Pixie Lynn Whitfield

Book(s) Read More Than Three Times:

I know there's probably more than this, but these were the ones I could think of off the top of my head. I love love love re-reading favorites so much. Haha. :P I haven't done hardly any re-reading in last year or two, and I miss it. I think I'll devote a lot of 2014 to it (I hope). Anyone up for a Re-Reading Challenge? :)

<3
Pixie

I completely adored the first two books of this series, but couldn't find myself all that attached going into this installment. Maybe it's been because of the recent reading slump I've been in--haven't had much the desire to do much reading or anything at all--and it's left me feeling all meh toward this one. My largest problem was the first hundred-fifty pages or so, I felt I was getting too much detail into how Avery felt and the action really lacked. It left me bored the majority of the beginning, despite the gorgeous writing and tension build-up. Despite how excited I'd been to return back to Snyder's world and characters.

I also have to be honest to say that I completely missed the ending. I'd been about 60 pages away from it when my e-galley expired. So it's definitely going to deserve a re-read either way, and when I do maybe I won't be in such a slump and will have a different opinion about a few things.

I'm still not thrilled with how a few things turned out from book two (a few readers might know what I mean-- character 'reunion'/reincarnation thing, ya know? Mixed feelings on this.) and this continued to transition into Taste of Darkness. Would have loved some different scenarios, but things still worked and it wasn't bad. I particularly liked the start right from where the last page of the second had left off at, without all the unnecessary backstory when reading a series installment (c'mon, you're reading *book three*... shouldn't need a few pages of filler backstory to explain where the characters are, right?).

I gave it a 3 star rating for now because while I enjoyed it, I was very "okay" about it, too. But it's possible with a re-read later--and to find out the last bit of the ending--it could be higher. I have to get out of this slump. :/

<3
Pixie

You can also see this review on my blog, The Bookaholic. :)

I have a mild obsession with all things Shakespeare. Okay. Not mild. Probably classified insane. Whatever. Everyone knows it. And when it comes to getting my interest in any modern re-telling, you’re going to certainly get it if it has to do Shakespeare. So what if I’ve read Romeo & Juliet a thousand times? Or if I’ve read it in a number of variations through the years from other re-tellings? I don’t care. I’ll still give it a try anyway because it’s R & J and based on one of my favorite reads of all time.


“The greatest love story ever told is a lie.”

Naturally, when Juliet Immortal released (in early 2011, I believe?), I wanted it bad. That synopsis? Golden. Not the usual story recycle or anything of that sort. Really sounded like a re-telling with a fresh concept. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the book for some time due to funds, busy schedule, etc.. And when I finally bought it earlier this summer from a clearance sale, I was excited all over again. Also, that tag was enough to get my attention as it was anyway. I didn’t even have to read the synopsis to know I was going to want to read this book. **Though, I need to side note here and say that I feel like people may put too much claim into R & J being a “great love story.” Or is that just me? One of my faves, yes, but I’ve never viewed it as a love story and I still don’t get it. But that’s for a whole separate discussion later! I’m getting off topic! :P

But there was a problem with Juliet Immortal. It completely disappointed me. I probably should’ve expected it though. It really is hard for me to LOVE a re-telling,  particularly a Shakespeare one, and this was just another one to add to the pile of blaaaahhh. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the names and a few note toss-ins during the story about the their past, it really could have been just a separate piece all together with no connection at all. I like a re-telling to feel like its own story, but I also like to feel that connection to the original piece as well. I know I mentioned above how much I loved the fresh concept of the idea, and I did and still do, but I still felt disconnected once I’d read.  I’m not sure if that makes much sense, but it’s hard to explain really.


I almost marked this as a DNF before I even reached fifty pages in because it starts out a bit dull, and the narrative is so wah wah wah wah… Then there’s also the insta-love, as if Juliet hadn’t learned from her past mistakes enough as it is. But I pushed on because I really did need to get some reading done. I’ve been slacking so bad the last few weeks with NaNo and the family life keeping me busy. It does get better as it gets further along, and I think the story has an interesting plot idea for the re-telling with Romeo and Juliet’s continuation. I would’ve liked a bit more oomph and detail or more background information for better understanding in the beginning. Twists and turns did keep me wanting to turn the pages. And despite my love for the original play and characters, I find it incredibly amusing to take the two and create such a mess between them with this one. I’d love to read another re-telling in the future with something similar to this type of relationship----the idea of Romeo and Juliet hating each other or a what-if (they’d never met)? I think it’d be interesting!

I do give it unique points for the imaginative idea and a thumbs up for managing to grab my attention again. But not one of the better re-tellings I’ve read in recent years. I doubt I’ll continue to the next book because I didn’t find enough curiosity at the end to want it. The writing was well done, even if a bit dry at times--and I’d look forward to reading more from the author in the future I’m sure. :)

<3
Pixie

... with everything that's been going on lately--NaNo, other writing, reading, blogging, family life, etc.--I admit that I basically forgot all about BookLikes for a bit. I've barely logged into much of anything when on the laptop the last few weeks other than FB and Blogger. Haha.

But I remembered it today and was all "Oh no! I forgot about BookLikes!" *rushes to the site* Now I have some catching up to do I guess. :)

<3
Pixie

So I haven't been on this site much recently. Haven't been on much of anything recently other than my actual blog here and there and a little FB. Ha. But I'm here now and I'm finally starting this 30 Day Book Challenge (that I said I would start almost a month ago). Lol.

Probably will take me quite some time to actually complete it because I won't make posts every single day, but I'll do it when I can since it looks fun. :)

And of course Day One is going to ask me my favorite read for last year. Well, I didn't have only one. Last year was a pretty damn good reading year for me so I admit to being able to name three off the top of my head right now that were my best reads. I read nearly 150 books last year too, so I would hope no one would expect me to only pick one book out of that many. I just couldn't pick one, so I'm sorry to say that I have to cheat a bit with this question. Ha. (And just in case anyone asks: No, I'm fairly certain I won't be able to pick just one for this year either. Come on now... we're book nerds.)

Top three faves of last year:

Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson
Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

(I was going to include Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen but remembered I technically read the ARC in 2011 and not last year. Hahaha.)

I'll include pics on the next one. :)

Pixie

I probably should’ve posted my review immediately after I finished reading Tandem (which was actually about a week and a half ago) because that is when I had a lot more to say. The reality of it was that at the end of it, I didn’t care much to review right then. It was such a meh moment that I needed time to mull it over. I probably judged the title this time more on the pretty cover, rather than doing research into checking other reviews and seeing if it’d be something I’d like. Though afterward I’ve noticed I’m probably just the black sheep because it seems to be very well-liked among many readers. The good news is that I remember it at least, so that is always a plus sign. And not going to lie… that is certainly one gorgeous cover. One of my favorites this year
probably.

The premise didn’t feel too original to me once I got into the story. I did like the sci-fi elements to give the book its own interesting spin on what would've otherwise been a basic and general idea without it-- and that was what had me hold on throughout the
book instead of marking it as a DNF. The idea of alternate dimensions with ‘analogs’, or basically almost like a clone-copy of ourselves, was fascinating. I felt there was an excellent explanation to this. Especially with Sasha's love of Twelfth Night (Shakespeare, holla!). So, I didn’t hate this book or anything--I’d likely recommend it to readers that are interested so they can form their own opinions. My biggest complaints were the characters… and since I’m a reader that largely focuses on characters most of the time, this made it a problem.

This was an unusual case of insta-love, one that I can’t explain completely without putting in minor spoilers. But Sasha goes on the first date with our lead guy/romantic interest and it’s all “Oooh I think I’m falling for him” right then on that very date. I almost put it down right there. But then there's the event of going to the alternate world, and suddenly hates him, and within a short time, right back to the feels. Ha! The girl was a bit confused to say the least. And she was confused often. She didn’t understand half the time when one of the others would answer her questions--leaving them to try and explain again. It was a constant annoyance because it made for a lot of unnecessary info-dumping making it drag in places, and repetitiveness within the story. Particularly when the girl is repeatedly told not to run off because it’s dangerous--and what does she do?
Yep. Of course.

The villain was obvious from the start, as with a few of the twists, and this made it for more of meh read. One thing I was glad of though was that it didn’t get all clichéd with a love triangle because it could have been easily set up--though the slight attempt at one is there, it doesn’t necessarily happen.

There were details I would’ve liked more of to get a better feel for the background of the other world. I did like what I took away as being their ruling system--a bit old fashioned compared to our modern practices--and found the descriptions of their technology interesting. But I still felt like areas lacked. I only got a simple explanation of the Libertas and their reasons for rebelling. I also would have liked more about Juliana. More about her side of the story. This could have used a bit more back story maybe and information so there wasn’t so much confusion. Just my opinion, I guess.

All in all, it wasn’t terrible. It certainly picked up within the last hundred pages so I am glad I decided to give it a chance and continue reading instead of putting it down. I am undecided as far as continuing the series though. I’ll have to see. The ending here left off fairly closed, but still a bit unresolved. If you’re a sci-fi fan and have been interested in this title, I’d say give it a chance still. It was a slow build-up of a fascinating world and mystery into a thrilling and memorable read.

Pixie
The Bookaholic

I understand that it says I've been "reading" this book for a couple of weeks, but I really haven't. I've barely started the first chapter. :(

Not because I don't want to! Only because I really got into Ashfall. Then I did a read-a-long with Jessie and Lyn with Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone. :P Now I have to have Tandem read before the galley expires in a few short days.... and I should be reading For Darkness Shows the Stars and Across a Star-Swept Sea very soon!

Ack. Seems I've booked up my schedule a bit recently. O_o

I'll still keep this on my currently-reading, but it's going to be read soo slowly since I'll only be able to pick it up when I have the spare time for the "me read."

I'd love to do this. Probably will start it tomorrow night. Though, I don't think I'll be able to do it day after day. So it may get a bit drawn out and take some time. Haha. Either way, looks fun!

--Pixie

This might be one of my harder reviews to write. Maybe even more difficult to write than The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, which many of my readers already know is one of my favorite reads of the year and I gushed insanely over it. I’d never come across any other book that’d struck me so deep until I started reading Mistborn.

Okay, let me admit this before I go into the review: I didn’t always love Epic Fantasy. In fact, I almost always avoided it. With the exception of reading Beowulf, The Hobbit, and part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (I read the first and part of the second--I didn’t even finish the trilogy…Ack!) when I was younger, I just was never into the genre much for a long time. It wasn’t until the last couple of years, probably around the same time I also got into more Contemporary because I wanted to give myseslf more of a variety, that I started to get more into it. I remembered how much I really loved Beowulf and The Hobbit especially, and wanted to find more books to give me those feelings all over again--to give me new worlds, characters, quests, and battles. And for the last couple of years, I've had this intense craving to read so much more fantasy and contemporary that they're quickly becoming my top genres.

This was my first foray into reading anything by Sanderson. Earlier this year, I’d read the first Wheel of Time book (Robert Jordan) and as many of the series’ fans know, he took over the later books after Jordan’s passing. But of course, I can’t count Eye of the World as being a Sanderson read, because it wasn’t only the first book of the series, but it’s still all Jordan’s work anyway--even if I’d continued all the way through (since Sanderson uses all of Jordan’s notes and such) I still wouldn’t have counted it. Ack. I’m getting sooo off-topic. Sorry!

Anyways, you get the idea. Mistborn broke my Sanderson virginity. And I loved every word that found its way into my heart. Not to mention the characters that will live long into my memory. For this being my first Sanderson book, I was whisked away immediately into his imaginative world of Luthadel with skies of ash and cobble-stone streets. Characters that used metals for special abilities and powers fascinated me. It was fresh and unique. I didn't want it to end.

From the first page, I was met with bone-chilling descriptions of a world I wouldn’t have been comfortable living in. Ash falls from the sky by day like a dirty, dusty annoyance--and by night the land is covered in thick, dark mists. I wasn’t stuck waiting long on some drawn-out build-up of anything before the story kicked off within the first few pages--and let me tell you, I was hooked right away to what was happening around these people and their world. I couldn’t put it down. I sat in awe. I smiled. I laughed. I cried. IT RIPPED MY HEART TO SHREDS. I smiled some more. I can’t wait to get to the store soon so that I can buy everything with Sanderson’s name on it.

I was attached to Kelsier from his first appearance on the pages. Admittedly, his character was a surprise to me before I reached the halfway point of reading because I realized he wasn’t going to be any kind of romantic interest for the story (no matter how much I loved him as the reader). Of course, this is understandable through reading--and I’m not going to go into further detail on that note because of possible spoilers. Vin, our other lead, is the heroine of Mistborn. When she made her appearance at first, I have to say that I nearly cried for her and the situation she’d been put in. The immediate sympathy I felt for her character was shocking, but she had personality--an edge--and I liked her. I was certainly happy to watch her development and growth through the book, and cheered for her by the end.

I’d like to ramble about all of the characters, but that would probably take too much time and make this review even longer than it already is. There are many characters, and a complex storyline to follow them along in their adventure, but I didn’t find myself confused like I often did when trying to read an epic fantasy in the past. Sanderson writes with such an easy style that while it’s simple to understand and follow along with, at the same time it’s otherworldly and timeless feeling.

This is one book that will live long in my memory as being a favorite, and will be re-read many times. There's just really not much more I can say than that other than gushing like a giddy fangirl. Which I already have been doing since I finished reading. ;)

<3

Pixie

The Bookaholic

I just swooned.

---Hahaha! Love it!

Since all of my GIFs are gone from my reviews through my import (sad), I've decided that through the whole re-formatting process I'm not going to bother re-posting all of them. That would just take even more time. Ha. So, to see GIFs and all that from past reviews, you'll just have to go to the blog. Any new posts will include them at least.

And the import is still going. I'm still working on all the formatting so just be patient. I'm not wanting to really post much at the moment until I feel a bit more organized here. :)

*hugs*

<3
Pixie

You can see the full review at The Bookaholic (More like a 2.5 star rating also)

Darkfever came recommended to me by my friend Kelly from PaperFantasies. She even gifted me the book because she wanted me to read it so bad. How could I deny her that? So I stuck to my word and thought I’d give it a shot. She wasn’t the only one I’d heard singing this series praises. Several reviewers I follow seem to enjoy it as well, and I admit that I was curious to see what all the hub-bub was about.

What I hate to admit though is that I wasn’t impressed. In fact, I started reading the book about mid-August. I finished the other day (on the 16th of September). It really shouldn’t have taken me that long to read this paranormal/urban fantasy, especially since it is one of my favorite genres. However, when starting out, I kept finding myself within the first forty pages alone just constantly setting it aside and not caring whether or not if I continued. The narration felt very stiff to me and where I should’ve felt sympathy for Mac from the beginning, I couldn’t. This caused an immediate disconnect with her character--and an immediate problem for me. I felt an obligation to press on though, and finally I did when picking it back up earlier this weekend to give it one last chance. I guess I could say it did get better. Well enough that once I got past that awfully slow hump of a start, which consisted mostly of Mac narrating an info-dump or talking about how much she enjoyed her fashion or a seemingly emotionless repetitive mention of her sister, I did actually find it to be a compulsive read. It was one of those “must keep reading to find out what happens next” because Moning does know how to keep a reader on their toes with many twists, turns, and action.

I also have to say that for me, after reading many books with fae and in the UF genre, the story did feel fresh, and I quite liked that. The world-building is what made this book work. It’s what made me hold on tightly to the pages and press on with some hope as to something redeeming that start. That’s what did it. Moning is an excellent storyteller. She has built this entire new world, complete with an alternate full of fae that invisibly surround us on a daily basis, and made it rather terrifying and realistic actually. To top it off, throw in some ancient artifacts, a bit of history and adventure, IRELAND, and you have a pretty darn good story. The details were also quite creepy and well-done, making me glad that I’m obviously not a sidhe-seer. Whew.

My largest problem? The two main characters. Mac often came across as stubborn, childish, and dim. It really annoyed me with the constant “I don’t believe you… Okay, I believe you…. Nevermind, I don’t anymore.” Also, how many times does one have to repeat “You’re life is in danger. It’s best you stay in for a bit.” until it goes through that thick skull? Just made me hate the characters more. The repetitiveness of everything. When something wasn’t really happening much, it felt like I was reading the same thing between the two of them. Sister. Oh so pretty fashion. Don’t go out! I don’t believe you! Okay I believe you. No I don’t! This is impossible--HOW CAN THIS BE?! I said, don’t go out because you’re in danger!

Oops. I went out.

And scene.

Now, about Jericho Barrons. I’m sure the fans are going to hate me for this one. But WTF? I initially had a lot of interest in this because of all the gushing and OMGs for Barrons. That was the biggest letdown evah, my peeps. You better hope he gets better in future installments. I couldn’t find myself attracted to his character because he was an abusive ass. I don’t mean just emotionally (though he certainly had problems in that area as well by constantly belittling Mac), but physically. Gripping her around the ribs, causing them to bruise bad enough that it makes it troublesome for her to walk later, as well as then clamping a hand down over her mouth and nose long enough to nearly suffocate her? Picking her up by her throat in a chokehold, dangling her in the air against the wall because he was angry? Yeahhhh… if that’s not abusive behavior, please someone tell me what is? The only good thing I can say is that the behavior only happened a few times in the beginning and stopped. So thankfully, I didn’t have to read an entire book with that, and with some hope, he doesn’t get like that in any other installments again. And before any fans try to come at me about this: OKAY, I get it. In this installment he’s “technically” not a love interest. But that shouldn’t matter because it's still not cool no matter what.

Outside of this problem area, I still wasn’t entirely fond of his character. He was evasive. Too oddly mysterious. And rather vapid.

With all this said, I’m sure you’re thinking I absolutely hated the book. I really didn’t. Writing reviews this lengthy means I did care enough that it was worth this time for me. It wasn’t one of the great books I’d read this year, but it was an entertaining one that I’ll remember at least. I can see the appeal and understand the compulsive quality to reading this series. It has a flair and charm that brings a fresh look on the fae to the urban fantasy genre.

Will I continue? Of course. I’m interested to see what’s to come next for the characters and the world surrounding them. Besides, I heard it only got better from here…and if that’s true, then I must.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown wasn’t the first time I’d read anything by Holly Black. I knew going into this book what her style was like, and she’s been a favorite since I started reading more YA in my early 20s (having read the Modern Fae books first and absolutely fell in love with them).

Nonetheless, I also knew that it’s been hard to attach the word “original” next to vampire anything in recent years, so this made me curious. I hadn’t read the short story and didn’t know anything about it before going into it. I was still insanely excited to pick it up and it’d been one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I’m happy to say that it didn’t disappoint me at all. In fact, it went above my expectations. I stayed up well into the night on the edge of my seat because I couldn’t put this one down, and for days after I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Ms. Black crafted a dark, unique world full of excitement and horror, twists and gasp-out-loud cover-your-mouth OMG moments. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown won me over from the first scene--a frightening heart-racing beginning that started off with a bang--and I wasn’t able to let go of this addictive story or its characters from that moment on. This book blew my mind. I am mind blown. I am still practically speechless and flustered and I don’t know how I’m able to even write this review properly.

I found Gavriel just as forbidden and charming and mysterious as Tana had. Gavriel is my new favorite hero. Anti-hero? He’s not all fluffy bunnies and paper hearts, that’s for sure. But he does know how to certainly charm some. And while Tana had had it rough through the years since vampires revealed their existence, her character showed so much determination and strength that I just had to love her and hope nothing but the best by the end for her.

These characters had spunk and a realistic appeal to them. Though the blurb may make it feel there’s a possible love triangle, there’s not. An awkward ex-boyfriend friendship, yes, and for that I was like “thank you!” Because really, how often do we see that? The romance overall was exciting and different. And I adored it. Admittedly, it felt somewhat rushed, a bit of an insta-love maybe, but in one of those rare cases I wasn't bothered by this. 

I’m curious though: Is this a stand-alone or a series? The ending left off a bit open-ended, though could have been considered pretty well wrapped up at the same time. As much as I love stand-alones (and we all know we probably could use more of them), I’m sincerely hoping this is going to be a series because I want MORE. There are so many feels. And just gah… I need to know what’s happening to Gavriel and Tana and Pearl, and what’s going to go on next in this crazy-imaginative world. Please?!

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is hands down one of my favorite reads, not just for 2013, but in years. Not hard to make that decision. Holly Black has once again delivered a unique cast and imaginative, fresh world not to be missed!

When I entered into the second installment of the Throne of Glass series with Crown of Midnight, I found myself surprised by an entirely different tone and feel to the story. Maas had transitioned the world easily between the two installments to show how much had changed with the growing conflicts, and Celaena’s new position as King’s Assassin made for an emotional ride not just for herself, but for characters around her.

While it started a bit on the slow side for me, it didn’t take long to pick up and take me for the non-stop page-turning just like the first installment had. There are twists and I admit they were a bit predictable. Did it affect my enjoyment? No. I’d already pretty much figured them out well into the beginning pages of the book I think, so when it came of no surprise, it didn’t really bother me. The ending "reveal and big surprise" that was supposed to be the shocker, I'd already guessed long before as well, but not an issue either. There'd been some speculation from the first installment even, and when little hints started through the first half of this, I was actually rather glad at the direction it was taking. I am certainly fascinated to see how it will play out for the future installments though and what this means for the characters and their world.

I’m torn between deciding if I liked this installment better than the first or not. Now that it’s been a few days since I finished and I’ve had time to mull it over, I just don’t know. While the first is where I met and fell in love with all of the characters and the story, the second is where things do start to come into play. I also finally understood what was so evil about the King. Something I couldn’t quite get in the first installment because it was never really touched upon (and I discussed this last year in review and with a group topic on the blog). But I get it now. Instead of telling, it is really shown how power-hungry and evil the man is, and I felt it. The action I felt lacked in some places in Throne of Glass, were prevalent throughout in Crown of Midnight with detailed scenes--some that made me gasp out loud. The romance I felt lacked in areas in ToG, turned into scenes of passion and well-written beauty here.

Be prepared to have your heart ripped to shreds, too. There’s a shocker in there. I wasn’t prepared. And now every time I think about it, I want to start crying again. My heart hurts. But when these turn of events happened, I certainly saw the emotion come out. The anger and hurt. And I learned more about Celaena. It was some of the most emotional reading moments I’d done in some time, and everything was so easily visualized for me that it was as if I was there with the characters in their world, and it hurt me also. Because let’s face it: We get attached to characters as if they’re real people sometimes, right? At least, I know I do.

With all that said, it’s easy for me to say that I adored this sequel and that makes me happy. I usually have a hard time with sequels and I admit to being a little worried before I picked it up. No worries anymore. I know now for sure that no matter what Maas writes, I’ll be grabbing my hands for it. Once again, I found myself immersed in the world and characters, caught up in a whirlwind of romance, and at times agonizing heartache. I didn’t want to let go when it came time to turn the last page.

(I thought I'd already put this on my list and rated it)

To be fair, adding in the whole "William Shakespeare's" bit on the title is a whole marketing thing obviously. There is nothing Shakespeare here, not even any familiar lines or quotes from one of his plays to fit amongst the story as a humor addition. Eh. Oh well. I have to be blunt also and say that I absolutely hate Star Wars. I mean, I really hate it. So what if I've seen all 6 damn movies. Why did I? Because I'm married and my husband likes Star Wars and I watched them with him. He did watch my Star Trek with me on occasion so I guess I owed him. Whatever. I will NOT be watching any new ones that are made in the next few years though. Bleggghh. However, there was something rather interesting about this little book that I noticed...

I ENJOYED IT. That's right. Don't attack me yet, Star Wars fanatics. I enjoyed a Star Wars story. Boom. Maybe it was because of the Shakespeare-style verse it'd been written in. I am a Shakespeare geek after all (and it also helped that I already knew the story going into it). Maybe it was the adorable little book in general. It is so cute with the art and everything--I really like looking at it on my bookshelf! Either way, I quite enjoyed Shakespeare's Star Wars. If you're a Shakespeare fan and don't like Star Wars, it could very well have you thinking you've changed your mind just as it did with me. Alas, I tried watching the movie again shortly after and decided that it was just this little book I enjoyed as far as anything goes with Star Wars. I shall stick to my Star Trek. Thanks.

3.5 stars.