Waiting on Wednesday #71

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in Waiting on Wednesday, and meme originally created by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Jill hasn't been active for a while, so Tressa @ Wishful Endings has adopted it! If you see posts by the name of "Can't Wait Wednesday," it's the same thing!

The book I'm looking forward to this week is On a Cold Dark Sea by Elizabeth Blackwell!

On April 15, 1912, three women climbed into Lifeboat 21 and watched in horror as the Titanic sank into the icy depths. They were strangers then…

Con artist Charlotte Digby lied her way through London and onto the Titanic. The disaster could be her chance at a new life—if she hides the truth about her past. Esme Harper, a wealthy American, mourns the end of a passionate affair and fears that everything beautiful is slipping from her grasp. And Anna Halversson, a Swedish farm girl in search of a fresh start in America, is tormented by the screams that ring out from the water. Is one of them calling her name?

Twenty years later, a sudden death brings the three women back together, forcing them to face the impossible choices they made, the inconceivable loss, and the secrets they have kept for far too long.

Goodreads

Mini Movie Reviews | Miss Stevens, Darkest Hour, 47 Meters Down

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be reviewing some movies! Miss Stevens, Darkest Hour, and 47 Meters Down could not be more different from each other. One is a contemporary drama about a drama competition, the other about Winston Churchill during WW2, and the last is about two sisters trapped 47 meters down with sharks circling them. 

Without further ado, here are my mini movie reviews!

Miss Stevens
Release Date: September 16, 2016
Run Time: 1 hour, 27 minutes
Genre: Drama
Rating: Not Rated

After watching Call Me By Your Name and loving it (review here!), I had to see more of Timothee Chalamet in a film. Luckily for me, Miss Stevens was available on Netflix. I decided to give it a go, and I'm glad that I did. Miss Stevens follows three high school teenagers and Lily Rabe, who plays the titular Miss Stevens. Stevens takes these three teenagers, Billy, Margot, and Sam, to a drama competition. The plot may not seem like much, but it sure does pack a punch. All the performances were solid, but Lily Rabe truly shines in this movie. She was what really made the movie great instead of good. While I loved seeing Chalamet on the screen again, and was pleasantly surprised seeing Lilli Reinhart, this is Rabe's film, and she owns it. I thought the portrayal of a late 20's teacher whose life isn't the dewy-eyed dream we all hoped for was raw and realistic. Plus, there's some hope dashed in there, so it' not a downer!

Though Miss Stevens is a great film, and the Lily Rabe's performance was stunning, I wasn't left thinking about it. I watched it, enjoyed it, and went on with my life. It didn't leave as much of an impact on me as I was hoping. 

With that, I give Miss Stevens an B+.  

Waiting on Wednesday #70

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in Waiting on Wednesday, and meme originally created by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Jill hasn't been active for a while, so Tressa @ Wishful Endings has adopted it! If you see posts by the name of "Can't Wait Wednesday," it's the same thing!

The book I'm looking forward to this week is Nightblood by Elly Blake!

Ruby's world has changed more than she ever could have imagined. She's in love with a powerful Frost King. She's the heir to the Fire Throne. And she may be a Nightblood--the spawn of a vengeful deity hellbent on releasing his wraithlike Minax from their prison. Once freed, these beasts will roam the earth, devouring every last person until he or she is nothing but an empty husk. But Ruby is able to control the Minax to a degree, and now she, her beloved Arcus, and her friend Kai must find a way to bring Frostbloods and Firebloods--sworn enemies--together to make a stand against a foe more deadly than any they've faced.

In this heart-pounding finale of Elly Blake's gorgeously written and action-packed Frostblood Saga, the fate of Frostbloods, Firebloods, and all of humanity is at stake.

Goodreads

Top Ten Tuesday | Books on my Spring TBR!

Hey everyone and welcome back (or to!) my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Until this 2018, The Broke and Bookish hosted the meme!

The topic of this week are books that are on our spring TBR. If you don't know, I'm a huge mood reader. Because of that, I have a lot of books that I'm interested in, but not necessarily a set list. So these 10 books are what I'll hopefully read, but I won't be surprised if I don't get to them.

Without further ado, here are 10 books that I may read this spring!

2018 Challenge Check Ins!

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be checking in with the year-long reading challenges I am participating in!

First, the goodreads challenge! As of when I'm writing this post (March 15), I have read 16 books. My goodreads challenge is for 100 books. I'm a little bit behind, but I'm not worried! I think I'll be able to easily catch up during the summer.

I am also doing the Book to Movie Reading Challenge, hosted by Gather Together and Read!

For this challenge, I decided to do level 3b, which is to read 4+ books from any release year, and those corresponding adaptions.


So far, I am a halfway through! I have read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (review here!) and seen the movie adaption, Love, Simon (review here!). I really enjoyed both of them, and recommend them!


I also read The Martian by Andy Weir. I loved the book, and highly recommend it if you are okay with ready super scientific language at times. The movie was pretty good too! I do like the book more, but who is surprised about that?


As for the other two books, I have one that I know I'll accomplish. I watched Call Me By Your Name this January (and loved it!!), but I am still in line for the book at my school's library. Hopefully I'll get it soon and cross that off my list!

The next challenge is the 2018 Finish the Series Reading Challenge, hosted by Celebrity Readers!

For this challenge, I am a C-list series finisher reader. This means that I wanted to read 1-4 book series. I didn't want to stress myself out, so I kept it as minimal as possible.

As of now, I have finished one series, the Come Back to Me companion trilogy by Mila Gray. I actually read the second book, Stay With Me, last, and it was my least favorite. I thought it was good, but it didn't hold a flame in comparison to the first and third for me. I have also started three series (The Lady Janies, Our Dark Stars, Road to Eugenica), but am only for-sure going to continue with The Lady Janies.

I'm glad that I didn't push myself with this one and stress out, which I think will lead me to finish even more series. This challenge is completed!

Lastly, I am participating in the Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge, hosted by Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf. 

The goal was just to read witchy books. So far, I haven't completed any witchy books, but I am reading Toil & Trouble: 16 Tales of Women & Witchcraft. It's an anthology, and I'm making my way through it right now! So this challenge is (almost!) completed. :)

So that's how my challenges are going! I'm doing okay, all things considered. 

How are you doing with your challenges? 

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

MOVIE REVIEW | Love, Simon

Love, Simon
Release Date: March 16, 2018
Run Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Genre: Drama/Romance (coming of age)
Rating: PG-13

Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier it’s a little more complicated: he’s yet to tell his family or friends he’s gay and he doesn’t actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he’s fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing. Directed by Greg Berlanti (Riverdale, The Flash, Supergirl), screenplay by Elizabeth Berger & Isaac Aptaker (This is Us), and based on Becky Albertalli’s acclaimed novel, LOVE, SIMON is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.

Waiting on Wednesday #69

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in Waiting on Wednesday, and meme originally created by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Jill hasn't been active for a while, so Tressa @ Wishful Endings has adopted it! If you see posts by the name of "Can't Wait Wednesday," it's the same thing!

The book I'm looking forward to this week is My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton!

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

Goodreads

INTERVIEW | Krystal Wade and Audrey Grey of Our Dark Stars!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be interviewing Krystal Wade and Audrey Grey, the co-authors of their new release, Our Dark Stars! Our Dark Stars is out now, so make sure to check it out! Down below are the links. If you are interested in reading more of my thoughts on the book, check out my review here.

Goodreads | B&N | Amazon | Book Depository

Without further ado, here is my interview! 

Hi Audrey and Krystal! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. Can either (or each!) of you describe Our Dark Stars in 10 words or less?

Krystal:  Artificial Intelligence, Forbidden Friendships, Epic Space Battles, War, Betrayal!

Audrey: Sleeping Beauty, Slavery, Tolerance, Space, Forgiveness.

My February Wrap Up!

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be looking at my February! Unfortunately, I did not read much on February. I've been super busy, but my spring break starts next weekend, so hopefully I will catch up on some books I've wanted to read for a while now. I also saw some movies (not as much as January), and I'll be talking about those as well!

Books

1) Our Dark Stars by Krystal Wade and Audrey Grey
I received Our Dark Stars via Netgalley! The cover is what drew me in, but the plot is what sold me. Told in dual POVs (and at times two different time periods), Our Dark Stars follows a galaxy where humans and mocks (think androids) are at odds with each other. In the past, humans ruled, and now, mocks do. The book follows Talia Starchaser, a human meant to rule the galaxy, and Will Perrault, a half mock captain. I did have my issues with the book, but I enjoyed it overall. Here is my review!  

2) Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
I could not WAIT for Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett! After reading Alex, Approximately last year (and loving it! review here), I was sold on Starry Eyes. When I got the ARC I could not believe it, and was ecstatic! Starry Eyes did not disappoint, and my review will be up closer to the release date. 

3) The Martian by Andy Weir
Honestly, I picked up The Martian on a whim and I don't regret it at all. I've heard amazing things about the book and the movie, and I completely understand. I might not have understood the science talk, but I was completely immersed. Hopefully I'll watch the movie this March!
 

4) Under the Lights by Abbi Glines
Under the Lights is the sequel to Until Friday Night, which I read last year and had some problems with. I liked Until Friday Night, but I thought there was some problematic areas with how the relationships were taken (review here). The same problems existed with this sequel, and I just thought this book was okay. I wouldn't recommend it, but I can see why people love it. 
 

5) Bookish Boyfriends by Tiffany Schmidt
Lastly, I read Bookish Boyfriends by Tiffany Schmidt. I won't be talking about this as long (I'm writing my review right now!) but I thought it was enjoyable!  

Movies

1) Miss Stevens
I watched Miss Stevens, which is available on Netflix in the USA, after I watched Call Me By Your Name. I am obsessed with Timothee Chalamet now, and after I saw CMBYN, I wanted to see another movie he was in. I really enjoyed Miss Stevens! I didn't like it as much as CMBYN, but I thought it was really well done. The performances were spectacular, specifically that of Lily Rabe! It was fun seeing Chalamet again, and Lili Reinhart was also in this, which was a pleasant surprise. 

2) Darkest Hour
There was a free screening on The Darkest Hour at my college campus, so I went! I heard amazing things about Gary Oldman's performance as Winston Churchill, and I thought he did a great job (so did the Academy, considering he won the award for best actor)! I just don't think this movie was for me. There were scenes that I thought were compelling, but the movie was slow and I felt the length of it. Technically, this movie is superb, but the emotional impact was lost on me.  

3) Lady Bird
It feels so long ago since I saw Lady Bird! I saw this in the theaters with my mom, and it was a great experience. I loved the humor, and I thought that the relationship between Lady Bird and her mother was so raw and well acted. Soairse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf were amazing, and well deserving of their Oscar nominations! 

4) The First Time
So I really wanted to see this movie back in 2011 when it released. I saw it on Netflix and was bored, so I decided to give it a go. Though Britt Robertson and Dylan O'Brien have chemistry together, the movie falls flat. The characters are one-dimensional, and even the main characters feel contrived. Also, there was a good deal of slut-shaming soo....no. 
 

5) When We First Met
Another movie that I saw on Netflix! When We First Met wasn't horrible, but I didn't particularly love it either. 

6) Camille
I really, really liked Camille! I watched it for a film class I'm in, and thought that the movie was so captivating. The costume design is spot on, and I loved Greta Garbo's performance. I don't have too much to say about this, but I do think it is a movie worth seeing! 

7) Marie Antoinette
Lastly, I watched 2006's Marie Antoinette, directed by Sofia Copalla. I didn't hate Marie Antoinette, but the movie never felt like it had a plot. Yes, Marie Antoinette is an interesting character, but without a concrete plot, the movie was weakened. The costume design on this was beautiful as well, and I thought the movie did a great job combining the fashion of the late 1700s and 1950s, as well as adding in some modern influence.  

So those are the book I read and the movies I watched in February! As for what I'm reading right now, I am listening to the audiobook of My Lady Jane and reading an ARC for Nyxia: Unleashed! 

Have you read or seen any of these?

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

Waiting on Wednesday #68

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be participating in Waiting on Wednesday, and meme originally created by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Jill hasn't been active for a while, so Tressa @ Wishful Endings has adopted it! If you see posts by the name of "Can't Wait Wednesday," it's the same thing!

The book I'm looking forward to this week is Life L1k3 by Jay Kristoff!

On an island junkyard beneath a sky that glows with radiation, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap.

Seventeen-year-old Eve isn't looking for trouble--she's too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she spent months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, she's on the local gangster's wanted list, and the only thing keeping her grandpa alive is the money she just lost to the bookies. Worst of all, she's discovered she can somehow destroy machines with the power of her mind, and a bunch of puritanical fanatics are building a coffin her size because of it.

If she's ever had a worse day, Eve can't remember it. The problem is, Eve has had a worse day--one that lingers in her nightmares and the cybernetic implant where her memories used to be. Her discovery of a handsome android named Ezekiel--called a "Lifelike" because they resemble humans--will bring her world crashing down and make her question whether her entire life is a lie.

With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic sidekick Cricket in tow, Eve will trek across deserts of glass, battle unkillable bots, and infiltrate towering megacities to save the ones she loves... and learn the truth about the bloody secrets of her past.

Goodreads

Five Reasons Why I Love Netgalley!

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be doing a discussion post of sorts. Basically, I just love Netgalley and I want everyone to know! So down below are a few of the reasons that I adore the site!

1) It's approachable to small bloggers!

This might be one of my favorite things about Netgalley. When I was new to blogging, I wanted to get arcs, but didn't think I would be able to because I hadn't had experience and had a smaller follower base. But Netgalley has "Read Now" options! Any user can read those books, and it allowed me to have some experience and gain confidence! After reading some "read now" books, I felt like I knew what I was doing.

2) It's easy to navigate

Let me tell you, when I first started Netgalley, I was confused on their navigation. But after a week, I had it down pat. There's four main tabs on Netgalley: Dashboard, Your Shelf, Find Titles, and Browse Publishers. The last two are pretty self-explanatory, and allow you to pinpoint specific titles and publishers. The dashboard shows titles the blogger might be interested in, as well as favorite publishers and a space to review recently approved titles. There is also this section that gives you tips on what to do before requesting. Here is the link, it's super helpful! For me, I've never truly understood how to navigate Edelweiss+, so I normally never visit the site.