Bout of Books Day 3

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

Today is day 3 of the read-a-thon and I rocked AGAIN!  Woo!  I listened to 44 pages of City of Lost Souls (I didn't get distracted by my ipod this time!) and then I finished my second book of the challenge, Crescendo, with a final 129 pages to round it out.  I really disliked Crescendo and gave it 2 stars, and it was the interesting parent situation that saved it from 1 star. Crescendo was 65% mean girl drama, 30% boyfriend drama, and maybe 5% plot.  

I also managed to finish another book, A Million Suns by Beth Revis (88 pages).  I actually really enjoyed the second half of this book.  I rated it 3 stars, but it's more like 3.499 stars.  I thought the idea of a trail of clues was an interesting idea, but I don't think it was effect in this particular setting.  I also really disliked all of the rape threatening that was going on in the first half.  I did think the ending was pretty good and I'm really interested in reading the final book, Shades of Earth.  May start that tomorrow in fact. 

Today's first challenge was hosted by Musings of a Bookshop Girl who asked two questions, what are the 5 books at the top of your TBR pile and if you went into a bookstore right now what 5 books would you walk out with? 

The books at the top of my TBR pile are

 I'm working my way through The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series and am currently on City of Lost Souls, so Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare is next and I'm really excited to see what happens with Jem.  I want to read The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken for two reasons.  First Christine at polandbananasbooks loved it and second I got approved for an egalley of the second book Never Fade which is supposed to also be awesome.  Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell is another YA book that has gotten a lot of buzz on youtube lately.  I've had a lot of good luck with contemporary YA lately, so I'm really anxious to read this (plus cover.  So good!).  I've recently been reading my first Neil Gaiman series, The Sandman graphic novels, and I really want to read one of his novels.  I recently picked up a copy of The Ocean at the End of the Lane and it's been getting a lot of praise so I am really interested in reading it.  And Finally I have Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde this is a recent purchase that Karate really likes, so I want to read it!

The second portion of this challenge is really hard.  I think if I were to go in a book store right now I would pre-order books, so here are the top 5 that are coming out soon that I really want.

 

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black is coming out soon, September 3rd, and I love the title and the concept is really cool.  I plan on asking for this for my birthday.  Allegiant by Veronica Roth is the final book in the wildly popular Divergent series and is set for an October 22nd release.  With the movie coming out next year I want to be hipster and finish the books before the movies.  Cress by Marissa Meyer is the third book in one of my favorite YA series ever.  It's not coming out until February of next year but you best believe I'll be getting it the day it drops.  Right along the same line is Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor.  This is the final book in another of my favorite series and I have to get it, April cannot come fast enough.  And then finally I have Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.  The release date has been pushed back multiple times and we can only hope that by May it will be ready.

The second challenge was hosted at Such a Novel Idea and we were to write a poem using the titles of books we own.  I loved this idea and knew I was going to write a haiku because they are my favorite.  

Torn teeth, flesh, and bone
The outsiders crash and burn.

Ashes rage within.

Yeah, that turned out kind of angry not sure why lol. 

Ok this post has been long enough.  In summary, I finished 2 books and read 261 pages.  I will probably start Shades of Earth tomorrow and perhaps try and make progress on one of my netgalley books.

Number of pages today:  261
Total number of pages:  784

Books started:  0

Books completed:  3

Bout of Books Day 2

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

Day 2 has been a great day for reading.  I listened to 14 pages worth of City of Lost Souls, got through 109 pages of Crescendo, and finished my first book of the read-a-thon, Assassins in Love with the final 74 pages.  I gave it 3 stars, I thought it was fluffy and fun but I would have liked a little more focus on the murder conspiracy.  Overall an enjoyable but forgettable read.  

I then decided to re-pick up A Million Sun by Beth Revis and read 90 pages.  I started it back in June and got about half way through before putting it down.  The story just wasn't holding my attention.  However a month later I am enjoying it more though I still don't care about Elder and Amy's romantic relationship.  I would rather the story just focus on the ship's politics and getting to the new planet.  

Today's challenge was hosted at Music Plus Books and we are to rename the book(s) we are reading for the challenge.  Let's see, I would change "City of Lost Souls" to "Why is Jace Always Getting Possessed?" because that seems like a really convenient plot device that gets used again and again.  "Crescedo" I would re-name to "Mean Gurl Dramaz" because that's basically all this book has been.  I think "A Million Suns" is an awesome title and I wouldn't change it, and "Assassins in Love" is so bad it's actually good.  I honestly can't think of a more blatantly accurate title so I'm going with it lol.  

So all together I read for around 6 hours including approximate audio book time and finished 287 pages and my first book!  I didn't get through Crescendo like I planned, but I hope to finish it tomorrow and maybe A Million Suns as well.  

Number of pages today:  287
Total number of pages:  523

Books started:  0

Books completed:  1

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

#1 in the Paranormalcy series
Published August 31, 2010 by HarperTeen
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Review:  Paranormalcy is very cutesy and a little cheesy but overall enjoyable.  I'd really give it a 3.4, but not quite enough to earn a 4 star round up.  The characters are fun but kind of annoying at times, the plot is interesting but rather predictable, and the writing is definitely geared toward the younger end of the YA spectrum.  

Evie, the main character, was equal parts obnoxious and endearing.  I loved that her taser had rhinestones all over it, but hated that she called it "tasey".  I loved her girly sense of style, but hot pink boots and a zebra dress?  Come on.  However, I think a character that starts off rather naive has a lot of room to grow.  I loved her friendship with Lish and I wish we could have gotten to know Lish better.  I understood Evie and her motivations and my inner 16 year old girl could totally related to her.

Lend, the love interest was also great.  I thought their relationship was really well done, it developed at a believable pace and I thought their interactions were really cute.  He definitely helped bring the overall rating up.  The romance was believable and it also isn't the main focus of the book, which I found really refreshing for a YA paranormal book. 

I did have some problems with the pacing of the story.  I thought the characters were kind of going in circles and I wish the special powers and the mystery were explained better.   I finished the novel with a lot of questions unanswered, and while I suspect they might be addressed in the next book in the series it wavered between cliffhanger and unsupported plotting. 

Overall I found Paranormalcy a fun read that will appeal to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Paranormalcy is a spunky coming of age story with a lot of heart, I would definitely recommend it for your summer reading list.

Bout of Books Day 1

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

Day 1 of the read-a-thon has officially begun!  Who is excited?  I know I am!  I am in the middle of 7 books right now, and I hope to finish them soon so I can maybe read some of my TBR picks.  Here are my day 1 starting stats.

City of Lost Souls - pg. 141
Crescendo - pg. 115
Assassin's in Love - 50%
A Million Suns - pg. 208
You Can Heal Your Life - pg. 109
Shutter Island - pg. 37
Ink - 8%

I listened to the audio book of City of Lost Souls in my car and got 22 pages read and I also listened to the audio book for Crescendo and made it through 94 pages.  I'm not really liking either of these stories though so it was definitely a struggle.  

After work, jogging, shower, and dinner I was finally able to start reading at around 8pm.  I picked up Assassins in Love, this month's pick for the vaginal fantasy book club and went from 50% completed to 79%, which is around 120 pages.

There were two challenges for today, the first being hosted at sarah says read.  She asked  "What is one bookish thing you want to do before you die? OR what is one thing you want to do before you die that was inspired by a book you read?"  I have many bookish ambitions and have managed to achieve some of them.  I've gone to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, I've visited The Strand in New York City, and I've met John Green and was able to tell him how much his work on The Fault in Our Stars meant to me. However, one wish that I've had since I was a little kid was to have a giant library with a ladder I could slide on like Belle in Beauty and the Beast.  Considering I currently live in a two bedroom apartment it looks like I'm going to have to wait on that dream, but I do hope one day I will be able to see it happen. 

The second challenge was also a lot of fun.  It was hosted over at Book Pairing and we were supposed to post a photo of a book we were reading and what we were eating and drinking as we read it.  Here's mine.

I paired hot chocolate with Assassins in Love, which I thought was extra appropriate since the book is semi-erotica and chocolate is supposed to be an aphrodisiac lol.  

So all together I read for around 5ish hours (if you count the audio book time) and got through 236 pages.  I still haven't finished a book, but I'm going to try and finish Crescendo and Assassins in Love tomorrow.  It has been a great start and I'm excited for tomorrow!

Number of pages today:  236
Total number of pages:  236
Books started:  0
Books completed:  0

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

#3 in the Chemical Garden Series
Published February 12, 2013 by Simon & Schuster
1 Star

Goodreads Review
Time is running out for Rhine in this conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden Trilogy.With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.

Review:  I am a literature sadist.  I don't know why, but I have a sick need to finish every book that I've started, no matter how painful, stupid, or rage-inducing.  I really did not like Sever, nor the Chemical Garden series as a whole.  I think this story could have definitely been a stand alone because all of the plot really happened in the first book and the second and third were full of pretty prose of little consequence.  I was particularly disappointed with this series because there were so many really interesting ways this story could have gone and a lot of great topics that could have been explored but none were really committed to which just left for a weak series that didn't say anything.

Sever was a very monotonous ending to the series where nothing really happened and none of our questions were answered.  The first third of the book was Rhine hanging out at Lindon's uncle's house (did we know about this uncle before book 3?  I don't think so, and this character suddenly living just down the road was very convenient) doing nothing.  I thought finding her brother was really important but she's really not in any hurry to do anything other than putz around.  I also was wondering what was going on with Gabriel, but Rhine must really have an out of sight, out of mind personality because I don't think she spared one thought for him for at least 200 pages.  But you know what, Rhine and Linden should have stayed together because they're both as exciting as a bump on a log covered with a wet blanket.  I seriously don't think I've read two more wishy washy characters in my life.  The only semi redeemable character in Sever is Cecily (I know I was surprised too).  There was some character growth there and Cecily actually took some action in this book.  I couldn't believe it.

I also had huge problems with the general plot of Sever and how the big issues of the world were glossed over or just not addressed at all.  I don't want to post too many spoilers, but the big revelations about Rhine's parent's work on genetics or Vaugh's motivations behind his terrible abuses or how the world because the messed up society felt so contrived, like the author didn't know how to tie things up so she just brushed it under the rug with the barest of explanations.  The plot of this series is so sloppy, it's laughable.  All of the pretty prose in the world can't replace a well thought out story.

The other aspect of Sever that is really damaging is sex, namely the lack of sex that our main character has.  I mentioned this in my review for Fever, but to have a world where young girls are forced into marriage and prostitution as basically broodmares, and then put your main character into situation after situation where all of her peers are forced into sex but somehow miraculously she doesn't have to have sex is so ridiculous I can't even properly form words.  This is the biggest cop out I have ever seen.  If you're going to create a world like this and put your character in those situations (I mean, she was in a prostitution circus FFS) then you have to follow through, even if that means bad things have to happen to that character.  If you don't back up your world building the entire series falls apart and I won't be able to take the story or the characters seriously.  That's a problem with YA in general I think, writers don't want to do anything really bad to their characters so they put them in dangerous situations but don't actually put them in any danger. 

Sever, and frankly the entire Chemical Garden series, is just a hot mess.  Weak characters, weak plot, and very weak world building makes up this train wreck of a series.  Flowery prose cannot make up for this pile of pseudo scientific drivel. 

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

#1 in The Infernal Devices series
Published August 31, 2010 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
Don’t miss The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, soon to be a major motion picture in theaters August 2013.In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

Review:  Clockwork Angel is an interesting novel in that it produces a conundrum.  I think it was better than The Mortal Instruments books, but pretty much the exact same story and characters.  I would love to see Casssandra Clare write something other than a love triangle of sarcastic teens with modelesque good looks.  All of her characters are the same, and it's getting old.   

While the writing was better, this did not really work as a historical or steampunk novel.  These characters are most certainly not Victorian, they are written in a modern voice with mostly modern sensibilities.  Occasionally Tessa will think that something isn't proper or that servants shouldn't act a certain way, but because none of the characters ever seemed to follow Victorian propriety all this did was make Tessa look judgemental and prudish.  It felt like all of the ideas about Victorian society came from Wikipedia.  Also, just having a cheap imitation of Dr. Who's cybermen doesn't make your novel steampunk.  Steampunk is highly stylizied speculative fiction and just inserting a few robots and putting "clockwork" in the title doesn't cut it.  This felt very gimmicky and like a way to cash in on a popular trend.

Now with that said, I still did enjoy Clockwork Angel.  Third times a charm I guess.  I think this is largely due to Jem, the one character that felt new and fresh to Cassandra Clare's world.  Tessa and Will are pretty much carbon copy's of Clary and Jace, but Jem actually felt like a fleshed out character with a unique back story.  I was actually surprised at how excited I was to read a different character from Cassandra Clare (can you tell that I've been marathoning all of her books back to back?). 

Overall the best offering from Cassandra Clare, but when you consider her other novels that's not saying much.  I think if I hadn't read The Moral Instruments before Clockwork Angel I would have enjoyed it a lot more, but sadly this comes off as a more polished version of the novel she has already written.

Bout of Books Read-a-Thon 8.0 Sign Up and Goals

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

You all know how much I love a good read-a-thon.  Whether it's hosted by another blog, a youtube challenge, or something I just decide to impose upon myself, I love pushing myself to see how much reading I can accomplish.  So I'm signing up for yet another read-a-thon, this time over at bout-of-books. 

My goals for this challenge are as follows:

1. Read at least 3 hours a night during the week
2. Read at least 6 hours on the weekend
3. Listen to my audio book for the entire drive to and from work
4. Start and finish at least 1 novel

So what will I be reading?  Here are some of my ideas, though I can't say for certain I will be reading all of these.

So those are what I would like to read for this read-a-thon, but I highly doubt I'll make it through all of these because I tend to be a slow reader.  I'll probably get distracted by comic books or video games, but I'll try super hard to get at least a couple of these read. 

I also plan on doing a daily wrap up post to let you know my progress and maybe participate in a challenge or two.  I hope you all participate as well because I know it will be a ton of fun!

***Updates***

8/19
Number of pages today:  236
Total number of pages:  236

Books started:  0

Books completed:  0


8/20
Number of pages today:  287
Total number of pages:  523

Books started:  0

Books completed:  1

8/21
Number of pages today:  261
Total number of pages:  784

Books started:  0

Books completed:  3

8/22
Number of pages today:  258
Total number of pages:  1042

Books started:  1

Books completed:  4

8/23
Number of pages today:  142
Total number of pages:  1184

Books started:  2

Books completed:  4

8/24
Number of pages today:  336
Total number of pages:  1520

Books started:  2

Books completed:  5:

8/25
Number of pages today:  31
Total number of pages:  1551

Books started:  2

Books completed:  5