#ReadWomenMonth

My good friend Stasia is organising a month long reading challenge for June of women-only authors, and I am uber excited. Mostly because I needled her into posting it so I could join, but also because lady writers!! If you follow what I read, you'll know I read mostly women authors anyway, but it's lovely to have an entire month dedicated to them. So long, men, you're surplus to requirements.

I'm gonna attempt to schedule and write some posts for this, probably of my favourite lady authors, maybe my most anticipated female written debuts of 2014. No promises, though.

I usually read 6-8 books a month, so here's what I plan to read in June:

There is also, of course, City of Heavenly Fire, but that book is far too entirely separate to be included. It's City of Heavenly Fire, y'know?

I think I will do round up posts for this, at the halfway and end points of June, so keep an eye out for those. And join in - everyone needs more women authors in their life.

Alpha Goddess (ARC Review)

Alpha Goddess | Amalie Howard

Published by: Sky Pony Press, March 4th 2014

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Mythology

Pages: 284

Format: Ebook

Source: Sky Pony Press, via Netgalley

In Serjana Caelum’s world, gods exist. So do goddesses. Sera knows this because she is one of them. A secret long concealed by her parents, Sera is Lakshmi reborn, the human avatar of an immortal Indian goddess rumored to control all the planes of existence. Marked by the sigils of both heaven and hell, Sera’s avatar is meant to bring balance to the mortal world, but all she creates is chaos. A chaos that Azrath, the Asura Lord of Death, hopes to use to unleash hell on earth.

Torn between reconciling her past and present, Sera must figure out how to stop Azrath before the Mortal Realm is destroyed. But trust doesn’t come easy in a world fissured by lies and betrayal. Her best friend Kyle is hiding his own dark secrets, and her mysterious new neighbor, Devendra, seems to know a lot more than he’s telling. Struggling between her opposing halves and her attraction to the boys tied to each of them, Sera must become the goddess she was meant to be, or risk failing, which means sacrificing the world she was born to protect.

This book had my absolute attention. A YA with Hindu Gods and Goddesses instead of classical? A POC protagonist? YES.

Well. It actually turns out this book is more of a NAH. I loved the premise, but the execution fell really short for my liking. Nothing gripped me. I found myself bored far too often while reading it and while I did actually finish the book, I didn't enjoy the beginning or end (the middle was pretty cool but not cool enough to hold the entire book) and I skimmed the last 10%.

The one thing I liked the most was Kyle - he was a different love interest, a punk for one, and he seemed really unique and likable. Well until he turned into a downright asshole and lost my affection. And Dev was just creepy as hell. I loved the way he assumed ownership of Serjana. Totally. What a great guy. (I cringed at every kiss.) 

Serjana, while having possibly the coolest name in YA, was a pretty flimsy character. And I LIKE flimsy characters, I'm all for YA heroines being realistic, ordinary people. But there was just something about her that ... never connected. I didn't really like her, or root for her, or understand her to be honest.

The plot was alright. I liked the different elements, but not a fan of the way they came together. I thought the world building was too general, too vague and as such, I couldn't vividly picture the settings at all, which hindered my enjoyment.

Alpha Goddess could have been awesome but fell short for me.

(Also what does the title even mean? What's the Alpha? IDEK)

Characters ★★☆☆☆

Setting/world building ★★☆☆☆

Writing Style ★★★☆☆

Reading round up (27)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress and my thoughts on each book as I read it. Now I know I can read 170+ pages per day if I push myself, I'm gonna attempt to push myself more and finish some books I'm in the middle of.

19th May

Currently reading: The Fearless | Emma Pass

Current page/percent: 70%

Read today: 31%

Thoughts: Well this got about 300% better. Liking it now.

20th May

Finished The Fearless (30%) and reallly enjoyed it. The Sheffield Torturehouse was my favourite thing. I can just imagine Meadowhall overrun by fearless soldiers!

21st May

Currently reading: Alpha Goddess | Amalie Howard

Current page/percent: 15%

Read today: 15%

Thoughts: Thought the girl was gonna be POC but she's described as having pale skin. So fucked off rn. What's with the cover, then?

22nd May

Okay so I read 20 pages of The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead and I'm not sure if I'm sticking with it or WHAT IN FACT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. My reading is whacked. Also I read the short story prequel to The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski. Kinda nice story, if a little abrupt.

23rd May

I have no idea what I'm doing. Besides floundering. I started a City of Lost Souls reread (93 pages).

24th May

Bad day. Very bad day. But read 15% of Alpha Goddess. I'm just sort of ambling on with it. Interested but not gripped.

25th May

Bleh.

Books finished this week: 1
(This week was a nightmare. Don't ask.)

~

Books added to my collection:
The three week edition

Fire and Thorns | Rae Carson
Salvage | Alexandra Duncan
Falling Kingdoms | Morgan Rhodes
The Exiled Queen | Cinda Williams Chima
Katya's World | Jonathan. L. Howard
My Soul to Keep | Rachel Vincent
The Replacement | Brenna Yovanoff
Until I Die | Amy Plum
The Forever Song | Julie Kagawa

So ... yeah ... as reward for finishing a load of galleys I went a little crazy with buying new books. I needed Salvage and Falling Kingdoms, because I have to own those (MY BABIES!) The Forever Song is super pretty and was discounted on Book Depository. And I've been waiting to get the Exiled Queen and Girl of Fire & Thorns for SO LONG but they've always been way out of my budget. Plus the others were cheap second hand, some I've wanted to read for some time and others bridging series I already own/have started reading. Also as a loyalty scheme thing, I got The Replacement for nothing. Yep, no pounds whatsoever. Bless you play.com.

Out today: The Castle Behind Thorns

The Castle Behind Thorns | Merrie Haskell

from Katherine Tegen Books

A magical adventure set in an enchanted castle that is sure to appeal to fans of Gail Carson Levine, Karen Cushman, and Shannon Hale

When Sand wakes up alone in a long-abandoned castle, he has no idea how he got there. The stories all said the place was ruined by an earthquake, and Sand did not expect to find everything inside-from dishes to candles to apples-torn in half or slashed to bits. Nothing lives here and nothing grows, except the vicious, thorny bramble that prevents Sand from leaving. Why wasn't this in the stories?

To survive, Sand does what he knows best-he fires up the castle's forge to mend what he needs to live. But the things he fixes work somehow better than they ought to. Is there magic in the mending, granted by the saints who once guarded this place?

Unexpectedly, Sand finds the lost heir, Perrotte, a girl who shares the castle's astonishing secrets and dark history. Putting together the pieces-of stone and iron, and of a broken life-is harder than Sand ever imagined, but it's the only way to gain their freedom, even with the help of the guardian saints.

With gorgeous language and breathtaking magic, Merrie Haskell's The Castle Behind Thorns tells of the power of memory and story, forgiveness and strength, and the true gifts of craft and imagination.

My rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

From my review:

Wonderful, lush, and thought-provoking, The Castle Behind Thorns is a must read for fantasy fans of all ages.

Cover reveal: Predator by Janice Gable Bashman

Predator | Janice Gable Bashman

Expected October 14th from Month9Books

"Predator is a fast-paced, creepy page-turner! Bashman had me at the opening sentence and she's still got me. I want more!"

Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Rules

The hunt is on!

Sixteen-year-old Bree Sunderland must inject herself with an untested version of her father’s gene therapy to become a werewolf in order to stop a corrupt group of mercenaries from creating a team of unstoppable lycanthrope soldiers.

When Bree went with her scientist father to Ireland, she thought it would be a vacation to study bog bodies. She never expected to fall in love with a mysterious young Irishman and certainly never expected to become the kind of monster her father said only existed in nightmares. Dr. Sunderland discovers that lycanthropy was not a supernatural curse but rather a genetic mutation. When they return home, her dad continues his research, but the military wants to turn that research into a bio weapons program and rogue soldiers want to steal the research to turn themselves into unstoppable killing machines.

Bree’s boyfriend Liam surprises her with a visit to the United States, but there are darker surprises in store for both of them. As evil forces hunt those she loves, Bree must become an even more dangerous hunter to save them all.

Predator gives the werewolf legend a couple of new spins by introducing the Benandanti (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil), as well as a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics.

About the Author:

Janice Gable Bashman is the Bram Stoker nominated author of Wanted Undead or Alive and Predator. She is managing editor of the The Big Thrill (International Thriller Writers' ezine).  Janice lives with her family in the Philadelphia area, where she at work on her next novel. Visit her at janicegablebashman.com.

Connect with the Author:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway open internationally

Winner will be drawn May 30, 2014

Winners will receive their book on release day

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Fearless (ARC Review)

The Fearless | Emma Pass

Published by: Random House Children's Publishers, April 24th 2014

Genre: YA, Science fiction, Dystopia

Pages: 400

Format: Ebook

Source: Random House Children's Publishers, via Netgalley

The Fearless. An army, powered by an incredible new serum that makes each soldier stronger, sharper, faster than their enemies. Intended as a force for good, the serum has a terrible side-effect - anyone who takes it is stripped of all humanity, empathy, love. And as the Fearless sweep through the country, forcing the serum on anyone in their path, society becomes a living nightmare.

Cass remembers the night they passed through her village. Her father was Altered. Her mother died soon after. All Cass has left is her little brother - and when Jori is snatched by the Fearless and taken to their hellish lair, Cass must risk everything to get him back.

I treated this book pretty terribly in the beginning. I'd seen a lot of negative reviews and it clouded my judgement. The book started with a pretty high impact opener, and then I got bored in the following chapters and abandoned it for a while. Bad move. As soon as I picked it back up again, The Fearless got awesome and intense and action-packed.

The Fearless is a unique dystopia, created by a drug given to soldiers to combat PSTD that went bad and erased all emotions altogether, making them into remorseless killers. Cass and her family, to escape the Fearless, isolated themselves on an island community cut off from the rest of the world. That is until a Fearless manages to get onto the island and kidnaps Cass's brother, forcing her to leave her protected home and cross the country in search of her brother - along with a rogueish boy who she may or may not be able to trust.

The first thing I loved about this book was the setting. UKYA makes me so very happy. I get really tired of reading about American cities I've never been to, and at this point I've read books set in so many of them that each US city becomes a blur of the same. But The Fearless? It's settings were wonderful and familiar and I felt the full, haunting effect of the dystopia because of it. I could really, for the first time, imagine my world overrun and ruined.

The characters were pretty standard, except for them being British. I loved Myo being Scottish though. I've only ever read one Scottish love interest before, and Myo had a lot to live up to. Which he sorta did and sorta didn't. What I liked about him was his secret turmoil, his loyalty and love for his sister, and the fact that he'd go to the ends of the earth to find her. Other than that I wasn't really fussed, or attached. Cass was your standard heroine, ballsy and iron willed. I liked her well enough to enjoy the story. My favourite character was, quite predictably, the dog. Lochie. What a sweetheart.

I really liked The Fearless, and a lot more than I expected to. The combination of the unique dystopic threats and the English setting made it a book I'll not soon forget.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world building ★★★★☆

Writing Style ★★★☆☆

Dark Days (DNF Review)

Dark Days | Kate Ormand

Published by: Sky Pony Press, June 3rd 2014

Genre: YA, Science fiction, slight Dystopia though it isn't really explained

Pages: 256

Format: Ebook

Source: Sky Pony Press via Edelweiss

The future world has been divided into sectors--each the same as the other. Surrounded by thick steel fences, there is no way in and no way out. Yet a cyborg army penetrates each sector, picking off its citizens one by one, until no one is left. Behind the sectors' thick walls, the citizens wait to die. Few will be chosen to survive what's coming; the rest will be left behind to suffer. A new world has been created, and its rulers are incredibly selective on who will become a citizen. They want only those with important roles in society to help create a more perfect future. 

Sixteen-year-old Sia lives in one of the sectors as part of a family that is far too ordinary to be picked to live. According to the digital clock that towers high above her sector, she has only fifteen days to live. Sia has seen the reports and knows a horrific death is in store for her, but she is determined to make the most of her final days. Sia refuses to mourn her short life, instead promising herself that she'll stay strong, despite being suffocated by her depressed mother and her frightened best friend. Just when Sia feels more alone than ever, she meets Mace, a mysterious boy. There is something that draws Sia to him, despite his dangerousness, and together, they join a group of rebels and embark on an epic journey to destroy the new world and its machines, and to put an end to the slaughter of innocent people.

I've been excited for this book for a long time. The blurb sounded awesome, the premise was cool, and I do love a good countdown. The cover only sucked me in more. I love the pink, the neon, the dark and mysterious background. But the book itself ... nah.

There's a clock counting down until a cyborg army comes to kill the entire population of the town in which the book is set, to, apparently, cut the population. Why? Why is this massive population cull needed? Are resources scarce? For the entire time I read this book I just kept thinking 'why is this necessary?' And I get that it's sci fi, and science fiction is always outlandish and bizarre - but there's generally a reason for it. And I just couldn't find a single care in my body because ... why was it happening in the first place? What was the point?

I guess my lack of understanding about the setting, the world building, and the general everything hindered my enjoyment, but I was totally going to read it completely just to find out why all this was happening - but then the 'romance' happened. Mace, such a lovely guy, what with the following the girl wherever she went without asking her permission to accompany her. I mean ...? Okay, stalker. And then there was the protag, who seemed totally taken with this guy after meeting him like ... twice. Probably for twenty minutes in total. In a world that's going to end, you spend your days with a creepy ass guy who seems to have fallen into insta love with you after one glimpse of your face?

This book and I did not get along. At all. 

(No star rating since I DNF)

Bout of Books 10 goals + updates

Alright folks, it's read-a-thon time again, and I need this like whoa. You might remember my sign up post from a couple weeks ago. There'll be no reading round up this week, since all my progress will be recorded on this Bout of Books post.

Goals:

I'm hoping to read 5 books this week, but anything more than 2 will be an improvement on my usual number of books read.

Books to Read:

Zenn Scarlett | Christian Schoon

After The End | Amy Plum

Alpha Goddess | Amalie Howard

Mila 2.0 | Debra Driza

Elusion | Claudia Gabel

(Though I'll probably end up deviating from this list. I'm impulsive and horribly indecisive - not a good mix)

Updates:

Monday

Pages read today: 120

Total pages: 120

Total books read: 0

Tuesday

Pages read today: 179

Total pages: 299

Total books read: 1 (Zenn Scarlett)

Wednesday

Pages read today: 173

Total pages: 472

Total books read: 1 (Zenn Scarlett)

Thursday

Pages read today: 179

Total pages: 651

Total books read: 2 (Zenn Scarlett, After The End)

Friday

Pages read today: 160

Total pages: 811

Total books read: 3 (Zenn Scarlett, After The End, The New Avengers, vol.1)

Saturday

Pages read today: 66

Total pages: 877

Total books read: 3 (Zenn Scarlett, After The End, The New Avengers, vol.1)

Sunday

Pages read today: 128

Total pages: 1,005

Total books read: 3 (Zenn Scarlett, After The End, The New Avengers, vol.1)

Final count:

Pages: 1,005

Books read:

Zenn Scarlett
After The End
The New Avengers, vol. 1
26% of Dark Days
32% of The Fearless

I knew I'd go off schedule. I always do. Oh well. I read 3 books this week so I am happy about that! I would have read 4 if Dark Days hadn't been so utterly terrible and killed my flow. Ah well. I'm still pretty pleased with how much I read at the beginning.

------------------

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 18th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 10 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

After The End (ARC Review)

After The End: After The End | Amy Plum

Published by: HarperTeen, May 6th 2014

Genre: YA, Thriller, Paranormal, with a dash of Science fiction toward the end

Pages: 352

Format: Ebook

Source: HarperTeen via Edelweiss

She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future.

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

Let me start by saying what the hell was that ending? Not cool, Plum, not cool.

Also don't trust the blurb, or the cover. Think this is a post apocalyptic novel? Wrong. Think it's dystopia? Also wrong. This is a contemporary thriller with a kickass lady of colour main character, a pretty little rich boy, wonderfully original fantasy abilities, and a high stakes manhunt for reasons unknown.

In a word: AWESOME.

I loved this from the first chapter. I did not, in any way, expect Juneau, the MC, to be part of a tribe. I didn't expect her to connect to the earth - the Yara - and be able to control it in a way that was both unique and familiar. I loved Juneau instantly. She's everything I admire and love to read in a main character. She's feisty, she's assertive, she knows exactly how to get what she wants, and she has an absolute heart of gold. And Miles? The sheltered son of a rich CEO (or something along those lines) who wants for nothing, being thrown into the wilderness and forced to confront his problems, all the while convincing himself he isn't developing feelings for Juneau? Yes. I like.

I loved absolutely everything about After The End. It was unexpectedly magical and thrilling in every way.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world building ★★★★★

Writing Style ★★★★☆

Zenn Scarlett (Review)

Zenn Scarlett: Zenn Scarlett | Christian Schoon

Published by: Strange Chemistry, May 7th 2013

Genre: YA, Science fiction

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

When you're studying to be exoveterinarian specializing in exotic, alien life forms, school... is a different kind of animal. 

Zenn Scarlett is a resourceful, determined 17-year-old girl working hard to make it through her novice year of exovet training. That means she's learning to care for alien creatures that are mostly large, generally dangerous and profoundly fascinating. Zenn’s all-important end-of-term tests at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic on Mars are coming up, and, she's feeling confident of acing the exams. But when a series of inexplicable animal escapes and other disturbing events hit the school, Zenn finds herself being blamed for the problems. As if this isn't enough to deal with, her absent father has abruptly stopped communicating with her; Liam Tucker, a local towner boy, is acting unusually, annoyingly friendly; and, strangest of all: Zenn is worried she's started sharing the thoughts of the creatures around her. Which is impossible, of course. Nonetheless, she can't deny what she's feeling.

Now, with the help of Liam and Hamish, an eight-foot sentient insectoid also training at the clinic, Zenn must learn what's happened to her father, solve the mystery of who, if anyone, is sabotaging the cloister, and determine if she's actually sensing the consciousness of her alien patients... or just losing her mind. All without failing her novice year....

If you'd have told me, before going into this book, I'd have encountered a cloister of alien vets I'd have said you were lying. And then screamed in excitement. Of course I could have told myself this, had I read the blurb. But I didn't. All I needed to see was the word exovet and I was sold.

But a cloister of exovets! A cloister! This is literally everything I never knew I wanted. Zenn Scarlett is by far the most imaginative science fiction novel I have read, and I fell in love with it so hard and fast.  The world building is without fault, and without conforming to the stereotypical Martian colony I keep reading about, which made this book fascinating. Not to mention the array of alien species - much wonder!

Zenn is a strong main character, determined and impulsive, she gets herself into all manner of bad situations, and always manages to fix the problems she's caused. But what really made this novel amazing, for me, was the treatment and inclusion of alien characters. Katie is my all time favourite. I love how, without verbally speaking, she's intelligent and has a personality, instead of being a character-less supporting alien character, as I have found in other, lesser novels. Hamish is also a fascinating character and a real breakthrough for me. I never would have thought I'd empathise and come to adore an insect, given they scare the ever-loving crap out of me, not to mention an eight foot insect.

Zenn Scarlett was a wonderful shock of a book. I wanted it to be amazing and groundbreaking and it was everything I'd hoped. A YA sci fi that doesn't dull down the science for the obviously dumb teenagers (You wanna talk about how irritating and insulting it is when that happens? Because I've been insulted far too many times to recall), a cast of characters as different as they come, and a story so unique you'll fly through the book as quick as I did (a day and a half!!) Highly recommend.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world building ★★★★☆

Writing Style ★★★☆☆