Sunday, April 30, 2017

Dewey's readathon | Wrap Up

And here we are at the end of another readathon. It's always goes so fast! Only 24 hours, of course, and I always end up sleeping for a good amount of it. First of all - if you participated please post your wrap up down below so I can read it!

(Did you do it?)

Now - thoughts. So, of course, loved this readathon. I definitely spent more time on social media commenting and such this time around, which I'm 100% okay with because it's something I want to get better at (I'm bad at commenting - blogs, social media, YT - mostly just because of crippling social anxiety).

It was a ton of fun. I love seeing people talking about what they're reading, which is one of the reasons I think I love readathons so much? Because just everyone in the hashtag - and a lot of people I follow - are just constantly taking about what they're reading (or what they're snacking on, which is just as fun. And more delicious).

I did get a lot read this time around - caught up to where I needed to be to hit 100 books this year and everything - but I also feel like I could of read more. However, I'm was still and still am recovering from a cold. And, honestly, haven't been reading a whole lot period. I'm hoping to continue to ride the readathon wave to keep me reading until Bout of Books.

I DNF'd a book this time, which is something I almost never do outside of a readathon - and I might go back and try to finish it in a few days, it was the last thing I tried to read and I don't know if it was just my brain hitting it's too many words point or what. Either way, at the moment, I'm glad I did because I was getting ready to hit myself with the book instead of reading it.

So - onto what I did read (I have some general thoughts on all in my update post, or goodreads, but I'm not going to talk about thoughts on the specific books here).

Books:
  • The God Engines by John Scalzi
  • Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor
  • Injection, Volume 1 by Warren Ellis
  • Injection, Volume 2 by Warren Ellis
  • Lumberjanes, Volume 6: Sink or Swim by Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters
  • Giant Days, Volume 4 by John Allison
  • Second Kiss by Chelsea M Cameron 
  • One Hot December (Men at Work #3) by Tiffany Reisz 
  • Forest of Memory by Mary Robinette Kowal
  • The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks (DNF)
Books Finished: 9
Page Count: 1,200
Time Read: 8 hours, 12 minutes

Overall, considering how long I was awake, 8 hours seems like a ridiculously small amount of time to have spent reading on readathon day. I guess I've got to cut myself some slack, though I did read 1,200 pages and 9 things. And, also, taking into account I haven't exactly been reading too much physically. At all.

Anyway - enough of me rambling on. I love this readathon a whole lot, thanks for the co-hosts and also the people who jumped in to host for a few hours on twitter - it was a ton of fun, as always, and I hope you all had as much fun as I did. 

Please link me to your wrap ups (or update posts) whether they be blogs, videos, whatever. And happy reading!

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Dewey's 24 hour readathon | April 2017

Readathon time ahoy! This is my post with my stack - books I'd like to get to - and my goals. And also, of course, my updates. I normally update every four hour just because it feels like a good chunk of time for me?

I'm hoping to be awake when this goes live - at 8am, when the readathon starts for me - but who knows since I'm still a little sick. Either way, my plan is to read all day. I've got snacks, minus my ice cream sadly, but I guess ice cream is hard to eat while reading.

Feel free to link me to where you're updating - your blog, youtube(?), twitter, goodreads, litsy. And I hope your readathon goes good - here we go!

The Stack:

  • The God Engines by John Scalzi
  • We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
  • The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
  • Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor
  • Injection, Volume 1 by Warren Ellis
  • Injection, Volume 2 by Warren Ellis
  • Lumberjanes, Volume 6: Sink or Swim by Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters
  • Giant Days, Volume 4 by John Allison
  • Second Kiss by Chelsea M Cameron 
  • One Hot December (Men at Work #3) by Tiffany Reisz 
  • Forest of Memory by Mary Robinette Kowal
  • The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks 
  • (edit: will be adding/taking away as my mood changes through out the readathon)

The Goals:

  • Read, have fun doing it
  • Cheer on people! I'm not signed up as a cheerleader but it's always fun to interact with people (prob social media)
  • Comment on blogs - again, cheer people on, but comments
  • Finish at least one book book, don't stress about it

The Updates:

Social Media:

8am - 12pm

Books:
Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor (started and finished - 162 pages)
Lumberjanes, Volume 6: Sink or Swim by Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters (started and finished - 112 pages)
Giant Days, Volume 4 by John Allison (started and finished 112 pages)
Injection, Volume 1 by Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey (started and finished - 120 pages)

# of pages read: 506
# books read: 4
time spent reading: 2 hours, 45 mintues

Notes:
I loved Binti: Home so much - if you haven't given this series a shot you must. And I can't wait to get to more of her work! Lumberjanes, of course, I love more then is healthy. And Giant Days is a lot of fun!

Injection is just so good, I cannot push enough that you have to check out this comic series.

12pm - 4pm

Books:
Injection, Volume 2 by Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey (started and finished - 120 pages)
The God Engines by John Scalzi (started and finished - 106 pages)
Second Kiss by Chelsea M Cameron (started and finished - 59 pages)

# of pages read: 285 
total # of pages: 791
# books read: 3
total # of books:
time spend reading: 2 hours, 9 minutes 
total time spent reading: 4 hours, 54 minutes

Notes:
I am going to take a nap now I think? Injection - amazing. The God Engines - meh? And Second Kiss was super cute but had a trouble that I've read in all of the few fluff short things I've read like this (still good, though)

4pm - 12am

Books:
One Hot December (Men at Work #3) by Tiffany Reisz (started and finished - 216 pages)
Forest of Memory by Mary Robinette Kowal (started and finished - 88 pages)
The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks (started and DNF'd - 105 pages)

# of pages read: 409
total # of pages: 1,200
# books read: 2
total # of books:
time spend reading: 3 hours, 18 minutes
total time spent reading: 8 hours, 12 minutes

Notes:
Whoops, longer span between updates then normal (though was updating twitter and instagram a lot) mostly because I ended up taking a nap, a longer nap then I meant to but I guess I needed it. I am stil recovering from a cold.

One Hot December was really good - love the author and this one isn't as good as her Original Sinners series, but it's still really good, a lot of fun, great humor. Forest of Memory was weird as all hell and I really enjoyed it?

The Girl in the Park was something I've owned since, I think, Borders closed? (I can't remember buying it but I'm pretty sure it was at a Borders). And there was feeling in it but, honestly, I got sick of endless slut shamming.


12am - 4am

Books:

# of pages read: 
total # of pages: 
# books read: 
total # of books: 
time spend reading: 
total time spent reading: 

Notes:



4am - 8am
Books:

# of pages read: 
total # of pages: 
# books read: 
total # of books: 
time spend reading: 
total time spent reading: 

Notes:

Friday, April 28, 2017

Bout of Books 19 | Sign Up Post

Bout of Books - how could I not participate? As I'm writing this, I still don't know if I will have an apartment guest the weekend before this readathon or not - doesn't really matter either way but would probably make my progress a tad delayed. But friends are kinda cool, I guess.


The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 8th and runs through Sunday, May 14th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 19 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.
- From the Bout of Books team
As for my TBR and such - currently no idea because it depends on what I end up reading for Dewey's and then in the week in between. Probably, this might be shocking, but probably books and graphic novels.

Let me know if you're participating! (or if you are in Dewey's, which starts tomorrow for me - I like my 8am start time normally but lately I've been sleeping in, got to try and change that this week a little. or just stay up late. Decisions)

Thursday, April 27, 2017

My Favorite Reads of 2016 + My Year in Reading

I went into writing this list, thinking it'd be on the shorter side, since I wasn't really counting rereads and such, but - damn, I did read some good as hell books and comics and graphic novels this year. And all of the ones mentioned as my favorites/the best I gave five stars, all the honorable mentions I'm going to tack on at the bottom (because I can't control myself and it's my blog) I gave four stars.

If you've read any of these, let's talk in the comments, and if you're going to pick any of them up now that you've seen me mention them - let me know!

Comics

Lumberjanes, Volumes 1 - 4 by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooke A Allen +
I just love this comic series so damn much. It's magical and amazing, and the girl friendships. Also the girl romances. And some stuff is just ridiculous but it's amazing. Literally all I can say about this series because I have no other damn words for it, it's just so good. I do really want to damn know what's going on the woods, but I haven't read volume 5 yet and maybe we get answers then. Maybe we don't, I don't care, I love this series. (I love the art so much)

Dimension W, Volume 1 by Yuji Iwahara
I watched the anime first because it was available through.... Crunchyroll? Funimation? I don't remember, one of those, and I loved it. Fell head over heels, loved it to death. However, the manga wasn't out yet or, obviously, I would of read that first. It's slowly being published now, one every few months, and so far I've only read the one. But I'm so excited to read more!

Monstress #1-3 Marjorie Lie, Sana Takeda
I only got to the first three issues of this series - I think the whole second half of the year I just didn't read many comics, definitely going to have to change that in 2017, I love comics. Anyway - this one is incredible, and I was hesitant to put in on here because I've read so little of it but fuck it. And I am super into art deco, I love it a lot, and this art is gorgeous. I loved the three issues I did read - will be reading the whole first volume, and hopefully the next, at some point during 2017.

Coffin Hill, Volmues 1-3  by Caitlin Kitteridge, Inaki Miranda (complete series)
I really enjoyed these comics. They're pretty dark and weird, but they didn't scare me at any point, though I'm hard to scare. And, living in New England myself, I'm a sucker for New England based creepy things, especially with anything supernatural (here it was witches). A ton of fun, and the art is really good.

Paper Girls, Volume 1 by Brian K Vaughan, Cliff Chiang
I read these basically as they were coming out, the single issues I mean that make up this volume, and man they were freaking amazing. I really want to go back and reread before moving onto the issues for volume two, which is all out now. It's such a weird story and it gave me It vibes, and anything that gives me that just hits me right in the nostalgia/love (It is one of my all time favorites). And, of course, Vaughan is amazing, but also Chiang's art is incredible. Check out this series for sure.

Fruits Basket: Collectors Edition, Volume 1 by Natsuki Takaya
I read more then one volume this year but I really just want to talk about this series really fast. It's one of my favorite manga series of all time, the first one I read and then got super into. And these collectors edition are, first, two of the normal volumes in one and, two, new translations. And the new translations are amazing. Highly, highly recommend the new translation over the old.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
I loves this so much why did no one make me read it sooner? I honestly don't want to say anything about this book, I kept hearing about it but nothing about the plot, and it really surprised me in an amazing way going in like that. I read this after enjoying the early Lumberjane comics so much. Check it out!

"Book" Books (just everything that's fiction - fantasy, romance, horror, everything)

The Queen (White Years #4, Original Sinners #8) by Tiffany Reisz
The Scent of Winter by Tiffany Reisz
Poinsetta by Tiffany Reisz
The Confessions by Tiffany Reisz
The Queen is the final book in her whole Original Sinners series, eight books, so I can't exactly talk about that one. And, to be fair, I can't exactly talk about either of the short stories/novellas/whatever I read either. I can tell you that both of them were Christmas stories - she releases a free Christmas story every year featuring her Original Sinners characters - and I loved them both and this whole series so much. It is dark BDSM erotica, so if you're not into that then this series isn't for you. If you're willing to give it a try, just be aware there are trigger warnings for everything throughout the series.
(Also her Men at Work series that's each based around a holiday - Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are amazing. I've only read 2/3, but those were both awesome. Cheesier then Original Sinners, and nothing could be as good honestly, but still good romances. And the first two weren't really dark at all).

Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes by Scott Cawthon, Kira Breed-Wrisley
I don't scare easily, I really don't, but this book freaked me out. I love the games - well, watching people play the games, particularly Markiplier. I suck at any kind of game that stresses you out, but I love the lore and stuff in them. And also just the fun of the fact they're horror games. So I went into this book with that and... there's one scene in an arcade room with one of the animatronics that I still think about. And it still kind of scares me just to think about it. If his co-author, assuming that's who she is, ever rights anything else. I will read the shit out of it.

The Type by Sarah Kay
I did a whole post on spoken word, and a lot of Sarah Kay was there, so go there is you want to learn more about her and listen to her poetry. Basically: she's fucking amazing. Just type her name into youtube and be amazed.

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
I loved this book and even now, months later, I can't put my finger on exactly why. I think it was just because it was different. I haven't been trying very hard lately to diversity my reading but I want to push myself - more on that when my 2017 goals post goes up - but this was just so different. I don't mind an unlikable character, and pasts of this were just so.... messy, in a way real life is, that it just felt kind of... comforting? I don't know if that makes sense. And, of course, his writing is... beautiful I guess is the word, different and really good.

Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock #1) by Faith Hunter
First off, I don't know if the author herself is Native American but the character is (basically I don't know if this book is #ownvoices or not). Also, she's a Skinwalker who hunts vampires. So this series is awesome, I've started the second book but I ended up putting it aside because... I don't remember, I should pick it back up. Anyway - Native American MC, with a witch BFF, who ride a motorcycle, and no real love interest (at least not yet, I'm sure that'll come). And also a mystery in her past. I'm not saying I'm in love but I'm not saying I'm not either?

All for the Game series (#1-3) by Nora Sakavic
I love this series a lot. There are probably issues with it but, overall - they're troubled teenagers, sometimes they're not going to make the smartest choices, or be the best person. And, by the end, I feel like we could have like four more books to just show them healing because these characters are broken and then they go through hell. Also, even if there are, this book has one of my favorite element that isn't a thing until the third book but I'm mentioning it, if you've seen this book anywhere on the internet you know there's a romance, it doesn't happen until the third book but still minor spoilers - spoilers if you don't want to know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The consent. The way that Neil respects Andrews boundaries and that it goes both ways. I really think more books, especially YA though I wouldn't classify these as YA even though I think they are online, need to have explicit consent be a thing. That would be incredible.

Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time, a LGBT Indigenous SciFi Anthology
A few of the stories got 4/5 stars, but I don't think anything got lower then that. It's just so incredible. I'm not sure I can describe my feelings for this book as a white cis women reading this book (or if I should), but it just broke my damn heart a places and made me feel warm inside with just love at others. The stories range from heartwarming to heartbreaking to confusing to kinda weird but I'm into it tell me more. I highly, highly recommend this series. I'm going to be trying to read more books my indigenous authors in 2017 and, if you are too this isn't a bad place to start (US and then will branch out at some point).

(I read some reviews by indigenous reviewers before buying but now I can't find them - arghh! - if I do, I'll drop them here)

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
I honestly had bought this book because I wanted to read it eventually, and then there was audio deal and I was like sure - it's not a very long book - and holy shit it's amazing. No, seriously, I adored this book. It's weird and bounces between all kinds of things and it's done so damn well. And I'm definitely going to be reading more Vonnegut in the future. Definitely a contender for what my favorite thing I read this year was, though obviously I am far from able to pick just one.

Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate
I found this through looking through peoples TBRs for the #diversathon, at least I think (or maybe to fulfill a challenge?) All I remember is learning that it had seven points of view and a ton of diversity - neurodiversity and multiple #LGBTQIA+ characters. And it was... so damn good. Nothing was just simple and straight in this book, kind of pun intended, most everyone's did something I didn't expect. I've got to say, this one was an amazing one.

Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking #3) by Patrick Ness
Holy jesus christ, this series. I need to reread this series back to back, but this one just... the feels, the tears, it was so good. And I really love this audiobook narrator, I don't listen to a ton of audiobooks, but not a few either, and what can convince me to keep listening is a narrator I like (it is definitely a personal taste thing, though, but for me this one gets a thumbs up). Obviously this is the last in a trilogy, and a very well known trilogy. Hell, it's Patrick Ness, what else do you need to know honestly?

Honorable Mentions:The Dark Wife by S.E. Diemer, Asking for It by Lilah Pace, The Dispatcher by John Scalzi, Giant Days, Volumes 1-3, A Gentleman in the Streets by Alisha Rai, Star Wars: Before the Awakening by Greg Rucka, Rick and Morty, VOlume 1 by Zac Gorman, Mirror #1 by Emma Rios, Brand New Ancients by Kate Tempest, The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater, The Machine Stops by E.M Forester, Grinder by Samantha Whiskey, Soppy: A Love Story by Philippa Rice, 100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write by Sarah Ruhl, Mostly Voice, Partially Stars, Volume 1 by Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor, Citizen by Claudia Rankin, The Captive Prince trilogy by C.S. Pacat, Lady Midnight by Cassie Clare

Whew, alright. I had to not write longer things about a few of the ones I wanted to, but I'm alright with that as it's normally all flailing. Most of the honorable mentions are four starts, but there are a good handful of five stars in there.

Overall, I'm happy with what I read this year. I wish it'd been more diverse, in many ways, but it was also... not the best year of my life. I'd hesitate to call it my worst, just because October was one of the best times of my life hands down, but so far? I think worst year overall might be real. So much stress and pain, physically mostly. Health problems, more stress. Politics, we don't have to get into that.

However, I love New Years because I love new beginnings. I love clearing the slate clean and going back to zero books reads, zero books bought. And being hopeful and writing out goals I know I can achieve if I just god damn focus on them. It's one of my favorite things, and it has been for as long as I remember.

I normally do stats for the reading here, but I'm only going to give you there and then sign off, I'll have a full post on 2017 very soon.

Books Read: 108 books
Pages (of books) read: 35,516
Graphic Novels/Trades: 30 graphic novels (5,246 pages)
Single Issues:17 single issues (524 pages)

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Where have I been? And where is this going? | Hello, again

Hello! I have no idea if anyone even reads this anymore, but I really enjoy writing the posts so I hope to keep doing it - even if, sometimes, I need a few months off.

First off: where have I been?

Well, lurking, but also basically: sick. I don't want to get too much into it, because it's kind of personal, but I started a new medicine and side effects and then had to switch to a different one and - anyway, hopefully the one I'm currently on ends up being the right one. (*knocks on wood*)

And, so, since I've been sick I haven't been reading a whole lot and I haven't been feeling super up to blogging. Honestly, I haven't been feeling super up to anything until recently and even then I was a little worried my body would decide NOPE.

I wrote up, but didn't end up proofing and therefore posting, my normal beginning of the year posts (I also had apartment guests again, friends visiting for New Years is my new favorite tradition, honestly. I'm pretty sure we're planning on making it a thing. It sucks when your friends don't like close).

Where is this going?

This being this blog, of course. I've been writing on it for so long I don't think I'll ever really stop, feels to weird to ever thing to fully stop blogging. I like going back and reading things, especially since my memory is so terrible.

It's definitely going to stay primarily a book blog, but I've been thinking (for probably years now, honestly) of putting up more then just book reviews, wrap ups, such. I really want to do other book posts - TBR spotlights, maybe? I have so many books I want to read - but also posts that aren't so book related. Personal posts, maybe movie/TV reviews, even podcast related discussion/posts. I want to do more discussions in general but they take so much brain power and I don't normally have enough spoons to write them - hopefully I might have more now with new meds, we shall see, I guess.

Basically - I want to get back into this thing and more then just book related. I really like blogging, and I'd also like to get back into vlogging, but I'd never ditch one for the other. They feel linked to me? I'll figure out my own brain at some point.

Basically: I wasn't feeling so hot but I'm back now. Hopefully. And, also hopefully, my first post after this will be my 2016 wrap up/favorites and then 2017 goals - I'm still super excited about #DiversityBingo2017 even though I've only read a few things so far because sick.

I'm planning on taking part in Dewey's, like always, and BoB in May. Readathons and such are my jam. Let me know how you've been - personally or book wise, even blog wise. (Also if you're going to be participating in Dewey's so I can pop over and cheer you on!)

Happy Reading!

Monday, April 24, 2017

Dewey's readathon | April 29th | Sign Up

Hello there, what's this place? *blows dust off words*

Besides the jokes, it has been a ridiculously long time since I've posted something here - and, actually, I have stuff I haven't posted that I've been meaning to (for example: 2016 favorites, 2017 goals. It's been a while), and I'm hoping to still post them (even though they will be very late.

I'm probably going to write up a whole post about why I've been gone and how much I realized I really enjoy blogging - and reading others posts, comments, all that jazz. This post, though, is all about Dewey's 24 hour readathon - probably my second favorite reoccurring readathon (sorry, Bout of Books takes top, but it's close).

Dewey's in, obviously, a 24 hour readathon. Which starts at the same time for everyone - figure out when it starts for you - and it's so much fun to just read all day and talk to people on twitter and everything. Snack on things. It's so much damn fun.

Closer to the readathon I'll post a stack of books I'll be picking from and all that jazz - if you're participating please let me know so I can check out, and cheer on, your progress during the readathon.

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