Sunday, July 31, 2016

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.

Monday, July 4, 2016

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.

Sunday, July 3, 2016

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!