Saturday, March 31, 2018

Saturday Screen Time #15: That was weird


Well, this week was... weird. I didn't watch much, but what I did watch was an experience! I had never heard of The Room so I got to experience it in reverse by watching the movie about the movie first, which is honestly how I recommend doing it if you're interested and you've never seen it! 


THIS WEEK IN FILM


The Disaster Artist - I went into The Disaster Artist knowing nothing about Tommy Wiseau or The Room and I absolutely loved it! James Franco did such a great job at becoming Tommy in this film. I immediately wanted to know more about the characters and The Room after I finished. Even without knowing anything about anything, The Disaster Artist is fantastic! I'll definitely be buying this one to add to my collection. (4.5/5 stars)

The Room - Of course, having finished The Disaster Artist, I spent way too much money getting a copy of The Room. I absolutely knew what I was getting into, so I was prepared for the incredibly awkward story. This is by far the worst acted movie I've ever seen and I enjoyed every second. I was reading an AMA (ask me anything) by Tommy Wiseau while watching and I laughed for almost the entire hour and 40 minutes. Honestly, I have no idea how to rate this movie because it's absolutely terrible, but I still enjoyed it immensely! (???/5 stars)



Have you seen either of these? What did you think?
What movies have you watched lately?
Let me know in the comments!
Thursday, March 29, 2018

ARC Review: In Her Skin by Kim Savage

Title: In Her Skin
Author: Kim Savage
Publication Date: April 17, 2018
Publisher: FSG
Pages: 304
Add to Goodreads

//I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review//
Sixteen-year-old con artist Jo Chastain is about to take on the biggest heist of her life: impersonating a missing girl. Life on the streets of Boston these past few years hasn’t been easy, and Jo is hoping to cash in on a little safety, a little security. She finds her opportunity in the Lovecrafts, a wealthy family with ties to the unsolved disappearance of Vivienne Weir, who vanished when she was nine.

When Jo takes on Vivi's identity and stages the girl’s miraculous return, the Lovecrafts welcome her back with open arms. They give her everything she could want: love, money, and proximity to their intoxicating and unpredictable daughter, Temple. But nothing is as it seems in the Lovecraft household—and some secrets refuse to stay buried. As hidden crimes come to the surface, and lines of deception begin to blur, Jo must choose to either hold onto an illusion of safety, or escape the danger around her before it’s too late.

It's no secret around my blog that I don't read much contemporary fiction, but thrillers and mysteries are usually the exception. I was so intrigued by the idea of a girl stealing the identity of someone who'd gone missing as a child. What a great premise for a book! So when a copy of In Her Skin showed up on my doorstep, I couldn't wait to read it!

Jo has had a hard life. She leaves the world and people she knows to take on the life of Vivi, a girl who had tragically gone missing many years earlier. Vivi's parents have died, but their close friends, the Lovecrafts, are happy to take Jo in. Despite the warm reception she receives from Mr. and Mrs. Lovecraft, their daughter, Temple, seems less than enthused. Like I said, I love the premise behind this book! While I didn't love Jo, I did think she was a pretty good character. She certainly isn't the con artist the synopsis leads us to believe, however. Jo is really just an opportunistic homeless girl who is desperate for love and family.

The relationships in this book are all incredibly tense and most of them are somewhat uncomfortable in a way that made me feel uneasy while reading, in the best possible way! I thought Temple seemed okay at first, but I was never really sure what her motives were or whether she could be trusted. The same could really be said for everyone in this book, really. I also really enjoyed the peeks into Jo's previous life. While I'm really glad we got all the detail and tension about Jo's life as Vivi, I almost wish there was a tiny bit more backstory.

I absolutely loved the mystery contained within this book! Honestly, there were multiple layers to unravel and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! From the beginning, it seems like perhaps things with the family are a little less perfect than they seem. On top of that, maybe there's more to Vivi's story than meets the eye. Because of all the mystery, I can't say very much about the story itself, but it's definitely a fantastic mystery with twists that I can truly say I did not see coming.

My only complaint with In Her Skin has already been hinted at - this is really not a book about a con artist. There are mentions of cons in Jo's backstory, but that is not what THIS story is about. This story is about a girl who sees a chance to take a family for herself and jumps at it. I really couldn't fault her for it and I loved the story that followed, but I definitely felt like the synopsis was misleading. Jo isn't out to con anyone out of anything, she just wants a family.

Overall, I really enjoyed In Her Skin! This is my second Kim Savage novel and I can confidently say I loved this one so much better than the first! It wasn't perfect, but it kept me guessing and turning the pages. If you're a YA mystery fan, I really don't think you can go wrong with this one.


Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday #180: Books in other countries


Today's Topic: 
Top Ten Books That Take 
Place In Another Country

As someone who primarily reads fantasy, this topic was SO HARD! I really had to dig deep for this one! Perhaps not surprisingly, most of my picks were set in England. Any suggestions for more books set in non-European countries? 


And I Darken by Kiersten White // Romania (Wallachia)
The Architect of Song by A.G. Howard // England
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee // England
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling // England
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows // England



The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan // England
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys // Prussia
This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel // Switzerland
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones // Germany
Withering Hope by Layla Hagen // Brazil


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
Sunday, March 25, 2018

Weekly Recap: 3/18 - 3/24


TRACY'S HAPPENINGS OFF THE BLOG

Hi everyone! This was another absolutely crazy week, but I expect the next few days to be wonderfully low key. I spent the week dog sitting and then attempted a Disney trip but quickly bailed because of the absolutely insane crowds. I did watch The Greatest Showman for the second and third time this week and finally got my husband to watch it (spoiler: he loved it)! I also finally got my first EVER race medals! I got medals for the Nargle 9k, which I ran in February, and the Dumbledore's Army 5k, which I ran earlier this month. I'm really hoping I don't lose my momentum! I feel like I didn't get much posting done this week because I was so busy! Here's to doing better next week.


NEW BOOKS THIS WEEK

Nothing new this week!


THIS WEEK I READ

  


IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

The topic was my Spring TBR for Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday book review of Obsidio
On Friday I shared my favorite podcasts


UPCOMING REVIEW



We're linking up to Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post!
Friday, March 23, 2018

My three favorite podcasts and why you should listen to them

Today is going to be a change of pace! Instead of talking about books or movies, let's talk about podcasts! These are the reason I've fallen behind on my audiobook listening lately. As soon as I'm done listening to one, another pops up on my feed! I listen to a few others, but today I'm sharing my top three podcasts!


Title: The Last Podcast on the Left
Hosts: Ben Kissel, Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski
Genre: Horror, True Crime

Why it's awesome: I found Last Podcast a little over a year ago and was IMMEDIATELY sucked in. I love horror and conspiracies and aliens and I literally lost DAYS of my life listening to the backlog of episodes. And by the way, if you're like me and obsess a little over things, there is a massive backlog of episodes for this podcast! The hosts are hilarious and the topics are well researched. I've learned tons of useless (and some not-useless) facts from this show about topics ranging from Jonestown to the Gulf Breeze sightings to Waco to serial killers I had never even heard of. If you have a weird fasciation with cults and conspiracies, this is probably a podcast you'll love!


Title: Lore
Host: Aaron Mahnke
Genre: Horror, History

Why it's awesome: My brother and I found Lore on a 10 hour drive from North Carolina to Florida a couple years ago. Like Last Podcast, it became one of my favorites and I binge listened the entire backlog. Unfortunately, there weren't nearly as many episodes to listen to. Lore tells the darker stories from history that you've probably never heard before. This is another one I've learned a lot from! I'll admit I haven't watched the Amazon show, but from what I've heard it's basically the episodes but with visuals to go along with them. I've heard people complain about the host's voice and, while I do agree that he can be a little monotone, it wasn't bad enough to put me to sleep on my drive! This is definitely a fun one if you like dark history and urban legends.


Title: Bachelor Party 
Hosts: Juliet Litman
Genre: Reality TV


Why it's awesome: Okay, so completely switching gears... It's no secret around the blog that I love Bachelor Nation and all its shows. I had never listened to Bachelor Party until Arie's season but now I'll never go back. I love the gossip (no shame) and celebrity interviews and speculation! It probably helped that I absolutely couldn't stand the most recent bachelor, so I adored listening to other people talk about him! xD I know there are other Bachelor fans who come around every now and then, so this one's for you!




What podcasts do you love and why? 
Let me know in the comments!
Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Book Review: Obsidio by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Title: Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Publication Date: March 13, 2018
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 615
Add to Goodreads

Reviews for book 1 & book 2

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion?

Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha's past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict.

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken. 

So I have a lot of feelings about Obsidio. Just to recap, I loved Illuminae and thought Gemina was just okay. And now here we are with book three... I think my main takeaway from Obsidio is that this series has a very limited supply of tricks up its sleeve, which it used up in book one, leaving books two and three to pretty much be rehashes.

Obsidio, like Gemina, picks up with two new characters, Asha and Rhys. Honestly, it's been so long since I've read Illuminae that I can't remember how much I liked Kady and Ezra, but I can definitely say that I enjoyed Asha and Rhys more than Hanna and Nik. I actually wish MORE of the book had been devoted to them, because their story was infinitely more interesting than that of the older characters, in my opinion. I loved that they already had backstory, meaning no instalove! I found them both to be compelling characters with understandable motives and moral struggles. I enjoyed watching the people on Kerenza interact with each other and struggle through each day... and that's about where my enjoyment ends.

From here on out, this might be a little ranty and a lot spoilery. I am so upset with this book and the series as a whole! The rest of this review will outline my issues with Obsidio and will be in bullet points, which I know is different from the rest of my reviews, but it's the best way I can think of to do it without going off on twelve tangents. Shall we begin?

  • One of my biggest problems with this series is with the humor. Specifically, every single character has the same sense of humor AND they all use their annoyingly similar sense of humor literally all the time. At the most unnecessary times. Literally a life or death situation and these morons are bantering back and forth making jokes. Sure, it's fun to read, but it's not at all realistic and it got old quickly after book one (for me). 
  • Which brings me to my second problem: the way the military is portrayed. Let me get something out of the way - I am not a gung-ho patriotic person by any stretch of the imagination. I don't even own a flag. That being said, I did do four years in the Air Force, so I have military background. Yeah, there were times in those four years when I said or did unprofessional things around my supervisor or officers. But... you better believe I was reprimanded for it. Maybe so far in the future things will be super relaxed and people will be able to talk to their superiors with 100% sarcasm, cursing, and unprofessionalism. But unless something drastic happens between now and then, I can't imagine military personnel behaving the way they do in this series. Like I said, this isn't a "I love the military" thing, because I don't. It's just a "My god that's unrealistic" thing. 
**SPOILERS BEGIN**
  • And continuing the unrealistic relationships train of thought, I cannot buy the Kady/AIDAN relationship. While I can accept that Kady does become attached to AIDAN, he is not a HE. He is an it, which they discuss a tiny bit in this book. But towards the end of the book I had a very hard time suspending disbelief any further. There's a point at the end when AIDAN inserts himself into an enemy ship and decides to sacrifice "himself" for the good of the fleet. AND KADY TRIES TO TALK HIM OUT OF IT! Instead, she wants to sacrifice herself and everyone else on her ship. Instead of AIDAN. Who is not a person. Who is a computer program. I'm sorry, what? This is where they lost me. 
  • Venturing further into spoiler territory, let's talk about FAKE DEATHS. Remember when I mentioned that this series used all its tricks in the first book? This is what I'm talking about. There was a fake death in Illuminae and that one got me! I was totally taken off guard. But then the exact same thing happened in Gemina and I wasn't fooled. I felt nothing when the death happened because I was sure it wasn't going to stick. Then we have Obsidio... When I started, I even texted a friend and asked if there was a fake death. Well, let me tell you, friends! Obsidio has not one, not two, but THREE fake deaths! It's completely ridiculous. 
  • Welcome to my next point in which I expand upon the ridiculousness of the fake deaths. My problem with them in Gemina and Obsidio? They're predictable. Just like every single other big twist in this book. When Asha was arrested by Rhys and Co. I knew it was going to be a big twist and that he hadn't actually betrayed her. I knew because this series is so freaking predictable that I. Can't. Even. 
  • Which brings me to my last point: everything is so damn predictable that I was never for a single second worried about any of the main characters. At all. Because I knew they would all live. And guess who was right! Yep, all six of the main characters - all three of the main couples - lived. In this series about constant battle with literally thousands of deaths, the six main people who are at the center of every single major battle live. In fact, pretty much every single character that gets more than a few sentences of page time lives. Look guys, I don't need George R.R. Martin level killing sprees, but I do need some kind of realism in my books and this is just dumb. 
**SPOILERS END**

So here we are at the end of a series that started on a really high note. A series I was SO excited for, but that has been a massive disappointment. I'm not sure why it is that the authors decided to make each book so similar to the others and I have no idea why all the characters are almost carbon copies of each other. I know I'm in the minority on this one, but there were just very few redeeming qualities in Obsidio for me. 

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday #179: Spring TBR


Today's Topic: 
Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR

Hi everyone! These are my topics to do because my TBR list is never ending, which makes it easy! XD These are my top ten Spring 2018 releases, not counting the ones I've already read and loved! I hope I can get some of them soon!!



A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
Circe by Madeline Miller 
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
Inferno by Julie Kagawa



Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez
Winter Glass by Lexa Hillyer


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
Sunday, March 18, 2018

Weekly Recap: 3/11 - 3/17


TRACY'S HAPPENINGS OFF THE BLOG

Hi everyone! Man, what a week! We started off with some sad news that MC is having to leave us, at least for awhile. She has lots of important things going on in her life that need her attention, but I wish her ALL the best and all the happiness in the world! It's going to be weird around here without her! That being said, I am having searching for a co-blogger! You can check out the search and maybe apply here! Cornerfolds Candles also just announced our April box, which is ACOTAR themed to celebrate the upcoming release of ACOFAS! You can check that out here! Aside from all that, I honestly felt a bit drained this week, but I'm hoping for a better week coming up! I will be dog sitting for a few days, which I know can be draining, but hopefully it'll be amazing too!


NEW BOOKS THIS WEEK



THIS WEEK I READ

Nothing read this week!


IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

On Monday I posted a co-blogger search
The topic was books I'm surprised I hated for Top Ten Tuesday
Friday audiobook review of Everless
I was sad I waited so long for Saturday Screen Time


UPCOMING REVIEW



We're linking up to Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post!
Saturday, March 17, 2018

Saturday Screen Time #14: Why did I wait so long?


Happy Saturday! This week was pretty fantastic as far as movies go! I finally watched a couple that I've been dying to see and loved both! I also watched one that was fairly new to me. Nothing horrible this week, so hurray for that!


THIS WEEK IN FILM


Call Me By Your Name - I never got around to seeing this in theaters because it was there for such a short amount of time, but I did grab it the day it came out on blu ray. Now I'm wishing I'd gone out of my way to see it sooner because man, what a fantastic film! I was a little skeptical of Armie Hammer in this role, but both actors just killed it. This is the kind of movie that sticks with you. It's a coming of age romance that's sweet and believable and absolutely spectacular. I still find myself thinking about it four days later and I'm probably going to be rewatching it soon! (5/5 stars)

Whiplash - Whiplash is a few years old, but I only just heard about it recently. Reviews said it was a movie that would keep you tense from start to finish and... I kind of felt that? This is a movie about a drummer who obsesses over impressing his instructor in order to secure the spot he feels he deserves. He goes from unsure to arrogant very quickly and is an unlikable, but sympathetic character. I think if I loved the music I might have cared more about this movie, but I just didn't. I liked it, but I didn't love it and it certainly wasn't the incredibly tense experience I was told about. (3/5 stars)

The Greatest Showman - And just like that, this is my new favorite movie of the year. As the movie started, I wasn't really sure what I was going to think of it, although I really hoped I'd like it. As soon as the first scene began, I knew I was going to love it! I know it isn't in any way historically accurate, but I loved every single character and every single song and every single shot. I guess this movie has flaws? But I thought it was perfect! I've already listened to the soundtrack twice and I'm definitely buying it on Tuesday! (5/5 stars)



Have you seen either of these? What did you think?
What movies have you watched lately?
Let me know in the comments!
Friday, March 16, 2018

Audiobook Review: Everless by Sara Holland

Title: Everless (Everless #1)
Author: Sara Holland

Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 368
Add to Goodreads


In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.

Although it seems like Everless got a fair amount of hype, I didn't hear much of it before picking up a copy. Its gorgeous cover caught my eye and I thought the synopsis sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did because this is one of the more unique fantasy books I've read recently!

Jules was raised at Everless before she and her father had to flee for their lives. After spending years living in a small town, Jules returns to Everless to make enough money to support herself and her dying father. Once she gets there though, she starts to uncover secrets about herself and the Gerlings and things get twisty and amazing! I really enjoyed Jules and thought she was a fantastic heroine. Thank goodness for a MC who isn't irritating! I loved uncovering her past with her and trying to discover who was trustworthy and who was an enemy.

Speaking of which, I loved pretty much every character in this book! It's amazing when I can't figure out who to trust in a story and Everless really delivered! The Gerling brothers are both fascinating characters with complicated backstories (and current stories). I was concerned about a love triangle, but that never happened, thank goodness. Actually, I really liked that the romance was kept to a minimum, although I have a hunch that it might have a bigger part to play in book two (and I can't wait). I also liked the focus given to female friendships and the care that was given to not letting them fall into any of the ridiculous tropes we're all so used to.

Like I said, Everless is a pretty unique fantasy. It took me a few minutes to get my head around time being used as currency, but I thought it was pretty amazing once I got used to it. The world building and mythology surrounding this time-centric culture was really well written and I really can't wait for more magic and timey wimey stuff in the next book! I guess maybe I'm really dumb because I actually didn't guess any of the big twists! In fact, my guesses were pretty far off. Oh well, it makes for a more exciting read.

Let me go ahead and say I loved Everless! There were a couple moments when I felt the story might have dragged just a bit, but after a series of books that dragged A LOT, this was a breath of fresh air. I listened to the audiobook and had a hard time putting it away, which is saying something, since podcasts have been winning for the last few months. I definitely recommend Everless for fantasy fans and I absolutely can't wait for Evermore!


Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday #178: Books I'm surprised I hated


Today's Topic: 
Books I'm Surprised I Hated

Happy Tuesday! Since I've already done a list of books I was surprised I liked, today I'm going to share books I was really surprised I DIDN'T like! These are the books I picked up fully expecting to love, but ended up hating or couldn't even finish. 


The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Feed by Mira Grant
The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore



The Martian by Andy Weir
Reawakened by Colleen Houck
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Warcross by Marie Lu


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
Monday, March 12, 2018

I'm searching for a co-blogger!

Hi everyone! Today I'm coming to you with a search for a new co-blogger! MC has been an absolutely incredible co-blogger and she has an open invitation to come back to the blog! She is off doing important life things and I wish her all the best!! That being said, I am now in need of a new co-blogger!

WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR?

I'm searching for someone to help create content for the blog, whether that's book reviews, discussions, blog tours, or other original content. That someone should be comfortable commenting back and blog hopping also! What's a blog without community? It would be awesome to find someone with blogging experience or even a blog of their own, who's just looking to branch out. A blog isn't a requirement though! As long as you're an avid reader who reviews regularly (on Goodreads, Amazon, etc.), please apply! You may be exactly what I'm looking for! 


WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

Of course, there has to be some kind of benefit for you, right? In addition to meeting new bookish people and sharing your love of books with others, you'll get an about page, your social media links in the sidebar, and access to ARCs when I have them to share. 


HOW TO APPLY

This time I'm keeping it simple! To apply, just fill out the form HERE!



Have questions? Ask me in the comments or send an email!
And please share with anyone who might be interested!
Sunday, March 11, 2018

Weekly Recap: 3/4 - 3/10


TRACY'S HAPPENINGS OFF THE BLOG

Hi everyone! This has been another exhausting week, but not in a bad way. I ran the Dumbledore's Army 5k this week and my medal should ship soon! I spent much of my downtime watching The Bachelor and Survivor. Don't judge me. We all need a little trash TV in our lives every now and then. I also had the chance to check out the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival this week and tried the honey themed food kiosk. A++, definitely recommended! This week I'm considering seeing The Greatest Showman before it leaves theaters. Has anyone seen it?


NEW BOOKS THIS WEEK

No new books this week!


THIS WEEK I READ





MC'S HAPPENINGS OFF THE BLOG

Hello! Once again, I don't have very much to report. This week was mostly a bust for me because we had a doozy of a nor'easter hit us. It screwed up any and all plans and good intentions I had for the week. Oh well. BUT! I now officially have only one job! Yay! I'm so excited to have just one job and finally see what my new life will be like. This week I have some traveling to do, so that will keep me busy, but after that my life should be back to normal. I'm so excited. I still haven't read anything in a long time, but Obsidio releases this week so that is at the top of my list. Have a great week, everyone!


NEW BOOKS THIS WEEK

No new books this week!


THIS WEEK I READ

Nothing read this week!



IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

The topic was favorite quotes for Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday audiobook review of Reign the Earth
On Friday I did the Goodreads Book Tag
The movie was not what I was expecting for Saturday Screen Time


UPCOMING REVIEWS



We're linking up to Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post!
Saturday, March 10, 2018

Saturday Screen Time #13: Not what I was expecting


Happy Saturday, everyone! This was a slow movie week, since I was offered a Hulu trial. Instead I spent the week watching trash TV, which may or may not have consisted of The Bachelor and Survivor. I did get the chance to watch one anticipated film, but it didn't go as planned.  


THIS WEEK IN FILM


The Killing of a Sacred Deer - I've been trying to watch a lot more independent films lately, although I still love my Marvel movies. The Killing of a Sacred Deer had been on my radar for awhile, so I finally snagged a copy when it became available on Netflix DVD. I'd heard great things, although I'd never seen anything by this director. I expected it to be weird and to have to think about it, but this was not at all what I expected. The characters all spoke in a weird monotone as if they were reading their lines from a teleprompter and the story itself was bizarre, but not in a good way. I don't mind having questions when a film ends, but this one offered no explanation at all. It seems like I'm definitely in the minority here, but this movie just really wasn't for me. (1/5 stars)



Have you seen either of these? What did you think?
What movies have you watched lately?
Let me know in the comments!
Friday, March 9, 2018

The Goodreads Book Tag

I tried SO HARD to track this tag down to its source. After following it to a million blogs and a couple Youtube channels, I finally ended up at a video that had been removed. I have no idea where this tag originated, but I found it at Thoughts on Fantasy and decided to tag myself! I love book tags and I love Goodreads, so here we go!

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU MARKED AS READ?


Bright We Burn, which I LOVED! I cannot wait to share my review with everyone, but for now I'll just say that it was an absolutely incredible ending to one of my favorite series of all time!


WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?


This is my current read and I am so excited to be able to read it early!! It's SO good so far!


WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU MARKED AS TBR?


I spotted Winterhouse while browsing the kids section at Barnes & Noble when I was looking a book to send my niece for her birthday. I have no idea what it's about but it's gorgeous and the dust jacket design is super clever!


WHAT BOOK DO YOU PLAN TO READ NEXT?


I have this coming from a trade and I absolutely cannot wait to read it! This has been another of my favorite recent series and I'm eager to see how it wraps up!


DO YOU USE THE STAR RATING SYSTEM?

Of course! The only time I don't go by the Goodreads system exactly is when I feel the need to use half stars. I also avoid stars altogether if I've DNF'd a book.


ARE YOU DOING A 2018 READING CHALLENGE?

2018 Reading Challenge

2018 Reading Challenge
Tracy (Cornerfolds) has read 14 books toward her goal of 75 books.
hide

Yes! I'm doing the Goodreads challenge (with a slightly reduced goal after the trainwreck that was last year...) as well as the Pop Sugar challenge, an audiobook challenge, and a graphic novel challenge!


DO YOU HAVE A WISHLIST?

Yep! I have a wishlist that I keep update for my husband and parents in case of Christmas, birthday, or, you know, if they're just feeling extra nice.


WHAT BOOK DO YOU PLAN TO BUY NEXT?


I currently have Obsidio preordered so I suspect that will be the next one to sadden my bank account.


DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE QUOTES?

No, I'm awful at quotes. See this week's Top Ten Tuesday for more info :)


WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS?

My auto-buy authors are Kiersten White, Megan Shepherd, Sarah J. Maas, Stephanie Garber, Leigh Bardugo, and A.G. Howard.


HAVE YOU JOINED ANY GROUPS?

I have joined sooooo many but I'm the worst at participating in them! Sometimes I vote in the monthly reading polls with the intention of participating, but then I don't because I'm a mood reader. Maybe I shouldn't vote anymore, honestly.



I tag everyone who wants to participate in the Goodreads tag!
Want to be friends? Add me here!
Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Audiobook Review: Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.