Netgalley: August Reviews

I am not a fan of e-books, for the most part, but I think that an e-reader is becoming more and more a necessity. I have found that a lot of authors are publishing solely in e-book format or are publishing their short stories (companion to series) in e-book only. I had previously been using my Mom's old Nook, but it died several months ago.  I was, therefore, pleasantly surprised when I received a new Nook for my 23rd birthday. The first thing I did after I set up my Nook, besides downloading all of the books I already owned, was spend the $5 credit Barnes and Noble included with the Nook. But the third thing I did was get signed up for Netgalley and request a bunch of e-ARCs! I was only able to read four of the e-ARCs this month but I plan to read more soon!

The first e-ARC I read was They're Not Like Us by Eric Stephenson.

 



They're Not Like Us is a graphic novel and I was first drawn to it by the cover. In fact, I was expecting a lot of things from this comic based on the cover and the description. But, I ended up being sorely let down. I did not enjoy the art style at all. In fact, it was very distracting. The story was extremely dark and I had a hard time getting into it. I can see where someone else might enjoy it (it did have potential) but I would have DNFed it if I hadn't promised to review it. I gave this graphic novel 1 out of 5 stars and I will not be continuing on with the series.

 

The second e-ARC I read was Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

I have been hearing about this book so much on Booktube, Twitter, and Instagram. After all of the good reviews I have heard, I just had to get my hands on a copy! Now that I've read it, I can definitely see why so many people are talking about this book; I was only 23 pages in when I was hooked! The characters are all engaging and interesting. Both of the main characters (and several of the secondary characters) undergo great personal growth and change throughout the story. There was also a plot twist, no spoilers, that I absolutely did not see coming. The only thing that I did not like was how abruptly the story ended. I feel like the main characters needed more closure than they were given: at least an epilogue, maybe even a sequel, but definitely something more! I gave this book  5 out of 5 stars because, overall, I really loved the book. I will definitely be buying a finished copy for my shelf.

 

The third e-ARC I read was A Bone to Pick: A Peggy Henderson Adventure by Gina McMurchy-Barber.

 

I didn't realize when I first started reading this book that it is actually the fourth in a series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone. The first three books are Reading the Bones, Bone Deep, and Broken Bones. At the beginning, I had really high expectations for this book. After all, Vikings and archaeology are two of my favorite subjects! In the end though, I was supremely disappointed. The plot of the story is very interesting and the writing is good. Actually, this book would get 5 stars if that were all there were to it. Unfortunately, more goes into a book than good plot; namely, the characters. There wasn't a single character in this book that I liked. Aunt Margaret was overbearing and condescending. Peggy's mom was oddly accommodating toward everyone. Robbie was a snot. But the worst character was Peggy, the main character. She was arrogant, lazy, and a know-it-all. I also feel that she was partially compared to Sigrid (at least in the beginning of the book) which I thought was badly done and just didn't fit at all. Peggy did get better towards the end of the book but that did not make up for how horrible she was in the beginning. If I hadn't promised to review this book, I would have DNFed it just because of how insufferable Peggy was.

 

The fact that this book is the 4th in a series is worrisome. Peggy showed some growth over the course of the book, but she was so annoying in the beginning. I would hate to see what she was like for the first three books. I gave this book 2 out of 5 stars. I'm very glad to be done with this book [and not have to read the other three] and will not be buying a copy.

 

The last e-ARC I read this month was Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt.

 

 

One thing that YA needs more of is well written, diverse books. Unfortunately, while this book was diverse, it was not very well written. The characters were quite bland at best and extremely negative at worst. The plot was pretty generic YA fare with love at first sight, boy gets girl, and a huge helping of teen angst. I do believe that the story raised important questions about immigration, but I think that essential aspect of the story would have been better served without the lackluster romantic trope. I also didn't like how suddenly the story ended. It felt less like an ending and more like someone had forgotten to include the last couple of pages in the ARC. I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. I will not be buying a copy and am unsure if I will read a sequel (if one is ever published).

 

Are you looking forward to any of these books? Have you already read some of them? I'd love to know how you feel about these books!

TLC Readalong Recap: Month 1 (Cinder Review Repost + updates)

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I am taking part in the Lunar Chronicles Readalong. August was the month for reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer, the first book in the trilogy.

 

 

I had heard of this series many times on booktube but just wasn't interested in it. I'm not really a big fan of fairy tale re-tellings. But, I decided to give it a go when I heard about the readalong. When I started reading this book, I had planned to read only a couple of chapters per week so that I could drag it out over the whole month of August (which is the month allotted for this book). That way, if I didn't like it I could occupy myself with reading other books. I picked up the book and ended up finishing the whole thing in a little over 4 hours (it would have taken me less time but helping parents and going out to eat dinner got in the way of my reading). I am so sad that I didn't pick up this book before. It was a new and refreshing take on Cinderella! I loved that Cinder was tough and out of the ordinary. The only part of the book that I didn't love was that it was set in China. I didn't think the Chinese elements were worked into the story enough and would have been better off being left out altogether. But I loved this book so much, I don't think I can wait to read the other 3 books in the series! I gave this book a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars. If you've never read this series, or if you love the series, you should join in!

 

I had kind of planned to finish off the rest of the series in the same month, but decided to hold off until the designated months so that I can drag out my enjoyment for the rest of the year. The first book was really amazing and I hope that, if you haven't read before, you'll join in on this readalong so you can experience it too!

 

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Links:

The Book Addicts Guide Lunar Chronicles Readalong post: http://www.bookaddictsguide.com/2015/07/15/the-lunar-chronicles-reread-along-intro-sign-ups/

Count Me In For Bout of Books 14

Once again, I am taking part in a read-a-thon. I decided to take part in Bout of Books 14. I liked the idea of this read-a-thon because there are no set conditions for reading. You're probably wondering what Bout of Books is then. Luckily for us, the Bout of Books ladies provide a blurb about their read-a-thon on their blog, which I have included below.

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 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23rd in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 14 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I am super excited to take part in the challenges!!! I decided that the only reading parameter that I am setting for myself is to read books that I already have in my house that I haven't read yet. I've also already read one book for the read-a-thon! Let me know below if you are participating and I'll see you later for the wrap-up!

 

 

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Links:

 

Bout of Books: http://boutofbooks.blogspot.com/2015/08/bout-of-books-14-sign-up.html?m=1

Booktube-A-Thon Wrap-Up

Well, Booktube-A-Thon is done. Has been done for 3 days now. I had fun but it left me pretty exhausted. I had not intended to take part in Booktube-A-Thon because it started so soon after TBR Takedown 2.0. Then, the night before Booktube-A-Thon started, I decided to take part and threw together my TBR. I kind of wish I had just done one or the other, because all of the self-imposed, required reading really took its toll on me. I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't pressured myself to keep up with my reading TBR. I also really liked watching the challenges but didn't have the time to participate in any of them because of work. Work kept me from being able to read as much as I would have liked to as well. I also made a little mistake in timing that upped the stress of this readathon for me. I mistakenly thought it ended on Friday when it actually ended on Sunday. So, for all of Saturday I didn't read anything. Bummer. In total, I completed 5 challenges and read a total of 7 books. Actually, 6 books and 1 graphic novel, but I'm counting it!

The first book I read was The Visitor by K.A. Applegate, which I chose as my pick to total 7 books for challenge #7, which was the last challenge I completed.

There isn't much for me to say about this book. I love the Animorphs series, and this book is no exception. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

After this, I read a graphic novel, The Guild by Felicia Day and Jim Rugg.



I don't want to go too much into this graphic novel because, honestly, I hated it. I was really excited to read this comic. I mean, girl gamers!!!! But the story and characters were just bad. I gave this graphic novel 1 out of 5 stars.

Then I finished my second challenge, #6: Read a book you really want to read, for which I chose The Borrowers by Mary Norton.



 

I felt very conflicted about this book. I grew up watching, and loving, the Borrowers on film. I also remember watching a play about the Borrowers when I was younger. Then came the Miyazaki version of the story, which I also loved. After all that, reading the story was different. The characters were extremely different and the story was practically unrecognizable.  It's not that I didn't like the story. It was just so far removed from the other versions that I have already loved that I found it difficult to get in to this book. But at the end of the day, the story was good, so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I had decided, right after reading this book, to read the other four books in the series, but have since decided not to continue on.

 

The third challenge I completed was #5: Finish a book without letting go of it. My selection for this challenge was A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck.

 

 

This is a book that I have been wanting to read for a very long time. I remember hearing about it when it first came out because it was in one of the Scholastic Book Fairs at my school (seriously, who didn't love those book fairs!). I ended up not buying it back then, but the title has stuck with me. Now that I've read it, I loved it! It was geared for elementary or middle grade but was not watered down at all. I loved the characters, especially Grandma Dowdel, but would have liked to see more of some of the secondary characters. I didn't realize this was a sequel until I was halfway through reading it, so now I have to go back and read the 1st and 3rd books. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.

 

The next challenge I finished was #1: Read a book with blue on the cover. Originally I was going to read Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella, but when it came time to pick it up I just wasn't feeling it. I was also a little burnt out on reading. So, I decided to re-read one of my go-to books, Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer.

 



 

I first read this book in February 2013 and have re-read it many times since. It is a Christian Historical Romance, which I love but might not be other's cup of tea. I like the growth that the characters go through during the story. I love Meredith and all of the Archer brothers because they come across as very genuine. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars when I first read it, and my rating is the same this time around too.

 

The last challenge I completed was #3: Read someone else's favorite book. My book choice for this challenge changed several times. First, I was going to read The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, which is one of my cousin's favorite books. I decided not to read it simply because the page count was too high (I will be reading it sometime in the future though). My second choice for this challenge was going to be Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs, which is one of my friend Davina's favorite books. I ended up not being able to read this book because all of the copies were checked out from the library (I'm still 3rd in line for this book at the library). So, in a last ditch effort, I turned to twitter for recommendations. The only book recommended that I hadn't already read was Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers (recommended by Sarah Woodward, @Sarahbear9789). I started reading it, but only got through 1 chapter before I realized I loathed it. I immediately DNFed it. Following that last failure, I turned to a book that I have already read (and own) that just happens to be a favorite of one of my local librarians; A Tailor Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer.

 

 

Once again, this is one of my go-to re-reads. I first read this book in September 2013, on the recommendation from a librarian, and have re-read it many times since. One thing I like about this book is that the characters have flaws that they must learn to overcome. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

 

The last book I read was Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer.

 

 

This book did not fulfill any challenges, but I really just felt like re-reading it. I first read this book in October 2013. Its not my favorite novel by Karen Witemeyer. I thought the characters were kind of generic and the story is a little odd, but I still like it a lot. I also gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

 

 

How did you do? Did you complete all the challenges? Only some? What books did you read? I'd love to hear about your Booktube-A-Thon experience!

TBR Takedown 2.0 Wrap-up & Weekend Reads for The Lunar Chronicles Readalong

The TBR Takedown 2.0 is the first readathon I have ever taken part in. There were a lot of aspects that I liked and a few I didn't like. I loved the feeling of comradery that reading with a whole group of people brought. I also really enjoyed taking part in and seeing the submissions for the various challenges. I had trouble with feeling rushed which might have been lessened if I had started the readathon at the beginning instead of in the middle. I also didn't like that I felt stuck with the books I had initially picked and felt guilty when I strayed to different books. This was a personal feeling that I now realize was kind of silly. The point of the readathon was to read; it doesn't matter what I read, it just matters that I read something! I also didn't complete the challenges in chronologic order, I jumped around a lot, which I think gave me more of a sense of freedom. So, I am going to review the books in the order I read them. But, I am definitely going to be participating again next time!

The first challenge I completed was #4: read a book that has been on your shelf for over a year. For this challenge, I read The Triumphant Cat: Verse, Prose, & Pictures; Gathered from the Ancient & Modern Authors; Selected & Edited by Marmaduke Skidmore, Esquire.

 

I picked this book up because I like cats and I thought it would be fun to read a bunch of different selections about cats. In the end though, I didn't love this book. The selections weren't bad but they didn't interest me at all and there was absolutely no structure to how they were put into the book. I would have preferred more of a topic or common theme structure (other than cats). I read this book in about an hour, so it was a quick read, and gave it 1 out of 5 stars.

The second challenge I completed was #1: read the first book in a series. Originally I had planned to read Callum & Harper by Fisher Amelie, and I actually did start reading it! But I got caught up in the second chapter and found myself dragging through it. So, instead of forcing myself to read it, and quite possibly ending up hating it because of that, I put it aside to read for later and picked up the first book in the Animorphs series: The Invasion by K.A. Applegate.

 



I have been a long time fan of Animorphs. I first read the series when I was in middle school and recently started re-collecting the series. I now own most of the books but had not started reading them. I figured TBR Takedown 2.0 was the perfect time to start! The series is more middle grade and there are some dated references, but the book was no less fun and entertaining than it was when I first read it. My favorite characters are Jake and Tobias, but I love that the cast is so diverse (racially and socio-economically). I really cannot wait to finish reading this series! I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.

 

The third challenge I completed was #2: read a book that is a sequel in a series. For this, I read my initial pick, Dark of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne.

 

 



This is another series that I have recently been enjoying. This book is the third in the series. I enjoyed it almost as much as the first book and more than the second book. This book was a quick, fun read. I finished it in about 2.5 hours with frequent internet breaks. I did have a problem with some of the choices that the main character made, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all. This series reminds me of a fluffier, slightly less developed version of Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. So you should check out this series if you liked Blood and Chocolate. I gave Dark of the Moon 3 out of 5 stars.

 

The fourth challenge I completed was #5: read your most recently hauled book. Luckily, The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter came just in time for me to read it for TBR Takedown 2.0.

 

 

The Kneebone Boy started off on a high with a dash of fantasy, a pinch of mystery, and a healthy dose of quirk. The book had a definite Lemony Snicket/A Series of Unfortunate Events vibe, which I liked a lot, and is geared for middle grade. The characters themselves are kind of really interesting and draw you in to the story quickly. The problem I had was with the plot. Honestly, it was slow, but the first 99% of it was really interesting. There was just enough adventure and mystery to keep me on the edge of my seat. It's just that the last chapter didn't fit at all with the rest of the story. This makes it hard for me to rate the book. I didn't dislike it but I didn't love it. Ultimately, I gave the book 4 out of 5 stars. I also have to say that I bought the book primarily for the cover and was super happy with the art.

 

The final challenge I completed was #3: read a book that is out of your comfort zone. This is the only challenge where I didn't read the book I had originally planned on reading. In this case, I had planned to read An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. It was the last day of the readathon when I had time to read my last book. By that time, I was dragging pretty heavily and just wasn't really wanting to read anything at all. I decided to leave An Ember in the Ashes for later and pick up something lighter and shorter that was still out of my comfort zone. So, I read Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography by Lemony Snicket instead.

 

 

This book was out of my comfort zone because of the fact that it is an autobiography. I have never had good luck with autobiographies or biographies. But, I'm a fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events, and decided to give this book a try. Honestly, I found this book confusing and not very interesting. I might have liked it more if I had recently read A Series of Unfortunate Events, but I doubt it. I gave this book 1 out of 5 stars.

 

TBR Takedown 2.0 ended on a Friday. Instead of picking up another book right away, I took a break from reading. My sister and I had gone home for the weekend and spent the majority of the time helping my parents clean out and reorganize their closets in anticipation of a (eventual) move. However, Saturday (August 1st) marked the beginning of The Lunar Chronicles Readalong, which is being hosted by Brittany S. of The Book Addicts Guide. The readalong is running from August through December (1 book per month) in a lead up to the release of Winter by Marissa Meyer, the fourth book in the Lunar Chronicles series. I did decide to start reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer, which is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles.

 

 

I had heard of this series many times on booktube but just wasn't interested in it. I'm not really a big fan of fairy tale re-tellings. But, I decided to give it a go when I heard about the readalong. When I started reading this book, I had planned to read only a couple of chapters per week so that I could drag it out over the whole month of August (which is the month allotted for this book). That way, if I didn't like it I could occupy myself with reading other books. I picked up the book and ended up finishing the whole thing in a little over 4 hours (it would have taken me less time but helping parents and going out to eat dinner got in the way of my reading). I am so sad that I didn't pick up this book before. It was a new and refreshing take on Cinderella! I loved that Cinder was tough and out of the ordinary. The only part of the book that I didn't love was that it was set in China. I didn't think the Chinese elements were worked into the story enough and would have been better off being left out altogether. But I loved this book so much, I don't think I can wait to read the other 3 books in the series! I gave this book a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars. If you've never read this series, or if you love the series, you should join in!

 

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Links:

The Book Addicts Guide Lunar Chronicles Readalong post: http://www.bookaddictsguide.com/2015/07/15/the-lunar-chronicles-reread-along-intro-sign-ups/

Booktubeathon 2015 TBR

Hot on the heels of TBR Takedown 2.0, I decided to participate in BookTube-A-Thon. Actually, we're already on Day 3 of BookTube-A-Thon, which runs from August 3rd to August 9th. I know I still need to do my wrap-up for TBR Takedown but between starting at my job and going to my parent's house for the weekend (where I don't get any internet) that post is late, but I wanted to go ahead and post my BookTube-A-Thon TBR anyway. The other post will be up a little later in the week.

 

1// Read a book with blue on the cover : Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

 

 

2// Read a book by an author who shares the same first letter of your last name: Gilded by Christina Farley

 

3// Read someone else's favorite book: Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

 

4// Read the last book you acquired: Babe in Boyland by Jody Gerhman

 

5// Finish a book without letting go of it: A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

 

6// Read a book you really want to read: The Borrowers by Mary Norton

 

7// Read seven books: Animorphs 2 - The Visitor by K.A. Applegate

 

 

 

I've already finished The Borrowers by Mary Norton and The Visitor by K.A. Applegate. I'm excited to read the other books too. A quick bit about BookTube-A-Thon: besides the 7 challenges, there are also contests on the BookTube-A-Thon YouTube channel, contests and readalongs on the BookTube-A-Thon twitter account, and contests on the BookTube-A-Thon Instagram page. I'm also updating my progress more frequently on my twitter but I will post a wrap-up on Saturday.

 

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Links:

My Twitter (@verilyfranklin): https://twitter.com/verilyfranklin

BookTube-A-Thon YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZhmQgR4l0MMisH-OGO729Q

BookTube-A-Thon Twitter (@BookTubeAThon): https://twitter.com/BookTubeAThon

BookTube-A-Thon Instagram (@booktubeathon): https://instagram.com/booktubeathon/