March 2017 Recap

I was an awful book blogger/reader in March. I’ve been in a weird anti-Contemporary funk where I just didn’t have patience for them, yet I still tried them and probably gave them lower ratings than I normally would have. Then I got a bad sinus infection. I’ve never had one before and I had no idea how debilitating they are! I was off work for 5 days. I went to stat care for the first time in my life. I can’t remember the last time I had felt so awful. I didn’t read for over a week and I pretty much ignored the blog for even longer. I’m feeling much better than I have been, but it’s still holding on.

Books Read: 7

Adult: 4
YA: 3

Favorite Book I Read This Month:

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

Books Reviewed: 2

I See You by Clare Mackintosh – 4/5 Stars

Geekerella by Ashley Post – 3/5 Stars

Books Read in 2017 Overall: 36

Funny Fridays:

March 3

March 10

March 24

Other Posts:

February 2017 Recap

The Sims Book Tag

Top 5 Wednesday: Books You Felt Betrayed By

Reviewing the Unreviewed: March 2017

Looking Forward to April:

I have a couple reviews scheduled. I’m just hoping to get back on track with my reading really. I’m also going to be going to Canada a few days for my niece’s 2nd birthday!

Reviewing the Unreviewed: March 2017

I read a lot of books that I don’t end up reviewing for whatever reason. Some because I wasn’t impressed. Some because I didn’t have the time. Some I just wasn’t feeling it on whatever particular day I finished. I thought I’d start doing a post once a month  with just the couple thoughts I shared on Good Reads.

Winging It (Corrigan Falls Raiders #3) by Cate Cameron. Read February 28 – March 1. 3 Stars.

This was a quick, fairly cute read. It was a little more friends-to-love trope than fake-relationship, but since I like both of those, it was ok. I didn’t really care for Natalie. I enjoyed the chapters from Toby more, but he fell a little short of being a character I could really love. Overall, it was a good palate-cleanser from all the more serious books I’ve been reading lately.

The Rule Book (The Rule Breakers #1) by Jennifer Blackwood. Read March  9-11. 3 Stars.

I really enjoyed pretty much every interaction between Lainey and Brogan in this book. I liked the romance and even all the times Lainey just said really stupid stuff in front of him. There were a lot of humorous moments, too. However, there were a couple things that bothered me. I’m not sure if it’s ever stated how old Brogan is (I think 30 was hinted at it) and Lainey is 24. I know that’s not a huge age difference, but I felt like there was such a difference in their maturity (plus he’s her employer) that the romance almost felt uncomfortable for awhile. (I did get over that eventually, though. Like I said, I liked almost every interaction between them.) My major problem, though, is that if you cut out all of Lainey’s inner-monologues about wanting to do her boss, the book would be about half as long. It just kind of annoyed me. There was a lot of good about the book, though, and it was a cute romance, overall.

A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) by V.E. Schwab. Read March 12-25. 4 Stars.

I had a lot of issues with the previous book in this series, but I’m really glad I decided to still read this one. As always, Schwab’s writing is excellent. But in addition to that, I feel like the plot was advancing in almost every chapter. Though it did get a little slow at times and there was a great deal that I felt didn’t really have purpose and could have been cut to make the book a little shorter, I still enjoyed the story. I didn’t HATE Lila so much, either. I loved Kell and Holland and Rhy (even though he really frustrated me most of the time). I have a hard time giving this a proper review because I took a week off from reading right in the middle of it due to illness, but overall I thought it was a pretty good end to the series and probably the best book of the three.

Till Death by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Read March 25-26. 4 Stars.

After being really disappointed in the last few JLA books I’ve read, I’m so happy in how much I enjoyed this. It veered a little more towards romance than suspense, but I was a fan of the romance, so I was ok with it. I really liked both Sasha and Cole and their relationship. I liked the mystery aspect, even though I basically figured out who the bad guy was really early in the book. ***SUPER MILD SPOILER*** There was a really random detail about one of the characters given on early in the story and then nothing was really done with it. It gave a bit of a motive and while it was nice that the killer didn’t come out of left field, it was a little disappointing that it was included so early in the story and – at least to me – done in a really obvious way. ***END OF SPOILER*** Overall, I just really enjoyed it and didn’t want to put it down. It’s restored my faith a bit in JLA.

The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord. March 27-28. 2.5 Stars.

I have heard from people who are hesitant about this book because there is some religious content. If you are one of those people, I would say you might be slightly annoyed at times, but I don’t think it’s written in a way that will “ruin” the book for you. I have also heard from people who were very happy to see a “realistic” Christian character not be a complete psycho. To those people I would caution to not get too excited. Yes, the main character comes from a religious background and is not awful. However, this is NOT a Christian book and the overall message is not of Christian faith. There are definitely a few themes throughout that is congruent with the Christian faith, but at the end of the day the message is more one of universalism and the goodness of people. I mean, it’s still a hopeful message and is more than is in most YA, but I just want to caution my Christian friends. Full review to come.

Funny Friday

Celebrate the end of the work week with a little book humor.

Top 5 Wednesday: Books You Felt Betrayed By

This week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is: Books You Felt Betrayed By: Beware the Ides of March! What books (or characters) did you feel betrayed by, for whatever reason…big or small.

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth. First of all, I kind of have the Twilight Effect with this series- I really loved Divergent (and even Insurgent) when I first read it, but going back and re-reading I find it really underwhelming. Anyways, I was so excited for Allegiant and it ended up being probably the worst series ender I’ve ever read. Not just the controversial death, but it made me really dislike Four and the plot was just so convoluted and didn’t make any sense!

2. Sacrifice by Brigid Kemmerer. I loved the Elemental series and was excited to finally get Michael’s POV. And I was really enjoying this book – right up until the very abrupt end! Part of the problem was my sneaky ARC, but I felt like there were just SO MANY loose ends and this was supposed to be the series finale. Since then, Kemmerer has said she is continuing the series, but no date has been announced as to when that will happen.

3. The Rose Society by Marie Lu. Every review I read for this series raved about how “dark” it was supposed to be and how the main character was supposed to be so villainous. However, I did not feel that way at all about it. There were maybe a couple of darker moments, but I felt way more sorry for the main character than scared of her, which was a major disappointment. I still haven’t read the final book in the series yet.

4. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. So I gave this a pretty favorable review when I first read it, but the more I got away from it, the more disappointing I found not just this final book, but the whole series. Though I will always love the characters, the story just doesn’t make a lot of sense! I especially find the conclusion of the Glendower plotline to be particularly ridiculous and unsatisfying. I’m not even very interested in the upcoming Ronan spin-off.

5. Kate in Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld. She kind of ruined everything between her and her husband, who I loved, with one stupid choice. The fact that it seemed so abrupt and not anything that the story had been “leading up to” made it even worse.

Review: Geekerella: A Fangirl Fairytale by Ashley Poston

Synopsis from Good Reads:

Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons before he was famous. Now they re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.”

I received a copy of this title from NetGalley. It does not impact my review.

Geekerella: A Fangirl Fairytale will be available April 4, 2017.

This is one of the books of 2017 I have been looking forward to the most. I like re-tellings. I like to fangirl on occasion. This book just seemed like it would be such an adorable, fun read. However, I find myself a little disappointed. It might just be my current reading mood. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of mystery and suspense and whenever I reach for something a little lighter I end up being a little underwhelmed.

Let’s start with what I did like. I liked Darien, the up-and-coming actor who wins the main role of Starfield. He had a good sense of humor and though he had a few stupid boy moments, he was just So Nice. I loved seeing a leading man who wasn’t some cocky man-whore. I liked Sage, Elle’s co-worker/friend/fairy godmother, too.

I didn’t really like Elle, though. I know that she’s had a lot of horrible things happen to her, but I found her really whiny and over-dramatic. She was completely oblivious anytime anyone tried to show her any kindness or friendship for much of the book. She had no backbone whatsoever for the whole story and then once she gets to ExcelsiCon she starts acting the exact opposite. It just didn’t work for me.

I also felt the story was too slow and much too long. For most of the book I felt like nothing was happening. You would think being on the set of a movie would be a little more exciting – or at least a little interesting. It was not. And I felt like we just saw Elle live the same day over and over again until it was time to go to the Con. I will say that when we got to about the last quarter or so of the book I started to enjoy it a lot more. I felt like actual plot happened and I was finally able to hop on the Elle-Darien ship.

Overall, Geekerella was just an ok read for me. I think it would have benefited from being a little shorter so it didn’t feel so slow and drawn out. However, I did like Darien’s humor and I enjoyed the story more by the end. I think that there are a lot of people that will enjoy this book, though, especially if you are a fan of YA Contemporary and enjoy participating in fandoms. I’m bumping my original rating up a little since the writing really wasn’t bad and I feel like if I was in a different mood I’d probably feel more favorable towards it.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars

Funny Friday

Celebrate the end of the work week with a little book humor

Review: I See You by Clare Mackintosh

Synopsis from Good Reads:

Every morning and evening, Zoe Walker takes the same route to the train station, waits at a certain place on the platform, finds her favorite spot in the car, never suspecting that someone is watching her…

It all starts with a classified ad. During her commute home one night, while glancing through her local paper, Zoe sees her own face staring back at her; a grainy photo along with a phone number and a listing for a website called FindTheOne.com.

Other women begin appearing in the same ad, a different one every day, and Zoe realizes they’ve become the victims of increasingly violent crimes—including murder. With the help of a determined cop, she uncovers the ad’s twisted purpose…A discovery that turns her paranoia into full-blown panic. Zoe is sure that someone close to her has set her up as the next target.

And now that man on the train—the one smiling at Zoe from across the car—could be more than just a friendly stranger. He could be someone who has deliberately chosen her and is ready to make his next move…

I received a copy of this title from NetGalley. It does not impact my review.

It took me a little while to get into I See You. It starts out a little slow, mostly establishing the characters. But once it fully settles into the main mystery I was hooked.

The story follows Zoe, a woman who finds her picture advertising a dating site she’s never heard of in the paper, Kelly, a police office trying to gain some redemption from past mistakes, and snippets from the anonymous villain. At first I found the switch in POV between Zoe and Kelly a little jarring, almost feeling like they were two completely different stories. Once we get further into the story, though, I found myself really enjoying each perspective. While they both had their flaws, they were likable characters that I was rooting for the whole time. I also really liked Kelly’s new DI, Nick.

I thought the author did a good job of conveying Zoe’s paranoia. While the book didn’t really have the creepy atmosphere I was expecting, it snuck up on me later, when I wasn’t reading. The idea of how most of us are creatures of habit and how easy it would be for anyone to use that predictability against you is a scary thought. I’ve always been someone who closes all the blinds as soon as it gets dark enough outside for people to be able to see in. The thought of being watched has always creeped me out and I think this book will make me a little more paranoid than I already am.

The mystery was pretty well done. I suspected several people of being behind the website all throughout the book and while the villain was one of my suspects, it still surprised me. I think it worked, though. And I LOVED the ending.

Overall, I enjoyed I See You. Though it started out a little slow for me, it did end up really sucking me in and I had a hard time putting it down. The mystery was well done and kind of terrifying in how plausible it is. I would definitely recommend it to mystery/thriller fans. Just be prepared to be looking over your shoulder after you do.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

The Sims Book Tag

I was tagged by Deanna over at A Novel Glimpse (check out her blog!). I’m going to stick with only books I’ve read in 2017, which may be a little challenging since it’s only March.

The Original Sims –  the best author debut

Seeking Mansfield by Kate Watson is the only 2017 debut I’ve read so far this year and I really enjoyed it. It’s a YA re-telling of Mansfield Park. It comes out May 16th and I think  you should read it!

The Grim Reaper – the saddest character death

*SPOILER*SPOILER*SPOILER*SPOILER

There are a lot of people that die in Making Faces by Amy Harmon, but Bailey’s hit me the hardest.

*END OF SPOILER*

Sims Getting Stuck – a character that just got in the way

Luke in Defying Gravity by Kendra C. Highley. Without him there would have been basically no conflict in the story, but I still think his character made no sense.

Simlish – a book with amazing writing

I Found You by Lisa Jewell (Out on April 25th). This is only my second Lisa Jewell book, but her writing is always so impressive.

Expansion Packs – a series where the books keep getting better

The Lacey Flint series by SJ/Sharon Bolton. Though I must admit the 4th book in the series (while still good) was my least favorite, but this series is fantastic.

Sim Romance – the worst case of insta-love

I haven’t really read any books with insta-love so far this year (hooray for smarter book choices in 2017!). The closest is probably Candice and Ian in Mackenzie Fire by Elle Casey and they were supposed to be more of the hate-to-love trope than insta-love. But since the transition happened pretty fast, it kind of fits the bill. I still shipped them, though.

Cheats – a book that was entirely unrealistic 

By Your Side by Kasie West. I really don’t think there is any way that every single phone in the library was behind a locked door. And I think Dax was probably savvy enough to pick a lock if need be. Still a pretty cute book, though.

Needs Fulfillment – a character that made all the wrong decisions

How about Everyone in Twisted Palace by Erin Watt. Seriously these characters (while entertaining) did the stupidest things throughout this whole series.

Error Code 12 – a series that started off well but went downhill from there

The Law of Moses series by Amy Harmon. Now I haven’t read a lot of series this year to choose from and this one is only two books. I just didn’t like The Song of David as much as I liked the first book, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good.

The Sims Vortex- a series that completely engrossed you

I’m going to have to go with the Lacey Flint series again. It’s become one of my favorite mystery/suspense series out there.

Funny Friday

Celebrate the end of the work week with a little book humor.

February 2017 Recap

Where did February go? I can’t even really remember if anything noteworthy happened. Work was blah. I got new glasses. I read some books.

Books Read: 12

Adult: 11
YA: 1

Favorite Book(s) I Read This Month:

Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton. READ IT!!

Books Reviewed: 4

Making Faces by Amy Harmon – 4.5 Stars

The Young Wives Club by Julie Pennell – 4 Stars

Wedding Date Rescue (Fire and Sparks #1) by Sonya Weiss – 3.5 Stars

Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton – 4.5 Stars

Books Read in 2017 Overall: 29

Funny Fridays:

February 3

February 10

February 17

February 24

Other Posts:

Top 5 Wednesday: Current Favorites that Aren’t Books

January 2017 Recap

Book Blogger Insider Tag

Reviewing the Unreviewed: February 2017

Book News:

Iron Gold Release Date Moved to 2018

As we all know, one of my favorite series is Red Rising by Pierce Brown. He’s writing a spin-off series that was supposed to debut this summer, but sadly it wasn’t quite ready yet and it now won’t be out until next year.

Good Reads adds a Re-Read Feature

Good Reads FINALLY added a re-read feature that won’t screw up your stats from previous years! I am a big re-reader and it always annoyed me that I couldn’t count them in my reading challenge (technically there was a “# of times read” checkbox and you could change the read date, but when I tried it, it moved the book out of my previous year challenge and I didn’t care for that at all). I’m very happy about this update. Hopefully the next reader-friendly update will be 1/2 stars!!

Looking Forward to March:

This is the first month in a while that I don’t have ARC reviews already queued up, so who knows how many actual reviews will be posted. Hopefully I’ll read some good books that will inspire me to actually review it.