Springtime Beauty Book Tag

Emily didn’t actually tag me in this one, but I think it’s implied that I do it. If not, well, I’m doing it anyway!

1. Spring Sun: The days are getting longer and the sun is starting to shine – Name a book that fills you with hope.

I’m going to go with Fire Bringer by David Clement-Davies. This is another of my favorite books (yes, a good chunk of my favorites happen to have talking animals in them – deal with it). This is an amazingly epic story about a young fawn’s journey to bring freedom to his herd, which happens to be controlled by the ruthless stag that murdered his father. Whenever I read this book it simply reminds me why I love reading, not that I need a reminder, and gives me hope that I will find other books I enjoy just as much. I should re-read it sometime soon…

2. Crocuses & Tulips: Spring flowers are starting to sprout everywhere – Name an author or series you just discovered that you want to start or read more from.
Keri Arthur. I just did a review on one of her series and really enjoyed her style of writing. I plan on reading more of her other books ( I actually already own another of her series).

3. A Cool Breeze: The days are getting warmer but are still nice and cool – Name a character that was like a breath of fresh air.
Grubbs from The Demonata series by Darren Shan. Grubbs Grady is one of the main characters in the series. He was like a breath of fresh air because he’s isn’t your typical bad-ass main character that can do no wrong. He’s actually fairly average, if not even a bit weird at times. Suddenly being thrust into a world of demons one night, he doesn’t spontaneously become an all-powerful demon hunting machine. He FREAKS THE FLIP OUT like any normal teenager and gets taken to a mental hospital. Demons scare the crap out of him and he’s not afraid to admit it. He makes all kinds of mistakes, doesn’t want the responsible that eventually weighs on him but still does his best, and just tries to cope with the tragedy that is his life. Plus he’s a larger-than-average, goofy-looking red-head and not some ripped,  prince-like hunk like many main male characters happen to be described as.

4. Blossoming Trees: All the trees are bursting with spring color – Show some book covers that remind you of spring.
These were the only two I could think of, and it’s only because they both have plants on them…

 

5. T-shirts & Shorts: With warmer weather comes cooler clothing – What is your favorite shortest book?
Right now I’m reading a few different comic book series. Do those count? If so, my favorite at the moment is The Amazing Spider-Man. I began buying it after Superior Spider-Man and have really been enjoying it. Thor (who is now a LADY, if you haven’t heard) is also really good.

6. Spring is the Time for New Beginnings: What series or series’ are you hoping to start this year?
Ummm, I’m not really sure. I have an extremely long book list and usually just flip through it after finishing a book or series to see what I feel like reading next. I don’t have any specific ones I need to read for the year, although right now I’m mainly focusing on completed series. Probably just some of the completed series that I currently own, that way I’ll be making more room on my bookshelf for more books.

7. Springtime Beauty: What are some of your favorite spring flowers?
Like Emmy, I’m not sure if this flower is a spring flower, but my favorite flower is the gladiolus.

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Book Review – The Spook Squad series by Keri Arthur

Whoo, my first book review! Honestly most of my reviews will probably be of a series as a whole, instead of just one individual book (unless the book is not a part of a series, of course). That’s because I’m an extremely lazy person. But if the series is super long I’ll do one halfway through or if I really like one particular book in it then I’ll give that book its own review. It just depends on what mood I’m in.

Anyway, this review is on the Spook Squad series by Keri Arthur.
The series has three books total:
   –    Memory Zero
   –    Generation 18
   –    Penumbra

          

Because I’m not all that good at summarizing things, I’ll just post the summary for the first book, Memory Zero, given on Goodreads.

For Sam Ryan, life began at age fourteen. She has no memory of her parents or her childhood. In a decade of service with the State Police, Sam has exhausted the resources of the force searching for clues to her identity. But all mention of her family seems to have been deliberately wiped off the record. Everything changes the night Sam’s missing partner resurfaces as a vampire… and forces her to kill him in self-defense. Now Sam is charged with murder. Suspended from the force, and with no one left to trust, Sam accepts some unexpected help from Gabriel Stern, a shapeshifter who conceals startling secrets.

While investigating the circumstances surrounding her partner’s strange behavior, Sam discovers that Gabriel’s been involved with a dangerous organization that’s planning a war on the human race. More immediate, someone is guarding the truth about Sam’s past—someone who’d rather see her dead than risk her knowing too much. To stay alive, Sam must unravel the threads of her past—and find out not only who she is but what she is.

My Rating: 4/5 stars

The first thing I want to say about this series is that it is unfinished. I did not find this out until after I read the first book so, being already invested, I read the next two anyway. I’m glad I did.

The entire story was fast-paced and action-filled, plus the overall plot was quite interesting and kept me wanting more. It is set in a more futuristic time, where there are self-driving cars, laser guns, and cloning is a common occurrence.

The POV switches between Samantha and Gabriel throughout the series. I usually enjoy that aspect in books, if the author does it well, because it allows you to know more than one character on a personal level, and it didn’t switch back and forth so much that it was confusing. Arthur pulled it off well.

Both Sam and Gabriel are stubborn workaholics who butt-heads throughout the entire series. They both act rather childish around each other at times, for being fairly serious characters, and you get to see how their relationship steadily grows. Although there is some level of attraction between the two, if you’re looking for a romance look elsewhere. This series is more action and supernatural than anything else.

Because this series is labeled unfinished, I wasn’t sure how satisfied I would be with the ending. I wasn’t actually all that disappointed. The final book answered most of the important questions brought up throughout the series but I honestly wished Arthur would have kept going so that I could see how certain events played out. Either way, it was an enjoyable read and I plan on reading more of Keri Arthur’s books.

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Done! Hope that was an okay review. I’m still new at it so sorry if it wasn’t the best. But practice makes…better! xD

Book Ratings

Before I write an actual review, I thought I would go ahead and steal Emmy’s idea of writing a post on how I rate books. Since, as she stated, everyone has their own way of ratings things.

5 stars – Obviously, this means that I LOVED this book. Great plot. Great characters. Great everything. If I’m in love with a series it is highly likely that I’ll rate every book in it five stars, even if I liked one book better than another. If we share a similar taste in books then definitely check out the ones I rate five stars.

4 stars – I truly enjoyed this book but I may not have liked one thing or another about it, thus why it was denied that fifth star. A good chunk of the books that I read end up with a four star rating since I generally enjoy most of what I read. I would still definitely recommend these books to others.

3 stars – As much as I liked this book, I probably didn’t like it just as much (if that makes sense). Basically, I liked 50% and disliked 50% of the things in this book. The plot was probably decent and it had more likable characters than non-likable ones, but that’s about it. I’ll most likely continue reading if this book is a part of a series, but it depends on how long that series is.

2 stars – I struggled through this book and was able to finish, but it was ultimately unsatisfying. I didn’t like it and I would not read the sequel(s). Most likely the plot was crap and I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, which is a real turn off for me because I usually always connect with at least one character in a book.

1 star – I don’t like not finishing a book, because I’m nosy and always want to know how things end, but on the very rare occasions where I seriously cannot finish reading a book it gets one star. I would never recommend this book to anyone, ever.

Coffee Book Tag

Emily has tagged me in another post! Luckily for her I started drinking coffee a little over a year ago so it makes this tag more fun. Because it wouldn’t be as fun if I didn’t drink coffee. Obviously.

1. Black: Name a series that’s tough to get into but has hardcore fans.
I’m going with the Abhorsen series by Garth Nix. One of my good friends recommended it to me, it being one of her favorite series, and I’m glad she did. The first book starts off rather slow, at least for me, and I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to get through it, but once the main character, Sabriel, comes across more characters and there’s more interaction going on then it grew on me. I was worried the second and third book were going to be the same but I was wrong and the story pulled me in right away. The over-all trilogy was a bit different from what I normally read, but I was pleased with it. Check it out.

And I just realized I completely ignored the second part to that statement. I don’t believe this particular series has hardcore fans…but I don’t care! I can’t think of anything else so yeah…oh well.

2. Peppermint mocha: Name a book that gets more popular during the winter or a festive time of year.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. Okay, so people probably watch the movies more than read the actual book these days, but it was a book first! We owned a decent chunk of Dr. Seuss’ books and this was always one of my favorites.

3. Hot chocolate: What is your favorite children’s book?
I would have to say Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke.  I don’t even know how many times I’ve read this book but it was A LOT. I own it and don’t plan on getting rid of it. EVER. I might even re-read it one of these days. If I ever have children (or if my siblings do, since that is more likely) I will definitely give it to them to read or read it to them myself.

4. Double shot of espresso: Name a book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
The Child Thief by Brom. Another of my friends recommended this book and once again I realized my friends who like to read do have good taste (at least some of the time anyway). This book is basically a twisted, darker version of Peter Pan and I absolutely loved it! Please please PLEASE go check this book out if you’re looking for something to read. You will not be disappointed.

5. Starbucks: Name a book you see everywhere.
The Divergent series. Although that’s only because of the movies. I haven’t read the books yet. I was thinking about reading them eventually but I’m not sure. I don’t care to see the movies (I heard bad things) unless I enjoy the books. Even then I may not watch them since movies based on books are a disappointment 95% of the time.

6. That hipster coffee shop: Give a book by an indie author a shoutout.
I can’t really think of any off the top of my head except one, Futures by Edison Carver. I haven’t read this book yet but I want to. Mainly because the author is one of my mom’s old co-workers (and because it sounds really good too, of course). My mom owns it but it happens to be on her tablet so who knows when she’ll let me borrow her tablet long enough to read it. But I will! Eventually.

7. Oops! I accidentally got decaf: Name a book you were expecting more from.
Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris. I really enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse series (the books True Blood is based off of, and they are SO much better than the show), so I thought I would enjoy this series too. I didn’t not like it, but I was definitely expecting more.

8. The perfect blend: Name a book or series that was both bitter and sweet but ultimately satisfying.
I’m going to have to go with the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Although this series is geared toward children, I didn’t actually begin reading it until high school. I wasn’t sure if I would like it at first, since I’m a dog person and this series is about talking cats, but it quickly became one of my favorite series. IT IS AMAZING. I became obsessed with it. I began a story on FanFiction (it is incomplete, unfortunately) based on this series. Heck, I even role-played it on Gaia Online. However, it does go on and on…and on. The series is separated into different arc’s and each arc has six books. I believe they are currently on the fifth arc. Sadly I have only read up to somewhere in the third arc (other books caught my attention as I grew older) but I am still planning on reading the entire series one day. I just have to see how the story continues to unfold. I cannot die until I do.

And that’s that! Two book tags in one day. I’m catching up! I’m currently reading the last book in a series so I should be posting an actual book review in the near future.

Disney Songs Book Tag

My dear Emily tagged me for this book tag…last week I believe. I am a procrastinator. Anyway, I LOVE LOVE LOVE old Disney movies (some of the new ones ain’t bad either) so I am very willing to give this book tag a go!

1. A whole new world – Pick a book that made you see the world differently.

Hmm, this is kind of a tough one. I’m gonna have to say Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I wouldn’t say it made me see the ‘world’ differently, but it definitely opened up the reading world for me. A book about bringing the story and characters to life just by reading? Who wouldn’t want that to happen? I’ve always thought that the books I read are so much more interesting than everyday life and when I read Inkheart I felt so…connected (not sure if that’s the right word but I can’t think of another one that gets across what I’m trying to say) to the plot. I wanted so badly for that to really happen and even to this day I still think it’s an amazing idea. Unfortunately the movie was no good so DO NOT WATCH IT. Especially if you haven’t read the book first, because then there is a slight chance of you actually enjoying the movie.

2. Cruella De Vil – Pick your favorite villain.
This is also a tough one! I love villains! xD They are what make most stories. Seriously. What’s a story without a good villain? Or should I say a bad one? (ha ha ha) Really though, this subject actually comes up a lot when my sister and I talk about the shows we watch because she’s always complaining about how the bad guys do such horrible things and I’m like, ‘No shit! They’re bad guys FOR A REASON!’ But anyway, hmmm….my favorite villain is Lord Loss from The Demonata series by Darren Shan. He is a demon that feeds on the misery and sorrow of humans and is basically the cause of everyone’s problems throughout the series. The banter between him and Grubbs (one of the main characters) is witty and never gets old. Plus his appearance is fairly gruesome, so that gives him more of the ‘creepy villain’ vibe.

“Lord Loss is described as having pale red, lumpy skin, and eight arms (which are frequently described as being mangled). He has no heart, and instead simply has an open hole in his chest filled with deadly, venomous snakes. He bares a pair of very dark-red eyes with even darker red pupils. Instead of having legs, strips of bloody flesh hang from the edge of stumps where his feet would normally be shown, and so he moves about by levitating. The many individual cracks in his skin, which seep blood every time he even slightly moves, give his demonic appearance a nice touch as well.” (crique du freak wiki)

3. I won’t say I’m in love – Pick a book you didn’t want to admit you loved.
Like Emily stated in her tag, I don’t think there’s really a book I wouldn’t admit I like. I don’t usually care for fluff, and the people that know me know I’m not a touchy-feely person, but here and there I’ll get a craving and since my mom reads mostly romance there’s a bunch of romance books lying around the house. I’ll pick one up now and again so I guess sometimes I feel embarrassed about reading them. Although, usually only if it’s one with a half-naked man on it. I mean I’m all for half-naked men (;D) but it’s a bit uncomfortable to have others see me read it if I’m reading somewhere public.

4. Gaston – Pick a character that you couldn’t stand.
Vivian Gandillon from Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. Vivian is the main character in the series. She’s whiny, selfish and honestly just a complete bitch. I did not like her at all.

5. Part of your world – Pick a book set in a universe you wish you could live in.
I’m going to have to copy Emmy’s answer on this question. I wish I could live in the magical world of Harry Potter! <3 As I’m sure many people do.

6. A dream is a wish your heart makes – describe what the book of your dreams would be like.
Gah, so many of these questions are difficult to answer. Or I’m just lazy. Yeah, that’s probably it. The book of my dreams would have to have all the right amounts of humor and action – I guess some romance could be thrown in there as well. I’m not sure what the book would be about exactly, but I do love rivalry so add that to the mix with some amazingly bad-ass, sarcastic characters and I would be happy.

7. Someday my prince will come – What book character would you marry if you could?
I don’t know about marry – since in the series he’s too busy to settle down and my feelings on marriage are still up in the air – but if Harry Dresden from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (one of my FAVORITE series), ever asked me on a date…or even asked me to join him in more ‘adult-like’ activities (hubba hubba) I wouldn’t say no. If he were real of course…*cough cough*

8. I see the light – Pick a book that changed your life.
I’m going to have to go with Harry Potter again. Although I’ve always liked to read, that was the series that really inspired me to read even more and I could not live without reading. Seriously. I would die without books.

9. When you wish upon a star – Pick a book you wish you could reread for the first time.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher. It’s the first book in The Dresden Files series. As mentioned earlier, it’s one of my favorite series. I fell hard for this series and can’t get enough. Sadly there is only going to be eight more books, which makes me very very sad (*silently cries while holding the first book*). However, there are fifteen out currently! But don’t let that stop you from reading them. If you like wizards, Chicago, supernatural stuffs, and a whole bunch of sarcasm then go read this series. I DEMAND IT!

10. I just can’t wait to be king – Pick a book with some kind of monarchy in it.
Gone by Michael Grant. I really enjoyed this series. The sum of it is one day all of the adults in a small area of California (I’m pretty sure it’s California) disappear, leaving everyone under the age of sixteen. Technology has also abandoned them so the phones, televisions, and internet doesn’t work, making it impossible to communicate with anyone outside of the enclosed area they are trapped in. And then some kids start showing signs of certain abilities that they didn’t have before.

Bullies begin bossing around the weak. Rich kids come down from their school to try ruling over the kids in town. Children and teens with powers are treated differently.

It was a good read. I heard it might even turn into a TV series but I’m not sure if that’s actually true or not.

11. Colors of the wind – Pick a book with a beautiful colorful cover.

I’ll say City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. It’s not exactly colorful, but I really like the skyscrapers and the whole ‘glowyness’ thing going on. As well as Jace’s tattoos. It let’s you see how they describe them in the books. I’ve read the first three in the series, thinking it had ended, but when it was decided that there would be three more I decided to wait for the last three. I own the fourth and fifth one but haven’t bought the sixth one yet. It’s a good series and the movie was…okay. It could have been a lot better but it could have been a lot worse too.

And I’m done! This was fun. Thanks again, Emmy!

Also, thank you to everyone who started following my blog! It’s very much appreciated! ^_^

Book Buying Tag

This was the first tag Emmy tagged me in. I didn’t have a blog yet so I just posted it as a comment to her post, but I figured since I have a blog now I would just re-post it.

1-Where do you buy your books from?
Like Emily, I also used to favor Borders instead of B&N, but now-a-days I mostly buy my books from Bookman’s or Half Price Bookstore (local used book shops). If I have a gift card or I want to buy a new book though, I do go to Barnes & Nobles. My friends did buy me a NOOK over a year ago, but so far I’ve only bought one book on it.

2-Do you ever pre orders book and if so do you do this in store or online?
I’ve actually never pre-ordered a book before. Most of the time I’m cheap and wait for new books to come out on paperback.

3-On average, how many books do you buy a month?
Hmmm, not many. Unless you count comic books. My friends and I go to a comic shop usually once a week, although I don’t buy them every week, and it’s right by a Bookman’s so I always browse while I’m there. But I have a specific book list on my phone at the moment so I only look for those specific books. I actually just went to a GIANT book sale and was a bit sad since I only bought three. But if I didn’t keep only to my book list I most likely would have bought a ton more. So my wallet is happy that I spent less than $5 on only three books. (Are you happy wallet? ARE YOU HAPPY? *tears*)

4-Do you use your local library?
HELL YES I DO! The library is my favorite place. Unlike some of my friends, I don’t feel the need to own tons of books because honestly I’m probably never going to read them more than once unless it’s part of the few favorite series I have. Then I must own them, of course. And when I got my NOOK and found out I was able to borrow electronic books? I WAS SO FRIGGIN’ HAPPY! Fo realz, yo. I was absolutely ecstatic. I usually only buy books that I cannot find at the library, unless they are from my favorite series.

5-If so- how my books can you/do you borrow at a time?
I think the library limit is ten per person. Possibly eight. I can’t remember. But depending on how long the series is and how popular, I usually try to get all the books in the series at once then just keep renewing them after. Because I’ve had experiences where I wait till the last minute to put a book on hold and have to wait FOREVER for it to arrive at my library. So sad…

6-What is your opinion on library books?
They are free so of course I enjoy them! But like Emmy said, I prefer ones without questionable substances inside. Eww…

7-How do you feel about charity shop/second hand books?
As mentioned earlier, that’s where I buy most of my books from so I love them! I’m super cheap, if you haven’t noticed. But I am somewhat picky. If the book is tooooo beat up, then I’ll wait untill they have a different copy. But most of the time I don’t care too much because after a certain amount of books I’ve read pile up I try to sell them back and/or donate them.

8-Do you keep your read and TBR pile together/on the same book shelf or not?
No, though it doesn’t really matter to me. My favorite series are on my top shelf and everything else I have is just kind of shoved where I can fit them. Although since my sister moved out and left her bookshelf behind I have been sticking my already read books there. Only if I plan on selling them though. Otherwise they remain on my shelf.

9-Do you plan to read all of the books that you own?
Of course! Otherwise I wouldn’t buy them. It’s just the matter of WHEN I read them that’s questionable…

10-What do you do with books you that you own that you feel you will never read/felt you did not enjoy?
I sell them or donate them. But I do that even with books I do enjoy. I only like to hold on to select series that I have really fallen for. I enjoy a lot of books but don’t feel the need to hold on to them since I have so much more I want to read.

11-Have you ever donated books?
Yes, the ones that don’t sell I donate to the library or the bookstores will donate them for me.

12-Have you ever been on a book buying ban?
No. Although I probably should have been. Since I go to Bookman’s so often I was buying a lot of books for awhile, but I’ve slowed down a lot, telling myself I need to read a good chunk of what I own before buying too many more. It’s just a bit difficult because currently I’m trying to only read completed series.

13-Do you feel that you buy too many books?
Yes, but unlike Emily, my reason is the ‘buhh too many books to read’ reason. But because I use the library so much it definitely keeps me from buying EVERYTHING I see.

AND I’M DONE! WHOO! Thanks for tagging me, Emmy!

Peer Pressure

Okay, so my good friend Emily talked me into starting my own blog after I began following hers. I was reluctant at first, because I’m super lazy, but decided I’d give it a try. This blog will most likely be book tags that she pressures me into completing, along with the occasional book review. I read a lot but have never really felt the need to write out my thoughts on the books I’ve read. However, recently through Goodreads I’ve been getting better at actually leaving reviews. I may also review a television show/episode (I watch too many…) and/or an anime (which I also watch too many of…) just to mix things up. So yeah. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep this up but I really enjoy reading Emmy’s blog (look for the link under ‘Blogs I Follow’) and for some reason she enjoys listening to me ramble on about stuff so I’m mostly doing this for her. Especially since she’ll probably be the only one reading it! :”D