Aesthetically Reading #2

What is Aesthetically Reading? It’s a new feature on my blog where I showcase photographs of books I own. Books are supposed to be aesthetically pleasing. You want a book you enjoy looking at when you aren’t immersed into the story. There are little things that make books special that aren’t inside the story, but that make up the physical copy. It could be the spine, dust jacket, art work, or anything that I think is worth sharing. I hope that this can help you decide whether you want to buy a copy of this book or not because it is definitely worth it. Note: I will be showcasing my ARC copies, which aren’t finished, but are still fun to show. I hope you enjoy this feature!

Previously featured: 17 & Gone

Today I'll be showing my copy of:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis 

Published: January 2011

Publisher: Razorbill

Page Count: 398

Summary (taken from GR): A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

My Review 

I love the cover, but I think that the more I look at it the more I'm not a fan of it. I don't like the girls face/ body placement. I like the concept of the spaceship on the cover, but I would've preferred it to show something inside like more the what the Godspeed looks like. My edition is the paperback edition that was released in 2011 later on the year. I think this was supposed to be the idea of a cover change. 

I love the spine for this. It's nothing amazing, but when I look at it I immediately have this scifi vibe. Also it looks great on my shelf.

I like the layout for the back of this copy. It's separated in a very clean way with the ship lining to block out different features (the summary, quotes, and image of book two). Upon looking closer I fall even more in love with the back. You can see the outline of the Godspeed floating through space and it's pretty striking.

This is the inside jacket. It's a map of the Godspeed and I really love it. I think it's my favorite thing about this whole novel. I wasn't a huge fan of the story, but I love looking at the map and the divisions of the ship.

There was this one time I met Beth Revis at a convention. It was pretty cool. The inscription says, "To Sarah- Reach for the stars! Beth Revis". It's pretty cool that I have this signed because it makes this page a whole lot cooler since it's your standard title page.

The story is told from alternating POVs- Amy and Elder. Each chapter header starts with a simple number and the name. It's nothing fancy.

Are these called brackets? (I honestly don't know what these are called. If someone could tell me that would be great!) Whatever they are called I love how striking it is on the top of the page. It's a very beautiful way to showcase the title. It reminds of a spaceship launching off and leaving a smoke trail.

Here's the other side to it's counterpart.

The end pages of Across the Universe are very beautiful. The thing I like about this paperback is that it has some hardback like features.

Should you buy a copy of Across the Universe?

I recommend it for sci-fi fans. I wasn't a huge fan of AtU, but I do think it's a book worth looking into. I honestly wouldn't recommend buying a copy if you are a series completer because the third book in the trilogy had a cover change and it doesn't match this edition or the original. If that doesn't bother you, I say go for it!

Other editions include:

Original Hardcover, Original Paperback, Cover Redesign, Special Hardcover

Do you plan to buy a copy of Across the Universe? Do you already own it? If you own it which edition? Let me know down below in the comments!

A Book Unhaul

I don't know if this is a popular thing on blogging, but I've recently watched a few videos on BookTube on this. It's called unhauling. Basically it's a book haul of books you are ready to part with. Here's a video of the books I'm donating to a used bookstore!




I know a lot of people aren't interested in videos, so here are the books I'm unhauling (links to GR):

Kiss of the Vampire by Cynthia Garner
The Book of Luke by Jenny O'Connell
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
Vampire Beach Volume 1 by Alex Duval
Vampire Beach Volume 2 by Alex Duval
After by Amy Efaw
Willow by Julia Hoban
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose

Would you give any of these books away? Or keep them? Do you part with your books or part with the ones you are no longer interested in or really like? Let me know down below in the comments!

Breathe by Elena Dillon

Breathe by Elena Dillon

First in the Breathe series

2 stars
Jasmine used to live a normal life. Two years ago everything changed when her sister, Daisy, was kidnapped and brutally murdered. To find normalcy her mom has decided that uprooting from California to another place would be best for both Jasmine and the twins. Jasmine couldn’t agree more and picks out the town of Lafayette, Louisiana to be their new home. Everything seems to be working out for Jasmine in Lafayette. People don’t know she’s the sister of the murdered girl on TV, she’s making friends, and there’s even a charming Southern boy interested in her. Until the man who killed Daisy starts leaving behind evidence that he’s found them and Jasmine is next. The first thing Breathe made me do was pause upon reading the first sentence.
"Most days I can almost forget someone murdered my sister.”
This sentence is simple, but it completely grabbed my attention. It lead me to keep reading and I read 14% of the novel in one day, which is rare for me when reading on my Kindle (because I’m easily distracted).


The best thing about Breathe should be the fact that this is set in my home town.

This is incredibly rare. Louisiana is semi-popular in books, but to find one set in my town (even if it is one of the heavier populated cities) is a rarity. Naturally, that means that I’m going to be expecting this to be done right. There was an unrealistic representation of the setting, the accents, and the high school life. Yes I do have an accent, but I don’t talk like I’m completely uneducated with a thick accent. All people in Louisiana have an accent and some just have thicker dialects depending on the region. The misrepresentation of high school seems silly, but the thing that sets apart public schools in Louisiana to most states is mandatory school uniforms. I’m sorry, Jasmine but that outfit from Urban Outfitters is going to be worn on the weekend not for your first day of school. I think that a basic Google search was needed. Besides my problem with the accent misrepresentation, the dialect between characters was way too proper for teenagers. Just because I’m Southern doesn’t mean I don’t use the same slang terms and horribly stilted sentences that is common at the time. Southern people are not all swoon. Yes, the boys are gentlemen and girls are polite, but only because of upbringing. (This is a completely true fact, I went to Chicago and someone rolled their eyes at me for being polite.) Southern hospitality is true, but to an extent. Also you can be a sophomore on varsity in sports; it’s not a rare thing at all. This book also being set at the rival school also does not do it any favors. The writing is too formal. Everything reads like a formal conversation. The writing also had the tendency to peter off and become bland and not very entertaining.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 2.5

The main female character is Jasmine. I don’t hate Jasmine, but I definitely don’t like her. Her actions are stupid and she didn’t win me over while trying to keep she was a secret. Her being secretive wasn’t smart, it was stupid and annoying. So annoying.


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 2

The main male character is Easton. I never thought a Southern boy’s politeness could make me want to gag, but this guy’s did. He didn’t make swoon at all. I was constantly rolling my eyes at Easton’s attempts to win Jasmine over. He brought recommendation letters of his good character over to Jasmine’s mom.


NO ONE would do that, especially not in the South. That is something that would have people laughing at and would become the joke of the school for a little while. He also uses pet names (i.e. sugar). It’s like I’m supposed to hate him.


Swoon Worthy Scale: 1

The Villain- Lackluster. This villain should make me cringe because of his brutality. I should feel as uncomfortable as I do watching Criminal Minds, but instead I just kind of rolled my eyes at his shenanigans, which isn’t what you’re supposed to do when it comes to a stalking killer.


Villain Scale: 1

The characters are all annoying. Everyone from Jasmine’s friends made me cringe. I did like Easton’s family and Jasmine’s brother and sister, but they weren’t all that memorable. Although, I did enjoy Jasmine and her brother’s prank wars, that was fun to read about.


Character Scale: 3

I do like the plot of this book, though. It’s just hard to please me because it’s set in my home town. The plot is entertaining and I kept reading, but the story isn’t suspenseful enough for the genre. This is supposed to be a suspense novel, but halfway through it became a cliché teen romance with a looming secret. This book wasn’t bad, it was just unfulfilling. It had a lot of potential and as the story went it on it kind of lost its momentum.


Plotastic Scale: 2.25

Cover Thoughts: I don’t really like the cover. I mean it’s not horrible, but I don’t love it.

Thank you, Netgalley and Mark My Words Book Publicity, for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Have you read this book? Do you plan to? What are books that you have read set in your hometown? Did you judge those a little bit harder because of that? Let me know down below in the comments!

NEW FEATURE: Aesthetically Reading

What is Aesthetically Reading? It’s a new feature on my blog where I showcase photographs of books I own. Books are supposed to be aesthetically pleasing. You want a book you enjoy looking at when you aren’t immersed into the story. There are little things that make books special that aren’t inside the story, but that make up the physical copy. It could be the spine, dust jacket, art work, or anything that I think is worth sharing. I hope that this can help you decide whether you want to buy a copy of this book or not because it is definitely worth it. Note: I will be showcasing my ARC copies, which aren’t finished, but are still fun to show. I hope you enjoy this feature! 

Today, I'll be showcasing my copy of:

17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma

Published: March 2013

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile 

Page Count: 353 pages

Summary (taken from GR):Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And… is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

With complexity and richness, Nova Ren Suma serves up a beautiful, visual, fresh interpretation of what it means to be lost. 

My Review

  This book has a beautiful cover. It  has a faint picture of a missing poster and it's very bright. It feels disorienting, which is the tone of 17 & Gone. The cover also gives off a shimmer (which I can't picture). My edition is an ARC copy, so it is slightly different from the hardcover and paperback editions.

My spine for 17 & Gone is very tattered and well-loved, but it's a very simple spine. I don't particularly love it, but it is very striking on my shelf because of the grey cement lettering of the title.

I personally don't have a fancy back for 17 & Gone so I can't say if it is striking because my edition is an ARC.

The title page is nothing particularly amazing. It's your basic cover page, except for the fact that it has Suma's signature on it (which was such a surprise when I got this in the mail).

The chapter headings, like the cover page, are also nothing striking like in some books, but I like the lines on each side of the number because it reminds of newspaper font.

This book does have a few bonus feature. They are missing posters for each of the girls mentioned in the novel. I really liked this inclusion while reading because it was an impersonal explanation and then Suma would go into deeper depth making you feel connected to the missing girls.

Should you buy a copy of 17 & Gone?

I think if this book interests you then, definitely! It's a fantastic book worth owning, but based off of just the physical aspect I would say: maybe. The cover is beautiful and the missing posters are cool, but it is not a particularly beautiful book physically. Inside though, it's amazing.

Do you plan on buying a copy of 17 & Gone? Do you already own one? Let me know down below in the comments!

A Graphic MashUp

Hello, everyone! I'm over 50 reviews behind (yikes!) and the best way to pile through this mountain is to lump up books that are similar. Here are four mangas and a graphic novel!

Manga Classics: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo and SunNeko Lee
4 stars

This is a very tragic story. I was one of those rare people who knew absolutely nothing about Les Mis. Les Mis was one of those classics I hadn’t been spoiled to, which surprising because it became a big blockbuster hit my freshman year of high school. (I still haven’t seen that movie! I really need to get on that.) I’m not going to hash out the plot of Les Mis. Mainly because most people already know or it’s better to find out on your own like I did. This obviously isn’t the actual story, but a condensed version. How condensed? Well Les Mis is over 1000 pages while this edition is only 337 pages. This manga classic does what it needs to do. It made me want to dive into the massive tome that is Les Miserables and read that book. I will eventually read it because this is a beautiful story. This is a beautifully adapted piece of art. The writing is translated into the pictures with ease and I was always entertained. This story is beautiful, heartfelt, and oh so tragic! I love it! I really look forward to giving the actual novel a chance one day because I think I’ll enjoy it.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 4 (because it’s not the original story I have no clue how well it translates, but I did enjoy it)

There are so many characters in this novel; instead of dividing them I’m just rounding them all up. I loved them all, even the horrid ones because it made this story beautiful.


Character Scale: 5

Plotastic Scale: 5

Here’s some of the art work:
   

 























   

Art Scale: 3.25

Cover Thoughts: I love this cover. I can feel the pain and it represents this story quite well.

Thank you, Netgalley and Udon Entertainment for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Give to the Heart Volume 1 by Wann

4 stars

Lord Ganok rules as god of the waters. Sooyi is bent on assassinating the Water King after he held her captive. It should be easy to slay him, but he has power and charming ways. I did a horrible way of describing the story line for this manga. The storyline is pretty awesome, I actually happen to love it. Volume 1 is a lot of fun and I flew threw it. The storyline, writing, plot, and characters are all fascinating. The artwork is beautiful. It’s definitely worth checking out if you are a manga fan.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 4

I can’t remember much about Sooyi besides the fact that I liked her.

Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 3

Ganok is an entertaining character and he pretty much made me love this story. I know some people will hate him, but I love him. He’s very true to the manga god stereotype, but I kind of love that stereotype. OOPS.


Swoon Worthy Scale: 5

There are some characters in here that I really like and then there are some that I’m not crazy about.

Character Scale: 4

Plotastic Scale: 4.25

Here’s a picture of the art:
 
Art Scale: 5

Cover Thoughts: I love this cover. I love the way the blues bleed in the background into darker and lighter blues. It’s not amazing, but it’s a pretty good cover for a manga.

Thank you, Netgalley and NETCOMICS for provided me a copy in exchange for an honest review. 


Give to the Heart Volume 2 by Wann

3.5 stars

So, volume 2 was frustrating for me. I enjoyed it I did, but there’s a lack of Water King in this second volume. (Who I refer to in my notes as Water Demon, I hope that this is the right character, because if not I’m leading you astray. I’m sorry.) Sooyi ran away with this douchecanoe who is obviously evil and he got on my nerves all the time. I wanted to bludgeon him that’s how annoying he was. A whole volume with him and not my swoon worthy Ganok is not a win-win. My biggest problem though is the overabundant amount of almost rape scenes. Why? C’mon manga, you can do better. Don’t use rape as a plot device that isn’t okay. This one lacked in spirit a lot more than the first one, but I still want to read on.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 4

Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 2.75

Swoon Worthy Scale: Where are you my Water God?

The Villain Scale: 2

Character Scale: 3

Plotastic Scale: 4

Art Scale: 5

Cover Thoughts: I love this cover so MUCH MORE than the first. I don’t know why, but it gives me so many feels. It is also misleading because there is hardly any Water King around.

Thank you, Netgalley and NETCOMICS for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.




Sweet Blood Volume 1 by Seyoung Kim

3.75 stars

Suho is a very feminine young boy who lives alone. One day he wakes up to find a monster feeding on him. He wants to make Suho his. The problem is the king doesn’t realize that Suho is a boy and with the help of the vampire king’s servant Suho is disguised as a girl, but not for long. I know this probably sounds like a horrible manga, but it’s not. It’s also been forever since I read any yaoi manga, so this was really good.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.5

Suho is a bit of an idiot. There’s a vampire in his room and he’s okay with this monster kiss him. What are you doing Suho? Eventually comes to his senses. I really like him because he’s just such an endearing character.


Swoon Worthy Scale: 3

I suddenly didn’t write down the king’s name my notes, so I’ll just refer to him as King. I find it really hilarious that King doesn’t realize that Suho is a boy. I mean he does look like a girl, but him not realizing it really built up the suspense.


Swoon Worthy Scale: 3.25

King’s servant cracked me up.

Character Scale: 4

The plot is kind of whacky, but it’s so much fun. It’s hard not to enjoy it.

Plotastic Scale: 4

Art Scale: 4.5

Cover Thoughts: Meh. I don’t hate, but I don’t love. It made me interested though!

Thank you, Netgalley and Netcomics for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 
October Faction Volume 1 by Steve Niles & Damien Worm

4 stars

Frederick Allan used to be a hunter. He hunted everything from werewolves to sorcerers. Name a monster and he’s probably slayed it. His wife is no different, but now that Fred is a university professor he hardly sees his wife. She longs to hunt and she wants him to notice her again. Their two kids want to join the family business, but it wasn’t as easy as it first seemed. This is an incredibly dark story. I honestly wasn’t expecting it to be a horror comic when I requested this, but I’m glad I did.


“It seems to me, I would wind up killing him at some point, so why not just get it out of the way before things got too messy?” (page 64)

I never quote comics or graphic novels, but for once a character knew that sometimes you have to kill the bad guys quickly and not let them act on their master plan. Props to Fred for being a badass who knows when to take charge.


Hero Worthy Scale: 4.25

This family is awesome. They are all different, but each has their own quirks. Geoff is a young warlock who is picked on for his sexuality. Vivian is an outcast like her brother and can see what people will look like in the future (those high girls don’t look too hot). Deloris is as much of a badass as her husband, but I wanted to see more of her in action. There’s also a new edition to the family, but I won’t mention who he is because SPOILERS, but I really like him.


Character Scale: 4.5
There are so many villains in this story. Just when you get rid of one villain, two more villains pop up.


Villain Scale: 4

This story is dark and entertaining. Think Supernatural meets dark horror. While these characters are no Sam and Dean, they are still pretty awesome. I’ll definitely be looking further into the series because it's a lot of fun.


Plotastic Scale: 3.75

The art is dark and creepy. It has this weird messy shadow vibe, but after a while (especially on a computer) it can be a bit headache inducing.



Art Scale: 3.75

The story is engrossing so chances are you won’t get a headache because you’ll be flying through the pages.


Cover Thoughts: It’s like the Addams family. That’s what I thought immediately when I saw the cover. I love it.

Thank you, Netgalley and IDW Publishing for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.


 I know this is such a long post, but have you read any of these or plan to? Let me know down below in the comments!

May & June Book Haul

Hello, lovely followers! Today I'm bringing you my recent book haul. Hope you enjoy it!

Have you read any of these or plan to? What's you favorite cover out of these books? Let me know down below in the comments!

Ten Books That Weren't Worth the Hype

Ever have those books that you are super excited for, but then when you read them they don't give you all the feels? These are ten books that I was super excited for and that left me feeling unsatisfied.

Did any of these books leave you feeling the same way? Let me know down below in the comments what books left you feeling this way!