A to Z Bookish Intro Tag

Hi friends! I figured to introduce myself a bit more, I’d do a tag! Alexandra sent me a few book tags to look at and the A to Z book tag over on The Perpetual Page Turner was one of my favorites.

Author you’ve read the most books from:

James Patterson.  I’ve read 17 of his books :O Funny enough, this is where my bookish story kinda begins.  Although I had gotten into reading through Ridley Pearson’s Kingdom Keepers, everyone in my school LOVED the Maximum Ride series in 6th grade - including me.  I absolutely adored them, and I was motivated to read the rest of his YA series (Witch and Wizard, Daniel X at the time).  And then the series was a dumpster fire.  But that motivated me to write my scathing review of Fang on Goodreads.  And thus, a book nerd was born.

I know Stalking Jack the Ripper is part of James Patterson’s new brand, and Alexandra absolutely LOVES it, so I’ve been really meaning to give it a try!

Best Sequel Ever:

The Rose Society by Marie Lu.  She and Kendare Blake are my absolute favorite authors, but I’ve been a fan of Marie’s ever since Legend.  I even have one of the earliest hardcover versions of it, and I’m v proud :) My other childhood friend used to make it a habit of buying her new books for my birthday (she got me Prodigy, Champion, and The Young Elites), so I kinda treasure those too :)

Currently Reading:

Bonfire by Krysten Ritter.  This book is the pride and joy of my BookCon experience.  I am a HUGE fan of Marvel, and Jessica Jones is one of my favorite TV shows, and while I haven’t finished Don’t Trust the B, it’s an awesome show too so I’m hoping to finish it soon.  So, as implied earlier I really wanted to walk out of the Javits Center with this book.

I also cosplayed as Jessica Jones for her panel and her signing (miraculously I made it to both), and Krysten also signed my Funko POP of her :D She is actually the sweetest person (she is like Baby Groot - too good, too pure) so if you haven’t watched any of her two biggest shows I highly recommend that you get on that.

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Mostly water.  I snack more.  I have a really bad sweet tooth and so when I’m reading it’s usually with candy next to me.

E-reader or Physical Book?

PHYSICAL BOOKS ALL THE WAY.  I had one of the very first e-readers and it wasn’t the best experience (mostly because the tech seemed so behind, and especially now).  I remember reading Michael Scott’s The Necromancer on my Kindle to try it out - it took me 6 months to get through 50%, and then I bought the hardcover and finished the rest in 5 days.  I have some eBooks on my iPhone - I have the first three Lunar Chronicles books - but I’ve never opened them.  I have them in case I’m bored.

My family and I love playing White Elephant during Christmas time, and I actually got a Kindle Fire.  It eventually got taken from me :( but I think if I had gotten it I would have tried it out a little more.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

I definitely would have had a crush and wanted to date Jamie Watson from A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro, especially since he’s a nice jock :> But I also feel like I realistically would have ended up with Graham Posner from The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash and I think I’d be happy either way.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

You Deserve a Drink by Mamrie Hart.  I had never heard about Mamrie Hart before buying this book and hadn’t read a lot of celebrity memoirs, but a year later I devoured it on a cruise ship.  It’s hilarious, a great beach read, and a ton of fun.  When I finished it, I just wanted to start over.  In fact, I could drop everything and read it right now.

Hidden Gem Book:

The Vampire Stalker by Allison van Diepen was one of my first favorite books, and I had loved it even more when I was younger because the main character was a fangirl, like I was :D I love good fangirl stories and am always on the hunt for new ones.

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

In her lessons, my high school English teacher often emphasized looking for deeper meanings into the text, analyzing the syntax, symbolism, themes, imagery, and every element of the book possible.  Of course, we’d done this in class with classic literature but it was only when I read The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey was I able to apply all that I’d learned with her into a book outside of the classroom.  In fact, I was applying so much of what I learned into analyzing The 5th Wave in my mind that I bombed a quiz that she gave us on Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart that week.  When I was reading The 5th Wave, I discovered even more joy in reading than I already had, and showed me the power of books and how much they can make a change.

Just Finished:

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

I'm open to anything, but if I have a lot of work on my hands and little free time, I'll tend to put off epic or high fantasy books or novels with complex worlds.  I want to really focus and pay attention to everything, and I'm worried details will get lost in the time in between.

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at a hefty 784 pages.

Major book hangover because of:

Reading Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake because OH MY GOD NO I’M NOT OVER IT

Number of Bookcases You Own:

Right now I’m taking summer classes, so I have one bankers box of books.  But in my room I have three - one tall one, one that serves as a bench, and the bottom half of a cabinet where the shelf collapsed because of all the books I had on it :O I ended up giving a lot of them to Alexandra, but I also have a lot of books from when I was younger in my basement.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is my go-to readathon book. I just love this story, and the movie is flawless.

Preferred Place To Read:

In my bed or on a couch.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

"You could rattle the stars," she whispered. "You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”

- Elena Galathynius, Throne Of Glass, Sarah J. Maas

Reading Regret:

...only getting halfway through Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and then giving up and watching the movie :(

THERE IS SO MUCH REGRET.  I remember wanting to finish all the Harry Potter books before watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 with my family in Manila on opening night, and I COULDN’T DO IT.  I remember being really confused with parts of Half-Blood Prince because I never finished it too, which was the worst part.

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

The 5th Wave series.

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

Kill The Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky, Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake, Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Marvel has always had a huge impact on my life.  X-Men: First Class was what got me into movies.  However, Captain America: The First Avenger was the movie that made me commit to the MCU brand (my favorite is Doctor Strange though).  I actually teach a class on the MCU, which I never thought I would get to do but am so so happy about.  And now I've just embraced this weird, crazy, totally-time-inconsistent fandom with open arms.

Fall Out Boy helped to pull me out of a really bad identity crisis a few years ago, and I can't even imagine what my life was like before them.  Not only am i just so incredibly thankful but even now they still release amazing hits while still being themselves at their core, even if it's hard to see. I've been to two of their concerts and hopefully maybe a third one?

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

Marie Lu's Batman novel HAS MORE INFO NOW AND IT SOUNDS AMAZING.  Also, how badass of a name is Batman: Nightwalker?? It's perfect.

Worst Bookish Habit:

I don't take great care of my books, and I don't mind it.  A book could be waterlogged or riddled with notes and I couldn't care less, unless there's completely ripped pages.  I think that it gives each copy character and history, making them more precious.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Ten Dead Comedians: A Murder Mystery by Fred Van Lente

Your latest book purchase:

Atomic Blonde: The Coldest City by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

A LOT of The Mortal Instruments novels when I was younger.

Coblogger Announcement, Take Two

Hi everyone! Recently I realized (yet again) that I haven't been able to keep up with blogging as much, so I needed more backup. Fortunately, I was finally able to convince someone who's been popping over on the blog a bit to officially join me. I've known her for many, many years now, and I'm extremely lucky to call her my friend, and now my coblogger! So with that being said, I'd like to officially welcome Izzy to the blog!

Introducing Izzy

Hi friends!!!! :D

My name is Izzy, and I’m so glad Alexandra asked me to coblog with her on this great blog!!!  I’ve known this wonderful human since the 5th grade, and we’ve fangirled about almost everything to each other.  Throughout the years we’ve known each other, there are moments where I’m like “OMG ALEXANDRA KRYSTEN RITTER IS COMING TO BOOKCON I CAN’T HANDLE THIS” and she’s been like “what” and then there are moments when she’s like “KERRI MANISCALCO IS COMING TO BOOKCON THIS IS NOT A DRILL” and I’m like “what”

I don’t have a blog, but I’m an avid fan of movies, TV, and most importantly reading.  So this will definitely be an adventure for me :)

Waiting on Wednesday (77)

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

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
Series: The Belles #1
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Page Length: 512 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: February 20, 2018

About The Belles (via Goodreads):

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

Warcross (ARC Review)

Warcross by Marie Lu
Series: Warcross #1
Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction
Format: ARC (won at BookCon)
Page Length: 416 pages
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 12, 2017

About Warcross (via Goodreads):

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu—when a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths.

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

Warcross was an action-packed and exhilarating start for a new series from Marie Lu. As one of my favorite authors, I had high expectations for Marie's writing and this book, and overall, it did not disappoint. While it took a chapter or two for me to get into the story, Marie Lu quickly had me hooked from there on out, and I devoured it in a single afternoon/evening.

Marie Lu is a master character craftswoman. Her characters, per usual, were superb. They were all extremely fleshed out and real, with deep (and often traumatic) backstories that really helped me understand the characters' personalities, actions, and thoughts. Lu definitely knows how to make a reader sympathize with her characters, especially the morally gray ones. (She is THE BEST at writing morally gray characters, I swear.) Marie Lu's astounding ability with her characters is definitely my favorite of her skills, across all her books. It all seems so effortless.

While the story did have its unique elements and as a whole was fresh, exciting, and addicting, it also had it's trope-y moments. Which is fine. It worked. But Warcross definitely felt a bit like a weird mesh of Super Smash Brothers, Big Hero 6, and Wreck-It Ralph, with a touch of Sword Art Online thrown in. As I said before, Marie Lu still made the story work though, and it was super fun to read. I know it sounds weird. How can it be trope-y while also being unique? I DON'T KNOW, OKAY? IT JUST WORKS.

To be fair, I didn't really compare Warcross to those movies, anime, and game the whole time, except for when I was trying to visualize the world of Warcross. Oh and except for the minor similarities that helped me to figure out what I think were supposed to be twists and major reveals before they were revealed. Either that, or the twists just weren't as polished as I had hoped. I think it may be a combination of both, because there were definitely bits of foreshadowing that were just a bit too obvious for me *shrugs* I still greatly enjoyed the novel, but it was definitely on the predictable side. So the somewhat thriller-like components DID NOT work for me.

The story was definitely fast-paced and had the perfect balance between world-building, action, romance, character development, and all the elements crucial to a good book. Although there was that flaw for me, I definitely enjoyed reading it overall, and highly recommend it for all fans of Marie Lu.

My rating: 3.8 stars

July Wrap-Up

Hi guys! I can't believe summer's almost over. Fortunately though, I've read some AMAZING books in the past month, and have plans to read many more in the next few weeks.

BOOKS READ:
- When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon - 4 stars
- Warcross by Marie Lu - 3.5/4 stars
- Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood by Marjorie Liu - rating pending
- Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley - 4.5 stars
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer - 4 stars
- A Reaper of Stone by Mark Gelineau and Joe King - 3 stars
- The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - 3.5 stars

CURRENTLY READING:
- Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
- Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

UP NEXT:
- A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi
- Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Waiting on Wednesday (76)

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

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
Genre: Young Adult/Sci-Fi
Page Length: 480 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: February 13, 2018

About Heart of Iron (via Goodreads):

An action-packed tale full of romance, royalty, and adventure, inspired by the story of Anastasia. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows, Cinder, and the cult classic television show Firefly.

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive.

What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?

Dear Martin (ARC Review)

Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
Page Length: 224 pages
Format: ARC (received at BookCon)
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 17, 2017

About Dear Martin (via Goodreads):

Justyce McAllister is top of his class, captain of the debate team, and set for the Ivy League next year—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. He is eventually released without charges (or an apology), but the incident has Justyce spooked. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood, he can’t seem to escape the scorn of his former peers or the attitude of his prep school classmates. The only exception: Sarah Jane, Justyce’s gorgeous—and white—debate partner he wishes he didn’t have a thing for.

Struggling to cope with it all, Justyce starts a journal to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But do Dr. King’s teachings hold up in the modern world? Justyce isn’t so sure.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up. Way up. Much to the fury of the white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. And Justyce and Manny get caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack. The truth of what happened that night—some would kill to know. Justyce is dying to forget.

Nic Stone's debut novel left me speechless and an emotional mess in the best of ways. Dear Martin was such a poignant yet hopeful debut and it told such an important story that is an absolute must-read for anyone and everyone.

Unapologetically real and raw, Dear Martin made me feel all the feels. LITERALLY ALL OF THEM. I was sobbing, screaming, shaking, and gasping in shock all in the span of 200ish pages (plus the bonus instances when I nearly threw my book across the room in anger or wanted to smack my head against all surfaces in annoyance).

The screaming, sobbing, and book-flinging emotions definitely were not a detriment though. Nic Stone delivered an emotional rollercoaster of a book, and the pure emotions I felt while reading about Justyce's experiences were incomparable to any novel I've ever read before. The emotional whirlwind only added to my experience and helped me recognize so much about the real world. Justyce's story was so authentic and relevant, and Nic Stone truly opened my eyes and broke my heart with her remarkable debut.

Although I was overcome by a lot of tears and anger, Nic Stone also authentically captured the teen experience as a whole. Whether it was school and the struggle of college acceptances, or covering extracurriculars like debate, Stone made sure that academics and other activities didn't fall to the wayside, making the contemporary even more realistic and relatable. The friendships were also so wonderful and real in the story. I found myself laughing and grinning so hard when I didn't feel the need to pummel the racist jerks throughout the book. The characters were so enjoyable to read about (except for aforementioned racist jerks) and were so masterfully written, with several lesser characters also going through dramatic transformations.

basically me unapologetically cheering on Justyce throughout Dear Martin

My favorite character was definitely Justyce though. He is by far one of my favorite characters of all time, and he was a character I couldn't help but love right from the start. His voice is so true and honest, and he is an absolute sweetheart. His story was a heartbreaking one, and he had a long and difficult journey, but he was able to persevere, and I loved watching him grow while still staying true to himself.


All in all, Dear Martin was an incredible, heart-wrenching, and mind-blowing read. Nic Stone truly packs a punch in her debut, and everyone NEEDS to read it when they have the chance. I can only hope that my review gave this book justyce.

My Rating: 5 stars