Dating Profile Friday - Christian Grey

Name: Christian Grey
Occupation: CEO Of Grey Industries (Though you'd hardly know it.  I take a lot of time off to pursue my many varied interests.)

Hobbies: My hobbies and interests are vast and varied. I have many varied interests.  I like flying.  I buy new whips frequently. I stalk women who work in hardware stores and buy random shit like zip ties and rope.

About Me: I live in Seattle, and frequently travel out of state for fun and pleasure.  I keep a private room in my home for visits from my companions.  I don't sleep in a bed with anyone, and have a very strict no girlfriends policy.  I am only looking for a three month arrangement, and can assure you that you will be pleased with said arrangement.  I take control in all situations, and don't like it when people question me.  I am assertive and dominant, and will treat every situation with the clarity and control it warrants.

I enjoy being able to do what I want in my free time.  I don't take no for an answer, and I always get what I want.  If you are looking for a man who is dominant and will take control, you can email me at christian@grayenterprises.com.   I am looking for women who will be submissive and aren't afraid to let me take the ropes.  If that sounds like you, I look forward to having a connection with you.

Renegades - Marissa Meyer

Title: Renegades
Author: Marissa Meyer
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5 Stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies — humans with extraordinary abilities — who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone... except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice — and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok: So let's get the obvious out of the way right off the bat.

1. Yes, there are some obvious superheros that share similarities with some beloved Marvel superheros.  

2. It's pretty freaking obvious that Adrian is the Sentinel.

Those things being said: I still love every single second of this book. Every. Single. Second.

If you're unfamiliar with Renegades, the best way to sum it up is: Spies, Superheros, death, and a helluva of an ending.

I don't want to give super spoilers, but a few minor spoilers might slip in - so read with caution!

WHAT DO I LIKE:

* As with her Lunar Chronicles series, Meyer has some great characters in this book.  We learn a lot about them during the course of this book. The book moves slowly and takes a while to build up to the main point at the end - so we have a lot of time to sit with our characters and really see what they are like while the story develops around them.  I don't think there is a single character in this book I don't like.  They are all very well written and well developed, and have enough change throughout the book to keep them real.

* This story is slow to build, but I think that works.  Meyer takes her time showing us this world and the people who inhabit it.  We get to see when things happen in their own time, and when something BIG does happen (that carnival scene?!) we get to see the characters react in a way that is so true to who they are, and it is amazing. 

* THAT SCENE IN THE FUN HOUSE!!!  That's all your getting - but if you've read the book you know what I mean. 

* While the story may have been slow to build up - I like how well written it was.  I didn't reall care that it took a while to get to the big stuff at the end.

* Max.  I love everything about Max, including all the secrecy surrounding what he can do (and what he will be used for!)

WHAT BOTHERED ME:

While I did really love this book, there were two things that I thought should have been more obvious. I guess I wouldn't super say this bothered me, but it was pretty obvious that:

A: Adrian is the sentinel.  How could nobody figure that out?!  I mean - they are never together.  Whenever the sentinel is around, Adrian is suddenly MIA, then all of a sudden the sentinel will leave, and then BAM - there's Adrian again. And yet, nobody connects the dots and figures out they are THE SAME PERSON?!

B: At the carnival - why didn't Adrian figure out who Nova really was?!  It was super obvious, amiright?!  

Other than that, I loved this whole entire book.  I recommend that everybody: 

Dating Profile Friday: Adrian Everhart

Name: Adrian Everhart
Alter-Ego(s): Sketch, the Sentinel.

Likes: Nova, Creating living tattoos for my body, drawing the city for Max, Fighting for justice as a member of the Renegades.
Dislikes: The Anarchists, Nightmare

About me: I am a member of the Renegades, and I deserve that spot no matter what anyone says.  I was adopted and raised by my two dads after my mom died.  I  fight for justice for my city because it's the right thing to do.  I don't for one second believe that pulling an all-nighter with junk food and soda could possibly be bad for you - no matter what that new Renegade says. 

I like to hang around the city scouting, and when I am not busy trying to catch the Anarchists, I like to watch movies and read.  You can probably find me chilling at Renegades headquarters.

How to Support Authors

1. Buy or Borrow and Read Their Books

This one seems obvious.  I mean - duh!  Reading an author's books is the best way that you can show them you support them.

BUT, and this is where we're going to get real for a minute: You do not have to buy said books in order to read them.  I am not advocating stealing, by any means.  Please don't steal books or anything else!

Lately I've been hearing a lot about authors complaining that people aren't buying their books, and those authors are implying that the only real way to support an author is to buy their book.  I get it - authors have bills to pay just like everyone else.  I mean - not everyone can be J.K. Rowling or Stephanie Meyer, right?!

Here's the thing though: not everyone has the money to buy every single book they want to read.  So, stop shaming people who borrow books from friends or from the library.  After all, if I borrow a book from the library or from a friend - they author still gets paid because the library or my friend still went out and bought a copy of the book.  The most important thing for readers is to just read!  And as long as you aren't stealing to do so, we're all good. 

2. Create Reviews

Go out to your blog, youtube, goodreads, instagram, or wherever and post a review of a book you just read.  Reviews are a great way to spread the word about books - write them and share them so everyone can join in on your bookish love!

3. Verbally Tell Others About An Author's Books

I've only heard about some books because someone told me about them.  Don't be afraid to go out and talk to people about books and recommend those books to others. 

4. Start A Book Club

Starting a book club (or joining an already existing one) can be a great way to spread the word about books you like, and get recommendations about books from others.

A lot of book clubs will take time to discuss whatever their book of the month is, then will take time afterwards to talk about what everyone else is reading. What a great way to find more book recs!

Mortal Engines - Philip Reeve

Title: Mortal Engines
Author: Philip Reeve
Format: Paperback
Rating: 2 Stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea."

The great traction city London has been skulking in the hills to avoid the bigger, faster, hungrier cities loose in the Great Hunting Ground. But now, the sinister plans of Lord Mayor Mangus Crome can finally unfold.

Thaddeus Valentine, London's Head Historian and adored famous archaeologist, and his lovely daughter, Katherine, are down in The Gut when the young assassin with the black scarf strikes toward his heart, saved by the quick intervention of Tom, a lowly third-class apprentice. Racing after the fleeing girl, Tom suddenly glimpses her hideous face: scarred from forehead to jaw, nose a smashed stump, a single eye glaring back at him. "Look at what your Valentine did to me!" she screams. "Ask him! Ask him what he did to Hester Shaw!" And with that she jumps down the waste chute to her death. Minutes later Tom finds himself tumbling down the same chute and stranded in the Out-Country, a sea of mud scored by the huge caterpillar tracks of cities like the one now steaming off over the horizon.

In a stunning literary debut, Philip Reeve has created a painful dangerous unforgettable adventure story of surprises, set in a dark and utterly original world fueled by Municipal Darwinism -- and betrayal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I picked up this book after a co-worker recommended it.  I went into it with high hopes because I've read three other books by the same author and really enjoyed them.  This book, however, fell flat for me. 

The book had an interesting premise.  But when I started reading what I found was what I thought was a hot mess of words thrown together into something that just didn't work. 

Let's start here: This book was supposed to be written for teenagers.  But the writing was especially juvenile.  It read like it was written for a much younger audience.  That leads me to state this again: Teenagers are smarter than adults give them credit for.  So write books that treat teens like they are actually smart!

* Now: The characters.  These characters are teenagers, but they behave like much younger children.  Hester is unnecessarily mean to Tom, even when he tries to be nice to her.  She will have a moment of "Hey look at you I'll say something nice now," and then she turns again and starts treating him like trash.  Tom reads like he is a 10 year old trapped in an older teen's body.  Part of that may be because he was raised in a traction city and spent the majority of his life in the museum as a historian apprentice.  Up until he got thrown from the city by Valentine, he had never been outside his traction city.  But, even people who never have a chance to move around their world should be a bit more aware and age appropriate, especially when they know that there are so many things that happen: like the fact that London chases down and eats other smaller cities.  The character that I really did love was Katherine.  She was the most well rounded character in the entire book - it's too bad her father was such a trashy human.

*The story itself felt like it lacked focus.  There was so, so much going on through the entire book - it felt to me that the author could have taken a few points here and paired them down to make a great book, and saved the rest for another book. 

So, while this book started out as a good idea, it ended up being something I personally would not recommend to others.  Read Larklight, Starcross, and Mothstorm instead.  They are actually worth the tine.

The Rule of One - Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders

Title: The Rule of One
Authors: Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 1 Star

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In their world, telling the truth has become the most dangerous crime of all.
In the near-future United States, a one-child policy is ruthlessly enforced. Everyone follows the Rule of One. But Ava Goodwin, daughter of the head of the Texas Family Planning Division, has a secret—one her mother died to keep and her father has helped to hide for her entire life.
She has an identical twin sister, Mira.
For eighteen years Ava and Mira have lived as one, trading places day after day, maintaining an interchangeable existence down to the most telling detail. But when their charade is exposed, their worst nightmare begins. Now they must leave behind the father they love and fight for their lives.
Branded as traitors, hunted as fugitives, and pushed to discover just how far they’ll go in order to stay alive, Ava and Mira rush headlong into a terrifying unknown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I checked out The Rule of One after doing a search for dystopian books and finding this one recommended on a bookish website I frequent.  I started reading it thinking it was a pretty cool concept, but quickly found myself bored not only by the lack of happenings in this book, but also by the characters, the story development and the interactions between the characters. 

I found the writing to be a bit simple even for a YA book.  Teenagers are smart - so why not write books that show that.  I expected there to be more tension in the book, and there just wasn't. Or if there was, it was so underdeveloped and so flat that I just didn't care.  

The two main characters, Ava and Mira, were too similar, even for people who are supposed to be sharing one life.  When they were at home in their private hidden bedroom, there was nothing to really help differentiate them in my mind.  They were both really boring as well - to me anyway.  I didn't really find anything special or noteworthy about either one of them.

To be honest, other than the cover, I didn't really find any thing in this book that was super memorable or awesome for me.  The whole book, from character development to story development to action just fell flat. 

I think the best way to wrap up this post is to tell you exactly how I felt with the following gifs:

If you've read this book, tell me what thought in the comments below! 

Nimona - Noelle Stevenson

Title: Nimona
Author: Noelle Stevenson
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4 Stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it "a deadpan epic."

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you've even heard of Lumberjanes then you are familiar with Noelle Stevenson and will probably love Nimona. 

Things to Love About this Graphic Novel:

1. Ambrosius Goldenloin.  His name is Ambrosius Goldenloin!  Plus - I think he's more of a villain type than the actual villain. 
2. Nimona herself.  She kicks butt and makes no apologies. 
3. Villainy runs rampant throughout this graphic novel, all thanks to the loving and tenderhearted (hahahaha) villain - Lord Ballister Blackheart. 
4. The art is wonderful.
5. Nimona is a shapeshifter.
6. There are dragons!
7. The SCIENNNNCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCE!
8. This graphic novel is funny.

Ok - so seriously - if you love well written and well drawn graphic novels about strong women, villains, dragons, some science and so much more, this is the graphic novel you want to read.  There is humor thrown throughout the story, and well developed characters, and plenty of things to really make you think.  This is a must read for fantasy fans everywhere!

Dating Profile Friday: Nova Artino

Name: Nova Artino
Alter-Ego: Nightmare.  If you tell anyone, I will hunt you down.
Likes: Tricking the Renegades, Shooting people, using my powers for evil
Dislikes: Adrien, the Renegades

About Me: My entire family was killed when I was young.  I have been on my own for a long time, and though I can take care of myself, I like the idea of having someone around to help me kick ass.  I am willing to help with any dirty work, but choose to keep my identity top secret so that the wrong people don't find out who I really am.


You can find me lurking in the most private places of Gatlon.  Ask around, and the right people will know where to find me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you have a character you've created a dating profile for, drop a link to their profile in the comments below!  Have fun! 

My Big Ass TBR Pile

My current TBR pile is so big I am not even going to say it's a one month pile like I have in the past.  It's going to take me at least two months to get through this pile - so let's just roll with that!

Here's what is currently on my list:

1. Renegades - Marissa Meyer
2. Archenemies - Marissa Meyer

 

3. The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman 

4. The Subtle Knife - Philip Pullman 

5. The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman 

6. Six Of Crows - Leigh Bardugo 

7. Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo 

8. Siege and Storm - Leigh Bardugo
9 - Ruin and Rising - Leigh Bardugo

10. Everless - Sara Holland
11. Evermore - Sara Holland 

12. The Lantern's Ember - Colleen Houck
13. The Life We Bury - Allen Eskens
14. Mortal Engines - Philip Reeve

15. The Rule of One - Ashley and Lauren Saunders
16. The Guest Book - Sarah Blake
17. My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding 

18. Scythe - Neal Shusterman
19. The Water Cure - Sophie Mackintosh
20. Nimona - Noelle Stevenson

21. Truthwitch - Susan Dennard
22. Windwitch - Susan Dennard

23. Ace of Shades - Amanda Foody (I forgot to take a pic of my own - y'all know what it looks like, right?!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Ok, reader friends - your turn.  Drop your TBR lists or a link to your TBR posts in the comments below!  I look forward to seeing what you all are reading.

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon

Hey reader friends!  It's that special time of year again - it's time for the Dewey's 24 hour readathon!  YEAH.

I haven't done this readathon in a few years, because things have gotten busier on the weekends for me - and I don't always have much time anymore to do it. But it works out that this month, I have the weekend of this readathon off from work, and nothing else going on.  SO, I'm going to get my read on.

I have no idea what I am going to read for sure yet (EVEN THOUGH IT'S THIS WEEKEND!), but some of the books I'd *like* to try and finish are:

*Stalking Jack the Ripper - Kerri Maniscalo
*The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman
*A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness
*Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo (Already started just need to FINISH!)
*Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo 
*Scythe - Neal Shusterman

Also, because I have picked some heavy reads - I am going to pick out a bunch of random manga and stuff at the library this week and read that when I need a light break!  If you're doing the readathon, tell me what you're reading in the comments!