My reading corner has been established in my bedroom with the fan blowing cool air and my various lamps casting light on my pages. The summers are really good reading times for me because I don’t have college homework to do so I can focus on each book. I have been finishing so many books in such a short time that I decided to do a post that quickly discusses three books instead of three individual posts.

Poison Study

I bought this book in my book haul in April. This book was so great! I love anything themed around the Renaissance and this book made me look forward to the Renaissance Festival in August. I love Yelena! Her and Valek make a wonderful team in their crusade to protect the king and stop foreign invaders. Plus it’s hinted at that Yelena has magical abilities which I can’t wait to delve deeper into the series to learn more. If you love the Renaissance and are desperately searching for a female protagonist to root for, this book is for you.

Sailor Moon Volume #1

This was the first manga that I read this year I believe. I read Attack on Titan last year, but I never followed up with the series. I ended up becoming a part of a cosplay group to be a sailor scout and I’m cosplaying Sailor Saturn. I figured I should know a lot more about Sailor Moon. I really liked this book, but I found it hard to follow. I’m not used to reading manga all that much and I found it was very different for me to read. I had to re-read some of the chapters so I could fully understand what was going on. I think I identify with Sailor Jupiter because she’s so strong and I aspire to be strong and gain muscle. So I really liked her a lot. Anyway, I definitely hope to continue on in this series and watch the television show because I have never seen one episode.

Unlucky 13 #13 in Women’s Murder Club Series by James Patterson

I remember when I first started this series. I finished four books in a week? I eventually got caught up within two weeks and I loved every story and loved all the women. Basically this series is about four women: Lindsay Boxer a detective/cop, Claire Washburn a medical examiner, Cindy Thomas a reporter and Yuki Castellano a lawyer. They get together and help each other solve crimes in the San Francisco area. his book wasn’t really my personal favorite in the series, but I love this series overall.

I think I’m going to do more of these mini-reviews because it doesn’t seem as dense versus three separate posts. Let me know what you have been reading as I always love taking recommendations!

I have read two out of the three trade paperback books I picked up. Sex Criminals is a paperback that I have been wanting to read for a while. Matt Fraction also wrote this Hawkeye series that I really love so it’s a good sign that he’s a part of this too. This paperback is such a weird concept for a story, but I really liked it at the same time. I do have one slight problem with it as I will discuss later.

The story picks up with the two protagonists getting it on in a bathroom. Immediately we are introduced to Suzie and Jonathan. Every time they orgasm during sex, they are brought to a world where time is stopped. Suzie calls this world “The Quiet” They end up attempting to commit a robbery and each issue shows how Suzie and Jonathan came to rob a bank.

This paperback was not what I expected. Then again, I don’t really know what I expected but the concept sounded weird and I wanted to read it. I love the artwork of “The Quiet” It’s all eerie and bright looking with pastel colors and ribbons of light shining on the panel.

I also liked how Suzie talks about her sexuality and her journey to acceptance. Especially with the conversation, she has with her gyno about what happens after having an orgasm and her doctor responds “usually you fall asleep with your husband.” This book addresses what women actually get shamed with when they decide to have sex before marriage.

The one problem with this novel is some slut shaming going on. Maybe this is just my interpretation as I read this book, but I’m not a fan of slut shaming ever. Suzie makes a comment about her roommate and how there wasn’t anyone in town who hasn’t fingered her. It was the way that it was said that put me off. I just don’t really support slut shaming because I don’t want to tear another woman down and it’s her body so she can do what she wants. This book had a little bit of that going on which wasn’t okay with me.

Overall it was definitely interesting reading this paperback. I probably would continue on the series, but hopefully, the slut shaming ends. I think it’s definitely worth a read especially if you love sex as much as I do.

I love to read, but sometimes I need a break from books. I love books, but I also love manga and trade paperbacks. When I did my book haul, over half of what I bought were comic books because I just wanted to read and page through the artwork. Young Justice is a trade paperback I finished a couple days ago and I loved it. The TV show on Netflix is worth checking out before reading this series.

Young Justice 

Teen Titans was a cartoon network show that aired around 2003 ish? I remember me and my friend who would pretend to be members of the Titans and just run around her house and pretend to fight crime. Young Justice really reminds me of my love of Teen Titans. Young Justice appeared on my Netflix feed because it was recommended to me. I started watching multiple episodes at once and I really liked the action and all of the characters.

Christopher Jones is a local Minnesotan comic book artist which is pretty cool because I like supporting artists who love Minnesota as much as I do. It’s exciting because this summer I plan on attending CONvergence. CONvergence is a local con in my area right in the heart of the Twin Cities. Christopher Jones is going to appear as a guest of honor along with Greg Wiseman the creator of the Young Justice TV Show. I bought this trade paperback because I wanted to be caught up on the series and maybe I could get it signed by Christopher or Greg.

If you’re unfamiliar with Young Justice, the characters are the young apprentices of Batman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, The Flash, and Martian Manhunter. Superboy is an exception as he was a clone created by Cadmus which is seen in the first two episodes of Young Justice. He desperately wants to be known as Superman and it’s sad to see this struggle throughout the first season.

I really enjoyed this trade paperback in part because it discusses the origin stories of each of the characters. For some, this may seem really redundant, but for a newbie comic book reader like myself, it’s a nice brief history of each character. I was especially unfamiliar with Miss Martian/Megan’s back story so hearing that was fun. I felt that the writing in this trade paperback was great because it really showed off the personalities of each character. Megan is probably my favorite because she’s so spunky, upbeat, and energetic.

I plan on buying the next edition sometime soon and hopefully watch all of Young Justice by the time CONvergence comes around in July. In the meantime, I highly recommend checking this series out especially if you were also a fan of Teen Titans back in the day.

Sometimes you just need to purchase something for yourself. A little self-love never hurts anybody. Anyway, I have been feeling a bit of comic withdrawal as I haven’t bought a new graphic novel in at least…. a year. That’s what happens when you’re in college and can’t work all the time due to having so much stuff to do. Money goes to three places: Savings account, groceries, and gas. I was able to purchase comic books and I want to make a post of everything I purchased!

Young Justice Volume 1

Christopher Jones is a comic book artist from Minnesota and I love supporting local talent. I’m currently attempting to watch Young Justice on Netflix, but I’ll admit I’m watching at a very slow pace. I wanted to read the comic book because I really love the show plus it might get a third season so I’m helping to secure a new season by watching.

Grayson Volume 1 Agents of Spyral

Anything with Nightwing in it and I’ll be 100% interested. That’s why I need to finally beat Arkham Knight because I heard he makes an appearance. Anyway, I have been wanting to read this series for quite some time, but I never got around to it. So when I was shopping around for which comic book I wanted to purchase, I thought of this one immediately.

Sex Criminals Volume One

If you haven’t heard of this book, it’s quite interesting. Basically, this couple has sex and when they both have an orgasm, they stop time. This novel is so out there and I’m excited to read it.

Poison Study

My best friend raved about how much this was her favorite book. She has re-read it so many times and recommended I read it. Finally, two years later I have ordered it and have it waiting to be read. The main character got in trouble with royalty and was sentenced to death. Instead of being executed, she had a choice of becoming a poison taster. The premise seems really interesting.

Sailor Moon Volume 1

So a month ago, I agreed to be in a Sailor Moon cosplay group. It’s great because we are hand-making our cosplays, but I also know nothing about Sailor Moon. I thought I should change that so I bought the first manga volume and I’m going to watch the new series over the summer when I have more time.

Let me know what you’re reading and if you’re a Sailor Moon expert, let me know in the comments. Happy Friday!

Book reviews are probably one of my favorite posts to write. I love talking about what I just read and I feel accomplished whenever I complete a book. This is the first book in a trilogy that was given to me by my professor. My professor saw me reading in my building before class and we got to talking. Reading for me, helps to lower my anxiety that I get from life in general. So my professor let me borrow the series. I actually really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.

So for those of you familiar with the Steelheart saga, these books are pretty similar. In 1986, 1% of children were born brilliant. They can’t shoot laser beams, but they are incredibly smart when it comes to mathematics, music and science. The United States has reacted to brilliants by establishing the Department of Analysis and Response (DAR). This government body will stop any brilliant from breaking the law. The main difference between Steelheart and Brilliance is that in Steelheart, humans have more extravagant powers and it’s also less political. Brilliance feels like the adult series versus Steelheart.

Nick Cooper is an agent of the DAR, but he’s also brilliant. He is able to use commonplace objects to develop patterns and this can help catch criminals. He is usually able to prevent bad things from happening, but on March 12th the Wall Street building explodes. Thanks to a terrorist and brilliant John Smith, Cooper goes on this wild goose chase to find Smith and take him down.

This book feels a little like Jason Bourne in America + 24 the TV Show + Steelheart + politics = Brilliance. I really enjoyed this book on many levels. I really liked the action sequences they were well written and just easy to picture in my mind. I love that this book analyzes bigotry and uses this word quite frequently. People start to look at Brilliant people and stereotype them. I feel like it’s an adequate representation of our world. Also I really like Shannon’s character. Shannon and Cooper come to meet and she becomes a real asset in his journey to find Smith.

This book is divided into various parts that reveal more about what is actually going on. After each part ends you kind of have a reaction similar to “holy shit”. So when you finish this book, you will immediately delve into the sequel which I started yesterday. The only thing I noticed about this book is that it’s slow at certain parts. That’s not a bad thing, but I had times when I would read 100 pages, and then I wouldn’t read the book at all for a couple of days. This allows you time to really savor this book.

Brilliance is a very well-written, political thriller that I would highly recommend. Nick Cooper is an interesting character to follow and his adventure is really like watching an intense action movie. This is a book/series you have to read in your lifetime.

My bookshelf has been slowly getting smaller thanks to my review of Firefight. Firefight was just as good as the original book, Steelheart, thank goodness because I really loved this book. It was one of my favorite books I read last year. I’m not going to post a review on this blog, but I did write one on Twin Cities Geek so here’s the link if you want to read it. Firefight Review  If you’re a fan of superhero content like myself, Steelheart and Firefight will satisfy your needs.

Anyway, I decided to go through my to-read shelf on good reads and show you some books that I can’t wait to get my hands on! I may have to do a trip to Barnes & Noble in La Crosse or hunt around local Winona bookstores sometime soon.

Insanity (Mad In Wonderland) by Cameron Jace

This is a modern take on the Alice in Wonderland story starring Alice Wonder who is currently locked away in an asylum. Criminals are reincarnated monsters from Wonderland. A college professor believes that Alice is the key to putting these criminals away so by day she’s a college student while spending her nights at the asylum. This book has a gothic element to it and it’s definitely my kind of book.

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

I saw a coworker reading this at work and she raved about the book.

Fallout: Lois Lane by Gwenda Bond

A young adult novel themed around Lois Lane is something I’m looking forward to. Again my love of superheroes is showing, but I think this is a unique idea. Lois Lane is an intelligent character that is compliment Superman. Also, the cover is pretty well designed. I like the contrast of the newspaper with the bright red and blue of Superman.

Also, I’m reading Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige and I’m almost done so another book review will be coming.

Happy New Year! I haven’t been able to blog recently due to the boyfriend coming to my town. This year was a very successful reading year for me and I want to top my record this year! I found this end-of-year survey from The Perpetual Page-Turner. I will include the link to the bottom. Without further ado, here is a recap of all the books I read in 2015

Number of books read 45.

Number of re-reads: 0! I read all new books this year.

Genre you read the most of: I read a lot of young adults, graphic novels, and mysteries.

Best Book you read in 2015?

Easily hands down are Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I have lost count of how many times I have talked about this book, but I felt like this book really related to me. I have always been a geek and the main character in this novel is writing fan fiction. I just related so much with Cath and I loved this book to pieces. If you’re a geek, this book must be read.

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Would Love More?

L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy. I loved the movie a lot so I thought the book was going to be amazing. I was really sad that I didn’t like this book as much as the movie. The movie is fabulous though.

Most Surprising Book You Read?

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. This book completely threw me for a loop. It didn’t go how I thought it was going to. It was a fantastic book, but it was so twisted and surprising.

Book You “Pushed” Most People to Read and They Did?

Fangirl!! Seriously I really should stop with this book but I can’t. My roommate read this book and finished it within a day or two.

Best Series of 2015, Best Sequel & Best Series Ender of 2015?

Steelheart by Brian Sanderson was a great first book. I had heard so much about this book so I was super excited to read it. It did not disappoint me. Best Sequel? I’m reading Firefight which is the sequel to Steelheart as we speak, so I will let you know. I don’t believe I read a book this year that ended a series.

Favorite New Author Discovered?

I really like Brian Sanderson a lot. I heard that he will be in Madison later this year for a convention and I’m so tempted into going just to meet him and have him sign my books.

Best Book From a Genre You Don’t Normally Read?

Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon was a really good graphic novel. I’m just starting to get into comics & graphic novels and I really enjoyed this series. I love Hawkeye a lot and I admire his archery skills. This graphic novel was great and I hope to continue on in the series this year.

Most Action-Packed/Thrilling/Unputdownable Book Of The Year?

Sharp Objects & Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. Her books are incredibly interesting and fast-paced right off the bat. I love the darkness of each novel and how each novel examines different themes. I haven’t read Gone Girl yet, but I may read it just to say that I have.

Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

I’m not sure if I will re-read any of the books that I read last year. I mean maybe a couple of my favorites sure. Usually, I try and read something new each year with my favorites being re-read every so often.

Favorite Cover Of a Book You Read In 2015?

The Catalain Book of Secrets by Jessica Lourey. The cover is mixed with different shades of blues and purples. The castle looks old but appealing. I have to admit I did buy this book because of the cover, but I ended up enjoying it.

Most Memorable Character of 2015?

I really liked Cath from Fangirl, but I also appreciated Eleanor & Park in Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell too. Cath is such a sweetie and pretty introverted like myself. Eleanor is sweet but has this rough exterior to her that I sympathize with. Park is very patient and caring which are two qualities I see in my current boyfriend.

Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2015?

The Catalain Book of Secrets had really beautiful writing in it. It seemed very local and old-fashioned to me. It helped tell a beautiful story of witches and a family curse in a small Minnesota town.

Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell is very thought-provoking. It talks about Eleanor’s family and history of abuse and how bullying is a huge problem in school systems. It also discusses fatphobia and how that is so prevalent in today’s society. I definitely felt for Eleanor and I also hated the people who teased her so relentlessly.

Book You Can’t Believe You Waited UNTIL 2015 To Finally Read

Honestly, all of the books I read I had wish I read earlier. I had mixed feelings about a couple books that I read, but I’m still glad to have read them.

Book That Shocked You The Most?

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. If any of you have read it, you know what I’m talking about. The whole book just shocked me. It’s very disturbing but interesting to read about.

OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Eleanor & Park are literally perfect for each other. ❤ I really hope that they are together forever and I like to believe that they are.

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Batgirl & Black Canary in Batgirl #1 Burnside.  Best girlfriend relationship in comics.

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. I could totally picture dystopian Oz in my head. Plus just picturing evil fake Dorothy.. so creepy.

So there you have it! I skipped a lot of the questions because I felt this post was getting a little too long.. but here is the original article and feel free to participate in it like I have! My goal next year is to read 50 books. Goodreads will keep track for me but I’m determined to read a lot this year.

Book Review

This month I have been feeling the fantasy genre which contributed to the books I’m reading. This includes the above book Storm Front, but also I’m currently reading H.P Love Craft’s horror stories. I guess that isn’t exactly fantasy more like horror, but I played Arkham Horror recently and I’m feeling Lovecraft’s tales. Anyway back to Storm Front, I sped through this book last night and I definitely liked it and would continue on in the series.

Storm Front follows a struggling P. I named Harry Dresden. He’s rather unusual because his cases normally have a paranormal element to them. His knowledge of the paranormal provided him an occasional employee of the  Chicago Police Department. Also, by the way, Harry is a wizard. Setting the stage for this book is a horrific crime committed by dark magic. Harry becomes prime suspect #1, especially with the White Council, the police for wizards. So not only does he have to solve this case, he has to prove his innocence or he will be executed by the White Council.

My first thought is I love how this story takes place in Chicago. It’s a perfect location for a novel like this and I could easily imagine Harry Dresden in his black robe and hat to be walking down the city. The Lives of Tao another sci-fi book I loved took place in this city too. The action in this book was pretty well written too. Eventually, Dresden has to fight a scorpion the size of a small Gorilla. I could picture how Dresden felt, how the Scorpion looked, and how Dresden’s office was getting torn apart. It felt very real and horrifying to me.

What I didn’t really like was that I did find this book to be somewhat predictable. I wasn’t shocked at who actually committed the crime. I think this book really isn’t meant to shock anyone and I always felt there was more to it but there wasn’t. That doesn’t mean this book is horrible but I love when a book knows how to deliver a surprise twist at the end, this book didn’t for me.

Overall I would easily continue on in the series. This book wasn’t my favorite, but I did enjoy reading it all the same. I have the second book waiting on my to-be-read shelf on Goodreads. Now it’s time to move on to the creepy and mystical tales of H.P Lovecraft.