Triannual 2016 Rewind: Favorite Books

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni and today I will be showing you guys my favorite books of these past four months! So far, I've read a lot of great books, but there's only been one that has actually gotten five stars.You can head on over here if you want to know what series I have finished this year!

1.) Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
This is by far my favorite book of the year. I have no faults with this book at all. The writing in these novels just draw me in, and I love every single character. This concluding novel is my favorite out of the space trilogy, and the five stars are very well deserved. I  had such high expectations coming into this book, and they were met and surpassed! Here is my review!

2.) Endure by Sara B Larson
Endure is the third and final book of Larson's fantasy trilogy. I started this trilogy this year on a whim, and wasn't too impressed with the first book. However, I am so glad I continued on with the series. Every book got better as it progressed and by the time I finished Endure, I was in love with the series. I am so pleasantly surprised by Endure. Here is my series review!

3.) DIMILY Books 1 & 2 by Estelle Maskame
Estelle Maskame shocked me with her relatively new series. Did I Mention I Love You, or DIMILY for short, is a new contemporary trilogy written by Maskame, who is just a teenager! This series was actually a wattpad sensation, and I can see why! The first two books pulled me into the story and didn't let go. Eden and Tyler's relationship is so addicting, and I cannot wait to read their third and final book and get some closure! I would completely recommend this if you are in a reading slump. I have a mini review of the first book here.

4.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I was so surprised that I liked The Great Gatsby as much as I do. While this is a rare instance, I am actually glad I read this for school and not just on my free time. I was able to dissect the book at a deeper level than I think I would've on my own time. Though I don't love it, I am so happy that I read it. 

And those are my favorite books so far of 2016! What are some of your favorite books of this year?

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

Triannual 2016 Rewind: Finished Series

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni and today I will be showing you the series that I have finished in the first four months of 2016. I'll be doing this again two more times throughout the year. So far, I've read some amazing ones and others that were just okay.

My opinions are my own, and I don't mean to offend anyone! Just because I don't like a series doesn't mean your not justified to love it. These are going to be listed from worst to best.

4.) Wolves of Mercy Falls Series by Maggie Stiefvater
 
In these past four months,  I read the final novel of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, Sinner. Unfortunately, Sinner was such a let down. I loved the first three, and the fourth just fell flat. Isabel and Cole fell flat for me, and the secondary characters were even more dull. However, I am happy that I finished the series and I still think it was worth the read, even though I gave it only 2.75 Stars. Check out my mini review here!

3.) The 100 Trilogy by Kass Morgan

The 100 book series is so different from the tv series. I would have to say that I like the tv series more, just because it delves much more into the complex world that Kass Morgan invented. My favorite aspect of reading this were the characters. I was able to spend more time with Wells and two other characters who aren't even in the television series (Glass and Luke). The books were all right, but it wasn't fantastic by any means. I would recommend this to anyone who is a big fan of the series. If you are able to keep an open mind and not compare the two time and time again, you'll be able to appreciate the series for what it is.

2.) Defy Trilogy by Sara B Larson

I picked up Larson's trilogy on a whim and I'm so glad that I did! While the first book didn't blow me away, the series got better as each book progressed.  Alexa is such a complex character and I loved watching her character develop. The fantasy series isn't the best I have read, but it is pure entertainment. If you want to read a fun and quick fantasy series, I would recommend this. Find out my full thoughts here where I review the trilogy.


1.) Starbound Trilogy by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

I love the Starbound Trilogy to pieces. It's an epic science fiction series and everything came together perfectly in the concluding novel that I read this year, Their Fractured Light. The last book was definitely my favorite, but they all received 5 stars or very close to that. This trilogy is pretty close to perfection and I would recommend it to anyone. I also wrote a review for Their Fractured Light here!  

And those were the four series that I have finished this year! I'm really looking forward to some of the series I will be finishing the rest of the year! What are some series that you have finished so far?

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read! 

Discussion: Does Reading Experience Affect My Rating?

I've been thinking about this topic for quite a while now. Does my general reading experience affect my rating of a book? Am I able to separate the two?

The short answer to the latter question is NO. 

My reading experience is actually a big factor to my level of enjoyment of a novel. If I am busy and it takes me weeks to read one book, it will not get as high of a rating if I read it in one day. I wouldn't be as connected to the characters, and I might even forget parts of the plot. 

Take one of my most recent reads, Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton, for example. My schedule has been pretty hectic, and reading has taken a back burner. I read the book in three sittings, but they were spread out among 18 days. When I finally sat down and finished the book, I didn't care for the characters as much. Finishing the book suddenly became more important than me completely understanding the book. I didn't get some references from earlier in the book, and I sadly didn't care enough to go back and refresh my memory. 

Some of my mediocre reading experience can be attributed to my actions. However,  it still spoke to me that after a week of not reading a book, I completely forgot some of what had happened in the first third of the novel. Rebel of the Sands didn't capture my intrigue enough for me to keep thinking and wanting to read it. Should that affect my rating?

To be honest, I think yes. If a book doesn't fully grab me that I'm not stop thinking about it, that means that there is something lacking in the story for me. I've had many experiences lately where I look back at my reading experiences and notice that my rating is very much correlated to it. 

A couple month ago, I railed on both The Fill in Boyfriend and Biggest Flirts. Looking back, I wasn't in the right mood for contemporary and yet forced myself to read the two. I was too critical and cynical while reading the books because I wanted to be reading something else the whole entire time. But should I go back and change my rating? Well, that is for a whole entire other discussion post. 

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

Book Review: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands was so much fun!

The novel started off with a bang (quite literally) and never slowed down. Amani lives in a dead end town and is looking for a way to escape when a foreigner comes along and changes everything. All of a sudden she's on the run with a stranger as an ally. Jin, the male lead, is everything I wanted in a male protagonist for this novel. I haven't completely fallen in love with him, but it is bound to happen.

My only wish is that my reading experience was different. I have been so busy these past couple weeks, and so it took me a long time to finish this book. Goodreads says 18 days, but I only sat down three different times to read this book. I know that if I had more free time, I would've felt more connected to the story and the characters.

By far my favorite character is Amani. She is such a headstrong heroine, and I absolutely loved reading from her perspective. Out of the secondary characters, I liked Shazad the best. She's yet another kick-ass female character, and I loved how Hamilton had females on the same playing field as men.

The second half of the novel took a different turn than I was expecting. I wouldn't say I liked it less, but it kind of threw me off. However, I am looking forward to where this new plot will take us. Amani's struggles have just become a lot more complex, and seeing it unravel in the next book will be one heck of a ride.

My only worry is that the series will end up feeling rushed. The world of this series is so complex, and I don't want it to be brushed over so that the story finishes nicely. I'd rather have this series become a quartet if it means that the world building is stronger. Hamilton knows what she's doing, so I still am hopeful!

I would recommend this to any fantasy lover. I'm quite a newbie to the YA fantasy, but I think even veterans would appreciate this. I can see this trilogy becoming one of my favorites out there. Amani and Jin's relationship is slow burning and I love it.  The plot is original and the characters strong. This story took twists and turn I was not expecting, and I really appreciated it. I normally can anticipate the "gotcha" moments, but this one really took me aback! Hats off to Alwyn Hamilton!

Overall, Rebel of the Sands is a strong opening novel to what can be a fantastic fantasy trilogy. The series holds true promise and I am looking forward to the second novel that will be coming out next year. I wish I could've had a better reading experience, because it negatively affected my enjoyment of the book.

With that, I give this book

4 out of 5 Stars!
 

Have you read Rebel of the Sands? What did you think?

Thanks guys for visiting and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

Book Review: Too Late by Colleen Hoover

Too Late by Colleen Hoover took me by surprise.

I knew getting into the book that I would fall in love with it, but I didn't know that I would be as taken aback as I was. Colleen Hoover has a great formula she uses for all of her books. Out of all the other CoHo books I have read, Hopeless was the darkest one. Too Late takes the cake by a landslide though!

Too Late is much darker and delves into serious topics that I was not expecting. The novel follows Sloan, a college girl in an abusive relationship with, Asa, who controls the biggest drug cartel in the college. Sloan stays with him not because she's in love, but to protect what's left of her family. Everything blows up when Carter comes into her life. What she doesn't know is that Carter is an undercover cop.

The novel is told from three points of view: Asa, Carter, and Sloan. I never disliked any of the POVs, but I did like Carter's the best. However, Hoover did really well writing as Asa. He's crazy and sadistic. I've never read in the point of view as a crazy person, so Asa's chapters were intriguing.

Too Late is available for free on the wattpad app. In my personal opinion, this is good enough to be published. Yes, there needs to be some editing and expansion of some of the characters, but Colleen's raw talent shines through.

My main issue with the book was that I wanted to know more about the characters. I felt like some were one dimensional. The three main characters definitely were not, but there were some secondary ones that felt like carbon copies of a stereotypical character. The two that come to mind that I want to see more of is Sloan's disabled younger brother, and Jon, Asa's top henchman.

The last couple chapters were the strongest in my opinion. There wasn't a moment that I was bored with the book, but the second half was much more entertaining.  I would recommend this for anyone who is looking for an easy read. Too Late is new adult, so if you're uncomfortable with more steamy scenes, then don't read it. 

With that, I give this book 

4 out of 5 Stars!

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

Currently Reading: Rebel of the Sands, Clockwork Prince

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni and today I will be showing you guys what I have been reading this April!

Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to read (or blog!) due to my hectic schedule. I am actually still reading Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton. I did not finish Feuds by Avery Hastings. I wasn't that far into it, and I just put it down because another book caught my eye. I will be planning on finishing it this month though!

Right now, I am around 65% done with Rebel of the Sands and hope to be done with it this week. I've been wanting to finish this for a while now, but I haven't had the time to just sit down and read for a couple of hours. The story really picked up and I just want to read it so badly!

The other book that I am (kind of) currently reading is Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. This is the second book in the Infernal Devices trilogy, and I hope have this read by the end of the week as well. I've been massively spoiled for the series, but I still want to see the how of it all. I just started this on my overdrive app, and I wish that I had a physical copy of it!

Both of these are fantasy novels, but different sub-genres. I've been loving my fantasy recently, but after I am done reading these two and Feuds by Avery Hastings, I think I will be going back to a quick contemporary read. I have my eyes on a couple of books on my shelf, and hopefully one will hold my attention!

So that is what I have been reading! I actually just finished reading Too Late by Colleen Hoover this weekend, and there will be a post about that soon. I am done with my reading slump mentally, but now I just have to find the time to actually read. :D

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

Where Have I Been?

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni and today I'm just going to address the issue: I haven't been blogging on a normal basis. 

To put it nicely, I have been swamped with homework these past month or so. My second semester has a much heavier workload than my first, and it is hard to find time to blog! Between my extra curriculars and school, I don't have that much free time, which leads to the question of whether or not I will be continuing blogging. 

And that is such an easy question to answer. I love blogging so much and interacting with the community. Your support means the world to me and I couldn't have dreamed of a better experience than the one I have had.  I am going to continue with it, but it might not be as frequent until I get a schedule going. 

I'll be planning out my blog posts more in advance than I have, and hopefully I will be back at it! Even though you might not have noticed, I haven't been reading as much either. I have so little free time that I cannot find any time to just read for pleasure, unless it's at night. I need my sleep though, and I can't put reading ahead of my health in any circumstance.

Sooo, I am trying to get on top of things but if my blogs aren't routine, that's the reason why! 

Sorry that I've been AWOL and I hope to see you guys soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

T5W: Rainy Day Reads

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni and today I will be participating in Top 5 Wednesday. Lainey from gingerreadslainey on youtube just passed the torch of moderator to one of my favorite booktubers, Sam from Thoughtsontomes.

This week's topic is our top 5 rainy day reads. If you want to check out more about the group, visit our goodreads page!

For this, I'm going to be showing you some fun and fast paced books perfect for a day where you can't really get out. Here they are!

5.) Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame
Did I Mention I Love You? (or DIMILY) for short, is the epitome of a quick read. It's super addicting and it'll make you need to pick up the next book ASAP. DIMILY is a young adult contemporary read, but it doesn't just touch on the romance. Check out my mini review here.

4.) Forbidden by Kimberely Griffiths Little
Forbidden is the opening novel of a historical fiction fantasy set in the Mesopotamian desert. The book is pure entertainment with a quick pace. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, which is out now. If you want to know more of my thoughts on the book, visit my review!

3.) The Dead List by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Armentrout is a master at writing addicting reads perfect for a rainy day. The Dead List takes the cake though! This thriller novel can actually be found on the wattpad app for free. The novel does take a dark turn or few, but it was so much fun to read. I wrote a full review for this one as well, so feel free to read it here!

2.) Defy by Sara B. Larson
Defy is yet another opening novel to a trilogy. The book follows Alexa, a girl who crossdresses as a male in order to be part of the prince's guard. The story kicks off in the first fifty pages when Alexa is taken hostage along with the prince and her best friend.  While I didn't love the first book, the series as a whole is so good! If you want to know more about my thoughts on this book or the series as a whole, check out my spoiler free series review.


1.) The Pact by Karina Halle
Last but not least is (new?) adult romance. The novel chronicles the love story of Steph and Linden, two best friends who love each other but don't have the guts to tell each other their feelings. The plot is simple enough, but I couldn't get enough of the characters! A long, long time ago I did a review of this book. You've been warned. It was in my early days when I wasn't sure how to actually write a review. :D

So that was my T5W! What are some of your rainy day reads you would recommend? 

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

March 2016 Wrap Up!

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! In March, I read 6 books. I was in a reading slump from the second half of February to the first half of March, but now I am a reading machine! I'll be listing my March reads from worst to best.

6.) Sinner (Wolves of Mercy Falls #4) by Maggie Steifvater
 I'm sad to say that I didn't like the final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. It just fell short for me, as I was getting higher and higher expectations the more I thought about it. Cole and Isabel, the two main characters, didn't intrigue me as much as the previous books, so I started to find them annoying and their drama petty. However, I am glad I finally finished the series! 2.75 Stars!

5.) Mailboy by Jasmine Rose
Mailboy was such a fun read, but it wasn't anything special to me. The whole novel is featured on the wattpad app, so if you want to read it, go ahead! The book is completely fun and I would recommend it for anyone who wants to read just one more book this month, as it is so fast paced. 3 Stars!

4.) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The only reason I didn't love this book is because I read it for school and I had required pacing. I loved the story of Huck, but the slow pacing really took away from my enjoyment. There were times where I forgot what had specifically happened, and having to constantly rush or slow down my pace hurt my overall experience. 3.75 Stars!

3.) Half Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Half Blood was fun and entertaining, but it didn't hold me as well as some of Armentrout's other works. The book reminded me of Vampire Academy the whole entire time and I just couldn't get past it. I guessed all the plot twists as well, so I wasn't every taken aback. I will be continuing on with the series, but it's not on the forefront with me.  4 Stars!

2.) Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame
Did I Mention I Love You?, or DIMILY, is the first book in Maskame's contemporary trilogy about a girl, Eden,  who falls in love with her new stepbrother, Alex. This book got my attention within the first chapter and I couldn't stop after. DIMILY was such a whirlwind of a ride and I really enjoyed it. 4.25 Stars!


1.) Did I Mention I Need You? by Estelle Maskame
Even better than DIMILY was its sequel. I loved where the plot was taken in this, and though I do have a few faults with the novel, the characters were much more appealing because they were more mature. The ending was amazingly done, and I cannot wait until the third book releases later this year in the US! 4.25 Stars!

Other Posts from the Month!

February 2016 Wrap Up!
Totally Should've Book Tag!
Top Ten Tuesday: Characters People Love That I Just Don't Get
Adaption Talk: Shadowhunters S1E9 - Rise Up
Liebster Award!
EXCITING NEWS!
Anticipated Spring 2016 Releases!
Cover Talk: Vampire Academy Series
Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Love But Don't Talk About
Top Five Wednesday: Books I DNF
Currently Reading: Feuds, Rebel of the Sands (March 2016)
"This or That?" Book Tag
Cover Talk: The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Top Ten Tuesday: My Latest Five Star Reads
Top Five Wednesday: Least Favorite Books in Finished Series 
Mini Review #2

And those were the books I read this month! What did you read?

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!