Book Review: Winter

Title: Winter

Series: The Lunar Chronicles

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Publication Date: November 10, 2015

Source: Purchased

Add it to Goodreads

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.
Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Soundtrack Saturday (11)

Soundtrack Saturday is a bookish meme that I created so I can share the many songs that pop into my head while I'm reading a book.

On Saturdays, I will either post a mini (four songs) or a full soundtrack for a book that I've read. Anyone and everyone is more than welcome to participate. For more information, feel free to visit the meme's homepage or ask me any questions.

I's also like to apologize for not posting last week. Things were pretty hectic personally. If you posted a Soundtrack Saturday last week, feel free to include the link in this week's link-up.

Like all other bookish memes, there are a few things to do:

• Choose a book (any book)
• Create a mini or full soundtrack or playlist for the book
• Credit me and my blog in your post
• Leave a comment on my Soundtrack Saturday post
• Add your name to the link up tool

You don't have to use my image, but either feel free to use it or make your own.

This week's book is Scarlet, the second book in The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer.

1.  "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley
2.  "Dirt" by Florida Georgia Line
3.  "Country Strong" by Gwyneth Paltrow
4.  "Secrets" by OneRepublic
5.  "Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift
6.  "Drops of Jupiter" by Train
7.  "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton
8.  "Clarity" by Zedd
9.  "Don't Trust Me" by 3OH!3
10.  "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty
11.  "Me & My Friends" by Tim Meyers & El May

August 2014 Wrap-Up

Okay, so August is officially over, and September is here. It's Labor Day here in the United States, so it's the unofficial end to summer. The pools close, and everyone is back to school. But to remember the true meaning behind the holiday... Labor Day is really about the celebration of the American Labor Movement. I'm a firm believer in labor unions. They built this country that I love, and I'm very proud that they protect their workers. I'm also very proud to have grown up in a family with many ties to many labor unions in the area.

This is the start of one of the most beautiful parts of the year. The sun casts a certain kind of light in the mornings and evenings that I just find to be so completely beautiful. The leaves will begin to change. The air is crisp and has a cool bite to it, and the scents of fall are amazing! Apples, pumpkins, cinnamon. I just can't get over it, and so much of it really begins to change in September.

Late August and September also mean that it is back to school time, and for me (at the moment), it is back to work time. As a sub, more and more work days will become available at the end of September.

But before I say hello to September, I need to say goodbye to August. A lot of good things happened this August for me both personally and for my reading and the blog.

I turned twenty-five. I still don't know how I feel about this because I feel like I should be married or at least in a serious relationship by now. Oh well. I also babysat a lot, and made some money that I wouldn't have made, so that was fun. Exhausting, but fun.

I was asked to review quite a few books. I won quite a few books, and my blog really started to pick up this month, so I want to thank each and every one of you who reads my posts and takes the time to comment. It means the world to me. Also, the six Liebster Awards that I've won make me extremely happy. An extra special thanks goes to all who nominated me. I also bought a lot of books in August. Check the book haul and Stacking the Shelves posts if you're interested in seeing what I bought.

Now for my August Wrap-Up

Books that I read:

• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - I didn't really enjoy this book, despite all of the praise I've seen for it. You can view my full review if you haven't seen it yet.
• Mister Teacher Person by J.M. Varner - Jason and I had a few college classes together, and we recently found one another on Goodreads. He asked me to read and review an ARC of his book, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. My review is spoiler-free for those of you who would like to read it. P.S. It is for free this week for Kindle. You should go check it out.
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer - I think everyone who reads my blog knows that I am binge-reading the released books in this series. My full review can be found here.
• Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - Shortly after finishing my ARCs and Cinder, I read Scarlet. I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Cinder, but it was very cute and adventurous. My review can be seen here if you'd like to read it.
• The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson - Surprisingly, this is the only book the twins have asked me to read to them while I've been babysitting them this month. When I worked as an after-school care assistant at their preschool, they were always asking me to read to them. Anyways, the book is completely adorable, and it's written in poem form. I'll buy this if I ever have kids.

Looking Forward

• Susan Srikant is sending me three of her books. I'll be reading and reviewing them this month and in October.
• I am participating in an ARC Tour for Damsel Distressed, so you'll be seeing an advanced review for the book on my blog soon. I'll pass along more information when I get it so you can follow the other reviewers involved with the tour.
• I'm anxiously waiting on some September releases, so keep your eyes peeled for "Stacking the Shelves." I'll probably be buying a lot of books this month. 
• Books I plan on reading in September include:
  • Cress by Marissa Meyer
  • Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
  • The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
  • The Disappearance of Lars Wellingsworth by Susan Srikant
  • The Remedy by Susan Srikant
  • The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Review: Scarlet

Title: Scarlet

Series: The Lunar Chronicles

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Publication Date: February 5, 2013

Format: Hardcover, First Edition

Source: Purchased from Amazon

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

My Review

So I've had a bit of time since finishing Scarlet to think about my review, but it doesn't really make writing it any easier. While I am truly enjoying the series, I felt like Scarlet lacked some of the key energy that Meyer had in Cinder. I never wanted to stop reading Cinder, but I had a harder time reading Scarlet. It's not that I didn't like this book; it's just that this one felt a little slower. It wasn't as intense as Cinder for me.

Picking up where Cinder left off, Scarlet continues the tale of Cinder. She escapes from prison and takes another prisoner with her, and together, they are outlaws on the run from the Commonwealth. We are also introduced to two new characters, Scarlet Benoit and Wolf, and their attraction to one another does drive a lot of their part of the story, but there is a little bit more than just romance with these two characters. They each have stories of their own, and figuring them out makes reading this one fun.

While I would say that this book is more romantic than Cinder, I also found it to have a bit more action. There are some battle scenes, and I think they were okay. They certainly could have been written better and with more enthusiasm. I lost interest in many of them, even though I know that the fighting and the rebellion is an important part of this series.

Remember that picture that Kai was shown in Cinder? It's an integral part of this novel, and I was kind of angry with myself for being so distracted and missing it right away. Because of it, Kai is forced to make a decision that could change the history of the world yet again. Like how awesome is it for Meyer to have these young characters making so many important decisions? I love it! But I couldn't help but find myself angry with the choice that Kai makes. I know he is making it for what he thinks are all the right reasons, but he is being naive. It bothered me because at the end of Cinder, I really thought that he would grow to be the great leader that he's supposed to be, but it looks like he still has some growing up to do, and I'm fine with that. I'm sure things will change, but the choice just didn't sit well with me when I read it. I think he could have done something else to calm things.

All in all, I didn't think the book was terrible, but I just wanted a little bit more out of it. There is another cliffhanger, so I grabbed Cress, and I hope to see some things become resolved.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (4)

Okay... so I know that not a lot of people enjoy Mondays, but this book meme makes Mondays just a little more bearable. I don't know about you, but Mondays, especially Mondays when I actually have to work, could use a little cheer. I'm babysitting three kids today, so a little reading while they are playing is just the trick to make the day go by a little bit faster.

For those of you who might start school today, Happy First Day of School! I personally always loved the first day of school, even though it meant less time to read what I wanted to read. Just remember that it's a new year, and everything is fresh again. There is so much to learn, so go out there, and try your best.

Everyone else, Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend.

Mondays are starting to become a favorite of mine because of It's Monday. It's a really cool book meme that's hosted by BookJourney. Each Monday, you get to share the book or books that you are reading during the week.

This Monday, I've decided to continue reading the books in The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer. The Goodreads group I'm a mod for is reading the series starting next month, and because I'm in charge of the BOTM and Series Reads, I decided to get ahead on the reading so I could be better prepared when people start posting on the discussion boards. (If you're interested in joining us, the link to the group is on the left column of my blog.)

I finished Scarlet last night, so today, I'm going to read Cress. The cliffhanger ending in Scarlet was enough to make me want to jump in the pages again. I need to find out how Cinder is going to act on her promise to Iko and basically the rest of the world, even though they don't know about her yet.

I'm also excited to meet Cress. From what I've seen, Cress is based on Rapunzel, and I already think we've met her, just not officially. I can't wait to see how Cinder, Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf work together to overthrow Levana. And obviously I need to know that Kai is not insane! I hope he figures out a way to save the planet without sacrificing himself. He seems like he is going to be such a great emperor.

I've also noticed that Cress has a very high average rating on Goodreads, so of course, I am excited to start it. If you've read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts, but maybe after I finish. I don't want to spoil myself because this is a series that no one has spoiled for me, and it's really made it an enjoyable series to read.

Synopsis:
In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

The Friday 56 (3)

The Friday 56 is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice.

If you want to participate, all you need to do is link your post to Freda's blog. Then you open the book closest to you (or the one you're currently reading) to page fifty-six (or 56% on your e-reader). From there, you find a sentence or two that you want to share that will make someone who hasn't read the book want to read it.

This Friday, I'm working my way through Scarlet, the second book in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. So far, I'm really enjoying it. I just wish I had a little more free time to read it.

"She called up the blueprint of the jail's interior structure to check the direction while she waited for Thorne to clamber up behind her. Switching on her built-in flashlight, Cinder started to crawl."

 So what is everyone reading this fine Friday? As always, you can either let me know in the comments or leave a link to your "Friday 56" post for the week. I'll be sure to check them out!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (3)

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! You know what Monday means, right? Another installment of "It's Monday!"

"It's Monday! What are You Reading" is a weekly meme created and hosted by BookJourney. On Mondays, you get to share the book or books that you are reading with everyone who reads your blog.

Even though I promised that I would start Scarlet last Monday, I kind of didn't. I got too busy, but that's okay because I'm reading it this Monday.

 Scarlet is the second book in The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer. I've been a little busy, so I'm slowly chipping away at it, but I really like it so far. I don't know of I like it as much as I liked Cinder yet, but I'll have to wait and see.

I'm still really glad that the Goodreads group I'm a co-mod for is going to be reading this series starting in September. I've wanted to read them for a while, and now that I've started, I just want them all. Can Fairest and Winter be released like now? 

If you haven't read these books, I really think you should. I enjoyed Cinder, and I think anyone who likes fantasy and science fiction would enjoy them.

Synopsis:
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.



So what are you reading this Monday? Let me know in the comments or leave a link to your post, and I'll check it out. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (2)

It's Monday, everyone! I hope you all had an amazing weekend. I did. My birthday was yesterday, so I treated myself to some new books.

"It's Monday! What are You Reading" is a weekly meme created and hosted by BookJourney. On Monday, all you have to do is share some of the books that you are reading.

As of today, I am still reading The Epic of Clair by E.C. Hansen, but I am going to take a hiatus on it until the release date gets a little closer. It's not that I don't want to read it; I just want to make sure that it's fresh in my mind when I review it.

For those of you interested in The Epic of Clair, it is an epic poem. The book is about "an anxious girl who runs literary messages for witches in a post-carbon Twin cities."

It seemed really interesting, so I entered to win it on Goodreads, and I won. I'll be sure to post my review on here.



I'm also reading another ARC right now. This one is called Mister Teacher Person by J.M. Varner. It will be available for purchase later this month.

He sent me the link to it on Goodreads, so I will be posting a review of it as soon as I finish it. It is a part of Mr. Varner's Squirrel Hill High books. The book is about recent college graduate, Stacy King, who gets her dream job as a news reporter for Pittsburgh's KPGH. She did a profile piece on a student teacher during the previous school year, so she's back at Squirrel Hill High to
get more information on him, but he's missing! Being back at her alma mater brings back memories of herself, and she'll soon discover who she really is.

Fun fact: He and I were in some college classes together, and we recently reconnected on Goodreads when I found that he had added his books to my Pittsburgh Listopia.



I'm also going to start reading Scarlet by Marissa Meyer today. It is part a series read for the All About YA group I'm a moderator for on Goodreads. The link to the group is on the left hand side of this blog.

So what are you reading this week? Let me know in the comments or leave a link to your "It's Monday" post, and I'll check it out. Happy reading!