Summer Reading 2016

 I am done with my first year of college and my Summer Break starts in just five days, which means almost three and a half months of me being able to read as many books as I want and it allows me to read all of the books I've been dying to read for a while but haven't got around to yet.  I am off from school for about fourteen weeks and I am hoping to read about two books per week and if I do that I'll read about 28 books.  Some weeks will be more productive, because some weeks I'll feel like reading more, some weeks I will be less busy and some weeks I will be participating in read-a-thons. However, my goal is to read 20 books this Summer, just incase I am not as productive as I think I'll be, but If I read more that will be amazing!

Here are the Read-A-Thons I Am Planning On Participating In This Summer:

(Be on the look out for future blog posts to find out more information)

 

Here Is My Summer To-Be-Read List:

TBR Jar Pick For June

TBR Jar Pick For July

Most of the time when I make a TBR list I don't read all of the books, but I like to have a lot to choose from. While I may not get through all of these books this summer, as long as I get through a lot of them I will be happy! What are you reading this summer?

"The City Of Ashes" : A Fallen Angel From Above

*Do Not Read This Review If You Have Not Read The First Book, City of Bones!!!*

"Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? Clary would love to spend more time with her best friend, Simon. But the Shadowhunters won't let her go--especially her handsome, infuriating newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil--and also her father. When the second of the Mortal Instruments is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor suspects Jace. Could Jace really be willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?"

Ahh this series just keeps getting better and better, I loved the first book, but this book was even better.

One of the things I loved about this book was how Cassandra Clare let us know more about the different types of downworlders. While these creatures were mentioned in the first book, in this book we got a closer look into the lives of the Faeries, the Vampires and the Werewolves and their worlds.

How Cassandra Clare describes both the downworlders and the demons and her use of imagery, definitely made this story more vivid for me and it made me feel like I was also a Shadowhunter fighting the fight against demons.

I also liked how this book let you see into the different point-of-views of all of the characters instead of just Clary's. While Clary is somewhere doing something, Cassandra Clare also shows what the other characters are doing at that same moment.

I also loved seeing more of the interaction between Clary and Simon. In this book, there were a lot more scenes where Simon and Clary are by themselves without Simon being on the sidelines all of the time like he was in the first book.

The key theme in this book was forbidden romance. First, we have the forbidden love between Jace and Clary after they found out they were brother and sister in the first book. Then, we have Alec and Magnus, who can't be together, because of Alec being afraid of his parents' disapproval if he comes out to them. Lastly, we have Luke and Clary's Mom, Jocelyn who don't know how the other one feels about them. There were a lot of couples I hardcore shipped in this book, like Clary and Jace, Alec and Magnus and even Luke and Jocelyn. There were moments that made me gush and swoon and there were moments I really was pulling for them to get together. Even though Simon is in love with Clary, and Maia and him aren't even close to getting together, we see their friendship grow a lot in this book and I totally want them to get together!

This book was so fast pace and I couldn't put it down.  Every page was filled with so much action and things happened right after each other. I felt kind of bad for Clary and the rest 0f the gang as one conflict arises after the other, but that did wonders to the plot and it caused me to never be able to stop reading it. I constantly wanted to know what would happen next.

The characters begin to grow and develop even more in this book and we learn so much more about them. One interaction between characters I love is the interaction between Jace and Simon. They were just hilarious and the way they argued all the time and the things they said to each other made me laugh so many times. The line "Every time I annoy him, he retreats into his No Mundanes Allowed tree house" describes Jace's and Simon's relationship perfectly.

The amount of sarcasm both Magnus and Jace give out in this book was tremendous and it made the book for me hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing hysterically.


This book was beyond amazing and if I could give it a hundred stars I would! I can't wait to read the rest of the series and I will do it very soon, because I now own the whole series. This book doesn't contain just one paranormal creature like normal YA fantasy books, but it is any creature you can think of combined into one book, which I absolutely love! I highly, highly, highly recommend this book and the rest of the series to everyone!

My Rating: 5 Out Of 5 Paw Prints

"Outsiders": A Book That Thinks Outside Of The Box

"Jaylen Hayes knows that she is different from all other seventeen-year-old girls. Possessing extraordinary intelligence, she is also uncannily powerful and inexplicably hated by wild animals. But it is not until she transfers to Trinity High that she learns the truth about who—and what—she really is. 

Instinctively drawn to two new classmates—the intense and passionate Indigo, and the charismatic and breathtakingly gorgeous Michael—Jaylen soon learns the shocking secret of their shared heritage, and the bloodline that extends to the stars. However, all is not what it seems, and Jaylen soon finds her newfound security threatened when a trusted friend becomes a dangerous and vengeful enemy. "


*I received a pdf copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review. All my opinion.

First off, I want to thank the author for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

In my book reviews I normally start off with a synopsis of the book I read, but this is the type of book that is so much better when you go into it blind.

At first, the beginning of the book dragged a little for me, so I had to take a break from it for a few months. After I took a break from it for a couple of months and got closer to the middle of the book, I instantly got hooked and couldn't put my iPad down. When I started reading it again I read it in only a day.

This book is a YA contemporary with a really cute romance that you constantly are pulling for, aspects of Sci-fi and fantasy,and tons of mystery and suspense. Through out the book there were so many moments that made my heart drop to my stomach because of the suspense and there were also heart wrenching moments that shocked me and made me feel the loss and heartbreak the characters felt. This book was never predictable and I was constantly surprised by how the events ended up happening and I constantly was on the edge of my seat to find out what would happen next.

In this book, the protagonist Jaylen never felt like she belonged and always felt different from the people around her. When she starts going to Trinity, she meets overbearing Indigo and dreamy eyed Michael who are just like her and she finally feels like she belongs somewhere and doesn't feel like such a freak of nature anymore.

When Jaylen finds out why she is so different and what she is, she automatically accepts it and doesn't freak out very much. If I found out I was anything other than a human, I probably would have a moment of denial, before I either cried or had a panic attack. The fact that Jaylen never really freaked out about what she was made Jaylen's character not as relatable for me.

However, I do appreciate how Tammy Ferebee doesn't use cliches that are normally used in most movies and books about the thing/creature that Jaylen is.

The characters in this book were well developed and I really appreciated Tammy Ferebee including characters that were very unique and were the minority.  Jaylen is an atheist who is attending a Catholic School. I love the diversity aspect of this book! Most authors shy away from the whole religion aspect in books, but Tammy Ferebee shows that not everyone is Christian or believes in the same things through the characterization of the characters. The protagonist in this story, Jayden is African-American which is different from what we normally see in books. That could have been enough diversity in one book, but there is also an LGBTQ+ aspect to it as well. Diversity being included in this book really makes this book more realistic and relatable.

I wish the ending didn't end the way it did. I thought the book should have at least two more chapters of the book left, but it just ended abruptly.  The characters didn't even solve the central conflict or even decide what they were going to about it before the book ended. I just wanted to scream "What happened?". I heard that there is going to be a sequel, which I am beyond ecstatic about, but I can't believe I have to wait so long to find out what happens next.

Overall, this was an amazing book not only about aspects of fantasy and love, but also about real life issues. I can't wait to read the sequel and I am so glad I got a copy from the author to review! I definitely recommend this book to everyone!

My Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Paw Prints

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon 2016 Wrap Up

Pages Read: 87

Status after Read-a-thon: Finished

Pages Read: 119 pages

Status after Read-a-thon: Not Finished Yet (but close to finishing)

Pages Read: 35 pages

Status after Read-a-thon: Currently Reading

TOTAL PAGES READ: 241 pages

While I didn't get everything read I wanted to during Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon, I am still supper proud of what I accomplished. I finished City of Ashes by: Cassandra Clare (which is an amazing by the way), I am almost done with Outsiders by: Tammy Ferebee (which I started a long time ago and never got around to finishing it) and I got some laughing in when I read Grace's Guide. I am so proud of myself for not only finishing all of my homework yesterday, but also getting reading done. This year's Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon was definitely a success! How did everyone else do?!

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon 2016

Today begins another Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon for me and I am so excited! After doing this read-a-thon for over a few years, now Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon holds a special place in my heart and I look forward to it every year. It is a whole 24 hours where I can escape to my favorite worlds to get away from reality and where I can read as much as I want and do what I love all day!

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon is where you read as much as you can for 24 Hours. Some people read for 24 hours in a row and some people just read as much as they can, around their daily lives and work and such. It is also a whole day where you can connect with book worms like you, participate in challenges, and knock some books off of your TBR pile! What more could a book worm want?!

It is unfortunately too late to officially participate this year, but if you want to find out information here is the link!

My TBR

Today is my big from my sorority's 20th Birthday, so I will be reading around helping her celebrate and working on some homework. I hope to finish the three books I am reading and if I have time, at least get through a lot of The Scorch Trials by: James Dashner.

First I want to finish:

 

Then I want to read:

The Spring Into Reading 48 Hour Read-A-Thon

Spring Into Reading 48 Hour Read-A-Thon 2016

Hey fellow readers of the world:)
In January we will kick off our The Spring Into Reading 48 Hour Read-A-Thon !!!  It would be great to have everyone participate but if you can't there is always next year:) Also feel free to invite other people to join our book club so they can participate in it as well!

What is it?
It will start at 8:00 pm  on Friday and it will end at 8:00pm on Sunday . The goal is to read as many books as you can in 48 hours. You may take breaks to rest your eyes, eat, drink, take a shower or go to the bathroom, or do anything else you want/need to do.


There will also be various challenges you can complete by reading books during the Read-A-Thon.
I hope you will join us for The Spring Into Reading 48 Hour Read-A-Thon!

Start Date: Friday, April 15th at 8:00 pm
End Date: Sunday, April 17th at 8:00 pm

If you are not a part of the book club we would still love for you to participate. Just comment down below your name and where you will be doing updates (YouTube,Twitter, Goodreads, Tumblr, a blog, instagram, facebook, etc.)  Also we would love for you to join our book club:)

Happy tales and readings,
Jordan 

Challenges:

 These are some reading challenges you can try and complete during the Read-A-Thon:

- read a memoir, a biography or an autobiography
- read the last book in a series
- read a book that will shake you to the core
- read/reread a book from your favorite series
- read a book that is your most anticipated book
- read a book recommended by a friend
- read a book with a cheesy cover
-read a book that is/going to be a movie

Beginning Questionnaire: 
1. What books are in your TBR pile for the Read-A-Thon?
2. What are you eating or drinking during the Read-A-Thon?
3. How are you going to keep yourself awake during this challenge?
4. What book are you looking forward to reading the most?
5. How many books do you want to read?
6. Where in your house will you get comfortable to curl up and read?
7. Have you participated in a Read-A-Thon before?
8.What will you be wearing so you are comfy and cozy to read?
9. What are you looking forward to most about the Read-A-Thon?
10. Where will you be updating what you read (twitter, goodreads, youtube or blog)?

Reading Sprints:

What are they?

They are when you read as much as you can in 30 minutes and when we all are reading together. 

I will be hosting reading sprints every four or five hours on our  Twitter page @RIBTLbookclub!!! 

Feel free to follow our twitter so you can know when they are and participate in them. 

I realize because of all of the different time zones that not everyone will start and end at the same time, so I will do enough sprints where everyone can at least participate in a few of them. 

Twitter:

Our new twitter @RIBTLbookclub  is now up and running! Follow us so you can be updated and stay connected during the Read-A-Thon. 

hashtags for twitter:   #readforestread #justkeepreading #springreadathon2k16 #imspringingintoreading

"Illuminae" : A Book That Took Me To Another Universe

"Kady and Ezra thought their break-up was messy until they witnessed their entire world literally falling apart. Now they're are piecing together what's left of their lives, and their romance, and trying to survive an intergalactic war."

"Amie Kaufman is the award-winning co-author of the STARBOUND series. Jay Kristoff is the award-winning author of the LOTUS WAR series. Collectively, they are 12'5" tall and live in Melbourne, Australia, with two long-suffering spouses, two rescue dogs, and a plentiful supply of caffeine. They met thanks to international taxation law, and stuck together due to a shared love of blowing things up and breaking hearts."

'Illuminae' by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff was so beyond amazing and no amount of words will truly describe how much this book changed the way I think about books and how obsessed I am with it! 

Most planet-ending invasions we read about in books or even watch in movies normally take place on Earth, but this book takes place in the future in 2575 when illegal mining is taking place on the main character's planet called Kerenza and a mega-cooperation called BeiTech invades their planet, killing tons of people and totally disintegrates their planet. Luckily Kady and her boyfriend Ezra make it out alive, but they end up on two different space ships, the Alexander and the Hypatia. After a big argument before the invasion, Kady and Ezra's only form of communication is through emails and IMs. This is a story like no other full of disease out breaks, space ship battles and a love story like no other and is told through interviews, IMs, emails, memorandums, maps, medical reports and so much more!

This book was unlike anything I have ever read before and probably one of my favorite books of all time! It was almost 600 pages in length, but it was actually really fast paced because of the format of the text. However, the book was so good and grabbed my attention so much that I wanted to take my time reading it and not rush through it. This book was definitely an emotional rollercoaster for me, there were definitely moments that made me laugh out loud, moments I could feel my heart ripping in my chest, and moments where I could feel my self falling for Ezra and hoping that Ezra and Kady would make it to each other. The various spaceship diagrams, words and phrases creating images and the thoughts of the fleet's rogue AI really is what made the book so mind bobbling and attention grabbing, alongside the beautiful book cover. 

This book is bigger than the universe itself and will change how you look at reading forever! I recommend this to anyone looking for a life changing reading experience! As the civilians of the planet of Kerenza would say, God Speed!

MY RATING: 5 Out Of 5 Paw Prints