BOOK REVIEW: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Title: Fairest

Author: Marissa Meyer

Rating: 3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 

Review: 

I liked this book more than I thought I would. In saying that, I didn't think I'd like it at all. I originally didn't want to read it (I only did so on a whim in anticipation for Winter) because I thought Levana was a good antagonist figure by being just a really bad person and I was convinced that this novel would be something that would try to persuade me that she was actually just "misunderstood". Don't get me wrong, those types of villians are interesting as well but I also think in some cases - such as Levana's - it isn't necessary and doesn't add to the story to make her like that. Thankfully, I was really wrong in my presumptions.

The book was more an exploration of Levana's character rather than a justification. Sure enough, there are points that we get to see events in her life that possibly explain why she is the way she is, but in the end, it boils down to her own decisions than anything else that have made her so cold-hearted. You do sympathise with here in certain scenes but the book doesn't shy away from showing how messed up she is as well. In short, you're always aware that she's still a bad person but there are moments when you can at least pity her.

My main issue with Fairest is that it felt both too long and too short at the same time. It is quite long for a novella but it's too short to be its own standalone novel. At some points, the story felt like it was being dragged along and at others, I just wanted it to be stretched out a bit more and given some more depth. 

But overall, I think this book was good. I would still rank my least favourite within the entirety of the Lunar Chronicles but if you're a fan, you should definitely check it out. If you're worried - like I was - that it's going to try and make the villian a good character, don't worry, it doesn't. It's worth the read either way!

Let me know down below what you thought of this book! Also, hopefully I should have a review up for Winter soon!

Until next time!

- Jess, xxx

MOVIE REVIEW: Mockingjay Part 2 (no spoilers!)

RATING: 6/10

Hey guys! Last night I went to the Mockingjay Part 2 midnight screening and really wanted to share my thoughts with you all about it! I've never done a movie review so bare with me. Also I'll keep this non-spoiler-y since I know a lot of people won't have seen it yet!

Firstly, I want to say that it doesn't quite feel real yet that the movie series is over. I've gone to every midnight screening for these movies and it's become a sort of tradition for November. So I'm quite saddened that it's all come to an end but all things need to eventually. I also thought it was a nice ending; I really enjoyed it. I wasn't the biggest fan of part 1 (it was slow moving and while I can appreciate its purpose, I also was just very bored for a lot of it), nor was I much of a fan of the book. But I do think this instalment was still good, but wasn't perfect.

This movie had a lot of quiet moments interspersed between the fighting and war scenes but I think it really allowed for some of the actors to really shine. The performances were truly outstanding in this film. Jennifer Lawrence has always left me in awe with how well she's taken on the role of Katniss in these films and this still remains the case for this film. Josh Hutcherson also left me really impressed with how he portrayed Peeta following the traumatic events of Mockingjay Part 1. 

The complexity of the war was also done really nicely. This is probably something which is most present in both parts 1 and 2 and really comes to a head in the finale, which it obviously had to seeing as it was the concluding chapter. It's also a major underlying theme within the books (and one of my favourite ones) that I think was done even better in the movies, in some instances. Particularly for these final movies, it was a key factor to both and viewer enjoyment kind of hinges on whether they're interested in that or not.

I think my biggest issue with Mockingjay Part 2 is that it suffers similar issues that I had reading the book. This film series has been - I would say - quite faithful to its source material - and that made for an incredible Catching Fire film -, but I wish they hadn't been so with this one. The pacing was really off, similar to the book. The first part was slow and then it just spurts up at random points and feels very jumpy and not in a good way. A lot of the action at the end happens too quickly (which, again, was something I found in the book and really disliked). The climax built very quickly and everything happened in a very swift succession and then just dropped suddenly. It's confusing to the viewer and I wasn't a fan at all. There are also spoiler-y plot points that I was just as mad at in the movie as I was in the book but that's something I knew was coming.

All in all, I think it was a good conclusion to the film series. It's a high quality film and all of its faults, in my opinion, are faults that have been carried over from the book. If you liked the book, you will definitely enjoy the film. If you were a bit on the fence about the book, there is still things to enjoy but do be warned that some of the same issues in the book make an appearance in the film.

So, for those of you who might have already seen it, what'd you think? What was your favourite scene? And if you haven't seen it yet, what scene from the book are you most excited for/hope they include? I want to hear all your thoughts down below!

Until next time!
- Jess, xxx

Book Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (No Spoilers!)

Title: The Song of Achilles

Author: Madeline Miller

Rating: 4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis: A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly re-imagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, Miller’s debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights.

Review:

I'm going to keep this brief and without spoilers because I read this book awhile ago now. I wrote up half a book discussion but then saved it to my drafts and never finished it. Now it's not as fresh in my mind so I've altered it to just be a general review.

 In short, I really loved The Song of Achilles, but more on the side of emotion than actually thinking it was technically fantastic. Miller's prose is really clean and engaging throughout the novel, but the pacing leaves a bit to be desired in a lot of the book. There were some really lovely bits in the middle of this book but it also dragged quite a bit. The character development feels stunted after the first half of the book (where it was, honestly, fantastic), although Achilles' character was really successfully humanised despite this. I think in large part that humanity which Achilles demonstrates so much more than in other texts is his relationship with Patroclus.

And that is what made this book for me, as well as most others, I'm sure. The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus is a beautiful, beautiful thing to read. Don't be fooled in thinking this book is about anything else but them, or that that's a bad thing. The first 100-150 pages of this book is also where they really shine, in my opinion. It didn't take me long to be so invested in these two characters that the emotions I was feeling felt like a punch in the gut - even when I was feeling happy. 

Overall, The Song of Achilles is just a very good book and I would 100% recommend it. If you haven't read the Illiad or know the original text, don't be concerned and not read this. It's very easy to pick up without that, and possibly even better not knowing how the story concludes. 

For those who have read it, let me know down in the comments what you thought and what you're favourite scenes were! 

Until next time!
Jess, xxx

BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSION: QUEEN OF SHADOWS!

Title: Queen of Shadows

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 2/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis (spoilers!): Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Non-Spoiler/General Thoughts:

Okay, I'm not going to dwell too much on the non-spoiler-y section of this review. It's also really hard because this is the fourth instalment in this series so it's hard to talk about just this book without spoiling the rest of the series. So, in summary, I am a huge fan of the first three books of this series. However, I am not a huge fan of this book. Books 1-3 of this series introduced some wonderful characters and had beautiful character development and compelling relationships. Queen of Shadows then decided to ignore all that and make half the characters unrecognisable. The world is still interesting and complex but the characters were my favourite parts of this series and because of that, I found this book really disappointing. I would still recommend the first half of this series, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned for the future of it.

But that's all I've got to in regards to non-spoiler stuff. If you haven't read the book and want to keep everything a surprise, it's time we say goodbye. Come back once you've read the novel. TTFN.

Discussion under the cut!

September Wrap Up!

Hey guys!

So, after a really successful reading month in August, September was pretty bad. But I mean, I told you it was going to happen (also October is looking like it will be pretty much the same). So, I read 3 books. Wow. So impressive, Jess. Haha. University is a lot of fun, kids. Especially when I'm taking an extra class. Anyway, I still read stuff so let's get to the wrap up!

#1: A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis [Goodreads Link]

Speaking of uni, that's what I read this one for. I think I mentioned in my last wrap up that class I'm taking on cultures of death and grief but yeah, it's a really interesting class! And we get to read some really great stuff and this was 100% one of them. It's kind of a memoir from C.S. Lewis (yeah, that guy who wrote Narnia!) in regards to how he deals with and mourns the death of his wife and there's quite a beauty in his tragedy. He just writes with really lovely prose. I was also shocked by how self-reflective he could be in his grief. It feels odd to rate a book like this but I did end up giving it a 4/5 stars.

2: Princess in Waiting by Meg Cabot [Goodreads Link]

Continuing my journey trying to read the Princess Diaries series, I picked up this instalment and I have to say that it lacked a lot of the charm that the previous books possessed. I've said many times that I don't particularly love this series but the books are easy and accessible reads and they have a nice humour to them but this book felt really flat. It's basically Mia whining for the whole thing and I ended up putting the audiobook on 2x speed just to get through it quicker. I ended up giving it 2/5 stars, mostly because the last scene was pretty adorable.

#3: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas [Goodreads Link]

I have said many times how much I love this series and in the lead up to the release of the fourth instalment, I felt like it was time to pick up this collection of prequel novellas. Of course, not all the stories were as interesting but as a whole, the book was really enjoyable. I possbly would have enjoyed it more had I not been trying to rush through it to get to Queen of Shadows but oh well. I love Celaena so much as a character and it was really interesting to see snippets of her life before the main story of the series. I also kind of regret reading it because how the last story concludes just tore my heart out (even though I obviously knew it was coming). I gave it 4/5 stars.

Well, there we go! I only narrowly missed adding Queen of Shadows to this wrap up but you can all look forward to a full discussion coming your way ASAP. I have A LOT of things to talk about.

So, how did you all go in the month of September? Did you have an awesome reading month or did you have a bit of a lull like I did? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

- Jess, xxx

(delayed) August Wrap Up!

Hey guys! Man, I am so late with this. I was doing a good job of blogging regularly and then Uni sweeped in and took ALL my time! I've managed to find a little break to quickly write this out. I won't make any promises to try and get back to regularity but I doubt I will until I'm done with this semester (I'm taking an extra class and it is hell tbh).

But anyway, to the wrap up! Some of these, you've already seen me talk about before because I talked about them in my Booktube-a-thon wrap-up so apologies for the repetition. Thanks to reading mostly Audiobooks and short stuff, I actually ended up reading quite a bit!

#1: Falling Kingdoms Morgan Rhodes [Goodreads Link]

I did a full review of this book here so I won't talk a lot about it but I thought there was a lot of potential here but there's just so much more I wanted out of this book. I did still enjoy it but, as a whole, there was a lot that felt underdeveloped that I hope will be more fleshed out in the following novels. I gave this book a 3/5 stars.

#2: Runaways Vol. 1: Pride and Joy by Brian K. Vaughn [Goodreads Link]

This was a really fun and solid first volume to a comic series that I think has a lot of potential. The characters are really compelling and it gave me a similar vibe to the new Young Avengers (which I loved a lot, if you didn't know). I gave it 4/5 stars.

#3: No Matter the Wreckage by Sarah Kay [Goodreads Link]

This book was honestly beautiful. I'm not a big poetry reader so to have enjoyed this one as much as I did is a huge testament to it. Would 100% recommend. I gave it a 4/5 stars.

#4: Runaways Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland by Brian K. Vaughn [Goodreads Link]

I wish I could say I enjoyed this one as much as the first volume but I was left sorely disappointed by it. The plot barely developed and there wasn't enough of fun and enjoyability in the rest of it to keep me entertained. I gave it 2/5 stars.

#5:  Runaways Vol. 3: The Good Die Young by Brian K. Vaughn [Goodreads Link]

Whatever lull that occurred in volume 2 disappears in this volume and it comes right back to the quality and energy of the first volume. I enjoyed it so much more. I gave this 4/5 stars. (These are such quick reads so I'm sorry I don't have much to say about them.)

#6: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller [Goodreads Link]

Oh man, tear my heart to pieces and then leave it to die. That would've been less painful than this book. But it was pain in the best way. I've been wanting to read this for so long. I didn't think it was quite as good as I wanted it to be but it was still really, really good. The first 100 or so pages were essentially perfect in my books. It dragged a bit in the middle but I was just so invested in the Patroclus and Achilles that I loved even the slow moments. I hope to write a full review one day to get out all my feelings. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#7-9: The Princess Diaries, book #1-3 by Meg Cabot [Goodreads Link] 

I decided to just give a bulk review of these because they're so short. I absolutely adore the movies of these books and have wanted to give the books a go for ages. Once I realised the audiobooks for these were on Overdrive, I had to give them a shot. And since they were audiobooks, it was way easier for me to read them. I particularly enjoyed these first 3 books because they were narrated by Anne Hathaway and it was perfect. They're really easy, quick reads and they're just a lot of fun and humour. Basically, they're not anything to be taken too seriously and I think it's harder to read them as an older person (because it really is like being in a 14yo's head) but they're still pretty great either way. I gave them all 3/5 stars.

#10: The Death of Ivan Illyich by Leo Tolstoy [Goodreads Link]

This was a required weekly reading for one of my Uni classes so I wasn't really expecting much (also, it's quite short). But I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It essentially follows the day-to-day of a man dying but it's so interesting. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#11: The Egg by Andy Weir [Goodreads Link]

This is such a cheat to be included. The story is 4 pages. But it was really good and blew my mind a bit for such a short piece. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#12: In Real Life by Cory Doctorow & Jen Wang [Goodreads Link]

This book was a major case of setting my expectations way too high. I've tried to avoid doing this too much but I just couldn't help it with this one. I kept seeing so many people giving it good reviews so who could blame me for expecting some level of epicness? And by no means was this book bad, it's just I had been lead to believe it would be so much more. It was really interesting, the art was really pleasing to look at and the MC was very relatable but I just couldn't deem what everyone else had found so outstanding from this graphic novel. I gave it a 3.5/5 stars.



So, there we go! 12 books! Not too bad if I do say so myself. Don't expect a wrap up anywhere near this long for September, though, haha. Also, I won't be doing a September TBR because it just seems arbitrary at this point.

Anyway, I'm sure you all don't want to be asked about what you read in August so, what are you guys reading at the moment? Anything good or are you having to push yourself through it (hopefully not!)? I've just started Queen of Shadows and I'm trying to savour every moment :P Let me know what you're reading in the comments!

Until next time!
- Jess, xxx

Book Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Dream Thieves [Goodreads Link]

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Rating: 4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis: Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself.

One secret: Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.

And sometimes he's not the only one who wants those things.

Ronan is one of the raven boys—a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan's secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface—changing everything in its wake.

Review:

(NOTE: This review doesn't contain any spoilers for The Dream Thieves but might have some for The Raven Boys as it is the second novel in The Raven Cycle)

Last week, I posted my review of The Raven Boys so if you haven't checked that out yet, you should do so here. But from that review, you'll know that I was pleasantly surprised by book 1 of this series and thought it was good but The Dream Thieves definitely kicks the series up a notch and makes it great! Stiefvater smooths out some of the pacing issues I found with the first one and keeps the novel engaging despite it's relative lack of plot. It also does a good job of not falling into the common "filler" slot that second or middle novels tend to get in series.

As with The Raven Boys, this series succeeds most prominently through its characters. I've said it before but I'll say it again: the characters in the story are so well-written and they all feel so genuine and real and reading the novels feel somewhat like hanging out with friends. All their decisions and development feel very natural. Ronan definitely stands out in this instalment though, with the main story centring around him. At this point, I'm basically attached to the entire main cast of characters but I felt like The Dream Thieves shed much more light on Ronan and I felt a stronger connection to him and that I could better empathise with his character. I still can't pick a favourite, though.

Something I felt was significantly stronger in this book were the relationships. I think a certain relationship (I'm going to avoid saying character names because possible spoiler) really blossomed in the background of this novel. Stiefvater excels at subtle development. The narrative also delves into the relationships between the different Aglionby boys and gives them substance in a way that I don't think was done enough in the first book. (Not a spoiler, but I am also definitely on the Ronan/Adam ship, shh).

I mentioned before that the plot was lacking in this one but I'm beginning to think that this might be a theme of this series. While I would have enjoyed more development on the general over-arching series plot, it didn't affect my enjoyment too much that it wasn't given. Stiefvater is unravelling this story at a slow pace but I'm honestly enjoying the ride enough that I can't really complain. This series feels like one that I could read 10 books on and not mind that the plot is developing at a snail pace because I just enjoy the writing and atmosphere so much and I'm so emotionally invested in the characters.

So, there's my review of The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. I was trying to avoid spoiler talk so I think half of this ended up being me gushing about the series and possibly repeating stuff I'd already said but oh well. If you would like to hear me get into all the nuts and bolts of this novel and discuss some spoilers, let me know and I'll consider putting up a book discussion. But anyway, I'm hoping by the time this is posted (I've got a few posts on schedule at the moment because I'm busy at uni), I'll have at least started Blue Lily, Lily Blue since I just got it from the library :)

Let me know down below if you've read The Dream Thieves and if so, who's your favourite character of the series and why?

Until next time!

J, xxx

The Characters Book Tag!

Hey guys! I'm back with another book tag. This one is a super old tag that I saw for the first time in at least a year the other day so I thought I'd give it a shot because you know how much I love my characters. I wasn't tagged by anyone to do this; I just wanted to. This is the Character Book Tag and click here if you want to check out the original video for the tag.

1. Who is the best kick-ass character?

CELAENA SARDOTHIEN. I was torn between at least 4 different characters for this question but I'm settling on Celaena. If you've read the Throne of Glass series, you know. You just know. She is kickass and one of my favourite characters ever.

2. Which character do you most dislike?  

The first character that came to mind was Daavos from A Song of Ice and Fire series. The hardest part about reading A Dance With Dragons was having to push through Daavos' chapters because I find him to be such a dull character.

3. If you could date any fictional character who would it be and why?

I'm just going to go with Dimitri Belikov from the Vampire Academy series because I can't think of anyone else. Also, he's kinda perfect (ignoring how he acted in the last two VA books).

4. If you could change a character in any way what would it be?

I would change Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings and make him more like he was in the movie (OOH, CONTROVERSY). Now I will say it has been awhile since I've read these books but I remember book!Aragorn being too proud and a bit 'high and mighty' for my liking but movie!Aragorn was more appealing to me, personally.

5. What character to you made all the wrong choices that didn't add anything to the book?

I'm actually really struggling to think of a character for this but I'm just going to go with Cadence from We Were Liars because I feel like she didn't handle anything properly in this book.

6. Which character was the best villain whom you love to hate?

MAYOR PRENTISS FROM THE CHAOS WALKING TRILOGY. He is such an interesting character even though he is awful. He is basically my favourite book villian ever because there's so many facets to his character and I love and hate him. Also, just in general, the characters in this trilogy are amazing. You should definitely check it out if you haven't!

7. Favorite side-kick character with the most heart?

I'm going to go with a bit of a random one with this and say Reepicheep from the Chronicles of Narnia. If you saw my July Wrap Up, you'll know that I recently read this series for the first time (not including The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which I'd already read) and, while it did have some frustrating characters, it also had some really amazing ones. Reepicheep was one of them and he was so loyal and so full of heart and I loved him.

8. What is your favorite fictional romantic relationship?

Ahh, so many! I know this is a repeat of a book I've already mentioned but I think I'm going to go with Rose and Dimitri from the Vampire Academy series because no matter how long it's been since I've read these books, there two always my heart hurt. I also re-read the series probably once a year and every single time, there's certain scenes with these two that still make me feel the exact same way I did when I first read them!

9. What character did you think was the strongest? 

I'm going to go with another character from A Song of Ice and Fire and say Sansa Stark. She's my favourite character in that series and she goes through so much but still manages to...well, manage. I'll defend Sansa Stark until my death, to be honest.

10. Best protagonist?

Because I don't want to double up on answers, I'm going to go with Percy Jackson from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series! Percy is such a great character to read from because he's sincere but also hilarious. Seriously, his narration on the events of the series always makes me laugh, even in the most serious moments. 

11. Who do you tag?

Anyone who is wearing a piece of blue clothing right now.

Okay, so there you go, that was the Characters Book Tag! Let me know down in the comments who are some of your favourite characters and why!

Until next time!

Jess, xxx

Top 5 Wednesday: Favourite Required Reading

Hey guys! It's been awhile since I've done one of these, oops. But this week, we're discussing our top 5 books we've been required to read. While I've had to read a lot of things I've hated because of this, I've also had the pleasure to read a lot of really interesting stuff for school. And ironically, even though I'm a literature studies major at university, none of the things I've read there made it onto this list. But before I get to it, if you don't know what Top 5 Wednesdays are, it was created by gingerreadslainey and for more information, click here :)

#5: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck [Goodreads Link]

While this isn't one of my favourite novels of all time, I did like it. I first read it when I was in my last year of high school (or second last, I can't really remember because I had the same teacher for both years) and, while I'd seen the movie before (not realising it was a book), it was still just as heartbreaking. The story revolves around the idea of the American dream and crafts a tale of an incredible friendship. It really is a beautiful novel if you give it the time and I'm really glad I got to read it through school.

#4: 

Holes by Louis Sachar [Goodreads Link]

Now, this is going way back. I read this when I was in primary school when I was about...8? 9? I can't exactly which year but I remember loving it. I think we actually read it more than once so that might be why there's the age confusion. But this is such a good children's novel! It's fun and effortlessly weaves a surprisingly complex story into really simple prose that makes it easy for young readers to comprehend. I couldn't recommend this enough for younger readers!

#3: Macbeth by William Shakespeare [Goodreads Link]

This is another one I read in my last year of high school (English that year was AWESOME) and it remains to be my favourite Shakespeare play I've read (note: I've only read 3 but still). If you want to check out Shakespeare, I would highly recommend you try this first!

#2: The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien 

[Goodreads Link]

So, this goes back to when I was 13 and in my first year of high school and boy, oh boy, was I excited to be reading Tolkien in school! I had already read the Lord of the Rings but I still had yet to check out the Hobbit so it helped that it became school work. While I enjoyed LOTR far more than the Hobbit, I just love all the stories of Middle Earth so much that I can't help but love this one too.

#1: 1984 by George Orwell

 [Goodreads Link]

I think this is a pretty common high school read for a lot of people and, once again, it's one that I read in my final year. Never has a book made me question the world as much as this one has. Contrary to popular opinion, I actually enjoy this one more than Animal Farm but both are just so good. I'm really grateful to my year 12 English teacher for introducing me to George Orwell and making me forever paranoid (but in a good way?).

So, there we have it! That last year of high school showed me some pretty great books ;) Let me know in the comments some of your favourite books you've been required to read!

Until next time!

- Jess, xxx

Top Ten Authors I've Read The Most From!

Hey guys! 

Two posts in one day? What's happening? Well, I originally intended only to have my Booktube-a-thon wrap up go up because I totally forgot about Top Ten Tuesday until now! If you don't know what TTT's are, find out all the info here! 

This week's topic is a fun one with the top ten authors you've read the most from, which was actually a bit difficult because I have a few authors that I've read the same amount from as others so the numbers might double up a bit. I decided to only include full-length novels because some of these might be different had I included novellas. I'll be ordering these from least read to most read :)

#10: Melissa Marr - 5 books

It saddens me that this made it to the list because I've only read 5 of her books because I read the entire Wicked Lovely series which I really, really did not enjoy. I only pushed through because I'd already bought the entire set of them.

#9: Scott Westerfeld - 5 books

I have many more of his books on my 'need-to-read' list but so far I've read the entire Uglies series and the first book in the Leviathan series which brings his total to 5 books!

#8: George R. R. Martin - 5 books

Even though it took me a LONG time to read them all (they're pretty dense reads), I've read all of GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire series that is currently out, which is 5 books. It's one of my favourite series!

#7: Stephenie Meyer - 5 books

Half of this list is basically authors I've read 5 books from, to be honest. With Stephenie Meyer, I did consider including Midnight Sun in the count (yeah, I read it back in the day) but then I decided to only include full-length novels as I said before and it was only half the book, if my memory serves me right. But I've read the entire Twilight series (which I do not like anymore) and The Host (which I oddly adore).

#6: Rick Riordan - 5 books

This is the last 5 books author! Yay! I've read the entire Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and I absolutely love it! At some point I swear I'll get to the Heroes of Olympus series as well.

#5: P.C. Cast - 6 books

I don't particularly write P.C. Cast's writing style but I did stick through the first 6 novels of the House of Night series. I read it at a time when I really enjoyed young adult paranormal romance novels but I grew out of that and, consequently, never kept reading. I also think the series just dragged on way too long anyway.

#4: C.S. Lewis - 7 books

This is so close to being 8 books because I'm currently reading a book by C.S. Lewis for university, but anyway. The 7 books I've read from him is the entirely of the Chronicles of Narnia series, which I only read recently and enjoyed quite a bit.

#3: J.K. Rowling - 7 books

I'm sure it's hard to guess what the 7 books from J.K. Rowling are that I've read but if you didn't get it, it's the whole Harry Potter series, aka one of my absolute favourite series ever. I haven't yet been able to or been motivated to pick up her other books - both as J.K and Robert Galbraith - but I intend to at some point. 

#2: Cassandra Clare - 8 books

I have conflicting opinions on Cassie Clare but I've still read a lot of her books. Most specifically, I've read the entire Infernal Devices and all but the last book of The Mortal Instruments series (books 4 and 5 disappointed me a lot so I've been hesitant to pick up the last one). I don't think her books are perfect but she's one of the few YA authors whose books I picked up when I was 13 and I still enjoy now. Also, TID is one of my favourite series ever.

#1: Richelle Mead - 17 books

This final one comes as no surprise to me but I was surprised by the actual amount of books I'd read by Richelle Mead. 17 books! That's crazy! But to break it down: I've read all of the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series, the first 4 books of the Georgia Kincaid series and the first book of the Dark Swan series. Richelle Mead is one of those authors that I will always pick up. I still haven't got to a few of her books but I plan to get there. Not going to lie, I haven't enjoyed all of her books but I enjoy her writing and characters so much that I will always give her a chance. I mean, I even have a tattoo in reference to one of her books so I think that should tell you something ;D

So there you have it! Let me know down below some of your most read authors!

Until next time! 

Jess, xxx

Booktube-A-Thon Wrap Up!

Hey guys! So, I was kind of casually participating in the Booktube-A-Thon this year, which is why I didn't do daily updates. Last year, this readathon was the first big thing I participated in in the book community and really got me back into reading but alas, it was also in my university holiday whereas this year's was not and I had to fit reading around a lot of studying. So, I didn't get a lot of reading done. But I got enough done to put up a wrap up so here we are! In summary:

Books Read: 5

Challenges Completed: 4

So, it wasn't awful but most of my books were graphic novels or very short. Now, onto what I read!

1. Read a book with blue on the cover - COMPLETED

This was arguably the easiest of the challenges to complete but I did this with Sarah Kay's collection of poems titled No Matter the Wreckage. The picture to the left actually makes it look more green but this book definitely has blue on the cover. This book was a beautiful short read. It's so honest and the poems flow with amazing rhythm. I'm not someone who avidly reads poetry but this book really hit a chord with me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I gave it 4/5 stars.

2. Read a book by an author who shares the same first letter of your last name - COMPLETED

For this challenge, I read Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. I originally was just going to use this for the blue cover challenge but then I discovered that author's with a last name beginning with R are less common than I'd assumed (and also basically all of my reads had blue on the cover so it was a pretty easy switch). I did a whole review of this book here so I won't discuss it in this wrap up but overall, I enjoyed it but think it had more potential. I gave it 3/5 stars.

3. Read someone else's favourite book - NOT COMPLETED

I didn't really have anything lined up for this one, to be honest. Most of people's favourite books I was seeing I'd already read so I thought I'd leave it and work something out if I had time and got all the other challenges completed first. 

4. Read the last book you acquired - NOT COMPLETED

I'm really sad I didn't do this one because I was really looking forward to the book I had planned for it, but I ended up just not having the time or motivation to pick it up this week.

5. Finish a book without letting go of it - COMPLETED

This might be cheating a bit with this challenge but I went with The Runaways Vol. 1: Pride and Joy by Brian K. Vaughn. I actually read this comic on the computer but I think it still counts because I didn't let go of the mouse? Yep, totally counts. I have been wanting to check out these comics for ages and I ended up really enjoying it. The characters are relatable and the story is fun. I gave it 4/5 stars.

6. Read a book you really want to read - COMPLETED

Since I enjoyed the first volume so much, I couldn't wait to pick up The Runaways Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland. I had another book planned for this one as well but I ended up putting it aside because I now really wanted to read this. I'm not going to lie though, it was a pretty disappointing volume. The plot went nowhere and it wasn't as fun but there were bits and pieces to like so I gave it 2.5/5 stars.

I didn't know where to put this so I'll add it in here. I also read The Runaways Vol. 3: The Good Die Young and, while it didn't fit into any of the challenges, it did help my book count. It was far more enjoyable than vol. 2 and I gave it 4/5 stars.

7. Read seven books - NOT COMPLETED

Sadly, I did complete this. I didn't really think that I would but I hoped I might be able to read make it on graphic novels or comics. Oh well, next year I'll try better!

So, there's my Booktube-A-Thon wrap up! How many of you guys participated in this readathon as well? And if you did, how'd you all go with the challenges? Let me know down in the comments!

Until next time!

Jess, xxx

Book Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (No Spoilers!)

Title: The Raven Boys [Goodreads Link]

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Synopsis: Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there — known as Raven Boys — can only mean trouble.

Review:

The Raven Boys was a book that surprised me in the best way. I previously read Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater and it just wasn't my cup of tea, but I was still hoping this book would be worth a chance since it's been given so much hype. And boy, am I glad it was! Now, I don't think this was a perfect book. There were definitely things that could have been done better and I wouldn't say it's going to appeal to everyone, but there's a lot to like in it. 

Stiefvater's way with words is honestly beautiful. If you can take anything away from her books, its her way to craft the English language (and hopefully it translates well, too!). The Raven Boys has a very distinct atmosphere and I think that it is very much underpinned by the writing. Also, the book showcases some fantastic characters. All of them felt so genuine and well-developed and carry the story really well. 

What brought my rating down were two things: the story does lull at points and the plot isn't quite as fleshed out as I wanted. The story is unique and interesting but it does moves quite slowly, particularly in the first half. Most of the time, I was okay with this and thought it played into the atmosphere of the novel, but sometimes it got just a bit too slow. Also, the plot leaves a few gaps that I wished it hadn't and didn't provide some information that I think it should have. The stronger elements of the book make up for some of these faults but they still lessened my enjoyment at points.

All in all, I think The Raven Boys was a good novel. If you haven't read the book because you think the synopsis doesn't sound like your thing, I haven't seen one synopsis do the book justice. I would recommend people give it a chance, especially if you enjoy character-driven and/or atmospheric fantasy - this is right up your lane! It's strange and mysterious and at the end, leaves you wanting more. I know that I basically dived straight into book two, The Dream Thieves! Keep an eye out for a review of that one in the near future!

Let me know down in the comments any of your thoughts and opinions on The Raven Boys if you've read it!

Until next time!

Jess, xxx

Currently Reading Tag!

Hey guys! 

Today I'm going to do the Currently Reading tag! This tag was originally created over on Booktube by Charly Reynhorse and the original video is here! This morning I felt like doing a tag and then I saw that one of my favourite booktubers, Lindsey Rey, had done this one so I thought, why not? I wasn't tagged to do this or anything but oh well. Let's get started!

1. How many books do you usually read at once?

I'm usually reading at least two physical books at the one time and recently I've been listening to an audiobook on top of that. Comics and graphic novels I tend to read in one sitting (two sittings max.) so I usually just fit those in in the breaks.

2. If you're reading more than one book at a time, how do you decide when to switch to reading the other book (do you read a certain amount of pages in each?)

I usually don't go by page number because I tend to read in chapters, so sometimes I'll break it up with those. Most of the time I'll base it on time, so, for example, I'll read one book for an hour and then switch.

3. Do you ever switch bookmarks while you're part way through a book?

Never!

4. Where do you keep the book you're currently reading?

My desk (which is beside my bed) has a mini bookshelf on the side that faces my bed and I have dedicated one of the shelves to books I'm either currently reading or wanting to read soon.

5. What time of day do you spend the most time reading?

I don't really have a specific time that I read because I have uni classes at all different times on different days and part time work slotted around that. I just read when I can.

6. How long do you typically read for in one go?

Physical books: it honestly depends on how into the book I am or how much time I have on my hands. If it's a really engaging book and I have a free day, I'll just read for hours on end. But I will also just do quick reading sessions of say 10 minutes if that's all the time I have spare. Audiobooks: I most often read these while I'm driving, but I don't usually put on an audiobook unless I have at least a 10 minute drive.

7. Do you read hard covers with the dust jacket on or off?

I don't read hard covers a lot but when I do, dusk jacket off. I find them annoying while I'm trying to read.

8. Which position do you mainly use to read?

Usually just lying in my bed in all the various positions of trying to comfortable.

9. Do you take the book you're currently reading with you everywhere you go?

Yes! Since I tend to read more than one book at once, I usually just chose whichever I was last reading or I'm enjoying more to take around with me. I like to always have a book on me just in case I have time, even if I never read any of it and have just lugged around this book all day for no reason.

10. How often do you update your progress in the book you're currently reading on Goodreads?

I'm kind of awful at updating my status on books I'm currently reading. It's very common for me to not even remember to mark something as currently reading, even though I like to make sure to mark a book as read as soon as I'm finished. The main exception to this is usually longer books because I am usually reading them for longer.

11. Who would you like to tag?

Whoever wants to do it, go ahead! I wasn't tagged and I still did it, haha.

So, there you go, that was the Currently Reading tag! Let me know in the comments below what you're currently reading and how you're finding it!

Until next time!

Jess, xxx