March 3-in-1

The topic for March's 3-in-1 is Books You Regret Buying and that is a pretty self explanatory topic. The 3 in 1 series was started in a Goodreads group called Booktubers from around the world created by Cherrie Walker.

Booktubers From Around The World ⇨ https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/195015-booktubers-from-around-the-world

1. The Body in the Woods By: April Henry

   I read this way back in October of 2015 thinking that it was going to be a very creepy murder mystery and was very disappointed. I ended up giving this 2/5 stars wishing it would have done more for me. There was a very paranoia feeling coming from this but I wasn't afraid or creeped out. I wish I would have checked this out of the library instead of paying my money for it.

2. Cruel Crown By: Victoria Aveyard

   I read this in January of 2016 and I hate that I didn't like this novella because I love the series so freaking much. I ended up giving this 3/5 stars. So basically this is like two novellas wrapped into one and you would think that would be an amazing thing but I think that is exactly what ruined this for me. Queens Song was about Queen Coriane and I loved that one because we don't get to know much about her from the series. But there is also Steel Scars which is about Farley's background which was boring and didn't need a novella, in my opinion, to tell about her upbringing. Her story could have been told with simply one or two pages in Red Queen or Glass Sword.

3. The Sorceress By: Michael Scott

   I hated this one so much that I DNF'd (did not finish) it and I only gave it on star because I couldn't give it zero. This is the third book in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series and may not have been a bad book it could have been the fact that I bought this thinking that it was book 2 but later finding out that it was not. I skipped a whole book and missed a lot, which would explain why I was completely lost from what I did read, and I really liked the first book so I'm fighting with the decision of rather or not I should start over and make sure I buy them in the correct order.

Elementary, She Read Bk. 1 By: Vicki Delany

Synopsis

Gemma Doyle, a transplanted Englishwoman, has returned to the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod to manage her Great Uncle Arthur's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. The shop--located at 222 Baker Street--specializes in the Holmes canon and pastiche, and is also the home of Moriarty the cat. When Gemma finds a rare and potentially valuable magazine containing the first Sherlock Homes story hidden in the bookshop, she and her friend Jayne (who runs the adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room) set off to find the owner, only to stumble upon a dead body. 

The highly perceptive Gemma is the police’s first suspect, so she puts her consummate powers of deduction to work to clear her name, investigating a handsome rare books expert, the dead woman's suspiciously unmoved son, and a whole family of greedy characters desperate to cash in on their inheritance. But when Gemma and Jayne accidentally place themselves at a second murder scene, it's a race to uncover the truth before the detectives lock them up for good.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes will delight in the sleuthing duo of Gemma and Jayne in Elementary, She Read, the clever and captivating series debut by nationally bestselling author Vicki Delany.

Publishing Co.: Crooked Lane Books

Release Date: March 14th, 2017

Rating: ★★★★

Review:

I received this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for my honest review. It took me longer to finish this than I thought it would but that was a personal decision. I loved that got an actual murder mystery and not a murder mystery over shadowed by a romance, thank god! I loved how the mystery was built up from the beginning because it wasn't overwhelming but it also wasn't hidden information. 

I also like how we got a couple chapters to date the characters before we got down to the nitty-gritty. I was actually able to build a relationship with the characters, good or bad, I got the chance to know them. I really enjoyed this murder mystery but Gemma, the main character, started to really aggravate me because she was way too smart to do so many dumb things, constantly putting herself in bad situations. She was just such a frustrating character. Detective Estrada was pissing me off the whole book with her time wasting by looking for things that weren't there, Ryan who was also a detective, and also very realistic, just happened to be a former flame of Gemma's, which in turn I think fueled the dislike that Estrada had for Gemma...but I could be wrong.

I actually really liked how it ended even though I wish it would have ended with some clear romantical direction between Ryan and Gemma but with that being said I see where the next book is going to pick up on that note. Even though Gemma started to annoy me I still enjoyed piecing this mystery together and I would recommend this as a good mystery book for someone starting to venture out into the mystery genre.  

The Flintstones, Vol. 1 By: Mark Russell

Synopsis:

Fred and Barney reunite for Mark Russell's modern take on Hanna-Barbera's most famous stone-age family! This new series starring the first family of Bedrock (and civilization, really) tells the story of who we are and why we do what we do as if it all began with Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty, and the rest of the citizens of Bedrock. Shining a light on humanity's ancient customs and institutions in a funny origin story of human civilization, Mark Russell (PREZ) blends modern interpretations with Hanna-Barbera's classic character's, bringing a breath of fresh stone-age air. Hanna-Barbera has created some of the most recognizable animated characters of all time. As part of DC Comics' re-imagination of cartoons like Scooby-Doo, The Flintsones, Johnny Quest, Space Ghost, and Wacky Racers, these new series will be infused with modern and contemporary concepts while keeping the heart and soul of the classic animation. 

Collects THE FLINTSTONES #1-6. 

Publishing Co.: DC Comics

Release Date: March 28th, 2017

Rating: ★★

Review:

I received this copy from Netgalley and DC Comics in exchange for my review. I was so excited and hyped up for this but I ended up only liking the first two comics in this volume...out of 6. I started off laughing and enjoying myself but then it just got really boring and went down hill. The subjects that were attempted to be touched on could have been handled better and the comic featuring the aliens could have been omitted in my opinion. That one just ruined the experience for me. I did enjoy the makeover and the modern snippets added into this classic but I wish it would have been better.

I would not recommend picking the whole volume up but I would recommend picking up the first two entries.

Suicide Squad, Volume 1: The Black Vault By: Rob Williams

Synopsis:

From writer Rob Williams, superstar artist Jim Lee and Philip Tan comes the new Suicide Squad!

The government has once again handpicked the worst of the worst for its Task Force X. Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Katana and Killer Croc. All deadly criminals sent on the most dangerous missions possible by a governement that wants them killed. But their newest challenge? A teammate so powerful that even this group of murderers and thieves can't control. 

Behind the pencils of Jim Lee and Philip Tan, as well as the pen of writer Rob Williams comes Suicide Squad, Volume 1: The Black Vault!

Collecting: Suicide Squad 1-4, Rebirth

Publishing Co: DC Comics

Release Date: Feb. 28, 2017

Rating: ★★★

Review:

I received this from Netgalley and DC Comics in exchange for my honest review. I loved the graphics in this comic but I did not care for the actual story line that was presented. The story line itself I just felt was a little boring and not really exciting but I did like the background files we got at the end. I also really loved all the extra art at the end, especially this particular one of Joker that I think was freaking phenomenal.

I would most likely buy this exclusively just for the artwork, so I'm not sure where I stand exactly on the recommendation level.

The Heart is a Nursery for Hope By: Elaine Reardon

Description:

The overarching theme of Elaine Reardon's poetry chapbook, The Heart is a Nursery for Hope, is life, in all its quirkiness, from small moments in the day to life changing events. Whatever the heart holds can nourish and transform.

Genre: Free Verse Poetry

Publishing Company: Create Space

Release Date: Sept. 15, 2016

Date Started: Feb. 21, 2016

Date Finished: Feb. 21, 2016

Rating: ★★★★★

Review:

     I requested and received this collection of poems form Netgalley and Create Space Publishing for review. There's not much I can say about this except I absolutely loved it and enjoyed reading it. Everything was just so beautifully written and very emotionally connecting. Her words pulled you in and made you feel how she was feeling during that time. This is the best collection of poetry I've read so far this year and I would definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone, especially those trying to get into poetry because this is just an amazing work of art. 

February 3-in-1

The topic for February's 3-in-1 is books you instantly fell in love with. Why you fell in love with the book is completely up to you, it could be something as simple as the cover that made your head swoon or maybe the synopsis that swept you off your feet. The 3 in 1 series was started in a Goodreads group called Booktubers from around the world created by Cherrie Walker.


Goodreads Group ⇨ https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/18453500-february-3-in-1

1. Red Queen By: Victoria Aveyard

     Everyone who knows me knows that I am head over heels for this trilogy. I initially fell in love with this just from the synopsis itself but now I am inevitably in love with it because the plot, characters, and the world has given me LIFE!

2. Becoming Naomi Leon By: Pam Munoz Ryan

      This amazing coming of age novel was something I read a long time ago in elementary school. Still today I feel like it helped me to grow as a person. I fell in love with this because of how beautiful the cover was and lets be honest every reader is drawn to a book with a pretty cover.

3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone By: J.K. Rowling

    I decided to do the most popular book last because everyone in the entire universe LOVES Harry Potter and I'm talking stalker type love. I've only read the first book, yes that means I'm a late bloomer, but I have watched about half of the movies. This book immediately had me stuck it's grasp not only from the cover but from its blood pumping plot as well. (P.S. if you don't love Harry Potter you must be from an alternate universe)

The Fill-In Boyfriend By: Kasie West

Description:

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

Date Started: Feb. 4, 2017

Date Completed: Feb. 18, 2017

Rating: ★★★

Review:

     I hate that I didn't love this as much as most people did but hey what can I do about it. I was really ping-ponging between giving this book two stars or giving it three stars, so because I fairly liked and accepted the ending I settled on three stars.

     Character wise I got the Mean Girls affect from our "IT" girl group. I initially hated Gia because I felt that she was too worried about other people's opinions and she was a little brat that was used to getting things her way. In the end I didn't hate her as much from her first impressions but I still didn't like her because she constantly let people walk over her and she always felt like she just HAD to prove her life to people she didn't even like.

     Hayden, which is such a beautiful name, is such a beautiful and sweet person but I hate that he's presented like the "perfect" person with no flaws. This made him a very one dimensional character in my opinion. 

     I hated Jules the most and I honestly think she need her ass kicked for all of the drama that she stirred up. But seeing as she was meant to be painted as the red devil in the first place, her character was played out really well. Her sneakiness, her sly remarks, her pity party, and just her overall evilness was played very well. I did wish I knew more about why she was such a bitch and why she was making it her mission to dethrone Gia from the group. I just want her background information.

     Plot wise it was an overall very cliche story. The perfect boy meets the lost girl then, perfect boy shows lost girl she doesn't have to put on a mask for everyone else, and ultimately perfect boy and lost girl get together in the end. I started getting frustrated with Gia's struggling to tell the truth to her so called friends and also her taking crap constantly from Jules. I also didn't like the fact that Gia was wrapped up in the hero syndrome and we were just supposed to act like we didn't notice. I'm so sick of see the "perfect" trope in YA books period, it's just not relatable. Gia's parents were presented as the perfect couple, same routine everyday, never fought, or discussed anything that wasn't happy. It's just not realistic.

     I was satisfied with majority of the ending because the major issue was solved and it didn't end with everyone hugging it out. This wasn't good enough for me to reread it but I would recommend it for a first time reader that just wants something with a fast paced plot.