look in some other blog posts, you'll see constant mentions of Splintered, Unhinged, The Moth in the Mirror, and general Morpheus love. I've even written a love letter to him as a challenge for the Love-A-Thon. Morpheus is witty, dark, mysterious, and yet is loving and loyal. One can never guess what Morpheus will do, but he has certainly swept me off my feet. He will probably be my number one book boyfriend for a long time to come, so Morpheus will certainly be staying around the blog and fluttering through more posts! Also, this cover features Morpheus!
There is the beginning of the character chat saga! Now, I want to hear from you. Have you read these books? Loved these guys? Who are your book boyfriends? Let me know!
From the paper world,
V
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Reasons I Love Being a Book Blogger and Reader
This is an awesome installment of The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday and I'm very excited to talk about it. This is the week to talk about the reasons I love blogging, and the reasons I love reading. Since these are two of my absolute favorite past times, I am more than happy to do this week's. Let's get started.
Both of these lists are in no particular order, and I decided to do five reasons why I love blogging and five why I love reading.
Both of these lists are in no particular order, and I decided to do five reasons why I love blogging and five why I love reading.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Book Blogger Love-A-Thon - Farewell Until Next Year
Sadly, it is the end of the Book Blogger Love-A-Thon...
However, this weekend has been absolutely amazing. As a new blogger, I was completely amazed by all the participants, their enthusiasm, and the general love and support for book blogging. You guys are all awesome. Seriously, if you just stopped by and checked out a post, or if you commented or tweeted, or followed... I was really touched. All the notifications I got and interactions with other bloggers made this weekend so memorable. I loved this. As a new blogger I found not only a ton of new book blogs to follow (a blog roll page is now in the works so that I can share some awesome blogs with you all) but a ton of book bloggers who are all so kind, happy to talk about books, and very supportive.
Honestly, I was in a bit of a creative slump this past month. I was really worried because I felt like I was running out of ideas and I'd only been blogging a few months. However, after this weekend, I am so excited about everything. This community is so wonderful, and now I'm excited to share my thoughts and ideas again. One example? I debuted a new series on the blog called Wanderlust in Words. Now, this is an idea from before this blog even came about, back when I was just coming up with ideas and getting excited about even starting a book blog. But I never posted it, because of this reason or that. Well, I didn't have anything planned for the mash up challenge, and I thought that this supportive and awesome event would be a good time to test it out. The response absolutely amazed me. I was getting a bunch of comments on how much you all loved it, loved the name... and I'm definitely excited to continue the series. That meant so much to me.
So, it's the end of this event. But luckily, this is a yearly thing, and awesome book blogs and bloggers are always around year round. So, to all my fellow new bloggers, I say talk to some other bloggers, and share your love of books. There's a really awesome crowd of people out there. To everyone who's stopped by, you are amazing. I've loved talking to all of you, and I can't wait to see what this year brings us all. Thank you to Alexa and Katelyn for a truly wonderful event.
From the paper world,
V
However, this weekend has been absolutely amazing. As a new blogger, I was completely amazed by all the participants, their enthusiasm, and the general love and support for book blogging. You guys are all awesome. Seriously, if you just stopped by and checked out a post, or if you commented or tweeted, or followed... I was really touched. All the notifications I got and interactions with other bloggers made this weekend so memorable. I loved this. As a new blogger I found not only a ton of new book blogs to follow (a blog roll page is now in the works so that I can share some awesome blogs with you all) but a ton of book bloggers who are all so kind, happy to talk about books, and very supportive.
Honestly, I was in a bit of a creative slump this past month. I was really worried because I felt like I was running out of ideas and I'd only been blogging a few months. However, after this weekend, I am so excited about everything. This community is so wonderful, and now I'm excited to share my thoughts and ideas again. One example? I debuted a new series on the blog called Wanderlust in Words. Now, this is an idea from before this blog even came about, back when I was just coming up with ideas and getting excited about even starting a book blog. But I never posted it, because of this reason or that. Well, I didn't have anything planned for the mash up challenge, and I thought that this supportive and awesome event would be a good time to test it out. The response absolutely amazed me. I was getting a bunch of comments on how much you all loved it, loved the name... and I'm definitely excited to continue the series. That meant so much to me.
So, it's the end of this event. But luckily, this is a yearly thing, and awesome book blogs and bloggers are always around year round. So, to all my fellow new bloggers, I say talk to some other bloggers, and share your love of books. There's a really awesome crowd of people out there. To everyone who's stopped by, you are amazing. I've loved talking to all of you, and I can't wait to see what this year brings us all. Thank you to Alexa and Katelyn for a truly wonderful event.
From the paper world,
V
Book Blogger Love-A-Thon - Letter to Myself Mini Challenge
How's everyone enjoying the Book Blogger LoveAThon? I'm so excited for this next mini challenge! This is a letter to either your past or future blogging self. Since I've been blogging for a few months, I want to write a letter to myself for my one year blog anniversary. Then, when we get to that point this coming autumn, I can feature the letter and respond to it. So, without further ado...
Dear Future Self,
Hello! How has the blog been going? I can't believe it will have been a year of blogging once you read this! Right now, I'm writing this for the Book Blogger LoveAThon, and so far I've participated in several blogging events. I stayed up for 24 hours reading, I've done Bout of Books, and I'm so excited for everything else that's to come.
What's been your favorite read of the year? Have you had a good reading year? I know that I'm excited for more of blogging; meeting other bloggers and making friends, as well as sharing my love of books. So, I hope you enjoy your blog anniversary, congraulations on having come so far, and I wish you more happiness to come.
From the paper world several months back,
V
Dear Future Self,
Hello! How has the blog been going? I can't believe it will have been a year of blogging once you read this! Right now, I'm writing this for the Book Blogger LoveAThon, and so far I've participated in several blogging events. I stayed up for 24 hours reading, I've done Bout of Books, and I'm so excited for everything else that's to come.
What's been your favorite read of the year? Have you had a good reading year? I know that I'm excited for more of blogging; meeting other bloggers and making friends, as well as sharing my love of books. So, I hope you enjoy your blog anniversary, congraulations on having come so far, and I wish you more happiness to come.
From the paper world several months back,
V
Now, I want to hear from you guys- what was your first year of blogging like? If you're still a new blogger like me *waves* then tell me how it's going. I hope you all are enjoying the Love-A-Thon as much as I am!
Book Blogger Love-A-Thon Mini Challenge and Wanderlust in Words Introduction
Need to travel but can't get a ticket? Welcome to Wanderlust in Words, where some amazing books can take you to your favorite cities without the jet lag.
Welcome back to the Book Blogger Love-A-Thon! I honestly didn't think I was going to be participating in this mini challenge, but I've had this post I've wanted to share for awhile, and so I decided it was time to put it out there.
Hey, everyone! I'm so excited to start Wanderlust in Words! This is an idea I had when I was originally coming up with series I wanted to do for the blog. It was one of my favorites, and so I'm glad that I'm able to share it with you all now! I want to start this feature with the city and books that first inspired me to make it - Prague.
Prague is a city I hadn't read many books about until a little while ago. But I've read two particularly wonderful books set in this city, and so I wanted to share them with you today.
The first book is The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman. This is a thrilling mystery about a girl named Nora who finds her life completely changed. Her friend is killed mysteriously and Nora's boyfriend is charged with murder. Nora sets out to prove his innocence and journeys to Prague as she seeks the truth behind this mysterious turn of events. I loved how this book was one I couldn't predict. The characters weren't my favorite, but the story was unique and the focus on Prague was incredible. I remember snatches of seeing the city and world building as Nora delved into the mystery, and I loved this. I think that this is a good mystery and introduction to the city of Prague.
The second book is The Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. This series is beautiful. It's written in a way that's artistic, poetic, and engaging. The protagonist, Karou, made me want to dye my hair peacock blue and live in Prague. I loved being in Prague with Karou. It seems so creative, a blend of the ancient and the quirkiness of Karou and her friends. Her life in the city was so much fun to read, and definitely made me love this Prague.
So there is the first of Wanderlust in Words. I wanted to try something that combined my love for travel with books, and I hope you guys enjoyed. If you've read any books set in Prague, what were they?
From the paper world,
V
Hey, everyone! I'm so excited to start Wanderlust in Words! This is an idea I had when I was originally coming up with series I wanted to do for the blog. It was one of my favorites, and so I'm glad that I'm able to share it with you all now! I want to start this feature with the city and books that first inspired me to make it - Prague.
Prague is a city I hadn't read many books about until a little while ago. But I've read two particularly wonderful books set in this city, and so I wanted to share them with you today.
The first book is The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman. This is a thrilling mystery about a girl named Nora who finds her life completely changed. Her friend is killed mysteriously and Nora's boyfriend is charged with murder. Nora sets out to prove his innocence and journeys to Prague as she seeks the truth behind this mysterious turn of events. I loved how this book was one I couldn't predict. The characters weren't my favorite, but the story was unique and the focus on Prague was incredible. I remember snatches of seeing the city and world building as Nora delved into the mystery, and I loved this. I think that this is a good mystery and introduction to the city of Prague.
The second book is The Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. This series is beautiful. It's written in a way that's artistic, poetic, and engaging. The protagonist, Karou, made me want to dye my hair peacock blue and live in Prague. I loved being in Prague with Karou. It seems so creative, a blend of the ancient and the quirkiness of Karou and her friends. Her life in the city was so much fun to read, and definitely made me love this Prague.
So there is the first of Wanderlust in Words. I wanted to try something that combined my love for travel with books, and I hope you guys enjoyed. If you've read any books set in Prague, what were they?
From the paper world,
V
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