POLL | Make Me Read It Readathon 2018!

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be doing a little announcement post for a readathon!

I've participated in the make Me Read It Readathon for two years (I think), and I love it! The readathon is hosted by Val @ The Innocent Smiley and Ely @ Of Wonderland. Here is the low down of the readathon!

I Got a New Twitter Profile!

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'm just here to post a quick little announcement! I started a new twitter profile specifically for my blog! 

My first profile, @gennireads, was originally for my blog, but many of my friends in real life follow it. I always struggled with whether or not I should post my blog posts onto that twitter account, as I knew many of my followers weren't interested in the blogging or book community. I also didn't want to just post about my normal life, because there was a good chunk of followers from the blogging community! Ergo, I never tweeted! To solve this problem, I made two different accounts. The new account is for my blog. You can visit my profile here, or look me up! My twitter handle is @genniblogs. Also, I changed the twitter logo on the right sidebar to link up to @genniblogs. 

With this change, expect to see many more tweets from me! I'll be posting about my reviews and other posts on the blog, as well as my thoughts while reading, and maybe my take on some bookish drama! 

If you also have a twitter, please comment your username below! I'd love to follow you and talk with you more. :) 

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

BOOK REVIEW | Sanctuary by Caryn Lix

Title: Sanctuary
Author: Caryn Lix
Series? I couldn't find any information on a sequel, but there is room for another book. However, if the this could stand alone.
Publication Date: July 24, 2018
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: I received an e-arc of Sanctuary via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. :)

Alien meets Alexandra Bracken’s The Darkest Minds in this thrilling debut novel about prison-guard-in-training, Kenzie, who is taken hostage by the superpowered criminal teens of the Sanctuary space station—only to have to band together with them when the station is attacked by mysterious creatures.

Kenzie holds one truth above all: the company is everything.

As a citizen of Omnistellar Concepts, the most powerful corporation in the solar system, Kenzie has trained her entire life for one goal: to become an elite guard on Sanctuary, Omnistellar’s space prison for superpowered teens too dangerous for Earth. As a junior guard, she’s excited to prove herself to her company—and that means sacrificing anything that won’t propel her forward.

But then a routine drill goes sideways and Kenzie is taken hostage by rioting prisoners.

At first, she’s confident her commanding officer—who also happens to be her mother—will stop at nothing to secure her freedom. Yet it soon becomes clear that her mother is more concerned with sticking to Omnistellar protocol than she is with getting Kenzie out safely.

As Kenzie forms her own plan to escape, she doesn’t realize there’s a more sinister threat looming, something ancient and evil that has clawed its way into Sanctuary from the vacuum of space. And Kenzie might have to team up with her captors to survive—all while beginning to suspect there’s a darker side to the Omnistellar she knows.

Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW | Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen

Title: Nyxia Unleashed
Author: Scott Reintgen
Series? Yes, Nyxia Unleashed is the second in a YA science fiction series.
Pages: 400
Publication Date: July 17, 2018
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Source: I received an e-galley of Nyxia Unleashed in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. :)

Getting to Eden brought Emmett and his crewmates one step closer to their promised fortune. But surviving Eden may be the biggest reward of all. Discover book two in the trilogy Marie Lu called, “a high-octance thriller.”

Emmett Atwater thought Babel’s game sounded easy. Get points. Get paid. Go home. But it didn’t take long for him to learn that Babel’s competition was full of broken promises, none darker or more damaging than the last one.

Now Emmett and the rest of the Genesis survivors must rally and forge their own path through a new world. Their mission from Babel is simple: extract nyxia, the most valuable material in the universe, and play nice with the indigenous Adamite population.

But Emmett and the others quickly realize they are caught between two powerful forces—Babel and the Adamites—with clashing desires. Will the Genesis team make it out alive before it’s too late?

Goodreads 

Let's Talk | Blaming the Victim in Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault  (Unwanted Groping) and Sexual Harassment 


A couple weeks ago, I read Katie McGarry's Say You'll Remember Me. I've read other books my McGarry and enjoyed them, and I thought I would enjoy her newest release. Unfortunately, I was taken aback by how McGarry handled instances of sexual assault and harassment. I am shocked that such blatant victim blaming was allowed in the book, and that the sexual assault and harassment were used as mere plot devices for the two leads to become closer. 

One of the most blatant examples of victim blaming comes halfway through the audiobook, when Ellison, the main character, is sexually groped by a politician at an event. When she leaves the room to take a breath of air, she is chastised by one of her peers, Andrew, for interacting with the man who assaulted her. Andrew tells her that Ellison should have known better, and shouldn't have talked to the assaulter. First, the assaulter approached her, and she didn't know how to get out of the situation, considering that the attacker was in a power of position, and was potentially financing Ellison's father's run for senate. Then, after Andrew leaves, her love interest, Hendricks, comes up. When the approach the topic of Ellison's assault, he says, "That asshole touched you, and you let him." Ellison, in her inner thoughts, concedes to this point, stating how she did not verbally or physically protest the groping. In these interactions, readers are told that it is their fault if they are assaulted. The message in these scenes are clear: Ellison should have known better, and because she didn't verbally or physically protest, she is at fault for her own assault. The way this was handled was, frankly, horrifying. We should never put any of the blame on victims, no matter the situation, and I'm surprised that through rounds of edits that the assault was handled better.

Before this scene, a pattern of sexual harassment and assault against Ellison was established. Early in the book, Ellison goes to a fair. She was supposed to be with Andrew (aforementioned peer), but because they don't get along, they went their separate ways. While she was walking through the fair, she is followed by a pair of college men who taunt her. They first tell her how beautiful she is, and when she doesn't give them any attention, they begin to tell her what they want done to them sexually, and grab their crotches. Ellison eventually gets away from them, only for them to later follow her. At this point, Ellison has met Hendricks, her love interest. Hendricks helps Ellison, and is labeled a hero. From there on, Hendricks wants to continue to be Ellison's hero. When she is sexually assaulted at the aforementioned party, Hendricks' remarks being jealous that Andrew swooped in, claiming that he wanted to be Ellison's hero. This situation is problematic for a few reasons, as detailed below.

1. Ellison's sexual assault and harassment are plot points that allows Hendricks, the male love interest, to be a hero. The attention is not on what Ellison is experiencing and how the actions of the three men are horrific, but on how wonderful and valiant Hendricks is. This shows that Katie McGarry isn't adding in the sexual assault and harassment to make a statement on today's society, but is adding it in as a plot point to further along the romantic relationship of the two protagonists. 
2. Hendrick's is labeled as a "hero," for doing something morally just. Men shouldn't be applauded for doing something decent, like interfering when someone is being harassed or assaulted. Yes, it is great that Ellison was able to remove herself from both situations with the help of others, but we shouldn't commend others for doing what should be expected, which is to help in any way they can. 
3. Since a pattern of harassment and assault was established a the fair scene, and then later when Ellison remarks that she had called her brother in the past when something similar happened to her before, it is even more troubling that Ellison and others put the blame on her. Hendricks says he wants to be her hero, as he was labeled after the fair incident, and yet he blames Ellison the next time something similar happens. By having Hendricks labeled as a hero, readers are more likely to disregard his later response, or even think it is appropriate. 

This past year, there has been a rising conversation on sexual assault, whether in Hollywood, the political sphere, or everyday life. While strides are being made, books like Say You'll Remember Me are flying under the radar despite the problematic content. The novel has a 3.99 average rating on goodreads, and a large majority of the reviews love Ellison and  Hendricks' relationship. As reviewers, I believe it is our responsibility to call out novels for their problematic content, in hopes of bettering the community, the books we read, and the morals they teach. There are young adult novels that have much healthier relationships, and I urge you to look elsewhere if you want to read a contemporary romance. 

Have you read Say You'll Remember Me? What did you think? Let's discuss!

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

BOOK REVIEW | Everless by Sara Holland

Title: Everless
Author: Sara Holland
Series? Yes, Everless is the first book in a duology.
Pages: 362
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: I checked out the audiobook of Everless from my local library via Libby. 

In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.

Goodreads

Mini Book Reviews | Romance!

Title: Roomies
Author: Christina Lauren
Series? No
Pages: 368
Publication Date: December 5, 2017
Publisher: Gallery Books
Source: I checked out the paperback edition of Roomies from my local library.

Even though I mostly read Young Adult fiction, I heard a lot about Roomies from other bloggers. It seems like everyone had fun reading it, so I decided to give it a go. Little did I know that Roomies would spur a need inside me to read more romance! Author duo Christina Lauren is wildly popular, and after reading Roomies, I completely understand. The romance between the leads, Calvin and Holland, was palpable and the sex scenes were written very well. There is quite a bit of comedy in Roomies as well, which balanced out the drama interspersed through the novel. Though I don't think I would enter a marriage of convenience, as Holland does to ensure Calvin isn't deported, it did allow for a fun and sexy read! I would recommend Roomies, especially if you are more interested in contemporary romances rather than fantastical or historical romances! 

I give Roomies 4 out of 5 Flowers!

BOOK REVIEW | Hunted by Meagan Spooner

Title: Hunted
Author: Meagan Spooner
Series: No, Hunted is a standalone
Pages: 374
Publication Date: March 14, 2017
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: I checked out the audiobook of Hunted from my local library via the app Libby.

New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner spins a thoroughly thrilling Beauty and the Beast story for the modern age, expertly woven with spellbinding romance, intrigue, and suspense that readers won’t soon be able to forget.

Beauty knows the Beast's forest in her bones—and in her blood. After all, her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering its secrets. So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters out of their comfortable home among the aristocracy and back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas . . . or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. The Beast.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange creature back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of magical creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin, or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW | Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

Title: Stay Sweet
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Series? No, Stay Sweet is a standalone
Pages: 368
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: I listened to the audiobook of Stay Sweet from my local library via Libby.

A summer read about first love, feminism, and ice cream.

Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends. Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that the stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind…

Goodreads

June Wrap Up + Updates!

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni and today I'll be talking about the books I have read in June as well as share some updates! 

June was a pretty great reading month for me (11 books!) and now I'm only three books behind my goodreads goal! I also enjoyed all the books I read last month. All of them were 3.5 Star reads or more! I've only reviewed three of the eleven so far, so be on the lookout for some more reviews this July!

1) Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Save the Date is Matson's newest release, and I really enjoyed it! It wasn't my favorite, but it was entertaining. There was just a bit too many antics for me, and the book seemed much longer than the couple days it took place in. 

2) Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Review
 

Breathe is the first in a dystopian duology. Though I didn't love the book, it was good enough for me to continue on with the series. I'm planning on reading Resist this first week of July. The characters verged on one-dimensional, but the setting itself was intriguing.