My Reading Goals for 2014

I don't really do resolution, but I think goals are different than resolutions. I set goals every year about reading and other hobbies. Last year I think I did really well. I set a goal to read 75 books and I ended up at 105! This year my goals are a little more ambitious and more specific.

1) Read 100 Books - Last year I read 105 so this might seem easy. However, 27 books were graphic novels/manga books. I want that number to decrease and I want to read 100 novels this year. 

2) Reduce my TBR pile - I think I have something like 150 unread books in my possession. I want to reduce that number. So I need to buy fewer books and read more of the ones I have before buying any more. My goal is to get that under 100 but I'm unsure how long my book buying will stay reduced (not very long considering I'm already waiting on a package) 

3) Finish 10 Series - I want to finish or catch up on 10 series that I have already started. I struggle to keep reading series. I just continue to start them so this year I want to finish something! 

4) Experiment with Marathoning - I have always tried to split up my series and read books in between so I could stretch them out. This year I want to marathon some series and see how it works for me! 

5) Read 5 Non-Fiction Books-  I graduated college with a BA in History. I love reading about history and I want to continue to learn even now that I'm out of school. 

6) Listen to 5 audiobooks - I found this year that I really enjoy audiobooks and I want to make an effort to listen to more of them this year. 

7) Read More Diversely - I read a lot of YA Fantasy but this year I want to read different genres within YA and I also want to branch out from YA. 

Bookish Five Friday (8) - Books I need to Read in 2014

New Year's is the time of year a lot of people resolve to improve themselves in the upcoming year. I am no exception to this practice when it involves books. Every year I really try to become a better reader and this year I also want to be more dedicated to this blog. In 2014 one of my resolutions is to read 100 books and I also want to reduce the number of books I own but haven't read. Right now I'm starting at 144 books that are unread on my shelves. These are the top 5 books I need to read before 2014 is over.

1) Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin - I haven't owned this book very long, but I've been reading these about one per year and I would like to try to read two this year. Plus I'm so far behind the rest of the world with my progress through these books.

2) The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - I begged for this book for Christmas last year (2012) and my parents were so generous to get it for me. However, I have only read about 200 pages of it! I really want to read the rest of this book before 2014 is over.

3) Days of Blood and Starlight by Lani Taylor - After I finished Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I immediately ordered this book, but I haven't touched it. The next book in this series comes out this year so I really need to finish both of these soon!

4) Back to the Divide by Elizabeth Kay - I bought this whole series because I loved it when I was a kid, but I only read the first book since I bought them over a year ago. I really need to finish these before I buy anything else!

5) All the Tamora Pierce books I haven't read yet - Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors of all time and I am ashamed to say that I haven't read all of her books. This year I am going to remedy that!

One a side note these are all the books I read in 2013.

The Last Five Favorite Friday - Top 5 Male/Female Characters

The Raven Boys - Review

 by Maggie Stievater

 
 


   

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

This book is my favorite book of 2013. The first time I "read" it I actually listened to the audiobook and I fell in love with it. Then I read the ebook soon after and I am dying to buy a physical copy of this book. Basically I loved this book so much I read it twice in one month. This book is amazing and has a really interesting concept that I wasn't expecting.

At first I was unsure about this book because at the beginning there is a lot of information to take in and the narrator of the auidiobook has a really interesting voice that distracted me from the actual book. This book is filled with mythology and interesting characters. The seers in this book always made me laugh and the supernatural element in this book was so unique. After a few chapters, I was totally captivated by this book and I could not put it down.

I loved all the characters in this book because it is one of the most interesting set of characters I have ever read in a book. Maggie Stievater obviously knows her characters and their stories made them even more endearing. They are interesting and so complex. The four boys alone each have their own amazing story that could captivate a reader. As a set they just drew me in and fascinated me. I think Adam is my favorite Raven Boy, but that might be unfair to decide because this is only the first book. Blue, our narrator for a lot of the book, is such an awesome character. She is so unafraid to be herself which is one of the things I love about her. Also all the quirky characters in Blue's family bring humor and an interesting element to the story. I am so excited to see how all these characters will grow and change in this series because I've already seen the seeds of growth and change in them.

The pace of this book was a little slow at the beginning, but it really picked up as the book progresses. After the story is set up and the background information is provided, the story really picks up and moves at a great pace. Maggie Stievater has a way of writing that balances my want for detail and my need for the story to keep moving. For example I loved the description of Blue's house right down to the address, but her description doesn't slow the story down. There were so many unexpected twists as well in this book that kept me flipping the pages as well.

I can talk about the characters and plot and the amazing twists and turns that this book takes. Even so, I won't be able to describe how this book blew me away and how excited I am for the next book. This is my favorite book of the past year and I hope the sequel , The Dream Thieves, is just as good. I can not recommend this book enough.

Rating: 5/5 

My 2013 Reading Wrap Up and Top Books

I read so many amazing books this year that narrowing it down to just 13 favorites is really hard. These are the covers of some of my favorite books of this year! A lot of these are series and I cannot wait to continue those in the new year!

          
     

Event though I loved a lot of the books that I read in 2013, these three easily take the cake as my top 3 of this year!  

  

Also if you'd like to see more of what kind of reading year I had you can check out my 2013 Reading Wrap up video! 

You can see all of the books that I read in 2013 here. 

Eon Duology - Review

by Alison Goodman 

  

Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he's been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye-an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.

But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a twelve-year-old boy. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured.

When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.

First of all, if you haven't seen these covers in person, you should. They are stunning when you hold them in your hands. Initially the covers are what drew me to this book because, as you know if you read my Five Favorite Friday - Key/Buzz Words, I love dragons and dragon mythology.

There is so much complexity and detail woven into this story. The world building is amazing and reading about this fictional culture could keep me interested for a long time. My knowledge of Chinese culture and history is limited. Even so, based on the cover art and the prevalence of the twelve dragons (which are named after the same animals of the Chinese zodiac) historical Chinese culture was a heavy influence in this book. I thought Goodman did an excellent job of submersing you in the world and quickly describing what a dangerous world this was to live in. Throughout the story we follow Eona as she moves in different circles and different social classes. I was impressed with the way Goodman kept every part of society distinct and consistent. It was more realistic that Eona had trouble adjusting to the expectations because they changed so often.

Character development is also fantastic throughout this book. Over the course of the two books characters are tested through physical and mental challenges. Eona and her friends must survive so many different experiences and you can see the wear and tear on them early on. I think one of my favorite parts of this book was the amazing relationships. So many of the characters are so fiercely loyal which made them very endearing to me. The trails and tribulations that Eona must face throughout this story changes her which again makes it very believable.

Lady Dela is my favorite character hands down. She is just amazing and her character is so interesting. Overall this book has amazing side characters that are just as interesting and complex as the main character. I loved the all so much.

That being said, I had trouble reading these books at times. I found it really really difficult to like Eona at certain points especially in Eona. I never became strongly attached to her and I think it was because she was rather hypocritical. I know that one of her character flaws was pride, but her pride made her seem selfish and almost mean rather than strong and confident at times. Overall I was easily frustrated by her character for a number of reasons that I don't want to explain because of spoilers.

This is an excellent set of book though and I definitely recommend them. I liked this series, but a lot of people seem to like it even more than I do! They are rather long (each book is 500+ pages), and I think each book is worth the time!

Rating: 4/5

Death Comes to Pemberly - Review

by P.D. James 

  

A rare meeting of literary genius: P. D. James, long among the most admired mystery writers of our time, draws the characters of Jane Austen’s beloved novel Pride and Prejudice into a tale of murder and emotional mayhem.

It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy’s magnificent estate. Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable. Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house. They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles. Elizabeth’s sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy’s sister Georgiana. And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball.

Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered. A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley. She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered. With shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery.

This sounds like a great idea for a book. The cover alone made me want to pick it up because the design I think is very elegant. However, I did hear some mixed reviews about this book so when I actually got my hands on it I was cautious.


The pace of this book felt painstakingly slow to me for a murder story. The plot was drawn out far longer than I was expecting. (The story actually takes place over the course of about a year) I feel like the description of this book is misleading and I was disappointed that it wasn't what I expected. I also may have anticipated the solution to the mystery well before the end of the book so I was a little bored with the slow pace.

I think what I was most disappointed in was Lizzy. She was changed from the bright inquisitive character that I know and love from P&P to a rather dull version of a dutiful mistress of Pemberley. This is understandable and a lot of her behavior was correct for the time period. However, I was struck by the change and the choice to make her less lively and witty. Maybe this was just because a lot of the story is told from Mr. Darcy's perspective so Lizzy literally isn't in the picture during certain parts of the story.

Even though I was disappointed in this book, I do not want to make it out as all bad. I did like the picture that James painted of the future of Pemberley and the future of the Bennett daughters. I always enjoy seeing how authors interpret what will happen after the end of Pride and Prejudice. I enjoyed the course the story took and how everything worked out in the end. I think this is a fun read and overall I ended up liking the book as a whole.

Do I Recommend? - If you get the chance to read it either by borrowing the book from a friend or the library or getting it for a good deal, I would say pick it up. I'm certainly glad I did not buy it to read it though.

Rating 2/5

Review - Ice

  

by Sarah Beth Durst

When Cassie was a little girl, her grandmother told her a fairy tale about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth. Now that Cassie is older, she knows the story was a nice way of saying her mother had died. Cassie lives with her father at an Arctic research station, is determined to become a scientist, and has no time for make-believe. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, Cassie comes face-to-face with a polar bear who speaks to her. He tells her that her mother is alive, imprisoned at the ends of the earth. And he can bring her back — if Cassie will agree to be his bride.

That is the beginning of Cassie's own real-life fairy tale, one that sends her on an unbelievable journey across the brutal Arctic, through the Canadian boreal forest, and on the back of the North Wind to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. Before it is over, the world she knows will be swept away, and everything she holds dear will be taken from her — until she discovers the true meaning of love and family in the magical realm of Ice

I didn't review Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst because I borrowed it from the library and finished it right before I had to return it to the library. I was in love with it though. I thought the characters were awesome and the world building was fantastic. Not only that, but the ending was superb and different than typical YA books. I really really liked it and gave it a five star rating. Naturally, I thought I should pick up another book by Sarah Beth Durst. On the next trip to the library I picked up Ice.

I had a totally different experience with this book than with Vessel. I feel terrible, but I was close to hating this book by the time I finished it. Ice is a retelling of the fairytale; East of the Sun, West of the and instead of being fantastical and really well written, it fell flat for me. The characters and world building were lacking the sparkle that was so attractive in Vessel. Granted Ice was published three years before Vessel, but this retelling really didn't work for me at all.

It was also super weird and uncomfortable for me for most of the book. Cassie leaves to save her mother, but Cassie has no real relationship with her mother who I remember being essential in the original story (if I remember correctly?) Personally I found Cassie inconsistent and annoying in her loyalties and actions. I never connected with any of the main characters and the romantic element was really rushed. I find sudden realization moments that lead to sudden infatuation to be unrealistic and annoying. There were so many elements of this book that were weird and pushed me away from characters rather than being interested in them.

Overall I just really didn't like this book and found the interpretation of the fairytale to be too strange for me personally. I would recommend  Vessel over this book, but I hope to read another book by Sarah Beth Durst in the future, maybe just not a fairytale interpretation.

Rating: 1/5

Book Haul!! - November 2013

Hello everyone I just realized I forgot to post the book haul I filmed for November! These are books I purchased way back in September all the way up until now! Enjoy!

Review- Entwined

by Heather Dixon 

Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forest every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father’s grief. What they don’t understand—although as time passes they begin to get an inkling of the danger they are in—is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Luckily, Azalea is brave and steadfast. Luckily, a handsome young army captain also has his eye on Azalea. . . . Lush, romantic, and compelling, this debut novel by Heather Dixon will thrill fans of Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley, and Edith Pattou.

Hey everyone! I haven't posted a review in over a month! I need to fix that. I've been reading a lot of graphic novels that I want to review as a series so please forgive me because this is the only regular novel I've finished so far this month.

Entwined was the first book that I read on my new Kindle! It was a nice experience and I ended up enjoying this book a lot. One of the things I really liked about this book was that there wasn't any insta-love going on. The romances were genuine and they developed over time and were often unexpected. I also really liked the elements of magic in this book. Magic isn't common and a lot of it is left over in their castle from long ago so I think it made all of the events in this book seem even more fantastic and wonderful. Something else I liked was that the girls really grew and changed in the course of a year especially Azalea. (I just loved her)

Azalea and her sisters are all their own characters which made this book so much more fun to read. Each of the eleven sisters had some kind of characteristic that kept them distinguishable even if they weren't mentioned very often. The Keeper is a very interesting antagonist. He creeped me out so much from the very beginning I just wanted to shake the girls and say RUN!!!

Sometimes this book was a little predictable, but overall it was a nice take on the fairytale and very enjoyable to read.

Rating 4/5 

Bookish Five Fridays (7) - Male and Female Characters

I'm sorry I've been absent! Life has been busy and I'll make it up to you by doing a double Favorite Five Friday. These are my Top Five Favorite Male and Female characters in books.  They are in no particular order.

Male Characters -
1) Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson and the Olympian Series)
2) Fred and George Weasley ( Harry Potter Series)
3) Augustus Waters (The Fault in our Stars)
4) Adam Parrish (The Raven Boys) 
5) Captain Wentworth (Persuasion) 

Female Characters
1) Hermione Granger (Harry Potter Series)
2) Alanna (Song of the Lioness Series)
3) Annabeth (Percy Jackson and the Olympian Series)
4) Liyana (Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst)
5) Hazel Grace Lancaster (The Fault in Our Stars)

The Last FFF ----> If They Write it I Will Come

October in Review (2013)

October was a fairly productive month for me as far as reading. In total I read 7 books.

Books I Read this Month

1) Vessel - Sarah Beth Durst
2) Divergent - Veronica Roth
3) The Fault in Our Stars- John Green
4) Son of Neptune - Rick Riordan
5) Virals - Kathy Reichs
6) The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater (Audiobook)
7) Ice - Sarah Beth Durst

Books I Started this Month

Entwined - Heather Dixon
The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater
Insurgent - Veronica Roth
The Scarlet Pimpernel - Emmuska Orczy