Randomness Discussions #15: Mid-Year Reading Stats

Hi everybody! I hope you have all had a fantastic day so far. I put in for my driver’s license not too long ago! I have all my hours and will continue to work on turning and parking before my test. Today I will be doing a sort of mid-year post that is a little overdue. I am not participating in the Mid-Year Freakout Tag like I have in the past in part because I have barely read any books this year and also in part because I didn’t feel like doing a book tag today.

I am going to start out with listing the books I have read this year and what I liked or disliked about each one.

Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova: 4 Stars

So…I didn’t end up writing a review for this book but I did enjoy it! It had a Rogue One vibe to it and the characters were likable enough. However, I didn’t feel like I got to know the Whispers enough before the story was thrown into high gear and the action began. Overall, I would have liked to get to know each character more before the real story began.

To Whatever End by Lindsey Frydman: 2 Stars

I received an eARC via Netgalley and was pretty disappointed. The concept sounded interesting: A girl who can see how her relationships will end up with a single touch. Sounds cool, right? Well, the writing fell short for me and the author clearly did not know how to write a realistic teenage protagonist. The characters were all over the place and I found the main character to be extremely annoying.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas: 4.5 Stars

I don’t think I have been very disappointed at all with the Throne of Glass series. All of my babies are in one place! I was so happy reading this and seeing SJM’s vision come to light with her huge cast of characters finally meeting each other. I was also excited to see characters from “The Assassin’s Blade” make some guest appearances. Overall, I was very pleased with “Empire of Storms.”

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas: 4 Stars

I received an eARC for a blog tour that I sadly could not participate in due to finals. I enjoyed Aiden Thomas’s first novel, “Cemetery Boys,” more than I expected to and I was pretty hyped up for the release of their second book. While this wasn’t as enjoyable for me as “Cemetery Boys,” I still found “Lost in the Never Woods” to be an interesting retelling with a great setting. I love retellings and one thing that I always look at when reading them is how the characters compare to the original characters. This is a Peter Pan retelling where Wendy and her brothers disappear and only Wendy returns…with no memories of what happened. Grief is explored, as well as the weight of guilt in a younger person.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: 5 Stars

I reread “Six of Crows” both in preparation for Netflix’s Shadow and Bone and because I have a better knowledge of the Grisha than when I first read it in 2018. This time I was not disappointed. Leigh Bardugo truly knows how to make me fall in love with characters I shouldn’t be cheering for. I will need to pick up “Crooked Kingdom” soon!

Bone Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Purdie: One Star (DNF)

In my opinion, this book has been overhyped by those on BookTok. I could not get into the story and I found all of the characters to be fairly whiny and annoying. Instead of letting the reader figure out some of the details, the author was telling the entire story through info dumps and half-explained histories of the characters’ pasts. I had such high hopes for “Bone Crier’s Moon”!

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin: 3.5 Stars

“The Last Bookshop in London” was recommended to me by one of my coworkers and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, though it did have its issues. The story follows a young woman, Grace, as she is thrust into London during World War II. In order to procure a letter of recommendation for a job at a department store, Grace takes on the job of a shopkeeper’s assistant in a rundown bookstore tucked away on a forgotten street. The one thing that made this novel fall short for me was the history. I would have liked to see more of the history of the era shine through, but otherwise it was very thought provoking.

Better Together by Christine Riccio: 2 Stars

I received an eARC via Netgalley and the publisher. While this was better than Christine Riccio’s debut novel, “Again, but Better,” it still fell short of where it could have gone. The overabundance of pop culture references is still apparent in “Better Together” and the overall characters weren’t that realistic. If the author had taken the time to really develop each of her characters and give them all a unique voice, I probably would have enjoyed her second novel more.

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman: One Star (DNF)

I really enjoyed Shusterman’s first novel in the Arc of a Scythe series, “Scythe,” but there were several things that made me put “Thunderhead” down. The first of these reasons is the overall boringness of this installment. I’m not interested in diving into the “mind” of an all-powerful AI system! That doesn’t;t interest me. Second, what is it with the addition of Greyson? I couldn’t understand why he was important at the 65% through point. Third, my boy Rowan had some issues. I loved Rowan in “Scythe,” but he some issues.

Gamora and Nebula: Sister’s in Arms by Mackenzi Lee: 4 Stars

I received an eARC via Netgalley and the publisher. I have yet to read Mackenzi Lee’s Loki book despite Loki being one of my favorite Marvel characters, but I will definitely have to soon! Prior to the events of Avengers: Endgame, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Nebula, but I love how Lee explored Nebula and Gamora’s sisterly relationship, as well as their love-hate friendship. From the first chapter, I was drawn into the story. I was actually sympathetic toward Nebula for once because she is the daughter of Thanos but is also treated as inferior to her sister all. The. Time.

My Plans for the Rest of 2021:

What I am currently reading:

What I plan to read by the end of the year:

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I would like to read these by the end of the year but I’m sure I will read more than just these few!

Writing Plan for the Rest of 2021:

• Land an agent (I’ve been trying hard guys, and a few have actually responded with feedback).
• Fix up the ending to These Broken Pieces so it ends on more of a hopeful note
• Possibly join a writing group again. I was part of one for a little over a year but life got crazy and I couldn’t commit to giving as much feedback as I would have liked.
• Write more than just the first chapter of my sister story (more info on that can be found here)
• Write more blog posts. I really want to write as much as I did last summer. It was great.

That’s all for now! Have an awesome day and don’t forget to read something.

End of the Year Book Tag 2020

Hi everyone! There are only a few more days until Christmas! Branes and Noble has been super busy with holiday shoppers and I think I have Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer stuck in my head for eternity, but I’ve loved my job so far. I’m surrounded by a bunch of book-lovers and that’s awesome. Today I will be doing the End of the Year Book Tag. I did this tag last year as well.

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

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I need to finish these three books before 2020 ends. I’m at the halfway point in all of them, but “Concrete Rose” is the shortest, so I’ll probably finish that one first.

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Um, seeing that it’s December, no. I’m not a seasonal reader anyway. I read depending on mood and series. If I’m in the middle of a series, I like to finish the series in one run.

Are there any new releases you’re still waiting on?

I don’t believe so, although I will say that I did not get to many of my anticipated books of 2020, (I’m looking at you “Aurora Burning” and “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue”).

What are three books you want to read before the year is over?

I requested this one from Netgalley and would like to read it before the end of 2020. Other than that, I just want to finish the three books previously mentioned!

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

Seeing that “Queen of Shadows” currently sits as my favorite read of 2020, there is still hope for “Empire of Storms” to snag that position!

Have you started making reading plans for 2021?

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Some books I’d like to read in 2021 are in the image above! I also want to read more mystery and contemporary fiction in the coming year, as I enjoyed both genres thoroughly in 2020!

I hope you enjoyed this tag and I tag anyone who wants 2020 to be over. What are your reading plans for 2021?

“Throne of Glass” Playlist

Hi everyone! I hope your week is off to a great start. I start school tomorrow so my blogging schedule will change, (not that I really had a schedule anyway lol). On a not so related note, RIP Chadwick Boseman. Black Panther was the first Marvel movie I ever watched and now I’m a huge Marvel fan.

Today I will be sharing songs from a playlist I made based off of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. The songs within this playlist encompass a variety of genres and the playlist itself is a great companion while reading the books. I’ve read through “Queen of Shadows” and these songs created a great atmosphere while reading. Note that this may contain spoilers for books 1-4.

• Heavy Is The Head by Zac Brown Band

This first song matches up perfectly with the tone of “Throne of Glass.” Zac Brown Band is known for country music, but Heavy Is The Head is a rock song with lyrics perfect for ToG.

• Creep by Radiohead

Creep is a great song to listen to when nearing the end of “Crown of Midnight” or while reading “Heir of Fire.” I feel like the lyrics of this song match up quite well with Dorian and Celaena’s thoughts on their magic. There are acoustic versions for readers who like listening to calmer music, but I chose to add the original version to my playlist.

• I See Fire by Ed Sheeran (The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug soundtrack)

Of course this song is great for “The Hobbit” but it also fits well with “Heir of Fire” when Aelin is exploring her powers. This is more of a calm pop song, (got to have some variety in there), and I think it adds a level of atmosphere while reading.

• Human by Rag’n’Bone Man

I love this song because it works for many fantasy/sci fi playlists. You can listen to Human at any point in the Throne of Glass series and have it make sense. The lyrics, the tone, all of it fits with the story.

• To Die For by Sam Smith

Celaena would die for any of her friends, which is why I chose to add this song to my “Throne of Glass” playlist. The tone might not work for a high paced action novel like ToG, but the lyrics definitely do.

• Set Fire To The Rain by Adelle

This song is perfect for the battle scene at the end of “Heir of Fire.” It’s a dramatic song, and Aelin in battle often equals dramatic. Honestly, Set Fire To The Rain should be Aelin’s theme song.

I hope you enjoyed this playlist based off of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. Are there any songs that you would add?

Get To Know the Fantasy Reader Tag

Hi everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful day so far. I haven’t done much reading the past few days aside from my school reading, but I only have two weeks left of school before the end of my freshman year. It went by way faster than I would have liked, but I still have sophomore year ahead of me to look forward to.

Today I’ll be doing the Get To know the Fantasy Reader Tag, which I found over on Evelyn Reads. I love her blog, you should go check her out!

What is your fantasy origin story? (The first fantasy novel you read)

I read The Chronicles of Narnia before I read Harry Potter, and they’re the first fantasy books I can remember reading.

If you could be the hero/heroine in a fantasy novel, who would write it and what is one trope you would insist on being in the story?

Oof. I have many favorite fantasy authors, but I feel like Sarah J. Maas’s style mixed with Jay Kristoff’s humor would be something worth reading. As far as tropes go, I would want to have that squad that would stick with me no matter what. It might not be much of a trope, but I still love it.

What is a fantasy you’ve read this year that you want more people to read?

“The Kingdom of Back” has already received some hype, and out of the few fantasy books I’ve read so far this year, I gave this one the highest rating. Go check out my review here!

What is your favorite fantasy subgenre? What subgenre have you not read much from?

When it comes to subgenres, I don’t really pay attention to them. I guess I haven’t read much epic fantasy because a lot of it is written with adults in mind, like George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire.”

Who is one of your auto-buy fantasy authors?

Marissa Meyer, Tomi Adeyemi, and Brandon Sanderson, (who I’m still new to), are all authors I would auto-buy. I actually got my dad to start reading “Skyward” the other day! He’s been trying to find something just as interesting as “Throne of Glass,” which he loved, so I thought maybe he should switch up genres for a little bit to see if it helps.

How do you typically find fantasy recommendations? (Goodreads, YouTube, Podcasts, Instagram..)

I mostly rely on fellow bloggers, a few authors with opinions I trust, and Goodreads. However, some of my Goodreads recommendations have been really wack lately.

What is an upcoming fantasy release you’re excited for?

I have yet to read anything by V.E. Schwab, even though “Vicious” has been on my TBR since the dawn of time. I don’t know when this will be released, but it’s available for request on Netgalley, so hopefully soon!

What is one misconception about fantasy you would like to lay at rest?

I agree with Evelyn in saying that you don’t have to read certain books to love fantasy. I loved fantasy before reading Harry Potter. My dad likes fantasy and has never read Harry Potter. There are authors other than J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and George R.R. Martin who have defined fantasy, and they deserve recognition too, such as self-published and indie authors who have written fantastic fantasy books and series.

 If someone had never read a fantasy before and asked you to recommend the first 3 books that come to mind as places to start, what would those recommendations be?

I’m going to completely contradict what I just said above and say Harry Potter, “Children of Blood and Bone,” and The Lunar Chronicles. Yes all three fall under middle grade or YA, but Harry Potter has a fantastic story, “Children of Blood and Bone” has an excellent world, and The Lunar Chronicles has a unique twist on popular fairy tales.

Who is the most recent fantasy reading content creator you came across that you like to shoutout?

I’ve been following them for a while, but the amazing reviewers at Novel Notions. I love reading their reviews and they are a great place to find fantasy recs.

I hope you enjoyed this tag and I tag:

• Beck @Smellfoy Can Read
• Hamad @The Book Prescription
• Madeline @The Bookish Mutant
• You!

COMING SOON TO BRIANNA’S BOOKS AND RANDOMNESS: Explorations in Journalism: Short Essays Discussing Big Issues

Upcoming Posts:

• “Bridge of Clay” by Markus Zusak review
• “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer review
• Tips For Reviewing Other Writers’ Work

The Pancake Book Tag

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you are all staying healthy and catching up on some reading during this lovely quarantine. I haven’t done a book tag in a few weeks and I found this tag from The Bookaholic a little while ago. Here we go!

The Rules

-Link back to the original creator

-Feel free to use any of the pancake graphics or create your own, (They’re so cute!)

-Tag five other people and let them know you tagged them

The way the author described people and Noah’s artwork was very interesting. There weren’t overpowering descriptions that took up pages, but the descriptions weren’t basic either.

A lot of the characters have some wit, but Zelie in particular.

So many people have put Harry Potter, but I honestly don’t care. I have yet to do a reread, but I know I could find something different each time I read it.

I remember after reading “Warcross” I had a really hard time finding something else to hold my attention. I tried “The Maze Runner,” “City of Bones,” and a few others and none held my attention. I would eventually like to come back to “City of Bones” since it’s kind of a YA staple.

“Fangirl” is such a sweet book. The sibling relationship between Cath and Wren was portrayed in a realistic way and I really appreciated that. Not all siblings get along perfectly, (*cough cough*Audrey I know you’re reading this *cough cough*).

I think that so far, (I haven’t read past “Queen of Shadows” yet), Celaena has shown some great character depth and growth as the series has gone on. She started out as this young girl trained to be an assassin, but by the end of “Heir of Fire,” so much is revealed about her that the reader didn’t realize, and I’m interested to see what will happen next.

The plot in this book goes everywhere, and not in a good way. I thought it was just going to be a nice contemporary by a book vlogger I liked, but then it had magic and I was so darn confused.

I wouldn’t say they’re perfect, because no pair is, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Nova and Adrian together. It turns out I did and they turned out alright.

I just finished the ARC of this yesterday, (Review to come!), and the cast of characters was very diverse and unique.

I hope you enjoyed the Pancake Book Tag and I tag anyone who wants to do the tag! Note: Sorry if some of the images aren’t centered. I’ve been working to solve the issue

Upcoming Posts:

-Interview with author Nancy O’Toole Meservier

-Review of “The Extraordinaries” by T.J. Klune

-Review of “Starsight” by Brandon Sanderson

Randomness Discussions #2: The Female Teen Protagonist Stereotype

Hi everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful day and maybe you had some time to read.

Today’s Randomness Discussion is about the stereotype of the female, teen protagonist. By teen, I mean females in teen novels, not just females that are teenagers.

In the past few years, teen novelists have finally moved away from repeatedly writing “dumb blondes” and manic, pixie dream girls in their stories and writing fierce, independent girls instead. While previous generations grew up with princesses and damsels in distress, the younger generations are growing up with Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games” and Shuri from “Black Panther.”

However, while it is definitely a great thing, are we seeing too many female, teen protagonists that are alike?

Books tend to follow trends when it comes to what is popular at the time and what sells well. “The Hunger Games” started an era of teen dystopian novels and shortly after “Twilight” the paranormal, vampire books emerged.

In some ways, protagonists in books can follow similar trends. For me, it’s more apparent in heroines than heroes. We have our quiet, nerdy girls that play a bigger part in the story, like Zila from “Aurora Rising” and Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. We have our arrogant, female warriors, (which is usually a guy stereotype but is becoming more common in girls). Characters that fit this mold are Celaena Sardothien from “Throne of Glass” and Spensa from “Skyward.”

How can we stay away from these stereotypes while also creating fleshed out characters?

In my opinion, there is no real way that a writer can completely avoid stereotypes altogether. However, that’s not to say that there can’t be real, vulnerable characters. Give us girls that have self-image issues. Give us the warrior that is a bit of a girly-girl.

Stereotypes can be broken with books in general. Stop killing off parents and let the hero/heroine have a good relationship with their family. Give us everyday situations in a sci-fi book.

What do you think of the female, teen protagonist stereotype? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Heir of Fire Review

I started the third “Throne of Glass” book back at the end of October and just finished it Sunday. I wish I had finished it earlier. Beware of Spoilers Ahead!!!! I tried to make them as minimal as possible.

I’ve found that these books are just prone to starting out slow and that might be a factor in why it took me so long to finish “Heir of Fire.” Celaena is now outside of Adarlan and in Wendlyn after Chaol sent her away for her safety. It has been revealed that she is Fae and has fire powers, (I tried to find a better description). She gets kidnapped, (no other way to put it really), by Rowan Whitethorn, a mysterious Fae man who is centuries old.

Now comes my issues with the book. All of Celaena’s love interests up to this point have followed the hate-to-love trope, which I like in certain circumstances. Not exactly sure Dorian fits into this category because she didn’t really hate him; she hated his jerkface father. Anyway, Celaena and Rowan don’t get along very well but by the end of the book, they’re are starting to become friends of sorts, (more on that later). I really hope she doesn’t end up with Rowan. He is hundreds of years old and she is nineteen! For the love of eveyrthing, NO!!!

I’m still unsure about my own feelings for Rowan. He’s a moody old man in the body of a twenty-year-old. Like, I get it, he’s been through a lot, but he’s just annoying as heck.

Moving to Chaol and Dorian, I liked that we got more of their perspectives. I also really liked Aedion. He seemed like a cool dude with a straightforward agenda. Sorscha was pretty cool too, until she was murdered. I feel bad for Dorian because he doesn’t know how to control himself and without Sorscha, he’s hopeless. Chaol also had a good arc in this. He changed for the better in my opinion.

Manon was weird to me. I felt like her sections dragged and they were pretty pointless in my opinion. I did get the connection to the king, but still.

Rowan’s allegiance to Celaena at the end was kind of odd. They just met and now he’s proclaiming his utter trust? I’m interested to see where that goes.

Overall, this was slow, but man did it pick up at the end! Interested to see what comes next for the crew.

Overall Rating: 4 stars

TW: murder, animal abuse, death

End of the Year Book Tag 2019

Hi everyone! I started to write this post a week and a half ago but never got to finishing it. Now we’re even closer to the end of 2019!

We’re coming upon the end of the year which means it’s time for me to reminisce on the good, the bad, and the ugly of books this year. I found this tag on Siobhan’s blog. I use a ton of her tags: https://siobhansnovelties.wordpress.com/2019/11/16/end-of-the-year-book-tag-2019/

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

“Heir of Fire” by Sarah J. Maas and “Supernova” by Marissa Meyer

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

I don’t do themed reads. With required reading for school and extracurricular activities, I don’t have much time to stick to a strict reading schedule of certain books at certain times.

Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

I think all the books I had been waiting for are out now.

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become a new favorite?

Heir of Fire maybe? I’m roughly 130 pages in, but I’ve really enjoyed the first books in the series. If you haven’t read Throne of Glass, go check it out! It’s a great series for fantasy lovers, plus it’s unique compared to other books I’ve read.

Have you already started making reading plans for 2020?

Not really. I know I’ll be reading Dear Evan Hansen in American Literature, along with The Catcher in the Rye. I would like to start some new series and maybe I’ll do a themed reading challenge. I’ve always been interested in doing one, I just haven’t gotten around to it.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope the rest of your 2019 goes well. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Get to Know YA Book Tag

Hey guys! I’m back from vacation with a book tag. I found this yah on Siobhan’s blog. You can check her blog out here:https://siobhansnovelties.wordpress.com/2019/09/21/get-to-know-ya-book-tag/#more-13255 She does a lot of book tags on her blog that are super cute and fun.

This tag is called the Get to Know YA Tag and seeing that my blog is very new, I thought you might want to know me a little better by some of my books.
1. Favorite Book of All Time
This is a tricky one because I have a lot of favorite books but my favorites would have to be Turtles All the Way Down by John Green and Cinder by Marissa Meyer. If you aren’t familiar with those books, Turtles All the Way Down is a contemporary YA book about a teenager struggling with anxiety and Cinder is a fantasy YA retelling of Cinderella.

2. Favorite Book Five Years Ago
Five years ago I was nine😂 My favorite book then was Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes about a talented dog named, you guessed it, Ginger Pye.

3. Favorite Duology/Trilogy/Series
I have too many favorites. Harry Potter, Lunar Chronicles, Renegades, etc.

4. Last Book you Read
I actually just finished a book this morning called The 5 Minute Prayer Plan for Teen Girls. Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2963368914?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

5. Last Poetry Book you Read
I’ve never read a book of poetry but I like Emily Dickinson and I’ve read quite a few individual poems for school.

6. Book that Influenced your Life
This is tricky. Probably a tie between Hank Green’s An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, Cinder, and the Bible. Both Hank and Marissa’s books influenced my writing and the Bible is an obvious book that has influenced me.

7. Book that Made you Ugly Cry
Does it count if I’m metaphorically crying or crying in my head? If so, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when Dobby died, The Fault in Our Stars, and Kisses From Katie.

8. Book that Made you Laugh
Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman because of the sass and sarcasm from Finian, Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas because of Mort, Lunar Chronicles series because of Thorne and Cinder, and many others.

9. Character you Wish you Could be for a Day
All of them? If I had to choose a few I would say Newt from The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Spensa from Skyward by Brandon Sanderson, or Cath from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. All of them are awesome and mostly, I’d just want to live in their worlds.

10. Book so Good you Dreamt About it
Often times I’ll have strange dreams where I’m in books or movies that I recently watched or read but I’d have to say Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I had a dream where I was an assassin with Celaena.

11. Book you DNFed
I’ve DNFed a few books but most recently, The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. It didn’t have the same feel as Percy Jackson probably because I’m older now.

12. What Book are you Excited to Read?
All the books on my TBR😁

I hope you liked this post! More to come soon.

Top Five Tuesday: Books I didn’t Think I’d Like

Top Five Tuesday time! I’m on here a bit later because of school and dance auditions, but I’m here nonetheless. Here are five books I didn’t think I would like in no particular order:

1. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
I’m not a big fan of classics, so I surprised myself by generally enjoying this.

2. Warcross by Marie Lu
It’s a book about a video game takeover basically, and I’m not a techie. I was mainly interested in Marie Lu because I had never read a book of hers. I really liked it though and read Wildcard as well.

3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
I’m not a major contemporary person but I added it to my TBR because Cath was a fellow nerd and introvert. It was cute without being corny in the end though.

4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Yes, I was a tiny bit surprised that I liked this. It was about a teenage assassin but the story is both plot and character driven if that’s possible and the world is epic.

5. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
One of my first sci fi books and also one of the first classics that I loved. This is a model for sci fi writers and a staple for all readers.

Honorable Mentions:
. Heartless by Marissa Meyer
. Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

That wraps up Top Five Tuesday!