September 2014 Roundup

Hi Birds!

I'm finally back with another roundup. I've been on vacation in Chicago for the last week so it's taken me awhile to get back on the ball. I read 11 books in September for a total of 138 so far this year.

Nightschool vol. 2 & 3 by Svetlana Chmakova ~ B+, A
- I started the month out with the second and third volume in this manga series. I won't say much because it would be spoilery if you haven't read the first volume (look for my review in last month's roundup). Alex and Teacher are both magical badasses. The only drawback is that there are a ton of characters so it's hard to keep their names straight. The action ramps up and each volume is better than the last.

Black Butler vol. 1 by Yana Toboso ~ B+
- I also started the Black Butler manga series. It's basically about a butler who is always saving his employer's ass in one way or another and has some kind of special ability to pull off the impossible. I enjoyed the relationship the Butler has with his master. He really seems to care for the kid even though he doesn't have to and probably shouldn't (for spoilery reasons). I was annoyed by the background characters and the different episodes were kind of incongruous. It'll be interesting to see if all of the volumes are told in this disparate manner or if it was just this first one. Looking forward to finding out more of the back story on these two characters and their unique arrangement.

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick ~ C-
- This one was a real struggle for me. A girl with a brain tumor goes into the mountains to spread her parents ashes and the apocalypse begins. Super depressing from the word 'go.' It took me forever to get through this book. I thought it could have been a lot shorter. The characters could have been better developed. It felt like the author was trying to constantly one-up herself. Oh, you have inoperable brain cancer and your parents are dead, well here's the apocalypse. This can't possibly get any worse, can it? Sure it can and then proceeds to get more and more depressing. Did I mention this is a series? Yikes.

The Elite and The One by Kiera Cass ~ Both B+
- The Selection series books 2 and 3. I got a little annoyed with the main character America in the second book. She did way too much waffling between the guys. She finally picks Maxon. Like we didn't see that one coming. Both of their actions in this book were irrational but I kept reminding myself that they're just teenagers. I liked the twist with the king and the real background of the country's founder. The third book was a pretty decent end to the series. A lot of people die which is surprising since this is a YA romance series. Some of the deaths are a little puzzling and the main death's were a little bit of a cop-out to wrap the series up easily.

Library Wars: Love & War vol. 1 by Kuro Yumi ~ C-
- Forgettable and boring. The main character is a crappy librarian. She never pays attention in class and all of her reactions are crazy. She didn't even know the layout of the library and was basically just there because she's physically strong. How in the world did she get promoted to such an important squad? I won't be continuing this manga series.

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry ~ C+
- This was was just okay. I had to think a moment about what this book was actually about. It opens strong  with a girl about to be murdered who is able to escape but then gets kind of boring while she tries to figure out what happened to her. She's no Nancy Drew. The science plot was alright. Overall just a meh book.

Eve & Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate ~ B+
- A quick, easy sci-fi read. Eve has an accident and while she's recovering she uses a program at her mom's facility to create her version of the perfect guy. Shenanigans ensue. Eve's a decent character but my favorite is Solo a guy she meets who works for her mom. He's got drive and smarts and a whole lot of courage.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang ~ A+
- This was one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. The artwork was simple and colorful but fit the narrative perfectly. The author weaves three different storylines into a great lesson on how to accept and appreciate who you really are. The Monkey King was my favorite character. This was a great story of self-discovery and friendship that I highly recommend.

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner ~ D
-The description made it sound like Ready Player One by Ernest Cline which is one of my favorite books. Not so much for this one. I had to force myself to finish this book. I should've just given up but I enjoyed The Maze Runner by Dashner so I wanted to give it a shot. I just couldn't get into the writing style and the main character seemed so stiff and stilted. Every time he opened his mouth I thought, "A teenager wouldn't say that." It felt too forced and was a huge letdown.

So that's it for September. Let me know if you agree with my reviews in the comments below.

August 2014 Roundup

Hi Birds!

Just wanted to post a quick roundup of the books I read in August. I read nine books. I've already talked about The 5th Wave and Inside Out so I'll just skip over those.

Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP ~ B+
- This manga reminded me of Sailor Moon because it's about three young school girls with magic powers, special weapons and color-coordinated outfits. Hikaro is my favorite. She's a shorty like me and I love that she meets the adventure head on. The villians were easy to escape which I expected because it's the first volume and they don't know how to fight or use their magic. I enjoyed the artwork. It was excellent.

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger ~ A-
- This is the second book in the Finishing School series. The first book is Etiquette & Espionage. The main character Saphronia is fun and smart. I love all of the trouble she gets into. She's like a teenage James Bond in petticoats. The world is so playful and quirky. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

The Selection by Kiera Cass ~ A-
- I wasn't really sure I would like this series because of the Bachelor-like plot line but I was pleasantly surprised. I like America. She's feisty and speaks her mind. The prince is a pretty cool dude too. Love triangles are usually a pet peeve of mine in YA fiction but I think it really works in this first book. I'm interested to see who she picks and what happens with the rebels.

Nightschool: The Weirn Books by Svetlana Chmakova ~ B+
- I enjoyed the first volume in this manga series. Alex is a young witch with amazing powers. When her sister is wiped form existence she must infiltrate the Nightschool to figure out who is responsible. There are a lot of secondary characters which was kind of confusing. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of Alex's abilities.

Bone: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith ~ C-
- I had high hopes for this graphic novel but it didn't live up to the hype for me. It wasn't as funny as I was hoping and what I did find funny was juvenile. I don't understand why they're bones either. Does that have anything to do with the story? Fone Bones crush on Thorn was kind of cute. I will not continue this series.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Tucholke ~ C
- I have mixed feelings about the main character but the plot was strong enough to give it a C. Violet has horrible taste in guys. She knows River is a horrible person but she lets him control her. She should have kicked him to the curb fast. The 'real' bad guy Brodie seems to have been added just to take the spotlight off of how crappy River really is. Why would you continue to let this guy, who is a stranger, continue to live with you after you have learned he is a straight-up murderer? I will not continue this series.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton ~ C
- This retelling of the Persephone myth fell flat. The idea was better than the execution. The characters were boring and the story was very slow paced. For someone with only six months left on Earth, Nicki sure takes her sweet time trying to figure things out. The love story was very sappy and slowed the plot even further. I will not continue this series.

LEAVE A COMMENT! Have a suggestion for a good manga series? Let me know in the comments below.