Tuesday 14 October 2014

September Wrap-Up!

Hey guys!

Yes, I know. I'm a bit late with this wrap up, seeing as we are already halfway through October, but I just remembered this morning that I hadn't done it yet. I read 11 books in September and I'm quite proud of myself for keeping my reading up so well. October isn't going as well because I have a lot of assignments due but we'll see how it pans out at the end of the month. But now, back to September!

So the first book I ticked off this month was the conclusion to the Across the Universe series. This series consumed me heart and soul for a good while there. It's definitely not the best series I've read but it is really addicting. I found this third book to be my least favourite of the series but I still loved it a whole lot and found it a fitting conclusion (even though I was quite annoyed at one particular part of the ending but I won't mention it because spoilers). I would definitely recommend this one to sci-fi lovers! You won't regret it! I gave it 4/5 stars.

Having put up my review for Heir of Fire the other day, it seems a bit odd discussing the first book in this series afterward but that shows how organised this blog is. I absolutely adore this series, although this book was definitely not the best. It is a good read but when put up against the rest of the book in the series, it dulls in comparison. It's still a fun ride and sets up what is quickly becoming one of my favourite series. I gave it 4/5 stars.

So, this starts my small train of comic books. I worked at two Oz Comic-Con events in the month of September and bought a significant amount of comics (check out the pile here). And this comic was fantastic! It's my first Black Widow comic and it was a great place to begin. The story is really nicely paced, Natasha is really interesting to read about and the art was magnificent. I'm really pumped to read the rest of this run. I gave it 4.5/5 stars.

Another first! I haven't read any Hawkeye stuff before and I kept hearing raving reviews of this new Hawkeye run so I had to pick it up and boy, am I glad I did! For me, this comic holds up because of Clint Barton and Kate Bishop. The characters themselves and the relationship between them is wonderful to read and is a very central part of what makes this comic so great. Would definitely recommend if you're interested in reading some Hawkeye comics. I gave it 5/5 stars.

These characters don't have a lot of comics to their name but I kept hearing good things, so I picked the first two volumes up on a whim. I am so thankful for that decision. These comics are so wonderful in so many ways. I got so invested in the characters and I finished the whole run in a day. I just could not recommend it enough. I will say that it might be good to read the previous stories first (there isn't a lot) just for a bit of back story. That being said, I didn't and I still got my head around it. I gave it 4/5 stars.

This one was even better than the first and I read it just as quickly. I gave it 4/5 stars. I gave it 4/5 stars.

My absolute favourite of the lot. I can't believe this series only got three volumes but I'm also glad it didn't run on for so long that I grew bored of it. It was a excellent conclusion, if not slightly heart-wrenching because of the last frame. I already wanted to go re-read the comics when I finished. I gave it 5/5 stars.

This book was everything I wanted from the Throne of Glass series. I was feeling a little doubtful after book 1, but this book just blew me away. It was fast-paced and emotional and epic. I'm still in denial about what happened at the end of part 1 but I love how the repercussions of that were dealt with and still are being dealt with. Once again, I could not recommend this series more. I gave it 5/5 stars.

As you can see, this month was the month for graphic novels. I've been dying to read this book for ages now and I am so annoyed that I picked it up just before going on a book buying ban. Only because now I have to wait to read the rest of the series. This book was so unexpectedly interesting and dark for a middle grade novel. The art is also just stunning. I would definitely recommend this one! I gave it 4/5 stars.

Well, this was definitely stepping out of my comfort zone a bit. I read this because I was actually meant to read it for a class earlier this year. I never finished it for the class but I did read half of it and got the urge to finish it (I hate leaving books unfinished). It was strange and creepy and everything you'd expect to see in a classic gothic novel and more. It's really interesting to read something like this although I can't say if I particularly liked or disliked it. I ended up giving it 3/5 stars.

Okay, so I'm not going to talk a lot about this book because I posted up a full review/discussion of the book so if you want to know my thoughts on this book check that out here. I will say that I liked this book but it was not as fantastic as I was lead to believe. I had quite a few issues with it but I liked a lot of parts, too. I ended up giving it a 3/5 rating.







Okay, so there we go. I did have quite a good month of reading. Most of the books were 4 stars or more which is always nice. How many books did you read in September? Were any the same as mine? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!
Jess, xxx

Thursday 9 October 2014

Top 5 Wednesdays: Female Characters

Hey, guys! So it's been awhile since I did a T5W but I couldn't pass up this week's topic and miss my chance to talk about my favourite literary ladies! I was supposed to post this yesterday but I got distracted and only wrote half of it up, oops. Also, these ones are in no particular order because that would be too difficult. Anyway, let's go!

#1: Hermione Granger, Harry Potter Series
I actually think Hermione was one of the first (if not the actual first) characters that I ever related to and admired. When I read this series as a child, I looked up to her so much. I loved that she was strong and intelligent as well as heavily flawed. I can't not mention her one discussing favourite female characters. 

#2: Celaena Sardothien, Throne of Glass Series
Having only recently read this series, it's been on my mind quite a bit. Especially in regards to how much I love Celaena! One of the big things I appreciate about her character is how much of a badass she is without having to disregard her femininity to do so. Her strength is shown both emotionally and physically. She is a kickass assassin who likes to wear dresses and look pretty. She is just so great.

#3: Sansa Stark, A Song of Ice and Fire Series
Okay, guys, let me tell you a thing. Sansa Stark is possibly one of the most underrated characters in not only this series, but just in general. She is a character I will die defending. At the start of the series, I was with a lot of other people. I did not like her for various reasons. But what so many people seem to ignore is how much she changes at the end of that book and for the rest of the series. She becomes strong and learns how to survive literally under the same roof as her enemy. She seems to go from bad situations to worse, but through it all she plays the game of thrones better than a lot of other characters.

#4: Rose Hathaway, Vampire Academy Series
The development we see Rose make from the start to end of this series is literally one of my favourite things I've ever read. She becomes almost a totally different person, and in the best way possible. Similar to Celaena (and most of the women on this list), I also love that she does not feel is necessary to dismiss her femininity to be the badass that she is. 

#5: Brienne of Tarth, A Song of Ice and Fire Series
This series is just filled with wonderfully complex female characters, which is a big reason as to why I love it so much. And of course, my absolute favourite has to be between Sansa and Brienne (don't make me choose, it won't happen). Brienne is possibly the complete opposite to Sansa but just as strong-willed for completely different reasons. She is constantly facing an uphill battle to get recognition for her talent but is ignored because she is too masculine then a woman 'should be'. I love that she sticks to her guns, never tries to change how she is and admire traditionally feminine things. Her character is honestly a gift.

So, there you go, guys! Who are your top 5 favourite female characters? Are any the same as mine? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!
Jess, xxx

Wednesday 8 October 2014

Review + Discussion: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Heir of Fire
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Summary: Consumed by guilt and rage, Celaena can't bring herself to spill blood for the King of Adarlan. She must fight back...
The Immortal Queen will help her destroy the king - for a price. But as Celaena battles with her darkest memories and her heart breaks for a love that could never last, can she fulfil the bargain and head the almighty court of Terrasen? And who will stand with her?
Rating: 5/5 stars!

Review:

Okay, guys! I just put this book down about an hour ago and I need to discuss it. I'm keeping the non-spoiler section to a minimum because I want to get into the nitty-gritty of this book and also, it's somewhat difficult to not spoil anything of the series considering this is the third book. Anyhow!

This book was my favourite in the series by far! I loved Crown of Midnight and I wasn't sure if this would live up but man, it blew my expectations out of the water! The world grows so much more and we are given a plethora of information that gives so much more life to the story and the world and everything. And the character growth was out of this world. I just really could not recommend this book/series enough! This series is like a bridge between young adult fantasy and adult fantasy and increasingly epic. If that sounds like something you would like, go pick it up now!

I'm going to move on to the spoiler section now so please, if you haven't read these books yet, go do so then come back and discuss!