BOOK REVIEW | Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

Title: Stars Above
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series? Yes, this is a bind up of short stories set in Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series.
Pages: 400
Publication Date: February 2, 2016
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: I checked out the audiobook of Stars Above via Libby. 

The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

--
The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….
The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.
Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.
The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.
After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.
The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess
The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.
Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century...

Goodreads

Meeting Marissa Meyer!

On November 13th, I had a great experience and got to meet Marissa Meyer. Meyer is one of my favorite authors and her Lunar Chronicles series is one of my favorite series of all time. When I heard that she was visiting a book store near me, I was so elated! I've been to two other book events beforehand, and this was by far the most fun I've ever had. 


Marissa Meyer retold Snow White, Grimm style. It was really fun and she put her own flair to it. The one thing that made the experience even more was that Meyer really knew how to work a crowd. She was so charismatic and funny. 

Down below are my pictures of my signed books, the book merch I received, and of the whole entire event! I never thought I'd have the opportunity to meet one of my favorite authors, and I am so glad I got the chance to meet her!

 

So here are the pictures of the signing! The line was pretty rushed at the event because more people showed up than expected, so at first they told me that I could only get three books signed. Luckily, they allowed Marissa to sign all four. I chose to get the stand on all of them and I think it makes the books look so bad-ass. 

So here are all the books on my bookshelf! I really love the look of them all together in one place. I did have to reorganize a lot in order to get them in, but it turned out so much better than I expected! On the left are the temporary Lunar inspired tattoos they gave us along with Winter gloves. They are also have the touch screen fingers so you can use them with your phone!

I had so much fun at this event and I am so glad I got the opportunity to go! Have you guys been to any book events? Did you have a good experience? What's an author you would die to meet?

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

November Wrap Up!

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! Today I am going to be wrapping up my reading month of November. I read a total of 7 books and one short story. I fell into a bit of a reading slump where I just wasn't really reading for a span of a week or so. Though I normally read more than seven books a month, I am still pretty happy that I read that much considering I got into my first reading slump since the year, really!

One thing that I noticed is that all of these books are part of a series or a companion series! I really want to read some standalone novels, so hopefully I'll pick some up in December. In November, I also finished four series! I always love finishing series because it gives me a sense of accomplishment. 

1.) Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry
Rating: 3 Stars
It was really hard for me to like Nowhere But Here. Nothing really clicked for me, and the novel didn't really stand out either. Katie McGarry's novels are blending together. Her writing style is very synonymous in all of her books, and I just got really frusturated. It was a good book and I understand why some people love it, but it just didn't do anything for me. Do I recommend it? I would, for fans of Katie McGarry or contemporary in general. Find more of my thoughts here in my review!

2.) Collide (The Taking #3) by Melissa West
Rating: 4.25 Stars
Collide was the final book in The Taking trilogy by Melissa West. The series is focused on the immenent war between the human race and an alien species. A lot went down at the end of Hover, the second book, and even more happened in this conclusion! I really loved how everything went down and it was a really solid ending to a great series. I did have small issues with it, but it didn't necessarily affect my reading experience. Find my review here!

3.) Winter (Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer
Rating: 5 Stars
Winter was the most anticipated book of this year for me, and it did not disappoint. My mind was blown. Right after I finished the book,  I couldn't see no fault, but now I do. Still, I think it deserves all five stars. If you haven't picked the series up, give it a try! I know I'm happy that I did! Read my fangirl review here!

4.) Sweet Temptation (Sweet #4)  by Wendy Higgins
Rating: 4.25 Stars
Sweet Temptation is another series I finished this month! I was on a roll here wasn't I? Reading this and Winter right after each other gave me a major book hangover and is the reason for the quasi slump. This novel was so much fun to read and it took me by surprise how much I liked it. I had issues with the first book in the series and did with the second as well, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was a great book that exceeded my expectations. Here is my review!

5.) Dawn of the Dreamer by L.J. Higgins
Rating: 3 Stars
Dawn of the Dreamer is the opening novel of a dystopian series by L.J. Higgins. I read this with one of my goodreads groups I am a member in, and had a lot of fun! While I definiltey had some issues with the book, it had a solid story. The ending was tied up really well and I was overall really pleased with it. The characters and the plot were run of the mill, but it was an okay book overall. Read more of my thoughts here in my review.

6.) The Wedding by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rating: 3.75 Stars
The Wedding is probably the shortest shorty story I have read so far. It takes place after the events of Opposition, the last book in the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, which I finished earlier this year. The short story captures, you guessed it, a wedding between two vital characters in the series. This story was just really cutesy and gave me shipper feels, and I'm glad I stumbled upon it while scrolling through goodreads. It didn't necessarily add anything to the story for me, but I'm glad I read it.

7.) A Mad Zombie Party (White Rabbit Chronicles #4) by Gena Showalter
Rating: 4.5 Stars
A Mad Zombie is the last series that I completed this month. It centered around two different main characters than the first three books, but it was really fun! The plot was a little predictable for me in the physical conflict aspect, but that is my only major complaint. The White Rabbit Chronicles is always so much fun to read and I laugh out loud every time I read a book in this series! If you're looking for a series that is fun, sassy, and light hearted (most of the time), I would say to pick this one up! You can find my review of this book here! 

8.) The Crystal Key (Starjumper Legacy #1) by Christopher Bailey
Rating: 3.25 Stars
The Crystal Key started out a lot better than I expected, but then had some low point about half of the way through. This book is a science fiction adventure that follows Allie as she is thrust into a world she never new existed. Yes, it follows the common trope but it was a fun story! 

That's a wrap! While it wasn't my best reading month, I had some pretty amazing reads in November and can't wait to see what December brings! What books did you read in November? Have you read any of the books above?

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

Book Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer

I never knew I could be as content with a book as I am now. 

Reading Winter has got to me one of the best reading experiences I've ever had. As the fourth and final book in the Lunar Chronicles, I had some high expectations. What I received was better than I dared to dream. Due to its intricate plot with a group of main characters, I knew that tying up all the loose ends would be a hard feat to do. I am happy to say that there weren't any loose ends or big questions I still had after reading this novel.

I truly don't have anything to say for the weaknesses of this novel. The pace felt slow about 200 pages in, but never felt as if it was dragging. The slow pace wasn't necessarily slow, in fact it was slow compared to the break neck action and danger found in the majority of the novel. All of the characters were true to who they were in the previous novels. Winter and Jacin, the two main characters newly introduced, were a breath of fresh air. I loved the dynamics of their relationship and how they had a fragile and complicated past as well.

I think my favorite couple out of the four core couples has to either be Thorne and Cress or Kai and Cinder. With Kai and Cinder reuniting at the end of Cress, the third novel in the series, I desperately hoped that Cress and Throne got their happy ending. Their relationship is so cute. Both have their insecurities pertaining to one another, but in the end they make each other better people. Scarlet and Wolf's relationship deemed stronger than ever in this novel. I love how they always support each other, no matter what changes occured. Winter and Jacin have great chemistry. They were childhood best friends and Jacin has stuck by her side since then. What I loved most about their dynamic was that because they've known each other for so long, I knew there was no other pretenses as to why they interacted.

The intricate world building of this series has truly paid off in this concluding novel. I was never confused throughout any of the novel as to the structure of how everything worked. As a reader, we have been both introduced to the Eastern Commonwealth and Luna.The political relationship between these two is tense to say the least, but I loved the political tension. In fact, the political tension between Earth and Luna really enhances the novel.

The last thing I want to talk about is the amazing turn of events throughout the novel. Marissa Meyer wrote an amazing novel and I literally would never have guessed some of the main things that happened. There were some major points in the final battle that I was blown away by. There were developments that I never truly saw coming and I loved every single one of them. The last 150 or so pages were downright amazing. They were so great to read and I was speeding through needing to know what would happen.

While not all my predictions came true, Winter was even better than my imagination and it was a wonderfully crafted novel. The Lunar Chronicles has been cemented as one of my favorite series with this conclusion and I could not be happier.

With that, I give this book

5 out of 5 Stars!

Currently Reading #5!

Hey guys and welcome back to my blog! Today I'm going to update you on what I've been reading.


As of right now, I'm reading three different books! This normally never happens. I usually stick to one book and then move right on to the other. This is probably why I haven't finished as much books and I usually have this time of the month. I don't feel a reading slump coming on, so that's good!

Winter is the one of the three books I'm reading right now and I'm adoring it! I just reached page 660 out of 824, which is 80 percent of the way through. I'm so close to the end and I can't wait to see how it wraps up! By Monday, I want this book read. Everything is coming to its climax, and I know the end is going to be amazing. This book is already spectacular. There are so many plots and sub plots that have to be resolved, so I'm glad Meyer didn't try to rush it and make the book any smaller than it is.

The other book that I have been focusing on is Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins. This novel is the fourth book in the series. Sweet Temptation actually recaps the first three books but in Kai's point of view and not Anna's. I'm really liking it so far. Yes, the book is not perfect, but it's a really substantial novel.Since Sweet Temptation is basically an overview of the three novels, I already know what is going to happen next. However, I really love reading from Kai's POV because it really clears up a lot from the series. I'm reading this through my online library on Overdrive, so I don't know what actual page I am on. All I know is that I'm also 80 percent done with this one as well. Once again, I'm hoping to finish it by Monday as well.

The final book I've been reading has been on the back burner. I kind of stopped reading it once I got my hands on Winter. The Dawn on the Dreamer by L.J. Higgins is a solid book. While it's not the best thing I've ever read, I love the premise of it. If you haven't heard of the book, Dawn of the Dreamer is actually a dystopian read that follows a girl throughout the corrupt society. In this world, dreaming is prohibited and controlled by a device implemented in everyone's body. This contraption doesn't work on our main character, Amelia, and she is studied by the government as to why. You can find it's goodreads page here. I'm just going to read this at my own pace and see where it takes me, so I don't really have a time that I am aiming to be finished by.




Have you guys read any of these or are any on your TBR? What have you thought of them? What are you currently reading?

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

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

Book Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Fairest is exactly what I needed to hold me over until Winter, the conclusion to the Lunar Chronicles that is coming out late this year.

Fairest is book 3.5 of the Lunar Chronicles and centers around the antagonist of the series, Levana. The novel is a flashback to Levana's childhood and her rise to the throne. We first see Levana at the age of 15, and by the end of the novel, she is somewhere in her mid-twenties. It was captivating to read how Levana became this dark and sinister character. She is so horrific in the first three books, and seeing her become who she is now was disturbing but addictive.

 Reading this book was such a pleasure and I read it in almost one sitting. I never expected someone to be so evil and malicious. Levana has dark thoughts at an early age, and never seems to have remorse over her decisions until it's too late to make any reprimands. One of my favorite aspects of this story was that we saw Levana's older sister Channary. It's hard to believe, but if you think Levana is bad, Channary is on a whole other level. While Levana becomes evil due to the way she was always raised and the situations she was forced into, Channary was born purely evil. Her only one redeeming quality was that she was a good mother, but who knows what she might have done to Princess Selene when she grew up?

Fairest itself is a prequel novella to the series, so it is nowhere as long as the first three books and only has 222 pages. As a prequel, there isn't anything that is developed with the story that takes place in modern time, but I do recommend reading the first three books before Fairest. This is because as a reader, you'll be able to understand things more clearly and also grasp how Levana's evil actions affect the future.

I didn't really have any issues with the novel itself, but when I was reading it, it seemed as if something was missing. When I read Meyer's previous novels in the series I was blown away and thought that the series couldn't get any better, but I was wrong. Reading this book, I know the series is a whole is better than this book. I wasn't blown away by it, but I was intrigued and couldn't put it down. If you're hesitant to pick up Fairest and just wait for the conclusion, Winter, I would say you were going to be missing out an a great story that made me understand Levana better as a character.

With that, I give this book

A solid 4 out of 5 stars!