Skye's Scribblings

Friday, June 30, 2017

The #FridayReads Review (6/30/17)

Welcome to The #FridayReads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week, and what I'm planning to read next! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own #FridayReads Review and leave the link in the Comments below, or just Comment with what you've been reading!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)

Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (PBK)

Currently about 230 pages in. I'd forgotten how rather annoyingly angry Harry is in this one, and how long and somewhat dull the beginning can be before we get to school. Either a little of the sparkle has finally worn off, or I'm just not as in the mood for it as I thought. Still, overall a solid read as always.

Hana-Kimi Series by Hisaya Nakajo (PBK)
Still slowly purging my manga and hit on this 23-volume series. It's a solid and overall pretty fun story, but after diligently reading the first three volumes I've resorted to skimming the rest which can be a Sell Pile indicator - my interest in manga has finally waned some so I may have outgrown this series. Who knows though, I'm still enjoying it despite the skimming - I'll give it the whole series before I decide.

>> [POSSIBLY] READING NEXT <<

(subject to change with my ever-shifting reading whims)

Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands, #1)

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (ARC)

Book Group is speedily sneaking up on me again and this is one the titles up for discussion.

So what are you reading this week?

Thursday, June 29, 2017

DNF Review: Starfall (Melissa Landers)

Title: Starfall
Series: Starflight #2
Author: Melissa Landers
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Told: Third Person (Cassia, Kane), Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (Up to Page 64: violence, kissing, mistreatment)
Format Read: Hardcover (library)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

When Princess Cassia Rose fled her home world of Eturia to escape an arranged marriage, she had no idea her sudden departure would spark a war. Now after two years hiding as a ship hand, she is finally returning to her beloved home, but not in the way she imagined. Shackled by bounty hunters, she is violently dragged back to account for her crimes. Her only solace is that the Banshee crew managed to evade capture, including Kane Arric, her best friend...with occasional benefits.

Meanwhile, Kane and the rest of the crew of the Banshee plan a desperate rescue mission. But when they arrive on Eturia, Cassia isn't exactly in need of heroics—she's claimed her birthright as Eturia's queen, but has inherited a war-torn planet simmering with rebellion. Cassia must make alliances, and Kane, the bastard son of a merchant, isn't a choice that will earn her any friends. Kane knows he will never find someone to replace Cassia—and is certain she returns his feelings—but how can he throw away his own promising future waiting on a queen?

When the outer realm is threatened by the dangerous Zhang mafia, Cassia, Kane and the rest of the Banshee crew uncover a horrifying conspiracy that endangers the entire universe. In the face of unspeakable evil, Cassia must confront her own family's complicated legacy on Eturia and decide once and for all who her real family is.

* * *

I did not finish this book. I stopped at Chapter 8 (Page 64).

This companion novel picks up about a year after Starflight, this time focusing on Banshee crewmates Cassia and Kane. Although I really wasn't looking forward to their trademark bickering at the forefront, the book opens with them barely speaking to each other and without the bickering I found the dialogue seriously lacking. They are also separated almost immediately, and since the two of them together was what made either of them shine, apart they were rather dull. Especially Kane, although he didn't get much page time in the beginning as he was ignored for quite a few chapters to allow Cassia's story to make rapid progress (that unfortunately skipped over the interesting bits).

I expected Starfall to be a continuance of their Starflight story of adventure on the run, but was sorely disappointed when the run ended several short chapters in and the story instead turned to an overused one of political upheaval and rebellion. (I guess since I loved the first book so much I never really read the summary.) Cassia's common "royal rebel struggling with love of a servant" story just didn't offer anything particularly unique to engage me, and although Kane and the rest of the crew were finally returning to the scene in Chapter 8, and the summary promised a threatening mafia, by then I had lost all interest and couldn't muster enough curiosity to press on, let alone finish.

I will continue to love and highly recommend Starflight (you can read my raving review here), but will sadly be suggesting a pass on this sequel.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

WoW: Murder, Magic, and What We Wore (Kelly Jones)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Murder, Magic, and What We Wore

Author: Kelly Jones

Release Date: September 19, 2017
Publisher: Knopf (Random House)

Summary:

The year is 1818, the city is London, and 16-year-old Annis Whitworth has just learned that her father is dead and all his money is missing. And so, of course, she decides to become a spy.

Annis always suspected that her father was himself a spy, and following in his footsteps to unmask his killer makes perfect sense. Alas, it does not make sense to England’s current spymasters—not even when Annis reveals that she has the rare magical ability to sew glamours: garments that can disguise the wearer completely.

Well, if the spies are too pigheaded to take on a young woman of quality, then Annis will take them on. And so she crafts a new double life for herself. Miss Annis Whitworth will appear to live a quiet life in a country cottage with her aunt, and Annis-in-disguise as Madame Martine, glamour artist, will open a magical dressmaking shop. That way she can earn a living, maintain her social standing, and, in her spare time, follow the coded clues her father left behind and unmask his killer.

It can’t be any harder than navigating the London social season, can it?

Add to Goodreads

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: Confession: I'm not actually waiting on this one because the wonderful people at Random House sent me an early copy and I devoured it over the weekend. It was such a marvelous and magical read though that I wanted to be sure to put it on everyone's radar as soon as possible, especially fans of Gail Carriger and Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories series! If you enjoy Regency fashion, espionage, and alternate history magic, then I highly recommend you add Murder, Magic, and What We Wore to your TBR list at once and be on the lookout for it this September!

So what book are you waiting on?

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Top Ten Best Books I've Read In 2017 So Far

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten Best Books I've Read In 2017 So Far

Murder, Magic, and What We Wore

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up

Murder, Magic, & What We Wore (Kelly Jones)
Tash Hearts Tolstoy (Kathryn Ormsbee)
Roar (Cora Carmack)
Geekerella (Ashley Poston) (review)
Duels & Deception (Cindy Anstey) (review)
The Crown's Game (Evelyn Skye)
Lucky in Love (Kasie West)
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Marie Kondo)
Spark Joy (Marie Kondo)
The Ancient Magus' Bride vol. 6 (Kore Yamazaki)

So what are your best books of 2017 so far?

Friday, June 23, 2017

The #FridayReads Review (6/23/17)

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (PBK)

Itching to read but just couldn't settle on any of the half-dozen books I tried to start, so on with my (apparently year-long) Harry Potter re-read! (Barely remember re-reading the first four so thank goodness for Goodreads to remind me I already had.)

>> JUST FINISHED <<

Murder, Magic, and What We Wore by Kelly Jones (ARC)
4.5 Stars. A delightfully fun and fashionable alternate Regency mystery with marvelous magic and intriguing espionage for fans of Gail Carriger and the Glamourist Histories by Mary Robinette Kowal! Review to come.

>> [POSSIBLY] READING NEXT <<

(subject to change with my ever-shifting reading whims)

The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid (ARC)

I'm thinking of doing CampNano next month and if so this book would be the perfect inspiration for the story I'm considering to write.

So what are you reading this week?

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

WoW: A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares (Krystal Sutherland)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares

Author: Krystal Sutherland

Release Date: September 5, 2017
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR

Summary:

From the author of Our Chemical Hearts comes the hilarious, reality-bending tale of two outsiders facing their greatest fears about life and love one debilitating phobia at a time.

Ever since Esther Solar's grandfather was cursed by Death, everyone in her family has been doomed to suffer one great fear in their lifetime. Esther's father is agoraphobic and hasn't left the basement in six years, her twin brother can t be in the dark without a light on, and her mother is terrified of bad luck.

The Solars are consumed by their fears and, according to the legend of the curse, destined to die from them.

Esther doesn't know what her great fear is yet (nor does she want to), a feat achieved by avoiding pretty much everything. Elevators, small spaces, and crowds are all off-limits. So are haircuts, spiders, dolls, mirrors and three dozen other phobias she keeps a record of in her semi-definitive list of worst nightmares.

Then Esther is pickpocketed by Jonah Smallwood, an old elementary school classmate. Along with her phone, money and a fruit roll-up she'd been saving, Jonah also steals her list of fears. Despite the theft, Esther and Jonah become friends, and he sets a challenge for them: in an effort to break the curse that has crippled her family, they will meet every Sunday of senior year to work their way through the list, facing one terrifying fear at a time, including one that Esther hadn't counted on: love.

Add to Goodreads

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: This sounds like such fun!! The purple cover intrigued me (cats always catch my eye ;) but it was after reading the summary that I immediately knew this will be just my kind of read. Magical realism ftw!

So what book are you waiting on?