Waiting on Wednesday (12)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating.

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian
Page Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: September 22, 2015

Via Goodreads: A world battered by climate shift and war turns to an ancient method of keeping peace: the exchange of hostages. The Children of Peace - sons and daughters of kings and presidents and generals - are raised together in small, isolated schools called Prefectures. There, they learn history and political theory, and are taught to gracefully accept what may well be their fate: to die if their countries declare war.

Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation, is the pride of the North American Prefecture. Learned and disciplined, Greta is proud of her role in keeping the global peace — even though, with her country controlling two-thirds of the world’s most war-worthy resource — water — she has little chance of reaching adulthood alive.  

Enter Elián Palnik, the Prefecture’s newest hostage and biggest problem. Greta’s world begins to tilt the moment she sees Elián dragged into the school in chains. The Prefecture’s insidious surveillance, its small punishments and rewards, can make no dent in Elián, who is not interested in dignity and tradition, and doesn’t even accept the right of the UN to keep hostages. 

What will happen to Elián and Greta as their two nations inch closer to war?

This book sounds absolutely amazing!  The use of hostages is fascinating and the relationship that may develop between the two characters intrigues me so much.  The synopsis totally captured my attention without giving away too much of the plot, so I am so excited to see how the events of the book unfold!

On ARCs

*I know this is not a particularly unique topic, but it is an important one nonetheless, and I would like to it. I do not know specifics, and if I did, I would not share the information anyway. This post is not meant to harm or hurt anyone’s feelings (and shouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings) but is rather my own humble opinion.

A book bloggers, we are dedicated to books. Many of us joined this community to share our love of books and find new ones to love; we have joined this community to meet like-minded people who love what we do. That’s the reason I joined, anyway. It has come to my attention, however, that some bloggers feel as though they have a right—a prerogative, if you will—to ARCs. Yes, our blogs are dedicated to spreading the word for books we love, and yes, it is lovely to receive early, advanced copies of books we were anticipating in order to spread the love even more. But as bloggers, should we not see this opportunity as a privilege? I recently heard from a blogger friend that other bloggers feel so entitled to these ARCs that they would stop blogging if they stopped receiving them. As a new blogger, I have yet to request any ARCs, but ARCs or no ARCs, I would still blog. I would still blog because I care enough about books and am passionate enough about the subject that I want others to enjoy it too.

To those people who feel entitled to ARCs and claim they would stop blogging if they stopped receiving ARCs, I have some questions for you. Do you not love books alone enough that blogging, ARCs or no ARCs, is worth it? Do you not find sheer joy in discussing books you love (and sometimes fighting over swoony romantic interests) to continue? Do you not, even just a little, enjoy it because you make friends? Do you care that much more about ARCs and flaunting them in people’s faces than the friendships and community you have because of your blogging career?  I know I love books and want friends enough to continue to pursue my blog, whether my requests for ARCs are accepted or not.

As I said before, I joined this community to share my love of books and meet like-minded people. And to quote Beca from Pitch Perfect, “Love you, awesome nerds.” I’d like to say that that applies to every book nerd out there, but people who feel entitled?  I’m sorry, but even if they are extremely good people at heart, I’m going to have to say the way they’re using their blogs is disrespectful.

Do they think they’re doing authors/publishers/etc. a favor? Perhaps they are, but there are plenty of other bloggers who are grateful for every ARC and book they receive, who do not just expect the ARCs to fall into their laps. I am not by any means saying that they don’t work for the ARCs like everyone else, but doing all the work solely so they can receive the ARCs? I just don’t find that right.

I think that it is absolutely wonderful that publishers produce advanced reader’s copies. I love that we have a chance to experience books—a thing dear to our hearts—before anyone else.  But above all, we have to recognize that it is a privilege, not a right. For the love of books, be grateful: for books, for authors, for ARCs, for this wonderful community, for everything that makes this possible and for everything that makes blogging special. Blog because of your love of books. Blog because you want to. Blog because you love to share your opinions and find out others’.

~Alexandra

August Wrap-Up + Summer Numbers

I can't believe summer is over!!! I know technically speaking, it isn't fall until the 20th or 21st or something, but as soon as late August/early September hits, it's pretty much back to school or work for us all. The past three months have gone by in a blur, and I thought I'd share my August wrap-up, and then do some quick calculations.

Books I Read in August:

Looking For Alaska by John Green | The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover (review) | A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (review)

Started in August/Currently Reading:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Air Awakens by Elise Kova
West with the Night by Beryl Markham
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

August Discussions:

On Adaptions and Reboots
On Reading in Order (Whether It is a Series or Not...
Physical Books vs. eBooks - Pros and Cons
Why I Love the Idea of Duologies

Other August Excitement:

My Blogging Life:

• I finally shared more about myself. If you missed it, I shared ten things about me.
• I was nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award!! In case you missed it and want to learn how my blog was started, find out some of my tips for new bloggers, and who I nominated here.
• I joined Twitter to keep up with author/bookish news, blogging news, etc. I mostly post random things that don't make sense, but I also have blog updates, random commentary as I read, and more. Username: @lit_legionnaire. I don't bite, so feel free to reach out to me :)
• I signed up for three challenges: BookTubeAThon (wrap-up here), Beat the Heat Readathon (week 1 update here), and the 2015 Discussion Challenge (for more info and my goals, see here).

Some News in the Blogosphere:

• Let's start with the bad news, shall we? It breaks my heart, but there was a book blog plagiarist on the loose. I saw this news on Twitter and it seems like things are starting to be resolved, but it honestly hurts to know that some of my friends who work so hard on their blogs have had to go through this. They put so much effort into their blogs, so it is truly unfair that this person is doing something so horrible and tries to take credit for something he/she did not write.

• On a happier note, Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books got co-bloggers!!! I have been a huge fan of Rachel's blog for a while, but her new co-bloggers Mishma and Julia Anne are absolutely lovely people and bloggers too! They write fantastic reviews and discussion posts, so you should definitely check them out if you aren't doing so already! (See the welcome post for Mishma and Julia Anne here.)

• Mishma and Jillian @ Chasing Faerytales wrapped up their blogging event "Learnt It The Hard Way" (or LITHW, for short). It is a really informative series of posts about tips and tricks for bloggers new and old, and I learned a lot from it! Check out Mishma's lovely wrap-up post here.

• The Summer Blogger Promo Tour, hosted by Amber and Jessica @ The Book Bratz, came to a close. More info here if you missed it, and see their wrap-up post here.

AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR A QUICK SUMMER RECAP...

HERE ARE THE NUMBERS:

Books I read this summer (including graphic novels): 10 books
Pages I read this summer (including books I set aside/have not finished): 3429 pages

How was your summer?

~Alexandra

Beat the Heat Readathon - (Brief) Week 1 Update

The first week of the Beat the Heat Readathon is finally over! And so far, I am very behind. If I were to add the number of pages I've read total, it would be approximately equivalent to one very short book, but I have been juggling four different books the past week, and have yet to finish any of them.  Here's how I did so far:

54 pages of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
17 pages of West with the Night by Beryl Markham
140 pages of Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
20 pages of Throne of Glass
_______
231 pages read
no books completed
2 mini-challenges attempted but incomplete

I absolutely have to finish WWTN and MR (for assignments), and I really want to finish Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight (book 2), and Heir of Fire (book 3) since the fourth book releases tomorrow, so hopefully I will have completed at least 5 books by the end of this readathon. Although it is not as much as I hoped, it is still a decent amount for a two week readathon.

~Alexandra

P.S. General blog statement -- I am currently editing a discussion post that should be up by tomorrow or Wednesday!

Throne of Glass Binge-A-Thon

Hey guys!!!! So as you all (hopefully) know, the fourth installment of the lovely Throne of Glass series is being released on Tuesday!!!!! QUEEN OF SHADOWS!!!!! YAY!!!!!!

Anyway, I *hangs head in shame* have still not caught up on the series... I read Throne of Glass when it was first released back in 2012, and I have had Crown of Midnight on my shelf for a while, with Heir of Fire recently making its way to my shelf in May.  Yet I never read Crown of Midnight nor Heir of Fire, so I'm in a bit of trouble.  I want to catch up before Queen of Shadows comes out on September 1st because I'm sure there will be tons of unwanted spoilers for all of them.  CURSE YOU, SPOILERS!!! *shakes fist* Anyway, I will not have access to my bookshelves until Sunday, so that gives me... approximately 2 days (or 3, including release day) to reread Throne of Glass and finally read Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire for the first time.  That's 3 books (or 1384 pages) in two days.

So if anyone wants to join me, I'd love some company in this extreme time-crunch of a read-a-thon.  If you can't join me, then please please please wish me luck!  Thanks!

~Alexandra

September is for Sequels Challenge Sign-Up

September is for Sequels is a month-long event hosted by Lisa Loves Literature.  It is an event that encourages us to catch up on sequels (any book in a series other than book one) that have been sitting on our shelves.  I am really bad about following through with series, so I am hoping to make the best of this event!

Objective:
To read and review a minimum of 4 sequels between the dates of September 1st and 30th, 2015.

Rules:

• It would be good if you had a blog to post reviews, or you can be a Goodreads Member and post your reviews on the site.  I'll open it up to people who want to post reviews on Amazon or Barnes and Noble as well.
• The book must be a sequel - it can be any # in the series, just not the first book.  Prequels can count if they were published AFTER the first one in the series.  You can do e-books, even ARCs or e-galleys, as well as good old fashioned books.  And, I'll even let you count the little 1.5 novellas that are often published as e-books only.  
• The deadline to sign up and participate is September 15th.  
• You must post on your blog an entry that has a list of the sequels you're planning to read, but it doesn't have to be complete, or you could even just post your goal, do you plan to read 8, or more?  You can always go back as the month proceeds and enter the books as you read and review them.  If you don't have a blog, then you can just post a comment on this post listing your goals.
• Make sure you grab the button and put it in your entry post, or on the sidebar of your blog.

Goal: I am hoping to read at least 8 books for this challenge.

Some Sequels I Want To Read:

• Unhinged by A.G. Howard
• Prodigy and Champion by Marie Lu
• The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
• Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau
• Once We Were by Kat Zhang
• Deception by C.J. Redwine
• Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
• Promise Bound by Anne Greenwood Brown
• The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
• Two by Leigh Ann Kopans

Other Sequels I Need To Get To:

• Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel
• Torment and Passion by Lauren Kate
• Blood-Kissed Sky by J.A. London
• Reached by Ally Condie

~Alexandra

Why I Love the Idea of Duologies

I love the idea of duologies, but I rarely ever see them anywhere. What ever happened to duologies? And I'm talking about true duologies, no offense to companion novels. Companion novels are great too, but they aren't the same. What seems to be popular these days are trilogies, series with four or more books, and companion novels. I do enjoy the excruciating pain of waiting for a new installment of a series, and I truly love the possibilities that multiple books gives the reader. Companion novels are a fun way to see a beloved world in a new light. However, I think duologies have just as much potential for amazingness, and they are really underrated and difficult to find.

I love the idea of duologies because they give you more, but not too much. Some books you just never want to end, so a duology is the perfect way to quench a reader's thirst for the story, its world and the characters. Don't get me wrong, I understand that sometimes books are written in a way that it is absolutely necessary to have more than two books. I get that, and I don't mind at all. In fact, some of my favorite books are part of a trilogy or series. But at the same time, there is usually that one book (at least in trilogies, anyway) that seems to lag behind the others; it's one that does not quite impress and wow as much. I do not wish to complain or wage war against trilogies, but there almost always seems to be that one part that seems... not unnecessary, exactly, but unnecessarily slow. Or just not up to the same standards. I think that duologies give us the perfect amount of story and world-building, plot, character development, and more without being over-the-top.

I love the idea of duologies because the story still seems fresh even after reading them. Certain series and trilogies are amazing no matter how many books, but in other cases the story just seems to go on forever. In certain cases, the books even become redundant. And it may sound similar to my "that one book that lags" comment, but it's not. I know this one series (I won't mention names) that just kept throwing new enemies and new heroes and new problems into the mix, just so the series would continue on. At first I continued reading it, eagerly anticipating each and every book. Then again, I was only ten at the time and didn't know better.

As much as I love books' worlds, you can't stay in them forever. Duologies give the perfect amount of time to meet the characters, decide if you hate or love them, learn about the world, meet the bad guys, destroy the bad guys (or die trying, if applicable), and (hopefully) live happily ever after. Short and sweet without being too short. A "Mama Bear" amount, if you will. Not too hot, not too cold, not too big, not too small, but just right.  You get to dip your feet in, even wade into the series' depths, and not worry about drowning.  Sometimes I feel obligated to finish a series, even if I feel like it could be wrapped up already; other times I can't even finish a series because that one book just lagged a bit too much.  Either way, both of those (the sense of obligation and lagging story) can make me feel like I'm drowning in words.

The only duologies I can think of are the following:

1. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
3. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
4. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

I'm sure there are a few more that I'm not thinking of, but if we were talking about trilogies I know I could go on forever...  Anyway, for all of these duologies listed above, I have only read the first of the two books.  However, I enjoyed all the books enough that I craved more, but happily will accept only one sequel.  And I think one sequel will be enough, based on the flow of the first book.  Two of these books are some of my absolute favorites, and the other two mentioned I did enjoy.  I'm really looking forward to seeing how these stories wrap up, and hope to see more duologies in the future!!


What do you think? Do you want to see more duologies in the future?
~Alexandra