Losing Streak

The title has nothing to do with the books I've been reading (though there have been few). It's more about my motivation to keep up with this blog and finding time to read books. Depression is a SOB and I am so tired all the time. I hate not wanting to read books but that's what I've been dealing with lately. That's not to say I've been cooped up in my place all day and avoiding people. It's my head that's getting to me. Negative thoughts making me feel like nothing I do will make me feel better, even reading. So I've been trying to combat this head on. I know this probably isn't the right space to talk about these things but...where else am i going to do it? I'll make an effort to be more active on here, if only for myself. I have no idea who reads this thing but to those who do, thanks a lot. It means something to me to have you out there. Now here are a few on the books I've read in the past month. I'll post the rest later.

Spellbound by Sylvia Day
A three-part erotic novella
4 STAR RATING


The last story wasn't doing it for me, especially considering that we don't even get to see Max dominated by Victoria. It was teased and hinted at and then...nothing. But the first two stories were insta-love at its finest. The writing was good and the book short enough for me to forgive a lack of plot though.






Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles by A.L. Herbert
BOOK CLUB READ
1 STAR RATING

The only good thing this book did was make me hungry for waffles. Other than that, this was a huge waste of time. I hated the dialogue, which tries way too hard to cater to black people. This is usually why I avoid urban/African-American novels. I don't know anyone who speaks like these characters so everything sounds fake. Then the characters themselves, that's a whole other issue. I mean, could they be any dumber? The decisions being made by these two grown women concerned me rather than entertained me.











The Forsaken by L.A. Banks
BOOK CLUB READ
7th book in the Vampire Huntress Legend series
5 STAR RATING

This is definitely my favorite book of the series so far. The introduction of Cain took this story to a whole other level. I was always team Carlos but last book, he fucked up bad. So when Damali was getting seduced by the new big bad, I was all for it. Carlos deserved to feel all the pain he put his woman through. The best scene has to go to Tara though. She told our Neteru some things I've been thinking for a while but she is brutal, fearless, and awesome in her delivery. I hope to see more of her in the next book.










The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork
A young adult novel/realistic fiction
5 STAR RATING
NEW FAVORITE

Words cannot express how much this book resonated with me. From the very first page, I could relate to the story and its characters. It's beautifully written and so realistic. As with any book, there are moments that dialogue doesn't sound natural or a person's reaction will give you pause. But it all made sense for the story that was being told, that I feel like needed to be told. This book is me, it's just a part of me now. The words will tumble in my head for the rest of my life and I'll revisit it like an old friend when in need of understanding and acceptance.









Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith
A fantasy children's novel
2 STAR RATING

I really wanted to like this book. It had all the elements for a great, quick read. It's got magic, a black young male protagonist, and is less than 300 pages. But I've struggled these past few days just to finish this book. I was sooooo bored. Nothing was happening! Even the finale was lackluster. The story was too repetitive and dragged out. Sad to say, I won't be recommending this to young readers in my library.

Reading Challenge 2016 #6

I had trouble finishing the book on time, not finding one. There is a plethora of celebrity fiction and nonfiction novels at a reader's disposal. I only had to pick one. I was eager to read Mindy Kaling's new collection of essays. I think my friend took a different approach and picked a quick and easy book to complete the challenge. And after going through my reading woes last month, I'm thinking I should have done the same.



Why Not Me? By Mindy Kaling

I was so not in the mood to read. It wasn't anything against this book. I was actually excited to finally read it. But I have been in a literary funk and this took me a long time to finish. I will say that I enjoyed her first collection of essays more. I found them funnier. This book has a heavier tone to it but I think that's a good thing. It shows that Kaling is not a one trick pony.

The English Roses by Madonna Ok, I admit it, I took the easy way out.  I'm not big on biographies and that's what I think of when challenged to read a book by a celebrity. In fact, biography was the primary result when I began my search, that is until I stumbled upon The English Roses by Madonna (can you get more celebrity than her?)  So, English Roses, cute book. I like the illustrations. How the large eyes and long body lines were used to convey sass, attitude and poshness of the characters which gave voice to the story as much as the writing did.  I may not know much about pre-teen feminine social construction and navigation, but I feel that it is a much need update to its portrayal.  I have to admit, I'm not sure what I expected but I am delighted to say that the book was a pleasant surprise.

Reading Slump

I read these books a few weeks ago...and that's about all I've read since then. I have been in a weird state of mind (AKA depression), so books have fallen off of my radar. Anyone dealing with depression knows that it's so hard to do the things that bring you joy, even something as simple as reading a book. I'm in a better place at the moment though. I hope to get back into the groove of reading every day.

Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes by Jules Moulin

2 STAR RATING

BOOK CLUB READ

The amazing title and cover fooled me. I thought I was getting a hilarious chick lit novel. Instead, I got this...whatever this is supposed to be. Ally had me hooked in the beginning with her first encounter with Jake and meeting him 10 years later as her daughter's date. But after that, this book turned left really quick. I don't know what the hell happened but their were cam girls and club fights and indecipherable flash backs. I just felt lost reading this book.

The Damned by L.A. Banks

The sixth book of the Vampire Huntress Legend series

2 STAR RATING

BOOK CLUB READ

There were some good scenes in this book, but not enough to make me like it. I was just so over all the personal drama that was happening. And then the fact that a major baddie was killed in the last few pages with no build up to it pissed me off royally. Carlos was too annoying for words this go around. I almost wanted him to die so Damali would end up with Jose and Juanita could go away too.

Sunny Vol 1 by Taiyo Matsumoto

3 STAR RATING

I picked up this book randomly at the library. I had no clue what it was about but I was drawn to the title and the cover. And it's a good graphic novel, though I was surprised that it was a slice of life and not fantasy. I won't be reading the other issues in the series though. It didn't grab at my interest enough to make me read more.

Soul Eater Vol 7 by Atsushi Ohkubo

3 STAR RATING

The rebirth of Arachne was a very cool scene to read. I have a feeling I'm gonna like her a lot as a bad guy. That tease of a fight between the perfect soul body guard dude and Black Star has me hype for the next book. The madness wavelengths are messing everything up and I hope the DWMA students can band together and get the world back in order.

Gangsta Vol 2 by Kohske

4 STAR RATING

I was worried for a minute about Alex. I was afraid that she was actually being haunted by that asshole. But it was just the drugs. I am falling in love with the Handymen, Worick more than Nic. They are just so likable, even when they're doing bad things.

A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz

5 STAR RATING

I can honestly say that this has been the most interesting read I've had in a very long time. I knew nothing about this book before I picked it up. The cover and title grabbed my interest immediately. I hadn't heard anything about it and had no clue what it could be about. And then I read it. And it's fucking amazing. It definitely could have been an adult fantasy novel if not for the characters ages. And even then, this book gets dark. It's not a happy book, by any means. You love and hate what these people are doing and what is happening to them. My only complaint is whether I'll get any sleep after staying up to finish this.

Overdue Notice Part 2

What does it say that my post about not posting on time was late as well? Sometimes, I make my own head ache. Here's the past due blog about being past due.

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
The second book of the Red Queen series
4 STAR RATING

That's it, Maven has to die. The ending completely gutted me. I found myself liking Mare a lot more than I did in the first book. So to see her...humiliated hurt me. And Aveyard was not pulling punches when she decided to kill SPOILER Shade like that. SPOILER If I had been sitting down, I would have jumped out of my seat. I'm glad that this series is still enjoyable to read and I look forward to the next book.







The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
2 STAR RATING

Sadly, I didn't connect to this book at all. It was just interesting enough to keep me reading but I admit that reading included a lot of skimming. I was bored, plain and simple. That is, until this story quickly dissolved into a soap opera. Dead people were coming back to life, dogs were dying because of jealousy, and people feared for their life. It's like this novel didn't know what it wanted to be so it became everything.







Frindle by Andrew Clements
4 STAR RATING
AUDIO BOOK

I now have a new go to recommendation for young readers who need a funny, thought provoking novel. Frindle is both simple and complex with its plot and delivery. It shows you that changes begin with just an idea and the willpower to follow through, no matter how small or silly it seems at the time. Nicholas is a great protagonist and I loved the little flash forward at the end of the book so you can see where he ended up in life. This is also an audio book that I didn't hate. The voice actor was perfect for the story and did a great job. So now I'm more willing to listen to more audio books if they are anything like this one, short and sweet.






Corduroy by Don Freeman
CLASSIC
4 STAR RATING

So, reading this as an adult is slightly terrifying. All I kept thinking about was being that security guard and seeing a bear in the middle of a bed, not knowing how it got there. For young kids, it's a great book to have for a collection of picture books.

Overdue Notice Part 1

I have been slacking with the blog post but not the reading. I have actually been getting a lot of books under my belt but just haven't found the time to write about them here. So this'll be a two part post, probably with the second post going up tomorrow.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
The third novel of the Throne of Glass series

Okay, I take back everything I said about how slow this book was. The wait was definitely worth it. The last few chapters were jammed packed with action and crazy revelations. The throne room scene with Dorian, Aedion, and Chaol?! Epic, I was laughing and screaming at the same time. Laughing with pure joy because of the awesomeness and screaming because...well, you know! And if you don't know, you gotta read this book. It has been a while since I had read this series by now I'm back in the game.



Aesop's Fables: illustrations by Michael Hague

Book one of the best children's books of all time has been read. This edition was cute. The art matched the fables' tone and each story even came with a little life lesson at the end. I thought the stories were gonna be longer and more in depth. But this is perfect for a little child to listen to. A parent can get through the whole book in one go.




Attack on Titan 18 by Hajime Isayama

I haven't really been in the mood to read for the past week so I thought Attack on Titan might change my mood. And it succeeded. I feel like the story has finally found its footing and will only get better from here. Obviously the next volume is going to be an epic battle. I will be here waiting patiently for it to be released. But the buildup and beginnings of the fight scene will hold me over for now. Quick side note: the art has improved leaps and bounds from where it started. I can actually tell what's going on now.




The Forbidden by L.A. Banks
The fifth novel of the Vampire Huntress Legend series
BOOK CLUB READ

I'm back in love with this series. I haven't been this excited about the books since book one. The original trilogy was too jam packed with info that I lost my initial interest. But now the story is a bit more spread out and I can actually sit and read it page to page. The pacing is still a little off and the novel too long, which is why it took me so long to finish this. But the conflict with Lillith was awesome. She is seriously a worthy adversary for the team. The side plots were good too, especially Yonnie and Tara. They are my new favorite crew members.



The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick

The Easiest Room in Hell (3)
I start off on the third story and it's a bleak dark one. The relationship between the doctor and poet was genuine but also a little scary. I always felt that Dexter was holding back on having malevolent intentions towards the doctor. He meant well and didn't want to see harm come to anybody but the things he's seen left a mark on him. The ending was rushed and didn't really leave me satisfied. But it definitely had me interested to see how the other stories would tie into this one with the spiral theme.

Whispers in the Dark (1)
Now I'm at the beginning of the book and it jumps so far back in time that the POV is told in prose. It's a nice change to the tone of the novel. This story left me feeling very sad and put out. The "reveal", if it could be called that, is brutal. An entire clan is swiped out seemingly for no purpose. It was a good thing I read this second because this would have put me in a bad mood for the rest of the reading experience. 


The Song of Destiny (4)
This is my favorite one. The suspense, the setting, the ending, it all worked so well together. This is where I start to see a subtle theme of destruction and rebirth. It seems like each character has an end that is hiding a new beginning. This one is literally a new beginning since it goes back to the first book. I loved that twist. I wish now that I had finished with this story in my head and not the second one. Its' truly the best ending to this unique and weird book.

The Witch in the Water (2)
I didn't like this one. At this point in my reading journey, I had been entertained and had a solid finish. So to go from the end to the middle threw me off and the premise for this story pissed me off. I knew how it was going to end and I was still mad. The story is full of cowards and it bothered me. I skimmed this mostly so I could keep quarter four fresh in my head.