Waiting on Wednesday (165)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh (5/3/16):

Description on Goodreads:

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

Why I’m Waiting:

I fell in love with book 1. It was definitely one of my favorite reads of 2015. It was also one of the most cliffhanger-iest reads I’ve had the pleasure to read in a long time. I need to know what happens next. Now. Right now. Not in May. May is so far away, I’m not sure how I’ll be able to wait that long. Any way, book 1 was a beautifully written retelling of Shahrzad’s story, and I know book 2 will be just as beautiful. I cannot wait.

What are you waiting on this week?

Re-Read 2015: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket and read by Tim Curry

Summary from Goodreads:

Make no mistake. The Bad Beginning begins badly for the three Baudelaire children, and then gets worse. Their misfortunes begin one gray day on Briny Beach when Mr. Poe tells them that their parents perished in a fire that destroyed their whole house. "It is useless for me to describe to you how terrible Violet, Klaus, and even Sunny felt in the time that followed," laments the personable (occasionally pedantic) narrator, who tells the story as if his readers are gathered around an armchair on pillows. But of course what follows is dreadful. The children thought it was bad when the well-meaning Poe bought them grotesque-colored clothing that itched. But when they are ushered to the dilapidated doorstep of the miserable, thin, unshaven, shiny-eyed, money-grubbing Count Olaf, they know that they--and their family fortune--are in real trouble. Still, they could never have anticipated how much trouble. While it's true that the events that unfold in Lemony Snicket's novels are bleak, and things never turn out as you'd hope, these delightful, funny, linguistically playful books are reminiscent of Roald Dahl (remember James and the Giant Peach and his horrid spinster aunts), Charles Dickens (the orphaned Pip in Great Expectations without the mysterious benefactor), and Edward Gorey (The Gashlycrumb Tinies). There is no question that young readers will want to read the continuing unlucky adventures of the Baudelaire children in The Reptile Room and The Wide Window. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

Revew:

I’m so happy that my challenge set for 2015 was a re-reading one. Re-reading old favorites has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. And truthfully, I had mostly forgotten about the Lemony Snicket books. I read them all many years ago, but never took the time to go back to them. The reason I went back now was because two different friends highly recommended the audio (read by Time Curry!). Besides, I’ve already re-read the Harry Potter and the Percy Jackson books this year, so why not throw in more middle grade favorites?

I cannot believe I’ve never re-read these books. They are so wonderful and hilarious, and smart, and sad, and scary, and addicting. The writing style is so unique. There is so much wit and sarcasm written between the lines of this book, I always found myself smiling –despite the sad plot line. And who better to read hidden sarcasm and wit, than Tim Curry? Why am I only realizing now that he’s the voice of all these audio books. He’s fantastic. Seriously, what a perfect pairing. Tim Curry reading this book is like the perfect red wine paired with a perfect steak, cooked exactly as you ordered.

As a kid, I remember loving how the narrator explained what the harder words meant as he went along, and I took this as a learning tool. As an adult, I realize the sarcasm and humor behind each time this happens in the story and I love this even more. I love that instead of using simpler language (as many middle grade authors are want to do), this author uses the language he wants, but then explains some of the things a younger audience might not understand. He doesn’t dumb it down. And even better, he can teach a thing or two in the process.

I also thoroughly love the characters. I love that the girl character (Violet) is the one into engineering and inventing. She creates the devices that save the day, or at least attempt to save the day. And the boy character (Klaus) is the bibliophile, who’s knowledge and fast reading is required to also save the day.  Though, all the children are in love with books. And this is another special things about these books. The author is full wisdom and quotes about how amazing books and libraries are.

And yes, as is described in the description, the book is rather dark. The orphans never have it easy. However, the humor in here is never endless. I particularly loved all the moments when Sunny (the baby) would say something in gibberish/baby talk, but then the narrator would explain what she was actually saying (sometimes in many sentences). There’s a lot to these books. Also, there’s the fantastic narrator. Lemony Snicket is so interesting and mysterious. I remember needing to know more about him as the books went on. And I already feel that way now just after book 1.

I can’t wait to start book 2 on audio. I already requested it from my library, and I’m sure I’ll delve into it soon. As far as this first book goes, I give it a 10/10. I loved Tim Curry’s reading of it. I loved being immersed in the story again. And I’m so excited for more.

End of the Year Giveaway Part 1

It’s getting close to the end of 2015. My best Books of 2015 list will happen in a couple of weeks. And I always like to do a big giveaway then. However, I need to make a little bit more room on my shelves again too. So, I’m starting this month right, with another giveaway.

This one is only open up to US followers. However, I will be doing a big international giveaway in a couple weeks too (Part 2).

A first place winner can pick 3 of the listed books below. And a second place winner can have the other two. Standard rules apply. All winners have 48 hours to respond to my email or I’ll have to randomly select a different winner.

The books:

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
Alive by Chandler Baker
Forever for a Year by B.T. Gottfred
Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Good luck!

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A Good Week in Books (123)

I hope everyone had a good holiday. I truly have so much to be thankful for this year. One of the things I’m most thankful for is this blog and the YA blog world at large. I’m not someone who talks about this a lot, but really, I’m so glad I have this tiny spot in the YA universe.

I had another great week in books too. I got all the Hachette books in one full sweep. Thanks, Hachette!

The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis
Spinning Starlight by R. C. Lweis
Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl
Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken
A Whole New World by Liz Braswell
The Door by the Staurcase by Katherine Marsh
A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston
Hunter by Mercedes Lackey

How was your week in books?

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Summary from Goodreads:

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Review:

What a fun series! I have loved these books since Cinder first came out. I love fairytale retellings and there is just something so, so cool about a cyborg Cinderella.

Winter is probably my least favorite of the heroines. She doesn’t have the bravery of Cinder, the sass of Scarlet, or the intelligence of Cress. That being said, she is such an admirable character. She’s the only Lunar, that I know of, who point-blank refuses to use her gift of mind control. She’s thinks it’s wrong to control people that way. And because of her convictions is slightly mad. She hallucinates a lot.

She’s also insanely beautiful. No one believes she’s not manipulating her looks. And she’s so pretty and sweet that she wins over so many people so easily. I guess that’s part of my issue with her. She gets things a little too easily for my liking. And she does kind of need to be saved/taken care of a lot. However, I do admire her and find her interesting. She’s kind of like a sci-fi princess, less tough version of Luna from Harry Potter. She’s kind of crazy, but still so wise.

I loved this take on the Snow White story too. I was wondering how they’d handle the dwarves and the sleeping in the casket element to the story. I was not expecting what I got. It was so cool how these elements were handled. So cool.

And let’s face it. This book was about the revolution. It was about taking back the moon, getting revenge on Queen Levana, and saving the world from evil domination. It’s the culmination of all the other books. All of the other books focused on different aspects of Queen Levana’s terribleness: her mind control, her need of domination, her treatment of Lunars without the gift (shells), her mutated super soldiers, her engineered plague and timely cure, her power, etc. And finally, all these super hero fairy tale characters have their shot at putting an end to it all.

If there is one thing Meyer has down, it’s her characters. Reading this felt like meeting up with old friends I hadn’t seen in a while. Seriously, I love Cinder and Scarlet and Cress like friends. Also, the boys are pretty amazing too. I love the roll reversal with Cinder and Prince Kai. Prince Kai is trapped in the castle, getting married off and imprisoned in his tower, while Cinder is off starting a revolution.

I loved the point of view switches in this one. The characters never seemed to all be together at the same time. The reunions and the side missions made it all worth it. Everyone had a part to play. No part was too small.

The revolution aspect of the story did seem a little rushed and I’m not sure the planning of it all made enough sense for me to have it work as successfully as it did. Pretty much, there was no planning at all, and a lot of luck. A lot was dependent on Cress’s tech abilities and no one seemed to plan for Cress being separated from the group at all. And the final battle felt a little too Disney (aka: The beast and Gaston or Simba and Scar) for me.

All in all, this book was a lot of fun. I absolutely love the characters. I love this take on the classic fairytale. I love the action. And I love the end and how all the pieces fit together. I was not a fan of the revolution and final fight scenes, but that’s okay. It didn’t hinder my love for the book or the series as a whole. I give this one a 9/10. 

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick and read by Ashley Clements

Summary on Goodreads:

A modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice based on the Emmy Award-winning phenomenon, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

There is a great deal that goes into making a video blog. Lizzie Bennet should know, having become a YouTube sensation over the course of her year-long video diary project. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries chronicled Lizzie’s life as a 24-year-old grad student, struggling under a mountain of student loans and living at home with her two sisters - beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. What may have started as her grad student thesis grew into so much more, as the videos came to inform and reflect her life and that of her sisters. When rich, handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck-up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets - and for Lizzie’s viewers. Suddenly Lizzie - who always considered herself a fairly normal young woman - was a public figure. But not everything happened on-screen. Luckily for us, Lizzie kept a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet provides more character introspection as only a book can, with revelatory details about the Bennet household, including Lizzie’s special relationship with her father, untold stories from Netherfield, Lizzie’s thoughts and fears about life after grad school and becoming an instant web celebrity.

Written by Bernie Su, the series’ executive producer, co-creator, head writer, and director, along with Kate Rorick, the novelist, TV writer, and consulting producer on the series, the novel features a journal-entry format, complementing the existing web series, while including plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new listeners alike. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet expands on the phenomenon that captivated a generation and reimagines the Pride and Prejudice story like it’s never been done before.

Review:

I am a huge fan of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I first became a fan after being lucky enough to walk past a panel at Leaky Con (with the actors) talking about it. I got interested of course. And over the span of the conference, was heavily persuaded to watch the show by various fans. It sounded fabulous. I soon became hooked. I literally marked my calendar for the days I could catch a new video. I screeched for joy the first time Darcy came on film. I got so angry for Lydia and all she went through. And I cried when the last video aired because I knew nothing else would be this good.

It took me a long time to get to this book. I tried the regular book version a while back, but it was too much like the videos that I decided I needed a little space between the videos ending and my reading of the book. I’m glad I postponed my reading because I definitely feel like I appreciated it more this way. Plus, the audio version was so cool. I got to hear the actress who played Lizzie do the reading. How cool is that?

I’m also a huge Jane Austen fan. And all Jane Austen fans love Pride and Prejudice. It’s like a rule. Seriously though, I’ve read Pride and Prejudice probably almost as many times as I’ve read Harry Potter. I love it.

That being said, I’m not always a huge fan of modern adaptations of Austen. They are usually hit or miss for me. This adaptation was like nothing I’d seen before. It truly is Jane Austen of the 21^st century. It’s Pride and Prejudice 2.0, where not only is YouTube the platform, but commentary is encouraged by the fans. Add that to the fact that I super related to being a grad student with student loans. And I was so living at home still when I first watched these videos.

This audiobook just brought back all my love. It reminded me how special The Lizzie Bennet Diaries really is. And I loved getting further insight into the head of Lizzie. There was so much more in this format than I remember getting in the videos. For starters, there was something that happened with Jane that I don’t remember being in the videos at all. There are things that happened in Lizzie’s world that she didn’t feel comfortable posting for the world to see in video format.

And the whole issue of what is appropriate to post about oneself online is brought up in a way I’ve never seen before. I loved getting a more critical eye on the research and work Lizzie was doing in regards to multi-media platforms. I loved learning about her tour of San Francisco. I love Darcy. There was just so much more in this format that I don’t remember getting before. Granted, it has been years since I’ve watched the videos and my brain might be a little fuzzy. But, I guess that was my intention. I wanted to read it with fresh eyes, and I’m so glad I did.

I don’t think I’ve ever listened to an audiobook more quickly. I couldn’t leave my car. I had to keep listening. The narrator, while the actual star of the videos, is a great reader too. She should seriously do more audio books. I’d listen to them all. I highly recommend this to fans of the videos and to Jane Austen fans period. And if you haven’t seen the videos, what are you waiting for? I give this a 9/10.

Waiting on Wednesday (164)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on The Crown by Kiera Cass (5/3/16):

Description on Goodreads:

Kiera Cass’s #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series has captured the hearts of readers from its very first page. Now the end of the journey is here. Prepare to be swept off your feet by The Crown—the eagerly awaited, wonderfully romantic fifth and final book in the Selection series.

In The Heir, a new era dawned in the world of The Selection. Twenty years have passed since America Singer and Prince Maxon fell in love, and their daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own.

Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.

Why I’m Waiting:

I’m such a sucker for these books. I like to think of them as the sort of fluffier type of dystopia. If these books were a tv show, I’d want to binge them all in one sitting. The story always gets me. I love the drama. And I was so pleasantly surprised when Cass announced she was doing more books in this world. I’m kind of sad it ends with this book, but I’m glad to see what else Cass will write too. Also, the cover is to die for. Seriously, this author has won the YA book cover lottery. They are all so pretty. I must have them all.

What are you waiting on this week?