November Wrap Up

Okay guys, it’s that time of the month again – wrap up time! I think I did fairly well this month considering it’s been NaNoWriMo month (Side note: Did any of you participate? Did you win?) and I spent a good lot of my time either writing or thinking about writing, haha. But I did fit a good lot of reading in as well. I read 9 books, which are as follows:

#1: The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

So, I love, love, love the Kingkiller Chronicles. I only read it earlier this year and absolutely fell in love with it. It quickly became one of my favourite series. And then I found out Rothfuss was coming out with a novella about Auri (AKA one of my favourite characters from the series) and to say I was excited was an understatement. But maybe due to the fact I went in with high expectations or that it doesn’t follow a normal novel structure, I’m not sure, but I found that I wasn’t overly impressed with this little novella. The writing was just as gorgeous as Rothfuss’s standard, and I found it interesting to be given more insight into Auri’s life, but I just felt like it wasn’t what I wanted from this short story. I had been hoping that it would give more information about Auri’s past, which I am really interested in knowing. But it was more like “A Week in the Life of Auri”, which was interesting but not what I wanted. I know this has gotten a lot of mixed reviews for it but I would say that to any fan of the Kingkiller Chronicles should definitely give it a shot. It’s only a small little thing and it’s good in some ways, just know that I don’t think it’s for every fan. I gave it 3/5 stars.

#2: Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

As you may know from last month’s wrap up, I have been trying to complete the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series as well as the Heroes of Olympus series. This marked the end of the PJO series and I honestly loved it. I thought some things could have been done a tad better but I just felt like it wrapped everything up really nicely, but also left a nice space for the HOO series to carry on from. I can’t really say much without spoiling anything, but to recommend that anyone who hasn’t read this series definitely should. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it is a middle grade series, it’s good for all ages and it is fantastic. I gave it 5/5 stars.

#3: The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx

I major in Sociology at university so I was bound to pick this up one day. I have always agreed with a lot Marx had to say and this was no different. It wasn’t actually much of anything new than I had read before, but it definitely showed him delving a bit more into his theories and I really enjoyed that. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#4: Wonder by R. J. Palacio

I actually have a full review coming of this one very soon so keep your eyes peeled. But in short, I absolutely adored this book. It explores important themes of bullying and self-identity and is equal parts heartbreaking as it is heart warming. I would recommend it to anyone. I gave it 5/5 stars.

#5: Young Avengers Vol. #1: Side Kicks by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung

So, I read the 2013 run of the Young Avengers a couple of months ago and just fell in love with the characters. There isn’t much more on them so I thought I’d check the run that I probably should have started with: the first one. These comics are a great introduction to the characters and they’re really fun, as well. I enjoyed the 2013 run just slightly more, but I loved these a lot as well. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#6: Young Avengers Vol. #2: Family Matters by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung

As a continuation from the last one, this one was also wonderful but I felt like it was trying too hard to complicate the story. It seemed as if it was adding too much to the plot to make it more complex and give it more depth, but it just seemed a bit overdone. Despite this, I still loved a lot about it and, as I’ve said before, I really adore the characters. So I still gave it 4/5 stars.

#7: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I absolutely adore the movie adaptation of this novel, so, on a whim, I bought it the other month and I didn’t waste too much time in picking it up. It ended up being quite different from its movie counterpart but still a good book. Of course, it’s basically Cinderella but just slightly different so it’s not like the story is any sort of surprising but I still enjoyed it a lot. It was really fun and the all the magical creatures were so wonderful. I do feel like the story lacked a bit of depth and the climax fell a bit flat so I only gave it 3/5 stars, but I would still definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoy the movie.

#8: The Goblin Who Stole a Sexton by Charles Dickens

I read this little short story as a part of the A Very Dickens Read-a-Long, which I heard about the day before it started and couldn’t say no to it. I actually haven’t read any of Dickens’ novels, despite having about three of them on my shelves but I thought this would be a good way to start. Also, I’m really excited for all the Christmas themed reads for December. But as for the novel, it’s clear that Dickens was a master at what he does. He really knows how to tell a good story and lay a heavy message on it, despite its short length. I gave it 3/5 stars.

#9: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

This is another novel I have a review lined up for (I was literally halfway done writing it when I went to go write this wrap up instead). But to quickly summarise how I felt about it, I enjoyed it but felt like it had more potential than it showed. The premise for it was really interesting but I felt that it got too caught up in the romance elements of the book. It was still good and I’m excited for the rest of the series, but it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it’d be. Also, the cover is absolutely beautiful. I gave it 3/5 stars.

So, that’s all I got done for this month. I’m about 150 pages out from finishing a Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin, which I’d really hoped to be able to include in this wrap up (since I have been reading it since April) but then I got caught up with trying to finish NaNoWriMo. But I’m proud of how many books I got through this month considering how much writing I have been trying to do. I’m hoping for a good December month, though, with all the Christmas-y reads.

Oh, just on that point, I will be participating in both the A VeryDickens Christmas Read-a-Long (which I already mentioned and has already started) as well as the Harry Xmas To You Read-a-Watch-a-Long-a-Thon (which, wow, that is long to say), which are both awesome events happening in December. I’ve linked info for both there so you should all check them out and join in the fun.

How did your Novembers go for reading? Good, bad, or were you caught up in NaNoWriMo like I was? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Jess, xxx

October Wrap-Up!

Hey, guys! Sorry for being so quiet lately. My uni schedule is super crazy right now. I'm currently writing this wrap up in between study but I didn't want to post it 2 weeks late like in September. I've still got a few assignments to go for the year and I'm undertaking the NaNoWriMo challenge so who knows whether I will manage to get more active here, oops. But anyhow, I only read 7 books this month but considering how busy I've been, I'm really pleased with that.

#1: The Maze Runner by James Dashner 
I read this because I really wanted to read it before seeing the movie which has been just released (which I really liked FYI). I thought this book was alright but the characters were quite dull and there was a lot of issues I had with the story. It's got such an interesting concept behind it but I don't think it was executed as well as it could have been. I still want to give the rest of the series a shot but I don't think this book was amazing. I gave it 3/5 stars.

#2: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Okay, I already did a full review of that here (spoilers!) so I won't talk a lot about this a lot but man, I just adored this book! Favourite of the series so far. I gave it 5/5 stars.

#3: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
So, I read Anna and the French Kiss (the first in this companion series) a few months ago and I was pretty disappointed by it. It wasn't horrible but nowhere near the level of awesome I'd been anticipating after what I'd heard about it. Although I still wanted to check out the other books because maybe they were better and that was definitely the case with this one. I felt like the characters were just more well-rounded and the story was better. Also, some of the scenes near the end were honestly so gorgeous. I ended up giving it 3.5/5 stars.

#4: An Abundance of Katherine's by John Green
Man, I really wanted to like this but I just couldn't. I read TFiOS by John Green (which I adored) almost two years ago now but I had never picked up any of his other novels. On recommendation from one of my friends, I decided it would be good to do so with this. Sadly, I was so disappointed. I found the novel, as a whole, really flat and boring and I had a huge disconnect to the main character. Granted, I have heard many people say this is their least favourite Green novel so I still plan to check out the others. I gave it 2/5 stars.

#5: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Okay, so I have decided that I want to try and finish the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and the Heroes of Olympus series before the end of the year. I read the first two in this series about 2-3 years ago and have no idea why I never picked up the others. Luckily for me, my brother owns the entire series so I have easy access to them. I really loved this one! It brought so many new elements into the story and wasn't afraid to delve into darker stuff when it needed to. I had also forgotten how funny Percy's commentary is. I ended up giving this 4/5 stars.

#6: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
I felt like the start of this novel dragged on a bit but about a third of the way through it picked up and got really interesting. I loved the idea of the ever changing, magical Labyrinth! There was a really gorgeous scene at the end that I can't actually say what it was because spoilers but for those who have read the book, the thing with Grover! The really important thing! Ah, it's so difficult to mention anything but the point I'm getting at is this book was wonderful and fun and also genuinely heartwrenching for the last 60 or so pages. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#7: Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-Up
So, I am a huge fan of Grace Helbig so this was a must get for me! I actually ended up listening to the audio book because I found out it was narrated by Grace herself and thought it would just add a bit more of her touch to it. I definitely think listening to it was a good idea! Self-help books aren't really my thing so I think having it in audio form made it more enjoyable than reading it (not to say it was a bad book but the genre is not something I'm huge on). It was a fun read filled with witty and pun-y humour that is so Grace. It was also nicely insightful. It probably also appealed to me as I am right in the targeted age range for this novel. I would definitely recommend that you be at least 17-18 before picking up this novel because I think a younger audience won't appreciate it as much (although Grace's humour would still be enough to like about it). I gave it 3.5/5 stars.

So, there you have it. Not my best reading month but it was good enough. How did you guys go in October? Did we possibly read any of the same novels? And since the year is nearing its ending, how are you all doing with your reading challenges, if you had them? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!
Jess, xxx

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!

#1: Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

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.

#2: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

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.

#3: Black Widow Vol. 1: The Finely Woven Thread by Nathan Edmondson

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.

#4: Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life As A Weapon by Matt Fraction

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.

#5: Youngs Avengers Vol. 1: Style > Substance by Kieron Gillen

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.

#6: Young Avengers Vol. 2: Alternative Culture by Keiron Gillon

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.

#7: Young Avengers Vol. 3: Mic-Drop at the Edge of Space and Time by Kieron Gillen

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.

#8: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

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.

#9: Amulet Vol. 1: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi

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.

#10: The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis

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.

#11: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 

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

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

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!

Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Title: Outlander

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Summary: The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Rating: 3-ish/5 stars

Review:

Okay, so I've given my rating an 'ish' because I'm really torn on what I want to give this book. I have a deep love/hate relationship with it. Firstly, I will say that I adored parts of this novel. It was a very interesting idea that Gabaldon presented and it was awesome to see how she didn't shy away from certain topics (ie. sex, gore etc.). Those parts, however, don't make up for the scenes I didn't like so much. I'm going to quickly go into spoiler talk but for anyone who hasn't read it, consider this before picking it up: it is a long book, it is probably not best for younger readers and understand that this book not only encompasses the events of the 1700's, but the values of the period as well. I wouldn't whole-heartedly recommend it, but I wouldn't discourage reading it, either.

Spoilers ahead!

Top 5 Wednesday: Series I Won't Finish

Hello again! Sorry I've been so slack with my updates. Uni is ridiculous at the moment. But I've taken a bit of time today to do this weeks T5W with series I don't plan to finish. I will say that a lot of these I haven't touched in probably 5 years and most are within the same genre (paranormal romance) which I used to love but, for the most part, can't stand anymore. So, without further ado, let's go!

#5: Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

I've mentioned this one before but I thought I'd include it again. Despite how much hype this series has gotten, I just couldn't get into it. I actually really like Tahereh Mafi as a person but these books were just not my cup of tea. I've been told I should give the next book a shot as it's apparently leagues better but I honestly have no motivation to any time soon. So, it's going on this list!

#4: Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick

I read this book when it first came out and I was into these sort of books and even then, I didn't think it was the most amazing book. But now, I have moved on from this genre and have little interest in continuing the series, despite owning the first two books in the series.

#3: Vampire Beach series by Alex Duval

I've actually read the first four books in this series but again, it's a genre that no longer draws me in and I never found the urge to finish this series to begin with.

#2: The Immortals series by Alyson Noel

This was possibly one of my least favourite series I have ever read. I read the first 3 or 4 books and the first one was okay but it got progressively more dull and ridiculous from there. I actually put this series down even when I was still into this genre. It was really not to my liking.

#1: House of Night series by Kristen and P.C Cast

This series just went for far too long. Unlike the other series, I stuck with this one for quite awhile. I read the first 6 books but I just couldn't force myself to go any further. The story stretched on too long, the main character had a new love interest every chapter, it became way too ridiculous and I just could not take it anymore.






Well, there we go! Please note that just because I didn't like these series, doesn't mean I judge someone who does like them. Everyone has their own tastes and these aren't mine.

What series won't you finish? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!
Jess, xxx