Friday, June 30, 2017

June 2017 Recap

Whoa! This year is flying by wayyyyy too fast, especially considering my advanced age. I turned the dreaded f-word a few weeks ago: forty. Maturity-wise, I'm much, much, much younger than that. XD

I had a really nice birthday; I took the day off from work and went to Disney Springs (which will always be Downtown Disney to me, LOL) with Melissa, Ally, and their brother, Denis. When I went back to work the next day, my lovely co-workers had decorated my desk and thoughtfully put a walker in front of it, LOL.

I didn't do much reading or blogging in June, which has pretty much been the norm for 2017 so far. I see the start of July as a clean slate, though, and I'm really going to try to set aside dedicated reading and blogging time. I hope everyone has an awesome July and a fantastic second half of 2017!

Reviews Posted:

Featured Posts:

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (171)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme created by Uncorked Thoughts and hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
If You Could Save Only ONE Character from Death, Who Would It Be?

Only ONE? Dammit! I definitely need to save multiple characters: Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Dobby, DUMBLEDORE. If I absolutely must save only one, it would have to be:

SIRIUS BLACK.

Sirius is one of my favorite characters, and his death was devastating. I had to reread a certain scene in Order of the Phoenix about five times before what had happened finally sank in. And then I still didn't believe it. :-(

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

2017 Mid-Year Rewind

Hello, friends! Can you believe 2017 is just about half over? I. Can't. Even.

I'm writing this post on a dreary, rainy night, and not to sound melodramatic, LOL, but it's a perfect metaphor for how I feel about the first part of this year. I have a love/hate relationship with goal setting; I love having goals to work towards but hate how I feel when I don't accomplish them. I've always struggled with perfectionism, and this year, I'm feeling particularly unaccomplished.

The balance between real life and reading/blogging has shifted overwhelmingly toward real life, and it's been a battle to tip the scale even slightly in the other direction. At times picking up a book or writing a post has been so daunting, it's just been easier not do it. And once you fall into a rut, getting out is a challenge. I also ended up reading a string of books that were meh, which dug the rut even deeper.

I'm at least four books behind on my Goodreads reading challenge. Dammit—I really wanted to stay on target this year! XD There is a positive to report, though: I've been participating in Book Riot's month-long bookstagram challenge, and it's been a lot of fun. I only missed two days, which is surely a consistency record for me.

I'm still searching for my first five star read of 2017, but these two came very close:

Here's hoping that everyone enjoys an awesome second half of the year with lots of amazing reads and lots of happy blogging! I'm determined to escape my reading/blogging funk and crush my GR goal (and by "crush" I mean "madly scramble to squeeze in another 23 books by December 31, hahaha!).

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Fandom Mashups (91)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." Pick 5 characters from other fandoms who you know would be a perfect fit in Ravenclaw.

Proud Ravenclaw here! XD And I'd be thrilled to call these characters fellow Ravenclaws:

  1. Tony Stark: While I think a few houses suit him (no pun intended, haha!), I'm claiming him for Ravenclaw because of his brilliant mind.
  2. Blue Sargent (The Raven Cycle): A character named Blue gets an automatic pass into Ravenclaw, don't you think? Plus, she's an extremely smart young woman.
  3. Yoda: So wise, he is!
  4. Lisa Simpson: I've always loved Lisa for her genius, and she'd be right at home in Ravenclaw.
  5. Tyrion Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones): You don't survive in Westeros for as long as Tyrion has without being incredibly intelligent.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (170)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme created by Uncorked Thoughts and hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
Favorite Quote from Order of the Phoenix

The Weasley twins' departure from Hogwarts, beginning with their ingenious Portable Swamp, is one of my favorite scenes from the entire series. EVER. So I had to go with a quote (or two, LOL) from that scene:

Fred looked across the hall at the poltergeist bobbing on his level above the crowd.
"Give her hell from us, Peeves."
And Peeves, whom Harry had never seen take an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Fandom Mashups (90)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
The Moon is full, bright and it's making you feel dreamy so you've decided to stay up all night and gaze at it. Which characters do you think would want to enjoy this evening with you?

  1. Rhysand (A Court of Thorns and Roses): Who better to hang out with taking in the night sky than the High Lord of the Night Court?
  2. Gansey (The Raven Cycle): This totally sounds like something Gansey would be game for. As always, his friends are all invited to come along. XD
  3. Cassian Andor (Rogue One): I feel a Star Wars character would be perfect for this group, and Cassian has quickly become one of my favorites.
  4. Lisa Simpson: Lisa once lobbied to reduce light pollution in Springfield so that residents could enjoy the nighttime sky, so I think she'd love to do some moon gazing.
  5. Jon Snow (A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones): With all of the terrifying things Jon has seen during his time with the Night's Watch, he deserves a relaxing evening off to observe the full moon.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (169)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme created by Uncorked Thoughts and hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
Best Moment of Pure SASS?

Two of my favorite sass-filled moments involve both Harry and Snape: when Snape catches Harry with the Marauder's Map in Prisoner of Azkaban and the Map insults Snape, lol, and of course the classic "There's no need to call me 'sir,' Professor" line from Half-Blood Prince.

I think I have a pretty offbeat sense of humor, and for whatever reason, I LMFAO at the scene in the HBP film when Harry is on his way to Hagrid's after taking Felix Felicis and runs into Slughorn. The professor admonishes Harry for being outside the castle and hisses Harry's name when Harry continues on his way, and Harry hisses "Sir" right back at him. Harry is also pretty sassy during Aragog's funeral; when Slughorn asks if the Acromantula had any family, Harry's like, oh yeah. XD

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

* This review may contain spoilers for the previous books in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3)
By Sarah J. Maas
Publisher:
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Buddy Read with Micheline of Lunar Rainbows Reviews

To Sum It Up: Feyre is back at the Spring Court, covertly plotting to undermine both it and its High Lord while also discovering what the King of Hybern has planned next for Prythian and the human lands below the wall. War is inevitable, but even that may not be enough to convince all the High Lords to set aside their usual squabbling among themselves and unite against their common enemy, Hybern. Feyre, Rhys, and their family are ready to stand against the massive invading Hybern army, even if they cannot rally any other courts to their side.

Review: After reading seven Sarah J. Maas books and being utterly annihilated by Empire of Storms last year, I prepared for the absolute, rock-bottom worst going into A Court of Wings and Ruin. I expected the Ruin part of the title to describe what was left of my heart after reading this because that’s become the norm post-Maas books.

Surprisingly, I don’t feel too wrecked. While there are plenty of intense, heart-stopping moments throughout A Court of Wings and Ruin (like the end of every chapter), I’m not the shattered wreck I was at the end of Empire of Storms. Fine, I may have almost cried a few times during A Court of Wings and Ruin. Maas certainly knows how to squeeze the reader’s heart to its bursting point.

A Court of Mist and Fury ended on one hell of a tumultuous note, with Feyre’s sisters, Nesta and Elain, being turned into Fae against their will and Feyre headed back to the Spring Court, vowing to make Tamlin pay for allying with the King of Hybern in exchange for the latter’s aid in finding her. A Court of Wings and Ruin picks up with Feyre back at the Spring Court, outwardly acting like she’s relieved to have been “rescued” from Rhysand and the Night Court. Meanwhile, Feyre is collecting intel on what Hybern is plotting and setting up the Spring Court to collapse around Tamlin. This second part of her plan has unforeseen consequences down the road, however, and I thought it was important to show that Feyre could still make mistakes after becoming the insanely powerful High Lady of the Night Court. As much as I love badass heroines, I also like to see them grounded and not ridiculously perfect. Maas does an excellent job here of keeping Feyre a well-rounded protagonist.

The hell that is war hits hard in A Court of Wings and Ruin, as Prythian braces itself for Hybern’s invasion. The battle isn’t only against an external enemy, either. The Fae High Lords, accustomed to years and years of infighting between the courts, must decide who represents the bigger threat: Hybern, which stands to destroy both Fae and humans alike, or their fellow High Lords. Even if the courts somehow manage to band together, they face a formidable foe, especially with the King of Hybern wielding the crazy powerful Cauldron.

Maas always writes fantastic action scenes, and they’re as pulse-pounding as usual in A Court of Wings and Ruin. She vividly conveys the sheer terror and chaos of battle. I frequently had to avert my gaze from further down the page, especially whenever I reached the end of a chapter, because I feared so damn much for Feyre, Rhys, Cassian, Azriel, Mor, Amren, and even Feyre’s sisters. Awaiting the outcome of each confrontation with Hybern on the battlefield was almost too much to handle. Feyre, Rhys, and their friends are a family, and they’re all prepared to sacrifice themselves if it means saving everyone else.

My only quibble with the book was the same one I had with Empire of Storms: the pacing. Both novels clock in at about 700 pages, and to me, both could have told their stories a bit more succinctly. I’m not sure what the original plan was for the number of books in this series, but A Court of Wings and Ruin tries to both bring this story to a close while also setting up possible plotlines for future books. Sometimes the flow between the two didn’t feel quite seamless, but the ending was very satisfying nonetheless, and I’m curious to see the direction the series heads in from here.

All in All: Taking on a 700-page book is absolutely daunting for me these days, but being back in this world with these beloved characters was like going home to catch up with old friends. A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones fans looking to get their fix between books/season should definitely give this series a shot.

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Fandom Mashups (89)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
With Summer drawing ever nearer, you fancy a trip at the beach. Which fictional characters do you think would want to tag along with you?

It's been bloody hot and humid here the last 2 weeks, so a day at the beach sounds lovely! Here's who I'd bring along:

  1. Aelin (Throne of Glass): This lady just needs a day off to relax and has more than earned it!
  2. Blue Sargent (The Raven Cycle): I'd love to spend a day hanging out with her, and obviously the invitation extends to all of the Raven Boys as well.
  3. Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender): If the waves get too rocky, we have a waterbender to calm them, and obviously the invitation extends to the whole gAang as well. XD
  4. Homer Simpson: It will be a most entertaining day at the beach with Homer around!
  5. Cole St. Clair (The Wolves of Mercy Falls): With Cole along for the trip, there's bound to be a party before the day is over.

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (168)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme created by Uncorked Thoughts and hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
What is Your Favorite Harry Potter Book Cover? Pick One Cover from ANY Edition.

I'm really partial to the American hardcover editions because those are the ones I own, lol, but I also love the newer paperback editions. I think, however, sentimentality is going to win out here, so I'm going with:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

OK, so worst ending EVER, but Order of the Phoenix was the first time I got to experience the joy/pain of waiting for a new HP book to be released. I still remember waiting for the Amazon package to turn up, and tearing into it when I did so I could immediately start reading and tune out the rest of the world. This cover shows a more grown-up looking Harry compared to the previous covers, and to me the cover has always had a foreboding feel to it, which is 100% accurate. XD