Marissa Meyer

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

November 2019 Reading Wrap-Up

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Untamed by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
(House of Night, book 4)
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  No, but I have been liveblogging the series!
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  October 28 – November 1
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Um. Um. Um. Um. I can’t think of anything. I guess I really liked that it ended.
Least Favorite Thing:  I’ve read stories by first graders with more substance than this entire book.

I swear each book in this series is worse than the last. They started off bad, but tolerable, and have devolved into straight up painful. How will I survive this liveblog?

My Posts About Untamed

Holes by Louis Sachar
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 2
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  All the pieces just came together so beautifully…
Least Favorite Thing:  X-Ray saying “right?” all the time lol

I reread this on a whim and was so relieved at how much I enjoyed it. I actually got a lot more out of it now than I did when I was just a dumb kid. Also can we talk about how well done the movie version was because I rewatched that after reading the book lol

My Posts About Holes

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
(Stalking Jack the Ripper, book 1)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 5 – 8
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  I liked the clues dropped and solving the mystery.
Least Favorite Thing:  Thomas was boring and annoying.

I have so many little notes and tabs to remove before I return this book to the library lol It wasn’t bad, but the writing was occasionally kind of sloppy. I probably won’t continue the series because I looked up the next books and Thomas is going to be a major character throughout and I just can’t stand to read him for even one more page.

My Posts About Stalking Jack the Ripper

Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 9 – 16
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Reading a book that wasn’t just nothing but white people was such a fucking relief.
Least Favorite Thing:  I just didn’t connect to it very well unfortunately…

I think all that’s happened here is I’ve developed an urge to reread the actual Pride and Prejudice once again… I’ve even gotten my mom into reading P&P so it’s really the perfect time. OK I’VE DECIDED I’M GOING TO DO IT, BUT I’M GOING TO MAKE MYSELF WAIT UNTIL JANUARY AT LEAST.

My Posts About Pride

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  November 23 – 24
Read Count:  3
Favorite Thing:  “Whose hand was I holding?” Ooooh! Gives me chills every time!
Least Favorite Thing:  The professor’s wife saying “planchette”…

So I made this mistake of listening to this all alone in my room in the night in the dark when no one could hear me scream… (Just kidding my mom would have heard me scream.)

The narrator on this one was great. I loved his voice and I felt it really lent itself well to the story.

My Posts About The Haunting of Hill House

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
(The Lunar Chronicles, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Audiobook
Reading Dates:  November 23 – 24
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  Nothing really stood out to be honest…
Least Favorite Thing:  Poor Peony…

I didn’t enjoy the reader so much on this one, but it wasn’t like intolerable or anything. This is just one I enjoyed reading more than listening to.

I had forgotten just how raggedy she must have looked arriving at the ball!

My Posts About Cinder

Hunted by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
(House of Night, book 5)
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  No, but I have been liveblogging the series!
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 25 – 30
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Um…god….this is so hard to answer with these books because I don’t like anything about them… I guess I’m glad her grandma is alright because she’s the only character that doesn’t annoy me.
Least Favorite Thing:  Rapey McRaperson never gets his comeuppance, we are just supposed to accept him as a good guy again because Zoey has a crush.

Honestly this series just gets worse with each book. It took forever to get through this one because I kept literally dropping the book and groaning in pain and then having to rant to the nearest person about whatever stupid shit just happened.

My Posts About Hunted

In Progress

First Lines Fridays: December 21, 2018

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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:

Her satellite made one full orbit around planet Earth every sixteen hours. It was a prison that came with an endlessly breathtaking view — vast blue oceans and swirling clouds and sunrises that set half the world on fire.

Did the quote pique your interest? View this book on Goodreads!

 

QuoteLee1 Comment
Cath snapped the book shut — the cat barely got his tail out in time. “Are you here for a reason, Cheshire?”
“Why, yes, I would enjoy a cup of tea. I take mine with lots of cream, and no tea. Thank you.”

– Marissa Meyer, Heartless, page 199

Version:
Hardcover, 453 pages
Published November 8th 2016 by Feiwel & Friends

QuoteLeeLeave a comment
She received fine silk gloves and music boxes and even a curled lock of prickly white hair tied with a red velvet ribbon. That particularly appalling gift had even come with a poem:
Roses are red, violets are blue,
I would even trim my mustache for you!
She had memorized the short stanza against her will and the words had nauseated her on multiple occasions since.

– Marissa Meyer, Heartless, page 196

Version:
Hardcover, 453 pages
Published November 8th 2016 by Feiwel & Friends

QuoteLeeLeave a comment
Margaret Mearle, daughter of the Count of Crossroads, had been Catherine’s closest bosom friend since they were toddlers. Unfortunately, they had never much liked each other.

– Marissa Meyer, Heartless, page 20

Version:
Hardcover, 453 pages
Published November 8th 2016 by Feiwel & Friends

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