Summer Book Haul Part 2

Hi, everyone! Today I was upload the second part to my very expansive summer book haul. The Internet was working surprisingly fast and the video uploaded in less than an hour, which is something I've never had happen before, even at my home. I have six parts to this book haul so I'll be uploaded these often. I'm hoping to start filming again- I just have to find the motivation! It's really hard to convince myself to film in a dorm where people can walk by and hear me talking to nothing. LOL But I'm going to definitely make videos more often in my second semester if I have the time.
You can watch part one in my book haul here.

 

The Books:

 

Eleven more books featured in my summer book haul, totaling up to 21 so far! 

Have you read any of these books? If so, let me know what you thought about them down in the comments!

Mini Reviews: Two Books I Read Two Summers Ago

Reasons why I'm a bad reviewer- it takes me forever to write reviews for books I've read unless I'm on a deadline. I'm horrible. I've tried to get better, but my reading to writing ratios has always been unbalanced. These two books have sat in my archive to review since June 2014. I honestly planned to write an in depth review at the time, but the more I would like at these two novels the less I seemed to have to say. These aren't the type of novels that stick with me or warrant having an in depth review for. I'm trying to also get better at knowing which books I should review in depth and which I should be quick and concise about...Hopefully I'll get better! So here are two books that I've dusted off my shelves to review (surprisingly I don't own either of these books for my shelves and don't plan on it).

Letting Ana Go by Anonymous

1.5 stars

Ana is a good girl and she feels as though she’s not good enough for the perfect façade her family presents to the public. The one thing Ana knows she can control is her eating. Ana is spiraling, but she’s not eating it’s the best she’s felt in a long time. I remember loving Go Ask Alice in middle school; it’s one of the books that I consider to be a part of my childhood favorites. When I saw the this was free on Simon Pulse It I jumped to read it (that’s how long ago it’s been- there isn’t even a Simon Pulse It, now it’s called Riveted) and I instantly disliked Ana. Ana is my biggest problem with this novel and that isn’t a good thing when the novel is a diary. At first, Ana is a normal girl with good, healthy eating habits- until Ana’s best friend and her “perfect” mom make a comment about Ana losing a little more weight. She starves herself because her friend said it would be FUN. This is a horrible example of eating habits and disorders to display to younger audiences. Naturally, she runs all the time even though she has no fuel in her body- goes to rehab- then collapses and dies- the typical “anonymous” storyline. I’m sorry but this a pile of crap and after two year of ruminating on this it’s one of those novels I forget about, but once I remember it I’m angry. It left a bad taste in my mouth. These type of storylines make it seem like eating disorders have no chance of recovery and overcoming the problem; using death to display tragedy after multiple failed rehabilitation or attempts at intervention is not a positive message to send to younger readers. Also Ana was a completely judgmental twat to her mom and it only fueled my dislike for her and this “novel”.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 2

Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 1

Villain Scale: 2 (very disappointed with the depiction of eating disorders)

Character Scale: 1

Plotastic Scale: 1

Overall, I suggest skipping over this one. It’s a newer anonymous novel so I don’t consider it to be a classic or necessary for your angsty teen reads (there’s better stuff out there). I suggest Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson instead because it’s a beautiful novel that portrays eating disorders in a stark, gut-wrenching story that has stayed with me since my middle school years.

Cover Thoughts: Typical anonymous cover with half a face in the dark. Bleh. 

 

 

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Narrated by Emma Galvin

3 stars

Tandy’s parents are murdered Malcolm and Maud are suddenly gone and she was the last to see them alive. Tandy her three siblings are the prime suspects behind their parents’ mysterious murder and she’s not the most reliable person in the world when it comes to knowing what she has done. Malcom and Maud were perfectionists and they always asked for more, did someone in the family crack under the pressure or did something more sinister lurk behind her parents’ lives. I listened to the audiobook of this novel, which probably enhanced my overall enjoyment of the novel. Tandy is an unreliable narrator, she’s evasive and talks about how she’ll just “save that for later”, which if I had read I would’ve called her out on her BS as being an overdramatic brat, but listening to a possible psychopath narrate is incredibly entertaining. If I had read that she personally considers herself to be unreliable, I would’ve probably read on to see if she was crazy or not, but as much as I don’t like James Patterson* this formula for the novel worked. Either way I would’ve kept reading. Tandy is a very unsettling narrator and that’s one of this novels strong suits. It made listening a fun experience. I still stand by her being a psychopath and I’m going to stand by her being a female Norman Bates. I don’t plan on continuing with this series because I don’t support this propaganda in literature, but it was a fun listening experience.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 3

Kick-Butt Heroine: 3

The Villain- 2 (what a cop out)

Character Scale: 3

Audiobook Narrator: 3.5

Plotastic Scale: 3

Side Note: I personally don’t like James Patterson because he has turned novels into a market for cash grabbing. He’s the reason why people choose to read books not even written by the person promised. Patterson doesn’t write his own material- I picture him to be more of a business mogul showing and presenting ideas to the publishers and then someone writing those ideas for him. It’s unsettling and I personally don’t support it. I’ve never purchased a novel by Patterson and I don’t plan to. (I downloaded this for free from Sync Audibook in the summer.)


Cover Thoughts: UGLY.

 

What are your thoughts on in depth and mini reviews? Which do you prefer? Have you read any of these novels; if so, what were your thoughts? Let me know down below in the comments! 

Dealing with College and Blogging+ a Review

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while and you are probably wondering who I am and why I've popped up in your feed since it's been so long. I'm sorry that I haven't been around on the Internet lately. I don't comment on posts, read a lot of reviews, or even write anything that isn't required for school. Today though I had a few minutes to spare and wanted to do something personal. I love blogging, writing, and sharing my passion for books... its just I'm trying to find a balance to squeeze into college life. I'm on my universities color guard so I've been practicing constantly since band camp in mid-August and I'm juggling having six classes and keeping up with homework. I'm managing as best as I can. I hope none of you have forgotten me completely because I do plan on stopping by when I have the time.:) Here's a review I wrote today! Sadly it was an impromptu DNF, but it's my first review in forever!

 Who Killed Kurt Cobain?: The Story of Boddah by Nicolas Otero
DNF

I'm incredibly fascinated by theories that surround Kurt Cobain's mysterious death. When I saw this graphic novel was available on Netgalley, I instantly jumped on the opportunity to pick this one up. Sadly, this novel is not for me.


When it comes to graphic novels the biggest thing for me is the art. I want to absolutely love and worship the art. The art should make me want to blow it up and hang it on my walls, but in this novel's case the art made me want to slam my laptop shut and stop looking at it. It's grainy, unclear, the faces are misshapen and not proportional to the human body. There's also one page dedicated solely to sexual positions of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. I get that Nirvana and Cobain are symbols for the punk era, but I honestly don't want to see 101 Sex Positions.


Art Scale: 0

The writing itself felt unattached and dissociated. I couldn't find any reason to keep reading the story because I didn't care about the story or where the story was going. I was unimpressed and unwilling to waste my precious time.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 0

Overall, I recommend this graphic novel for hardcore fans of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana because I'm sure that they will be able to appreciate this story much more than I did.


Cover Thoughts: The cover isn't horrible, but it should've been a hint that the artwork wasn't great.

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

So, are any of you in college? Do you have any tips for juggling school and blogging as a college student? Let me know down below in the comments!

And I Darken by Kiersten White

And I Darken by Kiersten White

First in The Conqueror's Saga

5 stars

“On our wedding night, I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke of our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself. You will most likely choke to death on your own blood, which will be unfortunate, but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied.”

Lada is born to the famous Vlad the Impaler. She’s destined to live the unfulfilling life of a woman and fall in line to a husband, but Lada wants none of that. She’s brutal, strong, and violent- she will take down anyone or anything that stands in her way. Her brother Radu is the beautiful one and suffers their father’s contempt. Lada and Radu find themselves prisoners of the Ottoman Empire. When I think of And I Darken there is a lot of information flowing through my mind, but all of it seems to be spoilers. This novel essentially has nothing happening while everything happens. It’s a great candidate for Game of Thrones level of plot and intensity. There isn’t a lot of plot because the majority of what goes on is plot intrigue and underhanded lying, spying, and maneuvering to have the cards fall in the right place.


“She hated the way roses smelled, their sweetness too fragile. She wanted a garden of evergreens. A garden of stones. A garden of swords.”

I’ve never read any of White’s novels before and I had no clue what her writing would be like going in. I know that she has written books more on the younger, lighter side of the YA spectrum. Surprisingly, this novel is dark, not overtly dark because death and war were a constant thing of the past and it blends well. The writing isn’t particularly amazing, but the pacing was intense and the overall flow of the novel was addictive and hard to put down. This novel is told in dual points of view and it is done excellently. The characters are very different from one another, but the POV shifts never take away from the story.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 5

“A dragon did not crawl on its belly in front of its enemies, begging for their help. A dragon did not vow to rid the world of infidels, and then invite them into its home. A dragon did not flee its land in the middle of the night like a criminal. A dragon burned everything around herself until it was purified in ash.”

What sets this novel apart from so many YA novels that are being published are the characters. Oh, I love these characters so much. They are absolutely well done. Our two center characters are a brother-sister duo, which is something I have yet to come across in a novel (I just personally haven’t read one before this novel). I love the juxtaposition of these siblings- Lada is fierce, ugly and ruthless and in contrast Radu is gentle, beautiful, and quick-witted. Everything one sibling lacks in personality the other makes up for. They are two very different people, but they complement each other so well that they become one whole being. I loved Lada’s fierce protectiveness over Radu and to an outsider (and even Radu) it seems as if Lada hates her brother, but she makes choices that protect him in the long run and keep him safe. The growth that these characters experience in this novel is amazing. We are with these characters from birth to about the ages of seventeen or eighteen and there is so much expansion that has occurred within who Lada and Radu are. These characters are so strongly developed and fleshed out. They are what makes me love this novel so much. They are the core of the story and I loved every second of being introduced to these characters.



Lada is also so badass that she has easily become one of my favorite heroines and Radu has become one of my favorite heroes. The best thing is that these characters are also both antagonists and I just love moral ambiguity. Radu, especially towards the end, becomes the harsher of the two for a while and he can be quite scary. Another thing I want to mention, is that I love Lada’s resentment to being born a female and how she refuses to acknowledge her feminine side. It’s very different from most historical heroines who are usually demure and docile, but Lada is ready to sling some knives and kick some ass.


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 5

There is a love triangle in this novel, but it is also not a love triangle. Mehmed befriends Lada and Radu during their stay in the empire and he is the young prince. As the story progresses, my ship rides strong and I hope that the sequels bring me the marriage that I want (but I also know that it is completely against Lada’s character *sobs*) because that ending.

I also love that this novel tackles a gay man in a historical time. It’s so fascinating and I enjoy reading about this silent turmoil within this character.


I do enjoy Mehmed’s character. He’s very fleshed out, but I can’t distinguish him outside of Lada and Radu’s friendship because it seems like he is such a good friend that he doesn’t have lives outside of that and when things pop up to prove that he lives outside of his friends it’s always a little jolting because it is so easy to forget.


Character Scale: 5

Swoon Worthy Scale: 4
The Villain- I’m going to go out on a limb here, Lada and Radu are villains. I love it; they quietly dismantle the Ottoman Empire on multiple occasions and would probably be beheaded. Yes, there are people working within the empire wanting to assassinate Mehmed, but they don’t feel concrete to me as a threat. Also that whole fight scene at the end was well-done and the reveal was abrupt as to who is behind the evil, but I’m curious to see if Lada and Radu will just go bat shit in the future because I’m all for it.


“There are other ways to beat someone than with fists.”

Villain Scale: 5

I would love to go into depth about my love for these characters, but I don’t want to spoil how amazing the process is. This isn’t a book for everyone because it is swamped in characterization, history, and court intrigue and I understand that these aspects are not appealing to everyone. If you are intrigued by And I Darken and have yet to pick it up then I highly recommend doing so! Also if you’ve read this let’s discuss!


Plotastic Scale: 5

Cover Thoughts: I LOVE this cover so freaking much. It is everything I want and it’s purple. (Lord, I’m so eloquent.)

Thank you, Netgalley and Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

Are you a fan of And I Darken? If not tell me why, because I would love to discuss! Let me know down below in the comments! 

The Smaller Evil by Stephanie Kuehn

The Smaller Evil by Stephanie Kuehn

4.5 stars

Arman is a young man struggling with a lot of inner turmoil. He deals with anxiety, depression, and self-loathing among other things. His story starts when he meets Beau, an enigmatic man who offers the sanctity of a compound dedicated to healing. This is Arman’s chance to change… to evolve…Everything begins to unravel around Arman and instead of facing the positive changes he hopes to encounter he comes face to face with a smaller evil within the compound. I honestly have no clue what I just read and this seems to be the case with most readers. I’m not unsatisfied, but befuddled. I honestly didn’t know what was going on and felt just as confused as Arman for the majority of the novel and by the end I spoke the coveted words of the marking of a good psychological novel, “What the fuck?” Make no mistake this novel is incredibly immersed in psychology. In fact, this book has no plot but offers a character study. This review may be spoilery because I’m trying to figure out what I just read and the best way to understand the unexplainable is to write about until it makes sense.


Kuehn is definitely a brilliant writer, maybe more so than some of the big psychological writers that are popping up right now. Her writing is quiet and her characters are frantic, unreliable, and induced with panic that leaves the pace to fill all over the place when there is nothing happening. I love cult novels; I find them incredibly fascinating and I’ve always wondered what drives people into the arms of another individual who offers promise, safety, and acceptance away from our world. Kuehn quietly shows us exactly how this process occurs. The novel opens up with a second (but also switches to third?) person POV- this person feels disjointed, cruel, manipulative, calculating- it’s incredibly unsettling how he targets those around them in continuous chapters to submit to his ideals and sway. It’s creepy and incredibly well done (especially after the last chapter). Speaking of the last chapter- what the actual fuck? How brilliant was that?! Arman being the calculating recruit. It’s incredibly interesting to see his transformation from frantic, unstable child to persuasive leader and recruit of an occult community. Absolutely fascinating and it’s probably why I like this novel so much!

Whimsical Writing Scale: 4.75

Arman is a very overwhelming character to read about. He’s being sucked into this web. We learn only what Arman is aware of and he knows nothing then we know nothing. There’s nothing to like about Arman, he’s an underdog because he essentially ruins situations for himself and it’s incredibly sad to see how much of a lost soul he is. Until the very end, because like what the actual fuck? Biggest character development plot twist and it was happening the whole time.

"It's a philosophical principle that states an immoral act can sometimes be considered moral if the greater good outweighs the smaller evil."
There are also a lot of characters Kira and Dale (two outsiders who Arman travels with into the compound), the cook (whose name we learn at the end) that needs to have sex with Arman all the time, Dr. Gary, Daniel, and Mari (who all play intricate parts to the compound and its secrets, and Beau- who is the leader of the compound and is a presence even when he isn’t around. I also called that Beau was grooming Arman for something!


Character Scale: 4.5

I honestly have no clue exactly what happened in this novel, but I think that’s the strong defining factor of this book. I’m definitely recommending it to anyone who loves psychological thrillers, cults, and crazy characters because this book is jammed with these things.


Plotastic Scale: 4.25

Cover Thoughts: Is this a chameleon? If so, damn this cover is symbolic. Chameleons blend to match those around them and the recruiters of these cults blend in to appeal to everyday people and then transition into their cult presence at the compounds. Awesome cover!

Thank you, First Reads, Penguin, and Dutton for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Have you read The Smaller Evil? If so what do think about  it or do you plan to read it? Let me know down below in the comments!

Summer Book Haul Part 1

Hello! I haven't been around very much this summer and I'm very sad about that. I'm currently transitioning from high school to college student and I spent all summer working. I actually filmed a video for a May book haul and I've tried to upload it multiple times, but for some reason it just wasn't working out. So, I decided to just scrap it and film a collective summer book haul because lordy have I bought a lot of books.

 

The Books:

 

 

 Wow, eleven books and this is only part one! I'm very happy to own all of these books and feel like they are perfect editions to my shelves. So far, I've read four of these books and I think that's awesome because now these books won't collect dust on my shelf.:)

Have you read any of these books? Are any of these your favorites? Let me know down below in the comments!:D

Mini Reviews: Two Unsatisifying Reads

Swoon by Nina Malkin

DNF after 2 chapters (any further and my eyeballs would've fallen out of my head.)

I was rearranging my bookshelves today when I came to the horrifying realization that I would have to doublestack on a shelf. That is something I've never done and almost cried doing. So I've decided to start purging some books. I've been wanting to read this book for years. I was so excited when I found it at a used bookstore and I've had it on my shelf for around four years now. I waited far too long to pick it up because my interest in this style of storytelling has waned.


My problems lie with the characters and writing. The writing is absolutely juvenile and so basic that it feels like even a five-year-old could read it, but I discourage that because these idiots are smoking pot in open public. At least smoke it in a car, not a public park where you could infect the birds with your toxins. Also all the characters have to HAVE a monosyllabic nickname- i.e. Dice, Pen, Sin- the stupidity rages on. This is not a good idea at all and it's far from witty. It's douchey.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 1

Dice also likes to subtly point out how her cousin has big books boobs and is perfect all while sounding envious and downright cruel. Pen is a human being, too, what's the point in trying to tear her down? She also let Pen climb a tree and then saw the danger of it, but decided to stand idly by and do absolutely NOTHING. Once she falls off the tree, she doesn't even call for help and when she gets possessed by a creepy man who was apparently hanged on the tree- why help? She doesn't need an ambulance or a priest. Just walk it off.

Same, Harry.
Also she's psychic! Just another specialty to check off of the extra special qualities shopping cart.


Character Scale: 1

Five years ago this would've probably been at least a four star read. Two years ago I would've at least given it two stars. Now I won't even waste my time because I like my brain and I have better things to fully immerse myself in. Someone else will love and cherish this novel for their bookshelf.


Cover Thoughts: It's a very cliche cover. Girl plastered at bottom making an orgasm face or Photoshopped from a Covergirl add+ some mist+ a basic "creepy" ass tree= your old school paranormal cover.

I.D. by Emma Rios

1.75 stars

I.D. follows three people who are no longer satisfied with their mediocre lives. They think the solution to their problems is a body transplant. The concept of this graphic novel is simple, but very fascinating. I thought this was going to be a strong story and poignant, but I found it to be very lacking. The story itself is only about 67 pages long with art and words to develop a plotline and because this is a very brief story I expected there to be more of a punch behind the stories. The idea was there, but the execution was not.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 1.5
The characters are Noa, Charlotte, and a man whose name is not really mentioned. They all long for something different from what life is giving them. One wants to become the gender they identify, one wants to escape a boring existence, and one wants to understand what defines humans. It's a great concept, but these characters were bare bones minimum. They offered almost no emotion and I felt no empathy towards their lives and their reasons for undergoing a body transplant.

Character Scale: 1
The art was done in red and white, which was very aesthetically pleasing. The art itself was rather bland and unappealing. Overall, it's a short graphic novel and if you are interested pick it up, but it's not a story that I'm rushing to recommend. I think a lot of people will enjoy this story, I was just not one of them.

Art Scale: 2

Plotastic Scale: 2

Cover Thoughts: The cover is what drew my attention to this story. It's very eye catching.

Thank you, Netgalley and Image Comics for allowing me to read this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

Have you read either of these books? What were your thoughts on them? HAPPY JULY 4TH! Leave me a comment down below and let's discus!