Top Five Wednesday: Favorite SFF Cover Art

I think most readers appreciate a nicely-done book cover, and science fiction and fantasy books tend to have some of the most appealing covers out there. I know this post is a couple days late, but I thought it would be an easy one to get me back into blogging again. Here are five of my favorite SFF covers! Top Five Wednesday is run by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes. If you are interested in participating, here is the Goodreads page with all of the topics.

1. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

I have yet to start this series, although I plan to this summer, but every time I see this book on my shelf it catches my attention. The bright fuchsia title and the clean lettering are bold and sharp, and the background image is so deliciously science fiction-y that I can't help but love it. 

2. Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

I, like pretty much everyone else, love all the covers in this trilogy, but the second book's cover is my favorite. There's just something I like about the yellow and blue contrast. This series has covers that reflect the story, too, which I appreciate; the illustrations depict places the characters visit, and the flipped images convey the idea of parallel universes. I originally bought this series because of the covers (plus I liked some of Claudia Gray's other books), but honestly it's become one of my favorite trilogies.

3. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

Again, this entire series has gorgeous covers, but the fourth book has my vote for best cover. I love the softness of the brush strokes, and the colors are just so pleasing to look at. It gives off a feeling of ethereal mystery, which is precisely the vibe of the book.

4. A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi
I have yet to read The Star-Touched Queen (also a gorgeous cover) or this book yet, but they are high on my TBR list. I love this cover mostly because of the colors; that deep green is one of my favorite colors ever. I also really like the shooting stars and the delicate border, as well as the fact that this book is a bit shiny.

5. Reawakened by Colleen Houck
This image does not do this book justice. It's got one of those almost velvety covers. The tiny details are more noticeable, and parts of it are shimmery. This is one of my favorite book covers of all time, but unfortunately, I didn't like the content all that much. I quit this book a few days ago after reading half of it.

Top Five Wednesday: Books I Will Never Read

As much as I love talking about books I want to read and books I enjoy, I also love talking about books I'm not interested in. Honestly, I wish there were more books that I didn't want to read; that would make my "so many books, so little time" problem better. Top Five Wednesday was created by Ginger Reads Lainey and is currently run by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes. If you are interested in participating, here is the Goodreads page.

1. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
I don't really have anything against this series, I just have no interest in it. I saw the first movie and thought it was okay. I've heard a lot of negative things about the subsequent books, so I'll be avoiding this one. If I'm ever really desperate for a dystopian and I'm out of options, then I'll read this - but that is super unlikely.

2. Looking for Alaska by John Green
I've read two John Green books and was underwhelmed by both of them. There's something about his writing that I just don't connect with, and his characters are a little too pretentious for my tastes. I don't feel like I'm missing anything by not reading this book.

3. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
I read Red Queen and didn't completely hate it, but the more I think about it, the less I care. I don't feel like investing time and/or money into a series that I am lukewarm at best about.

4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
I once wished to read this book. However, this series is just too long. Every book is massive, and I'm just not interested enough. I might watch the show at some point, but I have so many long fantasy series that I'd rather read than this one.

5. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne & John Tiffany
Probably the most controversial book on this list, although it's not technically a book. I really don't want to read a play that's considered the 8th Harry Potter story - I'd rather have a book. If I can't get any insight on characters' thoughts, emotions, and motives, then I don't want to read it. I've heard there are an insane amount of plot holes in this story as well. I just don't care to read this.

August Wrap-Up

I'm trying to get back in the swing of posting, and I haven't been reading a ton of YA books or novels in general, so I thought I'd do a wrap-up to make things easy on myself. You'll see a common theme here...

The Walking Dead Volume 2 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

4/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 3 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

4/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 4 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

4/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 5 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

5/5 Stars

Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga

4/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 6 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

5/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 7 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

4/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 8 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

5/5 Stars

Bitter of Tongue by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

3/5 Stars

The Road to Woodbury by Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga

3/5 Stars

Star Wars: Princess Leia by Mark Waid & Terry Dodson

4/5 Stars

The Fiery Trial by Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson

3/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 9 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

5/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 10 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

4/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 11 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

5/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 12 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

5/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 13 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

5/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 14 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

5/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 15 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

5/5 Stars

The Walking Dead Volume 16 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Cliff Rathburn

5/5 Stars

Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan

4/5 Stars

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

5/5 Stars

United as One by Pittacus Lore

3.5/5 Stars

Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter

3.75/5 Stars

Book Review: Jackaby

Author: William Ritter
Genre; Historical/Paranormal
Published: 2014, Algonquin Young Readers
Rating: 4.25/5 Stars

Abigail Rook makes her way to the United States in 1892 after a failed adventure in paleontology. She desperately needs a job, and she happens upon an ad for an investigative assistant. This leads her to the home of R.F. Jackaby, an eccentric, scatter-brained detective who specializes in things normally unseen. Abigail is tossed into the fray immediately, joining Jackaby as he checks out a murder scene, and she becomes involved in world of crime and impossible creatures.

I had heard so many mixed things about this book that my expectations were average to low. I don't know if that had any effect on my enjoyment of it, but I thought Jackaby was incredibly entertaining and fun. Goodreads describes it as a mix of Doctor Who and Sherlock, and that's probably the most accurate description for this book. It's quite short and fast-paced, so I flew through it in just a couple hours. 

I loved the characters. I was impressed by how well-rounded and dynamic they were given the length of the book. Jackaby reminds me very much of Matt Smith in Doctor Who, which I appreciated. Abigail was smart, bold, and brave - she didn't shy away from speaking her mind. 

The minor characters were great as well. They actually served a purpose in the story and weren't just taking up space, and I can see the potential for more character development for them in the subsequent books in this series.

I thought the plot was compelling - it definitely kept me interested the entire time. If you are very squeamish or easily scared, maybe pass on this book. It's not all that bloody or frightening, but there are some scenes that are a  bit gross and creepy. For me, it was just the right amount of gross and creepy. Not over the top, but realistic for the events of the story. If you're looking for something fun with entertaining characters, I highly recommend Jackaby. I've already read the sequel and can't wait for the third book!

February Wrap-Up

WOW this is late. Sorry. Better late than never, right? I've been feeling the school crunch lately, and I honestly forgot what I read this month until I referred to my Goodreads just now. Well. Apparently February was a okay reading month for me; there were some good ones, but a few brought me down.

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

5/5 Stars

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

5/5 Stars

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

5/5 Stars

The Martian by Andy Weir

2.75/5 Stars

The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead

3.5/5 Stars

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

3.25/5 Stars

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

5/5 Stars

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

4/5 Stars

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

4/5 Stars

Book Review: The Martian

Author: Andy Weir
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2014, Crown Publishing
Rating: 2.75/5 Stars

When a violent dust storm strikes on Mars, Mark Watney's crew prepares to evacuate the red planet. Mark is injured by debris, and the crew believes him to be dead - so they reluctantly leave without him. However, Mark is still alive and now the only person on an entire planet. He must figure out a way to contact NASA and survive despite seemingly impossible odds.

I did something that I never do: I saw the movie before I finished the book. Not on purpose, technically. I went over to a friend's house to find the movie already playing. I was about 50 pages into the book at that point. Unfortunately, I have no way of knowing if it was this incident, the massive amount of hype, or just my personal feelings that made this book underwhelming for me.

I had high hopes for this book before I started it and before I ever saw the movie. As most readers know, going into a book with high expectations can be disastrous. I wouldn't say it was disastrous in this case, but I was disappointed.

Mark, while occasionally funny, didn't make me laugh out loud (which many people apparently did frequently). I liked him, but I didn't care about him as much as I should have. I should have been cheering him on, but I found myself liking the chapters that focused on NASA and Mark's crew much more. 

I found it difficult to suspend my belief. Mark faces some insane challenges that he miraculously overcomes. I get easily annoyed when characters nearly die multiple times - it really takes me out of the story. I know the whole point of the book is that its a survival story, but I'm thinking that maybe that's just not my thing. Something that I found unique about The Martian is that it's a type of sci-fi that I haven't read much of. There aren't any creatures or aliens or made-up planets; the science is real (although I've heard that there are issues with the math and science in the book). 

This book wasn't for me. There's a lot of math and science jargon that I skimmed over, and I take skimming as a sign of me not liking what I'm reading. This book is super popular, which is why I wanted to develop my own opinion of it, but unfortunately, I'm not a fan.

Book Review: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

Author: Robin Sloan
Genre: Fiction
Published: 2012, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Rating: 3.25/5 Stars

When Clay Jannon loses his job as a web designer due to the recession, he stumbles across a display window with a "Hiring" sign hanging in it. He lands a job at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, and his set-up is pretty nice; hardly anyone comes into the store except a few strange regulars, and books very rarely get purchased. Instead, these odd patrons check out seemingly unreadable tomes and return them a few days later. Clay begins to piece the bookstore's quirks together, and it leads him on a surprising journey.

I gave this book a rating of 3.25 stars because I felt positively neutral about it, if that makes any sense at all. I enjoyed it an average amount, but I liked it enough to give it a slightly higher than average rating. Sounds logical, right? Sure.

A lot of people really enjoy this book - especially a lot of book lovers. I, of course, am a book lover, but there was something about the story that just didn't click with me. I'm not sure if I ever truly connected with the characters. Clay was okay but kind of uninteresting. Kat, the sort-of love interest, was mildly irritating and one-sided. Neel, Clay's best friend, was my favorite character. The plot is slow, even though this isn't a long novel, and I felt like I never got super into it. The best word I can think of to describe my reading experience is "detached."

The mystery aspect of this book was pretty cool. If you're into technology, secret codes, or the history of book printing, you'd probably enjoy this. Honestly, I don't have much to say about this book; it didn't evoke a substantial response from  me, positive or negative, so take that how you want. It's not a book that I would readily recommend to a lot of people. If it intrigues you, definitely go for it. The cover glows in the dark, which has nothing to do with the quality of the content, but it's neat anyway.