Top Five Wednesday : Books with "Hard" Topics (ie mental health, sexual assault, illness, etc) (#T5W April 13th)

Hello book-lovers!

It's Wednesday, and that means it's time for another Top Five Wednesday.

Top Five Wednesday was created by Lainey at gingerreadslainey. Recently, though, Sam at Thoughts on Tomes has been announced as the new host for Top Five Wednesday.
There's a link to the Goodreads group > here < if you want to join.

This week's topic is Books With "Hard" Topics. Basically, books dealing with mental health, sexual assault, illness, etc. Trying to come up with this list made me realize how few books I've read that deal with these topics. That's mostly because I subconsciously avoid reading these kinds of books all the time. (I avoid a lot of these subjects for personal reasons).

Room by Emma Donoghue

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world, but to Ma, it is the prison where she has been held captive for seven years. But Ma has created a life for Jack, although she knows it's not enough for either of them. So she comes up with an escape plan, one that involves Jack's bravery and a lot of luck. She doesn't realize how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.
I loved that it wasn't just about captivity but about the psychological impact upon release too. This book made me cry, a lot. (As did the movie). 

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I read this book back in high school, so some of the details are a little fuzzy. I believe this is Laurie Halse Anderson's debut novel (but I could be wrong). The story follows Melinda as she starts 9th grade. Everyone, even her friends, won't talk to her. Because she called the cops at a party during the summer, everyone hates her. Something happened to her at the party, but you don't find out until the end what it was. It is a bit of a spoiler, but I think it's important to know this going into the book. This book deals with rape.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

This book is pretty hit-or-miss; from what I've seen people either love it or hate it. I really liked this book when I read it (I was 17) and it felt like a very important book to me at the time. This is a story of Hannah, a teenage girl who commits suicide and leaves behind a series of tapes addressed to people who she finds responsible (more or less) for her decision. The story is told in dual perspectives - Clay, one of the people she addresses her tapes to; and Hannah as we listen to the tapes. 
This book made me take step back and realize that every action I take affects someone else, positively or negatively. 

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Yes, another Laurie Halse Anderson book. This book hit incredibly close to home for me. (I won't go into that though).
This book follows Lia, a high school senior who struggles with anorexia. She’s been admitted a couple times to a hospital to overcome her disorder, but the struggles she faces with her family, the death of her once-best friend, and the ghosts that haunt her lead her to destroying herself and attempting to wither away to nothing.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodie Picoult

I read this when I was 15, and I don't think I was old enough to fully understand this book. This book follows 13 year old Anna who is looking to be legally emancipated. Why? Anna was product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis. She was conceived to be an exact bone marrow match for her sister Kate; who has been fighting Leukemia since childhood. What really hits hard is the ending, which I won't spoil (it is different from the movie). This book deals with some important ethical issues, along with dealing with a serious illness, while following one family's struggle for survival at all cost.

Top Five Wednesday : Rainy Day Reads (#T5W April 6th, 2016)

Hello book-lovers!

It's Wednesday, and that means it's time for another Top Five Wednesday.

Top Five Wednesday was created by Lainey at gingerreadslainey. Recently, though, Sam at Thoughts on Tomes has been announced as the new Top Five Wednesday host. Here's a link to the Goodreads group if you want to join.

This weeks Top Five Wednesday topic is Rainy Day Reads. This was a hard topic to define, because there really isn't a strict definition of what "rainy day reads" are. I went with books that a very easy to dive into and read in one sitting.

5. Room by Emma Donoghue.

I read this book in one day during a snow storm (which isn't a rainy day, but it's still bad weather). I found it a little difficult to get into at first because the narrator is the five year old, and language used kind of threw me off a little at first. But once I got into the groove of it, I couldn't put it down.
The movie is really great too.

4. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.

It was hard to choose which Rainbow Rowell book I've read to put on this list. And while I enjoy both Fangirl and Landline (both of which would also make great choices) as well,  this book felt like the right choice. It's not too long, but it's not too short. It's the perfect book to curl up with and read in one go.

3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would, to the point where it was hard to put down. I wanted to keep reading. It really pulls you into the story, and keeps you interested and on your toes right until the end. 

2. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

I'm really just looking for an excuse to mention this book because I love it. This is an anytime read, but it would totally be a great book to read on a rainy day. This book has a little bit of everything, in my opinion, and is written in a way where you could very easily just read this in one sitting. 

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

I can't make a list like this and not mention Harry Potter.
To me, reading Harry Potter is the equivalent of eating a home-cooked meal your mother made. It's homey, it's familiar, it's comforting. It's everything you want to feel on a rainy day.














Well, that's my Top Five Wednesday this week. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you next time with my next post.

Happy Reading!


Morgyn @theadventuresofabooknerd

Book Review : A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas *Spoiler Free*

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

3/5 Stars

So, this review was a little difficult to write. I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to post it or not, because the overall experience I had with this book was negative. I didn’t want to end up posting a hate-filled rant instead of an actual review. But after letting it sit for a few days, I’ve been able put my thoughts together in a much better way.

The hype for this book is unreal, and it made me go into this it with very high expectations. Which I think kind of ruined the reading experience for me. I went into this book expecting to absolutely love it, and I didn’t. (Which seems to be a trend for my relationship with Sarah J. Maas books. *cough* Throne of Glass *cough*) But I can understand why people like this book, in theory. And don’t get me wrong, this book does have some very strong moments. But to me those moments are so few, and for the most part so very late in the story, that they can’t wholly save the it for me.

The biggest issue I had with this book was Feyre. As a character, she drove me crazy the entire time. Nothing she did made any sense to me. With the way she’s set up in the beginning of the story as this great, experienced hunter, and how she’s been taking care of her family single-handedly for years; she knows how to survive. But she would go and make these really dumb decisions and go purposefully put herself in danger. Out of what always felt like naivety, not bravery. And that doesn’t fit with how her character is supposed to be. She just felt very inconsistent, with her actions constantly contradicting themselves. And that was the most infuriating thing to read. I would find myself constantly saying “Why?” “Why are you doing that?” “WHY??”. Though, she was saved for me a little bit at the end of the book, when most of her decisions finally made sense. (Which, the end of the book is when it gets good anyway, in my opinion.)

Another problem I had was that I just wasn’t invested in the romance. Which, the romance is a very central part of the story. It’s an important part of this story. And I didn’t care about it all that much. To me it was very generic, very bland, very much instalove. And I just don’t like the whole instalove thing in books. I just didn’t buy it. (And for some reason I get the feeling that maybe we aren’t meant to buy into the whole Feyre/Tamlin romance. That could just be me, though.) Also, I didn’t love Tamlin as a character. I didn’t hate him; I don’t really feel any connection to him. He was just very meh to me. And there was something about him that just didn’t sit well with me. It’s mainly that he’s set up as very much the “nice guy” from the beginning, the guy is basically portrayed as a saint, but some of the things he did didn’t really fit with that. (I’m getting serious Adam from Shatter Me flashbacks with him.)

And then you compare that to a character like Rhysand. From the moment we meet him, we know he isn’t a “nice guy”. And his actions actually support that, yet he’s still this complex and interesting character with depth. And his interactions with Feyre felt real, and were something I really enjoyed. (I’m really having Shatter Me flashbacks right now, and I kind of like it.)

The other issues I had with the book were all pretty minor things. The Beauty and the Beast elements didn’t really work for me, it felt like it was a re-telling in the loosest of terms. Which is fine. And the fact that the first 80-85% of the novel was very slow, and nothing really happened, almost killed it for me. There were a few times where I really wanted to DNF the book. But the side characters, the ones we really got to see, saved it a little bit for me. They were one of the things I really liked about this book. (Lucien and Rhysand I’m looking at you.) Honestly, Lucien and Rhysand were the reason I kept reading. And I’m kind of glad that I did finish it, because that last 15-20% of the novel was when things started making sense. The end was when it really got interesting, it was when plot finally started going somewhere. It was when you really start to understand the story as a whole. (Also, Rhysand. I just really like Rhysand.) And it really set up a lot of things for the future books that have me interested. The ending alone has me interested in picking up the next book.

Overall, this was a very disappointing book. Though there were parts of it that I really did enjoy, they didn’t make up for the parts that I didn’t enjoy. But I’m not giving up on the series yet. I’m actually looking forward to picking up the next book because I can see the potential this series has. And I’m hoping that the future installments have a chance to really make up for the things that didn’t work for me in this one. 

Book Tag : My Intimidating TBR Pile Tag

Hello book-lovers! Today I'm going to be doing the My Intimidating TBR Pile Tag. 
This tag was created by Lindsey Rey on Youtube .

Questions

1) What book have you been unable to finish?

The Young Elites by Marie Lu. I picked this up or a re-read and I'm just not enjoying it as much as I remember. It's been going on for about a month now.

What book have you yet to read because...

2) ...you just haven't had the time?

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I picked this book up because of the hype surrounding it, I keep meaning to read it but I just haven't yet.

3) ...it's a sequel?

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi. I pre-ordered this book, so I've had it for about two years now and I still haven't read it yet. I kept meaning to get to it, but now it's been so long that I would have to re-read the first two books. I do plan to read the series soon so I can say I've finished it.

4) ...it's brand new?

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. I just got this book last week so I don't feel too bad for not reading it yet.

5) ...you read a book by the same author and didn't enjoy it?

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld. I've heard really good things about this book, but read The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld which I really didn't like, and I think that's putting me off reading this book.

6) ...you're just not in the mood for it?

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Sherman. I haven't heard too much about this book since it came out, but I know it's the first book in a YA Historical Fiction series. And I'm just not in the mood for historical fiction at the moment.

7) ...it's humongous?

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld. I tried not to use the same book twice, but this is the largest book on my physical TBR pile. It's 599 pages according to Goodreads.

8) ...because it was a cover buy that turned out to have poor reviews?

Icons by Margaret Stohl. I bought this book around the time it was released, so it's been sitting on my TBR pile for about 2 years or so. But then I heard some not so great reviews and I was kind of put off of it. The cover is quite lovely, though.

9) What is the most intimidating book in your TBR pile?

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I don't really know much about this book except that it's Historical Fiction, and there was a lot of hype around it. It just feels like a very intimidating novel.

10) Who do you tag?

You, reading this right now. But really, anyone who wants to do it should do it.


So, that's the My Intimidating TBR Pile Tag. Like I said, anyone who's reading this that wants to do it, should do it. This is the kind of tag I really enjoy doing, and it gives you a chance to really look at you TBR which isn't something I tend to do very often. Are any of these books on your TBR? Or have you read any of them? Should any of these be bumped up my TBR because they're great?
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you next time with my next post.

Happy Reading!
Morgyn @theadventuresofabooknerd

Top Five Wednesday: Least Favourite Book in Your Favourite Series (T5W March 30th)

Hello! It's Top Five Wednesday time again. Top Five Wednesday was created by gingerreadslainey on Youtube. There's is a link to the Goodreads group < here > if you want to join.

This week's topic is your Top Five Least Favourite Books in Your Favourite Series. This was a hard list to come up with because I have a bad habit of not finishing series. I'll usually only read the first book or two unless I'm really loving it. But I did manage to come up with a few after really thinking about it, so here they are.

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling.


I have a love/hate relationship with this book. On the one hand, I love the Harry Potter series, I've been a fan most of my life. On the other hand, the angsty, angry Harry is hard to get through. And I've seen a lot of people that have this opinion.







4. Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr.

This is the fourth book in the Wicked Lovely series, and one of the things I loved about this series is that every book followed new and/or different characters but the story did all tie together at the end. But I didn't love this book. I just wasn't the biggest fan of the characters this book followed, so it just kind of fell flat for me.

3. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin.

When I first read A Game of Thrones, I loved it.. And then I read this sequel. It is the second book in the series. This is the first book I've ever actually skipped chapters while reading. (I skipped all of Catelyn Stark's chapters.) And it took me a very long time to pick up the next book after I finished it.
Side note: I actually ended up picking up the third book as an audiobook and I ended up enjoying it so much more for some reason, I think it's just easier to follow in audio format.

2. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi.

This book kind of felt like a bridge between the first and third book to me. Kind of like it was filler and was only there to get from Point A to Point C. I loved Shatter Me and Ignite Me, and I've always felt like this book would have worked better as a duology instead of a trilogy.

1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.

I did not like this book. I don't like to share that opinion because so many people love this series, and I love it too. I just don't like the way it ends. I loved The Hunger Games, and I really liked Catching Fire, but this book just never sat right with me. It's mostly that I didn't agree with a lot of the things that happened in the second half of the book that ruin it for me. I haven't even seen Mockingjay Part 2 yet because I know I just won't like it as much as the rest of the series, and I just don't want it spoiling my enjoyment of the rest of the series.



Well, that's my Top Five Wednesday this week. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you next time with my next post.

Happy Reading!
Morgyn @theadventuresofabooknerd

March Book Haul : Book Haul #2

Hello!
The end of the month is upon us, so it's about time for my March book haul. I acquired quite a few books this month, starting with my trip to my local used book store. I've already hauled those books (Used Book Haul) so I won't be mentioning them here.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

I've heard nothing but good things about this series. That being said, I don't really know much about it. And I like that, I like going into a series not knowing all that much. But with the final book coming out this year I figured now was a good time to pick it up.

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

This is another one I don't know that much about. I've been seeing it around a lot over the past year, and I've heard really good things about it. It's an award winning, historical fiction novel set in Nazi-occupied France.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik 

This is a stand-alone fantasy novel. That's really all I know about it. I heard good things about it, and I'm a huge fan of the fairy tale-esque fantasy stories









Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

This is the second book in the fantasy series Throne of Glass. I wasn't the biggest fan of Throne of Glass, but I've heard the series gets better as it continues so I thought I would give it another chance.

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

This is the sequel to Red Queen. And while I didn't love Red Queen, I did enjoy the second half of the book and I've heard that this one is also much better. I will have to re-read Red Queen before I pick this one up, though.







Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? Which of these should I pick up first? I'd love to here your thoughts.

Thanks & Happy Reading!
Morgyn @theadventuresofabooknerd

Top Five Wednesday: Books You DNF (T5W March 23)

Top Five Wednesday was created by gingerreadslainey  on Youtube.
Here's a link to the Goodreads group if you want to join.
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-wednesday


This weeks topic is Top Five Books You DNF (Did Not Finish). I try very hard to finish books, even if I have suffer through them. I hate to DNF books. Usually, if I can't finish a book I'll just put it down and come back to it in a few weeks and eventually finish it. I only DNF the books that are truly torture to finish.

5. Half Bad by Sally Green. I don't know what to say about this book, other than I thought it was very boring and slowly paced, and that it's currently on my TBR shelf waiting for me to pick it back up and give it another shot. And I want to. I want to finish this book. Hell, I even want to like this book. But every time I go to pick out a new book to read, I just never pick it up. I'll probably never pick it up now, considering it's been about a year since I started it. But I might, someday.

4. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I actually almost finished this book. I hated almost every minute of it, but I got really close with this one. I think I stopped reading about 40 or so pages from the end of the book. Because at that point, the book just felt finished to me. There was no reason to keep reading because the conflict had been solved, and I had made it through enough of the book that I could say I read it. Even then, I regret reading that far. 

3. Crossed by Ally Condie. I read Matched around the time Dystopian's started getting popular (right after The Hunger Games) and I didn't like it. It was pretty painful to finish but I finished it, and every other Dystopian novel I could get my hands on. So I picked up Crossed. And sure, I didn't like the first book so I wasn't going to like this one. But I was 15, and hopeful, so I gave it a shot. I got about a third of the way through before I out it down and never went back.

2. Carrie by Stephen King. I picked this book up one day at work, while I was on my lunch break and had nothing else to do. The movie had just come out (the one with Chloe Moretz) and I was looking to try getting into Stephen King. This book dragged for me, and I would start making excuses not to read it. So, when I was about halfway through the book, I decided to watch the movie and just never bothered finishing the book.

1. The F-It List by Julie Halpern. I stopped reading this book about 20 pages away, and then promptly got rid of it. I picked up this book expecting it to be not great, but readable. It wasn't. This book was the most childish and immature thing I've ever read. And honestly, this book is the reason I'm so reluctant to pick up YA Contemporary.