#Goodreads

In response to Bookables' (who you should all definitely subscribe to) Goodreads tag, I have decided to complete my own, because I *love* (like, really love) Goodreads.

1. What was the last book you read?
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - ★★★★★

Such an amazing book, I read it in one day, my review will be posted (hopefully) soon.

2. What book are you currently reading?
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

I'm a bit less than halfway through this book. I haven't been loving it as much as I thought I would, there are some parts which are fantastic, and some parts which are a bit slow. Once I finish it, there will be a review (again, hopefully. Still seeing how this blog is actually going...)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - ★★★★★

I started rereading this book just before the movie was released in Australia in early January. However, I only got about 100 pages in before getting distracted by other books, so we'll see if I return to it soon. Otherwise, I'll move it back to my read shelf.

3. What was the last book you marked as to-read?
The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan

4. What book do you plan to read next?
We'll see, really. But on the top of my list are:
Wonder by R.J. Palacio

How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You by Tara Eglington

Wildlife by Fiona Wood

5. Do you use a star rating system?
Yes I do:
★☆☆☆☆ - Books I didn't enjoy at all, either didn't finish or had to push myself an insane amount to finish, not worth the effort. 
★★☆☆☆ - Books I didn't see the appeal of and thought were not engaging and boring, was still able to enjoy it a little.
★★★☆☆ - Okay books, didn't love them.
★★★★★ - One of the best books I have ever read, amazing, I would reread this again in a heartbeat, would recommend to all my friends.


6. Are you doing a 2014 Reading Challenge?
Yes! I have challenged myself to read 60 books this year. Last year I read 53/50 books for the challenge, so I just increased the number by a small amount, I think it's achievable, I hope I get to the goal.

November & December Book Update!

Have you read any of my To Be Read? What did you think of them? Let me know in the comments.

The Iron King isn’t very strong

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa [Source]

A book that excited me initially, ended up being dull. I read the iBooks sample of Kagawa’s The Iron King last December and loved the concept and the characters – I couldn’t wait to find out what the book was really about and what was going to happen next. Well I was wrong.

I’ve never read any faery YA novels. The only ones I’ve ever read about are Holly Black’s. So I was skeptical. The world of the Summer and Winter courts is well explained, but is something I don’t really connect with, it felt more like the Narnia stories. The world and the characters didn’t enthral me in the way they were supposed to.

The storyline was okay, the characters fine, and I was happy to have finished it. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book to other readers of YA, but I did finish it, which shows that it was okay. Has anyone else read any faery books? Holly Black’s? Would you recommend them? Should I continue with the rest of The Iron Fey books?

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

3 stars

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The Vampire Academy spinoff series - Bloodlines

I like Vampire Academy. I’m not saying its the best literature or storyline, but it is interesting and fun. Which is basically what I look for in a book.

Bloodlines [Wikipedia]

Bloodlines is the spin off novel of the seven part series, Vampire Academy. This fresh story is the first in a new series which focuses on alchemist Sydney. This story is of Jill, Lissa’s younger sister, and her protection at a school in Palm Springs. The story has all your typical VA Dhampir/Moroi/Strigoi problems.

I realise that I am about 2 years behind in this review. I read VA at the end of 2010 and read Last Sacrifice just as it came out. I started reading Bloodlines at the end of last year and just kept putting it off until I finally finished it off in the past week.

If you enjoyed or loved VA I would definitely recommend this book. However, if you didn’t, this novel was along the exact same line so steer clear. This novel has a notable absence of a love interest for the main character, Sydney. Refreshingly different though it is, it makes me more excited to read the next book, The Golden Lily (I’m a sucker for teen romance!). The storyline is strong and the characters engaging.

Happy Reading!

*** – 3 stars

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