February Reads

This month I read the same amount of books that I read last month; if you missed that recap you can check it out here. I’m still working on getting back into reading for fun. Hopefully, in the next few months I’ll get back to reading the way I did before I became an English Literature Major. Let’s hop in!

1) Invincible: Sherrilyn Kenyon //

This is book two in the Chronicles of Nick series. I’m trying to read these slow because I’m waiting on my mom to mail me the rest of the series that we currently own. Book two was better that the first! I loved how the book picked up literally right where the first went off. A lot of series pick-up either quite some time later or a little while after the last book ended. Not this one. Book two of this series just continues the scene that book one left off. It was wonderful. Nick is growing up throughout these books and it’s fun to see him grow in his powers and I still love his humor. His humor is definitely one of my favorite parts of the books. I really recommend this series.

2) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: J.K. Rowling //

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Of course I do, I absolutely love Harry Potter so of course I would love this. I saw the movie twice when it was in theaters and loved it both times. I loved the Harry Potter films of course, but I felt like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was more magical in a way. I loved seeing the use of magic and the creatures, it really deepened the world. This book was also my first pre-order EVER. I’ve never felt the need to pre-order books. However, I was at Books-a-Million to buy a birthday gift and just had to pre-order when they asked me about it. I’m so glad I did. I finally picked up the book and read it; I hesitated because I didn’t know if I wanted to read a screenplay. It was much easier to read that I thought…too easy in fact. I would have read it in a day if I didn’t force myself to slow down. I loved that the book is exactly the movie, which makes sense. A lot of the scenes that made me laugh in the film made me laugh in the book. I also cried at the end like I did in the movie :P. If you’re a Harry Potter lover and haven’t read this, read it. Also, can we talk about the cute Niffler under the dust cover :).

3) The Trouble with Magic: Madelyn Alt //

This was one of my first little mystery novels and is part of the Bewitching Mystery novels. It’s most definitely not one of those more realistic, leaning toward true crime mysteries. It was a super fun little novel to read and I’m so happy to have finally read it after carrying it with me on the plane as I traveled back and forth from Korea to the US. Basically, this woman feels unsatisfied in her job and is compelled to go to this certain area of town instead of heading straight to work. Here she stumbles upon and enchantments shop where she is offered a job. She then gets put in the middle of a murder that happened and she spends the rest of the novel trying to figure out who really committed the murder. I recommend this for sure. I thought it was a fun and quick read, especially if you just read a couple larger books it’s nice to read something small and light.

I hope you guys enjoyed this. Did you read any good books this past month?

See you next time, Kylie <3

January Reads

Since graduating in December I’ve been trying to read more and read more books that I’ve been wanting to read for a while. Because I was an English Literature major in college, all my reading time was spent reading the novels that I had to read for class. I didn’t have much time to read any fun books. I thought it would be fun to recap what I read every month and maybe give you guys some ideas as to what books to pick up.

1) Caliban’s War: James S.A. Corey //

This is the second book in The Expanse series. I read the first book in January of 2016 and was completely enthralled and this was no different. I purposefully saved this book for my trip back to Korea because I knew it would suck me in and be a wonderfully entertaining read during my two days of travel. The book follows along the first book and the action picks up from the get go and doesn’t stop. Unfortunately, it’s hard to review the book without giving away spoilers for either the first or second. I can say though, that yet again James Holden finds himself and his crew in the middle of a possible interplanetary war. This series is my first space epic and I completely recommend it.

2) Infinity: Sherrilyn Kenyon //

Infinity is the first book in the Chronicles of Nick series. My mom read it first and raved about it so I decided that I would read it and see why she loved the series so much and it is great! Nick has a very sarcastic and witty sense of humor which is right up my alley. Throughout the novel, Nick slowly learns that the world is not exactly as it seems. He gets sucked into the world of supernatural creatures and demons all while being influenced by good and evil entities. He also discovers that he has powers of his own. There are few books that are centered around demons/demon hunters. When I find one, I pick it up because it’s a change of pace from the typical supernatural creature books. This one did not disappoint. I’m excited to read the rest of the series now. Totally recommend this book if you are a fan of supernatural plots.

3) Shadow and Bone: Leigh Bardugo //

In a way, this book reminds me of MY FAVORITE series Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. The book is set in a world where a ‘tyrant’ has destroyed the country and war rages. The book follows orphan Alina Starkov as she learns that she holds the power that can save the country and eventually fight the tyrant. The book has a typical magic system in a way but also a different magic system in a way which is something that attracts me to this novel. If you love sci-fi but aren’t ready for the in-depth world building of a bigger sci-fi book, this delivers. I cannot wait to read the next books and I wish that I had it on hand.

Hopefully next month I will be able to report even more books. Reading is my passion and my hobby so I want to really dive back into it.

What is a book that you read this past month that you really enjoyed?

Recently Watched: Dexter

I have been watching Dexter for about a year now because I had times where I wasn't able to watch it, but when I could watch it, I would binge-watch a whole season in one night. I recently finished all eight seasons as of January 24, 2015. Let us begin with the fact that I am terrible at finishing series, whether it is a book series or a television series. I just don’t want the worlds to end so finishing Dexter is a feat for me.

I loved this show so much. It’s sort of like a crime show because Dexter is a Forensic Blood Splatter Analyst for Miami Metro Police and they solve at least one serial murder case a season. But the twist on the crime drama is that Dexter himself is a serial killer who only kills criminals who slipped through the system. There is a lot of suspense throughout the show as we see Dexter get himself into different situations and somehow gets out of them. There is a lot of character development involving Dexter which I really enjoyed; it was interesting to see Dexter grow and change slightly though the show. I laughed and cried a lot during the show and thoroughly enjoyed all of the seasons. As for the finale, I won’t say anything that would be a spoiler but it did not end how I expected it to end nor did it end how I would have liked it to end in a perfect world.

To be honest, I feel lost without Dexter. I miss watching it; I know that I can just re-watch it but it isn't the same as the first time I watched it and didn't know what would happen. Plus, there are a lot of other shows out there that I need to watch, but I’m having trouble moving on. Dexter holds a special place in the Television part of my heart haha.

In short, I absolutely loved watching Dexter and I totally recommend it!

Have you watched Dexter? What are your thoughts on the show? What are some shows I should watch next?

Thanks for reading!

Kylie

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Long time no talk! Life is so crazy right now. I did not expect joining a sorority would require so much time, but it’s so fun! The last two weeks were test and essay week and it was so stressful, but guess what! I got an A on all of my exams, I’m starting this year off right :) If you’re in school, do you guys have weeks where you won’t have any tests or essays due and then all of a sudden in the same week you’ll have a bunch of tests and essays due? That’s what happens here. I need to get better at time management, maybe I’ll make a post about it so I can get myself in check. Well, anyway, let’s not babble on for forever. I am back today with a review of Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

Summary: Cinder by Marissa Meyer, is a book based on the Disney fairy-tale Cinderella set in a future, New China. The main character, Cinder, is a cyborg, a race that is discriminated against who works as a mechanic to help make money to support her step mother and two step sisters. Like Cinderella, the step father takes in an adoptive daughter and dies leaving the step mother to take care of this unwanted child. There are many similarities to the Disney Cinderella fairytale, but there are differences that I think will come into play when the author ties all of the stories together to help fight the Lunars. This is also a utopian/dystopian style novel, where we are in a future that’s supposed to be grand after a war but there are still kinks that need to be worked out.  

My thoughts: It was good but not amazing. I didn’t have that high of expectations so I wasn’t that disappointed in the novel. I am excited to see how the author ties all the books together but I’m not in a hurry to read the next ones. (I don’t binge read series. I’ll read a book in a series, buy the next one if it’s in paperback and then wait to read it until the next book is out in paperback. Does anyone else do something similar?) I did like how the book was loosely based on Cinderella, it wasn’t an exact replica but you could pick out themes from Cinderella. I wonder if the other books in the series will be in the same city or if they will be different…hmm.

Recommend: Yes, although I didn't think it was amazing, I do think it was a good, easy read. Being so busy with school, reading something that is quick and easy is nice to have sometimes. I also think that if you like futuristic novels, this might also be a good read for you; as well as if you like to read different versions of fairytales. Utopian/dystopian books are really popular these days and this novel would also go into that genre, so if you like those style books you may also like this book.

Have you guy’s read this book? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading!

Kylie

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson Review

Hello guys, I have finished Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (I finished it a few weeks ago but I can still write a review, right?). Well this is my first book summary/review so bear with me, I’ll improve.  

Summary: Sanderson has created a world covered in ashes for as long as the population can remember, being ruled by an immortal ruler. There is extreme poverty along the general population and extreme riches among the nobility, the only common trait is a fear of the swirling mists that cover the world at night and of the Lord Ruler who as far as they know is immortal. One day, an unlikely hero stands up to rebel against the Lord Ruler with his team of Alomancers and hopefully they will succeed in overthrowing the empire.

My Thoughts: I loved it! It took about a hundred pages to fully get into, which is not uncommon when it comes to fantasy novels but once I got into it I was hooked. I fell in love with the characters, even ones who aren’t the “main characters”, I feel we could still learn more about all of them but the character development I thought was really thought out. Vin, the protagonist, grows immensely during the novel while the others characters do experience some development. I also really enjoyed the magic in this novel, it was unlike any that I have ever heard or read of and it really helped keep me interested as I wanted to figure out more about this new kind of magic. The world that Sanderson created is awesome, he gives you enough history to understand what is going on but not so much that it bores you and continues to develop the world as the book goes on.  There was not a single part that I was disappointed in. I am honestly not ready to leave this world yet.

Recommend: Yes, I definitely recommend this book! I loved that it was different from other fantasy and non-fantasy that I have read and recommend to anyone who loves, or has yet to try fantasy novels. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. I should state that this isn’t a full on action fantasy book; there is a lot of talking and a lot of political stuff throughout the novel but there is action, particularly until the end.