ARC Review: Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Book: Gemina (Illuminae Files_02)

Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Rating: 4/5

Format: Paperback ARC received at BookCon 2016

Favorite Character: Nik

When I first read Illuminae, I was completely drawn in. The book is a work of art and tells an epic story in a way I had never imaged. The use of the case files brings a new level of depth to the storytelling. After reading Illuminae, I read the Starbound series by Amie Kaufman. I thought it was interesting how the three books were all based on a different set of main characters whose stories slowly started to become intertwined. I find it interesting that they decided to go that direction with this series as well, though I do not know how I feel about it.

Since I am reviewing the ARC copy, this will mostly be based on my initial reaction. Once the full book is released, I will reread it and review it again. Since a lot of the art was not complete, it did feel a little vacant. 

Pros: Gemina has the same face paced action as Illuminae but in a whole new way. Whereas Illuminae's central conflict was man vs. machine, Gemina explores the chaos of man vs. man. Hanna and Nik are both interesting characters with well-designed backgrounds and plenty of character flaws. There are multiple plots twists that made me throw my book in the air, then quickly grab it to get back to reading. Just like with Illuminae, I found the style of story telling to be wonderful 

Cons: With Gemina I had the same problem as with the Starbound series, which is the complete switch of main characters and plot. During Illuminae, I got incredibly attached to Kady and Ezra and the plot they are entangled in. While I understand that this book is telling a different part of the story, it did seem a bit disconnected. The new characters and new enemies really took me away from the story of the first book. It also felt a bit messy at times with the plot, and I often felt like there was too much going on. With three different sources of enemies, it was a bit much, and I felt that they could have left one out and been a little cleaner. 

Overall I enjoyed the second book from this series, and I am excited for it to be released in October. Once I read the finished copy, I will be doing another review that contains spoilers and reviews more specific information about the story. 

February 2016 Wrap-Up

Hello everyone! It's the end of the month again which means it's time to talk about the books I've read this month! It was a busy month and I didn't get quite as many in as I did last month, but I also red some very good ones. So let's get going!

Book: Fat Dad, Fat Kid

Author: Shay & Gavin Butler

Genre: Youtube, self-help, weight loss, non fiction

Rating: ★★★★★

Format: Paperback

I have been watching Shaytards for years and had pre-ordered this book a long time ago. Overall I really enjoyed the book. It caused me to think about health and my own personal struggle in a way I hadn't before, and has really helped me a lot. As Shay says is the book, he is in no way a professional on health and weight loss, he is just a person that did things and got results. I enjoyed this book as a fan of the Butler family and as someone looking to improve the way they live their life. :)


 

Book: Glass Sword (Red Queen #2); Steel Scars (Red Queen 0.2)

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Genre: YA fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, distopian

Rating: ★★★★★

Format: Hardcover
Oh god. Oh oh god. So after waiting a year for this book, it finally arrived. So I kind of had the same problem with tis book that I had with the first one. The first half of the book really dragged for me, and I kept fading out of interest. But then at right abiut the half way point shit went cray and I could not put the book down. And that ending. THAT ENDING. WHY. I want more! And I don't want to wait! I feel like I need to post a full review of this book just to get out my feelings. The third book needs to be her, now.
Steel Scars was at the end of the book and was the novella I hadn't read yet. I felt very 'meh' about it, especially after the intense ending og Glass Sword. I found I rally didn't care. (★★★★)

Book: This Shattered World (Starbound #2)

Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Genre: YA fiction, sci-fi

Rating: ★★★★

Format: Audio Book
This book took me forever to listen too, mostly because the first third of it really dragged on. The next third got a little better, and the final third was much better. I didn't like it as much as the first book and I was happy when I got a glimpse of Tarver and Lilac. It's an interesting concept to follow a different couple each book, but it is slso a bit jarring in terms of staying in the story. Not too bad though, good enough tht I'm listening to the third now.

Book: I'll Give You the Sun

Author: Jandy Nelson

Genre: YA fiction, contemporary, lgbt

Rating: ★★★★★

Format: Hardcover
This book was one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read, and was also incredibly heart breaking.



That's it for Feburary! If you have any questions about any of the books I read this month or if you just want to talk about the,, feel free to reach out to me on here or on instagram @drunkbibliophile.

:3

January 2016 Wrap-Up.

So I've decided to no longer do book reviews for every single book I read. (As you can see by how well I've been updating!) Instead I will consolidate most reviews into end of the month wrap-ups, and only post individual reviews for some books.

So to kick it off, here is JANUARY 2016!

In January I read seven books, due to school taking up a lot of my time and the busy season starting at work.

Doctor Who: Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale (4)
This was the only book I gave a full review to (link is in the 4). I've read a lot of Star Wars books but this was my first Doctor Who book. I thought it was enjoyable and a quick read, but it definitely wasn't as good as watching the show.

 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (4)
Frostbite by Richelle Mead (4)
One day I was bored and flipping through Netflix and I found the Vampire Academy movie. I had the first book sitting on my shelf for a while, and I decided to just go for it. God that movie was terrible but I watched the whole thing. I then read the book which was better. I got pretty into it and ended up buying the next two books. I think I finished the second one in one day and started on the third. Then I made the mistake of spoiling the end of the third book for myself accidently, and completely lost interest in the series. Maybe one day I'll go back, but no time soon. As for a review, it's pretty much what you expect and nothing too extraordinary.

 

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau (3.5)
The Testing Guide by Joelle Charbonneau (-)
I had tried to read The Testing last year and just could not get into it. When this year started I created a TBR jar where I wrote down all the books on my TBR shelf and put them ina jar. I then shook it up and pulled one out to choose a book. So far this is the only book I have used these means to choose and will most likely only do it in moment of terrible indecision. It was very Hunger Games/Divergent and followed the generic female lead dystopian evil government plot. Nothing about it was really interesting and I didn't care enough to continue the series. :/

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider (3)
Cue my sudden need for contemporary, and this was the first book I chose. As my rating suggests I found it pretty 'meh'. As you can see, so far 2016 is a pretty meh year. Nothing much to say about this book.

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed (3)
This was an incredibly stressful book and made me incredibly angry. Not at the book, necessarily, but at the subject matter and characters. Ninty percent of the people in the book are absolutely terrible. I ended up staying up until 5am finishing this, huddled in bed with the lights off so Joe could sleep. The ending made me even more angry, when I thought about all the girls that have to live this as their reality and don't have a prince charming to come to their rescue. Grrr I'm getting angry just thinking about this book.




That was my January. It was a rough month. So far February has been a bit better so we're getting there!

Book Review: Doctor Who: Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale

Book: Deep Time

Author: Trevor Baxendale

Genre: Doctor Who, Science Fiction

Rating: 4/5

Format: Paperback

Favorite Character: n/a

So I recently got back into Doctor Who with season nine, as it has started to resemble the Doctor Who I used to love. I have read a lot of Star Wars books in my time but never any Doctor Who books, so I decided to give it a whirl. I enjoyed this book. It was interesting reading the Doctor instead of watching him. I don't think I enjoyed it as much as the show because there is a certain pacing the book lacks, but I did enjoy Clara more. (I dislike her.) The story itself was very Doctor. The whole shows up to a group of random people on an adventure knowing more than they do, getting into danger and people dying, aliens, timey-wimey, then saving the day. Marco set my nerves on edge and I did not like him at all. He was just the type of person I don't want to be around, to the point where I don't even want to read about them.

Overall this was a nice quick read and I think I may pick up some more Doctor Who books in the future!

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book Review: The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra

Book: The Tsar of Love and Techno

Author: Anthony Marra

Genre: Historical Fiction, short stories, fiction

Rating: 4/5

Format: Hardcover

Favorite Character: Kolya

I had my eye on this book for a while because the cover and the title are totally awesome. I finally picked it up with no idea what it was actually about. Recently I have started getting into collections of short stories, and this was an awesome place to start. I really enjoyed the entire premise of this book. I was a little slow to get into it in the beginning, but once it got towards the end of the first story it really kicked off for me. I love how everyones lives are so intertwined in such a strange way, all coming back to the same painting. There were even a few stories where I thought to myself "How is this in any way related to anything.." then BAM it would all come full circle. 

The main reason this book gets four stars is because the beginning and the end. I found the start of the book to be a little slow and did not grab my attention like I wanted it to. I also did not like the last chapter. I understood tying it back to Kolya nd Alexei and their childhood in the museum, but I thought it was unnecessary. I think if the book would have ended with Vladimir and the museum it would have been more powerful. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Book: Thirteen Reasons Why

Author: Jay Asher

Genre: Young Adult, romance, fiction, drama, mystery

Rating: 4/5

Format: Audio Book

Favorite Character: Clay, I suppose. Hard to have one in this book

Website

Goodreads

Well this book was incredibly depressing. It was also incredibly difficult to listen to due to the content. I'm not sure why I feel that it would have been easier to read. I think that It made me feel like I was listening to the tapes along with Clay. I don't have much to say about this book aside from I think everyone should read it. The only reason it got a 4/5 from me is that I found the character frustrating at times. Mostly Clay, but also Hannah. It brings up some important points about bullying and how some people can be terrible.

Book review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Book: Attachments

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Genre: Romance, fiction, contemporary

Rating: 4.5/5

Format: Paperback

Favorite Character: Beth
Website
Goodreads



This book had been sitting on my TBR for a while. I had read Fangirl, Eleanor & Park, and Carry On. I was excited to branch off into Rainbow's ealier books aimed at adults.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I think it was made better that I read most of it in my cubicle at the bank I work for. There is a team of Lincolns somewhere that go through out emails and report to HR if anything is inaapropriate. And just like Beth and Jennifer my friends spend a lot of time saying things we shouldn't be....shh... I found the characters to be realistic and I liked that it took place on the eve of the millennium. I feel like the story would not have been the same if it took place today. 

My only complaint and the reason it didn't get a five star rating from me is the ending. I really didn't like the ending. I felt like the entire book was build up and then at the end it felt rushed and like suddenly everything was perfect and happily ever after. But I found it to be awkward and unrealistic. Other than that I was pleased with this book and look forward to reading Landline as well.

Books Read In 2015

January
1. Rumors by Erica Kiefer (3)
2. The Story of Awkward by R. K. Ryals (3)
3. The Selection by Kiera Cass (3.5)
4. The Elite by Kiera Cass (3.5)
5. The One by Kiera Cass (3.5)
6. The Guard by Kiera Cass (-)
7. The Prince by Kiera Cass (-)
8. The Queen by Kiera Cass (-)

February
9. Ever Day by David Levithan (5)
10. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (5)
11. (reread) Looking For Alaska by John Green (5)
12. (reread) Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J K Rowling (5)

March
13. Parallel by Claudia Lefeve (3)
14. Paradox by Claudia Lefeve (3)
15. Paradigm by Claudia Lefeve (3)
16. Hitched by Claudia Lefeve (3)
17. Hold Me Closer by David Levithan (5)
18. Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld (3.5)

April
19. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (4)
20. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld (2.5)
21. Evermore by Alyson Noel (1.5)
22. Mind Games by Kiersten White (2.5)
23. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (4)
24. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (4)
25. Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination by JK Rowling (5)

May

26. Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (3.5)

27. The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld (4)

28. The Heir by Kiera Cass (3.5)
29. Atlantia by Ally Condie (3)

30. The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart (3)
31. Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip by Linda Oatman High (2.5)
32. Stolen by Lucy Christopher (4)
33. Red Queen by Victoria Ayeyard (4)

34. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen (5)
35. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (4)
36. The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige (4)

June
39. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (4)
38. No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige (-)
39. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (4)
40. Glitches by Marissa Meyer (-)
41. 1984 by George Orwell (5)
42. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (4)
43. The Queen's Army by Marissa Meyer (-)
44. Lumberjanes Volume 1 by Noelle Stevenson (3.6)
45. The Hues Volume 1 by Alex Heberling (5)
46. Cress by Marissa Meyer (4)
47. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (5)
48. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (4.5)
49. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (5)

50. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (5)

July
51. You Deserve a Drink by Mamrie Hart (5)
52. Vicious by V.E. Schwab (4.3)
53. A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall (4.5)

August
54. Pieces Of Me by Amber Kizer (3.2)
55. Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde (4)

56. The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi (4.5)
57. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (3)
58. Warm Up by V.E. Schwab

September
59. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (4.5)
60.  Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (4)
61. Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story by Anne Rice and Ashley Marie Witter (4.4)
62. The Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo (-)
63. The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo (-)
64. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (4)
65. The Tailor by Leigh Bardugo (-)
66. The Too-Clever Fox by Leigh Bardugo (-)
67.  Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo (4)

68. Little Knife by Leigh Bardugo (-)
69. I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest
70. Queen Song by Victoria Aveyard (-)

October
71. Yes Please by Amy Poehler  (5)

72. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (5)
73. Binge by Tyler Oakley (5)
74. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews (4.5)
75. The Lost City of the Jedi by Paul and Hollace Davids (2)

76. So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld (4.5)
77. The Time Being by Antonia Honeywell (4)

November
78. Signs Point To Yes by Sandy Hall (4.5)

79. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (4.5)

80. Uglies: Cutters by Scott Westerfeld (4)

81. The Invention of Hugo Cabinet by Brian Selznick (5)
82. Stupid Perfect World by Scott Westerfeld (5)
83. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (4)
84. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (4.5)
85. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (4)
86. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (3)
87. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (4.5)
88. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (5)
89. Never Stop Shutting Up by Mike Falzone (5)
90. We Were Liars by E. Lockhard (2.5)
91. Egghead:  Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone by Bo Burnham (4)

December
92. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra (4)

93. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (4)

94. My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors (4)

95. Maleficent by Elizabeth Rudnick (4)

96. Trouble Is a Friend of Mine by Stephenie Tromly (4.5)

97. The Chimes by Charles Dickenson  (2.5)

98. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger  (4)

99. Star Wars: Smuggler's Run by Greg Rucka (4)

100. 21st Century Tank Girl by Alan. C Martin (4)

102. Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger (4)

103. Star Wars: Moving Target by Cecil Castellucci and Jason Fry (4)

104. Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon by Delilah S. Dawson (4.5)

105. Star Wars: The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku by Landry Q. Walker (4.5)

106. Star Wars: Before the Awakening by Greg Rucka (4)

107. Star Wars: All Creatures Great and Small by Landry Q. Walker (5)

108. Star Wars: The Weapon of a Jedi by Jason Fry (4)

109. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (4)

Total: 109

Book review: Stupid Perfect World by Scott Westerfeld

Book: Stupid Perfect World

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Young adult, fiction, dystopian, romance, science fiction

Rating: 5/5

Format: E-book

Favorite Character: None.
Website
Goodreads


This was a nice short novella by my favorite author. This was a good follow-up to my review of So Yesterday because this book was also SUPER Westerfeld-y and I loved it. Once again his use of creating a mirror culture and using language to build his story.

Loved this. Everyone should read it.

Book review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Book: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Author: Brian Selznick

Genre: young adult, fiction, historical fiction, childrens, fantasy, graphic novel

Rating: 5/5

Format: Hardcover

Favorite Character: Hugo
Website
Goodreads

I have been meaning to read this book for a long time, and I was not disappointed. I watched the movie a long time ago and as I was reading bits and pieces started to come back to me. I kept remembering scenes of the movies being described and trying to remember if it was the Hugo movie I was thinking about.

This was a very quick read, and I was able to get through it in a few hours. The art is amazing and I could stare at his drawings all night. There was a nice balance of text and art that made for a nice progression of the story.

Book review: Uglies: Cutters by Scott Westerfeld

Book: Uglies: Cutters

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Young Adult, fiction, graphic novel

Rating: 3.5/5

Format: Paperback

Favorite Character: None.
Author Website
Goodreads

To start, Uglies is one of my favorite series' and Scott Westerfeld is my favorite author. I had read the first graphic novel but did not realize there was a second one until I saw this on Amazon. Overall I enjoyed this. It's nice to see the story from a different perspective and to get new information on what was happening while Tally was off being main-character-y. It took me a moment to get into, just because it's been so long since I read Uglies.

I would recommend this and the first graphic novel to any Uglies fan, even if they didn't like Shay as a character.

Book review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Book: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Young Adult, fiction, fantasy

Rating: 4.5/5

Format: Hardcover

Favorite Character: Kaz Brekker


So when this book came out, I had just finished the Grisha trilogy and was excited to read something in the same universe. For some reason though it took me forever to finish this book, though. Most of the difficulty came in the first third of the book when everything was being set up. I just could not get into it and ended up setting it aside ans reading several other books. Finally after finishing Signs Point to Yes I picked it up again. And boy I don't know what happened because I couldn't put it down.

(Spoilers)
I feel like all the interesting things in this book happened at once. Kaz and Inej and their adorableness. An explanation of Nina and Matthias and back story for everyone. Also just the adventure of the heist. I could not stop reading. I feel like there was a lot of depth put into all of the characters, and each one was always facing something new. Inej had to deal past in the Menagerie, her feelings for Kaz, and her future; Al while climbing a hot-as-hell ventilation shaft. Jesper has a serious gambling problem and makes some serious mistakes, but he is also gay and totally into Wylan. The thing I like most about that is that it does not define him as a character in any way, like in most stories these days. Its mostly just a string of off-handed comments and actions that make you realize. Matthias makes me angry, but I can understand why he is that way, and he comes around in the end. Nina ties this story to the Grisha trilogy which I thought was pretty cool. As a character, I hated her for what she did to Matthias, but settled down after she explained herself. I have no real opinion on Wylan, other then I hope him and Jesper get together. 

I knew right away Iw ould like Kaz. He is just the type of character I swoon over. Calm, calculating, clever, always a step ahead, but with a dark past and flaws just like anyone else. I liked that he was played more than once, as it made him more human.

Overall this book was awesome and I'm anticipating the second one. Slow start, but totally worth it.

Book Review: Signs Point To Yes by Sandy Hall

Book: Signs Point To Yes

Author: Sandy Hall

Genre: Young Adult, fiction, romance

Rating: 4/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: Target. Really liked her first book.

Favorite Character: Teo.


When I saw Sandy Hall was making a second book, I got excited. I randomly picked up A Little Something Different one day because I thought it looked adorable and ended up loving it. I was not disappointed by Signs Point To Yes. Hall's books are adorable, quirky, realistic romances and quick to read. They are nice breaks from highly intense or dramatic books. I did not like this book as much as her first book, though. There were parts where I thought it tried a little too hard to be relevant to too many things and it got overly complicated. Overall it was enjoyable and made me smile.

Book Review: So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld

 

Book: So Yesterday

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Young Adult, fiction

Rating: 4.5/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: HPB. Picked up due to my love of SW.

Favorite Character: Jen.


This book was VERY Scott Westerfeld. As an author, Westerfeld explores the idea of language in his books and the use of language to influence ideas and stories. There also seems to always be the exploration of a youth subculture in his books. I really enjoyed this book. I love Westerfeld as an author and found this to be an interesting story. They characters were enjoyable and at times it was super anime-esk. Like, this would make an awesome anime.

Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andews

 

Book:Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Author: Jesse Andrews

Genre: Young Adult, fiction, humor

Rating: 4.5/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: B&N

Favorite Character: None.


I had been meaning to read this book for a while. I kept seeing it everywhere and would pick it up, then for some reason set it down. Finally I bought it and ended up reading it one day. I then watched the movie. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I think it was humorous and I enjoyed Greg as a narrator. I appreciated that it didn't focus on some grand romantic teenage journey and seemed more realistic than most books like this.

However, I did like the ending to the movie better than the ending to the book. The ending in the book just seemed haphazard and all over the place, where as the movie was able to get the same point across in a cleaner way.

Good, quick read. Managed to not cry in the book, but did cry during the movie.

Book Review: Binge by Tyler Oakley

Book: Binge

Author: Tyler Oakley

Genre: Autobiography, lgbt, youtube

Rating: 5/5

Format: Hardcover

Where I got the book: Target, after going to three other stores trying to find an autographed copy.

Favorite Character: N/A.


Tyler is fabulous and I love him. This book was unapologetically raunchy and hilarious. I love that Tyler is not ashamed to himself and lays some pretty personal details out for the world to see, all while keeping an amazing sense of humor and wit. 

Book Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

 

 

Book: Carry On

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Genre: YA fiction, paranormal, vampire, chosen one, magic, LGBT, romance

Rating: 5/5

Format: Hardcover

Where I got the book: I have been waiting for this book to come out since finishing Fangirl.

Favorite Character: Baz.


So since reading Fangirl, I have been waiting for this book to come out. I find it kind of fantastic that it is a fan-fiction of a fiction novel from a fiction novel. I'm also all about the chosen-one-wizard-school thing. And adorable gay fan-fiction romances. SO all-in-all, I was incredibly excited about this book.

All in all I was pleased with this book. I did find the way they cast spells to be a little silly, and of course how can you not laugh at the name Insidious Humdrum. There were a lot of aspects influenced from Harry Potter, but also other 'chosen one' style books. Even when I was reading Fangirl, I could tell that Simon Snow was influenced by Harry Potter. In several ways I liked that, as it bade me feel a stronger connection to Cath and the world she loved.

(Spoilers)
So the one thing that I'm a little bit unsure about is the ending. There is a part of me that is bothered by the fact that the reader is the only one what knows the full story of Simon. Agatha had the picture, but she doesn't know what it means. Simon still thinks it was only Baz's mom that visited him. I just feel like there were so many lose ends and I want the characters to know what's going on. I don't know why is frustrates me, but it also leaves me wishing there was more. I mean, I kind of wish that anyway but still. I thought the whole concept that Simon was the Humdrum was interesting, and that he was sucking the magic out of the world every time he went off.

Overall, fun and adorable story. I wouldn't say it was a masterpiece, but still pretty good. 

September wrap-up

So after a rough July and August I was able to read a lot in September. Having a series helped, and I also read six novellas that were super easy to get through. 

I started out with A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. I listened to this book and ended up buying the paper copy because I loved it, and the book is beautiful. I really enjoyed this story and the world it created. I thought it was an interesting use of magic and dimensional travel, and I'm excited about the second book.

I then started the Grisha trilogy with Shadow and Bone and fell in love. I had a little trouble starting out but once I hit the halfway point I couldn't stop and bought the other two. I took a brief break to read through Claudia's Story, which didn't take very long since it is a graphic novel. I really loved the art and the glimpse into Claudia's screwed up tale. Then back to Ravka! Banged through the next two books and the novellas. Overall I really liked this series. I, of course, loved the Darkling because that's the way I roll. I also loved Nikolai because he is just fantastic. Alina pissed me off a lot, but most female leads in YA do. The last book gave me so many feels. I was crying so much through that book, for almost every character. 

Ended the month with I Am Princess X, which was a quick but thrilling read. It was tense in parts, and I found that fantastic. Then I read the Red Queen novella Queen Song. Meh. It was interesting to learn more about Cal's mother, but I felt the book dragged. It had also been a while since I read the book, so I was a bit lost at first until it came back to me. 

Overall I think it was a good month. I've started off October with Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, but I'm only about 30 pages in. I love that it takes place in the same world as the Grisha trilogy two years later, but has nothing to do with the previous cast. Though, I mean, I kind of wish it did. 

Onward and upward!

Book Review: Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip by Linda Oatman High

Book: Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip

Author: Linda Oatman High

Genre: YA fiction, prose

Rating: 2.5/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: HPB Clearance section.

Favorite Character: Jake.


Not much to say about this one. The first books in prose that I've read in a long time. Not bad, basic Cinderella story.

Book Review: The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

Book: The Boyfriend List

Author: E. Lockhart

Genre: YA fiction, romance

Rating: 3/5

Format: Hardcover

Where I got the book: It was recommended to me on Goodreads then I found it one day in the clearance section of HPB.

Favorite Character: I don't think there is one. Not enough Character Development


This was a short and funny book. Like Atlantia It wasn't really good or bad, it just was. It was a nice change of pace from all the other types of books I was reading, as the book is realistic and retells the story of her High School downward spiral. A lot of the characters made me angry in their misinterpretation of events, but that is pretty true to High School so it works. (Still annoyed me though.)