Book Haul (#7)

Just a few books I picked up recently at my local Halfprice Books!

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (Bridget Jones #2)
by Helen Fielding

Shakespeare's Kings: The Great Plays and the History of England in the Middle Ages: 1337-1485
by John Julius Norwich

The Tudor Tutor: Your Cheeky Guide to the Dynasty
by Barb Alexander 

Emojiathon Update (2)

As promised, I am here to give you all an update on my progress for the Emojithon. 

If you have not yet heard about the Emojithon, I will leave a link to my previous post with more information, as well as the link to the official Twitter page ran by @dylanthereader5, @sarah_belk and @Nayasmilesforu.

Technically, this book I am about to share is the third book I have finished since the start of the Emojiathon, however, I am still trying to decide which challenge to include my second book in. So for now, I am just going to say I have completed two challenges! The first being Read a book in under 24 hours and the second being...

Read a romance/contemporary

For this challenge, I had read Lost & Found by Nicole Williams. This is a New Adult Romance/Contemporary novel and is the first book in Williams' Lost & Found series.

I will put out a real review for this novel later but for now I will give some brief thoughts. 

I had honestly just randomly chose this book off my Kindle one night when I couldn't sleep. I wanted something different from what I normally read, and this was definitely that. I do not usually read much romance or contemporary. I am not really sure why to be honest, it is just not a genre I pick up a lot. So I had my doubts going into this. However, Nicole William's Eternal Eden, the first book in her Eden Triology, was the first ebook I had ever read when I received my first Kindle (the original Kindle Fire) years ago, and I had absolutely LOVED that trilogy. So, I had already known I was a fan of Williams' writing. 

This novel was about a city girl and a sexy cowboy. Again, not my normal kind of read, but I breezed through it and really enjoyed it for the most part.

If you want to check out the Emojiathon for yourself, you can find information from the links below. As it is a month long read-a-thon, there's still plenty of time to jump on in! I will continue to keep you updated throughout the month! Let me know in the comments if you're participating. 

My post: http://ramblingbooks.blogspot.com/2017/02/emojithon.html
Emojithon Twitter page: https://twitter.com/emojiathon

Emojiathon Update (1)

As promised, I am here to give you all an update on my progress for the Emojithon. 

If you have not yet heard about the Emojithon, I will leave a link to my previous post with more information, as well as the link to the official Twitter page ran by @dylanthereader5, @sarah_belk and @Nayasmilesforu.

To be honest, unlike other participants of the Emojithon, I did not compile a TBR list in preparation. I am basically just reading whatever I am in the mood for and going through the challenge list to see if whatever I am reading fits the critera of one of the challenges. 

So, without further ado, I am pleased to say I have already completed my first challenge:

Read a book in under 24 hours

For this challenge, I had read I am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World by Eve Ensler which is novel consisting of "fictional monologues and stories inspired by girls". 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will put out a more detailed review for it sometime soon. However, the book was only about 177 pages, so I felt like I kind of cheated for this challenge, but it still counts nonetheless!

If you want to check out the Emojiathon for yourself, you can find information from the links below. There is still plenty of time to participate as it is a month long read-a-thon. I will continue to keep you updated throughout the month! Let me know in the comments if you're participating. 

My post: http://ramblingbooks.blogspot.com/2017/02/emojithon.html
Emojithon Twitter page: https://twitter.com/emojiathon

Emojiathon!

February 1st marked the start of the Emojiathon! 

The Emojiathon is a month long read-a-thon hosted on Twitter by the lovely @dylanthereader5, @sarah_belk and @Nayasmilesforu. 

The rules of the Emojiathon?

Simply complete 4 of the 14 challenges listed. Each challenge is represented by a specific emoji - hence the name Emojiathon. 

I will list the challenges below, as well as leave a link to the Emojiathon's main Twitter page, where you'll be able to participate in reading sprints and more.

Again, this read-a-thon lasts the whole month so there is still plenty of time to participate! I will keep you all updated on my progress throughout the month. 

Emojiathon: https://twitter.com/emojiathon

- read a book about a marginalized group

- read a book that was gifted to you

- read a romance/contemporary

- read a book you bought because of it’s cover

- read a book that makes you happy just thinking about it

- read a thriller or horror

- read a futuristic/sci-fi book

- freebie! Read any book

- read a 2016/2017 release

- read a cry-worthy book

- read a book you’ve been anticipating

- read a book in under 24 hours

- read a book you’ve been seeing everywhere

-Buddy read a book!

Waiting On Wednesday (#28)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme highlights some of the books whose releases bloggers are most anticipating this year.

The book whose release I am most excited for this week is...

Till Death

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Expected publication: February 28th 2017

In New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout’s gripping new novel, a young woman comes home to reclaim her life—even as a murderer plots to end it. . . 

It’s been ten years since Sasha Keaton left her West Virginia hometown . . . since she escaped the twisted serial killer known as the Groom. Returning to help run her family inn means being whole again, except for one missing piece. The piece that falls into place when Sasha’s threatened—and FBI agent Cole Landis vows to protect her the way he couldn’t a decade ago.

First one woman disappears; then another, and all the while, disturbing calling cards are left for the sole survivor of the Groom’s reign of terror. Cole’s never forgiven himself for not being there when Sasha was taken, but he intends to make up for it now . . . because under the quirky sexiness Cole first fell for is a steely strength that only makes him love Sasha more.

But someone is watching. Waiting. And Sasha’s first mistake could be her last.

Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen (Red Queen #1)
by Victoria Aveyard

Hardcover, 383 pages

Published February 10th 2015 by HarperTeen

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

“Rise, red as the dawn.” 

― Victoria Aveyard, Red Queen

I am going to start off by saying that I am sort of kicking myself for waiting so long to read this. There has been a lot of hype for this book for quite some time now, yet as intrigued as I was, for some reason I never got around to picking it up until now. The question now is, do I think this book lived up to all the hype it has received? 

Yes. But also no. 

Now you're confused I am sure. I say "yes" because I did very much enjoy this book. Parts of it were very unique and I can see why people love it. However, I personally did not LOVE it and had a few problems with it. 

For one thing, for the first two-thirds of the novel, I wasn't really feeling it. What I meant to say is, I was interested, but not too interested. It felt like not much was really going on, or at least, nothing different from any other YA novel that contains a similar plot. I did not really get sucked in until the last third. At this point, I could not put the book down. At last, I was hooked. It is this last third of the book that made me bump my rating up from 3 stars to 4. 

In the world of Red Queen, people either have red blood or silver. Those with silver also possess special abilities that vary. Because of these abilities, they consider themselves superior to those who bleed red. Red bloods are basically their slaves. They do all the work, fight in the long going war that has been raging for years, and get little in return. Then you get introduced the Mare Barrow, who of course is supposed to be special and the savior of all. This plot, while intriguing, is also not vastly different from other YA novels. 

I liked Mare enough. She had her moments were I admired her strength and abilities, but for the most part, she sort of bugged me. For one, there is a love triangle of sorts in this novel, much to my dismay. Though, to be perfectly honest, there were times when I thought there was perhaps a love quadrilateral going on. She's drawn to two brothers and naturally she leans more towards the one I did not really care for and find completely dull. 

The characters are part of the problem I had with this novel. I felt like a lot of them were either rather dull, or I just felt no connection towards them and did not really care much for them. Mare also appeared heartless to me at times. I understand she was in a rather tough situation but at times I lacked sympathy for her because she seemed almost as bad as the bad guys. 

I also felt certain things could have been explained a bit more in the novel. For example, what caused the two different kinds of blood, or why they were even in this long winded war. They mention the war a bit, but I still felt as though I didn't really understand why it was happening, or who the Lakelanders really were. 

There is a lot of betrayal, which was kind of a plus for me because it made me a tad more interesting. It also kind of ticked me off because even though I suspected of the betrayals, I was still a bit shocked and saddened by them. 

I would recommend this book. It wasn't bad. I did enjoy it even though to me personally, it was not all the hype made it out to be. I will probably continue on with the series soon. 

4 out of 5

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter #8) by by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter #8)
by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne

Hardcover, Special Rehearsal Edition, 327 pages

Published July 31st 2016 by Arthur A. Levine Books

The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

“In every shining moment of happiness is that drop of poison: the knowledge that pain will come again. Be honest to those you love, show your pain. To suffer is as human as to breathe.” 
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

This is going to be a rather short review. I feel as though I cannot give a full, proper review without giving away too many spoilers. So this review will basically just be my feelings and thoughts on the book as a whole. 

First off, I have to start off by saying that I do not look at this as the "8th" Harry Potter book and think it should stop being advertised as such. For one, its not a novel but a script book. Also, J. K. Rowling did not write this entirely on her own (which is clearly stated on the front cover and is also obvious while reading it). Lastly, I may be wrong but I could have sworn J. K. Rowling herself said that this is NOT the 8th book. But again, could be wrong on that.

I surprisingly enjoyed this a lot. It wasn't at all what I expected and it was nice to go back into this magical world I love so much. I will say, I'm sure this is much better when performed. I also felt as if parts read kind of like fan fiction. I almost felt like I could kind of tell which parts Rowling had probably written and which ones the other authors had a larger hand in.

Overall, very enjoyable, with quite a few surprises.

4 out of 5