Reading round up (73)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

6th April

I read a further 24% of The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath by Ishbelle Bee, which is amazing. I'm at 39% and loving it, even if it is getting a little repetitive with certain words (everything is fairy tale in the past few chapters) but I can forgive that because it might be changed in the final version.

7th April

Continuing my trend of random reading, I read 58% of Suicide Squad, vol. 1 by Adam Glass, Ryan Benjamin and Federico Dallocchio, which is SO GODDAMN GOOD. Probably my favourite team ever. Now that I've seen them on TV, and in graphic novel form, I am buzzing with excitement for the film!!!! Heads up: it's like 50p on kindle, so if you 1) love comics and 2) own a kindle, GET THE THING NOW.

I also read 17% of Mirror & Goliath, which I'm enjoying a little less now the novelty has worn off, and sad about it. For a short book, there's an awful lot of story threads and so many characters!

8th April

I read the last 42% of Suicide Squad which was SO COOL until the last 2 comics. Didn't enjoy them so much. There's something about what they did with Harley that, while I enjoyed the back story, made me feel really iffy.

I also read 26% of The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath and I'm getting bored-er.

9th April

I skimmed the last 18% of Mirror & Goliath and it was okay but the first half was better than the last, and started Magonia by Maira Dahvana Headley (11%) So far I'm not sure about Magonia but I'm fair interested in the ship in the sky. Waiting for it to all kick in.

10th April

Read 19% of Magonia, bringing me to 30%, and I'm liking this a bit more. I can see where it's going and I'm fairly interested in getting there. Also Jason is a cutie and his frantic disjointedness resounds with me for a reason I'd rather not think on too thoroughly.

I also read Lois Lane: Cloudy With A Chance of Destruction by Gwenda Bond, and I continue to love Lois so so much. She's likable and unlikable at the same time and I love that. I like to think I'm the same.

11th April

Pushing Magonia aside for today, I read Rat Queens, vol 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe & Roc Upchurch in its entirety. IT WAS AWESOME.

12th April

Read 28% of Magonia which is really making me feel stuff. SHIPS IN THE SKY! ALOOF AND ATTRACTIVE FIRST MATES! 

Books finished this week: 4
Books DNF'd this week: 0

For review:

Lois Lane: Cloudy With A Chance of Destruction | Gwenda Bond

Another Lois Lane short! I LOVED the first one and can't wait to read more of Lois's vibrant energy.

I also got a bunch of Harper September galleys but I'll put those in the next one because lazy.

I also got these AMAZON FREEBIES:

Hope(less) | Melissa Haag

Submerged | Nicole Sobon

Moonfall | A. G. Wyatt

All Fall Down | Christine Pope

The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror & Goliath (scheduled for 27th May)

Death Marked

Lois Lane: Cloudy With A Chance of Destruction

Cloudy With A Chance of Destruction (ARC Review)

Lois Lane: Cloudy With A Chance of Destruction | Gwenda Bond

Published by: Capstone, April 6th 2015

Genre: YA, Mystery

Pages: 17

Format: Ebook

Source: Capstone, via Netgalley

In a high school science class, Lois Lane must deal with some bad chemistry. . .

This is an official teaser short story for the young adult novel LOIS LANE: FALLOUT that takes place before Lois moves to Metropolis. FALLOUT is forthcoming from Switch Press in May 2015.

Gwenda Bond's Lois Lane continues to be punchy and exciting and absolutely, fascinatingly vibrant. I love how Lois is so likable, while at the same time unlikable. She's utterly real and I adore her. Another great Lois Lane short, even if I didn't like it as much as A Real Work of Art. I can't wait to get my greedy hands on the book in May!

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world building N/A

Writing ★★★☆☆

5 Mini reviews (Jan-March)

A Heart For Copper | Sharon Lynn Fisher

Published by: Silkwords, June 6th 2014

Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy

Pages: 67

Format: Ebook

Source: Silkwords, via Netgalley

An automaton created by an inventor's son, Copper has finally been given a heart by her young master. Her choice of whether to keep the key or give it to him will determine what happens next in this "pick your path" steampunk fairy tale. 

Will she join his family in their English country manor, where she'll be forced to consider the question of whether she's really human? Or will she search out the quirky alchemist responsible for giving her life? Will her master hold onto her heart, or will she be tempted by the charms of an automaton man?

This little book was a cute, steampunk tale. I liked the premise of the story, and the choose your own adventure format of the book, even if I did get mightily confused at first. It's easy to follow the progression of the story and fun to choose the outcome, to decide which choices the character makes.

I feel that the choices I made resulted in a much shorter story than the other choices would have made, but I'm pleased with the tale. I would love for it to continue, and for Copper's story to be explored more, since the end is left wide open. The one thing I didn't like was that there was a romance element between the MC and her 'master'. As usual, I hate this term and this trope, but I loved there was an alternate option, with a pretty cute boy who was more like Copper than her master. The brevity of the story didn't allow for much, if any, character development, and I didn't understand or connect with any of the characters but I suspect I would have if it were longer. The same goes for the world building - it was impressive for such a short story, but I needed more.

All in all, a unique steampunk tale in which a clockwork girl learns to make human choices - I wish it was longer!!

These are the choices I made

I keep the key.

Stay with Hephaesta and Silk.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world building ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Periwinkle Cove | Cassandra Pierce

Published by: Less Than Three Press, March 18th 2015

Genre: Adult, Paranormal, LGBT, Mermaids

Pages: /

Format: Ebook

Source: Less Than Three Press, via Netgalley

One year ago Darcy's lover, Gail, died in a mysterious accident at a seaside cottage. When Darcy learns that she has only three months to live, she decides it's time to return to the cottage, both to ready it for sale and to prepare for her own end.

Instead, she finds herself attempting to discover what really happened to Gail. Assisting her in the quest is Livia, a mysterious new acquaintance with a peculiar connection to the sea who claims she also may know a way to save Darcy's life...

Had high hopes for this book, since it's a f/f romance and features mermaids, but the execution let it down. From the first page I wasn't completely sure I liked it, and by halfway through I knew I didn't. The main character falls into insta-love with a woman in one conversation (she mentions the love interest understanding her in a way no one else ever did), something I expect from some YA but not adult fiction, and I could tell it wasn't going anywhere I wanted to read. 

DNF at 48%

Bone Gap | Laura Ruby

Published by: Balzer + Bray, March 3rd 2015

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Pages: 369

Format: Ebook

Source: Balzer + Bray, via Edelweiss

Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps—gaps to trip you up, gaps to slide through so you can disappear forever. So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. After all, it wasn’t the first time that someone had slipped away and left Finn and Sean O’Sullivan on their own. Just a few years before, their mother had high-tailed it to Oregon for a brand new guy, a brand new life. That’s just how things go, the people said. Who are you going to blame?

Finn knows that’s not what happened with Roza. He knows she was kidnapped, ripped from the cornfields by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember. But the searches turned up nothing, and no one believes him anymore. Not even Sean, who has more reason to find Roza than anyone, and every reason to blame Finn for letting her go.

As we follow the stories of Finn, Roza, and the people of Bone Gap—their melancholy pasts, their terrifying presents, their uncertain futures—acclaimed author Laura Ruby weaves a heartbreaking tale of love and loss, magic and mystery, regret and forgiveness—a story about how the face the world sees is never the sum of who we are.

Everything about this book suggests I would love it. It doesn't hesitate to explore important topics like race and feminism. It's magical realism. Everyone and their dog rates it. But I just can't get into it. I've read, over the course of three months, 22% and I cannot get into it. I can't connect with the main character, can't figure out what the plot is, and I don't have a shred of interest in what happens - which I should have by this point. The only part I liked was one scene from another characters POV but I haven't heard from her since. I've tried around six times to read more than a few percent at a time but it's just not for me right now. I'm sad to say I can't finish this, but hopefully a few years from now I'll try it again and adore it. We'll see.

DNF at 22%

Toxic Love | Jax Garren

Published by: Silkwords, June 22nd 2014

Genre: Adult, Post-Apocalyptic

Pages: 187

Format: Ebook

Source: Silkwords, via Netgalley

A mutation allows Chloe to breathe the poisoned air of post-atoxalyptic USA. GenFriends promises her a life of luxury and ease … as soon as she picks a man to start making babies with. 

SilkWords LLC is the go-to source for interactive women’s fiction. Blurring the line between fiction and gaming, SilkWords.com offers high quality romance and erotica that allows individual readers to choose how stories proceed. Two formats are available: branched fiction ("pick your path") and linear stories that are produced with reader participation. Future phases will focus on development of a SilkWords community by adding more levels of interactivity for both authors and readers. SilkWords is a place for smart, busy, adventurous women to unwind and have fun. To learn more about our unique reading experience, visit www.silkwords.com.

I was hoping this would be a great little story, like A Heart For Copper, but I didn't enjoy it. I didn't connect to the main character, wasn't such a fan of the post-apocalyptic setting (since very little history was actually explained), and the romance just didn't feel right from the get go. I started to get the sense that it was more an erotic story with hints of apocalypse than the other way around, as I'd assumed. Possibly the cover should have tipped me off, but I was optimistic. Wish I liked this, but couldn't.

DNF

Lois Lane: A Real Work of Art | Gwenda Bond

Published by: Capstone, March 4th 2015

Genre: YA, Mystery

Pages: 17

Format: Ebook

Source: Capstone, via Netgalley

In high school art class, Lois Lane demonstrates her undeniable talent . . . but not for painting.

This is an official teaser short story for the young adult novel LOIS LANE: FALLOUT that takes place before Lois moves to Metropolis.

This short story is jam packed with personality, energy, and enthusiasm. I absolutely LOVED it! I wouldn't have thought it possible to get such a strong sense of Lois in these few pages but Gwenda Bond proved me wrong. This is such a fun little tale and gives the perfect insight into Lois's initiative and detective skills, and I for one cannot wait to get my hands on Lois Lane: Fallout.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world building ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Reading round up (69)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

9th March

Was in London today for a short visit, so didn't get much read. Still, I read 10% of Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep, which is more than I expected.

10th March

Finished Cold Burn of Magic and I'm already looking forward to book two, Dark Heart of Magic!! This book was a fun, promising start to a new urban fantasy series.


I also started The Arctic Code by Matthew J. Kirby (20%) which I like so far! The MC is hella reckless which makes everything she's doing uber dangerous and stupid (and feels unrealistic to me but that's just her personality and I don't understand it I guess.)

11th March

I read 20% of The Arctic Code, which is pretty good. I also started Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter (19% read), a book I only got because it was £0.59, and it's SO GOOD. Amazing characters and world-building and hella hot angels!! As well as this, I read Lois Lane: A Real Work of Art by Gwenda Bond, a fun little short.

12th March

I read 33% of Wicked Nights, bringing me to 52% and I'M LOVING IT. It's just the right amount of romance amongst all the action and demons!!

13th March

Read 26% of Wicked Nights and loving it. Just got to the exciting part and had to stop. Gah!!

14th March

Spent most of the day reading my first draft of The Dryad of Callaire and looking for inspiration to finish it, so I only read 13% of Wicked Nights, bringing me to 91%. I reeeeeeeeeeeally could have done without that last sex scene. It was boring and read like a dozen fanfics I've read, and with this being actually pubbed I expected better. Also how many times can you use decadent in one book??? That's taken it down at least half a star, probably a full star for me.

15th March

Finished Wicked Nights (9%) and started Death Sworn by Leah Cypess (113 pages.)

Books finished this week: 3
Books DNF'd this week: 0

Mira was having a kindle sale so I basically bought EVERYTHING. Aimee Carter's first two Blackcoat Rebellion books, Amanda Sun's Ink and the short story Shadow, Gena Showalter's first two White Rabbit Chronicles, her entire Angels of The Dark trilogy (which is SO GOOD!!), the first book of her Atlantis series, Unravelled (because I own the first in series!)

Lois Lane: A Real Work of Art | Gwenda Bond

The Waterborne Blade | Susan Murray

Galleys, galleys, galleys

SARUUH EXPLORES NA: Shifting Fate

Cold Burn of Magic (scheduled for 24th April)

The Arctic Code

Lois Lane: A Real Work of Art (scheduled for March 31st in a mini-reviews round up!)