Reader Rayna

Month: February 2016

  • Love-a-thon Mini-Challenge #2: Bingo!

    loveathon-1

    Hey guys! This is the second mini-challenge for the Love-a-thon and it’s a cool form of bingo! To see how you’re progressing through this fun event, the hosts set up a bingo card and pretty much it works the same as any other bingo game: match the particular event on the card. I’ll be updating as I go and provide evidence of my participation!

    Loveathon bingo_stars

     

     ☆ = Completed

    Updates

    I’ll update these as I go along, but yes! If you want to join in this fun scavenger hunt type of bingo, please do! It’s also a great way to find more of the blogs and people you want to follow from Love-a-thon!

    UPDATE: Completed as of 10:00PM EST on Feb 20th!

    Have you ever done a bookish bingo before? What kinds of blogs are you finding in your searches? I hope you’re all having fun with this event!

    Hosts: Alexa, Cee, Hazel, Mel

  • Love-a-thon Mini Challenge #1: Mix & Match

    loveathon-1

    Hey guys! This is the first mini challenge for Love-a-thon and it’s all about mixing and matching your other hobbies/passions/interests/talents that are non-bookish and mixing it with the bookish. So I thought that I’d do that by showing off some fanart!

    I’ve always loved three things my whole life: reading, writing, and art. I even minored in art in college, if that’s any indication (also because they didn’t offer it as a major). I prefer traditional art styles (aka drawing by hand with paper and pencil) but I also dabble in digital art. I have my own style, and that’s really all that matters, right?

    You can view most or all of these works on my deviantART page.

    So here’s some fanart of characters from various books:

    Akiva & Kaoru from Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

    akiva___fanart_by_vampiressamilia-d8o51evkarou___fanart_by_vampiressamilia-d8nwxfe

    Grendel from Beowulf

    grendel___beowulf_by_vampiressamilia-d75w3z9

    I actually did this one for extra credit for a class I took in college.

    The Green Knight from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

    the_green_knight_by_vampiressamilia-d7h1qqh

    I actually did this one, too, for extra credit in a class I took in college.

    Celaena Sardothian from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

    celaena_sardothian_by_vampiressamilia-d8ro6bk

    And there you have it! Some of my fanart pieces from various books. I’ll most likely do more fanart in the future so if you’re interested in seeing them when I do that, let me know!

    What are some of your hobbies/interests/talents/etc that correspond to your love of books? Share with me photos, blog posts, or whatever else you have so I can check them out, too!

    Hosts: Alexa, Cee, Hazel, Mel

  • Love-a-Thon 2016

     

    loveathon-1

    Hey guys! So I signed up for this cool little event called “Love-a-thon.” It’s an event hosted by Alexa (AlexaLovesBooks),  Cee (The Novel Hermit), Hazel (Stay Bookish) & Mel (The Daily Prophecy) who are all wonderful bookish ladies. Love-a-thon is all about spreading the love in the book community and taking the time to recognize a lot of people whether they blog, Booktube, bookstagram, booklr, are an author, or whatever platform they may share their love of books on. It’s all about positivity and love.

    So for this first post of love-a-thon, I’ll be posting my answers to a questionnaire! Here we go:

    QUESTIONNAIRE

    1. What’s your name? Rayna!
    2. Where in the world are you blogging from? Massachusetts~
    3. How did you get into blogging in the first place? I’ve had other blogs before, but this is my first real blog that I’ve actually stuck to for longer than a year. I got into it because I stumbled upon Booktube. I actually made a Booktube channel before starting this blog here, but I’m so much more a blogger than a Booktuber. It’s much easier for me to write words than to speak them. And honestly, I just wanted to share my love of books and make friends who also love books along the way.
    4. How did you come up with your blog name? I was trying to come up with something clever and “Reader Rayna” just stuck with me. It rolls off the tongue, right? Alliteration~
    5. What genre do you read and review the most on your blog? I mostly read Young Adult books as well as review them. I’m branching out more and introducing more adult titles, but my primary focus is definitely young adult.
    6. What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews? I do various types of discussion posts each month, as well as recommendations, book hauls, tags, memes such as Top Ten Tuesday and Top 5 Wednesday, wrap-ups & TBRs, as well as other fun things like movie and TV show talks and reviews. I also started to introduce writing topics on my blog as well.
    7. Best blogging experience so far? I think when I really started to notice people looking at and actually liking my content. I recently just got the most views on a blog post and it made me overjoyed to know people actually want to know my opinion on a topic. It makes me feel loved and welcome in this community.
    8. Favorite thing about the blogging community? Everyone’s wicked friendly and supportive! People are always willing to talk to you and the best part is being able to find other blogs and people with the same interests.
    9. Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2016! The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh, The Raven King by Maggie Steifvater, TOG 5 by Sarah J. Maas, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, and A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir.
    10. Name the 5 books you want to read this 2016 that you didn’t get to in previous years! The rest of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (I’m on book 4), Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, the rest of The Mortal Instruments & Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare, and the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo (totally cheated because of series, heheheheeheh).
    11. What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read? A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb. It’s one of my favorite books of all time and I don’t know if it was popular back when it came out about ten-ish years ago, but I think that it’s a beautiful story and one everyone should read.
    12. Which book boy or girl would be your book BFF? Kenji from the Shatter Me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi. He’s sooo funny and goofy, but he really loves and cares for his friends. I think he’d make a great BFF.
    13. Which book boy or girl would be your book boyfriend/girlfriend? Kaden from the Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson is just… *sigh* I love him. He’s cunning, sure, but he’s smart, kind, strong, multilingual, and just an overall badass. I love him. Again.
    14. Who would you recruit for your apocalypse squad (5 characters max)? Ooh, this one’s a toughy… I think I’d choose Aelin from the Throne of Glass series because she’d kick butt, Juliette from the Shatter Me trilogy because she could protect us long range, Vin from the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson because if we have metals she could catapult us away, and Hermione from the Harry Potter series because we need some brains for this operation.
    15. Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests? I enjoy playing video games, particularly first person shooter and role-play types like Final Fantasy, Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, etc.; I also enjoy writing (I mean, I graduated with an English Professional Writing major, soooo…); I like hiking, but not hardcore or anything, just for relaxation and exercise purposes; I love whale watching – so fun!
    16. Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for? Nothing, really… Unless it’s essentials that I need, I try to not shop. Or food. Food is good.
    17. At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song – and it’s your song. What song would be playing? Oh God. Um. Well, recently I became quite the fangirl of the K-pop group EXO, so I’d choose them and their song “Call Me Baby.“
    18. Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book. Too many to choose from… But, I think I’d love to see the Starbound trilogy by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner made into films. I think it would be so neat to see these characters come to life and to see them try to fight to survive and stuff.
    19. What would your dream library look like? Books. Books as far as the eye can see. Honestly, I’d be happy with a full wall of bookshelves.
    20. Author you want to meet and sit down to tea with? It’s too hard to choose just one, but if I had to pick, it’d be Sarah J. Maas.

    That’s it for now! Let me know which author you would sit down to tea with and what song is your song that you’d be jamming out to. I’d love to know! See you for the rest of love-a-thon!

  • February Uppercase Box Unboxing

    Hey peeps! So I just got my first book box subscription in the mail and I was too excited to make a video, but I figured I’d at least make a blog post about it! I’m expecting another subscription box next week, I believe, or the week after, so look forward to that!

    This box is the February Uppercase Box subscription! If you don’t know what Uppercase is, as it says on the website, it’s “a young adult book-of-the-month subscription box. Simply put: You sign up and receive a recently published YA book and awesome book-related items every month! Plus you’ll access exclusive book content and a one-of-a-kind reading experience to dive deeper into each story.”

    As this was my first box, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve watched various unboxing videos before [here, here, here], but I’ve never really done one myself except for when I received the Mistborn trilogy.

    But this was such a cool box! Here’s a fun little photo recap of what I got in the box:

    IMG_2592 (1) The box itself was actually a bag! But it’s a cute bag!

    Here’s an overview of what I got in the box:

    FullSizeRender

    So here’s what was in the box:

    • A personalized note to me.
    • Two bookmarks, one having to do with the book, the other with codes relating to the book, too.
    • Nail wraps that represent the book.
    • A poster with a quote from the book.
    • An Anne of Green Gables infinity scarf (so cool!).
    • A signed edition of Starflight by Melissa Landers.

    Each is really cool and in good condition. I’ve heard of the book and I’m interested in reading it, but I don’t think I would’ve picked it up on my own, so yay for that! Also, I got wicked into scarves recently, so the scarf is right up my alley.

    So yeah, that’s the February box for Uppercase Box!

    Have you ever gotten a book subscription box? What was your favorite book you’ve received from one? Do you get Uppercase? Let me know!

  • Air Awakens Book Review

    airawakensTitle: Air Awakens
    Series: Air Awakens #1
    Author: Elise Kova
    Publisher: Silver Wing Press
    Publication Date: August 27, 2015
    Genre: Young Adult – Fantasy, Romance
    Pages: 320 pages
    Format: Purchased eBook

    A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond…

    The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.

    Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all—the Crown Prince Aldrik—she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.

    This book was a fun adventure of magic, acceptance, finding inner strength, and more. Once I started I felt compelled to keep reading, I was so drawn in to the story and the world through Vhalla’s eyes.

    I felt that this story was one in which was gripping and it made me want to continue turning the page to find out what would happen next: from the society to the magic system, to the library apprentice and the dark prince, to the chaos of war and the fate that was laying before Vhalla, I wanted more.

    The plot itself was one that told of a girl named Vhalla who thought her life was little more than becoming an apprentice in the royal library when she one day helps to save the crown prince by searching for ways to rid poison from his body – which, in turn, causes her to be taken to the Tower where she is told that she has magic. In this world, to those whom magic doesn’t choose, magic is a very frightening thing and it causes those without magic to judge those that do. I thought that this was blatant in the story and that it was executed in a manner that showed that fear through multiple perspectives, and the obvious annoyance caused by that bias through others.

    The plot also lead to Vhalla growing to learn of her magic and her choices, of learning more about the dark prince and just what his role in her life would be to her, and what it could mean if she allows her magic to Awaken and manifest and grow.

    Vhalla was the kind of girl to think little of herself in terms of looks, and though I was annoyed with this at the beginning, it quickly went to the back burner because she so whole-heartedly focused her love and time on reading and books. She poured her heart into her work as a library apprentice, not only do the tasks assigned to her, but taking time to read the books she cleaned and fixed and more. I think that that passion really drove her in the beginning. She was otherwise one who tried to stay away from conflict and was very polite around others, but that didn’t stop her from speaking her mind when it came to talking to the crown prince, Aldrik. At first, he infuriated her, but as time passed and she came to understand him, that annoyance would turn to teasing and eventually genuine conversation and talk. I really enjoyed Vhalla’s character because even though she had up and down swings from being weak to outspoken to being unsure to being strong, I found that to be a relief, in a way. It showed that she is both flawed and capable of growth.

    Aldrik was mysterious in the beginning, showing his wit and temper at times, but as time progressed we got to see him become gentler and softer with Vhalla, talking to her as a friend would. I think that he has a difficult time with friendships because of his magical ability and how he is portrayed in the eyes of society as a heartless Fire Lord. But I found him to be a redeeming man, though he also admits to his faults. He was also very protective of Vhalla, and though that’s explained in the book, I still found it to be swoon worthy, in a way. Like many princes in many books he doesn’t show his emotions in certain situations, but subtle hints of what he’s thinking are communicated and I thought them to be affective.

    And GOOD GOD I WANTED THE ROMANCE SO BAD. Like, there were so many parts where I was just like, “They’re gonna kiss! They’re gonna kiss!” And then something happens to deter them from it and I got so upset. And then I would wait for the next time, and then the same thing happened! Ahh! But the relationship between Vhalla and Aldrik, though tense sometimes, was also raw and one that drew them to each other more than just because of circumstance, in my opinion.

    The side characters were also ones that I either liked or disliked for various reasons, but I still felt connected to them and that they played an important role in the story – that they weren’t just there for plot device or anything. I’m interested to see where some of them take place in the next book because things seem like they’re going to get interesting and I want to know if allegiances will stay or divide.

    The magic system in the world is based off of elemental magic with the four main elements of earth, air, water, and fire. Air is the most rare ability because the last Airwalker lived almost 150 years prior. The way that the magic is used seems to stem from the person’s self rather than the elements around them, which is the kind of magic I really enjoy. I hope to see more of it used in the next book because though it wasn’t used much in this book, we got glimpses of the power of Fire, for sure.

    Overall, I really enjoyed this book way more than I thought I was going to. It had me constantly turning the page and it kept me craving more.

    I rate this book 4.5/5 stars and highly recommend it.