Specials

October 2021 Reading Wrap-Up

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Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
(Uglies, book 1)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Sept 30 – Oct 1
Read Count: 4
Favorite Thing: I don’t know that I have strong enough feelings to have a favorite thing?
Least Favorite Thing: Once again, no strong feelings here…

Ok, but despite my lack of strong feelings, I do actually like this series. I do NOT, on the other hand, like the reader for this audiobook. She says things in such a weird way…

My Posts About Uglies

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
(Uglies, book 2)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Oct 1 – 5
Read Count: 4
Favorite Thing: I think the dumb slang is so fun, to be honest.
Least Favorite Thing: Everybody let Shay down and I will die on this hill.

I liked this more last time I read it, but obviously I still enjoy it because here I am rereading it lol

My Posts About Pretties

Specials by Scott Westerfeld
(Uglies, book 3)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Oct 5 – 6
Read Count: 4
Favorite Thing: I like the dumb slang even more. I love that every time they get new brain surgery they change the dumb slang they use lol
Least Favorite Thing: I can’t think of anything, this has always been my favorite of the original trilogy.

I want to be a special so bad! I don’t even care if I’d have anger management issues, it would be worth it!

My Posts About Specials

Extras by Scott Westerfeld
(Uglies, book 4)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Oct 6
Read Count: 2
Favorite Thing: MOGGLE!!!!
Least Favorite Thing: I’m trying to think of something… Nope, I got nothin’.

I think this might be my new favorite of the whole series? I usually don’t even reread it because the first time I found it boring because it wasn’t really about Tally, but this time around I just enjoyed it for what it was and had a really good time.

My Posts About Extras

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
(The Southern Vampire Mysteries, book 10)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Oct 6 – 8
Read Count: 2
Favorite Thing: The whole thoughts/feelings as colors thing was cool.
Least Favorite Thing: I can’t really remember well enough to have one, so maybe my least favorite is just that it wasn’t very exciting.

This was the last one that I’d read before I think.

My Posts About Dead in the Family

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
(The Southern Vampire Mysteries, book 11)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Oct 11
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: Sookie/Pam friendship makes me happy.
Least Favorite Thing: I hate that Eric is being a poop…

I listened to this whole book while I got a tattoo in New York City and it was the perfect distraction in both the sense that I wasn’t concerned about the tattoo and that I didn’t fall asleep.

My Posts About Dead Reckoning

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
(The Southern Vampire Mysteries, book 12)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Oct 12 – 14
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: I’m just enjoying the narrator more than anything.
Least Favorite Thing: So no one’s going to slap Claude?

I feel like saying I’m “just enjoying the narrator” makes it seem like I’m not enjoying the book, but really I am, I just am in New York City and am missing southern accents!

My Posts About Deadlocked

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris
(The Southern Vampire Mysteries, book 12)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Oct 14 – 16
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: I have no idea what my favorite thing was, but this book felt very satisfying.
Least Favorite Thing: IT’S OVER????? NOOOOOO!!!

I hate that this series is over, I want it to go on forever lol

My Posts About Dead Ever After

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
(The Wicked Years, book 1)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Oct 19 – 20
Read Count: 2
Favorite Thing: The- The narrator again? I loved his voice.
Least Favorite Thing: So depresso…

I read this book back in middle school, when everyone at my school became obsessed with the musical (which is much less depressing), but I wanted to reread it because I recently saw the musical. And once I started I didn’t want to turn it off because the narrator was great!

My Posts About Wicked

The Marionettes by Katie Wismer
(The Marionettes, book 1)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: No
Format: Print
Reading Dates: Sept 28 – Oct 2
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: The magic system was pretty interesting, which is a thing I rarely say these days.
Least Favorite Thing: VALERIE! COME ON! You literally read about it and then didn’t think “hm I wonder if this is related to the body I found in pieces yesterday” come on girl!!!

Man this took me forever to read because of my stupid reading slump. I just cannot focus on print books lately at all, which is tragic let me tell you. And I have to say this was a really good first foray into the genre by Katie. But I also have to say, HOW DARE SHE end on that crazy cliffhanger oh my god.

My Posts About The Marionettes

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Oct 21 – 25
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: Oh man I really want to think of something to say here…
Least Favorite Thing: So unmemorable that I already forgot reading it.

I have no distinct thoughts, just a slight internal cringe. I really wanted to like this book (the world needs more fat protags that don’t hate themselves), but something about the way it was written just…did not vibe with me. I felt like someone was holding my hand, leading me along to every point when I really didn’t need their help. That being said, it was by no means a horrible experience.

My Posts About Spoiler Alert

Cress by Marissa Meyer
(The Lunar Chronicles, book 3)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Oct 26 – 27
Read Count: 2
Favorite Thing: Cress is kinda presh.
Least Favorite Thing: Cress is also painfully naïve (which, like, I totally understand, but sometimes it was a bit annoying.)

I forgot how much I genuinely like Cress though you guys.

My Posts About Cress

In Progress

August 2017 Wrap-Up (Part 2)

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Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
(Strange the Dreamer, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★★
Review:  Yes
Reading Dates:  August 18 – 25
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Lazlo’s love of and respect for books and stories.
Least Favorite Thing:  Thyon Nero’s love of and respect for nothing. (The little prick.)

I spent 1/4 of my time reading this book going back and forth checking the prologue against things I learned to try and brace myself for the inevitable utter fucking heartbreak of the ending!

Trigger Warning:  Descriptions of the Carnage include the murder of infants. It doesn’t go into gory detail, it’s a little more abstract, but it’s still vivid and mentioned many times.

My Posts About Strange the Dreamer

Specials by Scott Westerfeld
(Uglies, book 3)
Rating:  ★★★★☆
Review:  No
Reading Dates:  August 16 – 27
Read Count:  2  (I really think I read this one other time, but I haven’t got a record of it…)
Favorite Thing:  Special Tally’s Special skillz!
Least Favorite Thing:  The way Shay treats Tally…

Raise your hand if you want to be a little teen angst Special!
No? Just me? Well then…

Seriously though, the Specials are so cool, if only they weren’t Like That (looking at you Shay!). I honestly wouldn’t mind a whole separate book that’s just Tally’s adventures as a lone Special.

Trigger Warning:  Self-harm (cutting, some passing mention of burning). Only one character really treats it like it’s a bad thing, everyone else treats it as normal and/or good for the majority of the book.

My Posts About Specials

Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt
(The Tillerman Cycle, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★☆
Review:  No
Reading Dates:  August 28 – 29
Read Count:  3
Favorite Thing:  “Parents?” “Not noticeably.”
Least Favorite Thing:  Eunice…

I missed this series so much! I’m sitting here now (having just finished it) with a warm, fuzzy contentment that only the most special books give me. Thank goodness for Cynthia Voigt.

My Posts About Homecoming

The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine
(The Impostor Queen, book 2)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆
Review:  Yes
Reading Dates:  August 29 – 31
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Scrappy little (bisexual) protag 🙂
Least Favorite Thing:  Kill marks… (Why does every author feel the need to have a raider race that cuts themselves as a mark of honor? Can we stop that?)

This one was better than the first book. Somewhat less predictable, less annoying protag, more interesting people around the protag.

Trigger Warning: Self-harm (cutting). The protag glorifies it along with pretty much everyone else in her tribe, but towards the end of the book she seems to have realized it’s not a good thing. However, it is never explicitly decried.

My Posts About The Cursed Queen

Ash by Malinda Lo
Rating:  ★★★☆☆
Review:  No
Reading Dates:  August 31
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The Fairy Tales
Least Favorite Thing:  Lady Isobel (duh)

I’m not 100% sure how to feel about this book. That is, I liked it, it’s a nice story, but it’s not what I was expecting. I’ll try to review it soon.

My Posts About Ash

In Progress

WWW Wednesday: August 30, 2017

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Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at Should be Reading and revived on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three W’s!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:  The Cursed Queen (The Impostor Queen, book 2) by Sarah Fine
I’m not loving the way cutting is being addressed so far, but I’m only in the first chapter. I hope this book will turn out to not glorify self-harm…

That aside, I’m definitely looking forward to learning more about the world outside Kupari. When I was reading the first one I found myself wondering what the rest of the world must think of them.

I don’t know if I will struggle with this book, but if I do, I have Dicey’s Song, the second in the Tillerman Cycle, to reread alongside this.

Recently Finished:  Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, book 1) by Laini Taylor
I loved this book! It hurt me a little, but I forgive it because the story was so lovely and enjoyable.

The problem with loving this book though? Now I have to wait ages for the next one to find out what on earth happens to all those beloved characters! I’m so worried about them!

Actually, reading this one has me wanting to reread Laini’s other books, so I grabbed them from the library too.

I actually managed to write a review for Strange, which can be read here.

Specials (Uglies, book 3) by Scott Westerfeld
This whole series is so easy to breeze through, I’m glad I chose to reread it.

I very much wish I could be a special, only I hope they wouldn’t adjust my brain because I already have problems with anger management and impulse control!

I still don’t know if I want to reread Extras (book 4), but I might…

Trigger Warning:  Self-harm (cutting, some passing mention of burning). Only one character really treats it like it’s a bad thing, everyone else treats it as normal and/or good for the majority of the book.

Homecoming (The Tillerman Cycle, book 1) by Cynthia Voigt
I honestly didn’t intend to read this so quickly. I meant to read it in-between reading The Cursed Queen, but once I started I couldn’t read anything else until I’d finished it. And I also couldn’t bring myself to put it down for any significant amount of time.

There is some indescribable quality in Cynthia Voigt’s books that always leaves me feeling great and looking at the world in a very specific way (that also happens to be indescribable). It’s really so enjoyable.

I also really love the Tillermans. I feel, and have felt since the first time I ever read this book, like they are somehow my family too.

Reading Next:  Ash by Malinda Lo
I’ve had this one from the library for a while, long enough that I can’t remember when I got it, so I think it’s time to actually read it! I always love a fairytale retelling.

I’ve heard good things on tumblr so I’m fairly confident going in that this will be a decent book. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where Lo has taken the classic Cinderella story. I’m also especially excited at the prospect of a non-heterosexual protagonist. YA Fantasy is my favorite genre and it’s so rare to find queer representation in it so the existence of this book is already refreshing.

Musing Monday: August 28, 2017

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Musing Mondays is a weekly meme, hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker, that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

I’m currently reading…
Up next I think I’ll read…
I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
I can’t wait to get a copy of…
I wish I could read ___, but…
I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Do you find yourself reading more or less as the school season starts?

I blogged about ____ this past week…

Do you find yourself reading more or less as the school season starts?
I haven’t been in school for a while now, but back when I was I always read more during the school year. It seemed like the more I had to do, the more I just wanted to read!

Update: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor / Specials by Scott Westerfeld

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Lee is on page 153 of 532

Thyon Nero is still a douche, Lazlo is precious, Calixte seems awesome, and the blue children are still fascinating! I and loving finding out more about their world!

On a not quite unrelated note:  I think I’ve figured out something!!!!

Lee is on page 137 of 372

Every time I reread this I’m surprised by how long it takes for Tally to realize that Shay is going off the rails…

WWW Wednesday: August 23, 2017

LeeLeave a comment

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at Should be Reading and revived on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three W’s!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:  Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, book 1) by Laini Taylor
I’m not very far into this one yet because I hit a bit of a slump for a few days, but I really like it so far. I love the way Lazlo thinks. Except for the part where he doesn’t try to just straight murder Thyon Nero. Fuck that guy…

I’ve just gotten into Part II and I’m fascinated by the blue people! I’m still not all that sure who they are or how they play into things, but I am definitely fascinated and eager to find out more!

It’s also just really refreshing reading a book about someone who loves books and words and stories.

I’m still working on Specials by Scott Westerfeld (I’m trying not to rush through it because it’s just an easy reread) and of course Persuasion by Jane Austen.

Recently Finished:  Crashed (Cold Awakening, book 2) by Robin Wasserman
I reviewed this book.

I’m glad I got back to this story. Wasserman gave a masterful depiction of prejudice and institutional oppression. I don’t want to put it all down to Wasserman’s being Jewish, that would feel like I was disregarding her intelligence and writing ability, but I don’t doubt her heritage played some part in making her so good at accurately portraying an allegory for racism.

I still maintain that I don’t really like any of the main characters personality-wise, but I don’t think that detracts much from my enjoyment of the story, and anyway it’s just a personal preference.

Reading Next:  The Cursed Queen (The Imposter Queen, book 2) by Sarah Fine
I got my hands on this one and despite my problems with the writing of the first book, I’m eager to know what happens next in the story. In fact, I read the first bit of this one to see if I wanted to use it in a First Lines Fridays post and found myself reading past the prologue and into the first chapter!

I did notice mention of some sort of marks that indicate how good a warrior is, which seem to be self-harm. I’m a little worried about that and I really hope this doesn’t go the way of Carve the Mark with glorification of self-harm… I’m hoping that Fine won’t do that though.

Homecoming (The Tillerman Cycle, book 1) by Cynthia Voigt
I have been wanting to reread The Tillerman Cycle for a while now, and this seems as good a time as any.

I love Cynthia Voigt’s writing style. I’ve mentioned this before I think, but I’ve noticed there are some books that just completely change the way you look at the world. Cynthia’s books are like that. It doesn’t matter how many times I read them, they always make me see things in such a unique way, a way I can’t quite manage without Cynthia’s writing voice.

Musing Monday: August 21, 2017

LeeLeave a comment

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme, hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker, that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

I’m currently reading…
Up next I think I’ll read…
I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
I can’t wait to get a copy of…
I wish I could read ___, but…
I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Do you steer away from heavy emotional books?

I blogged about ____ this past week…

  • Monday, August 14 – Musing Monday, where I talked about what I was reading at the moment and whether YA was just for teens.
  • Tuesday, August 15 – Teaser Tuesday using Crashed by Robin Wasserman, then a joint update on my progress through Crashed and Pretties by Scott Westerfeld, which I finished later that same day.
  • Wednesday, August 16 – My longest ever WWW Wednesday post in the morning, a little update on Crashed, then WAYRW in the evening (also using Crashed).
  • Thursday, August 17 – Thursday Quotables, pulling a quote from Persuasion this time, then that night I finished and did a rating post for Crashed.
  • Friday, August 18 – I got a review posted for Crashed in the wee hours of Friday morning, then a First Lines Fridays post later that morning, a currently reading photo post featuring Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor and Specials by Scott Westerfeld, and in the evening a Friday 56 using Strange the Dreamer.
  • Saturday, August 19 – My weekly update on my slow progress through Jane Austen’s Persuasion was the only post on Saturday.
  • Sunday, August 20 – A couple little commentary posts on Strange the Dreamer.

Do you steer away from heavy emotional books?
Not always, but a lot of the time yes. I don’t mind when a book makes me emotional, but I have a tendency to over-empathize with the characters in novels so if they are constantly feeling stressed and sad and hopeless I too feel stressed and sad and hopeless. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t read a heavy book if it was good enough, but it would probably take me some time and I would almost certainly need something lighter to pick me back up when it was done.