Stranger Things Book Tag!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'm going to be doing a book tag! I haven't done one of these in a quick minute, but was actually thinking of creating my own Stranger Things book tag when I saw this on my feed. The first one I saw was Jessica from A GREAT Read, and it was made from Tracy at Cornerfolds. Check out their posts, which I hyperlinked.

I absolutely devoured the third season of Stranger Things, and I'm glad to see all the hype transferring into the book community. If Netflix really wanted to get money hungry, they'd do some middle grade/YA book series. Maybe it could focus on the mundane, like what happened in between the time jump of seasons 2 and 3, or other characters, like Eleven's "sister," who I didn't care too much about, to be honest.

Here's a quick low down about my feelings on ST3:

• I wish Nancy had more of a purpose, because it seemed like she was written for the love triangle in mind in the first and second seasons, and then was pushed aside when it all got resolved. 
• The cinematography was on point! The season was so beautiful and eye-catching.
• I thought the ending episode was fantastic. I laughed; I cried. 
• Robin and Erica are such stand outs, and I loved both of them so much. 
• The first couple episodes didn't feel distinct from each other, and I would like a bit more separation from episode to epsilon. I love having a season-long ARC (as we always do), but the singular episode plot lines felt a bit too similar in the first couple episodes.

Okay, now that I got all my rambling over (lol, sorry), onto the reason you clicked on this post...the tag!

Goodreads

I was hooked right as I opened Getaway Girl by Tessa Bailey. While romance novels are easy to interest me in general, I couldn't put this down! Getaway Girl opens with the protagonist, Addison Potts, attempting to crash her cousin's wedding when the groom, Elijah, is stood up. There's drama from the first page, as well as sparks between the two main characters. The novel never slowed down either, even as it nears 300 pages.

Goodreads

I actually don't read too much fantasy anymore. While it was one of my favorite genres when I was getting into reading, I find that I can't connect with the characters as much in a fantastical setting. However, the fantasy world of The Raging Ones would be interesting to experience, but just for a day or so, and then I'd like to come back to the real world, thankyouverymuch. The Raging Ones is set in a far future in a different galaxy and different planets. In this world, people are born knowing when they die. There are some who die before maturation, like Babes, and others who live past 100 years, such as Influentials. I wonder what it would be like to live in this world, where I know the day I was going to die, and if that would affect my actions and values.

BOOK TAG | Greek Gods Book Tag!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and I may be blogging regularly??? What is this life? Now that I'm on Thanksgiving break, I'm using my time to write the rest of my November posts, and hopefully some of my December posts, one of them being this one!

Today I'm participating in the Greek Gods book tag. I wasn't tagged, but did see this on Melanie's blog, Mel to the Any. As someone who was obsessed with Greek gods and goddesses back in the day, I was super excited to see this post. Also, I'm so worn out from university and I didn't have any good ideas, so there's that. 

Here are the rules for the tag:

• Pingback to Zuky here so she can read all your posts!

• You can use her graphics if you like, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. The graphics for this post are my own, so if you use the graphics from here, please credit me (Genni @ Ready, Set, Read)!

• Tag as many people as you want, but please share the love.

Now let's get started!

Um...I don't know if I have just one favorite book. But one of my favorite books of this year has been Autoboyography by Christina Lauren. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang and Analee, in Real Life by Janelle Milanes are standouts as well. All of them have romance and a strong character development.  

 Cat from This Cruel Design is pretty badass. Living with another person in her mind and having to balance both? Pretty hard. Cat tries to subdue an epidemic, traveling around, trying to make allies, and hacking all around. Her actions in the last third of the book were so badass, and with that cliffhanger of and ending, I hope she is okay.

TAG | Life's a Beach Book Tag!

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be doing another tag. After doing the Cake Flavored Book Tag and having such a wonderful time making the graphics and picking out the books, I wanted to do another right away. I saw this tag from Krystianna from Downright Dystopian. Check out her tag post here! 

 Goodreads

Review

The ending of The Empress by SJ Kincaid left me reeling. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I've read several second books in sci-fi/fantasy series, but all my expectations were shattered. Things went off the rails, and weeks (and months) after reading the book, I keep thinking back to the book. I am eagerly anticipating the third book! 

TAG | Cake Flavored Book Tag!

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be doing the Cake Flavored Book Tag! This tag was originally created by Cait from Paperfury, and I saw it recently on Jessica's blog, A GREAT Read! I normally don't do tags that often, but the cake was calling to me! 

A Dark Book that You Loved

 Goodreads

Throughout Reign the Earth, there is almost never a light-hearted moment. Things keep getting worse and worse for Shalia. The tension keeps ramping up, and Shalia gets herself in some very dangerous situations. The ending is heartbreaking, and I can't wait for the sequel. 

The Longest Book Tag!

I was tagged by Lys from The Mad Reader to do this tag!! Thanks so much Lys. :) Lys is a super cool blogger! She's actually a French blogger, and one of the first books she read in English was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! Isn't that cool?

The Rules:

1. Make a list of the five longest books you've ever read.

2. Select two of the longest books on your TBR.

3. Discuss.

4. Tag others

Longest Books I've Read

 

Winter (Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer

Pages: 827

City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare

Pages: 726

Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Pages:672

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Pages: 608

The Winter King (Weahtermages of Mystral #1) by C.L. Wilson  

Pages: 595

All right! Here are some pretty long books! And funny thing is, I gave all of these 4.5 stars or higher. All of these are fantasy/sci fi as well, which doesn't surprise me. With contemporary books, there isn't as much need for world-building like there is in fantasy/sci-fi. All of these books have such an intricate plot, and I love them to bits. I don't know which one is my favorite, though. Winter is the last book in one of my favorite series, The Lunar Chronicles. City of Heavenly Fire is the last book in The Mortal Instruments, which was a series that improved with every book. Gemina is the sequel to Illuminae, and both of those are fantastic and ooze with originality. And The Winter King is the first book in an adult fantasy series. The second book wasn't going to be published, and now it is, and I cannot be happier. Out of all of these, I only own Winter and Illuminae! The rest are definitely on my list to buy!

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!

Chicken Challenge Tag!

This month I have been participating in the Chicken Challenge, which is hosted by Lys @ The Mad Reader. She just relocated her blog to here!

Name a book that scared you!
I don't read scary books or thrillers that often. But if I had to choose, I'd go with Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman! Illuminae is not really a thriller, but it does get really intense after a while. There is this great scene where Cady is going through an abandoned ship that is littered with zombies. I was pretty scared for Cady the whole time I was reading that scene!

What is the funniest prank you've pulled?
I actually haven't pulled a prank! I'm a goody-two shoes! Haha.

Share a spooky/ghost story
I don't know if this is spooky, but it did frighten me! Over the summer, I finished up watching Hannibal, a NBC show focused on Hannibal Lector. The finale was disturbing, to say the least. That night, I had a nightmare of cannibals eating me alive; I could feel them! I woke up to my own screams. Needless to say, it was a rough night of sleep!


What's the scariest movie you've watched?
I would have to say The Shining. I watched The Shining at a pretty young age, and just recently watched it again last year. The movie creeps me out to no end. I'd be screwed if my dad became evil like Jack did. American Horror Story does come to mind as well. Even though it's not a movie, it is scary and creepy! I couldn't get through Freak Show because I was so creeped out. This seasons though, Roanoake, is great. I'm loving and it's scaring the wits out of me weekly!

What is your dream costume?
I have another bad answer for this! There is not really an iconic character that I have always dreamed about dressing up as. Maybe I'll figure it out by Halloween, but it doesn't seem like it! 

Weirdest thing you've eaten?
I'm normally am up for anything, but I can't say I've eaten anything weird per say. I've eaten just about anything you can find in a small town. I have had a ghost pepper though, and that's one of the hottest peppers around. 
 

If you were a fictional villain, who would you be and why? 
I always like villains that have some background and morals. When a villain is just pure evil, I feel like they have no depth. The villain I choose for this question had the right intention (in a way) but made all the wrong decisions. He does have a shot of redemption though! I chose AIDAN from Illuminae!

So that was the Chicken Challenge Tag! Once again, check out Lys' blog for all Chicken Challenge details.

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

The Book Sacrifice Tag!

I was tagged by Lauren @ Always Me for the Book Sacrifice Tag! Thanks so much, Lauren! Here is her post. This is actually one of my favorite tags I've seen around the blogosphere; I'm so excited to do this! 

1. An Over-Hyped Book

Situation: You’re in a store when the zombie apocalypse hits. The military informs everyone that over-hyped books are the zombies only weakness. What book that everyone else says is amazing but you disliked do you start chucking at the zombies?

I remember being so confused why people loved Looking for Alaska when I read it two years ago. I hated the characters, and the book as a whole was lackluster for me.

Netflix and Books Tag!

Hey everyone! So I've been in a pretty bad book slump, and the reason for that is Netflix. It's amazing, but it is a huge problem! I mean, I have watched about four seasons of Grey's Anatomy since June. If any of you are interested, I'm in the middle of season 12 right now. The Netflix and Books Tag was created by Erica from Novel Ink and Lauren from Bookmark Lit! I actually saw this originally at Kay's blog, It's A Book Life, so make sure to check out hers as well!

The Happiness Tag!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! Lauren from Always Me tagged me. If you don't follow her, make sure that you check her out! Her blog is one of my favorites in the book community.

Here are the rules:

1. List 5 things that make you happy.
2. List 5 songs that make you happy.
3. List 5 bloggers that make you happy and let them know that they have been nominated.

"This or That?" Book Tag!

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! Earlier this month I was tagged to do the "This or That?" book tag where I am asked a series of questions. You guys will get a better feel of my reading tastes with these questions!

I have to shout of the lovely Lauren from Always Me! She was the blogger that tagged me and every one of you should check her out. She is the best!

Reading on the bed, or on the couch?
I definitely read on the couch more! I'm that reader who always tosses and turns when I try reading in my bed. 

 Male, or female main character?
To be honest, I don't have a preference. YA normally has female main characters though, so I read more about female main characters.  

Sweet, or salty snacks while reading? 
Salty! I absolutely love salty snacks. Just a couple weeks ago I was obsessed with cheese pretzels. <3

 Trilogies, or quartets? 
Once again, I don't really have a preference as long as it is done well. But if I had to choose between a trilogy or quartet and I didn't know anything about the plot, I would choose quartet, and I don't know why. 


First-person, or third-person POVs?
I like first person more. I feel that I can connect to the characters a lot more and that is a key aspect to my reading experience. I don't mind third person, but it's hard to feel for the characters as much as i do with first person. 

Reading at night, or in the morning?
Is afternoon an option? I do most of my reading in the afternoon to night because I'm either running late or sleeping in the morning. :D

Bookstores, or libraries?
Fun fact about me: I'm cheap. If I can get a book at a library, I will read it from there and then buy it if I loved it. Definitely libraries. 

Books that make you laugh, or cry?
I would say a book that makes me laugh. I don't go into books looking to cry or laugh, but it impresses me more if I laugh out loud while reading. I'm an easy crier and it doesn't take much! 

Black, or white book covers?
White I guess! I really like negative space in book covers, so I would have to go with white. Also, there are way to many black covers. 
 
 Character, or plot-driven stories?   
I'll have to steal Lauren's answer and say both! The perfect book not only has characters that I fall in love with, but a world as well.

Bloggers I'm Tagging:

Cari & Haley @ My Addiction: Books
Anna @ Enchanted by YA
Brittnee @ Geronimo Reads
Laura @ Blue Eye Books 

So that was the This or That Book Tag! Thanks again Lauren for tagging me. :D

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!  

Totally Should've Book Tag!

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! Today I am doing the Totally Should've Book Tag! I was tagged by Lauren at Always Me. Lauren was my very first blogger friend and her blog is one of my favorites! Make sure to check her out after you're done reading. :D I also found this incredible banner over at A World Between Folded Pages! You should definitely visit there as well. :)

I've been wanting to do this tag ever since I saw it pop up on booktube. This is actually my first ever tag I have done and I am so excited!

1.) Totally should've gotten a sequel
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon 
Maybe it's just because I absolutely adored Everything, Everything, but I seriously want to see what happens after the end. The ending was amazing, and it left me wanting another book so I could spend some more time with the characters. 

2.) Totally should've had a spin-off series
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han 
I want to know what happens to Jeremiah! Who was that girl with him at the wedding? Is he happy? How did he react to all the events in the last part of We'll Always Have Summer?


3.) An author who should totally write more books!
Lisa Schroeder
Lisa Schroeder has written plenty of books, and maybe this is more of the case that I want my library to have more of a selection of her work.  

4.) A character who totally should've ended up with someone else

The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor 
If any of you have read this book, you know the ending is brutal. It's not necessarily that I don't like what happened to her relationship status, but more what the characters suffered through. 

5.) Totally should've ended differently
Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han
Ugh. I completely loved this series, and it seemed like the last book in the trilogy was going the way I wanted. Instead, everyone ended up with the wrong person. I really shipped two of the characters together, and instead the girl ended up with a  person who has zero chemistry with her who seemed more like a brother than anything else. 

6.) Totally should've had a movie franchise
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han 
Is this too much Jenny Han in one post? I can't get enough of her and it would be amazing to see any of her books into movies. I just see To All the Boys I've Loved Before as this cool indie romance with good family values. 

7.) Totally should've had a TV show!
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Starbound Trilogy by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
I'm just really feeling science fiction TV shows right now. I especially feel like the Starbound Trilogy would be amazing with its epic cast of characters. The plot of Across the Universe would also be really fun to see play out, especially since it could happen in our future. 

8.) Totally should've had only one point of view
Reached by Ally Condie
Reached was just weird. The first book in the trilogy, Matched, was a solid opening novel. When I read Crossed, it was a major disappointment. Though this was better than the second book in the series, the multiple points of view really took away from the story and made it seem scattered. 

9.) Totally should have had a cover change
Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout
This series did have a cover change, and it still didn't work out! Maybe it is just Jennifer L. Armentrout's covers in general. Out of the plethora of novels she's written, I only like two of them. Faces on covers are rarely done well, and this in not an exception.

10.) Totally should have stopped at book one
Tiger Saga by Colleen Houck 
The first and second book of this series was pretty good. Maybe I read it at the right time, but I definitely did not for the last two. Plus, Ren is a major sexist and nothing about that appeals to me. 

11.) Totally should have kept the original covers
Sky Fall Series by Shannon Messenger
My opinion might be just because I fell in love with the original covers and I am especially balanced. Messenger did say that the covers were changed so that it her series would portray the plot better. I think it does, but it just reminds me of some MG novel, especially the Lost Hero series by Rick Riordan. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I think they look a bit too juvenile. While the book does focus on action, there is a good chunk dedicated to the romance at all, and this doesn't really show that.



I TAG:

Zhana @ Confessions of an Addict
Wendy, Tina, and Shon @ Tangled 'N' Books
Bookish Realm
Poulami @ Daydreaming Books
Cari and Haley @ My Addiction: Books

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!