Rainbow Readathon & More Update

For anyone that isn't aware, the Rainbow Readathon is taking place right this very moment! I specifically went shopping to find books for this readathon. I read one of those books you guys. One. To get to the point, I just wanted to let you know how much progress I have made and update you on a few minor things. 

During this readathon, we were supposed to read six books, each a different color. I was going to read: Water for Elephants as my red book. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as my orange book. It's Kind of a Funny Story as my yellow book. I had no green book. The Ocean at the End of the Lane as my blue book. And Four as my purple book except that it isn't purple so after the first three days, I went out and bought a different purple book.

The amount of books I ended up actually reading is "kind of a funny story," to be honest. Of the books listed above, I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Indecisive. I know. But I have made more headway with this readathon than any other. Also, I swapped out The Ocean at the End of the Lane for The Archived by Victoria Schwab and it was fandabbytastic! That's my best friends version of fantastic, I figured I'd try it out. Next up, I plan on reading Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas because it's apparently amazeballs.

In other news, I am now releasing my updated contact information. I am wheezing and panting to catch up with the rest of my fellow Goodreads friends as well as managing (playing around with) my new Twitter account! Huzzah!

Anyway, if you'd like to contact me outside of my blog, check out my:
Instagram  
Twitter
Goodreads

Stay tuned for more book reviews coming soon, on here and on my Goodreads page!

How much progress have you made during the rainbow readathon? What all have you read for it?

Book Review | Anya's Ghost

Alright. Going to try and make my graphic novel reviews ten thousand times shorter than regular novel reviews. Moving on.

Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part. . .

Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who's been dead for a century. 

Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs.

Or so she thinks.

I traveled on over to Barnes & Noble about a month ago. While I was there, I bought this neat little graphic novel frequenting posts on various social media sites. I felt an extensive amount of victory when I grabbed the last copy. I didn't dare read it on the car ride home but holy shoot, did I want to. My grandmother, the woman I get my bookworm gene from, pulled into the driveway.

Like lightning, I bolted. I collapsed onto the living room couch and turned to the first page.

Twenty five minutes later...

Saying that this is a fast read is an understatement. I hadn't read a graphic novel since my early teen years when Manga was more my style. Anya's Ghost was undoubtedly well written and beautifully illustrated. It sure beat my previous Manga reads. Watch out for Vera Brosgol, she is a force to be reckon with. Lovely storytelling. Wonderful illustrations. Great character development with limited dialogue. What more can you ask for?

The synopsis on the built in dust jacket gives away the main conflict but the way in which Vera Brosgol arrives at that point is what's unique aside from the artwork. In spite of the fact that I knew what the main struggle would be from the get-go, I wasn't positive as to how the main character would resolve it. Other than that, the characters were awesome, and I liked that the author infused Russian culture into it since that stems from her actual background. I recommend that everyone read this, for sure!

Even though I really liked this graphic novel, certain aspects weren't enough to make it the "ultimate grand supreme" if you catch my drift. The illustrations and non-linear plot set it apart but I knew what was going to happen two thirds of the time. All in all, it's a great, quick read.

4 out of 5 stars

Literary Revelations

I've thought about starting a segment called Bookish Banter so this is my test run. In general, the subject matter will revolve around topics that strike me because after all, we're inquisitve beings us humans and I can't help it. Onward I go!

1st best literary moment of my life (because it happened first): The day I was introduced to Twilight. Don't judge.

2nd best literary moment of my life: Summer school.

3rd best literary moment of my life:  The day I finished reading the Divergent trilogy.

You're probably wondering why the hell summer school made the top three, but I swear there's a relevant explanation. During sixth or seventh grade, a girl suggested I read a book called Twilight. What she didn't know was that I hated books. Taking her advice on a whim, I found myself skimming end caps at a local Target in order to pick up that best-selling book she had mentioned. As my story only gets better, I was sent to summer school freshman year, wait for it – because I failed English. You know, my first language and the class that everyone should pass with flying colors. The Divergent trilogy speaks for itself in my mind but I'll explain how it relates.

Twilight surely isn't the best book nor is the entire saga. That is not what I am implying. However, when I finished the first book, I was proud. It was a small amount of pride that amounted to a large outcome. Books were stupid before. No one encouraged me to read except for teachers who were forced to promote school reads which were death to kids back then and probably still are now. Twilight launched my book obsession.

Summer school taught me that I am more than a grade, but that is is also my responsibility to live up to my potential. I have one person in particular who I owe much of my success to. This man was my teacher during summer school, American Literature, Senior Composition, and History of American Popular Music. Crazy as the man may be, he was my mentor and I could not be more thankful for that summer. He saved me from myself and introduced me to my passion. I now have the right tools to go off to college in hopes of working for a Big Four publishing company or becoming a published author. Who knows, I might get another ludicrous idea before time allows either of those to happen. Summer school generated my love for words.

Finally, Divergent. I have explained much of why I love not only Divergent, but the entire trilogy in my book review. Veronica Roth is my idol next to J.K. Rowling because duh. Words cannot describe how appreciative I am for Veronica Roth creating this wonderful dystopian world that I can get lost in for hours and the movie cast that carried out her characters to the best of their abilities. I was impressed with both the books and the first movie. Veronica Roth and her books revealed my true love of reading.

I know I'm capable of providing better reasoning behind each literary moment. Nevertheless, I will leave off on that note. Always trying to find the right words. None seem to suffice.

Book Review | Looking for Alaska

Being the ass backwards person that I am, I read Looking for Alaska two days after finishing The Fault in Our Stars. Not surprisingly, there was nothing but praise for the rest of John Green's books, particularly Looking for Alaska. I was absolutely unprepared diving into this book. It confused my feelings if that's even a thing.

Miles “Pudge” Halter decides that he wants to go to a school called Culver Creek, seeking a Great Perhaps. Along the way, he meets a myriad of people bursting with personality including The Colonel, Takumi, The Eagle, Weekday Warriors, then, lo and behold, Alaska Young. Pudge becomes engulfed by all things Alaska, finding her more captivating than anyone he has ever met. He yearns for this sort of self revelation that will lead him to adventure, or potentially the key to understanding Alaska past her good looks and quick wit. Then as the book says on the back, “After. Nothing is the same.”

Subsequent to buying the book, I read that it took place at a boarding school and I was like wow, that's original. Might I remind you that some of my reviews are rich in sarcasm. As I flipped through the first few pages, I thought it was a little on the slow side. Suddenly, the pace increased. It took me about one hundred pages to conclude that maybe my problem hadn't been with the beginning. Everything was fine. That was my problem.

I didn't know how to react to what I was reading. The words didn't seem to sink in while I was reading them and there was no deeper interpretation on my behalf...until I finished reading it. Alas, the back cover had been correct in more ways than one. After. Nothing was the same, and I understood. After I read the whole story, not just large chunks at a time, the feelings flooded my entire being.

Looking back on it, I had been reading the book with a semi-narrow perspective. People gave it a variety of praise for it's quote worthy lines, emphasis on minor misbehavior, and the climax that I found predictable, yet again. Consequently, those were the exact moments that I preyed on like a hawk. I found those quotes people couldn't shut up about such as, “If people were rain, I was drizzle, and she was a hurricane” and I tried to see the shock and awe factor because that line has to be the most tweeted, shared, and posted from the book. I saw the poetic kind of quality the quote embodied. I was aware that there would be lots of drinking, smoking, and casual conversation involving sex or even the act itself. It didn't offend me, I get it. It served a purpose. I noticed how the After was intertwined within the final pages and how it affected everyone's thoughts, emotions, and actions.

But I did not feel those things until the book was over. Sitting on my bed for at least fifteen minutes, I had no idea whatsoever how to feel about Looking for Alaska. It was different than I had imagined. There was a mix of good and bad. It had value. It wasn't the best book I've read but it had substance.

That is why I appreciate this book. It has a plethora of contrivances yet they seemed essential. People are made up of schemas that are put to schemes in the grand scale of things. Teens mess up, have sloppy relationships, and think they know what they want; but sometimes, they discover what they want. Other times, they don't find what they were searching for to begin with, or they discover it too late. The world is a funny place.

On a less emotional level, I liked these characters loads more than I thought was possible. Alaska was what I thought she would be. Not my favorite, but she encompassed certain qualities I applaud. I also liked that this book was told from a male perspective. Pudge comes off as an ordinary guy and that's what a lot of people are looking for in literary figures: individuals that resemble themselves with extraordinary variation. My favorite characters other than Pudge had to be Takumi and The Eagle. Takumi was flat out hilarious in some scenes and The Eagle was a riot in his own way. Poor bastard.

Nonetheless, John Green proved he is worthy yet again and that I should be eternally grateful.

[Irrelevant suggestion to past/future Looking for Alaska readers or anyone who has time to waste: Go watch a video where Elena Gant speaks. Afterward, go read any section that involves Lara talking. Boom. That's what Lara's accent sounds like in my head. That is all.]

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Book Review | The Fault in Our Stars

Before I even begin the review, I'd like to admit that I had no intention of reading this. I thought it was over hyped, extremely predictable, and popular for the sake of a name – John Green. Don't get me wrong, this book is all of those things I mentioned above, but I now view each separate belief in a different light. Let me elaborate.

Virtually everybody knows what this book is about, who the characters are, and who plays them in the movie. Holla at my homies Tris and Caleb. Insert exaggerated wink. Now, if you have no clue what this book is about, I shall drop a small synopsis and mini review for your future reading prospects.

The Fault in Our Stars is about a girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster, who happens to attend a Cancer Support Group regularly and one day stumbles upon this beautiful young man named Augustus Waters. Eventually, Augustus does most of the leading when it comes to his relationship with Hazel but in doing so, he helps her discover new ways of viewing the world and inevitably teaches the importance of one's own story. Hazel learns to look past what she cannot control to figuring out what living in the moment means because time stops for no one and there is no time to complain, wonder, or wish for what could have been in comparison to what is.

There you have the as-vague-as-it's-going-to-get synopsis. Add on some spoilers and that's what I had to work with before finally giving into the peer pressure to read this book. I will say, I enjoyed this much more than I had originally envisioned in my mind. Preconceptions proved me wrong. Here comes the real review.

**SPOILERS**

I mentioned above that this book was more enjoyable than what I thought it would be, but just because I liked it, doesn't mean I loved it.

To clarify my take on this book, I did love and appreciate certain aspects within the story itself. With this being a stand alone, contemporary book; I have to say the world building was nice. I liked that Hazel ached to be a normal teenage girl so she acted like a normal teenage girl, hence the constant ANTM viewing. I liked that she made fun of Patrick and his constant reassurance that yep, he had “ball cancer” and of course, he was going to tell the group his somber tale of two balls turned none. I'm not joking, this is what he declares every time, I'm simply rewording it. And I also liked that her and Augustus had a close to regular teenage relationship where they were told to stay upstairs by his parents, joked about sex, and talked about problems small or big, in depth.

Moments that I loved and instantly got me hooked:

- When Augustus and Hazel spoke about the misuse of literality, specifically in terms of The Literal Heart of Jesus.

- Any involving An Imperial Affliction which I find fascinating. Similar to many die hard fans, I wanted to know if that book was real or not. The fact that it isn't a real work of fiction blows my mind. I give a round of applause to John Green for fathoming not only one book, but bits of a second. Bookception.

- Amsterdam. I honestly just appreciated the use of another culture that isn't too radically different from my own world in the United States but it was different enough to be intriguing and had a rather dream like quality. I think anyone would become entranced with the idea of Amsterdam as it's described in the book. Then there's the Swedish rapping 'cause, sure, why not?

- Times involving parental humor. It reminded me of my own family's humor, relatable.

- When Augustus went to the gas station once he became more ill. It was a beautifully written section that felt very honest and real.

- I liked that there was not an effortlessly happy ending.

My main problem with this book is not even the book necessarily. From the very moment I picked up The Fault in Our Stars, I KNEW one of the main characters would die. There is no getting around it. I was surprised that so many people were taken aback after reading this. It wasn't shocking at all, if anything it was very predictable but then again, that's probably why I didn't cry. Um hi, that's what authors are known for doing. John Green is no exception. He rips hearts out here and there with his writing. He ripped hearts out with this book as well.

**END SPOILERS**

Overall, I still believe that this book was over hyped although some of that hype is well deserved. The end was flat out predictable but I can't say I would have ended it any differently. Lastly, I know for a fact that this book is popular not solely because it's a wonderful work of literature but because of a well known name. But hey! That's why I picked it up, so clearly, the whole John Green movement is working it's magic and I have no room to be hypocritical.

I do recommend this book. However, I don't recommend it because I think it's “absolutely amazing” or the best book ever written since that isn't how I view it. I would recommend The Fault in Our Stars because it's well written, refreshing, and as good as contemporary fiction taking on the topic of cancer can get. For anyone a bit skeptical about reading this book, I understand the hesitation wholeheartedly, but trust me. Give it a whirl.

Feel free to share any other thoughts or book suggestions below! 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Book Review | Divergent

Words can't describe my undeniable love for this book. And no, it is not because I'm jumping on the bandwagon. One day before school let out for summer, I decided to sit my butt down at the computer while there was a break in my television show. Of all the random moments, I turned around at the exact time of a brand new movie trailer, with the most beautiful man I've ever seen on screen for a split second. That split second encouraged me to look up the actor because I'm a sucker for the bad guys. After twenty minutes of staring at Jai Courtney's Wikipedia page, I stumbled upon the Wikipedia page for that new movie: Divergent.

As I was scrolling down the page, I came across a link to another. That was the moment I discovered that this Divergent movie was not just a movie. Before it had become this shimmery beacon of attractive male actors and gorgeous Hollywood leading ladies, it was a book. The first book in a trilogy to be specific. Unlike my fellow book lovers, I went against the more basic “rule”of them all: I saw the movie before I read the books. Queue daunting, dramatic music while closing in on my face dripping with guilt. Yeah. I felt like I had cheated on the loyal fans of the books. My bad y'all.

Watching this movie gave me a strange adrenaline rush I used to get when I watched really spectacular films, or even when I finished a breath taking book. Hence, the worst and best obstacle I've faced in terms of books. Right after I watched the movie, I marched myself over to Target, and bought the box set. I was on a high like no other. Two weeks later, spring break was in full swing. I stared and stared at the box set. Suddenly, I lost my patience. I ripped open the box set and took out Divergent. Shaking and anxiety ridden, I flipped to the first page. Three hours later--I had finished reading the most awe inducing book of my life. That sounds extremely melodramatic. But it felt extremely melodramatic. It was amazing.

In summation, the book is about a teenage girl named Beatrice 'Tris' Prior, living in a world with divided social groups. The intelligent, the honest, the kind, the brave, and the selfless. With the choosing ceremony right around the corner, Tris must decide who she wants to be, whether that means staying in her original faction or transferring to one of the other four. It encompasses self discovery, honesty, bravery, secrecy and a whole lot of heart.

The hook caught my attention, while the following paragraphs and chapters kept it. Then, the part I had been waiting for: introductions of the five factions, society’s new way of grouping its inhabitants. Erudite. Candor. Amity. Abnegation. Dauntless. I never imagined reading a dystopian book and calling it my favorite of ever...but my world is run by irony, and I love it!

Character development is far from lacking in this book written by Veronica Roth. I never realized how difficult it is to create characters and give them their own distinct voices. In Divergent, the voice of each character is loud and clear. From Tris to Caleb to Eric to Christina; EVERYONE pushes the plot forward and their personalities, though very different from one another, help strengthen that charisma. Veronica Roth has a way with words as well as world building. She injects liveliness and realism into not so real people. The scent of lemongrass emanating from Al. The coldness of Eric's eyes though he is truly sharp as a knife (watch out I'm getting punny). The intellect instilled within Will's words. The symbolism of Tris getting a tattoo. Each little quirk and detail of every person or place made me fall in love with this book more and more every day. I finished this book in three hours. It was extremely compelling and went above and beyond my expectations.

A love story never hurt either and this one was my cup of tea. Tris and Four were standoffish in their first few encounters but slowly, their relationship grew into a combative, hilariously dysfunctional union. Their relationship was real. Real couples have real problems. Maybe not on that scale but it was nice that they were awkward, sarcastic, and emotionally driven with one another.

Veronica Roth tackles beautifully written dystopian fiction in not one but three books, created dozens of characters, then killed off half, and even went as far as to writing out a manifesto for each faction. I commend this woman and give her my utmost respect. It's strange reading a book cover to cover, closing it, and thinking that it changed my life. I don't even know how but I can feel that I'm different now that I've read Divergent. I feel like I can be brave. Hopefully, future readers can feel the same elation I felt after reading this book/trilogy.

This book is fast paced, action packed, emotionally charged, funny, and intriguing. I look forward to future literary works of Veronica Roth's, fingers crossed, and advise everyone to read this book and follow it up with Insurgent and Allegiant!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

That's a Wrap | June and July

Yarp, that is correct, I am doing a collective June and July book wrap up because I truthfully didn't read that much during either month. I'm slightly bummed as well as content with my progress. If you happened to read my BookTube-A-Thon post, you would know that I did not fully partake in it so there's one readathon I already sat on the sidelines for. I am also aware of the shitihavetoomanybooks readathon that is being hosted by Regan from PeruseProject which I am not technically taking part in but it clashes with the Rainbow Readathon so I'm sort of doing both? Possibly? Either way, I'm about to knock out quite a few books this coming week. Hopefully. But back to business.

Here are the books I read in June and July:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and oh wait, JOHN GREEN

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

I think that list is fairly self explanatory with my whole John Green reading kick. I read The Fault in Our Stars because peer pressure. Plus, I was planning on going to see the movie but have yet to do so. Then I read Looking for Alaska because my friend told me it was her favorite John Green book. After I read those two, I had this intense moment of what I thought was clarity but was truly impulsiveness, therefore, I went out and bought Will Grayson, Will Grayson along with Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines. I couldn't help myself. Once I finished WGWG, I noticed that I went into a bit of a reading slump. All of that contemporary reading brought me down but not in a terribly negative way.

Days passed and I wondered why I had less of a desire to read when it hit me. I came to the realization that I needed to pick up a book from a different genre, written by an author other than John freaking Green. Too much contemporary at a time tends to bring me down and I've found that a lot of my fellow bibliophiles agree. One day, as I was browsing through the young adult section at Barnes & Noble, I saw Long Lankin. That book was out of stock for almost a year, so of course I violently leapt toward the first copy I laid eyes on. Meanwhile, I bought the first two Harry Potter books only managing to read the first one for now because yes, I am honest to god that far behind the rest of the world. 

Finding that yet another July has come to an end, I'm happy with how much I read in the past two months, especially considering how busy I've been. I can't wait to move forward with the rest of my to-be-read books in August. Stay tuned for more book reviews which will be posted shortly!