Shannon Hale

April 2018 Reading Wrap-Up

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Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
(Twilight Saga, book 3)
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  No
Format:  E-book
Reading Dates:  April 1 – 2
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  It could have been longer, but it wasn’t and I’m grateful.
Least Favorite Thing:  Bella’s doormat impersonations…

Lordy this book was obnoxious. There were a lot of parts I hated, but all of them in some way tie-in to the whole “Bella as a doormat” crap so… Like seriously I kept wanting to climb into the novel and shake her like “just stick to your guns about literally anything, just stand up for yourself, just stop letting these idiots run right over all your boundaries!” and then scream for an hour.

My Posts About Eclipse

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
(Twilight Saga, book 4)
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  No
Format:  E-book
Reading Dates:  April 2
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  Bella is slightly more tolerable as a vampire.
Least Favorite Thing:  Nessie. Both the name and the concept.

I read all of the Twilight books and my head didn’t even explode it’s a miracle! Never again.

My Posts About Breaking Dawn

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
(Throne of Glass, book 5)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  March 8 – April 4
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Lorcan being like “I hate Elide, but if anyone ever even thought about hurting her, I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.”
Least Favorite Thing:  Up until the very end of the novel, it was like “everything that can go wrong, will go wrong” and that made me tired.

My least favorite thing is actually why I rated this book only 3 stars. It was good, interesting, and there were a lot of parts I enjoyed, but it felt like for every good thing there were two bad things and it just starts to wear on me after a while and make me tired so it limits my enjoyment of the novel.

Also can I just say, why are they like “oh obviously someone has to die to forge the lock” when they have two heirs of Brannon? It takes all the power of one heir of Brannon to forge the lock, they have two heirs of Brannon. Halfsies, bro. Everybody lives.

My Posts About Empire of Storms

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
(Books of Bayern, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it *
Review:  Yes **
Format:  Full-Cast Audiobook
Reading Dates:  April 5 – 7
Read Count:  5-ish
Favorite Thing:  Vicious Attack Geese!
Least Favorite Thing:  Um literally all of Selia’s guard friends. Too skeevy, blech.

* Please note that this rating is for the novel as a whole, not the Full Cast Audio version.
** This review is for the Full Cast Audio version, not the novel as a whole.

My Posts About The Goose Girl

Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer
(Twilight Saga, book 1.75)
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  Yes
Format:  E-book
Reading Dates:  April 10 – 13
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The alternate ending.
Least Favorite Thing:  So boring.

Please tell me she’s done beating the dead horse that is the Twilight Saga???

My Posts About Life and Death

White Oleander by Janet Fitch
Rating:  ★★★★★ – it was amazing
Review:  No
Format:  E-book
Reading Dates:  April 5 – 15
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The amazing prose.
Least Favorite Thing:  Literally every male past puberty that ever came in contact with Astrid….

This was recommended to me as part of the Buddy Reads activity in an online Book Club I am a part of. My “buddy” recommended this to me because I wanted to try more books outside of the YA genre this year. I am so incredibly glad I signed up for this activity because I got an excellent recommendation here. A recommendation which I happily pass along:  Read this book!

My Posts About White Oleander

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it (real rating: 3.5)
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  April 15 -17
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Snarky wedding planner comments.
Least Favorite Thing:  Ambrose’s habit of writing everything off as being somebody else’s fault. Fucking obnoxious…

I read this book for my book club’s April Challenge (Read a book with a pastel cover.) and also because I’ve never yet met a Dessen novel I didn’t like. I wish I could give half-star ratings on Goodreads though.

My Posts About Once and for All

What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang
(Hybrid Chronicles, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  April 20 – 28
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Sisterly bond? Is that an accurate term for the bond between two souls sharing the same body?? Whatever. That’s what I’m calling it.
Least Favorite Thing:  Slow? Kind of slow… Not slow enough to DNF, but still slow.

April Challenge #2 complete with the finishing of this novel! Yay! (I don’t know how quickly I’ll move to the sequel though.)

My Posts About What’s Left of Me

Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  April 29 – 30
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  I took sick pleasure in angry, vengeful Cath.
Least Favorite Thing:  Peter Peter.  Actually that’s not even the thing I hated most, but the real thing is a big spoiler.

It took me a minute to get into it, but once I did I couldn’t put it down! And April Challenge #3 successful by the skin of my teeth!

My Posts About Heartless

In Progress

Top 5 Wednesday: April 11, 2018

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Auto-Buy Scifi and Fantasy Authors

This month’s crossover topic is your auto-buy authors that write SFF.
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Cynthia Voigt

I know she’s only done the one fantasy series, Tales of the Kingdom, but they are my favorites (it’s not often that I find a non-magical fantasy in the YA genre) and she’s my absolute favorite author so you know I had to bring her up! And anyway, if she ever published another fantasy novel I’d be trying to buy it before the ink could even dry.

Julie C. Dao

After Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, I am so in love with Dao’s writing I absolutely have to have her future novels. It’s rare that I would call someone an auto-buy after only one book (or at all actually, I have very few auto-buy authors), but that’s how good it was to me so there you have it.

Laini Taylor

If you had asked me before Strange the Dreamer I might not have mentioned Laini, since I’d only read her DoSaB trilogy at that point, but now? I don’t think I could resist buying anything she came out with at this point.

Shannon Hale

Shannon was the first author that I liked something of theirs so much I had to search out everything else they’d written. I got Shannon’s novel The Goose Girl in 6th grade at the book fair and it introduced me to one of my favorite genres (fairytale retellings). And her take on magic is a strong favorite of mine.

Ransom Riggs

He’s only got the one Peculiar Children trilogy so far, but it was so good that I’ve already decided to buy the untitled book he’s got listed for publication this year (hopefully this year).

What sci-fi and fantasy authors do consider worthy of automatically buying anything they come out with?

WWW Wednesday: April 11, 2018

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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:  White Oleander by Janet Fitch

This book was recommended to me by a friend in a Book Club I am in as part of a “buddy reads” program. This is absolutely not my usual genre, and I was pretty nervous about that, but so far I am loving it.

I’ve had to take a bit of a break from it for a few days because the excellent writing which easy drew me into the main character’s world and mind, also makes for excellent dissociation fodder. By which I mean, I over-empathize and get so caught up in the emotions and thoughts of the character that I get stuck in them and it takes me a little while to recover. This is how I know a character/book is really well written, because a poorly written novel wouldn’t suck me in so deeply. But it also means that if the subject matter is a little darker or the protag a little more troubled than my usual YA genre novels, then I need breaks to keep from being overwhelmed by it.

Totally fucking worth it though.

Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined (Twilight Saga, book 1.75) by Stephenie Meyer

Welp, I’m reading another Twilight Saga novel, and before you ask, yes I am Suffering. Honestly I’ve been having trouble going through this one as quickly as some of the others because I keep having to stop and reorient my thinking due to the gender and name swapping. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve taken to keeping a list of each character and their new gender swap name so I can refer to it when I get confused.

Of course, I also keep getting held up by the amount of times I have to stop and heave an exhausted sigh or roll my eyes or groan or some combination of the three.

I’m in the middle of this one, but will definitely finish it by the end of the day today.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

*** Audiobook ***

So basically I have very little self-control, so when I learned of the existence of full-cast audiobooks I was incapable of stopping myself from checking them out. I listened to one full one already, and then started this one because it was recommended to me as a quality FCA.

I have to say though, listening to some man reading me that Bilquis scene was pretty damn awkward!

Right now I’m paused at the part where Shadow is at the funeral and he’s about to learn some hard truths!

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

I’m still reading this technically, but I’m taking a short break because I have 5 other books I have commited to reading this month, and 2 others that I’d like to finish within the week. Because moderation is for quitters!

Recently Finished:  Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, book 5) by Sarah J. Maas

Well it took me like a month, but I did finally finish it. Don’t even talk to me about the ending I’m not dealing with that right now. I refuse.

I had some troubles which I’ll talk about in my April Reading Wrap-Up, but one thing I have to say is like…. Why is everyone having sex every 10 seconds? Like I was trying to read a book about magic and war and all that. And my husband and I have theorized that if you cut out all the sex scenes the book would lose like half its volume so seriously, why was all that necessary?? Can we just chill even a little bit because I didn’t sign up for erotica at this time.

The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern, book 1) by Shannon Hale

*** Audiobook **

I decided to listen to this on a whim. As I mentioned earlier I have only just learned about full-cast audiobooks, and when I discovered that one of my favorite stories had been done in that way I had to try it.

I wrote a Mini-Review, specifically about the audiobook version I listened to, not about the story itself. The story itself was as enjoyable as I have always found it to be.

It was more of a test of the FCA format, so I probably won’t keep going with the entire series at this time, especially since I’ve got so many other books to read right now.

Reading Next:  Once and for All by Sarah Dessen

I’ve been meaning to get to this one, and I found the perfect motivator. That book club I’m in has monthly challenges, and one of them is to read a book with a pastel cover.

I have some others that I need to read this month, but I’ve also been reading a lot of fantasy this year so I figured I should extend my genre break by reading a Dessen novel.

And if I’m honest, all the talking about Dessen novels I’ve been doing I’ve been considering a reread anyway, but I can hardly justify a Dessen reread if I haven’t even read the two newer novels of hers yet.

Mini-Review: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (Full Cast Audio version)

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This was at least my 5th time reading The Goose Girl, so we all know I love it, but I wanted to say something specifically about the Full Cast Audio version which I listened to this most recent time:

The experience of a full-cast audiobook was new to me, and I did enjoy it for the most part. However, I have to say that it was difficult some of the time because it seemed like they didn’t bother to check how to pronounce words. I don’t just mean the fantasy names which we all so often don’t know how to pronounce without a guide, but normal words were sometimes mispronounced. And the inflections of the readers were often stilted and didn’t communicate the meaning well. Those two things more than even the sometimes silly sounding voices used for the villains, were what pulled me out of the story and made it less enjoyable. If I had never read the book before and only listened to the Full Cast Audio version of the audiobook, I’m not sure I would have liked the book at all.

All told, I recommend trying a full-cast audiobook for sure, just not this one, and I recommend the novel of The Goose Girl to everyone, but especially fans of Fairytale Retellings and YA Fantasy.

Top 5 Wednesday: January 31, 2018

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Hidden Gems in Your Favorite Genre

What are some of your favorite books in your favorite genre that don’t get a lot of hype?
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Tales of the Kingdom // Cynthia Voigt

I swear there isn’t a single book rec that goes by without me trying to get someone to read these books. It’s a four-book, loosely-connected, non-magical, fantasy series, in a feudal sort of setting. These are actually some of my all-time favorite books. The female characters are strong, without falling into the whole “strong = masculine” trope, and the lack of magical powers doesn’t take away from the overall magic of the story at all.

The Books of Bayern // Shannon Hale

This middle grade fantasy series was actually my introduction to the genre and they remain favorites to this day. It starts with a fairy tale retelling of The Goose Girl and expands from there into a lovely series full of magic and friendship and saving kingdoms.

Underland Chronicles // Suzanne Collins

This is another middle grade fantasy series. In this one, a boy discovers a hidden land under NYC and he and his family proceed to get caught up in a bunch of prophecies. There’s not magic in this one, unless you count giant talking animals as magical…

The Chanters of Tremaris // Kate Constable

Nature magic via song? Yes, thank you! This trilogy begins with a world divided. Those with magic are separate from those without, and even the individual types of magic wielders keep segregated. But what world could thrive like that?

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

In this standalone novel, serving maid Dashti is bricked into a tower with her obstinate mistress as a seven-year punishment. It’s another fairytale retelling — Shannon’s specialty if you ask me — and this time the magic works through song.

I’d love to hear what books from your favorite genre haven’t gotten the attention they deserve. Hit me up with some recommendations everybody!

Top 5 Wednesday: January 24, 2018

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So here’s the deal:  I have nothing for this week’s prompt, so I’m using last week’s prompt that I forgot to do!

Forgettable Books

Whether you loved or hated them at the time, these are books that you just don’t really remember…
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely, book 1) by Melissa Marr

The only thing I remember from this book is the phrase:  “Don’t speak to invisible faeries.”

It was recommended in a tumblr post for books about fae, and when I looked it up I recognized just enough to know I had read it in high school, but nothing more, not even whether I liked it or not. So I got it from the library and I’m going to read it again. Wish me luck!

Palace of Stone (Princess Academy, book 2) by Shannon Hale

I’ve mentioned this before on both book blogs. I read Palace of Stone twice, once when it first came out and again when The Forgotten Sisters came out because I realized I couldn’t remember it. What makes it worse is I remember the first book perfectly and Shannon Hale is one of my favorite authors, but this particular book just will not stick in my brain!

The Shadow Children Series // Margaret Peterson-Haddix

I know for a fact that I read several of the books in this series, but the only thing I remember is that it’s illegal to have more than 2 children. I do remember liking this series, but I don’t remember what happened that I liked…

The Kiesha’ra Series // Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

I mean, first of all, I haven’t even managed to finish the series, but I’ve read the first 3 (possibly 4) books 2-3 times each and I still remember nothing, aside from the fact that there are snake and bird people and they have trouble getting along. That’s it. I don’t even know what to do about this series anymore…

Literally Any Deb Caletti Novel

The thing is, I know that when I’m in a mood for a romance-y novel I have enjoyed Caletti books, and yet, despite having read some of them multiple times, I remember nothing that happened in any of them!

Let me know some books that just didn’t stick with you and why.

Top 5 Wednesday: January 10, 2018

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Books You Didn’t Get to In 2017

These are books you didn’t end up getting to in 2017, but really want to prioritize in 2018.
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Throne of Glass series // Sarah J. Maas

When the new book came out (ha…not even the most recent new book) I decided I needed to reread the whole series if I was going to have any idea what was going on. Of course, that was the end of 2016, and then with yet another new one coming out in 2017 I figured I would get to it at some point… Wrong!

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

I’ve literally had this for almost an entire year, completely intending to read it, and then just…not…doing…that…. I have no excuse at all honestly. Especially considering all the good things I’ve heard about it.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

God I’ve been “meaning to read this one” literally since it came out in like 2015 or something. I keep getting it from the library, sitting it on the shelf, and then turning it back in without reading it. At least with this one I have a reason though. Sarah Dessen was a favorite back in high school and I was excited to see another book by her, but I suddenly got it into my head that if it somehow disappointed me (something no Dessen novel has ever done) I might not be able to love her other books quite the same as I have. So basically I psyched myself out…

The Forgotten Sisters (Princess Academy, book 3) by Shannon Hale

This is another one that I’ve been intending to get to for ages. I even reread the first two books to prepare for reading this one. And yet… I’m going to blame the second book, because it was completely unmemorable (it wasn’t bad though) so how am I supposed to go on to the third?

The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch, book 1) by Rin Chupeco

I was so excited when this book came out and I heard so many great things, so I got it from the library as soon as it was available. And then I read it right away! Not… I put it on the library shelf and looked at it sometimes with the best of intentions, but never quite in the exact right mood for it apparently. (That’s just an excuse, I’m just bad at follow-through!)

What are some books you meant to read last year, but didn’t get around to?