Library Loot #34

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

** This is my first Library Loot post this month! I have been crazy busy lately. Anyway, I also haven't done a post because instead of getting one big haul when I am at the library I have been slowly accumulating books by getting a book or two every other time I am there.

My Library Loot

1. I loved the first book in this series!

2. I SWORE I would finally read this book this summer.

3. This author is coming to my library!

4. I read a fabulous review of this book and just knew I had to give it a try.

5. This will be my very first Katie McGarry novel.

6. I want to know about Bone Gap.

7. A friend of mine insisted this book was amazing. I'm willing to give it a try.

Review: Half Wild by Sally Green

Half Wild (#2) by Sally Green (March 2015)
400 pages
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Source: The library.
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating:

Warning: May contain spoilers of the first book in the trilogy.

Goodreads Summary: "You will have a powerful Gift, but it’s how you use it that will show you to be good or bad."

In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, seventeen-year-old Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most powerful and violent witch. Nathan is hunted from all sides: nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. Now, Nathan has come into his own unique magical Gift, and he's on the run--but the Hunters are close behind, and they will stop at nothing until they have captured Nathan and destroyed his father.

+ Add to goodreads

My Review

Reading Half Wild turned out to be a bumpy ride. Did I like it? Yes. Did I really love it? Not quite.

When I began reading Half Wild the format and the writing of the book was a little hard to grasp.  It didn't flow very well at first and seemed choppy to me. I really struggled getting used to it. It wasn't that it was bad, just different. It did grow on me and I came to appreciate how the unique formatting and writing style added to the story.

I enjoyed the first book in this trilogy a great deal and although the second installment was good, it wasn't as good. I was more than excited to get back to Nathan and Gabriel, and thankfully these two characters didn't disappoint. They were just how I remembered them. I'm glad I got to spend more time with them. Nathan deals with the aftermath of receiving his powerful gift while Gabriel stands ever as his best friend. I do wish Gabriel could break free from Nathan, but love is a powerful thing. I also enjoyed meeting new magical characters. Joining Nathan and the group on their journey to save one girl and start a rebellion against those that are supposed to be the good witches made for an interesting read.

Half Wild was intense and had some very graphic moments. It was a unique read and one that I am finding hard to categorize. I am not sure who exactly I would recommend it to. Someone who is open to trying new things I suppose. Even though the first part of the book dragged a little for me (plot wise and because I was getting used to the writing style) the last half of the book really picked up. I loved all the action. It was complex and had a great ending. I really look forward to reading the next book. In all honesty, the last part of this book is what jumped my rating from 3.5 to 4 stars.

My review of the first book, Half Bad, can be found here.

The Bookish Report

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness.Click away and enjoy your Sunday!

Fun Bookish News

These reviews of the new Fifty Shades of Grey book from Christian Grey's perspective are kind of sad, hilarious, and unsurprising.

Want to see the cover of the new Riordan book and read an excerpt? It is going to be awesome!

This font shows how hard it can be for people that are dyslexic. It's interesting and eye opening.

If Game of Thrones episodes were titled like Friends episodes. Warning: Spoilers!

There is going to be a Princess Diaries 3! Life made.

There is all kind of Marissa Meyer news going on!

Guess what else is being made into a movie? The graphic novel I just read and loved, Nimona!

Fellow Book Blogger Posts

Shae Has Left The Room - Book Tag: How Far Would You Go For Your Favorite Books? - I will be doing this tag!

Katie's Book Blog - Etsy Obsessions #2: Skinny Hues - I need these bookmarks! 

Somewhere Between the Pages - The Woes of Being a Mood Reader - I am a partial mood reader.

Girl in the Pages - Are We Too Hard on Our Heroines? - This is a great discussion post!

Picture of the Week

Source

One More Thing

Review: How to Date Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser

How to Date Dead Guys (#1) by Ann M. Noser
302 pages
Genre: New Adult/Paranormal
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Source: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to the Caffeinated Book Reviewer for connecting me with this author!
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when cute Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.

Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn’t the only one…

Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a young man determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand…at first. More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.

Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will appeal to the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.

+ Add to goodreads

My Review

The Cover: I know it isn't great, but this is one of those times when you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Look past it.

The Setting: I love a book that takes place on a college campus. Plus, it is a fun and interesting setting that just works for this story. 

The Characters: What a unique and fun bunch of people! I like the witchy MC, Emma, a lot. She really starts to come into her own by the end of the novel. All the dead guys that come back that Emma helps out are pretty awesome as well. I like how each of them is different. I enjoyed watching Emma try to give them some peace with their deaths. It was also kind of funny watching her try to handle all of the unique personalities each ghost had. These guys could be a handful!

The Plot: Although the overall plot was perfectly fine, I had one major issue with this book. It tries to be a romance, a mystery/thriller, and a paranormal book. I think because of this high reaching goal it falls slightly flat on all three categories. Although all three elements are present in the story, none of them are really fleshed out as well as I had hoped. I never felt the quick romance, I couldn't get into the murder mystery thing that popped up at the end, and the magic was only here and there without any good explanations about it. I may have liked all these elements of the story, but they were lacking a good deal of any kind of depth. I wanted more. 

Do I recommend this book? Sure. It was a fun and entertaining read. Sometimes that is just what you need.

My Final Thoughts: Even with its flaws, I did really enjoy reading How to Date Dead Guys with all of its amusing characters. I will probably read the next book.

ARC Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway (June 23, 2015)
352 pages
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: I snagged a copy at ALA Midwinter. This didn't affect my honest review. Thanks Harper!
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.

She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.

He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

+ Add to goodreads

My Review

What did I think of Emmy & Oliver? I thought it was brilliant. I read this book in 24 hours. I stayed up so late reading this book that I was beyond tired the next day at work. I don't regret my choices. Emmy & Oliver is written with heart and precision.

When you read this book you will fall right into Emmy and Oliver's story. The characters in Emmy & Oliver are brought to life in a beautiful way. Their story is full of hope, heartbreak, memories, and futures. I loved these two characters. They are my new favorite couple with their complex special relationship. They just seem to get each other and make each other better. I am very fond of them. I also happen to like all the other characters in this book as well. Emmy's friends are wonderful. I also appreciated that even though their families aren't perfect, far from it, they are a part of the story. I feel like young adult novels are getting better at making sure they mention family members, because they do play a big part of your teen years in some way. Friendships and families matter.

Emmy & Oliver is officially a new favorite of mine this year. I could spend forever with Emmy and Oliver. This one is going to be a re-read for sure. I don't read a lot of YA contemporary, but lately the few books I have read have blown me away. My favorite thing about this book besides its wonderful characters is its uniqueness. I have never read a book quite like this before. Not to mention the simple and perfect cover. I adore it so much. I love the color and the font and everything. Basically I love everything about this book. Grab a copy of Emmy & Oliver as soon as you can. You won't regret it. 

Review: The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

The Mime Order (#2) by Samantha Shannon (Jan 2015)
510 pages
Genre: Fantasy/Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: The Library.
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided.

+ Add to goodreads

My Review

I liked the first book, The Bone Season, but I didn't love it. I felt like it got more hype than it deserved, but I just felt like I HAD to give the second book a shot. I'm glad I did. I ended up enjoying The Mime Order more than The Bone Season. (Sorry this review is kind of all over the place. Just go with it.)

The Mime Order begins right where the first book left off. Thanks to the Recaptains website and their review of the first book I wasn't lost when I started reading. I also liked how I was thrown into action right off the bat. I love me some action. 

One of the things I didn't like about the first book was how hard it was for me to follow the complex world full of so many different clairvoyant people, not to mention all the weird made up words. Luckily, it was easier to follow all of that in the second book since I had time to become familiar with it in the first one thus making this read a much more enjoyable one.

The second main thing I struggled with in the first book was how Paige seemed kind of dumb to me. I was having problems connecting with her for whatever reason. However, in The Mime Order I loved her. She was a stronger and harder woman. It didn't really surprise me too much that she is a stronger person after what she went through in the last book. My favorite thing about her... not only does she change, but she wants others to change as well and is willing to fight for it, even if it seems impossible. I also love Warden... it's too bad he isn't in the book as much as I would like. I won't even begin to talk about these two together. I'm sure you can guess that I am a fan. Forbidden love is my favorite.

The Mime Order focuses on the politics of the mime lordes and the underworld. It's the main focus of the book and although very interesting and important at times it did make me lose attention a little bit. I did like the book more and more with each passing page. The author does a wonderful job at building me up for the big to do at the end of the novel. It had a great ending.

The Mime Order is a dark and sometimes very gloomy novel. It's full of strong, weak, evil, and kind characters. The Final Verdict: I will continue reading this series.

TTT #40 - Anticipated Releases for the Rest of 2015

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

If anything I am using this week's topic as a reference list for when all my must reads come out later this year because I have a horrible memory. I just couldn't stick to only 10 picks for this topic. I just had to do 11. Sometimes you just gotta cheat on these topics. ;) Without further ado, here are my most anticipated releases for the rest of 2015 broken down by month of release.