Tag: Review

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July Wrap Up and August TBR

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Welcome to August. At the time this post goes live, I will probably be sitting in an Irish pub in Indianapolis, relaxing before the start of Gen Con. Why an Irish pub, you may ask? Well, as today is my birthday I got to choose where to eat dinner, and I just really wanted to hang out with my fiance and our nerd friends who came with us, and have a nice adult beverage…because I turned 30 today, so I can do that.

Also, heads up, sorry if I am not as quick at liking or responding to your comments over the next several days. Gen Con runs from Thursday through Sunday, and I will likely be soaking in all the nerd gear and books and gaming equipment, instead of playing on my phone. But I promise, I’m still here, and I will get back to you as soon as I am able.

Okay, let’s get started. First up, the books I read over the month of July. I feel like this past month was a pretty good one for reading. I participated in two different readathons and just generally was in a mood for devouring stories. As always, if I have a review up, I will include the link back to it, just in case you are interested or missed it.

The Emerald Sea by Richelle Mead — 5 stars

All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor — 4 stars

Save the Date by Morgan Matson — 4.5 stars

Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone — 5 stars

Little Moments of Love by Catana Chetwynd — 5 stars

My Hero Academia Vigilantes, Vol 1 by Hideyuki Furuhashi — 4 stars

And I Darken by Kiersten White — 5 stars

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse — 4.5 stars

Blackened White by Brian W Foster — 4 stars

Terminal Alliance by Jim C Hines — 4.5 stars

Spellslinger by Sebastien De Castell — 5 stars

Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S Dawson and Kevin Hearne — 5 stars

Game of Secrets by Kim Foster — 4 stars

Vox Machina Origins by Matthew Coville, Chris Northrop, Olivia Samson, and Matthew Mercer — 5 stars

All right, and then there were the other stories I consumed over the month, namely movies and TV shows. I kept track of them just in case anyone was interested, and I guess I enjoy having a record of what I’ve seen, so this segment of my monthly wrap up may be here to stay.

Pokemon: the series — Sun & Moon (season 1) — 4 stars, Kung Fu Panda 3 — 4.5 stars, Ant-Man and the Wasp — 5 stars, The Princess Diaries (again) — 5 stars, Ella Enchanted (again) — 4 stars, Happy Gilmore (again) — 5 stars, The Mummy — 4 stars, The Mummy Returns — 4.5 stars, Journey to the Center of the Earth — 4 stars

Also, as usual I am still watching “Critical Role” each week and things got really intense and emotional in July. I am so looking forward to seeing the show live and in person this weekend. My fiance and I also started watching a summer show on the CW called “The Outpost,” and it is really interesting so far. The show is created by the same people who did the Mythica series of movies, and those movies are what my fiance and I watched on our first date, so obviously we feel a special connection to all five films. This new series actually has a couple of the same cast members and has a similar feel to the magic as Mythica, so I’m excited to see where it goes from here. Finally, my fiance and I decided that we had taken enough of a break to separate Avatar from Korra, so we started watching The Legend of Korra. We finished Books One and Two, and are almost finished with Book Three, and I am really enjoying it so far. So many of the characters are either connected to characters from the original series or act in a similar manner, and it is really entertaining to watch.

I do believe that is all for what I saw this month.

Next up is the book haul and OwlCrate unboxing portions of this post. This month is a little special because I am separating my fiance’s haul into its own section. There was a manga sale on Barnes & Noble and he decided to stock up on some reads and start prepping posts, because he is getting really excited about joining me here on this blog. He has figured out what name he wants to go by, because he doesn’t want to use his real name, so like me he has come up with a pen name, and now we are just figuring out his review policy and rating system. So his debut should be soon. Okay, let’s just get into his haul already.

There are a few of these manga volumes that I plan to check out as well, so we may see me switch to mini reviews on the manga when he starts doing his reviews.

Next up is my haul, and I also purchased some manga because that deal was too good to pass up. Plus I got a few other books I was pretty excited about. And I am so happy with the OwlCrate for July, though it was a book I had recently purchased, so I now have two copies. I actually do prefer the OwlCrate cover, so I may end up unhauling the original.

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Finally, there is my August TBR to announce. And I can honestly say that I haven’t exactly planned out a TBR really just yet for this one. Oh boy, I guess I need to go stare at my shelves and figure that out. Hold on a moment.

Okay, so the next volume of My Hero Academia will be released in August, as will the fifth volume of Rat Queens. I will most likely be getting and reading both of those. My most anticipated release of the year will be out in August, but not until the 28th, so I don’t exactly think I can include it on my TBR, but you can definitely expect Access Restricted by Gregory Scott Katsoulis to be on my September TBR. Oh, and the next round of the Manga Madness Readathon is taking place in August as well, so I will probably be reading quite a few volumes, but I’ll have a TBR announcement post up for that one soon.

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There, that seems like a decent TBR, though I could always change those up or add more, depending on how the month goes. And I do believe that is all for today. Thanks for reading and commenting and being awesome bookish friends. I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

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Book Releases, Book Review, Books!, Manga, Readathon, Reading Challenge, Signal Boost

What I’m Reading (23)

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

As predicted last week, I actually did finish Save the Date by Morgan Matson, approximately one or two minutes before my post went live on the blog. Oh well, I guess that means I’ll just count it for this week’s post.

Speaking of, let’s just go ahead and jump into everything. Welcome back to my weekly post where I discuss the books I’ve finished recently, the ones I am currently reading, and the ones I would like to start reading in the next week.

After I had finished the newest Morgan Matson summer read, I jumped into Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone, which I read pretty darn quickly. That was nice. I will have reviews for these books coming soon. Next I jumped into Little Moments of Love by Catana Chetwynd, which is a Catana Comics collection, so obviously it was a super fast read. I also have a review of Catana Comics coming soon, so stay tuned for that.

Those books alone would have been great, and pretty good for a week’s update, but I just kept on reading.

After those, I started diving into my books for the Summer Biannual Bibliothon, which is taking place right now. I am doing really well when it comes to completing my TBR for this week long event. I finished My Hero Academia Vigilantes Volume 1, before starting And I Darken by Kiersten White. Though that is an almost 500 page book, I read it in under two days, and now I am desperate to read the rest of the trilogy, so I guess I know what will be happening after the Bibliothon is over. Thankfully I managed to push past those desires to continue with my TBR by picking up Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse. It is a dark and gritty post apocalyptic story that will appeal to fans of the TV show “Supernatural.” Thankfully it also managed to hold my interest right after finishing the amazingness that was And I Darken.

It is currently the middle of the Summer Biannual Bibliothon, and so far I think I’m doing all right. I didn’t figure that I would be able to complete all of the reading challenges. Honestly, I didn’t even really think I would be able to complete my four-book TBR, but I am definitely surprising myself. So for my planned reads, obviously I will be trying to finish my TBR. Granted, the only other book actually on my TBR for this is City of Lies by Sam Hawke, so that is my current read. Though, I would also like to see if I can maybe finish reading Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines.

As for what I would like to read next, the obvious choices are Now I Rise and Bright We Burn by Kiersten White. Hopefully finishing this trilogy doesn’t threaten to put me in a slight reading slump. But I don’t exactly know what I’ll read after them…I mean, aside from the books I have ready for Dewey’s 24 Hour Summer Reverse Readathon coming up soon.

So I think that is all for today. Thanks for stopping by, and let me know down in the comments if you have read any of this books (or have them on your TBRs). If not, let me know what wonderful books you have recently finished or are currently reading. As always, I will be back soon with more bookish content.

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Review: All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Today’s review is for a book that I learned about something like a month ago, but the premise intrigued me so I immediately went online to the Barnes & Noble web site and bought myself a copy.  Then it didn’t take me long at all before I was reaching for the book because I just needed to start reading it. And now, here we are, with a review of this suspenseful, psychological, and intriguing story.

Let’s just jump into it then.

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Summary

Miri Tan loved the book Undertow like it was a living being. So when she and her friends went to a book signing to meet the author, Fatima Ro, they concocted a plan to get close to her, even if her friends won’t admit it now. As for Jonah, well—Miri knows none of that was Fatima’s fault.

Soleil Johnston wanted to be a writer herself one day. When she and her friends started hanging out with her favorite author, Fatima Ro, she couldn’t believe their luck—especially when Jonah Nicholls started hanging out with them, too. Now, looking back, Soleil can’t believe she let Fatima manipulate her and Jonah like that. She can’t believe that she got used for a book.

Penny Panzarella was more than the materialistic party girl everyone at the Graham School thought she was. She desperately wanted Fatima Ro to see that, and she saw her chance when Fatima asked the girls to be transparent with her. If only she’d known what would happen when Fatima learned Jonah’s secret. If only she’d known that the line between fiction and truth was more complicated than any of them imagined. . . .

My Thoughts

Rating: 4 stars

This was a good read, and pretty interesting. The past couple years we have started to see a few more books being released featuring a different format, such as documents, articles, interviews, etc. And honestly, I like the format, but it isn’t one that I want to read all the time. On occasion though, it does make for a nice change of pace.

All of This is True was pitched as being a good read for fans of last year’s release One of Us is Lying. It is a book I read and ended up loving, even though it was not the typical sort of book I would pick up. What intrigued me a bit more with this book is that it features young adults who befriend this author they love, and then are betrayed or manipulated by her. Seriously, I’ll leave it up to you to figure out what you think happened.

Because this book goes between interviews and articles by Miri, Soleil, and Penny, plus actual snippets from Fatima’s book, some events can be a bit open to differing interpretations. Also, the bouncing around between each person’s story gives you varying insights and opinions, while also helping to increase the suspense.

Again, this is not a book I normally would have picked up, but because the summary sounded interesting, and I enjoyed reading a similar book last year, I gave it a shot. I don’t think I was as caught up in All of This is True as much as One of Us is Lying, but it was still a read I’m glad I finished, though I probably won’t keep it for a re-read. Still, I will definitely be checking up on whatever Lygia Day Penaflor comes up with next, and if the premise sounds interesting, then I am absolutely willing to read another of her books.

Where to Buy

You can pick up this book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore.

Book Review, Books!, Manga, Signal Boost

Manga Review: My Hero Academia Vol 9

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

The more I write these reviews for MHA, the closer I get to running out of reviews to write. Seriously, right now there are only 13 volumes of My Hero Academia released for me. Volume 14 will be released in early August, and then Volume 15 arrives in early October, so unless I really get reading on some other manga series, this weekly manga review post will slow down for a little while.

But that’s okay. Sometimes it is fun to be completely caught up on a series and build up that anticipation for the next release. So, without further ado, let’s just jump into this review.

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Summary

Midoriya inherits the superpower of the world’s greatest hero, but greatness won’t come easy.

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks”? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

It’s off to summer camp for Midoriya and the U.A. students! But this is no ordinary vacation—it’s high-impact training where the students are expected to develop their Quirks even further! The teachers have set up some tough challenges, but none will be as difficult and as life changing as the threat a new group of enemies poses. What’s even worse is who the villains’ target is and why…

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

This particular volume kicks off a new story arc for the manga, one that I think is the most intense yet. I do believe this is also where season three of the anime starts. What was fun for me when I made it to this volume is that the third season of the show hadn’t premiered yet, so this is where my reading started to go ahead of what I had already seen, which meant I had no idea what was going to happen.

We are introduced to new characters, mostly heroes, but also a young boy named Kota, who honestly was one of my favorite characters because he acted so differently from most of those we have met in the series…and when we learn the reason why, it only makes me appreciate his character and his developing storyline more.

Much like you would expect for anything having to do with a school that specializes in training heroes, this is not a standard summer camp. Because of everything that has happened in their schooling so far, they really need to develop their Quirks more and train even harder so they can be ready for what is coming for them.

I liked seeing what each of the characters do to work their Quirks more and strengthen up. For some it involves physical strength training, while for others it means finding ways to boost the duration they can use their abilities. And it is even harder for the students who didn’t pass their final exams, because they have additional schooling on top of everything else.

Seriously, this was a pretty fun start to what is a great and yet terrible story arc. A lot of things change after this training camp. But if you want to know more, you’re going to have to read the manga (or watch the anime).

Where to Buy

You can pick up this (or any) of the volumes of My Hero Academia from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore.

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Review: The Emerald Sea by Richelle Mead

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

I have read quite a few Richelle Mead books over the years. Yes, I technically still need to finish her Georgina Kincaid series and her Dark Swan series. Other than that, I think I’ve read them all. When the Glittering Court trilogy was announced, I was intrigued but not excited to the same degree as some previous books. But then I was swept away into this new world, getting totally caught up in the lives of these main three ladies. But this is the one I was most looking forward to, because I really wanted to know more about Tamsin.

So welcome to the Glittering Court, and let’s jump into the review.

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Summary

The final installment in Richelle Mead’s sweeping, enthralling Glittering Court series answers the trilogy’s biggest question: what is the secret that drives Tamsin to win at all costs?

Tamsin Wright is unstoppable. She must become the Glittering Court’s diamond: the girl with the highest test scores, the most glamorous wardrobe, and the greatest opportunities to match with an elite suitor in the New World. Training alongside other girls in the Glittering Court, Tamsin immerses herself completely in lessons about etiquette, history, and music–everything a high-society wife would need to know. Once she’s married, she’ll be able to afford a better life for her family, so the sacrifice is worth it if she can be the best.

When her friendship with Mira and Adelaide, her roommates at the Glittering Court, threatens her status as the top-ranked prospect, she does the only thing she knows will keep her on track: she cuts them out of her life. But when her voyage across the sea goes off course, Tamsin must use her unrelenting grit and determination to survive the harsh winter far north of her intended destination in hopes of making it back to the Glittering Court in time to secure a proposal–and a comfortable future for her family.

Experiencing new cultures and beliefs for the first time, Tamsin realizes that her careful studies haven’t prepared her for everything, and with new alliances formed with roguish tradesman Jago Robinson and good-natured minister Gideon Stewart, Tamsin’s heart begins to be pulled in different directions. But she can’t let her brewing attraction get in the way of her ultimate goal: protecting the secret she holds closest to her heart, the one that would unravel everything she’s worked for if it’s uncovered.

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

First I should probably say that this is a trilogy that you can technically read in any order. All three stories take place at the same time but give you a different narrative perspective. That being said, I absolutely recommend that you read the first book, The Glittering Court, first. I feel like it sets up the school and the training and the characters the best. The other two books pretty much breeze past their school times.

I’m actually glad that Tamsin’s story is the final one. Don’t get me wrong; I liked Adelaide’s story, and I though Mira’s tale was interesting, but Tamsin’s journey is worth the wait.

Oh, and that secret of Tamsin’s that is mentioned in the summary…yeah, that gets revealed to us in the first couple of chapters, and is revealed to or discovered by a few others throughout the novel.

I read Tamsin’s story pretty quickly, especially for the size of the book. Honestly it might be because Tamsin is such a determined and strong-willed character. I was compelled to keep reading. I had to know what was going to happen. Her story has a lot of roadblocks and detours and setbacks, but through it all it feels like Tamsin is the one who keeps the girls of the Glittering Court going, and who keeps fighting to get them where they need to be.

Seeing the other cultures was really cool. I especially need to give credit to how various religions are portrayed in pretty much every Richelle Mead book. She handles them in realistic yet respectful ways–I suppose her college degrees come in handy for that.

Both Gideon and Jago were intriguing men, but I know which one I preferred…the one she eventually chooses. The other one wasn’t bad; I just don’t think they were as compatible.

Basically I loved this book, and it has made me want to read the other two again, just to see what connections I missed the first time around.

Where to Buy

You can get your own copy of The Emerald Sea from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore.

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What I’m Reading (22)

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Welcome to yet another Wednesday post of talking about books: the ones I’ve recently finished, the ones I’m currently reading, and the ones I’m hoping to start soon. Can you believe that I’ve been doing this post for 22 weeks now? I’m actually quite pleased by that.

Oh, and I am working out the details for my giveaway for when I reach 500 followers. I need to figure out how to set up a Rafflecopter or something, but the prize is probably going to be something like $20 worth of books from Book Depository, which depending on how you pick your books probably means that you can pick two. So, look for more information on the giveaway coming soon, because I am getting closer and closer to this huge milestone follower count. Thank you for stumbling across my blog and deciding to stay. I really appreciate it.

For my recently finished reads, I managed to complete The Emerald Sea by Richelle Mead (which was amazing, and I plan to have a review up soon). I then decided to read All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor, which was a good read, but not as good as I expected it to be.

So, I didn’t make it through as many books as I had originally planned on reading during my time off from work, but I guess that’s all right. We watched a couple of movies, and that was pretty fun. I had a nice relaxing time off, so hopefully I can make it through the next few weeks of work without issue and then I’ll be having a wonderfully nerdy vacation/birthday trip.

Anyway, I’m still working on reading Save the Date by Morgan Matson, though I brought it with me to work today, so it’s possible I’m finishing it just as this post goes live, so I don’t know. This is the slowest I have ever been with a Morgan Matson novel, and I have no idea why. Okay, so maybe the setup took a little while, at least for me, because at around the halfway point it started to get more interesting. The whole story takes place over the course of one weekend. It is a 423 page (or something like that) book, and the first like 216 pages are just what happens on Friday. Maybe I don’t like the pacing? It’s still a cute story, and I’m sure I’ll be loving it by the time I finally close that back cover, but for now it’s just okay.

I’m also just at the beginning of Terminal Alliance by Jim C Hines, which was one of my most anticipated releases for summer 2017, so I have no idea why I’m just starting to read it now. It follows a main character who is a janitor on a spaceship, and honestly that’s all I really needed to know. I’m willing to read anything by Jim C. Hines because I think he is a great author. Plus, I guess this is a good time to be reading this one because the second one should be coming out in the near future. This book also counts as a read for Sci-Fi July, which is being hosted by Kathy over at Books and Munches, so yay!

Finally, there’s the books I’m hoping to start reading soon. And if I actually did manage to finish Save the Date today then it’s likely that I’ve already started on Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone. I’ve read all of her books, so I’m excited to see what happens in this one. Then there’s this lovely historical fiction I’ve been putting off for a couple of years now. Maybe you’ve heard of it…And I Darken by Kiersten White. The final book in the trilogy was released yesterday—and yes, my copy is already on its way. So I guess now I am finally ready to read it. I’ve been wanting to for a while, but something held me off, like I knew that I would want to binge-read them all. So, I believe it is finally time, and I am looking forward to finally meeting Lada and Radu.

I suppose that is all for today. Are you reading anything good right now? Are you anticipating any upcoming releases? Let’s talk books in the comments. As always, thanks for reading and I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

Book Review, Books!, Manga, Signal Boost

Manga Review: The Ancient Magus’ Bride Vol 1

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

It is time for me to introduce a new series into my Manga Monday posts, because I have no more volumes of One Punch Man to review (until I read more, that is), and this particular series is one that I have started and really enjoyed. Of course, that being said, there are only like 8 volumes out in English right now, so that’s a little bit of a bummer. Oh well. The characters and the story are really interesting, and I’m glad that I decided to give it a try.

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Summary

Enter the Magician’s Apprentice

Her name is Chise Hatori, a penniless orphan troubled by visions. Sold as a slave to an inhuman mage, she is about to begin a strange new life, filled with magic, fairies, and other beings of a fantastical nature.

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

Wow, that book summary gives you very little to go on, but I promise that this series actually is full of magic and beings of a fantastical nature. Plus Chise is a pretty interesting character, as is the inhuman mage who buys her to become his apprentice and his wife. I’m sure a lot more will be revealed about this arrangement in time, but for now it is just something that makes you want to keep reading so you can hopefully get all the answers.

Oh here, the Goodreads summary might not be the greatest, but the Book Depository summary is better. I’ll toss that in here:

Chise Hatori has lived a life full of neglect and abuse, devoid of anything resembling love. Far from the warmth of family, she has had her share of troubles and pitfalls. Just when all hope seems lost, a fateful encounter awaits her. When a man with the head of a beast, wielding strange powers, obtains her through a slave auction, Chise’s life will never be the same again. The man is a “magus,” a sorcerer of great power, who decides to free Chise from the bonds of captivity. The magus then makes a bold statement. Chise will become his apprentice – and his bride! 

I first learned of this series because my fiance was watching the anime. That seems to happen quite frequently with my manga reads, if I’m being completely honest. I’m totally fine with that. It is how I found My Hero Academia, One Punch Man, Blue Exorcist, and The Ancient Magus’ Bride.

Of course, I also wasn’t really paying that close attention to when he was watching the show, so I have no clue what is going to happen. I will say that so much happened in this first volume. It left me wondering how in the world so much could be put into such a small number of pages without it feeling too rushed.

Much like Chise, we are completely thrown into this world, with the magic system and the magical beings being introduced to us as the story progresses. But I was just so fascinated by it all, and so hooked by the story. It made me really glad that I originally decided to buy the first two volumes during one book trip, and then I bought the next two the trip after that. (And I’m buying Vol 5-8 very soon).

I think this also means that I’ll probably need to watch the anime as well. I really enjoyed this first volume, and I flew through it because I just wanted to learn more, and I really didn’t want to put it down.

Where to Buy

You can pick up this first volume of The Ancient Magus’ Bride from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore.

Book Releases, Book Review, Books!, Recommendations, Signal Boost

Review: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

We all have certain themes, tropes, or story elements that generally turn us off from picking up certain books/movies/shows. For me, I am not a big mystery or thriller reader, though I am okay with watching those kind of stories. I also typically don’t reach for zombie stories. But I will say that as long as a story sounds interesting, I am totally willing to give it a try. And that is totally the case for the book I’m talking about today.

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Summary

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

Let’s start with the cover. I love how badass Jane looks holding her sickle and that is a cool and powerful stance. It gave me expectations for how the story within the covers was going to go. Thankfully the story matched up with beauty of the outside.

Jane has spirit. Her spunk was great, even though her sass quite regularly got her in trouble. But she did also go out of her way to help others, even ones who hadn’t been the nicest to her at school.

The alternate history laid out in this book was well done and so interesting. It really makes you look at the sanitization of history, how often we try and bury the unfair treatment and blatant racism of the past. Actually if we’re being honest many in society today don’t seem to recognize the racism of modern times. Based on the notes in the back of the book, there were industrial schools where Native children were sent and “civilized” based on the accepted white culture of the times. Many of the comments made by white characters towards people of color in this book made me cringe; it was pretty atrocious and despicable.

Jane handles it in stride, though. Sometimes she even uses their expectations against them, by pretending to be less intelligent or civilized. Even Jane’s classmates don’t expect Jane to be as smart as she is, though she can read and write, while most of them can’t.

But this was a pretty adventurous story, and I am so glad that I gave it a chance. The zombies, or shamblers as they are known in the book, are not really romanticized in any way. They are mindless savages and a group of them approaching can be a terrifying situation.

Where to Buy

You can pick up this fantastic novel from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore.

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Top Ten Reads of 2018 — So Far

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

The wait is over. My list of favorite reads from the first six months of the year is here at last. Before I jump into which books made it, I first want to go over the rules that I set for myself when it comes to what can or cannot be considered for this list. As a book blogger, I do receive early copies of books for review, but it wouldn’t be fair to include books that have not been released to the general public. I also don’t include rereads on this list, because obviously I enjoyed the book enough to read it again, so those books have an unfair advantage.

The ten books that make up this list are ones that I read in the months of January through June in 2018. Overall I ended up reading 59 books in that time, so narrowing down to ten was something I thought was going to be difficult…but I read some books that just really stood out for me. As always, I am placing these books in the order I read them in, not any sort of last to first ranking order or anything. Oh, and if I have a review up for the book, I will also include the link, in case you would like to check out more of my thoughts.

Let’s get started.

  1. The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco
    I am so glad that I was able to read an ARC of this book, because this series continues to blow me away. I love diving into Tea’s world, and seeing how her story unfolds. Overall I did not want to put this book down, and I am so looking forward to the third book.
  2. Love & War: An Alex & Eliza Novel by Melissa de la Cruz
    Well, the first book of this series made my list last year, so is it any surprise that my Hamilton obsession is still going strong? This YA version of Alexander Hamilton’s romance and relationship with Eliza Schuyler Hamilton continues to keep me hooked…even when certain elements of history have to be altered slightly to make for a better story. I’m not reading this for a 100% historically faithful tale. I can read Hamilton’s writings or any number of nonfiction books on Hamilton if I want the facts.
  3. Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen
    Now that I have read this book, I am so sad that I didn’t try and snag a copy in 2017 at BookExpo. It was completely outstanding. I loved the magic system and the overall setup. Plus the characters were so interesting…even the ones that were so awful that I hoped for their death. I am very much looking forward to the second book.
  4. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
    Based on the way this book was described, I was sure I was going to enjoy it, but it ended up completely sucking me in, and I didn’t want to stop reading until I reached the end. I enjoyed the descriptions, the action, the character development…it was all so good. The only thing that upset me is that I feel like the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly. But there is apparently a companion novel coming (probably next year), so we’ll see what happens next.
  5. Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy
    I need to get a review written for this one, so I am adding that to my to-do list. But this was such a cute contemporary story, with a nice dash of fantasy since it was based on a movie adaptation of a beloved book series…and a romance between one of the film’s stars and the grand-daughter of the series’ author.
  6. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
    Why haven’t I written a review for this one yet? I read it during a 24 Hour Readathon, but I would have read it super quickly anyway. It was such a deeply fascinating series, with an amazing set of characters, a cool adventure, and an intriguing magic system. Needless to say, I am already counting down until the release of the sequel.
  7. The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde
    Jen Wilde makes my list again, with another cute and diverse contemporary novel, one that features cameos from characters who were in her debut novel. I loved following the three members of the band The Brightsiders, and seeing all the drama and issues that seemed to follow their lives. And the romances were pretty cute too.
  8. Furyborn by Claire Legrand
    Another fantasy book with great world-building and magic systems. This was also another book that I absolutely flew through. I admit that the cover design caught my eye, and then I read up on the book. I am so glad that I did, because it was an outstanding read, even at the hefty number of pages it contained. Seriously, I loved it.
  9. Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody
    Amanda Foody has written another wonderfully atmospheric and interesting fantasy read, and I can say that I also flew through this book. I read The Brightsiders, Furyborn, and Ace of Shades all in one weekend, and I’m so glad that they were all so interesting that I easily could have landed in a book slump, but they all stood wonderfully on their own merits. Amanda Foody’s characters and writing style have definitely placed her up on my list of favorite new fantasy authors.
  10. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
    The review for this book will be up tomorrow, but this was kind of a surprise favorite for me. While I do like the occasional historical fiction story, I am not as into books (or shows or movies) with zombies in them. But I was immediately drawn in by the narrative voice of our main protagonist, Jane. She was one awesome and spirited young lady, and I loved following all of her mishaps and adventures, all while fighting off the shambler plague.

So far it has been a pretty great year for reading, and I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of 2018 brings. Thanks for reading. I hope you are enjoying some great reads of your own, and I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

Book Releases, Book Review, Books!, Manga, NetGalley, Signal Boost

What I’m Reading (21)

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Happy Independence Day to my fellow citizens of the United States.

Okay, so on Monday, the place where I work announced that inventory was still too high and we needed to have a couple more shutdown days. They had already decided on a plant wide shut down for this Thursday and Friday (which just means Thursday for me because I work four shifts of 10 hours each week), but now they have added on next Monday and Tuesday as days off as well. This does not bode well for my paycheck (or my fiance’s, since we work at the same place), but thankfully we plan to spend our time wisely…by staying at home and reading and playing games instead of going out and spending money doing things. With any luck I will definitely kick this month off with a decent number of books finished.

So that means I may need to plan ahead for my reads for the next week. I am totally okay with this, because I am in a reading mood.

Let’s start with books I have finished since my post last Wednesday. I finished two more volumes of My Hero Academia, which means that I am all caught up with the series until the next volume is released in August. I also managed to finish Bookish Boyfriends: A Date with Darcy by Tiffany Schmidt, and I’ll have a review up for that soon.

My current reads are The Emerald Sea by Richelle Mead and A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. Going is still slow on the latter book, but I am absolutely loving the newest release by Mead–though it is making me want to reread the other two in the trilogy to try and piece together other connections I may have missed.

Finally, as for what I’d like to start reading in the next week. Oh man, I can make an intimidating list right now because of all these days off work. Okay, I think I have it figured out. I would like to start reading (and hopefully finish) Save the Date by Morgan Matson, From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon, Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone, and All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor.

That looks like a pretty decent list, and they are all contemporary (ish), so I should fly through them pretty quickly. And that about does it for today. I hope you all have a lovely day, and I will be back soon with more bookish content.