Just a quick vlog style update and wrap up from the Christmas Booktube-a-thon. It includes all my progress and what I read. It's a bit late, but I wanted to share since I had such a good reading weekend and a lot of fun.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Series Review- Infernal Devices Manga Adaptation
by Cassandra Clare & Art by HyeKyung Baek
A manga-adaption to the prequel of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices is the story of Tessa Gray, a sixteen-year-old American girl traveling alone to Victorian London who runs afoul of the city's sordid supernatural underworld. Rescued by the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, Tessa quickly finds herself caught up in an intrigue that may very well destroy her new friends - including the two enigmatic young men, Jem and Will, who have taken her under their wing...
Genre: Paranormal Manga Adaptation
Published by Yen Press
Add it// Buy it
Series Rating: 4.5/ 5
If you like the Infernal Devices or manga series or both, I imagine you'll love this. I did. I haven't felt like reading recently, but I really wanted to read this as soon as I bought it. It hasn't solved my lack of reading desire, but it really helped. These are just fantastic adaptations of the original series. It gave me all the same conflicted feelings as the original series. It made me laugh and cry just like the novels did as well! The entire series is adapted and the whole plot is included. Even if you haven't read the original novels, you can enjoy these without any problems and they are fun to read after reading the entire series as well!!
Part of the fun in this adaptation, for me at least, was since it is a manga adaptation, the art made the story a bit dramaticized. If you've read manga, you probably know what I mean. Every exclamation is more surprising and every declaration of love is more heart-wrenching. I loved every single panel. Actually I was more conflicted about the love triangle in this adaptation than I was during the original series.
The art is delightful as well. I think it is fantastic they kept the same characters on the covers as the originals. Its just a nice detail. Overall the art is simple with the right amount of dialogue and detail without being overwhelming or confusing. Actually, the only problem I had with the entire series was the format of the books is opposite of normal manga. That is to say, the books read front to back which took a little getting used too since all the other manga I've read go back to front.
I gave the first two book four stars and the final book five stars. I wish the Mortal Instruments were adapted in this same way. Right now, they are not, but maybe in the future. Here's hoping!
A manga-adaption to the prequel of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices is the story of Tessa Gray, a sixteen-year-old American girl traveling alone to Victorian London who runs afoul of the city's sordid supernatural underworld. Rescued by the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, Tessa quickly finds herself caught up in an intrigue that may very well destroy her new friends - including the two enigmatic young men, Jem and Will, who have taken her under their wing...
Genre: Paranormal Manga Adaptation
Published by Yen Press
Add it// Buy it
Series Rating: 4.5/ 5
If you like the Infernal Devices or manga series or both, I imagine you'll love this. I did. I haven't felt like reading recently, but I really wanted to read this as soon as I bought it. It hasn't solved my lack of reading desire, but it really helped. These are just fantastic adaptations of the original series. It gave me all the same conflicted feelings as the original series. It made me laugh and cry just like the novels did as well! The entire series is adapted and the whole plot is included. Even if you haven't read the original novels, you can enjoy these without any problems and they are fun to read after reading the entire series as well!!
Part of the fun in this adaptation, for me at least, was since it is a manga adaptation, the art made the story a bit dramaticized. If you've read manga, you probably know what I mean. Every exclamation is more surprising and every declaration of love is more heart-wrenching. I loved every single panel. Actually I was more conflicted about the love triangle in this adaptation than I was during the original series.
The art is delightful as well. I think it is fantastic they kept the same characters on the covers as the originals. Its just a nice detail. Overall the art is simple with the right amount of dialogue and detail without being overwhelming or confusing. Actually, the only problem I had with the entire series was the format of the books is opposite of normal manga. That is to say, the books read front to back which took a little getting used too since all the other manga I've read go back to front.
I gave the first two book four stars and the final book five stars. I wish the Mortal Instruments were adapted in this same way. Right now, they are not, but maybe in the future. Here's hoping!
Monday, December 22, 2014
Pre-Christmas Book Haul
I'm so sorry to have been gone so long! What better way to come back though, than a book haul! I've been exhausted since Thanksgiving while trying to get ready for the holidays and it is the busiest time of year at work. So I've just been collecting books rather than talking about them and reading them.
Somehow, without meaning to, I've picked up so many books in the first two weeks of December. There were so many Black Friday deals and other sales going on right after December started. Check them all out!
Books Mentioned:
From Quirk:
Book Outlet:
Better World Books
Happy Reading!
Friday, December 19, 2014
Booktube-a-Thon TBR (Christmas Version)
It is that time of year again! It is time to read read read books over three days. This is my TBR for this weekend which I may or may not stick to! Enjoy.
Books Mentioned:
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The Curiosities by Various
The Assassins Blade by Sarah J. Maas
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Review - Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Series: Lunar Chronicles 2
Hardcover - 452pgs
Published by MacMillan
Source: My Purchase
Add it // Buy it
Rating: 5/5
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.
Let me set a little scene up for this review. You may remember I gave Cinder a rather wishy-washy review a few weeks ago after I finished it. I wanted to love the book, but overall I had mixed feelings. It didn't stand up to the expectations I had going in because of hype, even though I knew I shouldn't let that taint the experience for me. The predictability of Cinder also really bugged me even though I knew it was a retelling.
So I had a few problems with Cinder but still wanted to move forward with the series. I started Scarlet with lower expectations a few days later. Let me tell you book two was a revelation for me!
I no longer have reservations about this series. Almost immediately I was sucked into this book. The beginning caught my attention much faster and Scarlet’s story reinvested me in the series. The mystery surrounding the Lunars becomes even more suspenseful and has even higher stakes in this book. I loved the new characters we added to the story in this book and cannot wait to see where they go in the future.
Overall, I was much more impressed with this book. Meyers melds the two main story lines together so well and all of the character’s voices are distinct. There are a lot of character point of views to cover and they all feel complete and necessary. Overall I enjoyed this book even more than Cinder and now I’m thrilled to move forward with the series!
I’m planning on starting Cress with a glass of wine in the tub tonight and I’m super excited.
Friday, December 5, 2014
#FridayReads and Reading Challenge
Wondering what I'll be reading this weekend? Curious to see what challenge I'll be using to kick start my reading this week? You are in luck! I've made a video all about it!
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Unfinished Book Series
There are so many series to read! I have started a lot already, but I have so many on my shelves I need to finish. It is a big problem. This is just a quick compilation of the series I've already started and cannot wait to finish.
Series Mentioned:
Let me know what series you need to finish! I know there are plenty more on my TBR shelf I need to work on. It's tough and I hope I can finish even more in the new year.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Top Ten (Plus a Few) Books I'm Looking Forward To In 2015
There are so many exciting books coming out in 2015!! In fact, there are so many books being released in 2015 I couldn't pick just 10. Since I was going to pick more than 10 anyway, I decided to just list them all. Go big or go home! I went way over this week, but I hope you'll forgive me since I also included lots of beautiful covers in this post.
Monday, December 1, 2014
November Wrap Up (2014)
This month has been a great reading month in terms of content, but a bit dismal in terms of numbers. I only read five books this month. They were all rather large books and I loved all the books I read. However, everything I read was finished in the first half of the month. Since then I've been slumpy and haven't been reading anything. I'm rolling with the slump for now, but I'm hoping I'll get over it soon. I love to read this time of year, but right now I am just not feeling it. Wish me luck in December! I hope you have had a lovely start to your holiday season.
Books Mentioned:
Review- Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret C. Sullivan
Hardcover - 224 pgs
Published by Quirk Books
Source: Review Copy from Quirk
Add it // Buy it
Rating: 5/5
Jane Austen’s six novels are true classics, still immensely popular some 200 years after their first publication. But although the celebrated stories never change, the covers are always different. Jane Austen Cover to Cover compiles two centuries of design, from elegant Victorian hardcovers and the famed 1894 “Peacock” edition to 1950s pulp, movie tie-in editions, graphic novels, foreign-language translations, and many, many others. Filled with beautiful artwork and insightful commentary, this fascinating and visually intriguing collection is a must for Janeites, design geeks, and book lovers of every stripe.
In true Janeite fashion I cannot fix upon the page or the cover that made me fall in love with this book. It may have been the moment I opened it! When I stumbled onto a twitter post that gave me the chance to review this book, I jumped on it. It is appealing to the Jane Austen fan that I am and my bibliophile side simply because it is a book about beautiful books.
First of all, the physical copy is so delightful to read and look through. The interior and pages are bright and colorful with so many quotes and interesting facts about Austen, her characters, and her books thrown in between the covers. Within the collection of Austen's book covers, there is a history of publishing and readership of her books as well. The stories of the covers and pictures are so interesting. I loved to see the cover trends based on time periods and popularity of the works. The pictures are beautiful and I found so many beautiful covers I wish were on my shelves! My favorite is probably the Peacock edition like so many others, but I also loved some of the more modern sets like the Penguin Limited Editions.
Another wonderful thing about this book is I know I'll be able to read it and look through a lot and learn something new every time. I started out trying to read the whole book, but I kept stalling after a few pages. Instead a few days later I flipped through it reading pages that interested me and skipping the ones that didn't. A few days after that I did the same thing again. After several peruses through the book, I feel like I've gotten a lot of knowledge and enjoyment out of the book without sitting down to read it straight through. It was so much fun to find my copies of Austen's novels as well.
This would make an excellent Christmas gift for any Austen fan in your life. The book is fun and interesting plus it can be enjoyed again and again. I would highly recommend it!
*The publisher sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Three Series I've Missed Out On
You may have noticed from the posts on this blog I love young-adult fiction and consume quite a bit of it. Yet as much as I love young-adult books, they usually occur in sets of three (or more!). Committing to a new series is hard especially since I already have so many unread on my shelves. It is impossible to read every series that comes out since time is limited. Plus there are always new books and series being debuted.
Therefore, today I'm going to list three series I haven't read and I don't believe I am going to make an effort to read them. These are popular series, but they are not very appeal to me or I've tried to read them in the past without any luck.
Because I haven't read these books, I have no idea if these series are amazing or terrible. This is not a reflection on the merit of the book or their authors. For me, these series are not as appealing as some others I already own or want to purchase so I don't think I'll be picking them up.
1) Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin - I've heard a lot of talk about this series, but it doesn't really appeal to me. Even though so many people have been waiting so long for book three, I haven't jumped on the bandwagon. I don't think I'll be picking this one up just because it doesn't sound amazing to me and I've heard very mixed reviews. I have the first book on my Kindle though so you never know.
2) The Selection Series by Kira Cass - While coming up with this list, I wasn't sure if I wanted to add this series or not. The three books in this series do appeal to me, but I've borrowed them in various formats from the library and I never read them when I have them. HOWEVER, I want The Heir on my shelves so badly, that cover is gorgeous, so it might happen eventually.
3) Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld - For me, dystopians is not my favorite. I like it occasionally, but I don't reach for it without encouragement. This series is one of the original YA dystpoians and I doubt I'll ever pick it up even though so many people really rave about it. I do plan on picking up some of Scott Westerfield's other books, but this one is not as interesting to me.
Let me know if I'm missing out or if I must check these series out!
Therefore, today I'm going to list three series I haven't read and I don't believe I am going to make an effort to read them. These are popular series, but they are not very appeal to me or I've tried to read them in the past without any luck.
Because I haven't read these books, I have no idea if these series are amazing or terrible. This is not a reflection on the merit of the book or their authors. For me, these series are not as appealing as some others I already own or want to purchase so I don't think I'll be picking them up.
1) Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin - I've heard a lot of talk about this series, but it doesn't really appeal to me. Even though so many people have been waiting so long for book three, I haven't jumped on the bandwagon. I don't think I'll be picking this one up just because it doesn't sound amazing to me and I've heard very mixed reviews. I have the first book on my Kindle though so you never know.
Let me know if I'm missing out or if I must check these series out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)