Tag: Danielle Paige

Hype or Like Friday – I’m a Scaredy-Cat!

This meme and Goodreads group were created by myself, Jill @ Rant and Rave Books, and Britt @ Geronimo Reads. To join our group and find out more information about what it’s all about, please go to our Goodreads page HERE.

The October BOTM is The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss.

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RULES:

  • Answer the weekly discussion topic.
  • Optional: Discuss your chosen hyped book of the week.
  • Optional: Talk about your progress on the BOTM.

TOPIC OF THE WEEK: I’m A Scaredy-Cat… List the top 13 books and/or films that scare you the most!

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1. The Diviners (The Diviners, #1) by Libba Bray

I mentioned this one yesterday in my spooky book tag. But yeah, I definitely had to read it during the daytime. That villain is about the creepiest thing I’ve ever read about. It ain’t joking around, that’s for sure.

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2. Pure (Pure, #1) by Julianna Baggott

This isn’t a scary book so much as it’s just strange. Some of the different mutations created some really creepy and grotesque characters that I just could not help but let my imagination get a little too crazy with. I must be a glutton for punishment though, because I still have the rest of the trilogy to read!

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3. The Ring – film

Don’t even pretend that that creepy little girl coming out of the tv screen didn’t scare the shit out of you. If you say no, you’re lying!

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4. How to Hang a Witch (How to Hang a Witch, #1) by Adriana Mather

 This book was just so suspenseful and I was never sure who the bad guy really was. Also the entire town’s behavior and ostracizing of Sam gave me anxiety.

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5. When A Stranger Calls – film

I’ve seen the original versions and the remake. Don’t ask me why, because it wasn’t by choice at all. These are the kinds of movies that scare me to death because they could possibly really happen. You will never babysit again after watching these, guarantee it.

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6. Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die, #1) by Danielle Paige

The twistedness of this book was wayyyy creepy when I first picked it up. The lion is seriously messed up.

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7. Asleep by Krystal Wade

A retelling of Sleeping Beauty set in an insane asylum? Just imagine the second season of American Horror Story in book form and that’s basically what you have right here with this one. Yep, creepy as hell.

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8. The Lie Tree or Frances Hardinge

I think the atmosphere is what makes this book so creepy. Hardinge just knows exactly how to create the perfectly dark setting that will make shivers go down your spine.

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9. Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

The tension in this book is what gave me chills. You never know what is going to happen next or who will die. I was on pins and needles the entire time.

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10. Enclave (Razorland, #1) by Ann Aguirre

Living underground while having to battle against zombie/mutant-like creatures? Uh yeah, that’s not fun at all.

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11. The Shining – film

The movie is scary enough. Do you really think that I’m going to read the book? HA! I don’t have any plans to read Stephen King’s horror novels, thank you very much.

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12. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I think it’s really just the strangeness and the unknown that makes this book so creepy. You never quite know what exactly is going on, which really makes for a trippy ride. Plus, some of these gods are just scary.

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13. Coraline – film

Yes, that’s right, I am scared by a children’s film. The Nightmare Before Christmas still gives me chills even though I love it. I’m a chicken, I admit it!

What books or films scare you? Are you easily scared by things like me? Leave a link to your Hype or Like Friday post in the comments below!

Hype or Like Friday – A Modern Spin

This meme and Goodreads group were created by myself, Jill @ Rant and Rave Books, and Britt @ Geronimo Reads. To join our group and find out more information about what it’s all about, please go to our Goodreads page HERE.

The August BOTMs are Heartless by Marissa Meyer and/or Hunted by Meagan Spooner.

RULES:

  • Answer the weekly discussion topic.
  • Optional: Discuss your chosen hyped book of the week.
  • Optional: Talk about your progress on the BOTM.

TOPIC OF THE WEEK: A Modern Spin… What are some of your favorite retellings?

  • The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore – Romeo & Juliet, REVIEW
  • Helen of Troy by Margaret George – Trojan War
  • Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige – Wizard of Oz
  • The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller – Trojan War, REVIEW
  • Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen – Peter Pan, REVIEW
  • Asleep by Krystal Wade – Sleeping Beauty, REVIEW
  • A Million Junes by Emily Henry – Romeo & Juliet, REVIEW
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas – Beauty and the Beast, REVIEW

What are some of your favorite retellings? What do you look for in retellings – darker story, modern setting, etc.? Leave a link to your Hype or Like Friday post in the comments below!

Hype or Like Friday – December 9th, 2016

Woohoo, it’s Hype or Like Friday again! This meme and Goodreads group were created by myself, Jill @ Rant and Rave Books, and Britt @ Geronimo Reads. To join our group and find out more information about what it’s all about, please go to our Goodreads page HERE.

The December BOTM is A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird, #1) by Claudia Gray.

RULES:

  • Answer the weekly discussion topic.
  • Optional: Discuss your chosen hyped book of the week.
  • Optional: Talk about your progress on the BOTM.

TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Top Over-Hyped Books – What books were you so hyped up for that completely let you down?

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Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, #1) by Kendare Blake

This one boiled down to me just hating all of the characters except one. And the way it was described, I thought it would be a super dark and violent story, but no, it wasn’t. Not even a little bit. I will continue with the series but I was still really let down by this one. Full review is HERE.

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The Midnight Star (The Young Elites, #3) by Marie Lu

I was anxiously waiting for this concluding book to this trilogy…. only to be so freaking disappointed that I almost chunked it right into the garbage. Marie Lu, I may never read another one of your books again if you consider this to be a brilliant conclusion to a wonderful trilogy. IT’S NOT!!!! Full review is HERE.

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The Winner’s Kiss (The Winner’s Trilogy, #3) by Marie Rutkoski

2016 was the year of disappointing series conclusions. Let’s just leave it at that. Full review can be found HERE.

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Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die, #3) by Danielle Paige

This book was weird and so disjointed from the previous two books. It also focused on the new Big Bad, which made me realize that I guess Paige wants to make more money and turn this into a series. I think the next book is coming out in January and I keep going back and forth on whether or not I want to continue with it… Probably not. My full review can be found HERE.

What are some of your most disappointing hyped books this year? Have you read any from my list? Do you agree with my choices? Leave a link to your Hype or Like Friday post in the comments below!

Smashing Series September Wrap-Up!

Yes, I do realize that it’s already October 10th and I’m just now getting to this wrap-up. Y’all just go easy on me, I’ve had a busy week! You can read my original Smashing Series September post HERE.

I think I did alright for my reading challenge last month, as I was able to finish 3/5 of the series that I had chosen. And I’m currently finishing up my 4th series, as well. I wasn’t able to read as much as I had hoped due to going a little slow with one series as it wasn’t holding my interest as much as I’d hoped – looking at you The Winner’s Trilogy. Here were the books that I was able to finish last month! Click on the title to see my review for that book!

I enjoyed the majority of these books, but unfortunately I was a little disappointed by two of them. For me, the final book in a series should be the strongest in terms of character development, plot, writing, etc. But apparently some authors just don’t seem to understand that *cough* Rutkoski *cough*, and decide to go in a completely different direction. Hopefully Half Lost (Half Bad Trilogy, #3) doesn’t turn out to disappoint me too! Fingers crossed!

Here are the books that I didn’t finish during September but am finishing up this month…

What are some series or trilogies that you didn’t like the ending of? Are there any series that you’ve started but haven’t gotten around to finishing yet?

Book Review: Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die, #3)

Well, I have to say first off that Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die, #3) by Danielle Paige did not go where I thought it was going to…

Once upon a time, there was a girl from Kansas named Dorothy.

You might know her as the Girl Who Rode the Cyclone. She ended up in Oz, where she became friends with the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. But the temptation of magic was too much for her. She let it change her. Her friends became twisted versions of their former selves.

The magical land of Oz is now a dark and menacing place.

My name is Amy Gumm. Tornadoes must have a thing about girls from Kansas, because I got swept away on one too. I also landed in Oz, where Good is Wicked, Wicked is Good, and the Wicked Witches clued me in to my true calling:

Assassin.

The only way to stop Dorothy from destroying Oz—and Kansas—is to kill her. And I’m the only one who can do it.

But I failed. Others died for my mistakes. Because of me, the portal between the worlds has been opened and Kansas and Oz are both in danger. And if I don’t find a way to close it?

Dorothy will make sure I never get to go home again.

The Good

  • We got to see some more of the interesting side characters.
  • There was finally some character development with Amy, especially when it comes to the relationship between her and her mother. I really enjoyed seeing their interactions as they navigated through all of the tension from their past. It was a nice touch to the story.

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The Bad

  • Instead of getting to explore more of Oz, we are sent back to Kansas and the normal world. Yeahhhhh, it’s about as fun as you could imagine – not much. Following Amy around at school as she suddenly becomes buddies with her former bully, just seemed a bit too cliché and uninteresting.
  • For a climax – it was veryyyyyy anticlimactic. I don’t think it’s the actual finale but I sure as hell hope not. I’m not even sure if I understand who the new big bad is. I just have a lot of unanswered questions with this book.
  • Blah. That’s what this book made me feel. Blah.

I didn’t hate this book, but at the same time, I didn’t particularly love it. It was very middle-of-the-road for me. I’ve heard that Paige is continuing the series, so maybe the issue was that I was expecting this to feel like a finale but it never did. Probably because I was under the impression that this was the finale… FALSE ADVERTISING.

Final Verdict: 3/5 Stars

Have you read Yellow Brick War yet? What are your opinions on it? Am I judging it too harshly or not harsh enough?

WWW Wednesday – September 14th, 2016

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!

The Three Ws 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?

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The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles, #2) by Mary E. Pearson

Still working my way through this book. It’s taking me longer than I care to admit but that’s mostly due to a few days where I wasn’t feeling too good. I’ll be honest, I could do without the chapters from Pauline’s POV. And where the hell have Rafe’s chapters gotten to?!

What did you recently finish reading?

The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die, #2) & Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die, #3) by Danielle Paige

I enjoyed The Wicked Will Rise since it turned the story into more of an adventure tale, where we were able to finally see more of Oz. You can find my review of it HERE. As for Yellow Brick War – blah. It was pretty boring and that climax was actually anti-climactic. Pretty disappointing, Paige.

What do you think you’ll read next?

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The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, #3) by Mary E. Pearson

I’ve got to finish this trilogy, obviously! I haven’t decide which series to head to afterwards for Smashing Series September. I was going to finish the Half Bad Trilogy by Sally Green, but unfortunately my book haul from Book Outlet was lost by UPS and it’s having to be reshipped, so doubtful it makes it here in time for that. I’ll probably dive back into the Throne of Glass series if that happens. Good choice?

What does your WWW Wednesday look like? Have you read any of these books? What are your thoughts on The Remnant Chronicles trilogy? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments!

Book Review: The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die, #2)

Well y’all, Smashing Series September started off pretty well with The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die, #2) by Danielle Paige.

In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die…

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn’t wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

The Good

  • Great new side characters with some kooky personalities, especially Queen LuLu. She was definitely my new favorite!
  • Got to see more of Oz, which is probably the best thing about this series. This world is extremely unique and plays such a major part in the actual story.
  • The plot turned to more of an adventure story, where the focus is on Amy’s travels across Oz with Princess Ozma. I felt like this was a better change of pace compared to the first book which was really just her learning to become an assassin and then infiltrating the palace.

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The Bad

  • The romance – I just didn’t really feel any of the sexual tension or connection between Nox and Amy.
  • This book lost some of the grim, macabre creepiness that was in the first novel. I had really enjoyed that part, as I feel like that is what set this retelling apart. I appreciate when authors get dark with their stories, but this one was missing some of that.

For the most part, this was a pretty solid second book. It turned into more of an adventure story, which I really appreciated. However, I feel like there was some stuff still missing that kept it from getting the full 5 stars. I would like for there to be more show rather than tell when it comes to the relationship between Nox and Amy. Let’s get dark again!

Final Verdict: 4/5 Stars

WWW Wednesday – September 7th, 2016

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!

The Three Ws 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?

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The Winner’s Kiss (The Winner’s Trilogy, #3) by Marie Rutkoski

So far this book has been non-stop. I haven’t gotten too far into it, as I chose to sleep last night instead of read, but I can’t wait to see how this trilogy ends! And can we all agree that the Emperor makes for a pretty awesome bad guy? Like I am legitimately nervous every time he shows up!

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

The Winner’s Crime (The Winner’s Trilogy, #2) by Marie Rutkoski, 4 stars

Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die, #3) by Danielle Paige, 3 stars

The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die, #2) by Danielle Paige, 4 stars

2 outta 3 being pretty good makes for a decent reading weekend, I think. Unfortunately, I was a little let down by the Yellow Brick War. I thought it was kind of slow and anticlimactic. Blahhhhh…

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

Half Wild (Half Bad, #2) & Half Lost (Half Bad, #3) by Sally Green

I shall continue on with Smashing Series September and finish off another trilogy, Half Bad. I’m currently waiting for one of them to arrive with order from Book Outlet, which should hopefully be here within the next couple of days. I’ll be honest, I kind of forgot what happened in the first book. Oops? Also, I haven’t really seen any reviews for this series which will make for a nice change in pace from my usual reads.

What does you WWW Wednesday look like? Have you read any of the books on my list? What did you think of them? Be sure to leave a link to your post in the comments!

Smashing Series September

It’s finally here, the beginning of my month long challenge to finish (or catch up) with as many series that I’ve already started as possible. I’m a binge reader by nature so I thought this would be the best way for me to do this. Let’s see just how well it turns out…

The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die, #2) & Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die, #3)

First up to finish is the final two books in the Dorothy Must Die Trilogy by Danielle Paige. I enjoyed this first book when I read it back in the spring. Luckily, I was able to pick both of these books up from the library yesterday – talk about perfect timing!

The Winner’s Crime (The Winner’s Trilogy, #2) & The Winner’s Kiss (The Winner’s Trilogy, #3)

I read the first book in this trilogy back during BookCon and really enjoyed it. I have been thinking about that cliffhanger ever since. I’ve just got to know how this series ends!!

The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles, #2) & The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, #3)

I wasn’t enthralled with the first book in this series, The Kiss of Deception, but it did get better as it went along. I also have to know what happens next because of that DAMN CLIFFHANGER!!!! I just hope it’s worth it.

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2), Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3), Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4), Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)

Throne of Glass was fairly entertaining but I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as ACOTAR. I’ve heard that this series gets better with each book, so I’m looking forward to seeing where it leads. I’m going to need see Celaena actually do badass stuff in these books, because her supposed awesomeness suffered from too much tell and not enough show. I have yet to see the proof that she’s the greatest assassin in the land.

Half Wild (The Half Bad Trilogy, #2) & Half Lost (The Half Bad Trilogy, #3)

This is one of the most unique stories that I’ve read this year. I’ve heard various opinions on the rest of the series so this might be a hit or miss for me.

I think I’m aiming a little too high with this month’s challenge, but I like a little pressure! I’m also hoping to get to Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom as I’ve preordered the sequel and have been hearing some amazing things about this series. However, I didn’t add it as I bet it’ll be October before I actually am able to read them. I kind of regret waiting to read Six of Crows until the sequel was released – I’ve only had it since February. Yup, that long!

This month should be fun and intense as I speed my way through these awesome series. Feel free to join in for Smashing Series September if you like! All are welcome to jump on the crazy train with me! 🙂

WWW Wednesday – August 31st, 2016

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!

The Three Ws are:

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

Currently Reading…

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Asleep by Krystal Wade

Y’all this book has got me hooked and I’m not even 50% through with it. Go support an indie author and check this book out! It’s a creepy retelling of Sleeping Beauty in an insane asylum.

Recently Finished…

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Da Vinci’s Tiger by L.M. Elliott

Both great and yet COMPLETELY different. I highly recommend them both! The Darkest Part of the Forest is a wonderful standalone fantasy novel from Holly Black about a modern day town that is surrounded by woods filled with faeries. If only that were a real place…

And Forbidden was an emotionally draining story about a dysfunctional family in London, where the two eldest siblings are basically left to taking care of the younger children and end up falling in love. Yep, really.

Da Vinci’s Tiger is a great story about the muse who inspired Leonardo Da Vinci’s paintings of beautiful, strong, and inspiring women. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves historical fiction.

Want to Read Next…

The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die, #2) & Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die, #3) by Danielle Paige

The Winner’s Crime (The Winner’s Trilogy, #2) & The Winner’s Kiss (The Winner’s Trilogy, #3) by Marie Rutkoski

My next reads will be the start of my next monthly reading challenge – Smashing Series September. This is where I try to tackle and finish up as many series that I’ve already started. There’s no way that I’ll be able to finish them all but it’s going to be fun to try! I’ll have a post up tomorrow all about it so you will be able to see firsthand just how impossible this challenge is going to be.

What do you think about my WWW Wednesday selections? What’s your WWW Wednesday look like? Leave a link to your post in the comments or just leave a comment answering the questions!