Ready, Set, Read!: February

Showing posts with label February. Show all posts

Friday, March 9, 2018

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!

Sunday, March 5, 2017

February Wrap Up!

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog!! I'm Genni, and today I'll be wrapping up Feburary.

Unfortunately, February wasn't the best month for me. I got behind on my reading schedule, because I only read three books. (UGHH) Basically, my mom had her second knee replacement in early February, and the difficulty in my classes turned up a notch (or five). While juggling those two things, the school musical started as well. I'm in the pit, and I rehearsed every day after school until 6:30.

The low down is that I had no time for reading at all! March will be better though, since my mom is recovering really well and the musical is wrapping up!

Anyways, here are the three books I managed to fit in!

3) Ascend by Amanda Hocking
Ascend is the final book in Amanda Hocking's Trylle trilogy, which kick-started her wildly successful career. This was my favorite book in the series, and was a strong conclusion. I will be reading the Kanin Chronicles, which is a spinoff featuring a different tribe. You can check out more of my thoughts in my review!

Read More

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

February 2016 Wrap Up!

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I will be showcasing the books I read this month! I'll be listing them from worst to best. I didn't do much reading, but I'm not too worried about my goodreads goal. If I do get behind, I know that I will easily make it up in the summer. So I only read a total of six books this month. That's pretty low for me, but like I said, I'm not worried.

6.) First by M.A. Grant - 2.5 Stars
I actually did a review of First! It is a read now book from NetGalley, so if this book sounds interesting, give it a go! I was very conflicted with First. It's pretty much two new adult stories put into just one book. I think two separate books would have been better. That way, the characters could have been expanded and the lot wouldn't be as rushed. The book fell right down the middle for me, so I gave it 2.5 stars!

5.) Defy by Sara B. Larson - 3 Stars

I picked up Defy on a whim when I saw it available in my online local library. I've heard some mixed things at the time, so I wanted to pick it up and see for myself. This first book in the trilogy was really fun, but I had issues with the main character, Alexa. Her thought process and decision making was sometimes the opposite of what I would have done, but it did make for a very interesting read. I gave Defy 3 Stars! If you want to know more, check out my series review!

4.) Day 21 by Kass Morgan - 3 Stars
Day 21 is the second book from the 100 trilogy by Kass Morgan. These novels are the basis for the CW show The 100, which is one of my favorite TV shows on air right now. Unfortunately, I didn't like the second installment as much as the first. I'm still trying to collect my thoughts, but I am very torn on the progression of the series. As a fan of the TV show, I was expecting more similarities to the cut-throat world that I watch every week. Needless to say, it wasn't as badass as I wanted it to be.

3.) The 100 by Kass Morgan - 3.5 Stars

The 100 is the first book of the aforementioned series. The 100. I actually liked the opening novel more than its sequel. Instead of feeling like it didn't live up to par, I enjoyed the changes between the book and the show. While I didn't necessarily like the changes more than the plot of the show, they did interest me! My favorite part of the book is that there are two main characters, Luke and Glass, that aren't in the show. They are by far my favorite characters of the series!

2.) Ignite by Sara B. Larson - 3.5 Stars

Second to last is the second book in the Defy trilogy by Sara B. Larson! As I mentioned above, I did do a series review of this trilogy. Ignite was such an improvement of the first book. The narrative was better, the character development was strong, and the plot was more intriguing. The ending was really great in the way that it made me want to pick up the next book immediately but wasn't a major cliffhanger.