Reader Rayna

Month: February 2015

  • January & February 2015 Collective Book Haul

    I seemed to have acquired more books than intended over the last two months, but hey, that’s what happens when you’re a book lover, right? Well, here’s my haul from both January and February!

    • “Rebel Spring” by Morgan Rhodes. This is the sequel to “Falling Kingdoms” and I figured I’d just get it so I have it to read when I’m ready.
    • “The Selection” and “The Elite” by Kiera Cass. I don’t think I ever hauled the first book, so here are the first and second books of this series. It’s about a girl named America who is chosen to take part in the Selection where 32 girls try to win the heart of the prince, Maxon, but only one can win. It’s a YA romance type of novel series. I’ve already read and reviewed the first, so I’ll be moving onto the second soon.
    • “Scarlet” and “Cress” by Marissa Meyer are the second and third books in the Lunar Chronicles series. They follow different characters than the first (Cinder), but they are still fairy tale retellings (one of Little Red Riding Hood and of Rapunzel). I’m very interested to see how the stories unfold in the next books.
    • “Unravel Me” and “Ignite Me” by Tahereh Mafi. These are books two and three in the Shatter Me trilogy. I read and reviewed the first book last month, and so I want to continue on with the series because I felt that I wasn’t satisfied enough in the first book and I hear it gets better as it goes.
    • “Alienated” by Melissa Landers. This is an alien book (if you couldn’t guess) that follows a human girl, Cara, and how her family was picked to share their house with an “exchange student” – an alien boy named Aelyx. Things start getting dangerous, though, when threatening notes appear in Cara’s locker and police escorts have to be used for her and Aelyx. I started reading this book to get a general idea of what it’s about and I love the voice of Cara: very snarky and funny. Can’t wait to read this.
    • “Steelheart” by Brandon Sanderson. This is the first in a new series(?) by Sanderson that tells the story about a boy, David, who’s father was killed and how everything was essentially taken away from him. He has to defeat Steelheart and needs help from the Reckoners, a group of rebels trying to keep justice. And the Reckoners might just need David’s help, too. It sounds thrilling and action packed, so I’m excited to read this (and hopefully my husband will read it, too).
    • “Red Queen” by Victoria Aveyard. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I got my hands on it. There has been so much hype surrounding this book, I hope I enjoy it. It’s about a girl named Mare who lives in a world where you are divided by blood – literally. If you have silver blood you’re an elite, essentially, and if you have red blood you’re a common peasant like everyone else. And silvers have powers. And Mare, a red blood, isn’t supposed to have powers… DUN DUN DUNNNNN. Anyway, I’m excited to read this. I think it’ll be the first book I read in March.

    I also have one more to haul, even though I’ve ordered it, it just hasn’t come in yet because of international standard shipping stuff. Anyway, that is:

    • The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson – UK edition – which consist of “The Final Empire,” “The Well of Ascension,” and “The Hero of Ages.” (It’s actually a seven part series, but it’s originally a trilogy?) I love the covers of these books so much more than the American covers, and so I had to get it. It’s an adult fantasy trilogy that follows a “troublemaker and his young apprentice,” and they’re trying to save their world through the use of Allomancy, a magic of metals. It sounds intriguing and there’s a big hype surrounding it right now, so I’m excited to read it.

    I’m pretty sure that’s all of the books I’ve gotten in the last two months… 13 books, woo! I could be missing something, I’m not sure. I’m just excited to read them all eventually.

    Accompanying video: January & February Collective Book Haul

    Have you read any of these books? What do you recommend I read sooner rather than later? What did you think of what you read? Are you going to read any of these soon? Let me know!

  • Song Title Book Tag

    Hey, I found a book tag that I found enjoyable. So, here are the list of songs and my answers to them. (This was originally created by Alice Reeds on YouTube.)

    1 – Guns N’ Roses – November Rain – Pick a book with a sad/tragic ending

    “Allegiant” by Veronica Roth. If you’ve read it, you know what I mean. I just can’t get over it, it seriously makes me sad and mad and just… ugh.
    2 – Queen – Another One Bites the Dust – Pick a book with a lot of killing in it

    “Game of Thrones” by George R.R. Martin. If you’ve seen the series or read the book, you know that every character you’ve ever loved will die, and more. This book is rich in detail, and Martin doesn’t leave out the blood and guts and stuff to the imagination. He describes killing and action scenes very well and it can be cringe worthy. Though I haven’t finished this book yet, I’ve read enough and seen enough to know how much blood gets spilled throughout the series.
    3 – Britney Spears – Oops!… I did it again – Pick a book you read more than twice

    “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer. I’ve read this book four times during my Twihard fandom stage. And I read the sequels multiple times, too, so, this whole series has pretty much been read more than once.
    4 – Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here – Your currently most anticipated book

    “Queen of Shadows” by Sarah J Maas. This is the fourth installment in the Throne of Glass series and I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on it. Why do I have to wait until September to get it? So far awaaaaayyyy.
    5 – Florence + the Machine – No light, no light – Pick a book that was just so bad you’d like to lock it away in a dark corner and never look at it ever again

    “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. What a phoney. Seriously. I really hated this book in school, not because of the story, per say, but the main character, Holden, was a whiny little brat who just wouldn’t shut up and continually swore every other word. It was just a really annoying read and I can do without it in my life.
    6 – Skylar Grey – Final Warning – Pick a book with a kick ass protagonist you’d not want to piss off

    “This Shattered World” by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. The main heroine, Jubilee Chase, is a military captain and who is pretty damn well kickass. I wouldn’t want to get in her line of fire because when she’s mad she can be kind of scary.
    7 – My Chemical Romance – I’m not Okay – Pick a book that deals with a hard topic like loss or bullying

    “This Star Won’t Go Out” by Esther Earl. This was a non-fiction book that dealt with cancer and the thoughts behind them. It’s a hard topic to think about because of how real it is, how the chemo affects the body, and ultimately the loss of a family if that person with cancer doesn’t survive. It made me cry and feel all the feels.
    8 – Linkin Park – Breaking the Habit – Pick a book you read which was outside of your usual comfort zone yet you still enjoyed reading

    I don’t think I have any books that I won’t necessarily read… So I don’t really have an answer for this question. Maybe “Game of Thrones” just because the book is so huge.
    9 – Troye Sivan – Happy little Pill – Pick a book that makes you happy

    “Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell. So cute. So much cute. I really enjoyed this novel and it just makes me happy to read.
    10 – Ladyhawk – Dusk Till Dawn – Pick a book you read in one night/sitting

    “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green. I would have finished it in one sitting if I hadn’t needed to go to work the day I read it. It took me seven hours to finish because I was hooked from page one.

    If you’re up for it, please leave your own responses below or on your own blog!

  • The Mortal Instruments 1-3 Book Reviews

    Titles: City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass
    Author: Cassandra Clare
    Series: Books 1-3 in the The Mortal Instruments series
    Publisher: McElderry Books – an imprint of Simon & Schuster
    Publication Dates: March 27, 2007; March 25, 2008; March 24, 2009
    Genres: Young Adult – Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
    Pages: CoB: 485; CoA: 453; CoG: 541
    Format: Purchased Paperback – all

    I finished the original trilogy of The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare and now I’m ready to share my reviews with you. This series is great and I personally love the characters and the world that it’s set in. It’s easy to imagine its real world presence as well as the fantastical and paranormal bits that make it a great urban fantasy read. So, without further ado, here are my reviews of the first three book in The Mortal Instruments series:

    cityofbonesCity of Bones

    As the first book in the series, this was the foundation for the rest of the books to build up on. When Clary, a fifteen year old girl, enters an under 21 club in New York with her best friend, Simon, she wasn’t expecting to witness a murder – or what she thought was a murder. When her mother disappears after a fight she has with Clary and she starts being able to see things that shouldn’t be there, Clary knows that something’s wrong. Jace, a Shadowhunter, comes to her rescue, in a way, and also really helps to open her eyes to the world in which they live: the one in which both demons and humans reside side by side with one another. Clary is thrust into a world of violence, turmoil, lies, and mystery as she discovers who she is and the cost of having been lied to her whole life.

    Alright, so this book was the first in the six book series. And though I loved reading of the world building and getting to know the characters, I felt that the book as a whole was really slow. It lacked a lot of action and depth, in my opinion. It laid out a foundation of the world, the main villain that they have to overcome, and some events that really lead up to those parts, but it was otherwise a slow read. By far my least favorite, but at the same time I did enjoy it. It’s a conundrum.

    The characters, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec are our main heroes. They all work with one another and Clary, our main protagonist, would turn over heaven and hell to fight for those she loves, uncovering truths she never thought she could possibly find.

    Jace seems disconnected or uncaring throughout a lot of this book, but as much of that was his upbringing by a man who was cruel (there’s no other word for it) it’s understandable as to why he thinks he’s some sort of invincible Shadowhunter. Though when he gets closer to Clary, he starts to really show his true self, which is more unguarded and someone who can be looked up to.

    Though Isabelle and Alec are brother and sister, and grew up with Jace, they seemed definitely more so like background characters in this book and not a lot of depth was brought to them, even though they had several scenes in which they were fleshed out. In the later books, though, you do get a better sense of who they are and grow to like them.

    Simon is the mundane in this book. He’s weak and fragile in comparison to the Shadowhunters, but he’s also thrust into their world because of his association with Clary. He’s got a witty, sarcastic charm about him that I like and enjoy reading about.

    Magnus Bane is the High Warlock of Brooklyn and he’s very… eccentric in everything that he does, and wears. He grows more likable as the books go on, like the others.

    Luke is sort of like Clary’s uncle, but not really. They aren’t blood related or anything like that, but when she finds out he’s a werewolf, he tells her the story of how he Changed and of how her mother fought to protect not only herself, but Clary as well.

    Valentine is our main villain and he’s very unlikable. He’s good with words and charming in his own way, but he’s very cruel and doesn’t care who he cuts down in his path – even his daughter.

    The plot of the book has a main focus point of taking out Valentine and helping Clary’s mother, Jocelyn, awake from a deep sleep. Those two are the main focuses of the book, but there are many events that happen that twist what they think needs to be done and how the characters work with one another.

    Overall, I rated this book 3.75/5 stars.

    cityofashesCity of Ashes

    As the second book in the series, the action grew immensely in this one, making it more enjoyable and a much faster read than the first. Here, Clary and the others are still trying to find a way to help rescue Clary’s mother, but they learn a truth that unravels how Clary and Jace act around one another. And something happens to Simon that causes him to be changed forever – literally. This book is full of much more depth and I definitely felt my fondness for the characters grow in this one. Though Valentine is a sick and twisted man, the goals he’s trying to achieve ring out as truth to some, and complete lies to others.

    This book is definitely much more gripping than the first with lots more action based scenes and plenty of tension to get your blood boiling. We learn more about Jocelyn’s and Valentine’s past, as well as more about the Shadowhunter world and the way the Clave (Shadowhunter government/society) works. It’s one that’s corrupt and very different from what it used to be, one that is more fueled by fear of Valentine than what their main purpose of existence is: to wipe out demons and help the world.

    Clary is starting to grow more in this book as a person and she learns just how powerful she is. Though, yes, she can have her whiny moments, if you were in some of the situations she was thrust into, you’d probably do the same. Plus she’s fifteen, going on sixteen in this book, I’m not expecting complete maturity out of her. But she definitely grows a lot in this and learns many more horrible “truths” that unravel a lot in her.

    Jace, as well, grows in this book. But he learns something that changes how he acts toward Clary and even his other friends. There are many times in which he risks his life for Clary in this, as well as his own, while also learning some things that could potentially destroy him.

    We meet the Inquisitor in this book – Imogen Herondale – and, frankly, I hated her from beginning to end. She was just so mean toward Jace and the others because of a personal vendetta against Valentine. I don’t know. She made a good secondary villain, but she was more a victim in the end than anything.

    Valentine ends up getting two of the three mortal instruments in this book (the Sword and the Cup) and plans on draining the blood of Downworlders (werewolves, vampires, fey, warlocks) to use their power, but he’s stopped by Clary, Simon, and Jace.

    Oh yeah, something big happens to Simon in this book. Spoiler alert: he becomes a vampire.

    Jocelyn still hasn’t been woken yet and they can’t seem to find the cure, though time seems to be running out to stop Valentine once something major happens after a battle on a ship. Someone appears at the hospital where Jocelyn is and tells Clary she knows someone who can help her mother: a warlock named Ragnor Fell.

    Overall, the plot was much better in this book and I highly enjoyed it a lot more. I rated this book 4.5/5 stars.

    cityofglassCity of Glass

    The third installment in the series is definitely my favorite thus far. So many things happened in this book, and even though I knew a lot of things that would happen (because you know how spoilers run rampant over the Internet and in person), I still loved reading it and finding out some major twists that I didn’t figure out until the page before it happened.

    In this book, Valentine has essentially grown in power and Clary and Jace have ended up in Idris, the Shadowhunter’s world, though by accident, in ways. Jace is not happy to see Clary and yells at her (pretty meanly), causing her to leave the area and head back to where she came from: Luke’s sister’s house. Though many, many things happened in this installment, the biggest things were ones in which I didn’t expect, and some I did.

    We learn what happened to Jonathan, the first born of Valentine and Jocelyn, and how Clary avoided that same fate before she was born. We learn more truths about Valentine and his experiments on not only Downworlders and demons, but an angel, himself, and his unborn child. We learn the truth that had once destroyed Clary and Jace. We learn many, many things in this book. The battles that take place, the way the Clave really was corrupt, the way things progressed in this book was phenomenal and was a great closer to an original trilogy. It was wrapped up nicely and I highly enjoyed it.

    Clary is super strong and brave in this book, standing up to a roomful of adults who otherwise wouldn’t have believed her had she not proven herself, how she fought for Jace, how she strived to save everyone. It was great seeing her development in this one.

    Jace also grows, but throughout a lot of the book, he thinks that he’s less than worthy of life, let alone Clary or any sort of life he had in the past. But when he discovers the truth, though in some ways it was too late, in others it helped him to really overcome whatever doubts he may have had and progress through them.

    Alec overcame something (a big something) that ended up being okay in the end. It’s actually really cute and made me squee with happiness.

    Isabelle kicks ass. Like, wow, she’s awesome.

    Jocelyn is finally woken up and helps in the final battle. She is woken by Magnus Bane, though, because of a certain spell book that Clary and Jace find.

    Valentine, ever the charming bad guy, is definitely one which I still loathe and glad he got what came to him. I definitely wasn’t expecting the way he was going to die (yes, guys, he dies), and it was almost a let down, but at the same time I enjoyed the divine justice.

    It was a great wrap up to the story, and I’m extremely glad the way it ended. Now I’m curious to see who the new villain will be, how the dynamics between everyone will be, and just how the next set of the story will unfold. I rated this book 5/5 stars.

    Have you read TMI 1-3? Let me know your thoughts on the first three books in the comments.

  • Being a Slow Reader

    Again, it’s a struggle. I have so many books, and I keep acquiring so many books, that I just want to read all of them all at the same time. Like seriously. I want to read about fifteen books at the same time just to say I’ve read them. But then I’d confuse worlds and characters and not really enjoy or follow what’s going on in the story.

    Anyway, I think I got off track a little. The thing is, I’m a slow reader by some peoples’ standards. It can take me days to finish a book that is 300-500 pages where it can take some people only several hours over the course of one day.

    But hey, we’re all different, right? We can’t all read at the same speed.

    I do compare my own reading habits to others on Booktube and the reading community, I will admit that. Some people can read twelve or more books in a month, and I’m struggling just trying to finish four. And I really, really want to finish all the books I list on my TBR, but sometimes I just really don’t want to read or I really do and I just can’t get into the book or something.

    These past two months since the new year started I’ve listed at least six books per month for my TBRs, but so far I’m discovering I’m only able to read an average of four per month. That’s not a horrible feat, really, and in retrospect it’s fantastic considering I just got back into reading last year. But the thing about reading slowly or slower than others is that I’m not able to accomplish certain goals I may set for myself in a month or even a year. I’m trying, though.

    If I’m really into a book, though, I can fly through it. Like when I read “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green, I literally flew through it in seven hours. That’s the fastest I’ve read a novel in a long, long time. (I think the time before that, the fastest I read a novel was in ten hours and that was when I first read “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” when I got it for my 20th birthday.)

    On average, for a 300-500 page book, I think that it takes me well over 10-15 hours to read over a span of days, unless I’m really into the book, as I said. But I have been noticing I average 40-50 pages for every hour I read. On occasion I can get in about 75 pages in that time, but not often. So if it’s a 500 page book and I read 50 pages per hour, then I’ll finish it in ten hours. That’s not bad, but I typically don’t have ten hours to a day where I can just read and read, and oftentimes I find myself wanting to do other things a lot more than just reading.

    That’s not necessarily bad, but I do want to improve and read more. I have a crap ton of books on my TBR that I want to get through, and reading slowly can hinder that.

    But by reading slowly I’m also able to take in more of the world and characters that I’m reading about. That’s one of the perks I like to reading. If I read too fast I feel like I’m not getting anything out of the book and I’m just reading it to read it. But other times I feel like I read too slow and I still don’t get a lot out of it. Finding the right speed is key, but the world and story and characters also have to draw me in, too.

    It’s a push-pull, but I’ll find the balance eventually.

    Are you a slow reader? On average, how long does it take you to finish a book? How many books are you able to read per month?

  • Mood Reading: The Struggle

    I’m a total mood reader. I can’t help but pick up a specific book when I want. Even if I have a TBR planned for that month, I sometimes don’t feel like reading all of the books I planned to read during that specific month.

    It makes it a challenge for reading, I can tell you that.

    Lately I’ve really been in the mood to read fantasy books. I even gave a list of books that I think fit different types of fantasy because of how much I enjoy them. They often bring me to a whole new world and are engaging and dynamic and deep. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy reading other types of books, it’s just what I’m in the mood for at that specific time.

    And then there’s the matter of whether or not I want to read a series from start to finish if all of the books are out or try to read books in between. I can tell you right now that I really wanted to finish reading “The Selection” trilogy by Kiera Cass after I finished the first book, but I didn’t have the funds to go and pick them up, so I just continued through my TBR pile.

    The thing about that is it can make it extremely difficult to get into the world of the next book. Like seriously hard. I don’t know how I was able to push through the next book because my mind was still on the other, but I managed. It can be tough sometimes, though, believe me.

    Mood reading is good, though, because instead of forcing myself to read books I’m really not in the mood for and hoping to get something out of the story (which really doesn’t produce much, actually), I can then enjoy the stories I want to read more because I’m actually in the mood to read them.

    I feel like my words got jumbled there, but you know what I’m getting at, right? I love to read what I read when I read it. But it’s a struggle.

    Are you a mood reader? Or are you able to stick to a schedule/plan for what you read?