Long Time No See (As Usual)

It seems like I get into the swing of things and then I fall out just like that *snaps fingers*. Right around the time of my last post here, I entered the world's biggest reading slump of all time, thus ensuring a lot of Netflix watching, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and scouring Pinterest for recipes to try.

I go through bouts of inactive reading-ness, but it's rarely as bad as it was around the end of summer. Luckily I'm no longer suffering from such inaptitude, and I'm back with the semi-scheduled programing known as my obsessive book disorder. I'm pretty sure that's a real thing. Right? Maybe?

So here we are. It's the start of November and I'm feeling good about the books I've read in October, plus, I'm feeling quite motivated to keep up with making videos and the book clubs/groups I'm taking part in.  I will say, quite unashamedly I might add, that I did kind of buy up half of Barnes and Noble when I came out of book slump retirement, so that has definitely helped fuel my motivation to read all the things.

So if anyone is left out there in the blogosphere that follows my ramblings here, hopefully you'll see more shortly.

Don't I always say that?

No matter. The point is... we're back!

Bout of Books 10 TBR!

Twas the night before Bout of Books 10, and all through the house / We're getting excited for reading, claiming a comfy spot on the couch...

I am so pumped for Bout of Books to start! May is just the month for read-a-thons and I am so pumped to be participating in them ALL!

I have a fairly hefty TBR for this week, so I'm not sure how much will actually get read, but I'm thinking a realistic goal will be 3-4 books, considering most of them are pretty short. They are:

If I somehow miraculously finish all of those, I might try picking up a Brandon Sanderson book to get my fill. I think the four books will be challenge enough though, so I'm probably just going to stick with those. We'll see though. 

All together those four books make up 1,281 pages, which means I'll be reading an average pace of 183 pages a day if I want to complete my goal. 

Also, I want to try and participate in a twitter chat at least once and maybe even some of the challenges that can be found HERE.  

It should definitely be a fun week and like last week, I shall try to do an update at least every other day, just to share my progress and all that jazz. 

As for now, I think a nice cup of tea is in order as I get ready to start with Vicious by: V.E. Schwab!

Happy reading everyone!

 

#AYEARATHON Update #1

My #AYEARATHON got off to a bit of a slow start, but here we are at the halfway point and I've finished two whole books, so that's something.

I started off finishing The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson. I had about 150 pages left to go in that by the time Monday rolled around, so I was able to finish that thankfully. Then Tuesday I was able to start The Ask and the Answer, which was nice and all, but only about 130 pages got read in that. Wednesday was by far my most successful reading day with me finishing The Ask and the Answer, which was 389 pages.

This brings my total page count up to 669 pages! I'd say that's a pretty good accomplishment, considering my lack of reading at the beginning.

I suppose today I'll start Monsters of Men. Hurray for finishing series, which is the whole point of this month's theme I think. If I can at least do that, I'll consider this read-a-thon a success.

Books Completed:
The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

Currently Reading:
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Four days left to go! High hopes.

Now back to reading!

#AYEARATHON - Finish/Catch-Up on a Series

For those of you know aren't aware, #AYEARATHON was created by a group of booktubers who decided it would be cool to have a read-a-thon every month centering around a specific theme. I participated in the theme for February, which was Harry Potter, and it gave me a cool chance to re-read one of my favorite series. This month, I decided to participate again for the theme of Finishing/Catching-Up on a Series!

There aren't  any rules and you don't even have to stick to the theme. It's just a fun way to get the book community reading together and discussing, which I whole heartedly support. If you want more information you can go HERE to the Goodreads group and join in!

I thought this was a really good theme for this month considering I recently purchased the final two books in the Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness. I read The Knife of Never Letting Go last year and wasn't completely blown away by it, however I did enjoy it enough to want to continue with the series so this week shall be the week that happens.

If I somehow manage to finish both of them, I might go on to read Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead, which is the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series. I've been in the middle of that series for longer than I can remember so, it's about time I finish it up. 

I'm really excited at the prospect of finishing so many books this month and catching up with some series that I probably wouldn't have the drive to read otherwise. 

The #AYEARATHON starts TODAY and ends Sunday the 11th, so get to reading everyone! It's going to be a great week!

Book Review: The Blood Cloth Syndicate (A Relics Novel) by Joseph Racconti

Title: The Blood Cloth Syndicate
Author: Joseph Racconti
Published: April 11, 2014
Pages: 344
Genre: Suspense/Action/Adventure

I was not expecting that.

I have been reading a lot of fantasy here lately mixed in with some YA and some historical fiction and while those stories are great, I wanted a break. Something different.

I've read a decent amount of thrillers and when I was offered a chance to review this one, I took it. Timing seemed perfect. I was just in the mood for this kind of book.

I didn't have many expectations going in. I was hoping for a good story, something that could hold me over while I was trying to decide what to pick up next...

I was not expecting to be totally engrossed in the story. I was not expecting to have my heart racing, fearing for the character's lives. Simply put, I was not expecting this at all.

The story starts out with a flashback of sorts which really sets up the entirety of the novel. You have a character being summoned by Queen Elizabeth, who is then asked to protect.... it. Very vague. You learn a few key points such as the French involvement and IT'S obviously something they don't want the French to have... Basically it just throws you in and you HAVE to keep reading to put the pieces together, because it's just so intriguing not to.

You then go on to meet the main characters. There are quite a few of them, so it does take a while to really get the story rolling, but the in between is so action packed, it doesn't drag. The main idea is you have a group of normal guys just living their lives, until they find out that their ancestors were wrapped up in some crazy shizz and now it's their turn. I don't want to give too much of the plot away because half the fun of this book is reading and figuring out everything for yourself. I will say that keeping the characters straight did get a little confusing. There are quite a few and their names range from Paul and Pete, to John, Jimmy, and Joe. The more you read, the more these characters really become their own, so this was only a problem for a short while.

This story was very fast paced and action packed. It's the kind of story that keeps you wanting more and on edge until it's resolved, which I really enjoyed. Also, you have an author who isn't afraid to kill off his characters so take that as you will.

It also has a resolution. As I was getting closer to the end, I found myself getting nervous because there didn't seem like enough pages for what I thought needed to happen. I ended up pleasantly surprised (as seems to be the theme for this book) in how everything wrapped up and was left with a very satisfied feeling.

Racconti is a natural. He had a great idea and executed it very well. His writing flowed, his characters were more than just words on the page, and the entertainment value was definitely there. I can't wait to see what else this author has up his sleeve.

If you like suspenseful, action packed thrillers I definitely recommend picking this up. You won't be disappointed.

Overall rating:

Waiting on Wednesday: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, where you pick a book that is coming out soon that you want to read.

This lovely book has recently been brought to my attention by a BookTuber in THIS video. She's quite good at explaining why you should be interested in this book, but I'll try to summarize as best I can. 

Firstly, I'm all over any new fantasy series, so even without all of the extra hooplah surrounding it, it still sounds amazing. 

Kelsea Glynn is the sole heir to the throne of Tearling but has been raised in secret by foster parents after her mother - Queen Elyssa, as vain as she was stupid - was murdered for ruining her kingdom. For 18 years, the Tearling has been ruled by Kelsea's uncle in the role of Regent however he is but the debauched puppet of the Red Queen, the sorceress-tyrant of neighbouring realm of Mortmesme. On Kelsea's 19th birthday, the tattered remnants of her mother's guard - each pledged to defend the queen to the death - arrive to bring this most un-regal young woman out of hiding...

And so begins her journey back to her kingdom's heart, to claim the throne, earn the loyalty of her people, overturn her mother's legacy and redeem the Tearling from the forces of corruption and dark magic that are threatening to destroy it. But Kelsea's story is not just about her learning the true nature of her inheritance - it's about a heroine who must learn to acknowledge and live with the realities of coming of age in all its insecurities and attractions, alongside the ethical dilemmas of ruling justly and fairly while simply trying to stay alive... 

The author, Erika Johansen was offered a seven figure sum and a three book deal by HarperCollins for this series. Did I mention she's a debut author? Not to mention Warner Brothers has already bought the movie rights for it. If that wasn't hype enough for you, David Heyman is said to be producing the film (think Harry Potter films) and *drumroll* Emma Watson is set to star (AND executive produce. Seriously, is there nothing this girl can't do?)

Some big names are getting on board with this, and the book hasn't even been released. You'll have to wait until July for that. Just like me.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the hype. People are speculating that this is just another Rowling pseudonym, as that's the only way to explain such a large publishing deal.

I've also seen some problems people have been having with how the book is being marketed. The Female version of George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones. I'm not quite sure what they're getting at with this one, seeing as how my femininity had nothing to do with my enjoyment of Game of Thrones, but that's another issue for another day.

All in all, I'm pumped to get my hands on this, I just hope it's half as good as the hype.

Book Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

**WARNING: This is the second book in a series. Review may contain spoilers from book 1.**

Title: Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Published: August 27th 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages: 420
Genre: YA Fantasy

I finally got around to picking this up and I was definitely not disappointed. Celaena Sardothien continues to be one of my favorite characters in YA Fantasy and this book reiterated that fact 10 fold. Seriously. If you're looking for a kick-butt female protagonist, look no further. Celaena is your girl. Not only is she strong, independent, and powerful, but she's also relatable.

Yes.

Celaena Sardothien. Deadly assassin is relatable.

She is selfish. She is vain. She is very big-headed. She likes cake! She is flawed and it's in those flaws that her character really comes together. Too often you see characters that can do no wrong. You see a lot of selflessness, especially in female protagonists, but you rarely see young women portraying the stubborn, narcissistic,  snarky rolls and I really love that Celaena is not afraid to do that. To be herself.

*rant rant rant*

Moving on.

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

---

You end Throne of Glass realizing that Celaena is more important than she herself even realizes, but you're still not quite sure what that entails. In fact, the only person who really seems to be in the know about anything is Nehemia, whose interesting story line could probably be a series in it's self if we're being completely honest here. 

So Celaena is doing the kings bidding, and being pretty reckless while she's at it, until she's sentenced to kill one of her old childhood friends, and that's where the story really takes off. There are so many twists and turns you practically get whiplash.

Did I even mention the political intrigue? Holy guacamole, there's political intrigue galore. (Which was nice, because that's something I really enjoy.)

There are new characters introduced, my favorite probably being Mort, a sarcastic... well I won't ruin the surprise, but he definitely adds some comic relief, along with offering (and I use that world very loosely) help now and again.

You also can't forget the budding love triangle which nudges the story along in all of the right ways. This is not primarily a love triangle. There is SO MUCH going on in the story, the romance takes a back seat, however it's prominent enough to where if that's something you really look for in stories, you'll still get your fill.

All I really have to say about that is: #TeamChaol.

All in all, Sarah J. Maas is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and this series is one of the best YA Fantasy series I've read in a while. If you enjoy AWESOME female protagonists, unique fantasy settings, well done love triangles, or just YA in general, you should pick up this series. Seriously. It's fantastic.

Overall rating:

Find this book on: Goodreads | Barnes and Noble | Amazon