Reader Rayna

Month: September 2014

  • Crown of Midnight Book Review

    crownofmidnight

    Title: Crown of Midnight
    Author: Sarah J Maas
    Series: Book #2 in the Throne of Glass series
    Publisher: Bloomsbury
    Publication Date: August 27, 2013
    Genres: Young/New Adult – Fantasy, Romance
    Pages: 418
    Format: Purchased Paperback

    “Crown of Midnight” is the second book in the “Throne of Glass” series by Sarah J Maas, and it was freaking fantastic. I thought that this book was much better than the first and I was completely engrossed in it from the first chapter. There are more plot twists and turns, more romance, more action, more suspense… it just had a lot more of everything!

    This book held a lot of intrigue with politics, magic, romance, death, and what Celaena is truly like as an assassin. You definitely get to see more of just how Adarlan’s Assassin works, and, quite frankly, if I came across her in an alley, I would want to vanish into thin air rather than be cut by her daggers. Celaena, in the first book, was definitely strong-willed, quick tempered, sassy, and all that, but in this book you really get to see those traits more predominantly. You also learn how strong her love for her friends runs and how deep the wounds cut when some tragic things unfold.

    Chaol is also fleshed out more in this book than he was in the first, and you see a man who is caring, passionate, and willing to sacrifice himself for the woman he loves. He also comes with a minor tragic backstory, which is always nice to read about, right?

    Dorian comes with a secret that even he didn’t know about, and it makes him an interesting character to read about in this book. Though he makes less appearances in this one than the first, he still is a major character that will most definitely have more to tell in later books.

    Overall, this book has so much to offer, so much character and world development, plot twists, intrigue, action sequences that’ll make your gut twist, and more that it’s a better sequel than most, and it only left me thirsting for more. I highly recommend this book for anyone reading the “Throne of Glass” series.

    I give this book 5/5 stars.

    Accompanying video: Crown of Midnight Book Review

  • September 2014 Book Haul

    I have a book buying problem. Thanks Booktube.

    No, but really, I’ve heard a lot of great things about all the books I bought and can’t wait to read them all. I have seven books in this haul, so it’s not a huge haul, but it’s still something!

    Here are the books I got:

    • Sabriel and Lirael by Garth Nix. These two books are companion novels in the Abhorsen series and do not have to be read in the order in which they were published, but Sabriel does make an appearance in Lirael, so maybe you should read them in order… Anyway, Sarbriel is about a girl with magical powers who can use bells as her weapons. Each bell holds its own power, including bringing others back from the dead. Sounds interesting, right? And Lirael is about a girl who has to become a guardian in the magical library, but this is a very dangerous task and only the most skilled people can work there due to the dangers that lurk behind the shelves.
    • Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. This is the first book in the Grisha trilogy and it’s about a girl named Alina who was orphaned at a young age and then taken to the royal courts to become part of the Grisha – the magical elite. There is action, romance, and mystery within this book, and I am very intrigued by it.
    • Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis. This is a story about survival in a world where the water has been tainted and only very few sources are left clean. A girl named Lynn lives next to one of these sources and guards it against any who might come looking to steal some to drink. Sounds like a realistic type of dystopian that could happen in the future, so I’m curious to see what happens in it.
    • The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas. One, the cover is gorgeous. Two, this book is about a girl named Ioanthe who has some of the greatest magic in the world (or so she’s told) and she is sent on a quest to defeat the Bane, and to go with her is Prince Titus, who does end up falling for the girl. It’s a fantasy novel mixed with romance, so what’s not to love?
    • A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin. This is the fifth book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, and I got it to complete my collection of the series thus far. I have only read part of book one, and haven’t seen the show yet, but I do plan on either marathoning it or taking my time through it because these books are massive, but really well written. No, I don’t know what the fifth book is entirely about, so please don’t tell me!
    • Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. This book has been on the high side of the praise line lately and has since been turned into a TV series on Starz. It’s about a woman named Claire who is a former combat nurse in World War II, and during her second honeymoon with her husband she is somehow transported back in time to Scotland during another war in 1743. She has to learn the culture and save her own skin, all the while having her heart torn between her love for her husband and the Scots warrior whom steals her heart. It sounds very intriguing and beautiful, and I can’t wait to read it and watch the show (eventually).

    That’s all I have for my book haul, but all of these books sound fantastic. I have a good feeling about all of these books and can’t wait to dive in. In the meantime, I’m going to be finishing what’s out in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas before starting a new one. If you have any suggestions as to what I should read next, let me know! But I might start one of my “scarier” books for the month of October.

    Accompanying video: September 2014 Book Haul

  • Throne of Glass Book Review

    throneofglass

    Title: Throne of Glass
    Author: Sarah J Maas
    Series: Book #1 in the Throne of Glass series
    Publisher: Bloomsbury
    Publication Date: August 2, 2012
    Genres: Young/New Adult – Fantasy, Romance
    Pages: 404
    Format: Purchased Paperback

    Today I’m going to talk about “Throne of Glass” by Sarah J Maas. This book is a young adult fantasy novel with action, romance, and lots of sassy talk.

    Basically it’s about an eighteen year old girl named Celaena Sardothian (see pronunciation guide) who is an assassin being kept in a salt mine, which may as well be a death camp, as prisoner of Adarlan. She is given a chance at “freedom,” though, when the captain of the guard, Chaol, and the Crown Prince, Dorian, offer her to be the King’s Champion for a set period of time before she truly gains her freedom.

    Well, it was either that or suffer longer at the mines, so she decided to go ahead with it.

    She thinks of escaping multiple times, and though she doesn’t because she eventually realizes what it would cost her, she does learn many things, as well as rebuild her strength, possibly fall in love, and develop friendships with several of the people around her.

    In the novel, Celaena has to go up against 22 other champions that are trying to win the title, but due to circumstances unknowing to them, many of the champions are killed along the way – though some do die in the tests given to them to prove their worth. Celaena realizes a pattern of the deaths as time goes on and she tries to figure out the mystery, all while training and making herself stronger than when she had left the mines.

    This creates many problems throughout the competition, but she does make several allies, and one main enemy, who she has to deal with toward the very end.

    I really enjoyed this novel and the world building, as well as the characterization, throughout the book. Maas did a good job at developing Celaena and Dorian, and the Princess Nehemia, even Kaltain, but I felt that she fell slightly short of developing Chaol more. Perhaps in the second novel he won’t seem as stiff, but who knows? (No spoilers!)

    This book was full of intrigue, action packed sequences, mystery, love (the sort of, most likely, forbidden kind), and all sorts of magic. Did I mention that magic isn’t supposed to exist in the world anymore, but somehow it might? Yeah, it’s kind of crazy.

    I rate this book 5/5 stars and definitely recommend it.

    Accompanying video: Throne of Glass Book Review

    Have you read the first book? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments!

  • Book Unhaul September 2014

    So as I was staring at the books on my shelf I realized that I have several series and stand-alones that I haven’t gotten around to reading or finishing in years for various reasons, and to make room on my shelf for my ever growing collection of books that I do read, I decided to take them off of my shelf and pack them away for a later time.

    These books have been on my shelf for a while now just collecting dust, and since I know that I’m not in that phase anymore (most are vampire books), I wanted to make room for books that I know I’ll read and potentially reread.

    The books that I unhauled are:

    • The Vampire Academy series (1-6) by Richelle Mead. I started reading these books after the Twilight craze, and I found that as I read them, they got slow and boring and I couldn’t make it through book three. So they’ve just been sitting there on my shelf (all six) and I haven’t gotten around to them in years. So they’re being put away so I don’t have to keep staring at them and wondering if I’ll ever get around to reading them.
    • The Blue Bloods series (1-6 + extras) by Melissa De La Cruz. I started these around the same time as Vampire Academy for the same reasons, and I felt that it was a compelling story, but I put book three down and I lost it… So I can’t continue it even if I wanted to.
    • Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson. I remember this book being really cute and funny, and I only had about 100 pages left when I put it down and never picked it up again. Again, I’m not really in the vampire mood, so I don’t think I’ll be getting around to finishing it even though I was so close before.
    • Fire Bringer by David Clement-Davies. This is a middle grade book that I picked up in high school and tried to read, and I found that though it was really cool to read from the perspective of a deer, that the plot just kept dragging on and on. I also have The Sight by the same author and I don’t think I’ll be reading either anytime soon.
    • Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck. I actually didn’t realize when I bought the hard copy that I already had an e-book version, so I’m going to be giving this to my friend since she was interested in reading it. Whoops.
    • The Host by Stephenie Meyer. Right after Twilight, this book came out, and I just had to get it at the time. I read only about 100 pages but it just didn’t hold my interest. So I’m putting it away.

    The next few books that I’ll be unhauling from my shelf weren’t included in my video, but I have read one; I just want to put them away for now:

    • If I Should Die Before I Wake by Han Nolan. This is a book I had to read for summer reading one year, and it was a very intense book for someone who was younger to read. I did enjoy the book, though, but I’m going to pack it away as I know I probably won’t be rereading it anytime soon.
    • Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright. This was based on a screenplay, which was then turned into a movie. I have the movie, haven’t read the book, but I did enjoy the movie. I’m just going to pack this away because it’s been on my shelf for years and I never read it, so… yeah.

    And that is it for my unhaul. It’s a lot of books, yes, but I have a lot more room on my shelf, which is nice, and I’ll be able to include more books that I know I’ll be reading.

    Accompanying video: Book Unhaul 1

    Have you ever done an unhaul? What books did you unhaul, and how many? Did you give them to charity or just pack them away like I did? Let me know in the comments!

  • Discussion: Being Shamed for Liking YA

    I saw this comment from someone in the BookTube community [The Gwendolyn Reading Method] and it actually really piqued my interest because it is very true. You can view her video and opinions here for more back story.

    Pretty much what happened was she read an article that essentially stated that adults who read YA are inarticulate and are outside their realm of what they should be capable of reading, aka you’re stupid if you’re an adult and read YA literature rather than adult literature or the classics.

    Gwen made some really great points about how that made her feel, but also something that I totally agreed with: we all have our own likes and dislikes, our own preferences as to what we read. Just because we’re adults doesn’t mean that we’re any less articulate or capable of understanding, and enjoying, adult literature – quite the contrary! Reading outside what is “expected” of us can actually be a good thing because it can broaden our minds and imaginations, allowing us to view the world through a wider scope than just through a small looking glass.

    And like I commented on her video: I enjoy many different genres! From young adult, to romance, fantasy, adult literature, classics, even manga and religious, I read many, many different types because those are the ones that interest me the most based on my personality, my interests, etc.

    As a 23 year old, yes, when I walk into my local Barnes & Noble, I tend to gravitate right toward the YA/teen section because, in my experience, that is the section where I have found the most joy, most well loved books I have ever read. And yes, sometimes I do feel a little out of placed – even embarrassed – but that doesn’t stop me from getting books that I know that I will personally love. To say that someone is wrong or stupid for liking or not liking something you do/don’t is just plain rude and pointless. We all have our own opinions, our own preferences, so what’s wrong with an adult enjoying young adult literature? It’s just another way to find that escape we need from the harsh truths of reality.

    But that’s not all it’s about for many of us. We simply read these books because we love to read. And when we share what books we read with others and they pick it up, it doesn’t matter if they liked it or not, what matters is that they read. Many people don’t like to read, but if something piques their interest enough, then maybe, just maybe, they’ll find that joy of reading.

    Isn’t that what we’re here for as fellow readers, anyway? What difference does age make when it comes to reading and enjoying a book?

    Accompanying video: Shamed for Liking YA?

     

    Are you an adult and felt shamed or embarrassed to be reading YA? What about if you’re a teen and you enjoy reading adult or different types of books? What are your experiences? Let me know in the comments!