Peter Pan and Symbiont Seeking Symbiont thoughts, last books of the year

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Synopsis

"Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A mischievous boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang, the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Native Americans, fairies, pirates, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside of Neverland. In addition to two distinct works by Barrie, the character has been featured in a variety of media and merchandise, both adapting and expanding on Barrie's works."

My Thoughts

I'm going to keep these reviews short as I don't have much to say on either of them, the year is almost over and I have a bad headache that won't go away. Anyway Peter Pan...

Good points: Imgainative, the whole message and stuff about not growing up, Peter Pan is an interesting character and there are some good points and some fun throughout the story.

Bad points: Racism, Sexism, problematic stuff through-out the story that goes unchallenged and no i'm not giving it a break for being a "product of it's time", and who let's children read this book?

1.5 stars out of 5

Symbiont Seeking Symbiont by Jennifer Foehner Wells

Synopsis

"A short story

Allus Jenson is a space pirateer on a layover between jobs. The ship she lives and works in is waylaid on a barren planet for repairs. She’s bored, goes for a stroll, and meets someone who would very much like to spend the rest of their life with her."

My Thoughts

This is a short story (I read it in less than an hour I believe) and while it's short I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it! I didn't think i'd be into a short story but I believe I got it when it was free because the cover is interesting and had an interesting sounding, to me, synopsis. I figured why not and yes, I choose it because it's short and wanted one more book for the year, hey at least i'm honest. Anyway it's a short sci-fi story and it's not what you'd expect from the synopsis though it is accurate. There is a twist to it, alice in wonderland references, the main character is a lesbian, it's funny, creepy, strange and educational. I loved it and it even had me thinking after I read it! For a short story to do all that had me surprised. I really need to get into short stories more!

A solid 4 stars out of 5

When Universes Collide by Laura Phillips book thoughts

Synopsis

"When Anna starts volunteering at a homeless shelter in June, she has no idea that her life is about to be turned upside down.

Anna spends most of her summer with another volunteer, Lara, and the connection is instant.

But is it just infatuation? A crush?

When September comes, Anna discovers that she has a lot more to worry about than her feelings for Lara.

How can these two women overcome the odds when universes collide?

Lesbian romance 18+"

My thoughts

I really don't even want to write this review but I suppose I should, to get it off my chest. Also I DNF'd it at 29%.

First of all i'll talk about the stuff that wasn't that big of a deal, that I wouldn't have really held much against it or cared about. The writing left something to be desired but it wasn't horrible or anything. There were a few typos here and there. The main character Anna was a bit annoying but not in a bad way, in a goodie-two-shoes kinda way but that might be pushing it a little bit. She was a nice girl.

The reason I DNF'd it? A fire. I wasn't aware there would be a fire in the book, and it's not that it was there, here me out. I was in a house fire over 4 years ago. It took my house, everything me and my husband owned (he was at work at the time), our 3 kittens, and gave me fire-related ptsd. I have it for other reasons as well from before that happened but that isn't the point here, it just added another thing. We were homeless but thankfully we had a tent and some nice friends. They didn't have the room for us inside but had a yard, the tent we had was in the garage, the only thing that survived besides our cat and dog that were outside at the time it happened. I was asleep. I woke up to the smell of smoke, I couldn't hear the only working alarm as it was too far away. I was trapped in the bedroom. I went to the window where some neighbors were looking at the house and saw me. We lived in the middle of nowhere, a small town, and while the fire station was on it's way it was taking awhile, because of distance. I had called 911 on the phone before it was cut off..cell phones didn't work there (except in the middle of the street and the attic..no idea why) and managed to get out the address and that I was trapped upstairs. I have hemangioma on my leg and it's big, the second story jump would have killed me, I just had to hope they got there in time. Someone said they'd catch me but I don't think that would've worked and I was too scared. Smoke was in the room and it was hard to breathe. A neighbor saw once I got to the window (I might be going a bit all over the place here it's hard to talk about) and yelled asking if someone had a ladder.

He took a ladder, put it to the window, came up and got me. It was more complicated then that. I couldn't think straight, was only worried about the fact I was naked minus underwear (he took the sheet off the bed, wrapped me up in it, picked me up and shoved me through the window because I couldn't think myself or comprehend at this point what was really going on and we couldn't see much. I could see his feet, that was it but it wasn't dawning on me at the time that ment the room was filled with smoke. The lack of oxygen, trauma and shock don't let you think real well. After I got down the ladder and oxygen was making it's way to my brain I was able to start thinking clearly again. My BP was through the roof (and I never have issues with it). Shock, trauma, nightmares and panic attacks followed in time. I am currently still on Trazadone so I can sleep. Drowsiness is a side effect but it's for more than that. The nightmares are much fewer now than they were 4 years ago. I am better than I was but I am not perfect, not sure I ever will be. I know I got lucky, i'm still here thanks to my neighbor. The firemen said the way it sounded I was about to pass out from the smoke when he shoved me through the window. After we got out, barely, actual fire blasted through the window. Eventually they got it under control but everything was destroyed. It wasn't until after we got out that the firemen arrived. If it wasn't for my neighbor, who was not a firefighter, I would not still be here. But that doesn't mean i'm unharmed just because I made it out physically intact. Also friends helped us get back on our feet.

Here is a link to an article about it http://www.nj.com/cumberland/voices/index.ssf/2012/09/picking_on_tara_the_rest_of_th.html

In regards to the book, the fire, an incident that happens to people everyday and is obviously trauma-inducing, I don't know the statistics but I know i'm not alone, it was used as a plot device. No justice was done to it, it wasn't believable, obviously not researched, there was that kiss shortly after used in such a way that was blatantly offensive. Using an incident that happens to real people and will obviously be traumatic in a such a way, as a plot device, with no research done to it to make sure it's done well, is just not right. I can see now why people hate rape being used as a plot device, this is the same way.

I'm not against these things being in books, they happen and books should reflect that. I'm against them being used as a plot device in this way with no thought to the people who go through this stuff in real life and not making sure it's done well. Take the extra time and effort to get stuff right and done with justice, not just as an offensive plot device. With the internet it's easier than ever. Think when you're writing traumatic incidents. Research, talk to people who have been through it, make sure it's not just a badly written plot device. This goes for a lot more than this one thing. If it can happen in real life and does, and can obviously cause trauma in people, please make the extra effort. It will be worth it.

Not to mention that the love interest was much older, married and unaware that it was the MC's 18th birthday, she shortly apologized saying she shouldn't have kissed a minor. She didn't because birthday but she didn't know and felt bad until the MC told her. No idea if she felt bad for cheating on her husband, I didn't get to that part. I am assuming she did and maybe the rest of the book is alright, I have no idea as I can not push myself to finish it. I tried, I really did but I just couldn't take it. My chest was hurting and filling me with rage, I had to DNF it. 1 star because I can't give it less.

Harry Potter and the cursed child parts 1 & 2 book thoughts

The Synopsis

"The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places."

My Thoughts

Let me start by saying these are just my opinions. If you liked or loved the book that's fine and i'm glad you enjoyed it. I wish I did too.

Also I wasn't allowed to read Harry Potter growing up, even though i'd have been the perfect age. Why? Because magic. Apparently magic in a middle grade fantasy book is devil worship that will send the reader to hell or something. Or at least according to some people. I am not trying to attack any religion or belief, in any belief there will be different people, you can't paint all people in any group with the same brush, I get that. I'm just explaining that I couldn't read Harry Potter growing up to explain why I don't have any nostalgia factor for Harry Potter like many people do and maybe that's a factor in my feelings towards this book. I read the original 7 HP books last year. I love them! I also watched the movies afterwards, also great! I found out i'm a Hufflepuff and am proud. :) Also nostalgia isn't necessarily a bad thing. I have nostalgia with goosebumps for example.

Anyway, now that that's out the way, these are just my opinions and nothing more, let's get to it..SPOILERS AHEAD! And ranting.

Stuff breaks canon in the original Harry Potter books, opens up plot holes in the original series (both to do with time and time turners), characters are very out of character even when accounting for the 20 years that have passed. The writing left stuff to be desired and yes I know it was a script but I don't think even good acting could save it, for me at least. I was bored and didn't care for most of the book, which says quite a lot. Stuff was completely unbelievable. Cedric, a good guy in hufflepuff, which believes in fairness, becomes evil from losing and being humiliated in the triwizard tournament? Like I know that isn't pleasant but I can't believe Cedric would become a death eater over that...that just seems ridiculous. He was such a good person.

The whole book felt like badly written fan fiction by people who don't really know much about the first 7 Harry Potter books.

Also if Delphi was born just before the Battle of Hogwarts? Bellatrix would have been hella pregnant when the Golden Trio were taken to Malfoy Manor around Easter. Also Draco would have known because he was living there at the time. I also call bullshit on Harry, having the abusive childhood he had, saying such a horrible thing to his son and not having a decent father figure to go off of. Arthur Weasley? Sirius Black? Remus Lupin? Rubeus Hagrid? Also...speaking of Lupin..where was Teddy?

ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE QUEERBAITING?! A serious case of queerbaiting between Albus and Scorpius and at the end, when there was a chance for a tiny bit of diversity in it, ya fucked it all up! Like...what?!

What is up with that Trolley witch?!

The continued romanticizing of Severus Snape. Loving a woman who didn't love you doesn't excuse years of bullying children, including hers! Doing one good thing doesn't excuse years of child abuse. Being bullied doesn't excuse becoming a bully. Just fucking stop it already! I hate Snape with a passion, he is not a good person! He is a horrible teacher, a bully, and certainly not sentimental!

McGonagall was a human welcome mat! The sass explosion, take no bullshit from anyone she used to be? GONE! I can not believe she'd become a welcome mat!

And that isn't quite all of it. I just have so many issues with this book. It was not written by J.K and it shows, my god does it show!

There were good points. A couple nice lines, some funny moments and even some emotion from me at certain points in the story. I really liked Albus and Scorpius. Scorpius is a beautiful ray of sunshine and deserves no part of this nonsense. There were some nice messages in there too but it's so bogged down with all the nonsense around it..I just..I can't even..

This book is just a hot mess, and I gave it 1.5 stars. The half a star for scorpius and what little good I found in this book.

This Full House by Virginia Euwer Wolff Book Thoughts

The Synopsis

"LaVaughn has made it through the projects, she's gotten over heartbreak, she's grown up, and now she might finally have her ticket to college. She believes that she's keeping alert to all possibilities. But discoveries she makes during her senior year in high school disturb everything in her small universe. And in an effort to bring together people who should love each other, she jeopardizes the one prize she has sought her whole life long.

When do you know whether you're doing the right thing? What happens when you can't find a way to make lemonade out of lemons?"

My Thoughts

This is the third and final book in the "Make Lemonade" trilogy. A contemporary Young Adult trilogy written in verse, and still very powerful and heart-wrenching, with important messages on a number of topics (education, poverty, teen pregnancy, religion (and not preachy) etc.) in an accessible way. I loved the first 2 so of course I wanted to read the finale!

Sadly I didn't love it as much as the first two but I still enjoyed it a lot. The plot had some too convenient and somewhat unbelievable aspects too it, though it was all still ultimately touching and there were tears. The pacing was mostly good, it's written in verse so it doesn't take as long to read as the length of the book might imply, but there is a lot of science terms in it that, frankly I could have skimmed. They had a point but I don't personally feel like it took all those pages of it to make it.

I still love the characters and the way LaVaughn has grown over the course of the trilogy. LaVaughn really matures over time, it starts out I believe when she is a Freshmen and by the end she's a senior in High school and in those years she does mature and grow up while still retaining her personality. I loved seeing that! I do love Jolly and the other characters as well. They are all so resilient and caring. They don't always have great lives, in fact quite often the opposite, and no they don't always make great decisions and stuff doesn't always work out well, but they try, they care and they are resilient. This trilogy has many great messages in it as well.

Even not loving the last book as much i'd still recommend this trilogy...to well everyone really. It didn't initially sound like my cup of tea and I ended up loving it! Especially would recommend to teens, it's who it's written for and has many great messages about hard and real life topics and does make you think, while being a very entertaining read.

I gave this last one a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The Willows by Algernon Blackwood Book Thoughts

The Synopsis

"Two friends are midway on a canoe trip down the Danube River. Throughout the story Blackwood personifies the surrounding environment—river, sun, wind—and imbues them with a powerful and ultimately threatening character. Most ominous are the masses of dense, desultory, menacing willows, which "moved of their own will as though alive, and they touched, by some incalculable method, my own keen sense of the horrible."
"The Willows" is one of Algernon Blackwood's best known short stories. American horror author H.P. Lovecraft considered it to be the finest supernatural tale in English literature.[1] "The Willows" is an example of early modern horror and is connected within the literary tradition of weird fiction."

My Thoughts

I read this book as a group read for a group I am in on Goodreads, a horror group called "Horror Aficionados". And I am glad that I did.

It's a short book and an atmospheric creepy story. It takes place in some sort of forest area. The Danube River runs through it, islands that change and whispering Willows. Blackwood does a great job at being descriptive and really it's the atmosphere that holds the pull in the story. Two men are canoeing down the river and end up in that place when things take a turn for the worse and things get creepy. It was slow to start for me but quickly picked up the pace and pulled me in.

I really did enjoy the characters, my favorite though being the one that tells the story. Personally I found him relate-able in how stuff was making him feel and his thought process. I found both the men believable.

The writing, in addition to being atmospheric, also held a few nice quotes in it.

This story did make me think a little bit but mostly it was an entertaining and creepy story. I found it easy to read as well.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes creepy atmospheric books or wants to read an older horror classic, or just wants a quick read and likes a haunting story.

I gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Book Thoughts

The Blurb

"This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes."

My Thoughts

That was an intense ride! This is a heart-breaking sci-fi/romance book. It has loss, survival, courage, heart-break, a crazy AI, space war, and a deadly virus. The way it is formatted makes it quicker to read than expected, but still very readable. It hooked me from the first page, seriously the last 2 lines on the first page had me hooked, and it kept me. It had me feeling like I was choking up and there were plenty of tears.

It's a collection of documents that sheds light on the truth of a catastrophic event that leads to terrifying tragedy. There are IM's, Journal entries, psychiatric evaluations, somebody describing a surveillance (not professional lol), diagrams and more. The diagrams make it easier to imagine what is going on. I honestly loved the formatting, and wasn't sure if I would before I got into it but I loved how it was told, readable, easy to fly through, and still very impactful, getting the message across without unnecessary stuff.

I adored the characters, especially the main character Kady. She is one awesome, bad-ass heroine! She was very relatable as well, her thoughts, actions and the way she felt. She dealt with tough circumstances in an amazing way! Tough, Loving, Honorable. Also every character did what they thought was best with the information they had at the time. Sometimes you will love them, sometimes you'll hate them, but they did the best they could. There is also a great mix of protaganists and antagonists.

I also want to point out i'm writing this review a day after having read it and i'm still putting pieces together from what I read like "Oh!" I guess they are called easter eggs? I'm not sure but I love it when a book can do this, make me think about it for quite awhile afterwards, putting together all the pieces and making an impact on me after i'm done with it. It's wonderful! I was initially worried about all the hype surrounding this book, but I definitely understand it now!

I was on the edge of my seat reading this and I can't wait to pick up the next book! I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Sandman by William W. Johnstone Book Thoughts

The Blurb

"Paul Kelly had a very big temper for such a small boy. And when other children told on him, he made sure they were, very, very sorry. And then he discovered that when he didn't like someone, he could make it so he would never have to see them again."

My thoughts

I was given a PDF of this book for an honest review by Netgalley.

This book was published in 1988, i'm not sure why it's on netgalley as a new release, but it sounded interesting to me so I figured why not. Horror, evil child, seeing reviews mention zombies, sounds like my cup of tea!

Sadly I was disappointed, though I wouldn't call it a bad book, it just ended up "meh" to me really. Then again I also ended up trying to read it during a trying week in real life which may have affected it.

I was expecting something different having read the blurb but I wouldn't say the blurb is wrong, just really vague, which can be a good thing going into a book not knowing much. There are zombies, voodoo, a devil-child, weird sand-creatures, and stuff of that nature.

Some parts of the book rubbed me the wrong way, like the way the main bad voodoo people are described all the time, the incessant need to say "nakedness" all the time, some things that seemed to be referred to as satanistic like music and such that didn't seem necessary and more like the author's opinions on harmless things as satanic. Possibly more that I can't remember.

I didn't care that much for the characters or the story for the most part. Parts of it were interesting. Warning it can be gross, but personally I don't mind that. The writing wasn't that great either and at times was rather annoying.

All that said I did enjoy it to a degree, parts of it anyway. I didn't hate it but didn't really enjoy it either. Ultimately I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. If it sounds like your cup of tea by all means check it out and see what you think for yourself.

I talk more in depth about it in my recent reads video Here

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Away from the Dark (The Light #2) by Aleatha Romig Book Thoughts

The Blurb

"Nine months ago, Sara Adams awoke with no memory. The man holding her hand told her she’s a member of The Light, a tight-knit religious group led by the terrifying and charismatic Father Gabriel. As a woman in the community of The Light, her duty is to be unquestionably obedient and to submit to the will of her husband.

But as Sara’s memory starts to return and she remembers her past, she sees that everything she’s been told is a lie. The Light is an insidious and dangerous organization, and its corrupting influence reaches well beyond the confines of the remote campus where Sara is being held.

With everything at stake, Sara struggles to sort out her true memories from her indoctrination. The desire to escape consumes her, but who can she trust? And which other followers of The Light were forced into this life, brainwashed to believe they belonged? The more she remembers, the more it becomes clear that Jacob, the man who calls himself her husband, is keeping shattering secrets of his own.

But Sara cannot flee alone, leaving innocents behind. She must fight to extinguish The Light."

My Thoughts

Wow that was one hell of a ride! This is book #2 in The Light Duology. I got both of them from netgalley for an honest review, so much thanks to the publisher!

Sara now sees deceit everywhere she turns. Who can she trust as she tries to put reality and the pieces of her life back together?

Jacob is willing to risk everything he's worked for to keep his wife safe from harm, even when it means having to become the monster she fears most. Keeping her alive and safe is his priority, but at what cost?

There are lies, mystery, deciet, gray-areas out the wazoo, stuff isn't black and white. Trying to figure out the truth keeps bringing up more puzzle pieces...and the truth is more horrifying than the lies.

There are heightened emotions, lots of suspense, you never know what is going to happen next or what new truth will be revealed. This was a much faster paced read than the first one and it completely sucked me in.

It is told from a few different POV's which makes it easier to process the huge and complex information coming at you. I tend to get confused easily but as puzzle pieces and information fell into place I was able to follow along, even though the plot is very complex and fast-paced. The multiple POV's really helped with this.

I loved how Jacob and Sara's relationship was not immature. They managed to make choice decisions with little to no added drama. It's a messed up world they live in, where greed and power run amok.

Honestly this is seriously making me think, rather thought-provoking with real life situations and frightening in a very real way. I am struggling to not overthink it...because it is just fiction after all...right?

This duology has messed with my mind and emotions in the best possible way! It has made me question things I thought I knew but didn't and obliterated a clear sense of right and wrong with gray-areas. The characters and plot were very well developed and complex. There were many times I was talking out loud to the book as I was reading. It was an awesome reading experience and I definitely want to check out her other books!

I don't want to say too much, this is a story you have to just jump into and experience for yourself! Highly recommend this mystery/thriller duology! 5 out of 5 stars from me and a new favorite!

A Feast of Sorrows by Angela Slatter Book Thoughts

The Blurb

"A Feast of Sorrows—Angela Slatter’s first U.S. collection—features twelve of the World Fantasy and British Fantasy Award-winning Australian author’s finest, darkest fairy tales, and adds two new novellas to her marvelous cauldron of fiction.

Stories peopled by women and girls—fearless, frightened, brave, bold, frail, and fantastical—who take the paths less traveled by, accept (and offer) poisoned apples, and embrace transformation in all its forms. Reminiscent of Angela Carter at her best, Slatter’s work is both timeless and fresh: fascinating new reflections from the enchanted mirrors of fairy tales and folklore."

My Thoughts

A very entertaining read! Dark and disturbing fairy-tales with their plots/characters interwoven. Trigger warnings for infanticide/miscarriages/children being stillborn. Rape, both attempted and successful. Incest, both attempted and successful. Bestiality of a kind, necrophilia of a kind. Violence and pedophilia. Most of the above happens off-screen as it were, but it is talked about, mentioned and hinted at.

An awesome set of stories of vengeance and good vs. evil in fairy-tale settings. Good may indeed win at the end but evil gets in a lot of good hits first.

The continuity was great! The stories take place in the same world but at different times and locations.

I loved the complexity of the characters and heroines. They may (or may not) be good and clever like in most traditional fairy tales but they are also scared, angry, at times evil, determined, loving etc. They're very complex, sometimes unlikeable, with varied motives and worldviews.

The collection includes: (With what I rated each beside them)
1. Sourdough 5 stars
2. Dresses, Three 3.75 stars
3. Bluebeard's Daughter 4.5 stars
4. The Jacaranda Wife 5 stars
5. Light as Mist, Heavy as Hope 5 stars
6. The Coffin-Maker's Daughter 3.5 stars
7. By the Weeping Gate 2.75 stars
8. St. Dymphna's School for Poison Girls 4 stars
9. By My Voice I Shall Be Known 3 stars
10. Sister, Sister 5 stars
11. The Badger Bride 3.75 stars
12. The Tallow-Wife 4.5 stars
13. What Shines Brightest Burns Most Fiercely 4 stars
14. Bearskin 3.75 stars

Averaged together is 4.11 stars, which is incredibly high for an anthology for me!

Oh and I got this as an Ebook from Netgalley.

Killer Pizza: Vampire Stakes by Greg Taylor Book Thoughts (Book #3 in Killer Pizza Trilogy)

The Blurb

"When Toby Magill, now a veteran of Killer Pizza’s underground Monster Hunting Organization, makes the chilling discovery that vampires have invaded the small town of Raven's Run, he and his fellow Monster Combat Officers, Annabel and Strobe, have no time to lose. They must defeat the undead creatures before their numbers spread. But in this action packed third Killer Pizza adventure, the KP teens find themselves up against a supernatural enemy far more dangerous than any they have faced so far.

The challenges - including a midnight battle in an unearthly cemetery, a creepy, abandoned mansion and a beautiful but very lethal young vampire - are many. Can the MCOs prevail? Or will their perilous mission prove to be their last? Anything is possible in the deadly monster universe of Killer Pizza!"

My Thoughts

I unfortunately had something horrible happen in real life while I was reading this book that put a damper on it for me. Hopefully that doesn't bring the book down, as that isn't the books fault, but it might be bringing it down anyway. Anyway...

This is another great action-packed book in the Killer Pizza trilogy! The last one sadly as far as I am aware. I loved getting to know the characters even more and seeing their interactions with each other and life in general. The plot was pretty fast-paced, it's a quick easy read and full of action scenes. I had a few issues while reading the book but some of them were addressed in it, all pretty minor (to me). It still has that same cheesy feel to it but to me that's a guilty pleasure read, only I don't feel guilty about it because why should I?

Toby, the main character, goes through some character development which for the most part I loved. If real life hadn't messed me up (my cat passed away in an accident) i'm sure this would have immersed me much more and sucked me just like the first 2. If you've read and enjoyed the first 2 I think you'll enjoy this last book. I do wish we had more at the end though...it kind of left off a bit more open ended than I would have liked but over all I am satisfied with the journey these books took me on.

And why is this last book on kindle only? I mean I have a tablet that allows me to use the Amazon kindle app but having the first 2 in paperback just feels...weird to have this one kindle plus that means if someone doesn't have an Ereader of some sort, they are out of luck. Though reading stuff at the end of this book seems to show this one wasn't even planned initially so it may not be completely necessary but if you love the first 2 generally people would want to pick up the next book, only to find out...they can't? Sorry that's an odd gripe I guess.

Overall I enjoyed it and gave it 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Killer Pizza: The Slice by Greg Taylor Book Thoughts (Book #2 in Killer Pizza Trilogy)

The Blurb

"Four months after they discover that their new place of employment, Killer Pizza, was a front for an underground Monster Hunting Organization, Toby and his fellow rookie Monster Combat Officers, Annabel and Strobe, have been invited to New York City to tour KP Headquarters. But the exclusive tour is cut short when a monster emergency sends the trio off on a secret mission delivering Calanthe, a beautiful 14-year-old, defecting monster with serpent-like abilities, into the Monster Protection Program. It seems like an easy assignment until the teens realize Calanthe is the sacrificial offering in a ceremony set to happen in a few days and her people will stop at nothing to get her back!"

My Thoughts

This is a very fast-paced and action-packed book! It still has some R.L.Stine and Buffy vibes for me. I loved seeing more of the characters, especially Strobe, and finding a new character to love, Calanthe. It has a lot of action in it's pages and feels more like an action book than a horror book to me personally but I loved it just the same!

It can be cheesy at times, and I saw another review mentioning that it does some telling rather than showing and explaining what that ment, which is a fair point (I didn't know what that ment before really). I rolled my eyes a couple times but it didn't personally bother me, I know it might to others though. I love me some cheesy action-packed horror book, but of course it's not everyone's cup of tea, but if it is yours ala Goosebumps maybe i'd recommend it! It does have a nice little message about choosing your own destiny in there too.

The characters are fleshed out to me, continuing on from the first book in the trilogy. The pacing is great. The writing is a bit cheesy in areas but for the most part I loved it and nothing bothered me too much. I gave it 4.75 out of 5 stars.

And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich Book Thoughts

The Blurb

"When Silla and her little sister, Nori, escape London and their abusive father, Aunt Cath's country house feels like a safe haven. Leaving the smog and fear behind, the girls have the love and freedom they never had in their violent home. But slowly, ever so slowly, things begin to unravel.

Aunt Cath locks herself in the attic and spends day and night pacing; every day the surrounding forest inches slowly towards the house; a mysterious boy appears from the enclosing wood offering friendship, and Nori claims that a man watches them from the dark forest. A man with no eyes who creeps ever closer."

My Thoughts

First I think I'm supposed to say I read an uncorrected proof but I didn't really notice many issues with that. I had gotten it from netgalley and should have read it months ago.

Anyway this book was...strange. I very much enjoyed it though! It was confusing at first trying to figure out what was going on but in a way that made me want to keep reading to figure it out. I kept thinking I knew what was going on...and then I kept being wrong. I did not see that ending coming and I loved it! It tugged at my heart and did make me cry and now I can't stop thinking about the book. I am writing this after having read it and gotten some sleep and I still can't stop thinking about the book and putting together all the little puzzle pieces.

The ending did wrap up a bit too fast for my taste. Everything is wrapped up nicely but kind of fast at the end. I just wish there was a little more to it.

The writing drew me in and had me wanting to keep reading to figure out what the heck was going on. It was very atmospheric and I had no trouble picturing it in my head. The pacing was pretty good, maybe a little slow to start and fast to wrap up at the end. It was creepy and that is exactly what I was looking for.

If you want a creepy book that will have you guessing until the end i'd recommend it.

3.75 out of 5 stars

True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff Book Thoughts (Make Lemonade #2)

The Blurb

"LaVaughn is fifteen now, and she's still fiercely determined to go to college. But that's the only thing she's sure about. Loyalty to her father bubbles up as her mother grows closer to a new man. The two girls she used to do everything with have chosen a path LaVaughn wants no part of. And then there's Jody. LaVaughn can't believe how gorgeous he is...or how confusing. He acts like he's in love with her, but is he?"

My Thoughts

Where to begin?! At first I was disappointed to not see Jolly as it's told from LaVaughn's POV again but Jolly is seen and I do see why it's told from LaVaughn's POV, so the disappointment was short-lived. Again, it's a poweful book! Talking about crime and living in a crime-filled neighborhood, which brought me back to my childhood...I heard gunshots all the time growing up and long before I was even 10 I stopped flinching at the sound...I was used to it. No child should be used to gun-shots but I digress, I know I could have had it a lot worse. It also talks about education, in a poor area and in hard-hitting ways. LaVaughn is a determined, sensitive, smart and sometimes naive 15 year old girl determined to go to college and get out of her crime-ridden area.

She deals with heartache, friendship problems, questions about life and religion. There were times I was downright angry at the book and wanted to throw it across the room, but I kept reading and i'm so glad I did! It even had me confront some of my own prejudices against Christianity, when in reality there are wonderful Christians out there, as this book does show, and it's just the extreme fanatics that are a problem, if you can even call them Christian in the first place with all of their hate. I want to put that out there because it may at some point in the book make you want to tear it to shreds, at least it did me and may for others too, possibly for a different reason though, but just reading on and reading it closely it does all come together.

It addresses powerful subjects including strict, judgmental religion that harms rather than heals, first love, homosexuality, abandonment of friends and the incredible positive influence that a mother and teachers can make! (Yes I took that sentence from another review on goodreads as I couldn't have said it better myself)

There were times I was very frustrated with LaVaughn but I could also remember when I was 15, and could relate to her in some ways including some of the very things I was frustrated over. I rolled my eyes and was frustrated at other characters at times too.

I loved the characters though and how real they were. The writing, the messages, the story, the pacing, how it's easy to read and fly through and still so powerful. How it made me think. I do highly recommend this trilogy so far, I just have one more book to go in it!

4.25/5 stars

Citrus Volume 5 Book Thoughts

The Blurb

"Sister Vs. Sister!

Step-sisters Yuzu and Mei have finally owned up to their feelings and started dating. But a new semester brings trouble in the form of Mitsuko, the former student council president. Mitsuko is determined to see troublemaker Yuzu expelled. She gives Yuzu an ultimatum: if Yuzu can beat Mei in the student council elections, she can stay. Can Yuzu find a way to win the election and hold onto her newfound romance?"

My Thoughts

First I want to say, in case anyone is wondering, i'm changing it to "book thoughts" rather than "book review" because review kinda stresses me out and really, it's just my thoughts on the book. I'm doing this for me, and if anyone else gets anything out of it or enjoys it that's great, but i'm still doing it for me. It's not really any different though than before, just "thoughts" instead of "review" lol. Anyway, onto the book!

It had been awhile since I read the last volume, so I did read my summary and all that for a quick refresher on what was going on. Not to mention the blurb helped.

It's a quick, fun Manga series. I really enjoyed this volume for a couple reasons! Mei and Yuzu's relationship development, not too fast but finally going somewhere. The message that is in it about being yourself and finding yourself. Life isn't always easy (in fact it hardly ever is easy) and sometimes it can be tough to be yourself, you may even come up against hard choices when certain things or people want to make you conform and "fall in line" taking away your individuality, sacrifices may have to be made but is giving up who you are really worth it? No, no it isn't. Sometimes, people are even quite mysterious, but for good reason.

Don't get me wrong. It's still very much a fun, light, quick and cute Manga read. I still got the above out of it, and I loved it!

The pacing was quick. I read it in about 2 hours I believe. It wasn't too quick, though there were a few times I was temporarily confused, but re-reading it I was able to figure it out and i'm just not used to Manga and get confused easily. I loved the characters, good, flawed and human teen girls. I cried twice and also laughed. There were parts that tugged at my heart, which at first I didn't think was going to happen as it had been awhile since I read anything and even longer since I read volume 4 of this, but eventually it did indeed make me cry, in a good way! I loved the message that made it's way in it. It seems (mentions it at the end) that there will still be more, and I can't wait to see where it goes! I don't know how long this series will be but i'm pretty sure I will devour every volume at this rate! 5 out of 5 stars

The Outsiders Book Review

The Blurb

"No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he's got things figured out. He knows that he can count on his brothers, Darry and Sodapop. And he knows that he can count on his friends - true friends who would do anything for him, like Johnny and Two-Bit. And when it comes to the beating up on "greasers" like him and his friends - he knows that he can count on them for trouble. But one night someone takes things too far, and Ponyboy's world is turned upside down..."

My Thoughts

Wow, this book is amazing! I read it for school in 7th grade and the only thing I remembered was that I loved it. It is the only book I can remember enjoying having to read for school. Now at 27 i've read it again, and I see why I loved it so much! It's honest, timeless, and with real emotion. It's relate-able, it has violence but also hope. It has real issues that real teenagers face, and even though it was written in the 60s it's still just as true and real today. Honestly if I didn't know it was written in the 60s, I wouldn't believe it. It discusses social issues and real world problems, in a way that many teenagers have related to and understood. It made me cry several times (I think almost every chapter I was crying). It's heartbreaking, but says important things that sadly still need to be heard today.

Questions

1. How was the Pacing?

I didn't think of the pacing at all during the book. It's told through Ponyboy and it never felt boring to me at all. It had me quick and kept me throughout the book.

2. How were the characters?

I ended up seeing parts of myself in different characters. It also brought me back to when I was a teenager and stuff I experienced and felt. The characters felt real, they were layered and honest to many people in real life. They were very believable. Flawed, good, and broken in realistic ways from life. Not sure I can really say it well at all. I loved the characters in this book!

3. Feelings?

Oh my God the feelings in this book! Every chapter broke my heart more than the one before. I felt so much for the characters and their pain. I honestly wasn't sure I could get through the book at one point, not because it's bad at all, but because it was so heart-wrenching I didn't know if I could take it. There is no way I could have taken it too fast. I've felt a lot at books before but never wondered if i'd be able to make it through a book before because the feelings were so intense and raw.

4. How was the writing and language?

Accessible and powerful. I'm still not good at this part, but I read it and loved it at 12 and 27 if that says anything.

5. World-building?

I was picturing everything in my head just fine while I was reading it. Well described to me.

6. Messages?

I had to add this one. There are wonderful messages in this book, told in a real and raw way, that are just as important to hear today as they were 50 years ago.

The author wrote this as a teenager, which I can easily believe. I mean this in a wonderful way. Many adults write Young Adult books and they can be great, but no matter how hard an adult tries to write in a teenagers voice, we forget stuff with age and the emotion isn't fresh anymore. Stuff gets lost with time whether we like it or not. I have feelings and thoughts right now I don't know the words for, but I feel this book is an amazing classic, and is definitely a favorite of mine!

July 2016 Book Haul

I had started a booktube channel last year but I don't think making videos is my cup of tea. I find a book blog much easier and better for me personally. So here are the physical books I acquired in July 2016.

The first 3 skulduggery pleasant books, Night of the living dummy 2 and 3, Bride of the living dummy, Slappy's nightmare, Deep trouble 1 and 2, Monster blood 1, 2 and 3 (I had ordered 4 but it got lost in the mail so I have to re-order it), True believer and This full house, The dinner, Far from you and The long way to a small angry planet. I also got 37 Kindle books...I think I got them all free or at least most of them (thank you bookbub.com!). My Goodreads is Here which has shelves with all my books on them if you care to take a look or want to friend me, feel free :).

July 2016 Stats

Book #1- The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman
Author: Brady Stefani
Gender: Male
Country: USA
Genre: YA/sci-fi/aliens
Book type: Ebook
Pages: 282 pages (last 60% read in July, so let's say 170 pages)
Published: June 7th, 2016
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: June 29th, 2016
Date Finished: July 3rd, 2016
Days/sessions Read: 5
State of book: Ebook

Book #2- Alice in Wonderland #1
Author: Jun Abe
Gender: Idk
Country: Idk
Genre: Manga
Book type: Netgalley/Ebook
Pages: 352
Published: May 13th, 2016
Star Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: July 4th, 2016
Date Finished: July 4th, 2106
Days/sessions Read: 1
State of book: Ebook

Book #3- The Outsiders
Author: S. E. Hinton
Gender: Female
Country: USA
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Book type: Paperback
Pages: Read 37 out of 180 so far
Star rating: N/A haven't finished yet, just started
Standalone
Date Started: July 31st, 2016
Date Finished: N/A
Days/sessions Read: N/A
State of book: New

Pages read in July: 559
Average per day: 18.03
Average rating: 3.625

Yeah I had a slack month...it happens.

Alice in Wonderland #1 by Jun Abe Book Review

The Blurb

"Manga publishing pioneer TOKYOPOP is back … bringing readers Disney Tim Burton’s "Alice in Wonderland," a retelling of the film in manga style. Alice Kingsleigh was a young girl when she visited the magical world of Underland for the first time. Now a teenager, she spots a white rabbit at a garden party and tumbles down a hole after him where she is reunited with her old friends. Alice soon learns it is her destiny to end the Red Queen's reign of terror."

My Thoughts

I must have forgotten the blurb says it's based off a movie by the time I got around to reading it. I've never seen the movie so take that as you will. Though I do want to see it. Anyway I could still follow the story, then again I have read "Alice in wonderland" and "Through the looking glass" early this year so I am familiar with the story that way. That said it's easy to follow. I liked the manga art-style and how expressive it is. It makes for some comical expressions to the already weird story that is wonderland.

Since it is the first half and not the whole story it does leave me wondering what is going to happen. I think if I hadn't read this on my computer (for some reason reading on my computer throws me off) and wasn't having trouble keeping my eyes open (I don't blame that on the story, just lack of caffeine in the bloodstream..I got it from netgalley) i'd have enjoyed it a bit more. Of course it is available for kindle, and the second part, so I may just have to get it. :) It's Alice in wonderland...in Manga style...so expect weirdness. If you like Alice in wonderland or the movie version it's based off of, go ahead and check it out!

I gave it 3.25 out of 5 stars, and if I get it on kindle and re-read it I may actually raise that rating i'm thinking.

June 2016 Stats

Book #1- Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe
Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Gender: Male
Country: USA
Genre: Contemporary, Queer
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 359 (read 128-359 for June counting)
Published: Feb 21st, 2012
Star rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: May 31st, 2016
Date Finished: June 2nd, 2016
Days Read: 3
State of book: New

Book #2- The Butterfly Garden
Author: Dot Hutchison
Gender: Female
Country: Idk
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Book Type: Kindle
Pages: 288
Published: June 1st, 2016
Star rating: 5/5
Standalone
Date Started: June 4th, 2016(going to start writing the correct (because i'm a nightowl) dates now as long as I don't get confused)
Date Finished: June 11th, 2016
Days/sessions Read: 7
State of book: Ebook

Book #3- The Abyss Surrounds Us
Author: Emily Skrutskie
Gender: Female
Country: USA
Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy, Adventure, Queer (Lesbian)
Book Type: Paperback
Pages: 273
Published: February 8th, 2016
Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: June 13th, 2016
Date Finished: June 19th, 2016
Days/sessions Read: 7
State of book: New

Book #4- Into the Light
Author: Aleatha Romig
Gender: Female
Country: USA
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Book type: Kindle
Pages: 354
Published: June 14th, 2016
Star Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: June 20th, 2016
Date Finished: June 25th, 2016
Days/sessions Read: 6
State of book: Ebook

Book #5- Make Lemonade
Author: Virginia Euwer Wolff
Gender: Female
Country: USA
Genre: YA Contemporary/Social Issues/Verse
Book type: Paperback
Pages: 200
Published: May 15th, 1993
Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: June 26th, 2016
Date Finished: June 27th, 2016
Days/sessions Read: 2
State of book: New

Book #6- The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman
Author: Brady Stefani
Gender: Male
Country: USA
Genre: YA/sci-fi/aliens
Book type: Ebook
Pages: 282 pages (40% read in June, so let's say 112 pages)
Published: June 7th, 2016
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: June 29th, 2016
Date Finished: July 3rd, 2016
Days/sessions Read: 5
State of book: Ebook

Pages Read in June: 1459
Average per day: 48.63
Average Rating: 4.85 (not counting the last one as that was finished in July I just forgot to post this before)

The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman Book Review

The Blurb

"Fifteen year old Courtney wants to be normal like her friends. But there’s something frighteningly different about her—and it’s not just the mysterious tattoo her conspiracy-obsessed grandfather marked her with when she was a child. “Mental illness is a slippery slope,” her mother warns her. And the last thing Courtney wants to do is end up crazy and dead like her grandfather did.

But what about the tattoo? And the alien scouts who visit Courtney in her bedroom at night claiming to have shared an alliance with her grandfather? And her new friend Agatha’s apocalyptic visions? They have to be connected. Courtney has a mission: untangle her past, discover the truth, and stop the apocalypse before anyone from school finds out she’s missing."

My Thoughts

This book is fun ride! A truly engrossing alien story. It has parallel universes, visitations, wormholes and lots of action!

Courtney is battling with being told by her mother and her Dr boyfriend that she's crazy, being visited by aliens and struggling to figure out what's the Truth, and only Agatha seems interested in helping her find out said truth. I don't want to say too much and spoil anything. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone into sci-fi, paranormal stuff or aliens. As mentioned it also deals with issues of mental health.

Questions

1. How was the pacing?

Fast-paced! I got to know the main character while at the same time there never seemed to be a dull moment and the more I read the faster I wanted to read, to find out what happened next! It was quite a wild sci-fi alien filled ride!

2. How were the characters?

I felt so much for the MC Courtney. All of the characters felt real, in-character through-out the story, and invoked some sort of emotion depending on who they were. There were characters I loved, ones I loved to hate, and even the "bad guys" were complex in why they were doing things to the point I could understand them even without agreeing with them. I loved it!

3. Feelings?

Pretty much already described. Several emotions were invoked in me through-out reading and I love it when a book does that right! As in feeling for the characters, angry in situations or at characters for certain reasons, happiness and sadness, emotions from being engrossed in the story.

4. How was the writing and language?

I got immersed in the story and it felt real to me. (sorry i'm not good at this part)

5. World-building?

Description was great, enough that I could picture the setting without getting confused. Enough detail without going into anything un-necessary.

Note: It seems a second book is in the works and I will keep my eye out for it!

A solid 4 out of 5 stars and definite recommend if it's something you're into!

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff Book Review

The Blurb

"An award-winning novel about growing up and making choices

Virginia Euwer Wolff's groundbreaking novel, written in free verse, tells the story of fourteen-year-old LaVaughn, who is determined to go to college--she just needs the money to get there.

When she answers a babysitting ad, LaVaughn meets Jolly, a seventeen-year-old single mother with two kids by different fathers. As she helps Jolly make lemonade out of the lemons her life has given her, LaVaughn learns some lessons outside the classroom."

My thoughts

This is a powerful book! Being a contemporary written in verse I didn't think i'd like it too much but the subject matter, hard real-life problems, intrigued me and I wanted to read it for that. I was blown away! I quickly realized the verse style, which I thought would throw me off, made the story more powerful. Even though it easily reads as a novel, the subtle emphasis on certain words or phrases thanks to the verse style packed a punch to me!

This book talks about social issues, hard-hitting real life problems, poverty, being a teen mother and dealt a difficult hand. It has 2 strong female protagonists. It's told from LaVaughn's POV and you get a strong sense of both her and Jolly as it shows them learning about life and getting new perspectives. LaVaughn learns there is more to Jolly than she first realized and Jolly, well I don't want to spoil the story but I will say she really grows into herself and her life wonderfully.

It is beautifully written. It's symbolism, poetry, imagery, social issues, real-life problems, and 2 strong teen girls growing up gripped me from start to end, and there were tears. I can't wait to read the next book!

Questions

1. How was the pacing?

Fast paced, nothing that didn't add to the story and mean something! I was never confused or bored and it's easy to fly through.

2. How were the characters?

Realistically flawed and 3-dimensional. Wonderful character development throughout the story!

3. Feelings?

There were tears. I actually started crying a few pages in and some more during the book as well. It gripped my heart and had me choking up. I wanted to hug the characters!

4. How was the writing and language?

Beautiful and easy to follow. Accessible yet powerful, even more so because of it!

5. World-building?

Not a lot of world-building is needed for this story, what is needed is there and I feel like more would have taken away from the story and the point of it.

6. Since this is a trilogy, though it seems this can be read as a standalone, will I be picking up the next 2 books?

Yes!

5 out of 5 wonderful stars, because I can't give it more!

Into the Light by Aleatha Romig Book Review

The Blurb

"Sara Adams awakes blind, unable to remember the most basic details of her life, but her darkness seems a blessing when she discovers the terrors of The Light.

Stella Montgomery investigates the news on the mean streets of Detroit, where she’s noticed a disturbing trend: young women are vanishing. When her best friend disappears, Stella investigates—despite warnings from her police detective boyfriend—following a twisted trail that leads her through the city’s most dangerous and forsaken precincts. There she uncovers something more sinister than she could have imagined: a shadowy organization known as The Light, led by the enigmatic Father Gabriel.

As Sara struggles to understand her place in the strange world she’s awakened to—an oppressive cult demanding unquestioning obedience—and her feelings for Jacob, the husband she can’t recall and whose harsh and tender attentions confuse and beguile her, Stella risks all to discover the truth. But enlightenment always comes with a price…"

My Thoughts

Wow! That was one heck of a ride! There are a few POV's: Sara, Stella, and Jacob. At no point was I confused (and I get confused easily). It was a quicker read than I expected but that was because I just wanted to keep reading and find out what was going on!

It had me feeling anger, confusing feelings of who to hate and who to like (because I was still figuring out the puzzle pieces), and surprise when it finally fell into place! And I loved every second of it!

I've wanted to use questions to help me talk about a book for awhile now but was hesitant, I think i'm just going to start now, because reasons.

1. How was the pacing?

Great! I was interested from the start and as I kept reading it picked up more and more until I was hating that I couldn't read faster or longer! I never felt bored or like it lagged at all.

2. How were the characters?

They felt realistic to me, everyone was flawed and there are good and bad guys and also gray-areas. I felt for the characters, or at least the ones I was supposed to.

3. Feelings?

There weren't any tears but i'm not sure there was ment to be, but even though it didn't bring me to tears there were plenty of feelings! Mostly anger, but that's what it seems set out to do. Bad situations, people etc. There were good feelings as well at times even though I couldn't always make sense of them until later because it is a mystery and I don't want to give anything away.

4. How was the writing and language?

I liked the writing. Honestly i'm not good at figuring out writing styles or anything, as long as it doesn't feel stilted or something i'm good, and it didn't feel stitled or anything. Flowed well to me and I got immersed in it. The language was good too, the context helped me figure out everything I needed to know and even the few words I looked up I didn't really have to because of context, I just don't think I have a great vocabulary and want to work on that.

5. World-building?

It's set in the real world, with things going on that very well could happen, so it wasn't hard to imagine anything.

6. Since the sequel is set to come out in October do I plan on buying it?

Yes! I have got to know what happens!!

I gave it 4.75 out of 5 stars

The Abyss Surrounds Us Book Review

The Blurb

"For Cassandra Leung, bossing around sea monsters is just the family business. She’s been a Reckoner trainer-in-training ever since she could walk, raising the genetically-engineered beasts to defend ships as they cross the pirate-infested NeoPacific. But when the pirate queen Santa Elena swoops in on Cas’s first solo mission and snatches her from the bloodstained decks, Cas’s dream of being a full-time trainer seems dead in the water.

There’s no time to mourn. Waiting for her on the pirate ship is an unhatched Reckoner pup. Santa Elena wants to take back the seas with a monster of her own, and she needs a proper trainer to do it. She orders Cas to raise the pup, make sure he imprints on her ship, and, when the time comes, teach him to fight for the pirates. If Cas fails, her blood will be the next to paint the sea.

But Cas has fought pirates her entire life. And she's not about to stop."

My Thoughts

Wow! This was a fun adventure ride! I got this book because I heard "lesbian pirates and sea-monsters", how could I not pick it up?! I was not disappointed!

I liked the book at the start and as I kept reading I enjoyed it more and more. I fell in love with the main characters. The main character is Cassandra Leung, and as I learned her thoughts and feelings on what was going on I couldn't help but relate a bit. She isn't always sure of herself, she's a good person at heart and has what she thinks she knows to be right tested and realizes, stuff isn't as black and white as she thought they were. I loved that so much!

She is flawed and has personality but, to me at least, she shined. Even when stuff was questionable at best I ended up understanding her feelings and why she did the things she did. I loved the development she went through throughout the story.

The world-building is woven into the story and I didn't feel bogged down with confusing details but instead was immersed into the world of pirates on the open seas.

I can't wait for the 2nd book as this is, i'm pretty sure, set to be a duology! I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Butterfly Garden Book Review

Trigger Warning: Rape

The Blurb

"Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding..."

My Thoughts

This is a very difficult book to read, with the subject matter at hand. Difficult does not mean bad though! It's a beautifully written and heart-breaking story with important messages in it as well.

A summary in my own words: A man has a garden, where he brings young (around 16-17) beautiful females that he has kidnapped, tattoos butterflies on their backs, rapes them and takes care of them until they turn 21, if they last that long.

This is an interesting book to say the least. The Gardener...is very messed up, obviously. It was thought-provoking and captivating to read about how he truly thought and felt. The story isn't from his POV but you do get a strong sense of why he does the things that he does.

I loved the Main Character Maya, she's a tough cookie and I felt so much for her throughout the book, even when I was wondering if I should as this is a mystery.

I don't want to say too much and spoil things, but I will say this book talks about heavy themes like rape culture and trauma and has very important messages in it. It is a difficult book to read though, or at least it was for me, but I am still so very glad I read it! I got it from netgalley at a request, I had no idea what I was getting myself into other than it sounded interesting, and I am very grateful to netgalley for providing me with a copy. This book is a new favorite of mine, and if you can stomach it I do recommend it! 5 out of 5 stars

Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe book review!

The blurb

""This book took my breath away."
―James Howe, author of The Misfits

Dante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari's features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself.

But against all odds, when Ari and Dante meet, they develop a special bond that will teach them the most important truths of their lives, and help define the people they want to be. But there are big hurdles in their way, and only by believing in each other―and the power of their friendship―can Ari and Dante emerge stronger on the other side."

My Thoughts

Wow! Just...WOW! From beginning to end this book had me in tears, happy tears, sad tears, I have never cried *this* much at a book before!

It is a story about 2 Mexican-American teenage boys...who fall in love. I will never count sexuality as a spoiler, because of reasons. Anyway while it is a contemporary and sounds like it'd be an easy and sweet love story, it is so much more than that! Yes, it's easy to read in the sense of language, but it is so profound, without even really trying to be. It's honest, raw, and will break your heart in the best possible way. While I certainly can't relate to everything about the main character and to say that I could would be an insult, in some ways I could relate to him. It didn't take too long before the MC (Ari) had captured my heart. His voice is simple, it's his everyday thoughts, and the sincerity and truth in it all is just...yes. I can't think of a word, so just yes <3.

Dante, had to grow on me a little bit but again, that didn't take too long either. These boys captured my heart. The reason it took Dante a little bit to grow on me is at first I thought he was "too perfect" but I was quickly proven wrong. Everyone has their flaws and depth, and gets character development throughout the novel..and I do mean everyone! That includes their families. The family dynamics, with their parents, is amazing. They aren't perfect, they get stuff wrong, but man do they try! And above all, they truly love each other. The parents are very much there in this book, and I loved it!

This story may be "simple" to read, but it is so moving, deep, and truly beautiful.

5 out of 5 stars

May 2016 Stats

Book #1- It
Author: Stephen King
Gender: Male
Country: USA
Genre: Horror
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 1,090 (only had to read 997-1,090 left)
Published: 1986
Star rating: 4.5
Standalone
Date Started: April 1st, 2016
Date Finished: May 2nd, 2016
Days Read: 31
State of book: New

Book #2- Sunstone Volume 2
Author: Stjepan Šejić
Gender: Male
Country: Croatia
Genre: Comic, queer, bdsm
Book type: Comic
Pages: 128
Published: May 12th, 2015
Star rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: May 3rd, 2016
Date finished: May 3rd, 2016
Days Read: 1
State of book: New

Book #3- Love: The Lion
Author: Frédéric Brrémaud, Federico Bertolucci (Illustrations)
Gender: Male
Country: Korea
Genre: Graphic Novel (no words)
Book Type: Protected PDF file thing
Pages: 80
Published: (expected) June 12th, 2016
Star Rating: 3.25 out of 5
Series-ish (other like books about other animals, like Tiger and Fox)
Date Started: May 5th, 2016
Date Finished: May 5th, 2016
Days Read: 1
State of book: Netgalley

Book #4- Sunstone Volume 3
Author: Stjepan Šejić
Gender: Male
Country: Croatia
Genre: Comic, queer, bdsm
Book type: Comic
Pages: 128
Published: August 26th, 2016
Star Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Series
Date Started: May 5th, 2016
Date Finished: May 5th, 2016
Days Read: 1
State of book: New

Book #5 Sunstone Volume 4
Author: Stjepan Šejić
Gender: Male
Country: Croatia
Genre: Comic, queer, bdsm
Book type: Comic
Pages: 160
Published: February 24th, 2016
Star Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: May 7th, 2016
Date Finished: May 8th, 2016
Days Read: 2
State of book: New

Book #6 The Spirit Chaser
Author: Kat Mayor
Gender: Female
Country: USA
Genre: Paranormal, Horror, Romance
Book Type: Kindle
Pages: 424
Published: Nov 16, 2015
Star Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
Standalone
Date Started: May 9th, 2016
Date Finished: May 17th, 2016
Days Read: 9
State of book: Ebook

Book #7 What lies beneath
Author: Richard P. Denney
Gender: Male
Country: USA
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
Book Type: Kindle
Pages: 93
Published: March 24th, 2013
Star Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Standalone
Date Started: May 18th, 2016
Date Finished: May 18th, 2016
Days Read: 1
State of book: Ebook

Book #8 Citrus Volume 2
Author: Saburo Uta
Gender: Idk
Country: Japan?
Genre: Yuri, Manga
Book Type: Manga
Pages: 180
Published: March 18th, 2014
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: May 19th, 2016
Date Finished: May 19th, 2016
Days Read: 1
State of book: New

Book #9 Citrus Volume 3
Author: Saburo Uta
Gender: Idk
Country: Japan?>
Genre: Yuri, Manga
Book Type: Manga
Pages: 180
Published: November 18th, 2014
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: May 20th, 2016
Date Finished: May 20th, 2016
Days Read: 1
State of book: New

Book #10 Citrus Volume 4
Author: Saburo Uta
Gender: Idk
Country: Japan?
Genre: Yuri, Manga
Book Type: Manga
Pages: 180
Published: December 29th, 2015
Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: May 20th, 2016
Date Finished: May 20th, 2016
Days Read: 1
State of book: New

Book #11 Liesl & Po
Author: Lauren Oliver
Gender: Female
Country: USA
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Paranormal
Book Type: Paperback
Pages: 307
Published: Oct 4th, 2011
Star Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Standalone
Date Started: May 22nd, 2016
Date Finished: May 24th, 2016
Days read: 3
State of book: New

Book #12 The Haunted Mask
Author: R. L. Stine
Gender: Male
Country: USA
Genre: Children's, Horror
Book type: Paperback
Pages: 121
Published: September 1993
Star Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: May 26th, 2016
Date Finished: May 26th, 2016
Days Read: 1
State of book: New

Book #13 Night of the living dummy
Author: R. L. Stine
Gender: Male
Country: USA
Genre: Children's, horror
Book type: Paperback
Pages: 132
Published: May 1993
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: May 27th, 2016
Date Finished: may 27th, 2016
Days Read: 1
State of book: New

Book #14 Killer Pizza
Author: Greg Taylor
Gender: Male
Country: USA
Genre: Young Adult, Horror
Book type: Paperback
Pages: 341
Published: May 26th, 2009
Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Series
Date Started: May 28th, 2016
Date Finished: May 30th, 2016
Days Read: 3
State of book: New

Also on the last day (technically after midnight so June 1st but I go by "my" days as mentioned below for my own reasons of keeping track) I read 127 pages of Aristotle & Dante discover the secrets of the universe, and so far I am LOVING IT!

Pages Read in May: 2,675
Average per day: 86.29
Average rating: 4.34

I should mention, I guess, that I don't consider it a new day until I go to sleep and wake up, so my time may be a little messed up, but I know what I mean :) lol

Killer Pizza Book Review

The Blurb

"Pizza you’ll die for!

Toby McGill dreams of becoming a world-famous chef, but up until now, his only experience has been watching the Food Network. When Toby lands a summer job at Killer Pizza, where pies like The Monstrosity and The Frankensausage are on the menu, things seem perfect. His coworkers, Annabel and Strobe, are cool, and Toby loves being part of a team. But none of them are prepared for what’s really going on at Killer Pizza: It’s a front for a monster-hunting organization!

Learning to cook pizzas is one thing, but killing hideously terrifying monsters? That’s a whole other story. Still, if Toby quits Killer Pizza, will monsters take over his town?"

My Thoughts

The Blurb gives a good idea of what is going on in the book. First I want to say I got major Buffy the vampire slayer vibes while reading this book, though it's by no means identical! Toby, Annabel and Strobe are the main characters and are all around 14 or 15 years old.

I loved getting to know the characters, and yes they became my babies. You do get to know the characters pretty well, and personally I could even relate some to Toby with him being shy. I felt for them and on some occasions had tears. I personally loved the pacing, the mix of getting to know what was going on and action, though I love getting to know characters and information it also had a lot of action and fight scenes and I loved every bit of it! It sucked me in from beginning to end and at times I was on the edge of my seat! All that said I can safely recommend it to young teens. If you are a R. L. Stine and/or Buffy fan i'd recommend checking out this book! It has humor, horror, suspense, action and feels wrapped up in a tasty package! I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Goodreads widget aggravation

I realized I wanted to change the look of the Goodreads widget, so I did...but now I can NOT get it say anything other than "Stephanie's books", like currently reading or anything! I don't know why, it shows up right on Goodreads but will not show up right on the blog anymore...is it not allowed to blend in to have the correct name or something? All I did was customize the style, on Goodreads....I feel like "Stephanie's books" gives off the wrong impression, it isn't my book, it's the book i'm currently reading...so yeah :/ ...

Night of the living dummy Book Review

Two twin girls compete a lot, Kris and Lindy. Lindy finds a dummy, Slappy, by the dumpster in the yard of the house next door which is currently being built, hence why they checked it out. Kris gets jealous as Lindy becomes a good ventriloquist, but Lindy also ends up being mean about it. Their dad ends up finding another dummy in a pawnshop for Kris. Competitiveness, meanness, and of course living dummy high-jinks..ensue. I didn't love it as much as The Haunted Mask but it was still creepy and enough fun to keep me interested, it took me a little over 2 hours to read. Of course that's just me enjoying The Haunted Mask more, for many this is their favorite :). I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Haunted Mask Book Review

Goosebumps! I haven't read or watched Goosebumps since I was a child in the 90s, and I loved it back then! Goosebumps got me into reading in the first place as a child. So finally, I picked up a Goosebumps book again!

A shy, easily scared, 11 year old girl named Carly Beth is tired of being so easily scared, all the teasing and all the laughing at her. She vows to get revenge on her 2 friends Steve and Chuck on Halloween. She finds a really creepy realistic mask in a Halloween store just in time, that the owner reluctantly sells her since she wasn't supposed to see those ones.

Watching her go from an easily startled 11 year old girl to a demon out for blood was creepy, and I felt, quite realistic. I remember being a child and how much being teased and laughed at all the time hurts. Being able to get revenge would have been so tempting. Of course this is a horror book and the desire for a little revenge goes out of control, to the point she is no longer sure where the mask ends and she begins.

A part of me knew I should have been disapproving of her behavior...but instead I gleefully watched as she became a little terror to those around her. It didn't seem scary (to me) until she realized the mask wouldn't come off, and she might be stuck this way. I liked the twist at the end too.

The explanation felt a bit silly at times, but it's Goosebumps, a children's story. I enjoyed the book very much for the 2 hours it took me to read it. It's a fun entertaining read. I gave it 4.75 out of 5 stars.

Summer 2016 Want To Read

I don't personally like the term "to be read", for myself, because then I put un-necessary stress on myself and make reading a chore. It isn't ment to be a chore, but to be fun. This is my own personal problem, for many people TBR works. For me, I choose to use "want to read" as there are books that, for whatever reason, I do want to get to reading soon.

I ended up making my Summer Wand to Read pretty ambitious by accident but I think i'll be ok. Granted with "want" to read I could decide i'm not in the mood to read any of them and choose something else as I don't want to force myself through a book i'm not feeling at the moment and end up ruining the book, but i'm normally flexible enough in my reading moods I don't think this will be a problem, but we'll see. It's also ok if I don't manage to get through them all, I will in time. Each of these books I do want to get to soon for one reason or another depending on the book. Below the picture of the books i'll say why I want to get to each book and link to their Goodreads page. They are in no particular order.

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton- I read this book back in 7th grade, at just 12 years old. I don't remember much about it other than pony boy, some gang apparently called the greasers, and they were smoking cigarettes which 12 year old me found scandalous (I was a goodie two shoes)...and that I absolutely loved it! I also remember thinking, since I wasn't allowed to read stuff like Harry Potter (because I was told magic is of the devil and will send me to hell), that if my parents knew I was reading it (and I had to for school, it was a school assigned book) that I would have been in SO much trouble, though I can't remember why I thought that. It could have just been my 12 year old goodie two shoes self. So I am VERY excited to read this again, at 27, and see what captured my 12 year old brain so much! It is the ONLY book I remember reading for school and actually enjoying! I've also heard a ton of people love this book too.

Since you've been gone by Morgan Matson- I'm not much for contemporary or so I say. I've only read 'Not Otherwise Specified' by Hannah Moskowitz, because i'm bisexual and had never read a book with a bisexual character, let alone a bisexual main character and I loved it beyond words and could have used it 13 years earlier! Anyway back to Since you've been gone, I had heard about it awhile ago and it has stayed on my brain ever since, the premise sounds interesting enough to me. Normally the only contemporary that pique my interest are LGBT+ ones, because reasons, however it sounds like a fun nice summer read and I think I may actually want to read summer-y contemporaries in the summer..so we'll see. I also know she has recently come out with another book that everyone has been raving about, The Unexpected Everything, and if I enjoy this one i'll probably pick that one up too!

Night of the living dummy and The Haunted Mask by R. L. Stine- Goosebumps are what got me into reading as a child, yes there is plenty of nostalgia here! I loved Goosebumps as a 90s kid. I want to see what captured my child brain, and cheesy horror books, even for children, are right up my alley! No matter what, Goosebumps will always have a place in my heart.

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs- Honestly, i'm not too excited for this one. I didn't care for the first book in the trilogy, I couldn't stand the main character and most of the story felt slow. I felt the ending of the book was better than the beginning and middle though, not that I remember it now, and it had the first chapter I believe in the back of the book of this one, which I read and it sounded like it might be more interesting. I've heard it said that the first book is the best and i've also heard it said that the 2nd and 3rd are better than the first, so we'll see which camp i'm in I guess. And the books are soo pretty...which I know doesn't matter but omg the pictures <3. If I don't enjoy this book more than the first one I won't pick up the last one, but if I do I probably will, so we'll see. It's the main character that made me really dislike the first book, not that it was slow paced. I can enjoy slow paced books, and even books with unlikeable main characters if it seems like that is the point, but it seemed like I was actually supposed to like him..hence my problem.

Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor- All I know is from the blurb, a guy wants to be a famous chef, lands a job at "killer pizza", where pies like The Monstrosity and The Frankensausage are on the menu, and his life seems perfect...until he finds out apparently it's a front for a monster-hunting organization. Learning to cook pizzas is one thing, but killing hideously terrifying monsters? That’s a whole other story. Still, if Toby quits Killer Pizza, will monsters take over his town? It sounds like an interesting ride to me and is the first book of a trilogy, so if I like it i'll have to pick up #2 and 3! Monster hunting and pizza...what more could I want? :D

The Tale of the body thief by Anne Rice- It's the 4th book of "The Vampire Chronicles" series and as i've read, and enjoyed, the first 3 I want to read this next one and see where it goes. I don't want to potentially spoil anyone, this being the 4th book, so i'll leave it at that, and I also don't know much of what to expect in this one anyway.

Dracula by Bram Stoker- I love vampires, and horror, and messed up things...and this is a vampire horror classic, of course I want to read Dracula! I can't wait until I dig into this one!

The Abyss surrounds us by Emily Skrutskie- Lesbian pirates and sea monsters. This is all I know, and it's all I need to know to be excited to read it! I've heard good things about it, and some decent things, and I can't wait to read it!

Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz- I've heard a TON of awesome things about this book! What I've heard is Aristotle and Dante are two Mexican-American boys who develop a great friendship that turns into romance and have very good family relationships, and so many people love this book and it sounds amazing and I NEED to read it!

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie- A classic children's tale that i've never read nor seen (as far as I can remember) and I love fairy tale retellings and there are Peter Pan retellings I want to read so first I want to read the actual Peter Pan story. Sure I've heard about it and know the basic premise...but I need to read it.

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce- This is the 2nd book in a fairy tale retelling companion series. I have read the first one, Sisters Red, which is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. This one is a retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Even though they do not have to be read in order or even all of them, apparently some characters make appearances from previous ones but it isn't really important to know that, I want to read them in order anyway. The 3rd one is a retelling of The Little Mermaid and the 4th of The Snow Queen (which i've never even heard of before).

So i'm excited to see what summer has in store for my reading plans! Let me know if you've read any of these, what you thought (without spoilers) and if there is any I MUST get to asap!