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RubySlippers

Ruby

Only within the last couple years have I found my love of reading again. I've found that my interests lie mostly under that big genre umbrella that is fantasy, but I'm down for anything that will move and/or entertain me. 

Currently reading

Broken Harbour
Tana French
Roaring Midnight (Macey Gardella, #1)
Colleen Gleason

I've Got Your Number

I've Got Your Number - Pretty cute. Sam was a great love interest, just the right amount of stoic—and he wasn't ever a jerk. Poppy could be a little annoying at times, particularly in regards to other women, not rage inducing just rather irritating.

Eon

Eon  - Alison Goodman Despite that one glaring flaw this is one of the best YA fantasies I have read.

Gone Girl: A Novel

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn This book is horrifying. Horrifying in a readable way that just makes you say, What. The. Fuck.I would have gladly given this four stars had it not been for the beginning of this book. The first half of the story was so unbelievably boring I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish (and I have an overwhelming compulsion to finish all books I start). However, once the story gets moving it’s absolutely thrilling.These characters were completely unlikable right from the get go. The brilliant thing about it is that none of them are justified in their actions. As I mentioned before, and I think the best word to describe them all is horrifying. Some more than others, okay, a lot more than others, but I never felt as though I was being made to feel bad for any of them. I will definitely be checking out Flynn’s other work.

In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad Series #1)

In the Woods - Tana French I loved this despite my complete dislike of Ryan. Small review to come.

The Iron Wyrm Affair (Bannon and Clare Series #1)

The Iron Wyrm Affair (Bannon and Clare Series #1) - I'm so disappointed because I've been looking forward to this book since March. This was one of those books where a lot happens but it feels so meandering and you're just waiting for it to be over. The plot, the characters, none of it felt cohesive. Uhg. Maybe I'll write up a little something more later.

Shadow Reader, The (Shadow Reader Novel)

The Shadow Reader - Sandy Williams I loved this book! There’s action, violence, romance, and it features an intelligent, likable heroine that I was rooting for the entire time. In fact, I have to say that McKenzie was my favorite part of the whole book (good thing since she is the heroine). I think she’s one of the most relatable heroines I’ve ever read. She’s completely self-aware. Every time I was second guessing her or wondering just what the hell she was doing she was right there saying or thinking what I was. It was a breath of fresh air, honestly. The story is riveting, throwing you right in the middle of a civil war between the fae. It doesn’t hold back with the gory details, the scheming and politics, the lies and betrayals. I was completely immersed in McKenzie’s emotions (in regards to the war at least). I have to admit that the love triangle was not my favorite thing about the novel. In fact, I wasn’t really keen on either hunky fae, but Aren and Kyol are well drawn characters and I understood where they were coming from and their actions. And compared to love triangles in general it was done well. I am team McKenzie and Naito for endgame. Just saying. It’s always the crack pairing with me, isn’t it?

Pushing the Limits

Pushing the Limits - I was angry for much of the book. I don’t mind bad boys but assholes are not my thing. Much of my hate for this book revolves around Noah and all his gross, sexist behavior. Noah gets his kicks off by intimidating women; he does it with Echo, Carrie, Keesha (though she doesn’t take it), and Mrs. Collins. I’m not down for that at all, it’s not cute, it’s not sexy, it’s disgusting and sends up an immediate red flag for me. Another reason I hated Noah was because the only reason he was into Echo was because they both have had tragic things happen in there lives and so he thought they could commiserate understand with each other and, most of all and oft reminded, because Echo was hot. All he did was comment on her “big tits”, “tight ass”, her cleavage, her red curly, how good she smelled, and how much she was his siren, his nymph. Apparently, Echo’s personality, her artistic talent, her intellect, isn’t worth commenting on or complimenting her on. The fact that he always thought of Echo as a possession made me want to vomit. Echo was okay. Most of what I found engaging about her the details of what happened between her mother and her. Unfortunately, I don’t have much to say about Echo as a character because she just didn’t feel fleshed out. The relationship between Echo and Noah was . . . well, I wondered why they were together. I never felt like there was a true and deep build up to their relationship and, as I said, I felt like Noah only liked Echo because she was hot and I can’t honestly tell you why Echo liked Noah, maybe because he was less overtly sexist than Luke? It was a very shallow relationship.I was not a fan of how things were wrapped up between Echo and her mother. I couldn’t help but be irritated by the portrayal of the mother who has a mental illness. However, other than that the ending is like an after school special on forgiving people who, in my opinion, don’t necessarily deserve it.
Tramps Like Us, Vol. 1 - Yayoi Ogawa I liked the drama better. :/

The Child Thief: A Novel

The Child Thief - Brom I totally get why people love this. It's a very original, vivid, and shocking retelling. It's dark and gritty with a lot of real consequences and high stakes. The characters are all fleshed out with realistic motivations and actions. However, it just wasn't for me. I just didn't feel it.

Girl of Nightmares

Girl of Nightmares - Kendare Blake Well, I enjoyed the story, the mythos, and certain scenes in this book enough to be satisfied. I even enjoy a few characters, particularly Carmel. Unfortunately, I just can't get over Cas. He's so rude and overly judgmental and so completely full of himself. Cas is the reason that I could never enjoy this series to its fullest. I do however look forward to seeing what else Blake has up her sleeve when it comes to her future books. I'd love to see her write something outside of YA.

The Unquiet

The Unquiet - Jeannine Garsee This book did not sit well with me. For nearly the whole book I felt like giving it only one star. The beginning is so outrageously boring and really quite needless. I think a good 100 pages could have been cut and the book surely would have benefitted from it. Character wise no one is well developed and nearly everyone comes off as mean, rude, and cruel. They’re assholes, essentially. When terrible things started happening to them I have to say I did not care. Not a bit. Nothing terrible happens to Corinne, the main character, directly. Par for the course in YA lit where everyone but the heroine is put through the ringer. I thought that Corinne, the main character, was insufferable. I found her to be selfish, hypocritical, and seriously flighty. The romantic relationship between Corrine and Nate is just there. No rhyme or reason for and very well could have been cut. It takes so long to get into the actual meat of the story and even then I didn’t find it all that appealing. It’s a very predictable ghost story and I wasn’t really creeped out by it. There were some interesting visuals but they were never expounded upon and thus didn’t actually add anything to the story. I thought everything was wrapped up too neatly until the very last line of the book, and that was my favorite part.

Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone - I don’t often see fantasy that’s based off of Russian culture so I was quite intrigued when I saw [b:Shadow and Bone|10194157|Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339533695s/10194157.jpg|15093325]. Unfortunately, this is a very predictable fantasy. It is also very standard YA fare full of the typical (and sometimes problematic) trends: mean girls, cardboard heroes, and heroines that are much too focused on their own vanity.I have to admit that I didn’t notice much Russian culture integrated into this fantasy world with the exceptions of some wonky names and maybe some clothing inspiration. Past that I really didn’t get a feel for the world. Much of the setting is pretty nondescript. You don’t get any real information about neighboring countries or even anything about the continent. The one place I did find interesting was The Fold. I wish more of the story had taken place there or there had been more mythos that was devoted to it. The “court intrigue”, yeah, I’m not seeing it. I know very little about what goes on at court other than makeovers for ~everyone~ and that the King is an adulterer (because he’s the king and he can or because the Queen is supposed to be “frigid”, I don’t really know, probably both and that he has a cryptic advisor who is a creepy stalker. There’s no real talk of politics or foreign relations. I don’t remember anything about heirs or the relationship between the Royal Family. Nor is there much insight into the relationship between the Royal Family and the Grisha. I did like the magic system. I like that it has a basis in science and essentially isn’t so, well, magical. I wish we got to see more of the magic system in action and gone more in depth about it because it is one of the more interesting concepts when it comes to the world building. Characters are what make or break the story for me. I can forgive a poorly done world if I can connect with characters on an emotional level. Sadly, this didn’t happen. Alina is our boring heroine who doesn’t really do anything. She pines for a boy who really isn’t into her in the beginning and moans on and on about not being attractive, but she doesn’t really care, y’all, even though she reminds you about it every other page. This is where one of those YA clichés comes in. Alina’s confidence in herself is directly related to her outward appearance. While she’s “plain” and unattractive she’s weepy and unable to take matters into her own hands. However, when revealed that, OMG, she’s actually super hot and totally irresistible she gains that confidence in herself and becomes one of those YA heroines that is totally not a damsel in distress. Not my kind of characterization.Another problematic YA trend present in this novel: Mean Girls. Alina has one girl friend that she often confides in. Just the one. And often they don’t talk about anything other than physical appearances, boys, gossip about other girls, or giving some bits and pieces of info on how the Grisha are supposed to act. All the other girls in the book are meant to be petty and “catty”. I’m sick of seeing girls portrayed this way in YA novels. I don’t know why this is so prevalent. Girls are perfectly capable of being respectful to each other even if they aren’t going to be friends. Perhaps that’s me being nit-picky but it bothered me for much of the book. The boys. Mal? Who’s Mal? Some tracker that’s supposed to be really good looking, I guess. I found him to be very underdeveloped. He wasn’t present for much of the story. That’s all I have to say about this cardboard hero. The Darkling. I saw it all coming. He was a shady character from the beginning and was one until the end, not much foreshadowing there. Another creepy love interest antagonist. The premise was interesting but felt contrived as I continued reading. This book was far too long to have so little world building and poor character development. I’m not sure if I’ll be picking up the sequel.

This Is Not a Test

This is Not a Test - Courtney Summers This is Not a Test lingers with you. While you read it. After you read it. I knew what I was getting myself into after reading the summary I knew this wasn’t going to be some action-adventure zombie killing spree. This is the story of the six teens and how they cope with their situation, each other, and how they’ve had to survive.When I first started I have to admit that I was not feeling it. It felt jumpy, I wasn’t getting enough information, but reflecting on it I think it helped the narration. You feel just like Sloane must have in those moments. I finally fell into full force about one hundred pages in. The characters were all well done and fully fleshed out. There is no good and bad, no one is right or wrong. Sloane was tragic, broken, and so completely understandable. Her journey – mentally, physically, and emotionally – was a truly compelling read. The abuse she had to endure. Her feelings of abandonment. The hope she finally finds. She felt very real to me. The other characters were just as important to the story. Cary, Rhys, Grace, Trace, and Harrison all have their own stories that are engrossing and heartbreaking. Cary, in particular, was a character I found myself invested in. He was not exactly a stand up guy before everything happened and now he’s had to make some hard and even suspect decisions to survive. These kids were obviously teenagers. Not thinking every thing through, the consequences of certain actions not even a floating thought through their minds. The last thing I would be doing during a zombie apocalypse would be having unprotected sex. And if I had just been bitten by a mad man (infected or not) I would not be going to a safe zone to be “medically processed”. You're totally just asking to be shot in the face upon arrival. One of the few problems I had with this book is the ending. I thought it was quite predictable. I didn’t much care for it either, but I’m not sure how else it should have ended. Everything is tied up, there aren’t any real loose ends hanging around, but I do think there is room for a sequel to be made. This was my first Courtney Summers book. It won't be my last.
Fevre Dream - George R.R. Martin As I said in a status update, very Martin. You really know what to expect in terms of style and detail if you've read anything by the man.

Wentworth Hall

Wentworth Hall - Abby Grahame This book is shallow. Shallow on all fronts. The writing, the characters, the plot, the setting, the dialogue, the emotions, everything about this is shallow. The setting is purely aesthetic, it's obvious that whoever wrote this (whoever S&S hired to write this, that is) didn't do their research. The characters are cardboard, just words on a page, they don't feel like real people. The dialogue is not engaging and weirdly modern. The plot had potential to be completely soap-opera dramatic but it was beyond predictable. The consequences of certain actions never come to pass and everything works out all too happily. The whole time you are told the story never shown it.This book is trying to cash in on the success and hype of Downton Abbey. Don't bother with it because it has none of the emotion and charm that Downton does.

Dog Days

Dog Days - Elsa Watson Totally have to read this now Totally read this because I'm a proud white German Shepherd owner.I read Dog Days in a night and was laughing, near-crying, sometimes swooning, and often times smiling while reading. The cover, the title, and the Goodreads blurb don't lie to you. When you pick this book up you know what you're getting into; a cozy, cute read that has a lot of heart and moments that really touch you. The plot is simple, woman and dog switch bodies à la Freaky Friday. However, the plot is tight and well done with no filler.There is a bit of romance in the book, and Max (the darling love interest) is totally swoon worthy, but this is not the basis of the novel and is a secondary plot in the book. This is definitely a character piece focusing on Jessica and Zoe as individuals and their relationships. Jessica was a wonderful character who was full of determination and unexpected confidence. She was easy to sympathize with and someone who I found to be very relatable. Zoe was laughably over the top but I was invested in her eagerness to find her family and her unconditional love for them. While the pasts of these characters were predictable I found my heart breaking for them and smiling when they were able to over come their hardships.