Monday, July 31, 2017

July 2017 Wrap Up!

Hey everyone and welcome back (or to!) my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be wrapping up July! July felt SO long for me. On the second I went on a beach trip to Hilton Head with my friend, and then we drove up to Carolina beach on the 5th to meet our mutual friend. I got home on the 9th and then went off to college orientation on the 12th and 13th. If you are wondering, I am going to UNC Chapel Hill. Orientation was long but really fun, and everyone was super nice. There was one girl I met who I really got along with, and we actually got into the same class!

As for the remainder of the month, I got back on track with my workout routine. I am a member of Jazzericise (which I adore!) but I had barely gone in the beginning of the month because of how busy I was and started to feel gross. I also registered for classes, de-cluttered my bookshelves and closet, and other little things.

I think this July was the best reading month for me! It sounds silly because I was pretty busy the first half, but I ended up reading a lot (8 novels, 3 volumes of manga, 1 graphic novel, and 1 audiobook for a total of 13 things!!)













And those are the books I read this month! I only had one book I didn't like, so July was a complete success. 

Have you read any of these books? What did you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!


Saturday, July 29, 2017

Mini Movie Reviews | Passengers, Baby Driver, Before I Fall

Hey everyone and welcome back (or to!) my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be doing some mini movie reviews on what I have seen recently. I've been seeing a ton of movies with my sister since we're both off of school until the school year starts. Whether it is from redbox, on tv, or at the movies, I'll be reviewing some of the movies I've been seeing!

Passengers
Release Date: December 22, 2016
Run Time: 1 hour, 56 minutes
Genre: Scifi/Romance
Rating: PG-13

Spoiler: I really didn't like Passengers. I thought that Passengers would be this thrilling space opera, and instead it's a romance film just set in space. The main conflict isn't that the ship is breaking down, and death is imminent. Nope, the main conflict is a moral one! There is a lot of moping around and longing looks, and it was so irritating. Plus, this movie is sleep inducing. I mean, I was literally falling asleep watching this movie. Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence are huge talents, but the dialouge was flat, the plot mind-numbing, and the characters weren't compelling at all. It's obvious that Pratt and Lawrnece do the best with what they are given, but they're best isn't enough to make the movie good, even bearable. What this movie needs is a better script. I would have been fine watching a romance film in space with moral conflicts if the script was just written better. The script was the nail in the coffin for me. It didn't help that the pacing was all over the place either. There were some thrilling sequences, and then right after were slow, romance-y scenes. The tonal shift gave me whiplash. I give Passengers a D.

Friday, July 28, 2017

The Friday 56 with Book Beginnings! No. 8

Hey everyone and welcome back (or to!) to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in Friday 56 and Book Beginnings. They are hosted by Freda's Voice and Rose City Reader, respectively.

The rules are simple for both. For the Friday 56, we turn to page 56 or 56% in our e-reader and highlight a passage of any book! Book Beginnings is where you feature the first sentence (or so) of a book and give your thoughts and impressions.


Friday 56
So this is a pretty silly quote, but it's on page 56 of Brave New Girl by Rachel Vincent. The two main characters are not allowed to talk to each other, and yet Trigger continues to talk to Dahlia. He brings her a carrot from when of his missions outside the city, which Dahlia will never leave. As I'm writing this (on Thursday), I'm almost done with the book. It's not the best thing ever, but I am having a lot of fun with it!

Thursday, July 27, 2017

BOOK REVIEW | Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

Title: Losing Hope
Author: Colleen Hoover
Series? Yes, companion novel to Hopeless
Pages: 221
Publication Date: July 8, 2013
Publisher: Atria Books
Source: I bought a copy of Losing Hope on BookOutlet
In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday #38

Hey everyone and welcome back (or to!) my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in Waiting on Wednesday. WoW was hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Every week we showcase an upcoming release we are excited about. Jill hasn't been posting for quite some time, so Tressa @ Wishful Endings has adopted and renamed WoW to Can't Wait Wednesday.

My pick for this week  is Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows! 
Before

Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.

But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

After

Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Make Me Read It Readathon // Vote for What I Read!

Hey everyone and welcome back (or to!) my blog! I'm Genni, and this is my sign up post for the Make Me Read It Readathon. I participated in the readathon last year, and had a great time with it!

Here is some info about the readathon!
Look at the books you own, either physical, e-book or ones you’ve borrowed from the library and pick out a few you really want to read, or feel like you should read. It’s up to you how many you pick, personally I’d pick a few more than you expect to be able to read in a week. Example: if you think you’ll only read two, pick out five books or if you think you can read seven, pick out ten.

Make a list of these books on your blog, or make a video, or a Goodreads shelf or post a picture on Instagram—whatever is easiest for you. Then get friends, other bloggers/booktubers/bookstagrammers etc. to vote on which books you HAVE to read.

When the readathon comes along, you read the books in the order of most votes. For example, if one book gets 10 votes—you read that first, then the one that got 7 and so on. If there’s a tie, then it’s your preference. The goal is to read as many as possible.
The Readathon is hosted by Ely @ Tea and Tiles and Val @ The Innocent Smiley! The readathon is from August 6 to August 12, starting at midnight wherever you are.

As for what I read, here's a poll! I hope to read at least three books. If you don't know though, I am a mood reader so if I'm really not feeling something, I'll just move to the next most-voted book.


Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

Monday, July 24, 2017

BOOK REVIEW | Never Dare a Dragon by Ashlyn Chase

Title: Never Dare a Dragon
Author: Ashlyn Chase
Series? Boston Dragons #3, but can be read as standalones
Pages: ???
Publication Date: August 1, 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Source: I received a copy of Never Dare a Dragon via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
Jayce Fierro is part of a legendary Boston firefighting family of phoenix shifters. Hiding his true form makes being in a relationship rather difficult. Meeting the beautiful Lieutenant Kristine Scott of the New York City Fire Department and knowing he can’t have her only makes things worse.

Dragon shifter Kristine can’t stop thinking about fun, flirty Jayce and his teasing smile. A relationship could never work-not with the distance between them, and definitely not with her shifter secret. But when Kristine lands herself in a blaze of trouble and secrets are revealed, Jayce will do whatever it takes to help-whether or not the feisty, stubborn New Yorker wants him to.

Friday, July 21, 2017

The Friday 56 with Book Beginnings! No. 7

Hey everyone and welcome back (or to!) to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in Friday 56 and Book Beginnings. They are hosted by Freda's Voice and Rose City Reader, respectively.

The rules are simple for both. For the Friday 56, we turn to page 56 or 56% in our e-reader and highlight a passage of any book! Book Beginnings is where you feature the first sentence (or so) of a book and give your thoughts and impressions.


Friday 56
So this is a quote from Nyxia, written by Scott Reintgen. As I'm writing this, I'm about 60 percent of the way through, and hopefully I'm done by the time this goes up! I'm so happy that I got approved for this, because I'm loving this! The book is about 10 teens who go up into space and compete on-board a spaceship to mine nyxia, a metal-like substance that people can control with their minds, on a new planet. So far the book is moving at a breakneck pace and all the characters are so complex. If you are interested in this, I highly recommend it!

Thursday, July 20, 2017

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW | Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Title: Beauty Queens
Author: Libba Bray
Series? No, standalone
Pages: 396
Publication Date:May 24, 2011
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Source:  I got the audiobook of Beauty Queens through Overdrive, an online library that collects to your local libraries!
When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolical occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the competition.



Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday #37

Hey everyone and welcome back (or to!) to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in Waiting on Wednesday. WoW was hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Every week we showcase an upcoming release we are excited about. Jill hasn't been posting for quite some time, so Tressa @ Wishful Endings has adopted and renamed WoW to Can't Wait Wednesday.

My pick for this week  is Reunited by Colleen Houck! 
After surviving her otherworldly adventure, Lily wakes up on her nana’s farm having forgotten everything. Her sun prince, her travels to Egypt, and her journey to the Afterlife are all distant memories.

But Lily is not the girl she once was. Her body is now part human, part lion, and part fairy. And if that isn’t bad enough, she must now harness this power of three and become Wasret: a goddess destined to defeat the evil god Seth once and for all.

With the help of her old friend Dr. Hassan, Lily departs on her final voyage through the cosmos and across the plains of Egypt. On the journey, she will transform into the being she is destined to become.

Reunited is the heart-pounding conclusion to the Reawakened series.

It is time for Lily to find her sunset.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

BOOK REVIEW | When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Title: When Dimple Met Rishi
Author: Sandhya Menon
Series? No, standalone
Pages: 380
Publication Date: May 30, 2017
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: I checked out When Dimple Met Rishi at my local library!
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Liebster Award Part 2!

Hey everyone and welcome back (or to!) my blog! Today I'm going to be doing something a little different: an award post! Way, wayyy back in the day I was tagged for the Liebster Award. Earlier this month, I was tagged again by Amy @ A Magical World of Words. Thank you Amy! Make sure to check out her blog! :) So here's a part two!

Rules: 
- Thank the person who nominated you. 
- Answer the 11 questions they wrote for you. 
- Nominate 11 people. Give them your set of 11 questions to answer.

1) If you were a colour, what would you be? (What colour best suits your personality?)
Hard question! I think I'll have to choose one of my favorite colors, which is this light sky blue. You know when the sky is super blue when you look up and when you get closer to the horizon, it gets so light it is almost white? That blue! 
2) A magical animal you'd love to have as a pet?  You know, my first thought when I read this was a teacup pig. I know they aren't technically magical, but they are to me! And really who can say no to teacup pigs?!  
3) Guilty pleasure book?  
I would have to say anything by Jennifer L. Armentrout! Her books aren't literary genius, but they sure are fun to read and their breakneck pace really keeps me going. Her Dark Elements trilogy is my all time guilty pleasure. I mean, the series is about a half demon and half gargoyle who kills anyone she loves who is in a love triangle with a demon and a gargoyle. When I try explaining the plot to anyone, all I get are weird looks. :D
4) Would you rather live in Oz or Neverland, and why? 
I think I would do Oz. It's been such a long time since I've seen The Wizard of Oz or Peter Pan, but I'm leaning towards Oz. I mean, I don't want to be surrounded by some prepubescent boys on an island... 

5) You're only allowed to watch 1 movie your entire life. What movie would you choose? 
Oh my goodness Amy!! You are killing me! This is pretty torturous. I have four answers, and I think I would be happy with either of them. First is Get Out, a 2016 thriller/mystery which was written, co-produced, and directed by Jordan Peele. The movie is stunning, and there is more to gain with every viweing of us. My second choice is Sleepless in Seattle. Sleepless in Seattle is such a classic rom-com and I just love it to bits. The romantic in me just loves it. My third choicec is Another Earth, starring Brit Marling. Another Earth has a special place in my heart for me; it was the movie that made me want to start watching movies mroe regulalry and critically. And last but not least is Baby Driver! Now this might be a situational choice, considering that I just watched the movie last night. But it's blend of action, romance, and music made me fall in love. Much like Get Out, there's little tidbits that you don't pick up on until you watch it for a second time.

Okay, that was a long answer! I couldn't choose just one! 

6) You're stranded on an island with Hermione Granger and Katniss Everdeen. Who do you think is more likely to escape without you and leave you behind - given dire circumstances?    
So I might not be the best to answer this because I've only read the first Harry Potter book (seen all the movies) and have read the Hunger Games trilogy and have seen all the movies. But, I would have to go with Hermione. It's so hard to gain Katniss' trust, and she only is truly loyal to the poeple she loves. I don't think that I would gain her loyalty if we were on a stranded island. Hermione, however, seems a bit more trusting, and to be honest, nicer. 

7) One book that forever changed your life?  Without doubt, the book that forever changed my life was Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I had this read to me in my fourth grade class, and it completely hooked me into reading. Right away I picked up the rest of the series that was out and read them. I was in love with the world and with reading in general, and really shaped me into who I am today.  
8) Who's your fictional hero/role model? 
I don't really know for this. No one came to mind right away, but the more I think the more I'm leaning towards Belly Conklin from the Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han. Han is one of my favorite authors, and it's because of how realistic and relatable her characters are. Belly doesn't have everything figured out, but her character growth throughout the trilogy is touching. I hope to age as gracefully as she did! 

9) Would you rather drown in ice-cream or burn in pizza? (I'm weird, I know).   
I'm going with burn in pizza! I have heard that drowning is the most painful way to die, and I know that I would be fighting against my instincts to breathe in the ice cream and drown. I would hate to go out that way. But if I burn in pizza, I could just pass out from smoke inhalation and be blissfully unaware that I was dying. 

10) What's one famous book you wish you'd written? 
I don't have an answer for this! I don't think I would want to take credit for someone's work. I'm good with just loving and admiring from afar! 
  
11) What's one book you know you'll never, ever read?
Okay, this was just too easy! I will never, ever read Fifty Shades of Gray. It's not that I have anything against erotica, but if I want to read erotica, there are surely better written books than Fifty Shades of Grey.



I nominate... 

Lauren @ Always Me 
Laura @ Blue Eye Books
Angel Erin @ Angel Erin's Book Obsession
Atlas Rising Books

Deborah @ Hills of Books

 and anyone else who wants to do the tag!! 

Here are my questions!

1) What is your favorite book of the year so far?
2) If you could un-read a book, what would it be?
3) If you could read a book again like it was the first time, what would it be?
4) What advice would you give to a blogger who just started off?
5) Shout out some of your favorite bloggers!
6) Dream cast the book you answered for number 1!
7) What is your favorite classic or a classic that you want to read right away?
8) What do you prefer: e-books, audiobooks, hardcover, or paperback?
9) If you could only read one author for the rest of your life, who would it be?
10) What has been the best movie you have seen all year?
11)  And lastly (and possibly most importantly).... dogs or cats?


What are some of your answers to any of these 22 questions in this post? Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

Saturday, July 15, 2017

BOOK REVIEW | Unblemished by Sara Ella

Title: Unblemished
Author: Sara Ella
Series? Yes, trilogy
Pages: 352
Publication Date: October 11, 2016
Publisher: Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins
Source: I received Unblemished via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts/opinions are my own. Thank you!
Eliyana has always recoiled from her own reflection in the mirror. But what if that were only one Reflection—one world? What if another world existed where her blemish could become her strength?

Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a hideous birthmark covering half her face, she just hopes to graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her as normal. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved.

But one night her mother doesn’t come home, and that’s when everything gets weird.

Now Joshua is her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you’ve gone from weird to otherworldly.

Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she’s ever known. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can’t even save herself?

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday #36

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog!! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in Waiting on Wednesday. WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Every week we showcase an upcoming release we are excited about. Jill hasn't been posting lately, so Tressa @ Wishful Endings has adopted and renamed WoW to Can't Wait Wednesday.

My pick for this week is The Sea King by C.L. Wilson!

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Winter King comes a breathtaking new tale of love and adventure set in the mystical land of Mystral...

He wasn't supposed to choose her...

Seafaring prince Dilys Merimydion has been invited to court the three magical princesses of Summerlea. To eradicate the pirates threatening Calberna and to secure the power of the Sea Throne, Dilys vows to return home with a fierce warrior-queen as his bride. But politics has nothing to do with unexpected temptation.

She didn't dare wed him...

A weathermage like her sisters, Gabriella Coruscate's gentleness exemplifies the qualities of her season name, Summer. Yet her quiet poise conceals dangerous powers she cannot begin to wield. Better to live without excitement, she reasons, than risk her heart and lose control— until an irresistible Sealord jolts her awake with a thunderclap of raw desire.

Until evil threatens everything they hold dear...

When pirates kidnap Summer and her sisters, Dilys is in a desperate quest to save the woman he loves. Only by combining his command of the seas with the unleashed fury of Summer's formidable gifts can they defeat their brutal enemies and claim the most priceless victory of all: true love.
.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Series I'm Not Finishing!

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be talking about some of the series I will not be finishing. Of course, if some of the series I am mentioning are your favorites, I don't mean any offense! If you loved it, great! It's just not for me. Now be prepared for some good old roasts...

First (and probably worst) is the Fallen series by Lauren Kate! Fallen was one of the first YA books that I have hated, and for some unknown reason I decided to read not only Fallen, but the sequel, Torment. Well let me just say it here: this series is a torment to read. All the characters are so bland and blend together except for Luce. Dear god, Luce is a dreadful main character. She's whiny, her thought process makes no sense, and she's this damsel in distress that can't help herself. Instead, she lets everyone else save her. A lot of people love this series, and a lot of people hate it. I appreciate this series for what its worth: a simple fantasy series that introduced a lot of readers to young adult. But at the end of the day, this series is lackluster and irritating. 

Secondly is the Need series by Carrie Jones. I started this series a really long time ago, before I even had goodreads. Though I remember really liking the first two books, the third was such a disappointment. This series is forgettable. I know there are pixies, but that's about it. I forgot all about the Norse mythology aspect until I looked the series up. What I do remember is this: the romance was cute in the first book, and got grating by the third. Nick, one of the main love interests (yes, there is a love triangle is this series) is just an asshole, and none of the plot actually made sense. This series is something to read before you become a critical reader. By the third book, the plot was convoluted and none of the characters stuck with me.

The third and final series I'll be talking about this post is the Thunder Road series by Katie McGarry. McGarry is a pretty popular YA contemporary author. I've enjoyed some of her other books, but the most recent ones I've read by her have been lackluster. Nowhere But Here tried to be original, but all of it fell flat. I couldn't empathize with any of the characters, and I have no interest at all with continuing the series. I'd rather despise a series, like I did Fallen, instead of just feel indifferent. Unfortunately, that's what happened for the Thunder Road series. 


Have you read any of these series? What did you think? What are some series that you won't be finishing?

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!


Friday, July 7, 2017

Mini Movie Reviews | Split, Kong: Skull Island, Wonder Woman

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog!! This is the summer of movies for me, and I've been watching a ton. I'm back again to bring some more movie mini reviews to you! 

The movies I'll be reviewing today are Split starring James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy, Kong: Skull Island starring Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, and Samuel L. Jackson, and Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. 

Split
Release Date: January 20, 2017
Run Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes
Genre: Horror
Rating: PG-13

Split is a terrifying movie, in the best way. If you don't know what Split is about, the movie follows Kevin, a man with split personality disorder. After an incident at his work place, he is unable to control his dissociative identity disorder (DID) and kidnaps three girls. What comes after that is a psychological thriller that is downright amazing. I think the film did a wonderful job respecting the disorder while still taking its liberties. M. Night Shyamalan has made a huge comeback with this film, and it is one of my favorites this year. I will for sure buy this sometime in the future and re-watch it soon! If you are looking to watch a psychological thriller and don't know what to watch, I highly recommend this one! The acting is superb, James McAvoy does a wonderful job with all his different personalities and Anya Taylor-Joy masterfully instills terror in the audience. I give Split an A.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday #35

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in Waiting on Wednesday. WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Every week we showcase an upcoming release that we are excited about. Jill hasn't been posting lately, so Tressa @ Wishful Endings has adopted WoW, and it is now called Can't Wait Wednesday.

My pick for this week is Renegades by Marissa Meyer!


From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer, comes a high-stakes world of adventure, passion, danger, and betrayal.

Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.


The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

Monday, July 3, 2017

2017 Mid Year Book Freakout Tag!!

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in the mid year book freakout tag, which makes its head every year. I haven't actually done this tag, so let's see how it goes! I'm about 6 books behind on my schedule, but I am determined to catch up!

Best Book of 2017?

I'm going with Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett for my best book of 2017 so far. There is another book that could also easily take this title, but I didn't want to be repetitive! Plus, it's pretty hard to compare a young adult contemporary with an essay about feminism. Alex, Approximately blew my expectations out of water and I loved it to pieces. Jenn Bennett is an auto-read author for me now.

Best Sequel of 2017?
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare just destroyed me. I was spoiled for a lot of it, and yet it didn't ruin the book at all. I absolutely loved it and the Infernal Devices has become one of my favorite trilogies I've read.

New Release I Haven't Read but Want To
I still have yet to read The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid. Now technically this was published in November 2016, and isn't what you call a new release anymore. However, everyone seems to LOVE this book and I need to get on it. I think that I will really love this based on what I've heard and all that's stopping me is myself. 

Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of 2017?
The Sea King by C.L. Wilson is my most anticipated release for the remainder of the year! It is being published in October, and I cannot wait. The Sea King is the companion sequel to The Winter King. The Winter King was one of my favorite books of last year, and I cannot wait to see what follows with this sequel!

Biggest Disappointment?
Unfortunately, Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller is my biggest disappointment of 2017. I had high expectations about this one - a gender-fluid MC that fights to the death to become a part of the group of assassins for the queen so that they can enact vengeance over those that destroyed their hometown? - count me in!! Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to the expectations I had.

Biggest Surprise?
Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger is my biggest surprise so far. I had heard a couple of great things about this book, but the synopsis sounds pretty silly to be honest. I mean, a thriller/romance about a fangirl falling in love with the guy she obsesses with? Okay... But what I didn't expect was a book that kept me on my toes as well as have depth!

Favorite New Author?
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is my favorite new author. I've read We Should All Be Feminists by her last year, but reading her newest release, Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, cemented her as one of my favorite authors. I love reading feminist literature, as it really makes me think about sexism as a whole and how to further incorporate equality in my life.

Newest Fictional Crush?
I don't really have one, but Always and Forever, Lara Jean, reaffirmed me undying love for Peter Kavinksy. Peter is just wonderful, and he is one of my ultimate book boyfriends. Peter is so loyal and does such wonderful and unsolicited things for Lara, and his relationship with Kitty melts my heart.

Newest Favorite Character?
All the girls in the Waterfire Saga! That includes Ling, Astrid, Serafina, Becca, Neela, and Ava. All of them are totally kick ass but together they form a great ensemble. It's not every day that you see a series that features six girls working together to defeat evil. There is always either cattiness or a knight in shining army, or both. This series shows how women and men are both equally as capable, and I love it!  

Book That Made Me Cry?
Stealing Candy by Stewart Lewis actually made me cry! However, I didn't actually like the book that much. To be honest, Candy (the main character) was grating and the "humor" in the book never hit the mark. However, the brutal and honest relationship between Candy and her father, who left when she was young, was touching. 

Book That Made Me Happy?
Did I Mention I Miss You? by Estelle Maskame made me happy as it was the perfect conclusion to the trilogy! While it wasn't as lighthearted as the first two, I got the ending I spent three books hoping for. 

Favorite Book Adaption I've Seen?
I would have to go with Hidden Figures for this answer! While I can't say whether it was a good adaption (I haven't read the book), the movie was marvelous. After the AP exam in my statistics class, we watched this and I adored it. I would for sure see this movie again. 

Favorite Review of Mine?
Some of my favorite reviews this year for young adult are the ones I did for World After by Susan Ee, Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett! I think both of them are succinct and to the point while showing my personality as well. Sometimes I think my personality doesn't shine through my posts, and I was happy with those two. I also did a discussion post about why I didn't like Throne of Glass that much, which I put in a lot of work for. I didn't want to ramble too much, and also didn't want to offend anyone. If there was one thing I would change though, I would bold my most important statements. Also, I did recently did mini reviews on movies, which I had a ton of fun with! I'm going to be doing more of those now because I enjoyed it so much! 

However, my favorite post of this year is my recent discussion about how I haven't been reading diversely. I mostly talk about how books aren't diverse enough, seem to use diversity as a marketing ploy, or come off as inorganic. I totally cheated on this answer by talking about five different posts, but those would have to be my favorites of this year!

Most Beautiful Book I Bought This Year?
Umm..I don't really buy books too often! I always go to my library, whether online or in person. I did get approved on Netgalley for Nyxia, which has a marvelous cover, but I didn't buy that one. I also bought Forever and Always, Lara Jean by Jenny Han. I don't think the cover is beautiful, but it is very fitting and portrays the series quite well. 

Book I Need to Read by the End of 2017?
Lady Midnight is my pick for this! This whole year I've been catching up to the Shadowhunter world. Lady Midnight is the first book in The Dark Artifices trilogy, and I would be happy if I finally started that one. I wasn't to take my time with the series though, in hopes of not having a dreadfully long wait for the third and final book. I just finished City of Heavenly Fire, and though I could techinically jump into Lady Midnight right now, I want to read Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy and possibly The Bane Chronicles as well.


As for goals, I haven't been doing well, but I haven't been doing badly. I'm 6 books behind my goodreads challenge, but I think I can catch up! Especially if I read some more manga, which was also a goal of mine! I haven't been doing too well on that one, simply because I cannot find a series that has clicked for me yet and end up only reading one or two volumes. Also, I have been listening to more audiobooks! I have really gotten in to them this year, and at least read once a month. :) My last goal was to finish more series than start them. I have finished 6 series so far, and plan to finish at least 5 by the end of the year. I've started 10 though so far, and plan to continue with most of them. At least I'm not starting a lot of series without finishing any!

How are you doing with all your goals?

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!