Reader Rayna

Month: September 2015

  • Readers Wanting to Be Authors

    I think it’s almost an assumption for many that if you’re part of the reading community that you, in turn, want to become an author yourself. I mean, there’s literally thousands upon thousands of ideas stored up in our brains, and if we want to read a certain story than we have to be the ones to write them, right?

    Kind of.

    I mean, don’t get me wrong, I do want to be a published author one day. Certainly not for the money or fame (which neither could happen, by the way), but because I have a voice and I want to share my voice and story with the world.

    I think many of the readers out there who want to be writers might feel the same, but something stops them.

    Either they feel they aren’t good at writing or they don’t have enough time or they don’t have an idea, among many other reasons. But I think that those excuses just don’t cut it. If you want to be a writer, then write! You’ll only improve if you keep doing it.

    If you don’t like how a certain story turned out or if you have this really cool concept that you’ve never heard of before, or it’s been done a million times, then just write it! Your voice matters.

    I started writing a novel and got more than 50,000 words written for it, and it’s no where near complete, but I have written anything since early this year. I also wrote a full novel of 50,000 words, but I’m stuck in the editing process. Motivation comes and goes, but the passion and desire never die. I hope to eventually finish a novel, find an agent, and get published, but I don’t know when or if it’ll happen. I need to finish a story, first!

    And it’s the same for those people who love to read but never plan on being writers. That’s perfectly fine, too. Don’t expect to write your own books just because you read. It’s totally understandable and fine.

    So don’t let anyone drag you down or convince you one way or another if you’re already set in what you want. I think readers who want to be authors, too, are awesome! I also think those who don’t want to are still awesome, too.

    What are your thoughts? Have you ever been questioned as to whether or not you’ll be an author/writer because of how much you read? Or do people just kind of think you won’t do it? Do you think you will? Let me know!

  • Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Things on My Wishlist

    Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday, as hosted by the peeps over at Broke & Bookish. Today’s topic was a freebie, meaning we could pick whatever we wanted to talk about, and so I thought I’d talk about some of the bookish things that are on my wishlist! Now this doesn’t necessarily mean I will ever acquire these items, but I would still love to hope I would one day.

    1. Harry Potter merch – specially Hufflepuff merch. Okay, so, I am a Hufflepuff and every quiz I’ve ever taken EVER, including Pottermore (twice!) has been Hufflepuff. So I want some Hufflepuff merch because I want to show off my Hogwarts pride someway, somehow!
    2. More POP! Vinyl figures – So far all I have is Daenerys from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin, and I love her to bits! The one I got is one I hadn’t seen before, and it’s the one where she’s holding one of her little dragons and I just love it. I would love to get more figurines, specifically of Hagrid, and any other cool ones I want. Heck, they don’t even have to be book related, I just want moreeeee.
    3. Bookworms – I’ve seen them on Etsy and I really want a felt or fabric bookworm to chill on my shelf and make his home there. Because, why not? I’m pretty sure it’s an essential. Specifically this one.
    4. Bookmarks – Like my collection isn’t big enough already, but I’d love more bookmarks! My favorites are the little magnetic ones because they’re a lot harder to lose than regular cardboard ones. But really, any will do!
    5. A tattoo – Okay, I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t that a little extreme?” Well, yes, it is. But my love for reading is endless and forever, so why not commemorate that with a tattoo? I’m not saying it’ll happen any time soon – if at all – but a girl can dream. Just look at these cool ones.
    6. A bookish phone case – I’ve been mulling over this for weeks now and I just really want to get one. There’s actually a booklr, books-cupcakes, who has a Redbubble shop and I really want this design. I think it’s perfect and feminine and lovely.
    7. Posters – I have a serious lack of posters of books lying around. I’m not really a poster person much anymore (mostly because I don’t want to hang anything up on the walls in my apartment), but that doesn’t mean I won’t appreciate the thought of them!
    8. Book charms – You know those necklaces or bracelets with charms on them and they’re mini versions of books? Yeah, I want one of those. Which book? I have no idea. Actually, I do, and it’d be the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas, and if I had to pick one book, it’d be Queen of Shadows. >> Okay, that was too easy.
    9. Journals galore – This is sort of bookish, but I love journals. I love to collect them, and even if I don’t write in them I love them. Just the idea and possibility of writing in them and filling the pages excites me – I just never know what to write in them!
    10. Bumper sticker – Are there book bumper stickers out there? I’d love one and stick it to my car proudly.

    So there you have it! My bookish wishlist. What are some of the bookish things that you wish you could have? Let me know!

  • Magic Burns Book Review

    magicburns

    Title: Magic Burns
    Author: Ilona Andrews
    Series: Book #2 in the Kate Daniels series
    Publisher: ACE Fantasy
    Publication Date: April 2008
    Genre: Adult – Urban Fantasy, Romance
    Pages: 260
    Format: Gifted Paperback

    From Goodreads: As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.

    When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest – and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive…

    As a second book in a fairly long series, I really enjoyed this more than the first. The first book was hard to follow and I found myself to be fairly confused through a lot of it, but this book was a much better read: the plot was more engaging, the dialogue was more complex and funnier at some points, and I just overall enjoyed this book more.

    The plot in this book was completely separate from the first. Though there is a baseline plot that can, and probably will, occur over time, for this book it follows a completely separate plot from the first. It was more dynamic and intertwined, and I loved the fact that it brought out the best in Kate – in my opinion.

    In this book I felt I got to know the characters much better. In terms of our main heroine, Kate, I felt that she became much more understandable as an individual and we got to understand more of how she thinks and her emotions in some situations. Plus we also got a glimpse – albeit a tiny glimpse – into how potent and powerful her magic is. I loved that aspect. I think the secret around her blood and why it’s so powerful is kind of driving me crazy, but at the same time I know it’ll come into fruition eventually.

    Also, I felt that she really held her own in this book. She seems a lot stronger in this book personality wise and strength wise. I thought that she handled the relationship with Julie well, like she was an older sister trying to look out for her younger sister, and she did her best to keep her safe. I’m actually really interested to see if and when Julie makes a comeback.

    Curran was still his brutish and sexy self. I think he deliberately gets under Kate’s skin, and she in turn does the same to him. I found him to be a lot funnier in this book, and also a lot more protective. When it comes to Shapeshifters they’re very protective of kids, and so I felt that that aspect was cool to read about and how he was trying to do his best to help Kate out with rescuing Julie. Not only was he protective, we got to see just why he is the Beast Lord: he’s strong as hell. Like, wow, if I met him on the battlefield I’d want it to be a really quick and painless death.

    We got a few new characters like Bran and Julie, both of whom I really liked and I really wanted to get to know better by the end of the book. I felt that they added extra sparks to the story and I thought that they’re personalities were diverse and engaging.

    We also got a lot of snippets of Celtic folklore and witchcraft in this novel, and though I’m not sure if all of what was said was true to its truest sense, but I did know some of the snippets and even recognized some of the names used, so that was cool to see mythology and folklore inscribed into the book.

    The romance in this book was still subtle, but it’s starting to grow and I could really feel the sexual tension starting to build in this one. I really want to see more of their interactions together because we learned some Shapeshifter lore that is starting to actually happen and I really, really want to see something happen between them.

    Overall I enjoyed this book more than the first and I can’t wait to start the next book.

    I rated this 4/5 stars and recommend it.

  • Extraordinary Means Tag

    So today I figured I’d do something light and fun since it’s Sunday, and that’s going to be the Extraordinary Means Tag, created by the author of “Extraordinary Means:” Robyn Schneider over on YouTube! Let’s hop right in:

    1. I would give up the internet for a month for a signed first edition of this book:

    Uh, wow, that’s a long time, but I think maybe… Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
    2. I would give up pizza for a year if it meant I could sit next to this author on a long plane ride:

    A year!? Too long. But if I had to, I’d probably pick one of these authors: Cassandra Clare, Sarah J. Maas, or Mary E. Pearson. Just to be able to chat about their worlds and books and writing and everything, I would love that!
    3. I would sit through a thousand hours of commercials if it would ensure that Hollywood made this book into a movie:

    It needs to be a TV show, not a movie, and that is the Throne of Glass series. I mean, c’mon, did you really expect a different answer from me?
    4. I would never read a new book again if it meant I could live inside this book:

    As much as I love fantasy, their worlds are usually hella dangerous… BUT I’d choose either the Mortal Instruments series world (since it’s modern day New York) OR the Kate Daniels series (which is post-modern day Atlanta). I wouldn’t really have to change the way I live, but I’d hope to be more cognizant of the magical creatures and all that.
    5. I would let my Google search history be made public if it meant I could be best friends with this author:

    I don’t think I have anything to be afraid of, but I’d want to be friends with Tahereh Mafi. I think she’s really cool and sweet, and she’s got a great sense of humor from what I’ve seen in her interviews and videos and stuff.
    6. I would donate everything I own to goodwill if it meant I could date this book character in real life: 

    Well, first I’d have to break it to my husband. Then I’d totally date Kaden from the Remnant Chronicles.

    And there you have it! If you have not done this tag yet and you want to, then please do so! It’s a fun, short tag and I enjoyed doing it. It’s been floating around since April when it was created, so I’m sure many of you have done it.

    But let me know some of your answers in the comments below!

  • Everything, Everything Book Review

    everything

    Title: Everything, Everything
    Author: Nicola Yoon
    Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
    Publication Date: September 1, 2015
    Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary, Romance
    Pages: 307
    Format: Purchased Hardcover

    Synopsis from Goodreads: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

    But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

    Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

    This book was cute, and it dealt with friendships, first love, hope, and what it really means to live life.

    I thought that the premise of the book was intriguing enough: a girl who is allergic to everything? How is that even possible? There are some snippets about what the disease Madeline has and it talks about how she’s not able to go outside because they don’t know what her triggers are. It seemed like a book that would tell about how it was difficult to live with this disease.

    And it was, kind of, but it was mostly about relationships and friendships. Maddy had strong relationships with her at-home nurse, Carla, her mom, and then later, Oliver. I actually really liked that aspect of the book because it’s not very common in young adult books to have the parents or parental figures be around as constantly as they were in this one. I thought that the relationship she had with Carla, especially, was unique and wonderful – kind of like Carla was Maddy’s second mom.

    Then the new kid next door, Olly, was introduced, and even I fell for him quickly. He loves to do parkour, he’s protective of his mom and sister, and the reason for that is because his father is a drunk jerk. But his personality seems quiet, but the way he’s described is that he’s always in motion, he’s fluid and languid all at once, and I found that to be kind of a beautiful metaphor.

    Their interactions are comical at the beginning, but as they start to talk more, and even breach the subject of meeting in person, it becomes more apparent that yes, physical attraction is there, but it’s not insta-love.

    I thought that Maddy’s character was genuine. She fully believed that she could be content in the life she was living until she met Olly, and even though they had a crazy adventure, I thought that it was needed for her to really discover the world and see it with her own eyes. She was fun and smart and curious, and I think her curiosity – that desire to know more and more about the world – was her best quality.

    The end was bitter-sweet because of what happens, and I actually found myself angry. I won’t go into details so I don’t spoil anything, but I just didn’t understand why. But then, I did, and it almost broke my heart. I felt sorry, but at the same time I didn’t and I was happy with the decision Maddy made, even if it sort of seemed in spite.

    The very end, though, was cute and I really wish there was more to the book because I just want more of Maddy and Olly’s relationship and I want them to be my friends and we can go on double dates and stuff.

    Also, there were a lot of illustrations throughout the book that were done by the author’s husband, which I thought was neat. They’re simple and quirky, and I just thought that they really brought an extra bit of something special to this book.

    Anyway, I recommend this book if you’re looking for a quick, cute read that is different, diverse (Maddy is half Japanese, half African-American), hopeful, and holds the promise of what living a life can really mean.

    I rated this 4/5 stars.