Author: Lee
1000 Pages Read-a-Thon Progress: Day 1
I probably could have read more, but this was a pretty distracting day. I’m going to call this good progress. I read a couple chapters on a reread, finished a book I was reading, and started a new one.
21 pages – The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
141 pages – Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff
42 pages – Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor
Total Pages: 204
Completed: Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff
1000 Pages Read-a-Thon
Words from Books
frisson
/frēˈsôn/
noun
- a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill
“. . . And he wondered, with a frisson of concern: Was it possible he’d been brought so far just to serve as food for the carrion-eaters?”
– Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
First Lines Fridays: November 2, 2018
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
- Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
- Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
- Finally… reveal the book!
First Lines:
Lia Kahn is dead.
I am Lia Kahn.
Therefore — because this is a logic problem even a dim-witted child could solve — I am dead.
Did the quote pique your interest? View this book on Goodreads!
October 2018 Reading Wrap-Up
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
(Strange the Dreamer, book 1)
Rating: ★★★★★ – it was amazing
Review: Yes
Format: eBook
Reading Dates: September 30 – October 3
Read Count: 2
Favorite Thing: Dreamer’s Weep
Least Favorite Thing: Descriptions of the Carnage
I reread this on a whim to prepare for Muse of Nightmares and I’m glad I did because I enjoyed it just as much as the first time.
My Posts About Strange the Dreamer
At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
(The Mitford Years, book 1)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: No
Format: Print
Reading Dates: September 27 – October 9
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: The peaceful nature of the village.
Least Favorite Thing: So much religion…
This is one of those calm books where even when something happens, nothing really happens. But I mean that in a good way, I promise; it’s mostly character based. I found this series when I was in jail and it was so calming I bought them all when I was released.
My Posts About At Home in Mitford
Clarity by Kim Harrington
(Clarity, book 1)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: Yes
Format: Print
Reading Dates: October 9 – 10
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: The mechanics of the various psychic abilities.
Least Favorite Thing: She saw her brother have sex in a vision like….yikes, poor Clarity.
I grabbed this book on a whim, partly because I accidentally grabbed it’s sequel on a whim also, but mostly because it’s October and I wanted to read something with a little supernatural tint.
Perception by Kim Harrington
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review: No
Format: Print
Reading Dates: October 10 – 12
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: Perry’s anxiety was relatable as hell.
Least Favorite Thing: Clarity is incredibly judgmental of like…everyone.
Hmm… Well, that was not as good as the first one. It wasn’t terrible or anything, it just wasn’t good. And once again the romance was super clumsy; I just didn’t buy either of the love interests at all.
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review: No
Format: Print
Reading Dates: October 13
Read Count: 1 (DNF)
Favorite Thing: Nothing.
Least Favorite Thing: The supernatural creatures need you to be in a band! For fucks sake…
I got about halfway through this book and then could go no further. The premise had potential, but it just wouldn’t get there and the writing felt awkward. I’ve read other novels by this author and they were alright, but this first one just wasn’t doing it for me.
My Posts About The Replacement
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
(The Lady Janies, book 1)
Rating: ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review: No
Format: Print
Reading Dates: October 13 – 18
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: So funny!
Least Favorite Thing: Can’t think of a single thing! Hurray!
This book was so funny, I definitely recommend everyone read it. (Don’t worry, you don’t need to know any of the actual history to enjoy this, although it is a little bonus.)
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
Rating: N/A
Review: No
Format: Print
Reading Dates: March 27 – October 21
Read Count: 1 (DNF)
Favorite Thing: Nothing.
Least Favorite Thing: So boring…
Well I tried for almost a year and never got past the first quarter of this book, so I’m giving up! I like to think I’m not usually so impatient when I read classic novels, but this one really beat me, y’all. Maybe I’ll give it another go when I’m older and wiser.
My Posts About Wives and Daughters
Touched by Corrine Jackson
(Sense Thieves, book 1)
Rating: ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review: No
Format: Print
Reading Dates: October 20 – 24
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: This book is like if Twilight had been actually good.
Least Favorite Thing: Dean. Yuck.
I’m officially calling this as a guilty-pleasure read. Now I just need to find the sequels!
Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
(Grace and Fury, book 1)
Rating: ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review: No
Format: Print
Reading Dates: October 26 – 27
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: The Mount Ruin women.
Least Favorite Thing: Men.
As I mentioned before, this book starts a little slow, but it picks up pretty soon and once it gets going it’s hard to put down.
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
Rating: Unrated
Review: Yes
Format: Print
Reading Dates: October 28
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: Not likely.
Least Favorite Thing: Graphic.
Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Child Sex Abuse (and others)
This book was well-written, but I think in the case of this story that’s almost a bad thing.
My Posts About Living Dead Girl
In Progress
What Are You Reading Wednesdays: October 31, 2018
What Are You Reading Wednesdays #WAYRW is a weekly feature on It’s A Reading Thing. Everyone is welcome to participate.
Grab the book you are currently reading and answer three questions:
- What’s the name of your current read?
- Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share a couple of sentences.
- Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?
- Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff
- I’m beginning to suspect that thinking is overrated. There are all kinds of people at school and I’m reasonably sure they rarely think at all.
- I mean, sure? I’m only 100 pages in, but so far the world seems safe enough?
Mini-Review: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Child Sex Abuse (and others)
I can’t rate this book. It isn’t a book you can enjoy and giving it a rating would feel wrong.
If you are easily disturbed don’t read Living Dead Girl. It is a graphic and visceral experience. The triggers I listed don’t quite cover it, but I don’t know how to say everything.
That being said, it is an incredibly well-written work and will easily pull you into Alice’s dark, disturbing world if you choose to read it.
Darkestwings Reads