Reader Rayna

Month: April 2016

  • April 2016 Wrap-Up

    Goodbye 2016, because you are just flying by! Another month, another wrap-up. This month was productive in some ways, but then again I also watched a lot of anime this month which prevented me from both reading and writing, so… maybe not as productive as I wanted it to be.

    What I Read

    Books I Started But Didn’t Finish

    • Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews – book #5 in the Kate Daniels series. I’m really enjoying it so far and the mystery behind what’s making the Masters of the Dead not be able to control their vampires anymore.
    • Asylum by Madeleine Roux – Scary things are too much for me, and add pictures to this and I’m freaked out. I’ll finish it one day!
    • Splintered by A.G. Howard – I’m really liking this Alice in Wonderland retelling a lot so far, with its goth/punk features and purple font. I definitely want to finish this soon!
    • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – Yes, I’m finally starting this book and so far I’m enjoying it. It definitely has an atmospheric feel to it so far and I’m really interested to see how the story unfolds.
    • Water’s Wrath by Elise Kova – The fourth book is finally out and I started it and I’m so excited to read iiiiiiiit. I’ll definitely finish this soon.
    • The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows – I’ve wanted to see what this book was about for a while, and I’m enjoying what I’m reading so far.
    • Binge by Tyler Oakley – I started this sometime last year, and I picked it up for Genrethon this year, but only read a chapter. I’ll finish it one day!
    • Paper Hearts, volume 1: Some Writing Advice by Beth Revis – I can always use pointers and tips when it comes to writing, so I decided to pick this up this month given I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo.

    Books I Got This Month

    I HAVE NO CONTROL.

    I SWEAR THAT’S ALL. *flops under pile*

    Discussions I Held

    Top Ten Tuesdays & Top 5 Wednesdays

    Writing Related

    Well, I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo this month and it was less than spectacular. I still got some writing done, which is good, but not enough to my liking.

    Fun Things

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    So as for Flights of Fantasy, I’ve read another three fantasy-esque books/novellas, bringing my total up to 22 books! I’m probably going to pass my goal of 30 books, but that’s okay.

    Life Updates

    • So I went to the author signing for Erin Bowman & Jodi Meadows out at Brookline Booksmith near Boston and it was a really fun event! Not only was the bookstore charming, but I got to get books signed and pictures taken with the authors, who were super sweet.
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    • More cute clothes from maurices is a wonderful feeling when you’re so used to not being able to find a lot of cute, flattering things.
    • We were going to adopt my coworker’s cat, but we ended up giving her back after a few days because a) I had bad allergies to her, b) my bird was not a fan, and c) she didn’t seem happy here, which means we weren’t happy, either. It was sad, but I’m okay with it because I’d rather her be happy and me not die of a stuffed nose.

    So this month just seemed like it was full of memes and fun things, which isn’t horrible or anything, but I think it’s because of the challenge of Camp NaNoWriMo that made it difficult for me to post any more discussion topics or more reviews. I hope to remedy that for next month, though!

    Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

    What was your favorite book you read this month? Mine was definitely The Raven King. (ALL THE FEELS.) What are some of your bookish delights? Did you participate in Camp NaNoWriMo? If so, tell me how your progress went!

  • The Raven King Book Review

    theravenkingTitle: The Raven King
    Series: The Raven Cycle #4
    Author: Maggie Stiefvater
    Publisher: Scholastic Press
    Publication Date: April 26, 2016
    Genre: Young Adult – Paranormal, Romance
    Pages: 438
    Format: Purchased Hardcover (early release April 24th)

    Nothing living is safe. Nothing dead is to be trusted.

    For years, Gansey has been on a quest to find a lost king. One by one, he’s drawn others into this quest: Ronan, who steals from dreams; Adam, whose life is no longer his own; Noah, whose life is no longer a life; and Blue, who loves Gansey… and is certain she is destined to kill him.

    Now the endgame has begun. Dreams and nightmares are converging. Love and loss are inseparable. And the quest refuses to be pinned to a path.

    In its starred review of Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the previous book in The Raven Cycle, Kirkus Reviews said, “Exepect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close.” The thunder has now arrived in Henrietta, Virginia – along with death, desire, revelation, and a brutal truth. With The Raven King, Maggie Stiefvater completes a masterpiece.

    As this is a sequel there may be spoilers!

    Oh my heart. Oh. My. Heart. This finale to The Raven Cycle was everything I could have expected and more with twists, turns, heartbreak, joyous moments, friendship, and so much more.

    The book continues right where it was left off in the previous book, where everyone is trying to figure out what to do next and how to find Glendower, but there’s something more going on behind the scenes: Cabeswater is dying.

    Actually, infested is more the word I’m looking for, but when the gang discovers black goo oozing from a tree in the forest one day they now add that to the pile of problems on their list. The story follows them trying to figure out how to fix Cabeswater – to save it – but to also figure out if there’s any alternative to saving Gansey, and what it means for Adam who’s so connected to Cabeswater, and for Ronan who’s dreamt up so much, and for Blue to have to deal with who she is and what she’s going to do once so many things come to pass.

    Gansey is ever optimistic in his search, but the threads of his composure of who is built himself up to be over the past seven years is really starting to unravel, but in a good way. He’s become a lot more excitable and shows more emotion than his polite self. In this he discovers a few things about himself that he knows he can’t deny: that he loves Blue, and that he’s going to die before April. And he’s scared of the latter. He becomes more open to relationships and faces his fears and he’s so much more of a new Gansey in this book that it made me fall in love with him even more. He was passionate and heartbroken and kingly.

    Adam is not himself so much in this novel because of how Cabeswater is struggling and how it affects him, and then the demon thing? Yeah, that’s not good. There were actually a lot of parts in this book that creeped me out so much during Adam’s parts that I could feel my heart racing. There were elements in his sections of the story that were truly terrifying and I thought that, though he tried his best, I know that he still struggles with identifying who he is and what it means to be Adam. He also deals a lot with the emotions of his heart and I love how he deals with them and how he accepts it and it’s beautiful. Oh man. He was a surprising player throughout this story because at the very beginning I didn’t like him much at all, but as the series progressed, sure I got angry at him sometimes, but he grew on me just like Cabeswater did on him. He surprised me in more ways than one, for sure.

    Ronan. Oh my dear, Ronan, you were just so amazing in this book. We actually got to see EMOTIONS from him that weren’t anger or forced falsehoods. We got to see him struggle internally with things, we got to see him struggle with his dreams, and, I think most importantly, we got to see just how far the depths of his love for his friends and family goes. He isn’t so much hellbent on revenge in this book, but he definitely shows a lot more concern for the wellbeing of those around him over time, and I think it was a major changing point for him. Plus, he acted on his feelings for Adam and it was beautiful and glorious and I SQUEED LIKE THE FANGIRL THAT I AM. Oh man. But besides that, Ronan had to deal with several traumatic things in this book that made my heart break for him. I’ve loved Ronan since the beginning of the series, and he definitely made my heart swell so much in this last book.

    Blue was as much an enigma in this book as the last ones, but I think she grew so much in this story and learned so much about herself that I feel that she is one of the brightest stars in this book. During her perspectives, things seemed to click so much more not only about who she is and what she believes in and loves, but also about many other aspects of the Raven Boys – her Raven Boys – and just how they all function together as a unit. She learns so much about herself and who – and even what – she is that it’s a revelation and she revels in it and it sinks deep down within her. I thought that she was, once again, very strong through a lot of what was going on and that she continued to charm and frustrate all the way through, as was her nature.

    We didn’t see much of Noah, but what we did see broke my heart and made me very fearful for him. And at the end… oh man. I almost cried, I think. It was beautiful and heartbreaking all at once.

    I love what Maggie did from the middle-ish to the end where she would start a chapter with, “Depending on where you began the story…” And each chapter would focus on a minor character, but how significant they were in that moment in time was incredible because it would show snippets of that time in the story that would also propel the main crew into action and I thought that they didn’t take away from the story or were filler at all. I actually loved these chapters quite a lot because we got to see Neeve, Piper, the Gray Man, Seondeok, and even Cabeswater through it all.

    We also got introduced to Henry Cheng much more in this book and, though I was skeptical of him at first, I fell in love with him just as much as I had with the original group. He was so charming and funny and honest. I think that’s what I liked most about him, was his honesty. He didn’t try to hide who he was, and all along he wanted a real friendship, which he got.

    And the romance! Let’s just talk about the romance that blossomed in this book, okay? OH. MAN. Pynch is a thing. And it was beautiful. And yes, there were many giggles that were had. And of course the kiss between Blue and Gansey came because we knew it was going to from the start, and yes that was an extremely sad part, but ugh. I love them.

    This book and series overall was something magical and wonderful and I highly appreciated it. It was haunting, beautiful, tragic, and fun. I think it’s definitely made its way up into my top five favorite series. Possibly. Definitely in my top ten.

    I highly, highly recommend this book and I give it a 5/5 stars.

    My overall series rating: 4.75/5 stars.

  • Top Ten Tuesday: Bookworm Delights

    Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday as hosted by the lovely people over at The Broke & the Bookish. Today’s topic is about our top ten bookworm delights, which are bookish things that makes us happy or grateful. I love this topic, so here’s my top ten:

    1 . Book sniffing – I am a book sniffer, I’ll admit it. I love the smell of books regardless if they’re new or old.

    2. When covers are aesthetically pleasing – We all know covers that aren’t this way, but when they are? Oh. My. Goodness. It’s like a rainbow has descended upon my eyes. Here are some of my favorite aesthetically pleasing covers:

    theravenking
    vengeanceroad
    theirfracturedlight

    3. Getting to meet an author – I mean, this is a given when the experience is a positive one, right? I think it’s awesome to be able to meet an author and talk to them about their book and get pictures with them. Here I am with Jodi Meadows (right) and Erin Bowman:

    IMG_2954

    4. When books have bookish swag modeled after something in the book – Think The Hunger Games or The Mortal Instruments and how there have been necklaces made of the Mockingjay and the Rune. Things like that, or like scarves, bookmarks, etc.

    5. Bookmarks – Honestly, who doesn’t love a good bookmark? My favorite ones are the magnetic ones with cute little designs like donuts, owls, breakfast foods, and foxes.

    6. Reading a book that brings me out of a slump – Oh, it’s the best feeling when you find a book that just speaks to your soul and brings you right out of a slump. This happened a couple of times, but the one I remember most is The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.

    7. When my husband reads a book with me – There’s a simple pleasure when my husband and I read the same books because then we can talk about it and it’s just so fun!

    8. Book subscriptions – I found the joy of receiving book subscription boxes this year and I find that it feels a lot like Christmas every month when this happens. Though I’m only keeping one book subscription box for now, I’m still enjoying what I get because it’s always a surprise.

    9. The bookish community – Yes, all of you lovely people make me smile and feel all fuzzy and warm inside. Without the community, I don’t know that I’d still be doing this, so thank you all for sticking around!

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    10. Deckled edges – There’s just something so satisfying about deckled edges… I don’t know what it is, but I just love the feel and look of them, like I’m opening an old tome.

    And there you have it! Ten of some of my favorite bookish delights. I’m sure that there’s plenty I’m not thinking of, but I think this is a good place to start.

    What kinds of things bring you joy? Do you like to read with others or collect bookish swag? Let me know!

  • Blue Lily, Lily Blue Book Review

    bluelilylilyblueTitle: Blue Lily, Lily Blue
    Series: The Raven Cycle #3
    Author: Maggie Stiefvater
    Publisher: Scholastic Press
    Publication Date: October 21, 2014
    Genre: Young Adult – Paranormal
    Pages: 391
    Format: Purchased Paperback

    Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

    The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost.

    Friends can betray.

    Mothers can disappear.

    Visions can mislead.

    Certainties can unravel.

    As this is a sequel, there may be spoilers!

    Trying to get my thoughts together for this one is proving to be a serious challenge right now. I loved it – truly – but I don’t know if it was worthy of five stars? I think I’m still digesting it.

    This third book was so vastly different from the last, but at the same time not that I feel like I may have missed something or I didn’t let it soak in. Maybe Cabeswater is affecting me, too?

    The plot in this story grew and flowed continuously from the second book, following Adam, Gansey, Ronan, Blue, and Noah as they continue their search for Glendower, but there’s so much going on behind the scenes with Maura’s disappearance, with threats from outside sources, with Cabeswater wanting to speak to them with urgency, and with three sleepers: one to wake, one not to wake, and on in between.

    I think that the concept for this series is fantastic and I loved how it was delivered in this book. Each of the characters continued to play their major roles and were learning more and more about themselves and each other, even when they felt that they didn’t know anything about one another.

    Blue, I think, is really coming out of her shell and showing the boys that she’s capable of so much more than what she seems, and I think that she learns that about herself as well in this book. She does have a bit of an anger problem still (which I still don’t know how/where it stems from in situations?), and they reflect on the others around her, and either the boys understand and diffuse the situation, or sometimes things escalate too far. I felt that she really tried to take the initiative a lot more in multiple ways in this novel, from seeking out trying to find out where Glendower is, to the budding romance between her and Gansey, to trying to save her mother. There’s so much more beneath the surface of her and I love her for that. Blue really got a handle on her powers in this book in many instances and I thought that that showed great progression for her.

    Gansey had a lot more inner turmoil when it came to Blue and I think a lot of his walls were let down around her, which made him much less uniform and polite and more wild and young. He felt more genuine in those moments, which I highly appreciated. He tries his best in many situations in this book to remember his stance in his relationships, for sure, but I think we also learn a few things about him that may not have been present in the past books: he does have fears. I was surprised when I read these parts, but when I did they felt so real and genuine that I couldn’t help but feel for him. I think he, like Blue, is really coming out of his shell and showing many different facets of himself and who he is.

    Adam grows the most out of anyone given the situation he thrust himself into, but also because of what happens around him and how he can’t ignore it. Cabeswater calls to him in many ways and when he ignores it, it doesn’t end well for him. I think that he definitely grows in this book as he learns more about his powers, himself, and what kinds of things he can do with and through Cabeswater. He’s stronger than he lets himself on to be, and though it may not be totally evident, it is seen in small pieces in different situations such as when he scrys, or when he faces his father at the courthouse (by the way, did he win that case?).

    Ronan is Ronan, though and through, and I wish we had perspectives from him in this book. He was in a lot of scenes, don’t get me wrong, but he didn’t directly have any sort of chapter from his perspective alone. I will say, though, that I feel like he’s getting to be a little softer? As in, he may still be his kind of jerkish self, but he’s also showing more care for his friends (and that little bit of feelings for a certain someone, though nothing’s been spoken aloud). He’s vengeful, but doesn’t act on it; he’s protective over his friends and Chainsaw; and he knows his limitations. I just love him, honestly.

    Noah, though present in this book, didn’t have as much presence as the last book. There was a lot going on with him in this book, though, that was caused from the ley lines and the powers around Henrietta. A lot of times it was kind of creepy what was happening to him, and a bit unsettling, but eventually things became a bit more steady for him and how he acted.

    The romance is there, it is. And that one scene was so intense and intimate and oh man, I just wish they could kiss, but death is imminent, and ahhhhh. It makes me sad, but also happy?

    And then there’s things that happen with other characters, like The Gray Man, Greenmantle, Malory, Jesse, Persephone… Oh man, so many emotions.

    The overall plot of the three sleepers was an interesting take in this book and I think it was part anti-climatic and part brilliant because the one who was in between seemed like the anti-climactic bit, while the one who was to be awake was kind of really entertaining, and then the one who’s not supposed to wake? Oh man, I’m interested to see how that plays out in the last book. It’s definitely going to lead up to it.

    This book definitely had a lot going on and though my brain is still trying to wrap around it, I can say that I really enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite. I do still think that it has a lot of story behind it and a lot that was learned and lot that will unfurl in the last book, though.

    I rate this book 4/5 stars and highly recommend it.

  • Camp NaNoWriMo Week 3 Recap

    CNW_Participant

    Oh hey, I forgot to post this yesterday, hahaha… And this week had a lot of nonexistent writing. And by nonexistent, I mean I wrote ONE DAY. That was it. This Camp NaNoWriMo I’m really struggling to get anything written, so I don’t know if I’m just going to stop altogether or try to get something done. Maybe if I hit 20,000 words I’ll stop, but we’ll see.

    Goal

    50,000 words total by the end of April 30th.

    That’s the equivalent to a 200-225 page book. So my average daily word count goal to reach my main goal is to write 1,667 words per day.

    Stats for Week 3

    Day 16: 0 words for a total of 17,660 words
    Day 17: 0 words for a total of 17,660 words
    Day 18: 0 words for a total of 17,660 words
    Day 19: 0 words for a total of 17,660 words
    Day 20: 613 words for a total of 18,273 words
    Day 21: 0 words for a total of 18,273 words
    Day 22: 0 words for a total of 18,273 words

    *I’m not including today, April 23rd, as the day is not over yet. Today’s word count will be in next week’s recap.

    This Week’s Advice: Keep Going!

    I might sound hypocritical here given my own progress, but if you’ve come this far this month in your writing then keep going! We’re almost to the end and your goal may seem far away (like mine), but you can do it! Even if you don’t reach your primary goal, strive to reach a smaller one.

    You really wanted to get to a specific scene that you were building up to? Write it. You’ve got your beginning and ending down, but the middle seems kind of funky? Write an imaginary one as filler. Play around and experiment and see what kinds of things you can come up with because even if you can’t reach your goal you’ve still made progress this month and you should be proud of yourself!

    This week was a rough one for me and I don’t know that I’m going to keep writing, but I’m going to see what happens.

    How was your third week? Have you hit a lull or given up? Or have you soared higher than anything your expected? Let me know!