Reader Rayna

Month: December 2016

  • December 2016 Wrap Up

    Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

    It’s the end of the year! Can you believe it? This year has been a whirlwind for many, many reasons, and I’m kind of glad to just see it come to an end. But there are things I’m excited for and things I’m looking forward to in the new year, so let’s bring on the good times, yeah?

    Books I’ve Read

    Click on the cover to be taken to its respective review!

    hpsorcerer waterswrath

    • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling – I forgot just how fun and magical this first book is, though I did have a few things about it that I didn’t like. 4.5/5 stars
    • Water’s Wrath by Elise Kova – So. Much. Happened. Lots of heartbreak, lots of growth, lots of secrets and betrayal. 4/5 stars

    Books I’ve Gotten

    Click on the cover to be taken to each respective Goodreads page!

    “But Rayna, don’t you already own ToG and CoM?” Yes, but I got them in hardcover to finally match the rest of the series!

    throneofglass crownofmidnight starsabove fairest lunarchroniclescoloring hpsorcerer hpchamberofsecrets shadowshaper illgiveyouthesun everthehunted

    Thank you to my awesome TBTB Secret Santa, Jordin @ A Bottomless Book Bag, for Shadowshaper and I’ll Give You the Sun! I can’t wait to read them!

    2016 Reading Challenge

    For my Goodreads reading challenge I had set my goal to 30 books, and well, I surpassed the number pretty easily:

    screen-shot-2016-12-26-at-8-44-10-pm

    I’m so proud of the progress I made this year because I really didn’t think I would read as many as I did considering my reading rate dropped significantly around June/July. Still, I’m very happy with it and am excited for next year. My 2017 reading challenge will also be set to 30 books because I feel that’s a very attainable goal for me and it’s enough to push me to read as much as I can.

    Other Blog Posts

    Writing Related

    Fun Things

    fof-button-2016

    33/30. Yup, I read over 30 fantasy books this year! I’m really not surprised because it’s my favorite genre, but I had a great time participating in this challenge again and I can’t wait to do it next year. Speaking of which…

    fof17-badge

    I’m joining in the 2017 Flights of Fantasy reading challenge next year! The challenge is once again running from January 1st to December 31st, so it’s the whole year to read fantasy! I’m once again going to set my fantasy reading goal to 30 books, which is a very attainable goal for someone who loves fantasy as much as I do. Sign ups are open, so join in the fun of reading fantasy over the course of the year!

    Instagram

    So over on my Instagram I did the things! I had a lot of fun participating in this month’s challenges, but I wasn’t as faithful to it as I was in November. I can’t wait to do more in January and maybe do more photos that stray away from the challenges? Not sure yet.

    img_4354 img_4355 img_4356

     Around the Internet

    This is a feature I’ve seen in several other blogger’s wrap ups and I think it’s a fun way to show what else I’ve been reading/seeing around the internets!

    • Cait @ Paper Fury talked about the eight types of book reviewers, and I think I’m a mix of numbers 1 and 2.
    • Hazel @ Stay Bookish talked about 2016 being the year of problematic, and frankly, I agree with her.
    • The Red Queen trilogy by Victoria Aveyard and the Selection series by Keira Cass each have coloring books now? What? When did that happen? I just got the email about it, so if you’re totally into these series, check out the books! Red Queen // Selection

    Life Updates

    • All the Christmas parties! All the goodies! Other than work parties and parties with friends, I participated in The Broke and the Bookish’s Secret Santa this year and I had so much fun with it! I now have a pen pal and I also loved my gifts. c: It was so fun and I’m definitely going to join in next year.
      • The gift included I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson and Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older, as well as a Bookworm candle from FrostBeard Studios, an elephant holding a book magnet, Mermaid Kiss chapstick from From the Page, Pop! Funko of Ariel from The Little Mermaid (my favorite Disney princess!), and a cute little stocking with an R on it and some candy.
    • For Christmas my hubby and I got a PS4 (first version model from a friend so it was cheap lol), which was a gift to both of us. So for myself I got a bunch of present from me to me, and they were: Lihit Lab pencil case, Micron pens, white Gelly Roll pens, Pentel brush marker, Sailor Moon bookmarks from LumosCoffeeRead, The Night Lord candle from Muggle Library Candles, and the illustrated editions of the first two Harry Potter books. I also got Final Fantasy XV and The Last Guardian for the PS4 (which I loved and am loving both).
    • THEN for Christmas I got four PS4 games: Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Sword Art Online: Last Song, Tales of Zestiria, and Final Fantasy Class 0. I also got a musical floor mat that does the Jingle Bells song when you step on it (muahahahah), some candles with LED lights, ping pong paddle, candy (so much candy….), and a Bluetooth speaker! Honestly, it was a great Christmas and I’m thankful to my hubby and parents for getting me fun things. c:

    Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

    How were your holidays? What were some of your favorite books you read this month? Did you get any bookish goodies for the holidays? Tell me all the things!

  • 2016 End of Year Survey

    Well, peeps, it’s the end of 2016. It’s been a year of ups and downs, of weird things, happy times, and sad times, but we’ve made it. Look how far we’ve come! And by the way, my brain’s still back in July, so I have no clue how in just a few short days it’s going to be 2017.

    So today I’m going to be going over my year in review. I’m going to talk about the best books I’ve read, the disappointments, surprises, best in genres, and more. Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner is the host of this awesome survey every year, so here’s the blank form for this year!

    2016 Stats

    Number of Books You Read: 45
    Number of Re-Reads: 1
    Genre You Read the Most From: Young Adult Fantasy

    Best in Books

    Best Book Read in 2016: Probably going to have to say A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. It was so much better than the first book and the stakes were a lot higher. And it gave me the worst book hangover I’ve ever been in. A close second is Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. The unique format and the story combined to create a beautiful tale that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
    Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn’t: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski. So many people have given it so much praise, but it just didn’t do it for me. I’ll read the second book, but I’m going in more hesitantly.
    Most surprising book (good or bad): My Lady Jane by the Lady Janies, because I wasn’t expecting to laugh so much at a historical fiction novel! The magic worked in the world, the humor was awesome, the dialogue was perfect, and the narrators? Omg, they were the best part. Seriously, check this book out if you haven’t yet!
    Book you “pushed” most people to read (and they did): Maybe the Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy? I’m actually not sure!
    Best series you started? Best sequel? Best series ender?:
    -Best Series Started: Air Awakens by Elise Kova.
    -Best Sequel: A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir.
    -Best Series Ender: The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater.
    Favorite new author you discovered this year: Elise Kova, for sure! I loved her Air Awakens series (or what I’ve read of it) and I can’t wait to read her next series, The Alchemists of Loom.
    Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/out of your comfort zone: Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staple. As my first leap into comic books, I really enjoyed it! I mean, I’ve read manga for a large part of my life, so it wasn’t too different? It was just more colorful and way more mature and graphic.
    Most action-packed/thrilled/unputdownable book of the year: Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman, hands down. It was the book that kept me up late and I just needed to keep going to the very end.
    Book you read this year that you’re most likely to reread next year: Illuminae. >> Not even kidding. I’m ready to reread it now, thanks.
    Favorite cover of a book you read: Let’s stare at this gorgeous cover together and bask in its gloriousness.

    firefalling
    Most memorable character: Probably Vhalla from the Air Awakens series because she started out as such a shy, unassuming character, but with each book she grows stronger not only physically, but mentally and morally as well. She’s had a great character arc so far in what I’ve read dealing with everything she’s gone through and learning about her powers and handling them. She’s just one that has stuck with me from the beginning.
    Most beautifully written book: Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor, for sure. Laini’s writing in general is beautiful and this book was just one that brought me into the world, into the characters’ minds, and showed me so many things that I wasn’t expecting. I loved this book so much and the writing in it as well!
    Most thought provoking/life changing book: This is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp is about a school shooting and the different perspectives that went through it. It’s definitely thought provoking and life changing, for sure, as I never experienced it and hope I never experience anything like it.
    Book you can’t believe you waited until this year to read: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. SERIOUSLY, WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG? It was such a good sequel and I’m so glad I read it! I think I just put it off because Cinder was okay in my opinion, but not great, so I didn’t know what to expect with the rest of the series? But I’m so glad I finally picked it up.
    Favorite passage/quote: “To the stars who listen – and the dreams that are answered.” – Rhysand from A Court of Mist and Fury.
    Shortest and longest books you read:
    -Shortest: The Crown and the Arrow by Renee Ahdieh at 9 pages.
    -Longest: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas with 693 pages.
    Book that shocked you the most: Have I talked about Illuminae yet, because I don’t think I have…
    OTP of the year: First of all, HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME PICK JUST ONE. So, to spite you, I’m picking several: Feyre x Rhysand, Iseult x Aeduan (they’re not cannon yet, BUT I SWEAR IT’LL HAPPEN), Vhalla x Aldrick, Karou x Akiva, Ronan x Adam, Gansey x Blue, Shazi x Khalid, Laia x Elias, Scarlet x Wolf.
    Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year: Karou x Zuzana, Safi x Iseult, Kady x AIDAN.
    Favorite book you read from an author you’ve read previously: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.
    Best book read based solely on a recommendation/peer pressure: My Lady Jane! Seriously enjoyed this and am so glad there was so much buzz around it.
    Newest fictional crush: Aeduan from Truthwitch. I just… *melt* Bad boy with a potentially tragic past and who can kill me without thinking about it? C’mon. xD
    Best 2016 debut: I actually didn’t read any debut books, which is weird, because I definitely thought I had…
    Best world building/vivid setting: The Air Awakens series had some awesome world building in it! As for most vivid setting, I think that one’s going to ACOMAF. Valeris is described really well in it!
    Book that put a smile on your face/was most fun to read: I’m not going to say Illuminae again (but I totally am, it was super fun to read), BUT I am going to say P.S. I Like You by Kasie West because IT WAS SO CUTE I CAN’T EVEN. All the smiles and giggles.
    Book that made you cry or nearly cry: Orange by Ichigo Takana. I cried reading these books because the situations and emotions were so real to me because I’ve experienced them myself and just… I loved it. Beautiful story.
    Hidden gem of the year: Girl Against the Universe by Laura Stokes was a great book about mental illness and grief.
    Book that crushed your soul: YOU KNOW WHAT I’M GOING TO SAY, SO WHY DO I HAVE TO SAY IT? (Illuminae) …. (and ACOMAF)
    Most unique book: Okay, in terms of format: Illuminae. In terms of story: Truthwitch because of all of the different kinds of witches and the world and everything.
    Book that made you the most mad (doesn’t mean you didn’t like it): The Goal by Elle Kennedy maybe? It just talked about abortion so flippantly and just… it’s not a topic to take lightly. I still enjoyed the book, though.

    Your Blogging/Bookish Life

    New favorite book blog you discovered: Cait @ Paper Fury, for sure!
    Favorite review that you wrote: I have a few favorites, but I think one of them is my Dreams of Gods & Monsters Book Review.
    Best discussion/non-review post: Am I A Reader?
    Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc): For blogging, Loveathon 2016 was sosososo fun! I’m definitely participating again in 2017. I also went to three book signings this year, which is crazy to me! I went to Jodi Meadows/Erin Bowman, Sarah J. Maas, and Maggie Stiefvater signings. So much fun!
    Best moment of bookish/blogging life: Probably meeting my favorite author, Sarah J. Maas.
    Most popular post on your blog (by view or comments): By views it was on February 21st Loveathon mini challenges #3 and #4, which made me have 149 views in one day!
    Post you wish got a little more love: I honestly have no idea.
    Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc): Getting more active on Bookstagram helped to show me a lot of awesome bookish small businesses, so there’s that.
    Did you complete any reading challenges or goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year: Yes! I completed my Goodreads reading challenge of reading 30 books this year (I read 44!), I commented more on other blogs, and included more topics on writing.

    Looking Ahead

    Book you didn’t get to this year that will be your number one priority in 2017: See my Beat the Backlist Challenge post because I have a decent list there.
    Book you’re most anticipating for 2017 (non-debut): A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas.
    2017 debut you’re most anticipating: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
    Series ending/sequel you’re most anticipating: Windwitch by Susan Dennard, and the last book in the Throne of Glass series. *cue sobbing*
    One thing you hope to accomplish/do in your reading/blogging life in 2017: Go to a book convention, like Book Con or Boston Teen Author Festival.
    A 2017 release you’ve already read and recommend to everyone: None because I haven’t read any yet!

    Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

    What was your top read this year? What book surprised you? Did you have anything exciting happen to you blog wise? Tell me all the things!

  • Water’s Wrath Book Review

    waterswrathTitle: Water’s Wrath
    Series: Air Awakens #4
    Author: Elise Kova
    Publisher: Silver Wing Press
    Publication Date: April 26, 2016
    Genre: Young Adult – Fantasy, Romance
    Pages: 350
    Format: Purchased eBook

    Librarian turned sorcerer. Sorcerer turned hero. Hero turned puppet.

    The Solaris Empire found victory in the North and, at the cost of her heart and her innocence, Vhalla Yarl has earned her freedom. But the true fight is only beginning as the secret forces that have been lurking in the shadows, tugging at the strings of Vhalla’s fate, finally come to light. Nowhere is safe, and Vhalla must tread carefully or else she’ll fall into the waiting arms of her greatest foe. Or former lover.

    As this is a sequel, there will most likely be spoilers.

    Okay, I’m not going to lie: I can’t remember the beginning of the book. In my defense, I started reading this back in April and I just finished now in December, so… Yeah. I mean, I remember bits and pieces, but not everything.

    Anyway, from what I do remember, I was very impressed with Vhalla’s character without Aldrick always by her side. We got to see how strong she was without him and how far she’s come since she was the shy library apprentice a year ago. She definitely showed that she is strong in mind and magic without him, but despite that there was still that aching longing for Aldrik that never went away (for either of them for the other). She showed that she had a lot of knowledge and she didn’t have to rely on her magic all the time, or Aldrik all the time, to make decisions and get things done. I think that’s one of the things I enjoyed most about her in this book.

    Aldrik was a very distant character in this book in the beginning, but as the book continued and more went down (so many feels, omg), he became much more open and more raw with Vhalla than we’ve seen him, which was unusual for him. I did, however, think that that vulnerability was healthy to see. Although I do think that his emotions often clouded his judgement in some instances, he was still the Fire Lord we’ve come to know.

    We got more of Fritz and Jax in this novel and oh man, Jax just makes me smile. He’s so full of himself and so charming that it’s funny, and I love how Fritz reacts when they’re around his sisters and Jax keeps flirting with them. Too good. I liked that there was humor sprinkled in because there was a lot of sadness and hard times going on that it was nice to have that bit of humor. I also think that the friendship between Fritz and Vhalla really shone in this book and I was really thankful that Vhalla had such a close friend.

    So there were several major plot points that happened in this book that CRUSHED ME. I won’t mention either because of major spoilers, but just know that I am 1) heartbroken that both happened, and 2) and I’m being hopeful that things will happen in the last book that will remedy at least one of them. P.S. One of said major plot points did actually have me shedding actual tears and Ican’tevenwhydidithappen.

    Also, I knew that Victor couldn’t be trusted but DAMN. I wasn’t expecting him to go to such an extreme and to learn more about his past a little with Aldrik and just… wow. So much happened toward the end that I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it.

    This book hasn’t been my favorite of the series and I think it’s because of the feeling I get when Vhalla didn’t really… react to the major plot points. I mean, she did with one really well, but the other? Not so much. And then there were just a few things I found very convenient and just… I don’t know, I’m having a hard time placing my finger on it. But I did enjoy the book, don’t get me wrong. I just think the focus was kind of all over the place and not super centralized.

    Overall, I did enjoy the book (what I remember of it, haha…ha…), and I’m anticipating the last book. I can’t wait to see how it’s all wrapped up and how the conclusion unfurls in this beautiful fantasy series.

    I rated this book 4/5 stars.

  • Top 5 Wednesday: Characters You’d Invite to Your New Year’s Eve Party

    Welcome to another Top 5 Wednesday as hosted by Sam @ Thoughts on Tomes. Wow, I haven’t done one of these since July, but this week’s topic is characters we’d invite to our New Year’s Eve party. I never really do anything for New Year’s (but this year my husband and I are going to our friends’ place), but here are some characters I’ve have over if I were having a party and all of that (and I’m cheating by inviting pairs or groups, shh):

    dreamsofgodsandmonsters

    5. Karou and Zuzana (Akiva and Mik can come, too)

    These two would provide so much entertainment, I just know it. They’re the epitome of friendship goals, and I would seriously love to just hang out and chat with them. And the boys can come, too, because they’re practically attached at the hip.

    truthwitch

    4. Safi and Iseult

    More fun girl chat times! Safi would definitely be the chatterbox while Iseult calming observed and looked on. I think that they would provide a great balance to the party and would just be fun to have around.

    theravenboys

    3. The Raven Boys and Blue

    How could I not invite the boys and Blue? Each one would provide their own form of entertainment, and I think that Gansey would try very hard to not try to point out things that are different from the kinds of parties he’s used to. Ronan would act like he isn’t having fun, while Adam would probably have a good time chatting with Iseult. And then Blue would roll her eyes at the absurdity of it all, but still have fun.

    thewrathandthedawn

    2. Shazi and Khalid

    Shazi would be such a great story teller (duh) and would be able to talk about other new years and how the stories of those time correspond with those we have now. I think she would provide excellent entertainment, and then Khalid would be there because, well, he’d follow Shazi into hell if she went.

    anemberintheashes

    1. Laia and Elias

    These two just need a break from all of the roughness of their lives, to be honest. I think that they would just be there for the fun chatting, the snacks (Elias), and would laugh and have a good time.

    This is honestly something that I wish could happen in real life. This sounds like such a fun party and everyone would bring different personalities and stories and fun. Oh man, why can’t this be real?

    Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

    Who would you want at your New Year’s Eve party? Would you want more party animals, or people you could just sit around on couches with and have nice conversation? Let me know!

  • Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books of 2016

    Hey peeps and welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday as hosted by the lovely people over at The Broke & the Bookish. So as it’s the last TTT of the year, we’re going to talk about the best books I read in 2016. Now being a “best book” is very subjective and it varies from person to person, but I’m going to talk about the books that I enjoyed the most this year, so that includes 5 star books and some 4 stars mixed in. Let’s hop right into it!

    1. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. This book was so magical and had so many character that I fell in love with. And THAT ENDING. I need Windwitch right now. Luckily we don’t have to wait that long for it to come out!

    2. Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone. This book was an awesome book about mental illness and coping with it through words and poetry and friendships. I loved it and highly recommend it.

    3. The Saga series by Brian K. Vaughan. As my first foray into the comic book world, this series is so awesome. It’s very vulgar and mature at times, but I really got into the plot, and the art is beautiful.

    4. The Air Awakens series by Elise Kova. I discovered this series when I got my kindle because it kept popping up in my recommended section, and boy am I glad I picked it up! The world is beautiful, the story is awesome, the characters I love, the character arcs are great. Just overall this series is worth the read in my opinion, so definitely check them out!

    5. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor. As the conclusion to one of my favorite trilogies of ever, I absolutely loved this book to pieces. It was huge and amazing and so good. It was a great wrap up and there were so many twists and turns and emotions poured into it. Love it!

    6. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. Another awesome wrap up to a fantastic series, this book ended in a bitter sweet way. We all knew what was coming because it was told to us in the beginning, but I wasn’t expecting everything that happened. It was great and I am so glad that I read this series.

    7. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh. What is it with all of these conclusions? I actually enjoyed this second book more than the first and I just think that it was so well done. The writing was lovely, the story expanded greatly, the characters were awesome, and I just think that this was a fantastic conclusion to the duology.

    8. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. You know. You know why this is on here. Do I even need to explain? The story, the world, everything go so much larger than anything we could have imagined. It was beautiful.

    9. The Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy. Swoon. That’s the best word that comes to mid when I think of this series. As my first dive into New Adult I have to say, I’m quite happy with it. There’s drama, sexy times, hockey things, Massachusetts setting (woo woo!)! I just really enjoyed this series and I’m so sad it’s over.

    10. My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows. This book was HILARIOUS and so unexpected! I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did, so it was a pleasant surprise. I love the witty humor of the narrator, the dialogue between the characters, the way the magic worked… It was so fun!

    11. Orange by Ichigo Takano. This manga was so beautiful and it spoke to many parts of my soul. It deals with friendship, depression, suicide, guilt, and there’s a bit of time travel involved in it, too. I love it so much and I’m so glad my bestie recommended it.

    12. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas. Hey, another one that should come as no surprise. This second to last book in the series was really great and I loved seeing new perspectives (ELIDE AND LORCAN AHHHHH). It wasn’t my favorite of the series, but it was still a great book where the stakes became higher and everything was kind of intense.

    13. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir. I’m still so happy we got a sequel to this series because this book was better than the first, I think. I absolutely loved it and thought that the story grew immensely and that everything became much more complex as time went on. I can’t wait for the next one!

    14. Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. If you follow me on Bookstagram you know how much I love this book. Like, seriously, this book was phenomenal and it hit me in all of the feels and the formatting was so cool! I can’t wait to read Gemina and am honestly surprised with myself that I haven’t read it yet.

    15. P.S. I Like You by Kasie West. This was so cute! I think it was just what I needed in that moment because I was just looking for something light and fluffy and this hit the nail right on the head. I loved the characters and how they hated each other but it turned into a romance.

    16. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. This sequel, though! I remember not liking Cinder as much as I had hoped, so I was afraid to pick up the sequel for the longest time even though I heard that the series gets better with each book. And I was not  disappointed! This sequel really grabbed my attention and had me wanting to know what happened next with each page. I loved it!

    Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

    What were your favorite/top/best books of 2016? Which would you highly recommend to me to check out? Tell me all the things!