December TBR

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my December TBR! November was a good reading month and I’m hoping December will be be another good one, but we shall see because I am probably going to be moving sometime this month. Here are the books I am planning on reading this month:

Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm 

The Mayflower Bride by Kimberely Woodhouse

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen 

Ever the Brave by Erin Summerhill 

The Love Letters of Abelard of Lily by Laura Creedle

 

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

Book Review: Elegy (Watersong Quartet #4)

Hello Everyone!

Today’s review is on Elegy by Amanda Hocking
(Note: If you are interested in reading this series you might want to skip this post until you have read the other three books because it does contain spoilers from the other books.)

This is the final installment in the Watersong Quartet and it was a pretty satisfying conclusion to this series. The book itself was over 500 pages long, and it wasn’t drawn out either, in fact I wish it could have been longer.

Elegy picks up several days after the events of Tidal. Gemma is still trying to figure out how to break the sirens’ curse so that she return to normal. At the same time, Harper has to do deal with her college room mate who turns out to be a psycho and happens to Lexi’s replacement after she was killed in the last book. This new siren, Liv, is deadly and somewhat insane, she is also somewhat more monstrous than Penn.

I liked how there were more magical elements added into the novel, and they made sense – it wasn’t shoved in for the sake of having some magic in the plot. One thing that was added was the scroll that has the sirens’ curse written on it. I also enjoyed the new characters that were introduced in this book, Professor Pine, who tries to help Gemma and Harper decipher the scroll and Diana, who happens to be the goddess Demeter in disguise.

There were a few things that happened in the book that made me cringe, mainly what Daniel plans to do in order to protect Harper and Gemma (umm…no!). There were some pretty steamy scenes in this book, but I guess they make sense since the sirens live off the hearts of men that they seduce, but still I am not a huge fan of steamy scenes.

I enjoyed this series, even though it took me a while to actually finish it. I am kind of sad to see these characters go, but it was a satisfying conclusion to the series, therefore I am giving this book 3.95/5 Stars.

Happy Reading,
Janelle Christopher

P.S. If you have any book recommendations let me know and I will check them out! 🙂

Book Review: Tidal (Watersong Quartet #3)

Hello Everyone!

Today’s review is on Tidal by Amanda Hocking

If you are interested in reading this series and don’t want to be spoiled for the first two books, don’t read this review because even though it spoiler free, I have to mention a few spoilers from the other books. To read my review on book 2, Lullaby, click here.

Tidal is the third installment in the Watersong Quartet and picks up a month after the end of Lullaby. After having run away from the other three sirens, Gemma tries to find a way to break the sirens’curse. With the help of her sister, Harper, and two friends, Daniel and Marcy they start to discover more about the origin of the curse and the possible ways to break it. Meanwhile, Penn sets her sights on Daniel – who also happens to be Harper’s boyfriend – and is willing to stop at nothing to get what she wants. The sirens are waiting for the right time to get rid of Gemma.

This was another good installment to this quartet and really builds up the plot for the final installment, Elegy. I loved the several chapters that flashback to Thea and Penn’s past 250 years before the events of the novel and deals with another character from mythology, Bastian/Orpheus. It was good to see some of the events back then that have an affect on the present-day events of the novel.

Amanda Hocking foes a good job of making the readers hate the sirens, especially Penn and Lexi. She doesn’t sugar-coat them or make them cute, she shows them to be the monsters they really are, even if they look gorgeous. This is definitely not a tale of sweet, kind mermaids from fairy tales, these sirens are pure evil (except for Gemma). Hocking doesn’t really try to make them likable and the only one that somewhat redeems herself is Thea, but even then the events from the past show that she is still a monster because she is still a siren.

Towards the end of the book there is twist with Harper that is developed more in the next installment, and even though it isn’t a major twist it makes sense. There is also a twist with Daniel and Penn, but it will be mentioned a bit more in Elegy, but I don’t know how I feel about it, I feel like Daniel is an idiot concerning that.

I liked how in Tidal the events were told from several characters’ points of views because we get both Thea and Penn’s perspective which makes readers not like them anymore. The multiple points of view gives the novel a bit more life because it describes events in which neither Gemma or Harper are present. However, there were a few scenes that were a bit too steamy at times, but besides those this installment was pretty good.

I am giving this book 3.5/5 Stars because even though I liked it, I didn’t love it.

Happy Reading,
Janelle L. C.

P.S. If you have any book recommendations let me know and I will check them out! 🙂

Reading Blog #3: November 5th – 16th| Borrowathon & Pre-Tome Topple Reading

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my third reading blog. This one covers from the beginning of Week 4 to the start of Tome Topple just before the end of Week 5. Enjoy! 🙂

Week 4: 

Sunday: 

I ended up staying up really late last night – the time change, thankfully, fave me an extra hour of sleep than I would have had. After experiencing it for 4 years, you’d think I would be  used to it by now, but I’m not. I guess that’s what happens when you grow up in a country that doesn’t do Day Light Savings (South Africa). Enough rambling about the time change. I decided to pick up City of Ashes first for the Borrowathon. I’m only about a chapter into it and it seems good so far. I’m going to make some coffee and get some reading done while I continue to wake up.

It is 9:45 AM and I’m 65 pages into City of Ashes. It is okay so far, but kind f slow-paced. I’m going t read some more this afternoon but right now I need to get ready and get some stuff done. Also, I’m already thinking about what books I want to read next month, which seems weird but there are a few that sound perfect for December and not necessarily because they are Christmasy reads…hmmmm.

It is now 4:30 PM and I haven’t done any reading since my last update, but I’ve been editing my blog posts for this week. But I think I’m going to do some reading now…I’m just trying to decide if I want to eat something or not.

I still haven’t done any reading again, I’ve been watching TV. I’m going to have a shower, get ready for bed and settle into some reading. This is going to be my last update tonight. Goodnight.

Monday: 

It is 9 PM and I haven’t done much updating today – I had work, which was busy and I’ve been working on an assignment that is due tomorrow. I have been reading though! I started Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabensetein on the bus t work and it is pretty good. I’m about 160 pages into it and I could possibly finish it tonight. You might be wondering why I haven;t made any more progress with City of Ashes. Well, I decided to put it aside because I didn’t want to take it to work with me because it belongs to my roommate and I don’t want to damage it in any way. Tomorrow I’m probably not going to get a lot of reading fon because I have two assignments due tomorrow night. Anyway, back to reading!

I just finished Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. It was great and I’m looking forward to writing my review on it. Right now I’m trying to decide what to read next, whether I pick up City of Ashes or start one of my Christmasy books. We shall see. Goodnight.

Tuesday: 

Hello! It is almost 3 PM and I’ve been busy. I had lunch with a friend, then I came back and have been working on my assignments for tonight. I’m just taking a quick break for my own sanity. I’m on page 90 of The Christmas Promise by Donna VanLiere and I’m hoping to finish it tonight, unless I’m up late finishing my assignments. But tomorrow I might spend most of it reading, after I go to the gym. I also need to do laundry. Oh the joys of adulting!

In other news, my pre-order of Renegades arrived! I’m so excited to read it, and I didn’t realize it was over 500 pages, which means I’m going to read it during Tome Topple! I’m excited for Tome Topple and I can’t wait to share my TBR with you all (It should’ve gone up on the 13th, I’m also planning on doing a reading blog to track my progress!). Anyway I’ve taken a longer break than I intended to – I’ll probably check back in later. I’m aso listening to Christmas music and I have no shame!

Wednesday: 

Yesterday ended up being a lot busier than I thought and I actually had to ask for an extension on an assignment. I did take a break for a few hours to hang out with a friend at Barnes and Noble. Again, I didn’t buy anything because I’m enforcing my book buying ban. As far as reading goes I didn’t get much done after my last update. But this morning I’ve been chilling and reading.

I finished The Christmas Promise, it was good, but not as light as most Christmas contemporaries are. But you’ll have to wait to read my review of it next month. 🙂 It was also the second book that I finished for Borrowathon, I used it to complete the challenge of a book I found in a library haul.

The next book I’m going to pick up is Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow and I realized that this could be used to complete several challenges for the Borrowathon. I might also read a couple chapters of City of Ashes – we shall see.

Thursday: 

Right now I am on page 120 of Nevermoor and I like it so far. There is still a lot of world-building going on, but it is good. I’m hoping to read more of it today in between doing laundry and taking Bookstagram pictures. I’m not planning on doing much because I do have a slight cold, but those are the two main things that I need t get done. I might also try to read some more of City of Ashes, I’m having a hard time getting into it. Maybe Cassandra Clare’s books just aren’t for me. But I’m going to try and stick it out! I think reading wise I’ve been doing well, especially since I’ve been reading more “longer” books compared to last week.

Okay, so I ended up not getting a whole lot of reading done since my last update because I’ve been binge watching the last season of How I Met Your Mother because it is leaving Netflix this weekend. I’m about halfway through it and I’m kind of sad because it means that I need to find something else to watch, especially a comedy series. But I think I’m going to rewatch the first half of season 1 of This Is Us and then continue watching up to the latests episode. I’m also watching Season 3 of Outlander, which is good so far. I’m also about half-way through season 2 of Victoria – which is so good. I also need to start watching The Crown again, for some reason I never finished watching season 1. I need to also continue watching Grey’s Anatomy which I took a break from watching. Okay, that was a really lengthy description of TV shows I’m “watching” right now. But I hope you enjoyed this random interjection, and I might include more of them in the future.

Anyway, watching How I Met Your Mother I also did laundry and took some Bookstagram pictures which I can’t wait to post on Instagram. Also, shameless plug for my Instagram account @jazzyjan101 – you should follow me! 😉 Tomorrow night I need to work on my final tally for the House Cup Reading Challenge. I might quickly start working on that right now. Goodnight!

Friday: 

Today was a god reading day! I managed to read almost 200 pages of Nevermoor – I’m on page 383. I might finish it tonight, but I might only get to do so tomorrow because I am so tired. When I got home from work I ended up watching some episodes of Reign with my roommates. Goodnight!

Saturday: 

So I just finished Nevermoor and I really enjoyed, and I’ll have a longer review up soon! I have no idea what to pick up next, I might start one of my Christmasy reads ad then switch to The Fault in Our Stars…I’m also thinking of picking up a Magic Treehouse book to complete one of the challenges for Borrowathon. I think that is what I’m going to do. But first, I need to do a few adulting things. Also, I have a fun blog post in the works which I’m excited about!

Ok, so I wasn’t able to do all the adulting things I had to because the internet at Starbucks was really slow. But I did manage to do a final tally for the House Cup Reading Challenge, 250 points for Ravenclaw! I also started reading Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber. I’m on page 55 right now. I think I’m going to read a couple more chapters and then head back to my apartment. But first let me tell you a short tale. S Starbucks is playing Christmas music – which I love- and I’ve kind of been jamming out and this old gave me the dirtiest look! I’m sorry, I love Christmas music and I can jam out to it if I want! And it’s not like I was singing at the top of my lungs. Just let me enjoy the moment! Okay, rant and story over.

I ended up reading about 4 more chapters of Twelve Days of Christmas. I’m now on page 137 and I’m hoping to finish it  tomorrow. I also read Day of the Dragon King, which means I’ve read 4 books for the Borrowathon, and I’ve completed 5 challenges. I think it’s safe to say that I can make it to 5 books. Who knows, maybe I’ll also finish City of Ashes.

Week 5: 

Sunday: 

I just finished Twelve Days of Christmas and I can’t wait to write my review on it. As I mentioned before, I’m still trying to figure out how I am going to post my Christmasy reviews, it’ll depend on how many I read and also whether or not there will be Bookmas this year. So stay tuned!

I think I’m going to continue with City of Ashes and then pick up The Fault in Our Stars or Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean. I’m also in the mood for another Christmasy read, so I might pick up another one of those. Here is a list of  books I want to finish before Tome Topple Starts on Friday (Nov. 17th):

• City of Ashes
• The Fault in Our Stars
• Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean
• In a Perfect World
• A Christmasy read.

I have a lot of reading to do in the next 5 days.

Monday: 

So I made some good headway with City of Ashes on the way to work this morning. I’m on page 271. If I get as much reading done on the bus ride home. I should be able to finish it tonight! and I have no idea which book to pick up next…it is between The Christmas Light and The Fault In Out Stars…we shall see how I’m feeling tonight.

It is almost 8:30 PM and I’m on page 331 of City of Ashes. I’m planning on getting some more reading done, but right now I’m starting This is Us. I’m also thinking about watching the Good Doctor because it looks really interesting.

I’m now on page 372 of City of Ashes, so I don’t think I’m going to finish it tonight, but definitely tomorrow. I’m also planning on going to BArnes and Noble tomorrow to work on a fun blog post that I am really looking forward to putting together. I’m planning on posting it sometime in the beginning of December. Goodnight.

Tuesday: 

I just finished City of Ashes which was good, although it did take ma while to get into it! I’ll probably right a review for it because I do have a review for City of Bones. Right now I am going to start The Christmas Light, which I should be able to finish it today! I’m also waiting for the bus to take me to Barnes and Noble and I’m excited. I hope you all like the posts I’m going to do! I also found some coupons that I have so we shall see what happens.

I’m back from Barnes and Noble and it went well. I als bought two books: 12 Days at Bleakly Manor and The False Prince. I’ve also started reading The Christmas Light – I’m on page 109 and I should be able to finish it tonight. I’m then planning on picking up The Fault in Our Stars (finally!). But I also want to start Merry and Bright because it looks really cute and I just want to read all the Christmas books!

I just finished The Christmas Light, and it was really good. But now I don’t know what to read next. I think I’ll read one or two of the stories in Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean and then read a chapter or two from another book (still to be determined). In some ways I wish it was Tome Topple already, but at the same time I also want to read all of my shorter books before it starts on Friday. Goodnight.

Wednesday: 

For some reason I keep thinking that today is Thursday, but it is only Wednesday! Anyway, I am about 70 pages into Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean and I completely forgot that the stories in this anthology are a mix of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. I think I am going to keep reading it and hopefully finish it today. Originally I was planning on reading a few of the stories then start another book, and just keep jumping acl and forth. However, I’m not one of those people that can have several books going at one, unfortunately.

I just finished Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean ad it was a good anthology although I wish the stories had been longer because I had a lot of questions at the end of them. Now I need to decide what to read next and maybe I can finish it today too. I’ve just been in a real binge-reading mood lately. Anyway, I need to get ready to run some errands, was well as figure out my next read.

I decided to read Merry and Bright because I’m in the mood for a quick Christmasy read and it is due back at the library soon. Right now I’m on page 91 and I’m hoping to finish it tonight. I’m also planning on having a bath tonight and I will get some reading done then, but I might start 12 Days at Bleakly Manor because I don’t want to damage any of my library books. I think the next book I’ll read is The Fault in Our Stars.

I just finished Merry and Bright and it was super cute! I’ve been trying to watch This is Us, but I’ve had technical difficulties, but its all good. And I’ve finally started The Fault in Our Stars! I’m only about 30 pages in and I’m enjoying it so far! My plan is to finish it tomorrow so that I can focus on Tome Topple when it starts on Friday.

Thursday: 

Right now I am on page 88 of The Fault in Our Stars, it is okay so far, but I think I might be a little burnt out from reading and I just want to get started with Tome Topple! I’m watching a couple of episodes This is US and then I’m going to do some cleaning.

So I haven’t done much reading since my last update. I did read 35 pages of 12 Days of Bleakly Manor during my bath. I now feel very clean and I’m going to rad some more while I wait for my computer to download updates, which is taking forever! Goodnight.

Reading Blog Wrap Up: 

1. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
2. The Christmas Promise
3. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
4. Twelve Days at Christmas
5. Day of the Dragon King
6. City of Ashes
7. The Christmas Light
8. Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean
9. Merry and Bright

Total pages read: 2496 pages

Happy reading,

Janelle L. C.

 

 

 

Book Review: Lullaby (The Watersong Quartet #2)

Hello Everyone!

Today’s review is on Lullaby by Amanda Hocking

I read the first book of this series about two years ago, and even though I liked it, it wasn’t something where I wanted to rush out buy the rest of the series. However, a few weeks ago I saw this series, minus the first book, in my public library so I decided to check them out and read them.

Lullaby picks up the day after the events of Wake (Book 1). Gemma has gone off with the sirens – yes, the series is about sirens – and her sister Harper starts looking for her. Gemma is convinced that leaving her family behind was probably the best thing to do while she learns to control and fight against her new siren powers, while try to cope with living with the other sirens.

I enjoyed how I was able to pick up on what was going on this novel – even though I read Wake two years ago- Amanda Hocking does a goof job of refreshing readers of what happened in the first book without it being a complete rehash of the events. I also enjoyed how this deals with the mythology of how the sirens came to be. Two of the sirens, Penn and Thea are from the original four who were cursed by Demeter because they neglected to watch over Persephone when she was abducted by Hades. The reader also finds out more about the sirens, even though some of it is probably made up by the author.

It ends kind of on a cliff-hanger that made me want to pick up the next book immediately (I have already finished the series) to find out what happens next.

There were a few, very short make-out scenes in this book, and some cussing, so if that is the kind of thing you don’t like in a book then don’t pick this up. But I recommend this book for fans of YA fiction who might want something a little bit different from the typical dystopian theme of most YA books. It is a mix of mythology and paranormal with a little bit of romance, so if you like these things you will like this book.

I am giving this book 3/5 Stars because even though it held my attention, there was still something about it that bugged me and I don’t know why.

Happy Reading,
Janelle L. C.

P.S. If you have any book recommendations let me know and I will check them out! 🙂

Book Review: Wake (The Watersong Quartet #1)

Hello everyone!

Today’s review is on Wake by Amanda Hocking. I have a review for each book in the series that will be going up in the next few weeks – enjoy!

About the Book: 

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They’re the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone’s attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs. She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

My thoughts: 

I just recently re-read this book so that I could write a review on it. First off, let me start by saying that even though this was a slow start at first, I did end up enjoying this quite a bit – more so than the first time I read it. I liked this introduction to the Watersong quartet even though it wasn’t fantastic.

I liked the build-up of events and how out of control everything suddenly becomes. One criticism I do have is that I fell like the characters – especially Gemma and Harper – are pretty one-dimensional. However since I’ve already finished the series I know they do undergo some character development in the process.

It was interesting to see how my tastes have changed over time and I’ve even bumped up my rating from a 2 to a 3/5 Stars.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

Tome Topple Round 5 TBR

Hello Everyone!

Today I wanted to share with you my Tome Topple TBR. Before I get started here is the announcement for Round 5 of the read-a-thon from Sam at Thoughtsontomes:

Tome Topple will be running from 12 AM on November 17th until 11:59 PM on November 30th. The challenges are:

1. Read more than 1 tome.
2. Read a graphic novel (more than 500 pages).
3. Read a tome that is part of a series.
4. Buddy read a tome.
5. Read an adult novel.

I don’t know if I will complete all of the challenges, but I do have six tomes picked out that I am going to attempt to get to. The first two are my main priority during Tome Topple and I will decide from there which of the others I will read next. I am also planning on reading a couple of Christmasy books during the read-a-thon but they don’t count. Here are the books I am planning on reading:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling 

Renegades by Marissa Meyer 

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon 

One Piece Omnibus Vol. 4 by Eiichiro Oda 

The Murderer’s Ape by Jakob Wegelius 

Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic by Armand Baltazar 

And those are the tomes that I am going to try and get to during Round 5 of Tome Topple.

Are any of you planning on taking part in Tome Topple?

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

Library Haul #12

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to another library haul! I got quite a few books and I have no idea if I will get a chance to read all of these, but here are the books I got:

The Murderer’s Ape by Jakob Wegelius 

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo 

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo 

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo 

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater 

Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions  by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index by Jessica Israel 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth 

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

One Piece Omnibus 4 by Eiichiro Oda

The Empress by S. J. Kincaid 

Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell 

Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean by Kirsty Murray, Payal Dhar and Anita Ray 

And those are all the books that I got from the library.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

 

Reading Blog: October 22nd – November 4th|Reading & Borrowathon TBR

Hello everyone!

Welcome to another reading blog! I’m experimenting with different ways to do this; mainly if I should do weekly or bi-weekly reading blogs. This is the first bi-weekly installment, so let me know what you think and whether or not I should do a reading blog once a week or every two weeks.

Week 2: October 22nd – 28th 

Sunday: 

It’s a new reading week and I am looking froward to seeing what I read this week. I haven’t done any reading yet, but I am planning on working on Shadow and Bone. I also need to do some school work this afternoon.

I haven’t gotten a lot of reading done today, I actually had a pretty lazy afternoon. But I am planning on spending the next 20-30 minutes just reading before I get ready for bed. I honestly don’t know how much reading I’ll be able to get done before Tuesday because I have a big assignment due that night. We shall see what happens.

I just read another 50 pages of Shadow and Bone. I am on page 153 right now. I might try and read a few more chapters because I fall asleep. Goodnight.

Monday: 

Today has been an interesting day. It started out great, but I ended up being in a weird mood tonight. I’m finally out of it but I didn’t get any schoolwork done. Anyway, I managed to get a lot of reading done today! I have about 30 pages of Shadow and Bone, which I’m hoping to finish tonight. I am then planning on picking up The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater, so I might be starting that tonight. We shall see… The books I ordered last week from Barnes and Noble arrived today and they look so pretty – I can’t wait to read them. Anyway, Goodnight.

Tuesday: 

I honestly haven’t gotten much reading done. I’ve only read 28 pages of The Raven Boys, so far it seems interesting and weird – we shall see. Today I spent all day at Honu working on a project which involved reading a lot of articles for it. I’m hoping to finish it tomorrow morning and I really need to be better with my time-management from now on. I also went to Barnes and Noble with a friend tonight just to hang out. I ended up not buying anything because I just got those two books yesterday. Goodnight.

Wednesday: 

I haven’t gotten a lot of reading done today, I’ve been doing a lot of running around. I did manage read about 20 pages of The Raven Boys. So far I’m not really into it, but I think I am going to wait until I get to the 100 page mark to decide whether or not I will keep reading it. I also have a couple of kids books that I want to read over the next couple of days so we shall see what happens. Tomorrow I am planning on taking a few pictures for Instagram.

I just finished reading Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows. It was a kids chapter book and I think the rest of the series will also be good. I still need to start writing reviews for my series on children’s chapter books. The problem is that they will be short, but that’s okay. I might just wait until the New Year to start the series because I’m also planning on doing a series of review on Christmas-y reads in December. Anyway, it is bed time and I’m exhausted.

Thursday: 

I just finished another chapter book – The Trouble with Tink – it was great to revisit some beloved characters from Peter Pan. I’m still a bit iffy about whether I will still keep reading The Raven Boys or not. Today I’m planning on making a schedule for the remainder of the semester, just so I can get caught up on school work and not fall behind like I have been the past couple of months. I’m also planning on getting some more reading done, and work on some more blog posts. I have a lot I want to get done today. We’ll see what happens.

So I finally got to the 100 page mark of The Raven Boys and I am still not feeling it, but I also am curious to see what happens next. I’m really tor. I think I will put it aside for now and finish reading the chapter book I have. I am also probably going to start Forest of a Thousand Lanterns tonight, I really want to finish it by the end of this month.

I just finished Thea Stilton and the Lost Letters which was a cute book. Anyway, I think I am going to keep reading The Raven Boys for now…I’ll give it one more day before I decide to keep reading or not.

Friday: 

So I’m officially hooked on The Raven Boys. It started getting really good after my last update. I haven’t done much reading today because I worked all day, but I’m planning on getting some more reading done now.

I just finished reading Through the Woods and it was pretty creepy; I hope I’ll be able to sleep tonight. I think I’m realizing that with The Raven Boys I have to take it slow in order to enjoy it, which is hard since I’ve been powering through my books this month. I’m probably still going to pick up Forest of a Thousand Lanterns but I might also take a quick break and pick up The Dork Diaries by Renee Russell. We shall see what happens with The Raven Boys. So far I’m almost 200 pages through which is the half-way point. I also listened to another 20 minutes of The Princess Diarist which is still enjoyable. I’ll probably listen to more of it on the way to  work tomorrow. Goodnight.

Saturday: 

I managed to get some more reading done – I’m on page 250 of The Raven Boys. As I mentioned before, it is a slow read, but I’m interested in what is going on so far. I am hoping to finish it sometime tomorrow or on Monday…I am also hoping to finish The Princess either on Monday or Tuesday.

Week 3: October 29th – November 4th: 

Sunday: 

I thought I hadn’t made much progress with The Raven Boys but I have read about 100 ages since I last checked in. Again, this is a slow read for me mainly because I know if I read any faster I will miss some important details. I’m hoping to finish it tonight. I will also try and finish The Queen of Sheba since I am so close to the end. Other than that I am still figuring out what to read next…

Monday: 

I finished The Raven Boys today – it ended up being really good. I started reading Forest of  Thousand Lanterns but I might set it aside…we’ll see.

Wednesday: 

So I didn’t get a chance to do an update yesterday. I read about 80 pages of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns – it is good so far. I also listened to about an hour of The Princess Diarist, which I’m planning on finishing today. Last night I went Trick or Treating with some friends and watched The Shining – which was good but weird.

Today I’m planning on taking some Instagram pictures, do some cleaning, do some schoolwork. But first coffee because I only went to be at 2 AM, so I need it.

I just finished listening to The Princess Diarist and it was really good! The nice thing about audiobooks is that I can work on Instagram and blog posts. Right now, I am going to do some cleaning/organizing and then I’m planning on doing some more reading The Queen of Sheba and I want to make more progress with Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. I might also read one of The Magic Treehouse books that I checked out last week. We’ll see, but I’m only going to do some reading in a few hours. I might also read Dear Ijeawele.

So many books, so little time…Today has been a somewhat productive day – I managed to read 2 books: Dear Ijeawele by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; and The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne. I’m going to do some more organizing stuff and then try and read some more.

I ended up reading about 30 pages of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and I started Dork Diaries, which I might wait to read after I finish FoTL. Then after that I’m picking up The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo. Goodnight.

Thursday: 

It is 11 AM and I thought I would just give a quick reading update I’ve spent a couple of hours reading and I’ve got about 50 pages left of FoTL. My plan is to finish it, do some schoolwork and then do some other reading. I want to read another Magic Treehouse book, which I think I’ll be able to do. My October Wrap-up went up and I’m not super happy with it, but I think it works for now. I’m already working on my November Wrap-up so that it will be more than just my rating of the books.

My last check-in was only a couple of hours ago. I don’t know why I’ve been so lazy. Anyway, I’m going to go run a few errands with a friend and I’m going to do some reading when I get back.

I just got back from Goodwill and I broke my book buying ban! But it was worth it! I got 5 books for under $7. And they were in great condition! I got:

• Loving Mr. Darcy by Sharon Lathan
• City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
• L8r, G8r by Lauren Myracle
• Blossom Street Brides by Debbie Macomber
• The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

My TBR just keeps getting bigger and bigger!

I just finished reading Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and Mummies in the Morning. I’m now going to make another cup of apple cider, pick up another book/ watch an episode of something on Netflix. I’ll check back in tomorrow.

Friday: 

Today has been a good reading day! I finished The Dork Diaries on the bus to work. I also finished The Queen of Sheba during my lunch break at work. I started reading The Language of Thorns and I have about 50 pages left – I’m planning on finishing it tonight. I’m probably going to try and read another Magic Treehouse book, start one of my Christmas-y books, and/or start Loving vs. Virginia.

Saturday: 

It is 8:30 PM. I had work today and then I did some schoolwork. I just got done cleaning out my purse, which needed to be done. Reading-wise I’ve done pretty well. I finished Loving vs. Virginia, which was so good! I’ll have a longer review up soon. I also started reading Finding Father Christmas, which I’m planning on finishing tonight since it is really short. I’m trying to decide which book to pick up next, especially since I’ve decided to take part in Borrowathon; which is taking place from Nov. 5th – 12th. I’m joining in because it sounds really cool and I do read a lot of library books. The challenges for it are:

• Give an author a second chance
• Read a new-to-you series
• A book with 5+ words in the title
• A 2017 release
• A book you found in a #Libraryhaul
• A book featuring a library.

As of yet I don’t have a TBR picked out, although I just thought of a book for the last challenge – Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. I’m still trying to think of a book to give an author a second-chance…there are several: Tahereh Mafi, Alexandra Bracken, Renee Ahdieh, Rainbow Rowell, Cassandra Clare…hmmm. It all depends on which one I have readily available which is: The Dreadful Tale of Prospero Redding; City of Ashes; and The Wrath and the Dawn. Anyway, back to reading.

I just finished reading Finding Father Christmas – it was really cute and I’m planning on writing my review soon. I’m trying to figure out my posting schedule for December, especially since I’m planning on taking part in Bookmas if HaileyinBookland is hosting it again this year. Anyway, I’ve been thinking about what books I’m going to read and I think I am narrowing it down:

• Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
• City of Ashes
• The Fault in Our Stars
• In a Perfect World
• Nevermoor: The Trails of Morrigan Crow
• The Dream Thieves

Yup, I think that is my Borrowathon TBR. I am still trying to decide on what I’m going to read next…Anyway, Goodnight!

Bi-Weekly Wrap-up: 

In the last two weeks I managed to read 17 books:

1. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
2. Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows
3. The Trouble with Tink by
4. Thea Stilton and the Lost Letter by Geronimo Stilton
5. The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater
6. The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
7. Dear Ijeawele by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
8. The Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell
9. Queen of Sheba by Jill Eileen Smith
10. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo
11. Loving vs. Virginia by
12. Finding Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn

Total of pages read: 3382 pages.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

 

 

October Wrap-up

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my October Wrap-up! I had a pretty good reading month considering that I started it with a reading slump. I managed to read 24 books! Because I have a lot of books to mention, I think I am only going to mention the rating I gave each one and leave out the mini-reviews I usually do. Here are the books I read this month:

1. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher 

3.5/5 Stars

2. Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Anderson 

5/5 Stars

3. A Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Anderson

5/5 Stars

4. The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord 

3.95/5 Stars.

5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney 

4/5 Stars.

6.Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne 

3.95/5 Stars

7. Ruby, the Red Fairy by Daisy Meadows 

3/5 Stars

8. Eva’s Treetop Festival by Rebecca Elliott

3/5 Stars

9. Junie B. Jones and the Stupid, Smelly Bus by Barbara Park 

4/5 Stars

10. Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza 

3/5 Stars

11. Click’d by Tamara Ireland Stone 

4.5/5 Stars

12. The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey 

3.5/5 Stars

13. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

5/5 Stars

14. Wildflower by Drew Barrymore 

4/5 Stars

15. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon 

3/5 Stars

16. Wake by Amanda Hocking 

3/5 Stars

17. The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs 

4/5 Stars

18. Warcross by Marie Lu 

4.5/5 Stars

19. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 

4/5 Stars

20. Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows

3/5 Stars

21. The Trouble with Tink by Kiki Thorpe

3.5/5 Stars

22. Thea Stilton and the Lost Letters by Thea Stilton

3/5 Stars

23. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll 

4/5 Stars

24. The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater 

3.5/5 Stars

And those are all the books I read in October! For most of them I am planning on writing reviews that should be making a appearance soon.

What books did you read in October? Which one was your favorite?

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.