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Okay, so here comes the party. Whee! 
I won't waste your time, and I'll just get right into my first post. Enjoy!
MY TOP FIVE: MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS
Note: These are not new releases. These are books that came out a while ago, but I still really want to read. I feel like I missed out on so much. Time to start catching up, I guess. Here we go!
For this particular list, the choices are in no particular order. I'm simply listing them as they come to mind.
5.) The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman
Ooh, I loves me an anti-hero. What can I say? I'm a complete sucker for it. Just about everything I consider a favorite of mine features an anti-hero main character in some fashion [ex.) Invader Zim, Sweeney Todd, Elfen Lied, Black Butler, this list could seriously be a mile long].
I found the third book of this series at a bookstore about a year ago; and bought it because the series sounded so intriguing! I'm currently waiting to receive the first two books in the series so I can begin this hopefully epic journey.
4.) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
I'm saying this straight out: I don't usually trust YA fiction. I think I outgrew most of this genre my first two years of high school, and the previous craze involving 'Twilight' didn't help my trust issues. I also dislike romance, and even the most promising YA novels I'd read just had to shove all plot aside to have a pointless romance.
However, I will be willing to set aside my grievances with the genre in order to read this. This has such an interesting premise (which does harken to my anti-hero love a tad) with not one, but SIX main characters as far as I can gather. That is such a rarity among popular YA novels lately that I felt like I'd discovered the freakin' Holy Grail when the hype for this thing started.
Super-duper excited for this one, even if I'll be late to jump on the bandwagon.
3.) The Birthgrave by Tanith Lee
This book is the reason I enjoy looking on the bottom shelf at my local Barnes 'N Nobles. Just LOOK at that re-release cover! *Jaw drops* Whew, that's pretty.
As a lover of fantasy, the plot to this seems very engaging and I can't wait to read it. It's also been out since the 1970's, hopefully that won't show too badly. A truly good story is one that's timeless.
2.) The Buried Life by Carrie Patel
Okay, so I came to discover this book through one of the most unfortunate reading experiences to date. I ended up buying the sequel to this novel...without knowing it was a sequel. It seemed like a fair-enough stand alone novel, until I found it on Goodreads and discovered it was #2 in the Recoletta series.
Man, and I was enjoying the sequel so much! Yet, to be 100% fair with this series, and to give it the respect it deserves, I've put down the sequel for a while. I'll be reading the books in order, as soon as I can get my hands on this one. Please, please let it be soon, I want to return to Recoletta so badly! The Steampunk subgenre is my baby. *Pouts lip*
1.) Insomnia by J.R. Johansson
Here's hoping that giving YA another chance won't come back to bite me. This book looks amazing! It looks amazingly amazing! I want it! I want it NOW!
Also, that cover is really cool to look at. Everything about this book looks like it'd be right up my ally. Who knows? Maybe this could change my mind about YA fiction forever.
...
Ha! No, I lie. I'm pretty sure the publishing world won't let that genre get as smart as it could be. 'House of the Scorpion' had such promise...and they had to go and screw it up! Oh well, more on that later.
Still, that doesn't mean there can't be hidden gems in all these grains of sand.
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Feel free to comment! Let me know what you think of my list. What are some of your most anticipated reads? I'm interested to know.
Rant/Discussion Topic: Do You Read the Prologue?
The novel I'm currently working on has a prologue.
I consider it to be the most important chapter in the book, as it introduces characters, backstory, and events that will become relevant in the actual story. More or less, it's a brief flash-forward that paints events in one way, that the linear story then exposes in a different way. It's a big, big piece of the overall narrative.
Yet, I've been fearful publishers/readers will reject my story simply because it features a prologue. Why? Why does the literary world hate prologues, even if the writer is trying their hardest with it?
It would kill me if my novel (should it ever be published) received negative feedback claiming readers couldn't understand it, all because they more than likely skipped the prologue. That's just so sad to me, that readers will skip over something the author has placed in deliberately. For all they know, it could be hurting their reading experience. Maybe it's just me, but I always read a prologue if it's there.
Good people of Goodreads, please give me some semblance of hope! Have there been any recent novels you know of that have been published with a prologue? Do readers even seem to be reading it if it's there?
I'm sorry to sound brash, but this really irritates me. It causes me so much stress that this very important chapter might be looked over by most. Publishers could reject the whole novel solely because of this. I'm very worried.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Feel free to add any thoughts below.
Review of:The Lord of Opium by Nancy Farmer
Rating: *---- {One Star}
So, looks like I'm finally mustering up the strength to review this miserable excuse for a sequel. Nancy, I'm so sorry
Just,why? Why did this ungodly late (eleven years, REALLY?!) sequel have to ruin all of it? I finished this just a few months ago, and I literally gave it away the second I was finished with it. I don't want this travesty on my bookshelf. Let me tell you, there was many a time I slammed the book down in frustration.
This was, to date, the worst novel I've ever read.
Know what? I'll just make a list of what made me rage-quit all those times:
1.) Maria
Just...Maria. Maria (Matt's love interest) in the first book was a little stuck up and nagging, but she was tolerable. Why? Because she was a child. Here, in book #2, she's 14-15 and her personality has not changed one iota. I didn't think it was possible to make a secondary character as big of a Mary-Sue as she was here, but they pulled it off.
She is literally...literally running to be a Saint here. She bases her actions off the "What Would St. Francis Do?" school of thought, and yet she's a total bitch to Matt and anyone else who doesn't fit into her little bubble of "holiness". She's constantly wagging her finger at Matt for showing sympathy towards an eejit (oh, SO much more on that later) because eejits are "abominations" apparently.
The funny thing, I would applaud this aspect of the story; because I'm sure if eejits were real, some religion out there would call them demons. However, this doesn't work here for two reasons. One, Maria once thought Matt was unholy because he was a clone; but she got over that really quickly. So, this just seems very OOC. Two, we're not supposed to hate Maria. She's the love interest that (view spoiler) We're supposed to like her. I'm sorry, but I hated her. With a burning passion.
2.) The Wasted Potential of Marisol
Okay, remember that eejit I mentioned that Matt gets to like? Well, her name is Marisol. Matt develops a bit of a crush on her and she serves as his motivation for wanting to cure the eejits. Mind you, Marisol is a mindless zombie for the most part, yet I ended up liking her more than Maria by leagues. Why? Because Marisol had this certain tragic charm to her. She's more aware than other eejits are, and appears to be able to taste a certain dessert. On top of that, Matt shows actual affection towards Marisol; feeding her, brushing her hair, bandaging her wounds, ect. It was genuinely heartwarming how he treated her. He just fawns over Maria's beauty through video chats.
At first, it looked like Nancy was going to kick Maria as Matt's love interest and replace her with Marisol (I'm down with that), especially when Maria started looking down on Matt for liking an eejit. Then...(view spoiler). This wouldn't be bad at all in good hands. Perhaps this could be the final push that Matt needs to free the eejits. But nope. She's given a hasty goodbye and completely forgotten about. The hell? Why would you give so much screen time and development to this really good character just to brush them away with no impact to the plot? Insert rage-quit number GodWho'sEvenCounting here.
3.) The Lazy Writing
After all the heart poured into the first book, this one was so poor in the writing department it physically hurt. Everything important happens "off-camera" when Matt is nowhere near the event. It's all tell, no show. Give me a break.
None of the new ideas presented are explored, nor are much of the old ones from #1. Those people living their lives in a bio dome? Who cares. The relationship between the drug nations? Let's not go into that. The possibility that Matt is turning into another El Patron? Nah, that's not important. El Patron's backstory? We can only hint at that. It's not like villains need to be complex or anything.
Oh yeah, you wanna hear how ALL this mess is resolved?
A button.
Yep, the dues ex machina button solves everything! Matt finds a random-ass button in some underground room that blows stuff up and BOOM: the eejits are all cured. Do we get to see any of the stuff blow up? Haha, you're funny. The villain conveniently dies for no reason (off-camera, I might add) and everything is suddenly sunshine and rainbows.
No engaging language is used at all, leaving what are supposed to be suspenseful scenes feeling dry.
4.) This Could've Been Amazing!
This is what almost makes me want to cry. This book, had it gone deeper into the themes and interesting ideas presented in House of the Scorpion, could've been my favorite book of all time.
Instead, what we're given is a dead corpse that's been sitting there since the end of book #1, rotting away until only the bones and a few shreds of meat are left, and presented to us as if it's alive. I don't know if the space between the publishing dates has anything to do with it; but I see what this dead husk once was, what it could've been, and I weep.
Whoever murdered this beautiful creature needs to die.
Review of:Five Chimneys: A Woman Survivor's True Story of Auschwitz by Olga Lengyel
Rating: ****- {Four Stars}
I had to read this for my literature class this semester. We didn't technically "read" it, just went over certain sections my professor wanted to elaborate on. Still, I read through about half on it.
As someone whose studied the Holocaust for several years and have heard many varying accounts of its survivors, Olga's story really does have its own unique flavor.
Sad to say, I'm a bit desensitized to all the horrific imagery in this book (be warned, the content is brutally graphic)because I've already seen so many horrible things from that era in other classes. Still, what stood out to me was Olga's extreme honesty in this book. She wasn't afraid to reveal exactly what was weighing on her heart, and that undertone is what threatened to break my heart. God, I feel for this poor woman.
The pure sense of catharsis you can sense flowing from her words in the last two chapters (we read them in class, although for me it was skipping ahead. This is the main reason I "dnf") is the most sympathetic sensation this book has to offer, in my opinion. This novel is well worth a read, but only if you're like me and you're aware of what your getting yourself into.
BE WARNED: THIS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!
Review of:Silversword by Phyllis A. Whitney
Rating: ***-- {Three Stars}
I remember reading this in a Reader's Digest volume I found in my basement when I was in middle school. I remember enough about it to say that I liked it. That's about all I can say; it was an entertaining read to pass the time.
Review of:Across The Wide And Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary Of Hattie Campbell by Kristiana Gregory
Rating: ***-- {Three Stars}
I remember reading this many years ago, but I honestly can't remember if I finished it or not. I do remember it being an alright book, however. Not the most memorable thing in the world, but I liked it well enough.
Review of:Bunnicula Strikes Again! by James Howe
Rating: ***-- {Three Stars}
This was my #1 nostalgic blast from the past series. However, I can't remember a single plot detail from this last book, although I distinctly remember reading it. Oh, well. I remember the rest of the series being fantastic! Young readers will love it, but probably won't be missing much if they decide to skip this last book.
Review of:Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, England, 1544 by Kathryn Lasky
Rating: ***** {Five Stars}
Although I read this book years ago in the fifth grade, I still remember it as a very engaging book. This, actually, is how I learned who Elizabeth the First was and even contributed to making her my favorite historical figure.
Very good for children of middle-school age and maybe even younger (at least those who would find these historical fiction books interesting). Overall, a very, very nice book that I highly recommend!
Review of:Follow You Home by Mark Edwards
Rating: ****- {Four Stars}
Well, I can safely say this was not what I was expecting. Going by the blurb, I was expecting a spooky supernatural thriller. I can safely say, that my expectations were both shattered and exceeded in one fell swoop.
This mystery/thriller is my first read from the author. This tale is spun with such clever threads that after finishing the story, and stepping back to finally see the full picture, I was astounded at what they all came together to create. The mystery elements kept me guessing until the very last sentence, and the big reveals were just as surprising to me as they were to the characters.
However, this well-crafted mystery/thriller loses a star for some rather distracting problems along the way:
Typos
- I don't know anything about publishing in the UK, but there were some very frustrating typos littering this whole story (especially towards the end). Some examples include;
"Yes, I need to talk to about..."
"Laura's eyed widened with surprise."
(view spoiler)
"She touched me face. [No, this pronoun is not used this way anywhere in the book. It's told through first person, and Daniel never refers to himself in this way. He uses 'my' in all other sentences like this]
And, as this is told though Daniel's POV, this is the most jaw-dropping typo I came across in this novel:
"Come On" Edward said, leading Daniel to the rear of the ambulance.
I understand the chapters focusing on Laura are in the third person, but this line comes right in the middle of one of Daniel's chapters. It completely through me for a loop that this mistake was missed.
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Aside from the frequent typos (I'm only showing a few, there were a lot) this was a very enjoyable read. The plot had me invested, and I found the characters realistic enough to sympathize with.
Personally, I didn't find the writing style itself to be anything spectacular (another reason it's four stars instead of five). Maybe it's just my tastes, but I prefer writing with a bit more sensory detail. This book had that, but only when it was focusing on the most disturbing aspects of its story (which, I will warn, are very graphic). However, I really enjoyed those scenes because of the vivid writing, so it's not a huge dislike. At times, the imagery was very theatrical, which is always a big plus for me.
If you're looking for something supernatural, I think you'll enjoy this book well enough; but might not end up with what you were expecting. In this case, however, I don't see that as a bad thing.
Review of:Reboot by Amy Tintera
Rating: *---- {One Star}
DNF at 21%
I've had it with this book. I read this aloud with my best friend Vrijeme, and I literally just gave it away to some random girl in my college Russian class. May God or whatever's in charge of souls have mercy on hers...and my own.
This book was a Christmas gift from my family after I expressed slight interest in it (I never ask for much on holidays, so they jump hard on anything I even smile at, and I love them all dearly). I sat down, cracked open the cover that Christmas evening, and proceeded to scratch my head in confusion. I called Vrijeme up and we were having a grand 'ol laugh at this the first couple chapters. Then we set it down for a few months (I didn't want to pick it up alone).
This past weekend, we dusted it off again. No more laughs, only boredom.
The writing in this book is so lack-luster, it was a great cure for the caffeine buzz we both were on.
Why Did I Quit?
I don't feel like going too deep into this, I've just had a long day at school. Here's the bullet points:
.Mary Sue MC An over-powered teenage MC. Everyone trembles in fear before her, although she never actually does anything badass enough to justify it. Claims to be cold and emotionless, yet constantly describes the emotions she has over Callum.
.Callum Dull-as-dirt love interest. I'd get more flavor from chewing the wool sweater I'm wearing. He's just a sarcastic joke and a smiling face. Also, the MC's name is Wren (a type of bird) and Callum means 'dove'. Haha.
.The Story is a Mix of 'The Walking Dead' and 'The Terminator' I'm a fan of neither, and the whole 'super duper HAWT' zombies vibe really feels strange to me. I don't care if they're called "Reboots", they're hot zombies. Destroy their brain, you kill them forever. Everyone has a virus inside them that brings them back after death. Yeah, zombies. Super. Duper. HAWT. Zombies.
.Once Again, an Okay Premise Ruined by a Piss-Poor Romance Why do these potentially kick-ass stories need crappy romances? If I want a romance (I don't) I'll pick up a romance novel. When I want badassery, I want to read badassery! Get out of here, overshadowing romance plot detail! You're not welcome here!
I need a coffee. I'm done. Goodnight, folks. *Head desk*
Merry Christmas, one and all!
I apologize, for the 0.00000000000000000001 of you who read my drivel. I know I haven't been posting much.Trying to finish my novel has eaten away my time like mad. Plus, it's now Christmas Eve and stuffages needed to be done. XD
Oh, well. Hopefully, I can keep producing content on this little journal of mine and maybe gain a reader or two.
Goodnight! <3
Review of:Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Rating: *---- {One Star}
I read this one for school my freshman year of high school. The main character is the definition of a "pity-sue". Rape is God-awful, but...it's not supposed to be a tool the author uses to get us to "like" or "sympathize" with an otherwise completely flat character. God, I hated this book.
Review of:The Convent of the Pure by Sara M. Harvey
Rating: ****- {Four Stars}
This was a free book on the kindle store I ended up finishing. That alone should explain the four-star rating, as I don't finish free books I don't like.
Just A Few Things I Took Issue With:
- The first chapter was off-putting. Nothing about the world is set up very well. Portia kills a monster we never hear from again, she speaks to her ghost-lover, and that's about it. Luckily, though, the world ended up being fleshed out bit-by-bit throughout; but that's only because I chose to continue after a confusing beginning.
- I went into this expecting a medieval fantasy. Then, in the first few pages, Portia hops on her 'motorized cycle' and I'm like: "Wait, this is set in medieval times, right? She's using a crossbow and using magic!" Well, I can only guess that this world is a very mish-mash cobbling of the medieval era and steampunk technology. At times, this was insanely confusing, but the point came across well-enough. It just needed waaay more explaining.
- I can't put it into words, but everything (as I said above) felt wishy-washy and hazy when it came to world building. Why do they have electricity and gasoline-fueled vehicles, but they use crossbows and rely on fire for light and warmth? Is it supposed to be some weird "in-between" stage of the dark ages and a steampunk-like Renaissance? If so, that's a kick-ass idea! But I'm not sure if it is because of flimsy world-building.
- The theasuarus is abused in the prose. So many, many big words in here that felt out of place. I have a large vocabulary, and even I didn't know half the adjectives used in here.
- There were several typos/misspellings. Especially towards the ending.
What I Wish It Had:
- I wish it were longer. Most of my other problems could've been resolved if the author had fleshed out her world and her characters more. It's sad, because I really liked the pair of lovers in this book. This is the first piece of LGBTQ literature I've read, and I enjoyed it. Tell me more about Portia and Imogen, please! Don't just hint at it!
- More world building. Yes, I'll say it again because it's this book's biggest problem. WHY exactly was (view spoiler) WHAT were all the experiments with the half-angel children? What made Portia special when she didn't even live with them? What made Imogen so special? (view spoiler)
- Imogen's backstory. I want to know more about this girl. I found her history much more fascinating than Portia's. Going back to the bullet point above, I wish the book was longer; maybe starting from Portia and Imogen's childhoods (from their own POVs) and telling in detail the ways of the Nephilim and the Gyony and all the good stuff that wasn't really explained. Show them falling in love (view spoiler). Show us Imogen's death and the aftermath it left. I cared about this couple somewhat separated by death (I adore this concept, it's so tradgic!), but I would have been 100% invested if I knew more about them before that).
- Short, but true: (view spoiler)
Final Verdict:
- I'll continue this series, and I have my fingers crossed that the issues I've brought up here will be fixed in later installments. Sara, I really like the ideas you presented here; but I'm craving more info and depth on Portia and Imogen. Hopefully, you won't disappoint me!
it's personal
Books mentioned in this topic
The Convent of the Pure (other topics)Speak (other topics)
Reboot (other topics)
Follow You Home (other topics)
Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, England, 1544 (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Sara M. Harvey (other topics)Laurie Halse Anderson (other topics)
Amy Tintera (other topics)
Mark Edwards (other topics)
Kathryn Lasky (other topics)
More...
*in all it's unpredictable glory
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Hey, I'm Scorpio. You can think of this little thread as my "Bookbloging" page (like a Booktuber channel, just minus a camera).
I'll be posting several of the following topics at least weekly (hopefully more frequent than that). If interested to hear my opinions, or if you're interested in joining in any of my discussions, feel free!
What I'll Be Discussing On A Regular Basis:
* Top Fives (Possibly Top Tens on special occasions)[Feel free to recommend a Top Five topic for me to cover!]
* Reviews (I'll re-post them here, so my non-followers can read them)
* Raves (Hopefully I'll have these. Just now getting back into the swing of reading after a five-year hiatus outside of books I had to read for school)
* Rants (These will probably be much more entertaining to read. They always are, no matter who writes them)
* Discussions on Writing (Want feedback? Need tips? Ask me, and I'll try to help you sort out all those little nicks in the pavement on your road to finishing that piece! Think of it more as a 'Writers' Support Group')
* Book Discussions (Usually after I finish a book, be it good or bad, I'll try opening up a conversation on here to hear everyone else's feedback and talk about things we find interesting about it)
* Progress Updates on My Novel (Without giving out actual prose [the fear of plagiarism is strong with this one] I'll record my personal writing progress here. It'll be mostly for my own sake, but also for anyone out there who might like to see it)
* Anything Else I Can Think of That's Fun!
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Feel free to comment! I don't bite, I swear! Sure, I might lick 'ya...but I've had my shots.
See you guys in the next post, when I'll officially be getting this party started! *Whoo!*