September 2017 – Wonderfilled Reads

Popular Books That I Don’t Want to Read.. and Why!

My social media feed has been blowing up lately with people talking about John Green’s new book that is coming out very soon. Every single time I see something mentioning it, I roll my eyes and shake my head. Like, more power to you if you’re a big Green fan, but I just ain’t about it. I find all of his characters to be the exact same, pretentious little assholes. I mean, is John aware that no one talks like that? And especially not a bunch of high school students. Uh uh, doesn’t happen.

With that being said, it got me thinking of all of the really hyped/popular books out there that I just look at and think, yeahhhhh, nope. Now there are many different reasons why I’m not particularly interested in picking up this book or that one. So I thought it would be a great post idea to talk about some of those books that you won’t be finding on my shelves. And if one of those books happens to be your favorite, sorry about that but we all have different tastes. Doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends!

So…. Are you ready?

Well, I think I’ve already pretty much covered why I won’t be reading anything else by John Green. The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns was enough. Better quit while I’m ahead, amirite?

This series just seems very juvenile to me. I might have been interested in reading it when I was in junior high or something, but at 26 years old, I really don’t care to read a story centered on a teen romance. Neeeeeext!

Me and Rowell have a very intense love/hate relationship. I thought Fangirl was just alright, but then I absolutely loved Carry On. However, I just can’t be bothered to read anything else by her. All of the other stories just seem a little, I don’t know… depressing, maybe? However, if she ever wants to write a sequel to Carry On, I’ll come running!

You’re probably thinking that I’m crazy for not being interested in this book at all, but hey, maybe I am! Ever since I first heard about this one and read the synopsis, I just thought it sounded soooo boring. And like, it doesn’t make any sense after the film, does it? Now ask me how excited I am about the Batman book coming out in January… STOKED!

Way to go, Adam… You just had to warn me that I will finish this book depressed as hell. WHY YOU GOTTA TELL ME THAT?!

This one just seems like a money-making scheme for a novel. Then she couldn’t even make it worth a read? Nope, I don’t even care.

Listen, I love the amazing Grisha world that Bardugo has created, but was this short story anthology really needed?… No, it wasn’t. And now we have to wait until 2019 to get the first book for her Nikolai series. I will forever blame it on this book right here for that too damn long wait.

I saw the movie and thought is just entertaining, nothing special. Now do I really want to read a book that gets even more scientifically detailed on raising potatoes on Mars? I don’t think I even need to answer that question.

Hahahahaha… No. I’m sorry but this seems like just a different type of Divergent series, where it ends up all not even being real in the end. Authors, it’s not even a twist anymore. Time to get a bit more creative! Pass.

Everything about this book screams insta-love to me. Not to mention the fact that I can only think of the movie, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, when someone mentions it. I think this is one of those times that I’ll just wait for the film adaptation to hit HBO.

What are some popular books that you have no interest in reading? What makes you not want to read a book – reviews, synopsis, author, etc.? What do you think about the books on my list?

WWW Wednesday – September 27th, 2017

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

Artemis Awakening (Artemis Awakening, #1) by Jane Lindskold – physical book
A Face Like Glass by France Hardinge – audiobook

I just realized that I had 2 credits available on Audible, so I decided to start up listening to audiobooks again. I loved Hardinge’s The Lie Tree, when I first read it last year, so when I saw that they had another one of her whimsical fantasies available, I jumped at the chance. I’m really enjoying it so far too, if it is a little strange (which I’ve realized is Hardinge’s M.O.).

Artemis Awakening is fairly interesting so far. It’s very easy to read and I’m really enjoying the characters so far. The story is a little predictable so far, but I’m hoping that’s only the case because it’s still very early on in the book.

What did you recently finish reading?

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) by Leigh Bardugo – 5/5 stars

I don’t think I’ll be writing a review for this book, as I never did write one for Six of Crows. However, I will say that I had a bit of an interesting relationship with it. Mostly, this book put me into the worst reading slump when I was about 75 pages into it. The beginning just took too long to really engage me and I finally just had to toss it aside. But once I made it through my slump, I was able to dive back into it and really ended up loving it. I do think I may end up docking a star from this one, just because the pacing was really rough there for a while.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

I read the first 20 pages of this book for the Try a Chapter post I did yesterday, and it has really left me wanting more. I honestly can’t believe I’ve had this book for about a year now and am just now finally picking it up. The last few books that I’ve read from Book of the Month Club have really been amazing, so maybe I should stop being such a procrastinator and actually read them when I get them! Here’s hoping, right?!

What are you currently reading? Did you finish any good books this week? What do you have next on your TBR? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

Try A Chapter: Round #2

I first did this back in February when I wasn’t really sure what book I wanted to read next. After finishing up Crooked Kingdom the other night, I was having the same mini-crisis as I stared at my TBR bookshelf and wanted to read ALL THE BOOKS! Everything sounded so good that I just didn’t know how to pick only one. Luckily, I remembered this awesome tag created by BookParadise on Youtube. Praise the book gods!

RULES:

Pick 5 (or more) books from your tbr
Read the first chapter of all of them (including the prologue if there is one)
Tell your readers if you’re sold on the book and what you thought of the first chapter.
Are you going to finish the book this month?

I picked 5 fairly different books this time around, just like I did before. I actually let one of my guy friends choose from like 25 different books based on their spines and this is the list he came up with, haha!

My Choices:

Fuse (Pure, #2) by Julianna Baggott
Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire, #1) by Michael J. Sullivan
Artemis Awakening (Artemis Awakening, #1) by Jane Lindskold
The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
The Clockwork Dynasty by Daniel H. Wilson

To be a Pure is to be perfect, untouched by Detonations that scarred the earth and sheltered inside the paradise that is the Dome. But Partridge escaped to the outside world, where Wretches struggle to survive amid smoke and ash. Now, at the command of Partridge’s father, the Dome is unleashing nightmare after nightmare upon the Wretches in an effort to get him back.

At Partridge’s side is a small band of those united against the Dome: Lyda, the warrior; Bradwell, the revolutionary; El Capitan, the guard; and Pressia, the young woman whose mysterious past ties her to Partridge in way she never could have imagined. Long ago a plan was hatched that could mean the earth’s ultimate doom. Now only Partridge and Pressia can set things right.

To save millions of innocent lives, Partridge must risk his own by returning to the Dome and facing his most terrifying challenge. And Pressia, armed only with a mysterious Black Box, containing a set of cryptic clues, must travel to the very ends of the earth, to a place where no map can guide her. If they succeed, the world will be saved. But should they fail, humankind will pay a terrible price…

Option #1: This one included a small prologue where we are introduced to a new character, who kind of creeped me out a bit, not gonna lie. However, this series in general is just a tad creepy anyways. But the opening chapter was very engrossing jumping right into the story a few months after the end of the previous book. It was Pressia’s POV chapter and I loved how it ended on a cliffhanger with her. I’m really intrigued to see what happens next with her.

Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between humans and those they thought were gods changes forever.

Now only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer; Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom; and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over. The time of rebellion has begun.

Option #2: This one started off immediately, with the catalyst to the main conflict happening within the first 10 pages. I really enjoyed Raithe as a main character, even in just the short amount of time. He was funny and his sarcastic interactions with another character, Malcolm, had me laughing aloud. I definitely could tell by the writing that this is going to be a true epic fantasy tale.

Artemis is a pleasure planet created by a technologically advanced human empire that provided its richest citizens with a veritable Eden to play in. All tech was concealed and the animals (and the humans brought to live there) were bioengineered to help the guests enjoy their stay…

But the Empire was shattered in a horrific war; centuries later humanity has lost much of the advanced technology, and Artemis is a fable told to children. Until young archeologist Griffin Dane finds intriguing hints that send him on a quest to find the lost world.

After crashing his ship, he encounters Adara the Huntress and her psych-linked companion, the puma Sand Shadow. Their journey with her will lead Dane to discover the planet’s secrets…and perhaps provide a key to give unimagined power back to mankind.

Option #3: I think the premise for this story sounds so interesting. It’s part science fiction, part action-adventure and has me really intrigued. I actually wanted to be an archaeologist when I was in high school, so I was able to easily connect with Griffin. I appreciated that this story immediately starts off with action. It’s so much easier to become engaged with the plot and story immediately when that happens. I also liked how the writing was easy to follow along with, whereas some science fiction novels can leave you scratching your head with so much terminology.

In the latest masterpiece by Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room, an English nurse brought to a small Irish village to observe what appears to be a miracle-a girl said to have survived without food for months-soon finds herself fighting to save the child’s life.

Tourists flock to the cabin of eleven-year-old Anna O’Donnell, who believes herself to be living off manna from heaven, and a journalist is sent to cover the sensation. Lib Wright, a veteran of Florence Nightingale’s Crimean campaign, is hired to keep watch over the girl.

Written with all the propulsive tension that made Room a huge bestseller, THE WONDER works beautifully on many levels–a tale of two strangers who transform each other’s lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil.

Option #4: I was a little unsure how I was going to feel about this one. I don’t typically pick up mystery/thrillers very often, but I have to say that this one surprised me a bit. I was immediately intrigued by what was going to happen next. I couldn’t wait to flip the page to learn more about the situation that Lib found herself in. I also really liked the writing style, it flowed very well but was also straightforward. I also like how I didn’t really care for Lib. She’s a bit full of herself and quite judgmental towards the Irish, which I thought was a good choice that reflected the feelings of that era.

Present day: When a young anthropologist specializing in ancient technology uncovers a terrible secret concealed in the workings of a three-hundred-year-old mechanical doll, she is thrown into a hidden world that lurks just under the surface of our own. With her career and her life at stake, June Stefanov will ally with a remarkable traveler who exposes her to a reality she never imagined, as they embark on an around-the-world adventure and discover breathtaking secrets of the past…

Russia, 1725: In the depths of the Kremlin, the tsar’s loyal mechanician brings to life two astonishingly humanlike mechanical beings. Peter and Elena are a brother and sister fallen out of time, possessed with uncanny power, and destined to serve great empires. Struggling to blend into pre-Victorian society, they are pulled into a legendary war that has raged for centuries.

The Clockwork Dynasty interweaves past and present, exploring a race of beings designed to live by ironclad principles, yet constantly searching for meaning. As June plunges deeper into their world, her choices will ultimately determine their survival or extermination.

Option #5: Out of all of my choices, this one was originally calling to me the most. It had a little bit of everything – steampunk, action, history, etc. And why is it that I feel like steampunk has a fall feel to it? Am I the only one who thinks that? Either way, I thought this one started off pretty good. Nothing really exciting happened, though I thought the prologue was very well done. I am very interested in seeing where the story will go from here though!

And The Winner Is…

Artemis Awakening (Artemis Awakening, #1)

I think I’m really in the mood for science fiction right now. It’s one of my favorite genres and lately has just really been speaking to me. I also was really intrigued by the premise of this story, as well. It looks like it might almost venture into some sort of Indiana Jones-style adventure story and that excites me. It’s also less than 300 pages long which means it should be really quick to get through, which might leave me enough time to pick up another book before October! (I’m looking at you, The Wonder!)

Do you ever have trouble deciding on just one book to pick up? How do you determine what book you’ll read next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think about them?

Books That I Hope to Read This Fall

It’s now officially my favorite time of the year! I love when the leaves begin to change, the air begins to feel crisp and clean, and football season is in full swing! I’m going to brag for a moment and point out that my alma mater, TCU, is now currently ranked 9th in the nation! Sorry, just really proud of my Frogs after last season!

Anywho…. Now that I’m officially out of my reading slump, I’ve been thinking about what I want to read over the next couple of months before 2018 arrives. I think I’ve pretty much got a set TBR for October, but there are so many books that have sparked my interest lately when I’ve been looking at my TBR bookshelf at home. So I decided to come up with some books that I really hope to get to at some point this fall!

City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson

This YA murder mystery set in Kenya sounds like the perfect novel to curl up with on a cold fall night. I’ve heard great things about this book too, so I can’t wait to dive into it!

Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

I don’t know why, but I always associate circuses and carnivals with the fall season. Maybe it’s because the Texas State Fair is in the fall? Who knows. But either way, I think this is the perfect time to pick this book up.

Defy the Stars (Constellation, #1) by Claudia Gray

Okay, basically I’m just really on a Claudia Gray kick right now and am dying to start on her newest book. It doesn’t hurt that I’m kind of obsessed with the cover too. You can’t tell me that it doesn’t look extremely badass, because it totally is!

The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #1) by Erika Johansen

I own this entire trilogy but have unfortunately kept pushing it aside in favor of other books. However, I’m really feeling the urge to finally pick it up. I’m almost positive I’ll end up loving it once I do, too.

The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen, #1) by Alison Goodman

A novel about a monster hunter set in Regency England? Ummmm, yes please. And shame on me for owning this book ever since it first came out and not reading it sooner. Oops!

Ross Poldark (The Poldark Saga, #1) by Winston Graham

I absolutely love the television show, so why have I been putting off starting the book series? That’s a really good question and one that I don’t have an answer for. However, I always enjoy reading historical fiction during the fall and winter, so now seems like the right time to start!

Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, #6) by Sarah J. Maas

I cannot stand Chaol anymore as a character. I think he was being incredibly ridiculous towards Aelin, but I’m going to try and let him redeem himself in this book. It’s his time to shine, I guess. DON’T FUCK IT UP, CHAOL.

The Last Wish (The Witcher Saga, #1) by Andrzej Sapkowski

Oh yes, I do plan on finally starting on this glorious series that the award-winning video games are based on. Fall calls for epic fantasy, and it doesn’t get much more epic than this. Also, Netflix is currently developing a tv series on the books! Yayyyyy!!!

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer

I first read this book right after it was released and then never made it through the rest of the series. I really want to reread this one soon and then continue through the series. I’ve heard it gets better with each book and that always excites me!

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Creepy murder mystery along the same lines as The Secret History? Oh yes, definitely perfect for reading curled up with a nice hot cup of tea during the fall. I can definitely see myself picking this one up over the long Thanksgiving weekend.

What books are you wanting to read this fall? Is there a certain genre or type that you prefer to read at this time of year? Have you read any of the books on my TBR? If so, what did you think of them?

Book Review: Lost Stars (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

I think you have all come to know that I absolutely adore anything and everything Star Wars. I mean, it’s pretty obvious at this point, right? And am I ashamed of my inner nerd? HELL NO. Which brings me to my most recent Star Wars read, and one that I think all of you will be able to enjoy even if you aren’t a part of the fandom, Lost Stars (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Claudia Gray. And yes, that Claudia Gray, the amazing author who wrote the Firebird Trilogy.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Eight years after the fall of the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire now reigns over the known galaxy. Resistance to the Empire has been all but silenced. Only a few courageous leaders such as Bail Organa of Alderaan still dare to openly oppose Emperor Palpatine.

After years of defiance, the many worlds at the edge of the Outer Rim have surrendered. With each planet’s conquest, the Empire’s might grows stronger.

The latest to fall under the Emperor’s control is the isolated mountain planet Jelucan, whose citizens hope for a more prosperous future even as the Imperial Starfleet gathers overhead…

If you are familiar with Gray’s other novels, you won’t be surprised to hear that the plot in this one is fantastic. While it does follow the the overall rise and fall of the Empire, following the along with the plot of the original trilogy, it’s also a completely separate story. You follow two brand new characters as they grow up, join the Empire, and then proceed to have their own experiences. This means that the action is non-stop from start to finish. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what was going to happen next. Gray really knows how to create such an engrossing plot. Teach me your ways, Master! Haha!

As for the characters, well let’s just say I might love Thane and Ciena almost as much as the original heroes. Thane is such a cynic but I feel like he’s one of the most realistic characters that I’ve ever read about. I loved watching him grow and change as a character, especially how his relationship with Ciena changed him. While Ciena was a much more idealistic character. Her sense of honor and loyalty went above and beyond anything that I feel is possible in real life. However, I thought Gray did a great job presenting the reasons for these beliefs by creating a background for why Ciena makes the choices that she does. And these two together just gave me all of the feels! You will spend the entire book rooting for them to be together and live happily ever after, or at least I did! I’m a sucker for tragic romances. Well, except for Romeo and Juliet because those two are just idiots.

The writing in this story was pure Gray. It’s never fancy or flowery, but rather just engaging. She is able to explain things in a way that the reader is able to easily grasp, which can sometimes be an issue when it comes to science fiction. The writing is engaging but straightforward, which I can always appreciate as it provides a nice break when you’ve been reading mostly poetic writing (think Laini Taylor & in my recent case with Megan Spooner’s, Hunted).

I think this a wonderful addition to the Star Wars universe, while also being just a damn good science fiction novel. If you’re looking for a fun young adult novel that will leave wanting more, I highly recommend picking up this one. Claudia Gray has become one of my auto-buy authors and she once again proves why here.

Final Verdict: 5/5 stars

Have you read Lost Stars? What did you think of it? Have you read any of Claudia Gray’s other novels? What young adult science fiction novels have you enjoyed lately?

Book Review – American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land

Why did I stop reading so much non-fiction? I’ll partially blame it on becoming a book blogger and finding so many great books from the community, rather than just browsing the stacks at my local bookstore. However, I will be changing that, because American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land by Monica Hesse, was such a wonderful read.

The arsons started on a cold November midnight and didn’t stop for months. Night after night, the people of Accomack County waited to see which building would burn down next, regarding each other at first with compassion, and later suspicion. Vigilante groups sprang up, patrolling the rural Virginia coast with cameras and camouflage. Volunteer firefighters slept at their stations. The arsonist seemed to target abandoned buildings, but local police were stretched too thin to surveil them all. Accomack was desolate—there were hundreds of abandoned buildings. And by the dozen they were burning.

The culprit, and the path that led to these crimes, is a story of twenty-first century America. Washington Post reporter Monica Hesse first drove down to the reeling county to cover a hearing for Charlie Smith, a struggling mechanic who upon his capture had promptly pleaded guilty to sixty-seven counts of arson. But as Charlie’s confession unspooled, it got deeper and weirder. He wasn’t lighting fires alone; his crimes were galvanized by a surprising love story. Over a year of investigating, Hesse uncovered the motives of Charlie and his accomplice, girlfriend Tonya Bundick, a woman of steel-like strength and an inscrutable past. Theirs was a love built on impossibly tight budgets and simple pleasures. They were each other’s inspiration and escape…until they weren’t.

Though it’s hard to believe today, one hundred years ago Accomack was the richest rural county in the nation. Slowly it’s been drained of its industry—agriculture—as well as its wealth and population. In an already remote region, limited employment options offer little in the way of opportunity. A mesmerizing and crucial panorama with nationwide implications, American Fire asks what happens when a community gets left behind. Hesse brings to life the Eastern Shore and its inhabitants, battling a punishing economy and increasingly terrified by a string of fires they could not explain. The result evokes the soul of rural America—a land half gutted before the fires even began.

It’s hard to really have a detailed review of a non-fiction novel, as there isn’t any characterization or plot to really dive into. With that being said, this review is going to be short and sweet.

The actual true crime story that this book follows is very engrossing. Hesse is able to write the events as a story that flows so well. Her writing is really what drives the book from start to finish. She completely transports you to Accomack County during those crazy 6 months of the arson attacks. It takes a really good writer to be able to present a non-fiction novel in an engaging way, turning it almost into a novel. Hesse shows you just how to do that with this book.

Another fascinating part of this book, is the actual community of Accomack County. The cast of real-life characters that pop in and out throughout the story, are just plain amazing. Sometimes they had me laugh aloud, other times shake my head at their nonsense, and even occasionally internally enthusiastically cheer for them. If you’re from a small town like me, you’ll immediately recognize these people as someone in your own life.

I don’t want to go too deep into the details surrounding the actual arson crimes, as that’s what really drives the story and provides a little bit of suspense. I just highly suggest you pick up this book if you find yourself really curious as to what was happening, the reasoning behind it, etc. Because trust me, you’ll be hooked from the very first page!

Final Verdict: 4/5 Stars

Have you read American Fire? If so, what did you think of it? Do you read non-fiction novels? What ones would you recommend?