Discussion: Do Bestselling Authors Keep Extending Their Series' Indefinitely & Is it a Bad Thing?

This has definitely been a hot button issue for years. Normally it's a complaint heard from people who aren't fans of a particular series or author and just want them to move on from whatever book/series/world that they hated in the first place. I first heard the complaint when Cassandra Clare announced she would be continuing her Shadowhunter books beyond Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices. More recently, though, I've seen the same complaint attached to JK Rowling and Sarah J Maas, and to some extent, Rick Riordan. I'll be talking about all these authors and their books in this post.

In the case of Cassandra Clare there has always been a lot of hate and tension around her name alongside the adoration of her fanbase. Regarding the author herself I sit somewhere in the middle, mostly because some of the hate I've seen lobbed her way has been absolutely awful and no one deserves the bullshit she gets (similar to Sarah J Maas, but more on that in a bit). Also, a lot of the hate that isn't series related I've never seen actually backed up except for stories of stories. I didn't do extensive research but I have looked into it. I'm not calling anyone a liar but I'm not convinced she's an awful person. But beyond all that, people dislike her books. That's totally legit and absolutely fine! I get it; the Shadowhunter Chronicles are definitely not for everyone. I grew up reading them and I loved them since I turned the first page of City of Bones. They're one of those series that I can go back to and read whenever I like and feel better. Often times these readers, who didn't like the series, are the ones I see raising the call for Cassandra Clare to stop writing Shadowhunter books. She's a hack! She's doing it for the money! She doesn't care about [insert character name here]! I can go on. Let's take them in order: she's a hack. I don't think so; I really like the books still and I think they actually get better as time goes on. I'm still as attached to her characters as I always have been. She's doing it for the money: are you thick? Of course she fucking is, it's her job to be an author. Don't be daft asshats; as much as writing comes from the heart and soul it is a job and there are investments that must be made. If she likes writing Shadowhunter books and people like reading Shadowhunter books and they're making her money than she should continue writing them. She doesn't care about [insert character name here]: again, are you thick? She wrote the character, of course she cares about them. I write (I haven't published anything yet but I still consider myself an author) and let me tell you that you don't ever stop caring about your characters once you create them.

A lot of similar complaints (actually, some pretty identical complaints) have been lodged against Sarah J Maas. It's a bit of different horse because Sarah J Maas has also been the brunt of a lot of complaints saying she doesn't include enough diversity in her books (and yeah I do agree, but I think she's getting better, at least she's taking small steps). But recently it's become a pretty big thing with her where people have been complaining about her extending her series' on forever. Here's how: a Chaol novella she was writing turned into a full-fledged novel that came out before the penultimate novel did, and said final TOG book has been pushed back even further now. Also, her ACOTAR series is getting some novella's and novels set in the world, with the first novella coming out in Spring 2018 (I believe). Again, both of these series are huge money makers (but you see my argument for why that's FINE to write for money, above). Now, ACOTAR kinda wrapped up, so I am curious to see exactly where the next installments continue, but I'm excited. Just like I'm excited whenever a new Shadowhunter book comes out. Both of these authors and their series keep me engaged and I love reading them and I don't mind giving these authors my money. When the books stop being interesting I'll stop reading them, and that's that. I think that's a pretty understandable thing. But, is it a bad thing creatively? For not just the authors but also the landscape of genre books?

Let's look at JK Rowling here. I love her. I love Harry Potter. I think a lot of people will stand with me and those statements. But was Cursed Child really needed? I don't think so; I thought it was pretty bad and didn't even sort of live up to what I was expecting. And then there's Fantastic Beasts. I liked the movie well enough and I'm looking forward to the rest of the movies, but, again, I don't think they were super necessary. It's not as if JK hasn't been writing other things (I still haven't read those other things but I PLAN to) and it's not as if she isn't one of the wealthiest people (and most generous!) in the world, so I don't think she's doing more Harry Potter for a quick paycheck. I think it's more of the case that she wasn't quite ready to give up the world just yet. I get that, but I do think that's problematic. Sometimes there are stories left in worlds to tell and sometimes you have to force them to be there and sometimes you don't need to tell either type. 

I have a similar view of Rick Riordan's more recent books. I haven't read anything since finishing Heroes of Olympus and I had several issues with those books. I have heard really good things about the newer series' and plan to read those actually pretty soon because I do want to. But with HoO it just felt very forced and it didn't live up to PJO. For a long time I've wanted to see him write something different (but still MG because I don't really enjoy his adult books). HOWEVER I think in a brilliant move from the publishing industry, Rick is getting his own little imprint, Rick Riordan Presents. Next year they'll be publishing three books. The really great thing about this imprint? It's going to be POC authors writing about the mythologies from their own backgrounds. I CAN'T WAIT. I'm sure Rick will continue to write PJO-esque books but also, I feel like he could branch out now and write other things as the spirit of PJO will continue onward.

So the question I've been trying to get to; is it toxic for authors and the industry to just keep pushing out books from bestselling series? I think... yes. It is. Look at James Patterson: his books have gotten worse with time and while he has huge name recognition I don't think he's as big as he was even five years ago. The publishing industry has a hard time moving past certain books and thus has a hard time looking for new books that could be completely different but also brilliant! For authors I don't think it's as toxic because it is their world and their stories and they're still using their creative mind. As a writer myself, though, I've had times where I've pushed a story and it's come out shit and I've lost that creativity for a while. But that's definitely on an individual basis and I don't know any of these authors personally so how could I say?

For readers, though, I don't think it's a bad thing that authors continue to write great series long after they once thought they would end. Wouldn't you rather get more books in a series you love? Let me know what you think about this topic in the comments down below!

Discussion: Why Rereading is Getting Harder

I love rereading. It's not something I used think I would enjoy, but in high school when I needed to escape for a bit I found myself turning to favorite books and being able to relive them in all their glory. When I started blogging it became harder finding time to reread but when I did get the chances I still enjoyed the books. This year I've gotten a fair bit of rereading done, but I noticed that it's become harder for me to enjoy rereading.

The only exception to this being The Magicians. I originally read this senior year of high school and found it really depressing and unenjoyable. I reread it this year because I was really enjoying the show and found that I actually loved this book. A lot of the elements that I had disliked in high school were parts I tended to enjoy more this time, and I chalk that up to the fact that I'm older and more mature and because I've been able to enjoy more of the fantasy genre and really appreciate how this book subverts a lot of that genre.

The other books I've reread so far this year are ACOTAR, ACOMAF, Lady Midnight, Assassin's Blade, and Throne of Glass. With both ACOTAR and ACOMAF I didn't have nearly as hard a time enjoying them again, and I was easily reminded why I loved these books. I was finding that when I was reading them, though, that if I put them down for any extended period of time I didn't feel any particular urge to pick them back up; there was nothing driving me to actually continue reading them except my prior experience of enjoying them.

Lady Midnight was where I really and truly hit the wall. Rereading it I actually found myself disliking it. Moments I thoroughly loved in my first read through led me to just putting the book down and not wanting to pick it up. I disliked the characters, the pacing, and was even getting annoyed by the world of Shadowhunters. Now, this series has been with me since eighth grade, and turning away from it actually frightened me a bit and made me sad. What if I would never be able to return to these books that have gotten me through so much. Lord of Shadows put me back on the right track and I was able to enjoy it completely and become swept away into the world again. But disliking Lady Midnight put the kernel of thought into my head: Am I growing out of some of my books?

Recently I reread Assassin's Blade and Throne of Glass, two books I read every year. Yet they didn't inspire anything in me. I had a hard time finishing and even coming back to moments I forgot about, or seeing little things mentioned early on that have an impact on the most current book, couldn't keep me completely engaged. My mind wandered and my time was spent more often watching television. This gave me the other thought: Are some of my books running out of material?

I think it's a bit of both but I also think it has to do with the greater scheme of things, and the fact that I think an era is ending in YA.

Am I growing out of some of my books? Definitely. I've actually already discovered this when I was going through the books I keep in my closet. There were a lot in there that, flipping through again, didn't lead to any spark. I've donated most of them because I don't need them and because they don't hold special memory. I don't think I'm growing out of Shadowhunters but I do think Lady Midnight isn't nearly as good a book as I remember, sadly.

Are some of my books running out of material? Well, I'm not to sure about this. Like I said, I've read Throne of Glass every year since it came out. Every year I would find something new, some angle to the text that could make it a whole new book for me. This year that didn't happen. Soon I'll be rereading Crown of Midnight and the rest of the series and we'll see, maybe my thoughts with those will help me figure out what's been wrong. Maybe it's just not the year of Throne of Glass for me. I haven't read any other book nearly as much so I don't know what else to compare it to. In general I'm of the opinion that a good book never truly runs out of material or interpretations, but perhaps that could just mean Throne of Glass is not as good a book as I once thought.

What do I mean by the end of an era in YA? I mean that there have, recently, been a lot of books that just feel the same. I'm getting drained repeating stories outside of rereads. And sometimes it's not immediately noticeable and I'll go for a bit really enjoying a book, but when I look back and try to call up some of those things I loved about it, I'll also find those same traits in several others.

Has anyone else had a problem getting into rereads? Or are you feeling drained by things coming out? Even better: can you recommend me something that's different?

Spoiler Discussion: A Court of Wings and Ruin

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES #3
AUTHOR: SARAH J MAAS
RATING: 5 STARS
A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES
A COURT OF MIST AND FURY (SPOILERS)
A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN

This is my spoiler-filled discussion/review of this book. If you're interested in the non-spoiler version you can find it here. I'm serious about the spoilers- I'm going to be going into a lot of things that happen after the first 200 pages. You've been warned.

Discussion: On Pen Names

Nom de plume

noun | \-'plüm\

A name used by a writer instead of a writer's real name.

Since I was little I liked playing around with the idea of a pen name for my work. I toggled between using just my initials, my initials and a new last name, or my real first name with a new last name. I eventually settled on the latter. I started to look on that name as my sort of "professional" name and only took it out and used it when I thought a professional name was needed.

Why am I bringing this up? I've talked about using that pen name here on my blog instead of my real name. So, yes, Sam Frost isn't my real name, per se, but it's a name I'm very comfortable with. As comfortable as I am my real name. My first name really is Sam, short for Samantha, though my last name is actually something different, but the original last name (which I won't be sharing, though it isn't hard to find if you look) is a polish word that roughly translates into Frost, which is why I chose it. Recently my "real life" (what I refer to as outside of the computer and book community) and "book life" (the book community, including the blog and all connected social media) are starting to bleed together. Originally I kept them apart, and I still like them being mostly separate. Sometimes I write about things happening to me in real life, and sometimes I talk about the blog in real life, but they don't cross as often as one might think.

When I created this blog it was actually my third or fourth attempt at doing so. Since I had been in middle school I had been enamored with the idea of book blogging, but for various reasons the blogs fell through before I got very far with any of them. Each of them, though, I had used a pen name (the same pen name, I think, though I have no idea where those lost blogs have gone and can't fact check). This blog was born on December 25th, 2014 with a review of the TV show Constantine. I was halfway through my senior year of high school and again had the intention of book blogging. As you can tell, this one has been much more successful than the last several. But I clung to the pen name, even though I was already 18, a legal adult. Here's why:

Safety. I grew up in a very internet-wary house. Safety was the number one rule, and so I was always uncomfortable putting too much of myself out there. This was part of the reason the pen name was born in the first place. It's not that I didn't trust the people I interacted with, it's that I don't trust the people I don't interact with- the scammers, the hackers, the freaks and trolls of the internet- and so I kept up the pen name for most social media.

Identity. With or without the pen name I'm the same person, but it is a sort of professional name for me, and when I sit down to write a post I'm doing something at least semi-professional. The pen name helps me keep this identity in tact and keeps me on track.

I like it. I like my pen name, it's why I ended up settling on this one among the many I could have chosen. And I use it so frequently it's not alien to me at all and feels closer to a real name than a pen name.

To those I know online who may be surprised, I don't want it to feel like I lied to you. I'm going to be keeping my real last name a secret, at least for now, because I don't see a reason to share it, honestly. I think I have shared it in past blog posts, though I don't know which, and I know it can still be found on some social media I still use with the book community. Look for it if you wish, I won't be offended, I just won't use it here.

To those I know IRL: You may have found this blog. I connected it to some personal social media, which was a poor decision since I did still want to keep the two lives separate in their own ways. I hope you enjoy the blog! I put a lot of time and effort into it pretty much every day and I want it to be the best it can be. But if I haven't brought it up in conversation, haven't specifically shared it with you, it's not because I'm trying to hide it or because I don't care. It's because I like them to be separate, and I like the two worlds to remain mostly private of each other. This is a very personal space, and when people IRL drop hints about it, almost like they know dirty secrets, it makes me uncomfortable. It makes me want to shut down the blog and stop. But I don't want to do that. So IRL people, please enjoy, but don't bring it up. Thanks!

Discussion: The Continent

As of writing this post, The Continent has been taken down from Amazon and will be receiving a new publication date so that the problematic parts of it can be dealt with. A quick introduction for those who don't know what I'm talking about (though I am late to the game and the controversy has died down quite a bit): The Continent is a forthcoming fantasy novel from debut author Kiera Drake about a girl from the privileged land of the Spire getting lost on the "savage" land of the Continent. A few weeks ago people who were reading ARCs were reporting that the book was racist, painting Native Americans and Africans in a bad light by calling them savages, playing upon negative tropes, rehashed and boring stereotypes, and celebrating a white hero protagonist. I was quick to take out my preorder of the book, though I was a little wary of both sides of the argument. Some people were claiming that these plot devices were being used as a way to comment on society, or at least this fantasy society. A friend allowed me to borrow her copy of the ARC (for which I am eternally grateful, thank you!) so that I could get a feel for myself.

Now, before I address the racism, and how I perceived it to be there, I want to address something else that really bothered me, that was happening alongside this discussion. People were catching wind of what was going on and scrambling to read their own copies, or borrow copies, and those people, the ones who were curious for themselves, were getting yelled at and harassed by others. They were angrily questioned as to why they wouldn't believe the reviewers who were claiming it was racist. First of all, being curious doesn't mean you disbelieve a person, it means you want your own opinion on the matter. In this day and age, being informed is a good thing, and the best way to get informed is to get as close to the source as possible. Second of all, there were two sides of the argument going down, with some people saying it wasn't racist at all and siding with the author, who remained mostly silent. It was a confusing time for people who didn't have a side to pick, and they could stay quiet and on the sidelines, or they could use their resources and decide. Again, being informed is hugely important! That pissed me off a lot that people in a liberal community like the book community were seemingly advocating against information and spread of knowledge. What ticked me off all the way, though, was one specific tweet I saw. I don't know who posted it, and I don't know who it was posted to. It didn't matter so much as what it said, which was something along the lines of the person not having read the book but trusting a reviewer who had and was claiming it was racist. Their follow up tweet, though, was bashing someone who hadn't read the book but was trusting a reviewer who was saying it wasn't racist. I just stared at it stunned at the flaws in that very argument. It was then that I was really glad I had an opportunity to read the book and get my own take on it.

I read this book from a position of privilege. I'm not going to lie about that. I'm a white woman from middle class standing in America. That's a rather privileged position. Sure, being a woman is considered a minority, and there are still hurdles, but they aren't the same types of hurdles POC people face on a daily basis. I don't want to invalidate anyone, but for the sake of this post I'm going to push POC rights to the front as being more important in this context. I also want to let everyone know that I will be posting a proper review for this book in a week or so, and it will address the book outside of the context of racism and controversy.

Is this book racist? That's the big question. I'm going to say, sadly, yes. But I don't think it's as racist as some people have blown it up to be. The book strives to be a commentary on society, speaking specifically about the relationship between the privileged Spirians and native "savages". The first few chapters are done to drastically paint the difference between the life of Vaela, who has everything, even the ability to look down at the people fighting on the Continent and consider them lesser for their war and lack of technology. Her family, and the other people she travels with, can even be harsher than Vaela in what they think and say. And it's all seen as socially acceptable. After seeing war and bloodshed, though, Vaela starts to change her mind and wonder at the difference between the groups and the importance of human life. This changes even more drastically when she ends up having to live with the people on the Continent due to her situation. She begins to see that they really aren't that different.

But here's where the racism, which I think is completely unintentional, comes to play. Vaela never goes all the way with her thought process. It's never explicitly stated that the natives are actually the same, and there remains a feeling through the book that there is some sort of cultural divide. Particularly once the book leaves the narrative of social commentary in lieu of a more traditional romance and survival story. A lot of the casual thinking from the earliest scenes is never disrupted enough to make it a full on commentary, and the actions Vaela takes do lead to the white hero story archetype, which, while not directly racist, is harmful and can be a very negative trope. There's also the fact that while the Aven'ei, who are closer to being related to Asians than the Topi (who, I believe, are closer to being related to Africans), get the bill of approval by the Spire, and are actually seen as rather progressive both culturally and technologically, the Topi are still painted as villains without any hope of saving. Vaela almost addresses the issue, but again, never goes all the way.

In the end, I think that it's a good idea to take this book back and retool it. There's a lot of casual racism, that can be overlooked by someone who's not used to dealing with it. I don't think that it says anything bad about the author, though, since I do think, from the way the book is set up and the course of the story, that it's meant to be a commentary on race and war/peace, not a white savior story. I do want to say that I don't like the way it has been treated by the community, and all the vicious tweets that have flown back and forth. Discussion is what is needed, and telling someone what they should believe is not a way to discuss things.

Which leads me to: let's discuss this! I want to know what you think about the book, whether you've read it or just heard other people talk about it. I want to know what you think about this post. Comment below or hit me up on twitter to continue the conversation!

Books I Want to Reread

I love rereading! It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, honestly, because it takes time away from reading new books but sometimes I just can't help myself. I used to never reread books but the older I get the more I want to revisit my favorite books and now it's a mark of a good book. When books don't live up the reread challenge it tends to tarnish my view of them and they seem to disappear off my shelves not long after (*cough cough* Divergent trilogy). So here are some books I really want to get around to rereading sometime.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

I loved books one and two but haven't picked up book three yet so I want to reread the first two and get back into this world. I am a bit afraid it won't live up to how much I loved it the first time.

A Darker Shade of Magic

I want to reread this one before getting on to book two. I have a feeling I will love this one even more the second time.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Another one I want to reread so that I can continue the series.

The Shadowhunter Chronicles

Basically, I just want to reread them all again and again until I am FINALLY living within the pages of these books. I love them so much!

Mistborn

I actually know for a fact that I will be rereading this trilogy very soon. I loved it the first time and I am ready for all those emotions again!

Riyria Revelations

I think it's been over two years since I read this series for the first time and since I consider it top-tier fantasy I really want to go back and reread it.

ACOTAR

Well, it should be obvious why I want to reread these two...

Six of Crows

I liked it a lot the first time I read it, but now that I'm nearly done with the Grisha Trilogy I want to reread it again and look for ALL references of Nikolai and also prepare for the next book that releases in only a few months!

The Bone Season

This is part of my favorite series and I haven't had the chance to return for quite some time since the next book doesn't come out until next year and it's been one hell of a wait. I want to reread them before I get back to the series.

Falling Kingdoms

I own all the books but have only read the first one. I need to reread book one and then binge the rest because this is such a binge-worthy series.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy

I read each book as they were coming out so I haven't had the chance to read them back to back and I would really love to since I hold this series dearly and think they'll be better with the reread.

The Lumatere Chronicles

One of my all time favorite series in the whole world! It's sooooooooooo good guys you NEED to read it if you haven't. Why I don't read this every year I don't know because it totally deserves it.

American Gods

I know, you're thinking, didn't you just reread this one? Well, yeah, but I want to reread it again, duh? It's just my favorite book in the whole world.

Steelheart

I want to reread this one and then finish the trilogy, which I own.

What are some books you want to reread?

Books I Have Multiple Copies Of

I have the (expensive) habit of buying more than one copy of the same book, particularly when there are different editions. Sometimes I go into a book knowing I'll be buying multiple copies of the book, but most of the time it just sort of happens after I absolutely fall in love with the book. For this post I'm not counting books I had ARCs of and then bought a final copy, just books that I actually bought  (or won) the multiple copies of. 

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

I originally got an ebook of this, which I read, and then, later, I won the whole series in paperbacks in a giveaway. I'm SOO glad I have a copy to decorate my shelf with, because they're gorgeous! 

The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

Okay, get ready for this super long list:

-I have the new paperbacks (with the spines that line up into a picture) for both the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices

-I have hardcover copies of the first four Mortal Instruments books in the new covers (I don't know why those exist but of course I had to buy them when I saw them)

-I have paperbacks with the original covers for the first two books in the Mortal Instruments series

-I have hardcovers of the whole Shadowhunters Chronicles series' that have been published to date

Theft of Swords by Michael J Sullivan

I originally read this book as an ebook which is how I fell in love with the series. I immediately went out and bought the book in paperback (and the rest of the series) and also ended up getting the audiobook later on.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

Well, originally I preordered this book because OBVIOUSLY I wanted to read it ASAP and I loved it to death. Then I found out there was a Target edition so I bought that, too, because I really NEEDED the Cassian/Nesta story in that edition. And, as a neat surprise, I discovered Sarah J Maas was going to be signing near my house on my Dad's birthday and so I went home both to celebrate him and get another copy of the book and meet her when she signed it. So, three. I have three copies. But it's totally worth it.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

I bought this not long after it came out and absolutely loved it. I thought it was a marvelous book! And it was one of the first New Adult I ever read. It actually wouldn't be out of line to say I was obsessed with this book for a bit. When I was in Europe a few summers ago I saw a copy of the book there and had to bring it back as a souvenir.

Game of Thrones/Clash of Kings by George RR Martin

I have mass market paperbacks of these two books but I ended up buying the really nice faux-leather editions, which I've been devouring.

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

This shouldn't be a surprise at all. We have a family set of all the hardcovers which my parents originally read, and then I read, though we haven't convinced my brother to read them (yet). As for my own personal collection I have the new American paperbacks of the whole series, which I've been rereading, my own hardcover of book one, and the illustrated edition of book one. A few years ago I also bought my dad the original British copy of book one, which he thought was just the coolest thing.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

I originally read the British edition of this, which I had picked up from my local Half Priced Books but then decided I wanted the American paperback. Later on, I changed my mind about collecting them in American paperback, and now the first seven books are mass market American paperback and the next six are British paperback, and finally, the most recent two are American hardcover. I am, surprisingly, really okay with how these all look on the shelves.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

This is, by all accounts, my absolute favorite book in the world. I originally read it as an eBook when I was in Europe (same trip as mentioned before) and I have distant memories of when and where I read it. Then, when I got home, I HAD to buy a physical copy, so I got the American paperback that served as the author's definitive edition. A year later I found a copy in my Barnes and Noble that was signed and hardcover (and it was the LAST copy) so of course I snatched it up (and to this day it's one of my favorite copies of a book I have on my shelf). Earlier this summer I picked up the full cast audio book which I listened to (and thought was wonderful!) and only two weeks ago I got a British paperback edition that was also bound up with Anansi Boys (which I have yet to read). I also preordered the new paperback edition that will be coming out in a few weeks and has a classic 60s cover and looks so awesome.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

While American Gods is my favorite book of all time (thus being my favorite Neil Gaiman book of all time), if that book didn't exist, this would be my favorite Neil Gaiman book (maybe it would be easier to say second favorite, but it's really more than that). This is another one I own as an eBook but I actually read it as a paperback that I picked up while in Savannah. I fell in love with it over that vacation and picked up the full cast radio production which is stellar and I highly recommend. I also purchased (and it's on it's way right now!) the recent edition with Chris Riddell's art and I couldn't be more excited.

So, yeah, I have WAY to many copies of some books but LOL they look great on my shelf. What books do you have multiple copies of?

Book Series' I Need To Finish

I have this awful habit of not finishing series. Like, it's a pretty bad habit. A lot of the time there's no reason for not finishing and I may even own all the books. In fact, sometimes it's series' I love! But I just don't finish them. And, well, I really need to get on that.

The Kane Chronicles

I only have the final book in this trilogy left. I loved the first two and thought they were a nice change from Percy Jackson and had a really interesting magic system. At this point I won't let myself read any of Rick's other works until I get to this one!

The Wolves of Mercy Falls

Okay, this one's a little different since the final book, Sinner, is more of a companion than anything else, but I do really want to read it at some point. Not only did this series make me fall in love with Maggie Stiefvater's writing, but it was one of the first YA series' I ever read.

The Lunar Chronicles

One of my all-time favorite series' and I haven't yet read Winter! What is wrong with me? Cress was such a phenomenal book and I promised myself I would pick up Winter asap but it seems like it just keeps ending up on my monthly TBR but getting no closer to being read.

The Mara Dyer Trilogy

I read the first two when the second book came out and was blown away by how amazing they were. And that cliff-hanger at the end of book two! But then it seemed as if the publication for the final book kept getting pushed off and I slowly lost interest. I bought it when it came out looking forward to finishing it but until this date it's just sitting on my shelf gathering dust. Plus, I want to finish it before the spin-off series starts being published.

Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Duet

Actually, I have no idea what this series is called. But I loved the first book. I read it in one day (the release day if I remember correctly) and thought it was just the greatest thing. I constantly recommended it to people after I finished it, but somehow I just never picked up the sequel and sort of forgot about this one.

The Newsoul Trilogy

I read Incarnate ages ago and loved it. It wasn't what I expected at all and far surpassed whatever I might have thought. But... then I didn't read the rest. I actually won the whole paperback trilogy in a giveaway and was like YES This is when I read this series! but that didn't end up happening, sadly.

The Raven Cycle

So, I'm currently reading this one anyways (I'm in the midst of Blue Lily, Lily Blue as I write this post but I think I'll be done when it goes up) but who knows, maybe The Raven King will just end up sitting on my shelf forever kinda like Winter? I hope not.

The Archived

I read book one and loved it so I bought book two and have just petted it a few times. It's not a top priority for me at the moment, mostly because I know that there was another book intended for the trilogy that may never be published, which makes me incredibly sad.

The Grisha Trilogy

I love this series, too! I only just started reading it and have plans to finally finish it this month (finger's crossed) but who knows if those are reliable plans. I worry so much for Nikolai (poor baby!).

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

I read book one when I was on vacation a few years ago and going into it I had no idea what to expect. Well, it totally enraptured my imagination and really changed the shape of my reading at the time. So of course I bought books two and three when i could. But, till this day, they sit on my shelf. I was hoping to read the trilogy before the movie came out but that seems unlikely.

Snow Like Ashes Trilogy

I wasn't crazy about this book but I want to finish the series because I am curious. Not a top priority but still a priority.

Bloodlines

Okay, so I loved Vampire Academy, and when I read the first book in the Bloodlines series I loved that too. But now... Well, I don't know if I would still love it now. I'm considering on giving up on this one so as not to tarnish the memories, but I have a close friend who really, really wants me to finish it. We'll see.

The Selection

This series is just one of the best quick reads in my opinion. I always end up spending just one day devouring these books. I've only read the first two but I have the next two sitting and staring at me as I write this post.

The Iron Fey

The original quartet are some of the best books on my shelf. They were some of the first YA I read and they were just everything to me at the time. In fact, one might say Ash was my first book boyfriend, lol. But with the spinoff series every book seemed to get worse and even though I bought the final one I haven't had the nerve to read it.

Wow, as I was writing this I realized there were more series' I needed to finish than I had realized. So, actually, I might make a part two post in order to finish up the rest (because this was only about one and a half of my shelves....) Any series' on here that you haven't finished? What's just been sitting on your shelf forever?

5 Star Spoiler Review & Discussion: A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)

Author: Sarah J Maas

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram

Edition: Hardcover 

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository

Goodreads

Related Reviews: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Rating: 5 Stars

I did a non-spoiler review of this book, which you can check out HERE if you're interested.  The rest of this review will be hidden underneath the break because, understandably, it's full of SPOILERS for both this book and the previous one.  If you have not read A Court of Mist and Fury STOP READING.  If you have, please continue.

Writing Corner: My WIP

This is a new monthly post I'm going to try out.  It'll be a way for me to check in, tell people about how and what I've been writing, and also hold me somewhat accountable to keep writing.

I've wanted to be a published author since I was much younger, but I've always had trouble finishing stories that I've started.  My friend and I did finish writing a novel one time (though we both agree it's best to leave that one locked away since it's not very good) but on my own it's hard to keep up the momentum.

The project I've been working on, which I've named Sand and Storm (SaS for short), is one that I've been working on for eight months (I originally had the idea in August of 2015).  It's gone through several iterations in its time.  Sand and Storm is a fantasy western where it hasn't rained in hundreds of years (they get their water from oasis'- sources provided by the gods).  The main characters, Will (short for Willow) and Short (a translation of his name), accidentally awaken the goddess of the storm, who has some revenge in mind for the world.  With her they also awake the trickster god, Coyote, who must play an integral part of taking her down.

Here's how I got the idea:

I was lying in bed thinking about how there aren't enough western's in YA literature and decided I should write one.  I quickly realized the amount of research (by that I mean watching and reading westerns, a genre I'm not too fond of) was overwhelming and would take away from the fun experience of actually writing the novel, so I couldn't actually write a western.  It then came to mind that it could be a fantasy world set, pretty clearly, with roots in the stereotypical version of the Old West, with the major differences being the magic system and the pantheon of gods.

I started writing it shortly after this idea came to be and was keeping it on a flash drive.  It was coming along well, though I had the novel starting around where chapter three is located now.  Which was fine, but a little rushed now that I think about it.  Then, my flash drive wiped itself.  All my work was lost.  Forever.

The next day I decided to start over, completely, rather then let it get to me.  But instead of writing, I planned out the first couple of chapters in rather large depth.  And in this planning I decided that it wasn't going to be a YA trilogy anymore, but an adult duet (possibly trilogy).  So I started writing it as if all the plot I had for the first three novels would be built into one.  I also started the novel several chapters ahead of where I start it now with scenes that don't exist anymore (and won't exist, ever again).  I realized quickly that the story was becoming something I didn't want to tell and that I wasn't connecting with the characters at all.  So I scrapped that and started again, with my original plan.

Which was going fine for several chapters, but around chapter ten the plot completely stopped, the motivation was strange, and I was still having a bunch of trouble connecting to one of the main characters.  It was a struggle to write and I had no idea where anything was leading, so I stopped for a month and made a big decision.  I would give the novel one more go before I put in a drawer and worked on another project for some time.

I tried starting chapter one a couple more times, once or twice on my computer, where I quickly realized it just wasn't flowing, and then again handwritten.  This was working for a while, but I was writing during class when I should have been paying attention, and both the novel and the grades were suffering for it.  So, deciding none of these were my official "last go at the novel" I bought myself a writing pad, decided I should give myself two or three days per chapter, and began writing again.

This version, which will be my last Rough Draft before I take a break to focus on something else that might actually flow a bit better (I've never given myself so much dedication to one work before; normally if a problem arises I try to fix it once and if that doesn't work, I go on to something else), is very similar to my original ideas, but has the bonus of all the internal development I've created for the novel from the point of the first version to this one.  I've already written two chapters and a prologue, which amounts to around 12 pages handwritten (or 3k words, which is shorter than I originally wanted, but when I transcribe it to my computer I'm fairly certain it will get much longer).

I hope to keep you guys updated.  Maybe I'll write my next post when I get through about half of the novel.

Thanks for reading!

Discussion: Book Adaptations Change my Opinion

Sometimes my opinion for a book is swayed by an adaption, and, yes, sometimes I like the adaptation better than the book (a sin, I know)!  I don't think it's bad to like the movie/show better than the book, because, really, sometimes stories are meant for one particular medium and don't translate as well on another, and sometimes they work well on both.  But, that's not what this post is about, per say.  It's more about some recent adaptations that have gotten me excited or encouraged me to read the book.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

I read the first book in this series several years ago and loved it!  It was so much better than I had thought it would be and strongly reminded me of X-Men (of which I was a HUGE fan back then).  Now, with the gorgeous trailer for the film out (go watch it if you haven't yet, and go watch it again if you already have) I think it's time to pick the books up again.  I own the whole trilogy and I'm not really sure what's kept me from reading them all at this point.  So, yeah, while I knew I was already excited for this film and in love with the book, the movie has got me all ramped up again.

Me Before You

This isn't the sort of book I would regularly pick up, but after seeing the trailer for the film (which features the beautiful Sam Claflin) I couldn't help but hurrying over to Amazon.com and buying a copy immediately.  I still haven't read it, but it's high on my list to get to right now, and I'm rather surprised that it would ever have been the case.  I don't think there's been another movie or show from a genre I don't read that has gotten me to actually read the source material.

The Magicians

I read The Magicians several years ago and was not thrilled with it.  In fact, one could say I hated it.  Though, I suppose that might be too strong a word, because, by the time I finished it, I was so depressed by the story and the characters that I could feel nothing at all for the book.  I put it down, completely unsatisfied.  So, understandingly, when the show aired on The Magicians I wasn't really excited for it.  I only watched it because my Dad and Lauren (who's blog you should go check out ASAP) told me it was really a good show.  I sat down, and within the first ten minutes I was in love with the show.  It's dark, ambitious, and full of ambiguous, but not sceevy like I remember the book being, and actually a really good show.  Right now, it's one of my favorites.  And, actually, it may be convincing me to retry reading the book.  Crazy, yeah?  I'm still debating- I'm going to see how the ending of the series leaves me feeling, because that's where the book lost me.

Has an adaptation ever changed your opinion of a book?  Let me know in the comments!

Discussion: Adult Coloring Books

I love coloring.  It really relaxes me.  I have the Enchanted Forest and I absolutely love it.

Here's the gorgeous cover- it's actually a dust jacket that comes off to reveal a just as nice looking underneath! 

I tried coloring this page with water colors and thought it was turning out rather nicely!

This is one of my favorite that I've finished!

This was one of the most relaxing pages to do and I think it looks fantastic!

I love how, now, there are coloring books from every corner of pop culture for people to enjoy.  A Throne of Glass coloring book is coming out in September (yes, it's been preordered), Harry Potter coloring books have been coming out every couple of months (I have one waiting for me at home), and now Marvel has several planned for later this year.  I'm rather excited for all of them!

I think it's interesting that this is a new trend.  I don't think there's anything wrong with it, I think it's phenomenal!  I just love that it's become a thing that's been spreading.

Do you color?  Do you have a coloring book?  Are you excited for the Throne of Glass coloring book?  Let me know in the comments!

Discussion: My Thoughts on Iron Gold

It's been a while since I've done a discussion post, but I plan to bring these back!  I don't think it will be weekly, but whenever I have something I want to talk about, I will.  If you have an idea for a topic, please email me at tsundokublog(at)gmail(dot)com.

So, a few weeks ago, Pierce Brown, one of my favorite authors, announced what he would be writing now that the Red Rising trilogy is finished: he's working on another trilogy set in the same universe some time after the events of Morning Star.  And, yes, characters that survived the end of Morning Star will be around for Iron Gold.

I'm a little conflicted over this.  I'll be the first to admit that I love spin-off's- I always have.  Most of the time, too, I enjoy them.  And I'm not worried that Brown will harm his world or series with a spin-off.  If Morning Star was any indication, it'll enhance the world he has constructed ten-fold.  And, with the way the series ended, while everything was wrapped up, there are just enough loose threads that you can either continue reading with Iron Gold or stop after Morning Star.

My conflicting thoughts come here: I was really looking forward to seeing Pierce Brown write something new.  I didn't care what it was, but I was eager to see what he could pull out of his sleeve next.  And I'm not... disappointed, per say, but not as excited as I think I would have been for a completely new world.

Either way, I'll have this preordered as soon as I can, I'm that excited.

How do you feel about spinoffs in general?  How do you feel about this spinoff?  Let me know in the comments!

Discussion: Where to Start With Comics

Discussion posts are something I do every Thursday to get a conversation going.  I'd love to hear your input in the comics!  Thanks for stopping by!

Discussion: Literary Pairs

I'm so sorry guys!  I meant to get this up on its regular day- Thursday- but this week has been really busy.  I have two papers due and they're taking up most of my time.  But as I sit in the library and procrastinate, I thought I'd finally get this up.  This week's discussion is one I'm actually really excited to talk about because it's literary pairs!

Discussion: Blog Proud & How Did You Get Here?

So, this is part discussion and part story, but something I think is really important to talk about.  If you're interested in my past discussion posts, click here.  I do these every Thursday or so, and have a few more planned.  Once I get through all my ideas, though, I think I'll start discussion posts on particular books and see how those go.

Discussion: All These Women In Comics

Discussion posts are a new-ish thing for me.  I'm doing them every Thursday, and I have posts planned for the next month or so.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topics, so please comment!  If you're interested, my last few discussion posts were Get To Know Me, In Defense of Historical Romance, and A Real 5 Star Book vs. a Fake 5 Star Book.

Discussion: A Real 5 Star Book v A Fake 5 Star Book

Discussion posts are a new-ish thing for me.  I'm doing them every Thursday, and I have posts planned for the next month or so.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topics, so please comment!  If you're interested, my last two discussion posts were Get To Know Me and In Defense of Historical Romance.

Discussion: Get to Know Me

So, I've started doing discussion posts every Thursday or so.  Most of the time they'll be book-related, but not today!  I've been blogging for almost a year, and I thought I'd just open up a little about myself.

Discussion: In Defense of Historical Romance

So I really like the idea of discussion posts and I'm a rather opinionated person, so I naturally have a lot I want to say.  Each week, for a month or so, I have discussion posts planned.  I don't know if I'll end up doing more than that or not, but I'm very pleased to welcome you to my first ever discussion post right now!