Reader Rayna

Month: December 2015

  • December 2015 Wrap-Up

    Guys. This year is coming to a close. I seriously can’t believe it. But this year has been a great one for me reading wise, and otherwise, and I can’t wait to see what the new year brings.

    So without further ado, December was a spectacular reading month for me! What a way to close out the year after months of being in a reading slump. I’m really happy with how this year ended, and so here are the books, discussion topics, and other things I talked about in December.

    What I Read

    • Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor – This is the second book in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy and it was so amazing. It really took the story to another level and it made me dying to know what happens next. Laini Taylor’s writing is beautiful and I can’t wait to see the conclusion brings. Check out my review!
    • Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews – This is the third book in the Kate Daniels series and the books just keep getting better with each installment. This one had a lot of tense moments and a lot more badassery. Check out my review!
    • Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner – The third and final installment in the Starbound trilogy, this book was amazing. It had me wanting to keep flipping the pages right from the get go and though I am sad that it’s over, I am happy to have finished this trilogy. Check out my review!
    • The Selection Novellas by Kiera Cass – These four novellas followed different perspectives from the Selection trilogy, and I enjoyed each of them to varying degrees. I do think that they added their own charm and it was nice to see from other perspectives. Check out my review!
    • Destroy Me & Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi – These two novellas follow the story from the perspectives of Warner and Adam, respectively, and I highly enjoyed them. I thought they really added a bit more to who the characters are and I really enjoyed that. Check out my review!
    • The Future Collection Short Stories by Beth Revis – This group of five short stories were all from different perspectives and told all different stories, each playing with my heart and emotions in ways I wasn’t expecting. I highly enjoyed them and highly recommend them. Check out my review!
    • The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson – This first book in the Mistborn trilogy was epic and intense, with a unique magic system and empowering characters, this book is one I highly recommend to anyone. Check out my review!
    • Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews – This is the fourth book in the Kate Daniels series and like I said before, the books get better with each installment. I was really engrossed in the plot of this one and I really enjoyed the romance. Check out my review!
    • Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning – This is the first book in the MacKayla Lane series and it was okay, not awesome, but it held a lot of potential and so I’m going to continue with the series. Check out my review!

    Discussions

    Other

    And that’s it! I did a lot this month and I’m really happy and proud of myself for doing so. I think that this was a very fruitful month and I hope you all had a great month to end the year on, too.

    Have a safe and happy new year everyone!

    What books did you read this month that were some of your favorites? What discussions did you talk about on your blog? Let me know!

  • Darkfever Book Review

    darkfeverTitle: Darkfever
    Series: Book #1 in the Fever series
    Author: Karen Marie Moning
    Publisher: Dell
    Publication Date: October 1, 2006
    Genre: Adult – Urban Fantasy
    Pages: 347
    Format: Purchased Paperback

    When MacKayla’s sister was murdered, she left a single clue to her death, a cryptic message on Mac’s cel phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed – a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae.

    As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysteriou Jericho…while at the same time, the ruthless V’lane – an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women – closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: to find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book – because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control both worlds in their hands.

    As this book had faeries in it, I was instantly intrigued. I’ve always loved faeries and reading about the Fae and their world, so when I picked this book up I was instantly intrigued. This book also had a great premise: a grieving sister seeking vengeance for her sister who was murdered overseas. That alone also had me wanting to read this book.

    When I read it, though, I wasn’t totally sold on it, but there was still enough of the book that had me wanting to know what would happen next that I’m definitely going to continue onto the next book.

    When the book started, it had me hooked – I HAD to know what would happen next. But as MacKayla was doing more in Dublin, I was actually kind of annoyed with a lot of her decisions and felt that some of the other characters had a lot of similar personalities, so they kind of blended in together.

    But I will say that I did enjoy reading about the Fae and the different types within this book, and that there was a whole other world that was joined with ours that was right under our noses. That sort of aspect of the world building intrigued me by far. The Shades, the Gray Man, the Many-Mouths-Thing, all of the different kinds of Fae were interesting and held their own sort of stories and folklore behind them that really made them come to life on the pages.

    So let me talk a bit about MacKayla and some of the other characters. MacKayla was kind of really prissy in this book. I found a lot of what she said or thought to be annoying in the way a bratty kid who got everything she wanted and her way to be said. The tone came across that way on occasion – not always. She also praised her appearance way more often than was necessary. Don’t get me wrong – appreciation of one’s own beauty is perfectly fine, but when it feels like it’s every other chapter, it can be a little bit overbearing.

    Other times I thought that she acted like any other normal person would in that situation, or she acted like how her blood called to her and who she was. Overall I wasn’t totally thrilled with her character, but I’m hoping she’ll mellow out in the upcoming books and really hone her skills as a sidhe-seer. I was a little sad we got to see so little of her sidhe-seer skills in this book, but then again, it was only the beginning.

    Jerico Barrons was a mysterious character throughout the whole novel. He acted much more mature than what his age perceived him to be, and that kind of threw me for a loop. He was very sort of domineering, always trying to be in charge, and Mac was always butting heads against him. I really want to get to know him better because I really don’t feel like I got a true feel for him, but I do have my theories that he, himself, is a Fae – we’ll just have to see if that theory is true!

    V’lane, the Fae who drives human women to want sex like crazy, was also just as mysterious and only made two appearances in the book, but both times were highly erotic in ways that didn’t really involve touching or anything of the sort. His character just felt kind of put in there to me, like he was just there for certain plot points, but I’m sure he’ll make more appearances in further books.

    Other than that, I really hope that the plot grows and that the characters grow, too. I felt like this book could have been a lot better and included so much more.

    That’s also not to say this book was bad! Some of the descriptive elements helped to paint the picture of Dublin and the state in which it is in, and also it held elements that made me wondering what will happen next. If you want to give it a shot, definitely do so, but just remember that this is the first book in the series and that it’s just laying the foundation for the rest of the series.

    I give this book a 3.5/5 stars and recommend it to anyone looking to get into some more adult urban fantasy.

  • End of Year Survey for 2015

    Hey guys! Can you believe this year is over? Well, it’s close to over, but still. This year has FLOWN, and it’s been a seriously great one. Super stressful at times, but great. I’ve got a lot done and I just want to say thank you to all of you who read and comment and who are just awesome.

    So today I wanted to participate in the 6th Annual End of Year Survey for 2015 that Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner created years ago and still continues with today. I did participate last year, but now I have way more books and stats and stuff to share!

    So without further ado, let’s jump into the survey!

     

    2015 Reading Stats

    Number Of Books You Read: 50
    Number of Re-Reads: One
    Genre You Read The Most From: YA Fantasy

     

     

    Best in Books

    1. Best Book You Read In 2015?

    Alright, well, this is a tough one. Honestly, the one I loved the most and definitely felt like I got the most from would probably have to be….

    Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

    This book was just incredible and the best in the series thus far, in my opinion. Yes, it had its flaws, but it also was action packed, had wit, romance, and so much more.

    2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

    I was excited to read Cinder by Marissa Meyer, hoping to really love it, but I just had a lot of trouble getting into it and really feeling for Cinder and what she was going through. There were several things that bothered me, but not enough that I won’t continue the series – I will! – it’s just going to take a little time.

     3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

    The Selection by Kiera Cass surprised me in a good way in that I wasn’t expecting to actually like it as much as I did. Though the books weren’t profound, and the main character and certain situations were a little annoying, it was just one of those trilogies that just sucks you in and it had me wanting more.

     4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

    I think that it was A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Maybe? I know I had a lot of positive feedback on my review for it on my blog and on my booktube channel, so I want to say that book.

     5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?

    Series: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. Beautiful. Check out my review!
    Sequel: Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor. Captivating. Check out my review!
    Series Ender: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi. Amazing. Check out my review!

     6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?

    Sabaa Tahir. She has a way of building worlds and telling heart gripping stories without mouthy, long, overly detailed sentences. I think her simplicity, but rich, descriptions of the world that her book, An Ember in the Ashes, took place in was beautiful, breathtaking, and magical.

    7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

    My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga. This book has a trigger warning of suicide, and as someone who has dealt with thoughts personally, this book hit many places I didn’t want to dig up. But I also thought it was a beautiful story, and even though it wasn’t perfect, it was still different and was definitely out of my comfort zone.

     8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

    Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor was not only a captivating and very unique story, but it had action, monsters, angels, war, love, betrayal, memories, and so much more.

     9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

    Maybe The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh, before the next book comes out. I highly enjoyed the book, but I wouldn’t mind rereading it to see if I pick up on more things the second time around.

    10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?

    Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S. It’s my favorite cover of the whole trilogy, but all of the books are beautiful. I mean, just look at it:

    theirfracturedlight

    11. Most memorable character of 2015?

    Honestly, I think that Juliette from the Shatter Me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi is pretty memorable. She had immense character growth, and even though I was completely frustrated with her at the beginning, I found myself literally cheering for her in the third book. Amazing character arc for sure.

     12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?

    I honestly can’t pick just one, so my top three most beautifully written books that I read were Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor, Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi, and The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. Each had their own unique styles of writing and lore, and I felt like I could just feel the characters seeping into me when I read/listened to these books.

    13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?

    None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio definitely opened my eyes to a group of people I never would have known existed without this book.

     14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read? 

    City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare, which is book two in the Mortal Instruments series. Seriously, I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get to it. But hey, I still have the last two books in this series to finish, not including the other two in the Infernal Devices.

     15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?

    “Let’s go rattle the stars.” -Aelin Galathynius from Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas.

    16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015?

    Shortest: The Prince by Keira Cass – This is a novella, so obviously it’s short at 64 pages.
    Longest: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas – My favorite book of the year was also the longest at 656 pages long!

     17. Book That Shocked You The Most

    City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. When you find out who a certain character is, you kind of cringe and go, “Eww.” So… shock factor was a little there.

    18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

    (OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)

    Jubliee Chase and Flynn Cormac from This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. I. Love. These. Two. Together. Like, I can’t express how much I ship them. They’re perfect for each other and compliment each other in every way and I just love them.

    19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

    Karou and Zuzana from the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor. They’re just a great pair together, laughing at each other’s wit and just overall being the best of friends – especially considering what happens in the second book.

    20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

    Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare was awesome. I loved being able to see the Shadowhunters in a different time period and more creatures and some of the same characters that I know and love be introduced just in a different context.

    21. Best Book You Read In 2015 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

    I think the peer pressure to read Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli was pretty high up there just in the community in general. AND I LOVED IT. The cuteness. It was too much.

    22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?

    Kaden from The Remnant Chronicles trilogy by Mary E. Pearson. I just love his bad boy/good boy kind of behavior and how he’s really just a kind soul and he’s rustic and… Let me wipe the drool off of my face.

    23. Best 2015 debut you read?

    Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon was just amazing. It was a fast read, but it was so powerful in such a short book. I really enjoyed it.

    24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

    The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews really goes into detail about the setting and I have a really easy time picturing it.

    25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

    Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli HANDS DOWN GETS THIS. Oh, and The Amazing Book is Not on Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester, particularly the audiobook version of it. Yes.

    26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?

    I don’t really cry when I read books, but My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga pulled at way too many heart strings and hit very close to home.

    27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

    The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater was pretty dang on awesome. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did, that’s for sure. It had a lot of elements I thought worked well together, plus the writing was just beautiful. Check out my review here!

    28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

    City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. This book perfectly wrapped up the first three books, and I just loved it to pieces. From beginning to end I enjoyed it and it just crushed me under it.

    29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?

    This is incredibly hard because I read so many unique books… I’m cheating again and I’m going to pick two: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor and The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Both are very unique in terms of their plot and the stories they hold behind them, and I just think each has their own beautiful writing and tale to tell.

    30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

    I was kind of grumpy reading Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. There were several reasons, but this one definitely bugged me a lot.

    Your Blogging/Bookish Life

    1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2015?

    I think Happy Indulgence is a new favorite from this year. Jeann made a great post about remembering why you blog, in which I made a post in response to that, and she otherwise makes fun, engaging, informative posts.

    2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015?

    This was super hard to pick, but I think my favorite review I wrote was on Queen of Shadows. I exploded all of my thoughts and feelings into that post (or as much as I could without it being a 20 page paper), and I think those emotions really crossed over into that review.

    3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

    I think my Booktubers vs Book Bloggers | Let’s Discuss post was the best discussion post on my blog. Even though I didn’t get any comments on it, I just think the content itself was important. We’re all part of one huge community, and it really doesn’t matter which platform we decide to use to express our love for books on.

    4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

    Bout of Books was probably the best event I participated in. It was a relaxed, but super fun read-a-thon, and it was my first one! I had a really fun time, even if I didn’t reach my goals.

    5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015?

    I have a few, but I think my favorite moments are when I get comments from people telling me that my review made them want to read that particular book. It just makes me feel like I accomplished something as a blogger and a reader. So thank you to all who have commented!

    7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

    I had the most views on my June 2015 Wrap-Up with 53 views in a day. Awesome! Thanks guys!

    8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

    In all honesty, I wish more people discussed more with me on my discussion posts, but I know a lot of people might get intimidated by those kinds of posts. I promise I don’t bite!

    9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

    Okay, this may be a little silly, but I think that this tote I got from Barnes & Noble is the most beautiful bag ever and I can’t wait to use it as my purse:

    thumb_IMG_2418_1024
    thumb_IMG_2419_1024

    10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

    Upon reviewing my bookish resolutions for 2015, I did complete a major goal, which was to read 30 books in the course of the year. As I read 50 this year, I definitely passed it! I also did do a lot more discussions and some tag posts, so there’s that, too.

    Looking Ahead

    1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?

    Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor, for sure.

    2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?

    A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir! Can’t wait to read this sequel.

    3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

    Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira. I mean, c’mon, doesn’t the title alone sound awesome? The main heroine turns to her favorite YA books for love advice, which just sounds cute (and so accurate).

     4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?

    The next book in the Throne of Glass series, of course! I can’t wait until September! D: So far awaaaayyyy.

    5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2016?

    In my reading life: Read without apology. As in, read as much as I can and whatever the hell I want.
    In my blogging life: Try to post more regularly, but really just have fun with it! And also comment more on other peoples’ blogs.

    6. A 2016 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

    None! Because I haven’t had the opportunity to do so.

  • Fall Time Book Haul

    I haven’t done a haul since August. Wow. Well, I don’t think I’ve accumulated that many books, but then again, Christmas did just happen, sooooo… Yeah. Books.

    Let’s get into it, shall we? These aren’t going to be in the order in which I got them, but they are from September until now.

    Physical Books

    • The Raven Boys cycle, 1-3, by Maggie Steifvater. Okay, technically I’ll be getting the paperback version of the third book tomorrow, but close enough. And it will be hauled in December, so there.
    • Uprooted by Naomi Novik. This was a book highly recommend by Sam of ThoughtsonTomes, so I really wanted to check it out. Fantasy, romance, political plots, oh my!
    • The Amazing Book is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester. I am a phan. I cannot help it. I also only discovered them right around the time their book came out in America, so this was just kind of like it was meant to be.
    • Binge by Tyler Oakley. I’ve been following him for several months on Youtube, and I do find him to be funny and weird and goofy, so I thought I’d give his book a go. And it’s a lot heavier than you’d expect (high quality paper).
    • The Fever series, books 1-3, by Karen Marie Moning. A series that Sarah Jane from TheBookLife loves to pieces, and several other Booktubers gush over, so I had to give it a go. Plus, faeries. I’m in.
    • Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner. I LOVE THIS COVER. And this book. I just. It’s amazing. Go read it and check out my review before you do.
    • Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes. This is the fourth installment in this six book series, and I am really digging this cover! It’s definitely my favorite cover out of all of them, and though I haven’t read the third book yet, I’ll definitely get to these two soon.
    • Carry On and Landline by Rainbow Rowell. I love Rainbow’s books! She’s seriously amazing and I just can’t wait to read these ones by her. I now own all of her works that are published, woo!
    • Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. This book was so sweet and so filled with the need and desire to experience things before you realize what you’ve missed out on. Check out my review for more on what I thought.
    • Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas. If you didn’t see my gigantic review post on this book, where have you been? I obviously got this the day it came out and loved it to pieces.

    Audiobooks

    eBooks

    Well, 22 books over four months isn’t horrible, right? Right. I’m actually kind of surprised this was all I got. Maybe I got more, but I honestly can’t remember, haha!

    What books did you get for the holidays? Any you plan on getting soon in the new year? Let me know!

  • Magic Bleeds Book Review

    magicbleedsTitle: Magic Bleeds
    Series: Kate Daniels #4
    Author: Ilona Andrews
    Publisher: Ace
    Publication Date: May 25, 2010
    Genre: Adult – Urban Fantasy, Romance
    Pages: 349
    Format: Gifted Paperback

    Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic. When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose.

    Kate Daniels works for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle – especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community. When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar on the border between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers that there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years – and who rode to war at the side of Kate’s father. This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord, to handle. Because this time Kate will be taking on family.

    As this is the fourth book, there will most likely be some spoilers.

    This fourth installment was probably my favorite so far, and that’s probably because of the plot in this specific book and my growing attachment to the characters.

    In this book the plot continues to wrap itself more around Roland – an undead piloter, and possibly undead himself – who happens to also be Kate’s father. She knows she has to kill him eventually, and I know that the major overall plot is leading up to that, but the plot in this book is about a plague bringing person who has ties to Kate that neither of them knew about until one day when they run into each other.

    I think that the plot in this one intrigued me the most so far is partly because, 1) the fighting scenes in this one are kind of kickass, 2) the sexual tension between Kate and Curran finally reaches a climax (omg bad pun), and 3) I felt that I learned so much more about the characters as a whole in this book in particular.

    So first, let me talk about the fighting scenes: now with each book we get fighting scenes as it’s just the nature of the story and the characters themselves. But when Kate would go up against some of the people in this book in particular I felt that the descriptions were a lot more detailed and that there was just a lot more going on.

    It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t keep up and I knew all of the characters that were taking part in some way or other. I think that the authors really did a great job in this book showcasing how strong of a character Kate is while also showing that she is also human and is prone to getting her ass kicked just as much as she kicks others’.

    And the romance! Whew! Bring me a fan because it’s getting hot in here. I think one of the best things about this series is the slow burn romance between Kate and Curran – and that there’s also no third party to get in the way because I’m kind of over it. But these two, though they’re always at each others’ throats, they know their feelings for each other.

    I know that Kate has an extremely hard time letting people in with how she was raised and how things usually go in her life, but once she lets Curran in, she knows that she can’t leave him. I never thought that that made her seem clingy or in any way made her relinquish any sort of power; in fact, I think Curran really compliments her well and makes her stronger.

    Overall, I felt like I just really learned so much about the characters in this book. I’m really starting to connect with them and react more if something bad happens to certain characters, or even if something good happens or if humor is used.

    I found a lot more humor in this book than in the previous ones and I just thought that it was executed in a fun and engaging way. And even though new characters seemed to be introduced left and right, I still got a feel for who they are and what sort of significance they hold in Kate’s life and to the story as a whole.

    I really enjoyed this installment of the series and I highly recommend it if you haven’t read it yet. It’s definitely made me want to keep going and see what Atlanta’s got in store next for Kate and Curran.

    I rated this book 4.5/5 stars.