Vivian Apple at the End of the World by Katie Coyle

Genre: Contemporary/Post-Apocalyptic

Pages: 262

Series: Vivian Apple #1

Published: January 6, 2015

Rating: ⅗ stars

A few years before the story begins, a man named Frick had some kind of divine intervention telling him to start the Church of America. The Church took the world by storm, recruiting millions of believers that hope to be saved on Rapture Day.

Vivian Apple doesn’t believe in the Church, but her parents are new converts. Vivian returns from a Rapture’s Eve party to find that her parents have disappeared, leaving only two holes in the ceiling. Now the world is in chaos while those left behind deal with the aftermath of the alleged Rapture. Vivian and her friends are suspicious, and they decide to go on a journey to figure out what is really going on with the Church of America.

Well the story wasn't that bad, a bit predictable at times, but still entertaining. I thought there would be more to the road trip aspect, but unfortunately there wasn’t much road tripping. They spent the first part of the story in their hometown and when they finally hit the road, they stopped a lot and didn’t do too much. The pacing was uneven, which really shouldn’t happen because it isn't even 300 pages! I did have a few problems with it.

Throughout most of the book, the main characters are constantly trashing the Church of America and while they were a pretty extremist organization, it felt like this was supposed to represent Christians and while I don't get offended easily about that kind of stuff, it was so excessive that it was frustrating. On the same note, Vivian finds out that one of her favorite teachers (and just favorite people in general, someone she has looked up to for quite a long time) is Catholic and immediately detests this woman and literally blames this person for the Crusades. Seriously. So Vivian was kind of annoying and not very well developed.

There was a useless Doctor Who reference thrown in as if the author wanted to say, "Hey, readers! I watch Doctor Who, I am one of you!" Which would make me say, "You and millions of other people, that doesn't make you special."

ALSO. The first hurricane of the year was named Ruth. Anyone who has any basic knowledge at all knows that the name of the first hurricane of the year starts with "A". Mistakes like this are so obvious that they should be easy to fix, but they are in almost every book I read. UGH.

But I did enjoy it. Really. If you want a quick read then you should definitely pick this up. most of the problems I had with it were probably my fault and you might not feel the same way. I am undecided as to whether or not I will continue on with the series.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl | Review

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Genre: Contemporary

Pages: 295

Published: March 1st 2012 by Harry N. Abrams

Rating: 4/5 stars

“If after reading this book you come to my home and brutally murder me, I do not blame you.” Greg Gaines has gone through his high school career mastering the art of blending into any social group. By doing this, he has no enemies and only one friend, Earl. Greg and Earl fill their free time by making amateur versions of renowned films, all of which are pretty terrible. But his life as a social chameleon ends when his childhood “friend”, Rachel, is diagnosed with leukemia.

Greg is forced by his mother to hang out with Rachel and try to cheer her up. Rachel then decides to stop treatment and Greg and Earl embark upon the journey to make the Worst Film Ever Made. Hilarity and awkwardness ensue.

For the first part of my review, I have a confession to make. I don’t like comedies. I have an extremely strange sense of humor and the majority of comedies, both books and movies, either come across as cheesy or completely unfunny, which just annoys me. This book, however, made me laugh. I mean actually laugh. Greg was a very funny narrator and the situations the characters were put into were very amusing.

Most of the main characters were well-developed and they each had unique personalities. My favorite character was probably Earl, who was pretty funny himself. He comes from a poor family who are always physically assaulting each other, his mother plays the computer all day, and his little brother, who is somewhere from 8-12 years old, is probably a drug dealer. But it’s funny. This terrible situation is funny in the way it is presented. Greg was quite a funny character as well. He had an overbearing mother and a sister, who I completely forgot about because she was only mentioned twice. He was hilarious as a narrator and he sounded and acted like a normal teenager, which is uncommon in most YA books. Rachel was not as fleshed out at Greg or Earl, but she really wasn’t in the book very much. There were a few significant moments with her and Greg and Earl’s lives kind of revolved around her for a good amount of time, but we didn’t see her enough. I mean, she is a third of the title; I would think she would be in at least a third of it.

There wasn’t much to the plot, but it is a contemporary, so what can you expect. It's not just a cancer book. Like I said before, the character with cancer isn't in the book very much and there was only a very small sad part. Of course, I am not the most emotional person when it comes to books, so if you have a normal amount of human emotions, you might find it a little more sad than I did, but overwhelmingly funny.

Overall, a very strong novel that almost anyone will like.

Top 5 Wednesday

Welcome to Top 5 Wednesday! This is a weekly meme created by GingerReadsLainey (Goodreads Group) This Week's Theme is...

Anticipated Pre-Orders for the Rest of the Year

I don't really look ahead at anticipated releases unless I am waiting on the last books in series. I am glad I did look forward for this Top 5 Wednesday.
(These are organized by release date)

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: Sept. 29, 2015
Summary: Game of Thrones meets Ocean's Eleven in this brand-new book in the world of the Grisha by New York Times-bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. 
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. 
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. 
I immensely enjoyed Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy (but I have yet to read the last one), and this sounds pretty awesome.

***

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The Illustrated Edition
Release Date: Oct. 6, 2015
The day after my birthday! I don't think I need to write a summary for this one. Basically, they are re-releasing the Harry Potter books, but with full illustrations. I cannot contain my excitement for this!!








***

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan (First Book in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard)
Release Date: Oct. 6, 2015
Summary: Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.
One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.
The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.
When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .

Another one on the day after my birthday! I will be treating myself this year ;) I really enjoyed the Percy Jackson series (the first few more than the later ones) but I am really excited for this new series!

***

Winter by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: Nov. 10, 2015
Summary: Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.
Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend–the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

824 pages?? Good gracious. I didn't enjoy Cress very much, but I loved the first two and Fairest. Hopefully this will be a satisfying conclusion to the series, as I know Marissa Meyer has the ability to do great things!

***

So I heard somewhere that The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin would be coming out in December. Apparently it's coming out in 2016, which doesn't surprise me, but I am disappointed. I am going to end the list with only 4 to-be-released books, in honor of what could have been.

I Hate Myselfie by Shane Dawson

From his first vlog back in 2008 to his full-length film directorial debut Not Cool, Shane Dawson has been an open book when it comes to documenting his life. But behind the music video spoofs, TMI love life details, and outrageous commentary on everything the celebrity and Internet world has the nerve to dish out is a guy who grew up in a financially challenged but loving home in Long Beach, California, and who suffered all the teasing and social limitations that arise when you’re a morbidly obese kid with a pretty face, your mom is your best friend, and you can't get a date to save your life.

In I Hate Myselfie, Shane steps away from his larger-than-life Internet persona and takes us deep into the experiences of an eccentric and introverted kid, who by observing the strange world around him developed a talent that would inspire millions of fans. Intelligent, hilarious, heartbreaking, and raw, I Hate Myselfie is a collection of eighteen personal essays about how messy life can get when you’re growing up and how rewarding it can feel when the clean-up is (pretty much) done. 

Look, I like Shane Dawson. I've been watching his videos for a while and I think he's a funny yet sometimes offensive guy. I suck, whatever. If you are offended by Shane Dawson, my recommendation to you would be not to watch his videos.

ANYWAY.

There were some really entertaining stories in here. Actually, most of them were. I laughed a lot and I teared up during one particular story (which is completely out of character for me). The only thing that bothered me was that, at the beginning, Shane says that he is not the same person we see in his videos. He's playing a character and in theis book he wanted to be himself. This is all good and fine, but sometimes his writing felt exactly like his "YouTube character".  I really like his YouTube personality, but I did continue to wonder why he kept defaulting back to being this character. I'm really tired of typing character. 

So I got some good laughs out of this and I am glad I read it. It was a quick and easy read and I was glad to get more of an insight into Shane's life. 

Solid 4/5 stars

Creepy Review Mash-Up | The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma and Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

On the outside, there's Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement.

On the inside, within the walls of the Aurora Hills juvenile detention center, there's Amber, locked up for so long she can't imagine freedom.

Tying their two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls' darkest mysteries…

What really happened on the night Orianna stepped between Violet and her tormentors? What really happened on two strange nights at Aurora Hills? Will Amber and Violet and Orianna ever get the justice they deserve—in this life or in another one?

In prose that sings from line to line, Nova Ren Suma tells a supernatural tale of guilt and of innocence, and of what happens when one is mistaken for the other. 


This was quite a creepy read. I had no idea what to expect going into this book and I still didn't have any idea what was going on until about halfway into it. Everything about this book was just "pretty good". I didn't connect to the characters at all, really, which took away from my enjoyment of this quite a bit. I was a bit bored at the beginning, not to the point where I had to force myself to keep reading, but I kept reading because I didn't really have anything else to do. I was like "I guess I'll keep reading. Why not."

3/5 stars

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

'It came from the woods. Most strange things do.'

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss.

These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll.

Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there...

To start off, I really loved the concept of this story. I had heard about it from Ariel Bissett and seen it at Barnes and Noble a few times, but I'm always hesitant when it comes to buying graphic novel type books because, well, they're expensive. So I was delighted to see that my library had one on hand.

Each story was completely unique except they all contained one similarity, woods. The woods played a part in every story (as far as I remember) which served to add to the creepiness factor. I definitely liked some stories more than others, I think A Lady's Hands are Cold was my favorite, but I enjoyed them all to a certain extent. If you're looking for a quick, yet creepy read, then you should definitely pick this up.

4/5 stars

Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal

Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal

It says quite a lot about Jeremy Johnson Johnson that the strangest thing about him isn't even the fact his mother and father both had the same last name. Jeremy once admitted he's able to hear voices, and the townspeople of Never Better have treated him like an outsider since. After his mother left, his father became a recluse, and it's been up to Jeremy to support the family. But it hasn't been up to Jeremy alone. The truth is, Jeremy can hear voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the voice of the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the infamous writing duo, The Brothers Grimm.

Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But when the provocative local girl Ginger Boultinghouse takes an interest in Jeremy (and his unique abilities), a grim chain of events is put into motion. And as anyone familiar with the Grimm Brothers know, not all fairy tales have happy endings... 


This was truly one of the most original stories I have ever read. It's a modern day fairy tale unlike any I have heard before. It is narrated by the ghost of Jacob Grimm of the Brother's Grimm. He has been dead for centuries and in that time he has traveled the world learning languages and everything else there is to learn. He was a briliant narrator.

The town, Never Better, is a magical place that truly feels like it should be somewhere far, far away, but is apparently in the American Midwest. In the town, there is a baker who makes the most delicious cakes that people would probably die to eat. Our main character, Jeremy Johnson Johnson, lives and works in a bookstore that only sells two books: the two volumes of his grandfather's autobiography. The ambiance is wonderful; I could imagine myself in the town surrounded by the townspeople, all of whom  are unique and well developed, even the characters that are only mentioned once or twice.

Everything about this book was new and different and I cannot stop thinking about the story. This is now one of my favorite books and I can see myself returning to it's pages for years to come. It was a complete delight.

The Future

So I know this account has been pretty off and on for it's entire life, and I'm sorry for that. But lately I have been reading a lot and I have been giving a lot of thought to this review blog thing. I've decided that I'm going to start updating it again. I've been reading a lot and I have a lot of reviews and other fun stuff planned. I really want to commit to this project and I am going to try my hardest to maintin this blog and give it the attention it deserves.

Here's to the future!...Again.

Graphic Novel Reviews!

So far in 2015 I have read 6 books out of my goal of 50. That would be impressive, but 4 of those 6 have been graphic novels. That is not bad, I have enjoyed all of the graphic novels, but I hope to read a lot more pages throughout the year. Here I have decided to review those graphic novels, including one from last year: Snowpiercer Vol. 1: The Escape, Miss Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal, Captain Marvel Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More, Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon, and Hawkeye Vol. 2: Little Hits.

Snowpiercer, Vol. 1: The Escape by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette

In a harsh, uncompromisingly cold future where Earth has succumbed to treacherously low temperatures, the last remaining members of humanity travel on a train while the outside world remains encased in ice. 

The surviving community are not without a social hierarchy; those that travel at the front of the train live in relative luxury whilst those unfortunate enough to be at the rear remain clustered like cattle in claustrophobic darkness. Yet, things are about to change aboard the train as passengers become disgruntled... 

First of all, the film was my third favorite of the year (behind Only Lovers Left Alive and Interstellar). I didn't want to compare this to the film but of course I found myself doing just that. In the end, I don't think that affected my rating too much.

I love fast paced books and graphic novels, but I think this was almost too fast. It felt like the author skipped a few scenes and because of that I was wondering how we jumped from one place to another. I also didn't care much for the characters.

The film's ending was much better than the graphic novel in my opinion. They were significantly different and I'm not sure I liked this one very much.

This review feels jumbled and sounds like nonsense and that's because I have such mixed feelings. In summary: I loved the art and the plot, but the execution and the characters I did not like. 

My Rating: 3/5 stars

Miss Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her new-found powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, New York! 

This is clearly a very unique and groundbreaking graphic novel. A female superhero, no, a Muslim female superhero. Kamala Khan really is an ordinary teenager who idolizes Carol Danvers (more on her in the next review). She gets powers one day and really has no idea what to do.

What I loved about Kamala Khan was that the didn't really use violence in any way, she just tried to help people and solve problems while not really fighting crime or a huge villain. She kept her personality the same but grew stronger as a person. I enjoyed everything about this story and the art, it was fantastic overall.

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Captain Marvel Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More by Kelly Sue DeConnick and David Lopez

Hero! Pilot! Avenger! Captain Marvel, Earth's Mightiest Hero with an attitude to match, is back and launching headfirst into an all-new ongoing adventure! As Captain Marvel, a.k.a. Carol Danvers, comes to a crossroads with a new life and new romance, she makes a dramatic decision that will alter the course of her life - and the entire Marvel Universe - in the months to come. But as Carol takes on a mission to return an alien girl to her homeworld, she lands in the middle of an uprising against the Galactic Alliance! Investigating the forced resettlement of Rocket Girl's people, Carol discovers that she has a history with the man behind the plot. But when the bad guy tries to blackmail Carol and turn the Avengers against her, it's payback time! Guest-starring the Guardians of the Galaxy!

Let's be honest, I knew nothing about Carol Danvers until I read this. I heard Marvel will be releasing a film with her in 2018 and I figured I should learn a few things about her. I thought this might be a good place to start because this is the newest collection of Captain Marvel, but I think I might have been wrong. 

After reading this, I still don't know much about her other than she lives in the Statue of Liberty, she loves Star Wars, and she loves cats. That's really not enough for me to judge her as a character. I want to know how she got her powers (I do know a little bit about this after doing some research) and I want to know how long she has had them. I will be reading Kelly Sue DeConnick's other Captain Marvel graphic novels as soon as I can get my hands on them.

But let's talk about what was said in this novel. Near the beginning, she teams up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to go on a pretty cool mission. After the Guardians make their exit, I really didn't care about the story anymore. Sure, Carol is a pretty cool person, but I shouldn't be waiting for side characters to come back to make the story better. I hope the next volumes I pick up will be better. 

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon & Vol. 2: Little Hits by Matt Fraction and David Aja 

The breakout star of this summer's blockbuster Avengers film, Clint Barton - aka the self-made hero Hawkeye - fights for justice! With ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop by his side, he's out to prove himself as one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes! SHIELD recruits Clint to intercept a packet of incriminating evidence - before he becomes the most wanted man in the world. You won't believe what is on The Tape! What is the Vagabond Code? Matt Fraction pens a Hawkeye thriller that spans the globe...and the darkest parts of Hawkeye's mind. Barton and Bishop mean double the Hawkeye and double the trouble...and stealing from the rich never looked so good.

Wow. Out of all of the graphic novels in this batch, these two were definitely my favorites. I didn't know much about Hawkeye because he has pretty much no screen time in any of the Marvel movies. He is a great character. He has a very funny attitude and an interesting story outside of the Avengers. I would not be opposed to a Hawkeye movie. 

In these graphic novels, you get to see what Clint Barton does in his "free time", which is really just when he is away from the Avengers. He doesn't have free time, he is always finding some way to get himself in trouble whether it be with the gang that owns his apartment building or a super-villain trying to buy a secret video tape. 

Overall, Clint is a very interesting character with great wit and a big, if sometimes questionable, heart. I wasn't sure if I would like the art when I first flipped through, but I ended up loving it. I will be buying the rest of the novels in this series. I can't wait to read about Hawkeye's next adventure.

My Rating for both: 5/5 stars

New Year, New Reading Goals

Hello all and welcome to 2015!

2014 was a fantastic year to me but it seems like most other people hated it, so we will move on quickly.

2015 Goodreads Goal
Read 50 books. As of writing this list, I have read 4 (of course, three have been graphic novels). My goal last year was 52, which got lowered to 35 and then bumped back up to 40. I ended the year having read 42.

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2015
This is a challenge I found while Googling reading challenges in December. It is a list of 50 challenges to complete this year. I have put each challenge in a jar and I pick one out whenever I don't know what to read. I won't be very upset if I don't complete this, but I hope to complete about 30. Also, I will allow myself to use one book for more than one challenge.

Click HERE if you want to see the list (links to PopSugar).

TBR Pile Reduction
I have seen a #0by16 thing on YouTube and Twitter and the goal is to have zero books on your TBR pile by January, 2016. Seeing as I had 111 books on my TBR at the beginning of the year, this is pretty much impossible. The goal I have decided on for myself is to reduce that pile by half. (This number does not include Kindle ebooks.) So by January 1, 2016 I will (hopefully) have only 55-56 unread books. This will mean carefully limiting the amount of books I buy and managing my time more wisely to read more. I would love to have less than this number but I'll just start with this.

Big Books
I have challenges myself to read 10 books over 400 pages this year. This challenge is monitored by a Goodreads group you can see HERE.

I think that's about all of them. As always, you can keep track of how I'm doing in the Challenges tab.

Have a great year!!