Waiting on Wednesday: The Wrinkled Crown

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

The Wrinkled Crown

Anne Nesbet

Publication Date: November 10, 2015

From Goodreads:

Up in the magical, wrinkled hills, Linny breaks an ancient law. No matter how musical a girl may be, she must not so much as touch a string of a lourka before she turns twelve, or she'll be spirited off to Away. When the curse meant for her strikes her best friend instead, Linny must leave her home behind to try to set things right. If you walk down out of the wrinkled hills, you will never find your way home - everyone knows that other law. But Linny has the gift of not getting lost, and she will risk everything to rescue her friend. With her father's young apprentice, Elias, she travels down into the Plain, where science may have found a cure for magic. Linny and Elias soon find themselves caught up in the age-old battle between the wrinkled places and the Plain. Can Linny keep the fractured land from falling apart - and save her best friend?

Why I'm Excited

- I need some new Middle Grade fantasy adventure in my life.

Waiting on Wednesday: Manners & Mutiny

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

Manners & Mutiny

by Gail Carriger

(Finishing School: #4)

Publication Date: November 3, 2015

From Goodreads:

When a dastardly Pickleman plot comes to fruition, only Sophronia can save her friends, her school, and all of London. . . .but at what cost? Our proper young heroine puts her training and skills to the test in this highly anticipated conclusion of the rousing, intriguing, and always polished New York Times bestselling Finishing School series!

Why I'm Excited

- I've been enjoying this series immensely ever since I picked it up, and I can't wait to see what happens to Sophronia next!

- I'm also sad that it's ending. :(

2015 TBR Update #8

So it's been a (long) while since I've done one of these updates, but I'm going to try and do them on Mondays on a regular basis. Not only so you can stay up to date on my reading challenges, but also my TBR progress for the months.

So my October TBR has 16 official books. Out of those, I have completed 0 this week.

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I have 15 left to read:

• Empire of Night - Kelley Armstrong
• Scholar's Plot - Hilari Bell
• The Dark Hills Divide - Patrick Carmen
• Hopper's Destiny - Lisa Fiedler
• Ignite - Sara B. Larson
• Devoted - Jennifer Mathieu
• Hidden - Donna Jo Napoli
• The Spindlers - Lauren Oliver
• The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail - Richard Peck
• Asylum - Madeleine Roux
• The Sin Eater's Daughter - Melinda Salisbury
• Circa Now - Amber McRee Turner
• Of Monsters and Madness - Jessica Verday
• The Whispering Trees - J. A. White
• Bad Luck Girl - Sarah Zettel

I have also read:

• Attack on Titan Vol. 4 - Hajime Takaya (5/5)
• Attack on Titan Vol. 5 - Hajime Takaya (5/5)
• Fairy Tail Vol. 3 - Hiro Mashima (5/5)
• Fairy Tail Vol. 4 - Hiro Mashima (5/5)
• Basara Vol. 3 - Yumi Tamura (4/5)
• Black Butler Vol. 3 - Yana Toboso (5/5)
• Noragami: Stray God Vol. 3 - Adachi Toka (4/5)
• Rave Master Vol. 2 - Hiro Mashima (3/5)

I am currently reading 3 books:

• Scholar's Plot by Hilari Bell
• A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
• Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead

I have caught up on 0 series, and I have started 0 new series/trilogies/duologies.

For my 2015 Reading Challenge, I have completed 24 items:

• A book with more than 500 pages: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
• A book that became a movie: Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
• A book published this year: Firefight by Brandon Sanderson
• A book by a female author: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
• A mystery or thriller: Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz
• A book with a one-word title Ticker by Lisa Mantchev
• A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet: Slaves of Socorro by John Flanagan
• A book based on a true story: Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz
• A book at the bottom of your to-read list: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
• A book based entirely on its cover: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
• A book you can finish in a day: Beneath the Stone Forest by Jordan Quinn
• A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
• A book set in high school: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
• A book with magic: Thursdays with the Crown by Jessica Day George
• A book by an author you've never read before: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
• A book you own but have never read: Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
• A book with bad reviews: Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernen
• A graphic novel: Locke & Key Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez
• A book that made you cry: Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
• A classic romance: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
• A book you started but never finished: Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
• A book set in the future: The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

I have 13 planned reads that I have yet to complete:

• A book of short stories: Clockwork Fairy Tales by Various Authors
• A book with a number in the title: Survival Colony 9 by Joshua David Bellin
• A book written by someone under 30: Wolfsblood by Hazel West
• A book with nonhuman characters: The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck
• A book set in a different country: Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
• A nonfiction book: Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand
• A book a friend recommended: Impossible by Nancy Werlin
• A trilogy: Delirium, Pandemonium, Requiem by Lauren Oliver
• A book that was originally written in a different language: Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier
• A popular author's first book: The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
• A book that won a prize: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
• A book that scares you: Asylum by Madeleine Roux 
• A book based on or turned into a TV show: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

I have 14 categories to still plan and complete:

• A book your mom loves
• A book more than 100 years old
• A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
• A memoir
• A book with antonyms in the title
• A book that came out the year you were born
• A book from your childhood
• A book with a love triangle
• A book with a color in the title
• A book that takes place in your hometown
• A book set during Christmas
• A book written by an author with your same initials
• A play
• A banned book

Hedgehog Life: 10.12.15 - 10.18.15

So my big promise to get back on top of blogging this week? Didn't really happen. But I've got a good reason for it.

This Week I Read:

• Attack on Titan Vol. 4 - Hajime Takaya (5/5)
• Attack on Titan Vol. 5 - Hajime Takaya (5/5)
• Fairy Tail Vol. 3 - Hiro Mashima (5/5)
• Fairy Tail Vol. 4 - Hiro Mashima (5/5)
• Basara Vol. 3 - Yumi Tamura (4/5)
• Black Butler Vol. 3 - Yana Toboso (5/5)
• Noragami: Stray God Vol. 3 - Adachi Toka (4/5)
• Rave Master Vol. 2 - Hiro Mashima (3/5)

As you can see, it's been a manga week (again). I'm still pushing my way through Scholar's Plot by Hilari Bell (and loving it). But I honestly haven't had much time to read. See, I made the big decision to resign from my job and I've been busy tying things up there and then starting to search for a new one. I don't really want to get into all of it, but it was just time for me to move on. So, yes, I've been busy with that - took up a lot of my time and energy.

On top of that, I'm getting ready for the big fancy dancy masquerade gala at the end of this week! I have the dress, and a couple of friends and I went shopping on Thursday to get some final items (namely, masks). Out of all the masks I already own, I just didn't have one that suited my dress, but I did finally find one! And it's perfectly. No, no; you people aren't getting any pictures until the day of the event! I don't want to spoil the surprise to anyone!! It was really nice getting out with my friends and we had a ton of fun looking for accessories and masks and makeup - and all that awesome stuff. We're going to look so fabulous!!

So: job hunting, school, gala preparation, dance lessons, and writing has been my week. Manga is about all I've had time to read. Scholar's Plot sucks me in too much that I can't read it before bed - otherwise, I don't get to sleep until midnight and I've been trying to get back to bed at a decent hour again. I will not get sick for the gala!! Everyone around me has been dropping like flies, and while I have had my bought of sickness for the season, one of my friends just got sick for a second time, and I am not going to let that happen before the gala! No! I won't! 

Keep reading, my friends!!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Many Lives of John Stone

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

The Many Lives of John Stone

by Linda Buckley-Archer

Publication Date: October 20, 2015

From Goodreads:

An English teen questions all she knows about aging when she encounters a set of journals that date from the present back to the reign of King Louis XIV in this blend of contemporary and historical fiction from the author of the acclaimed Gideon Trilogy.

Stella Park (Spark for short) has found summer work cataloging historical archives in John Stone's remote and beautiful house in Suffolk, England. She wasn't quite sure what to expect, and her uncertainty about living at Stowney House only increases upon arriving: what kind of people live in the twenty-first century without using electricity, telephones, or even a washing machine? Additionally, the notebooks she's organizing span centuries - they begin in the court of Louis XIV in Versailles - but are written in the same hand. Something strange is going on for sure, and Spark's questions are piling up. Who exactly is John Stone? What connection does he have to these notebooks? And more importantly, why did he hire her in the first place?

Why I'm Excited

- It's been ages since I've read anything by Linda Buckley-Archer!!

- Stories about people who live from a historical time period into the modern era fascinate me.

Top 10 Author Duos I'd LOVE To See Write Together

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish 

It's Top Ten Tuesday time! And this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Top 10 Author Duos You'd LOVE to See Write Together! This took some brain-wracking, but I think I've come up with a fairly good list. I sort of cheated and a few authors more than once, but I think you'll understand when you see which authors I used more than once.

1. Leigh Bardugo and Victoria Schwab. Two incredible authors all on their own; just imagine what they'd be like if they wrote a series together?!
2. Victoria Schwab and Maggie Stiefvater. Same case as the first one. Two amazing authors on their own; put their genius together and the world might explode.
3. Jonathan Stroud and Anthony Horowitz. I know, they both kind of write books entirely different from one another, but I would love to see what they could create together!!
4. Cat Winters and Ruta Sepetys. Both historical fiction writers, BUT - Cat Winters always does some supernatural twist on her books. So what could my most favorite supernatural history author and historical fiction writer create together?
5. Ruta Sepetys and Elizabeth Wein. To be honest, that pairing seems like a no-brainer. They both favor WWII and are both very emotional writers.
6. Jennifer A. Nielsen and Caroline Lawrence. After reading Jennifer's Mark of the Thief book, I'd love to get these two Middle Grade ancient world writers together to write something amazing.
7. Kendare Blake and Lish McBride. If you've read any of their books, you won't have to ask why.
8. John Flanagan and K. M. Grant. I'd love to see what these two could do in terms of historical fiction.
9. Sharon Cameron and Gail Carriger. Victorian/steampunk galore!
10. William Ritter and Sharon Cameron. Same reason!

2015 TBR Update #7

So it's been a (long) while since I've done one of these updates, but I'm going to try and do them on Mondays on a regular basis. Not only so you can stay up to date on my reading challenges, but also my TBR progress for the months.

So my October TBR has 16 official books. Out of those, I have completed 1 this week.

• The Lost Kingdom by Matthew J Kirby (3/5)

I have 15 left to read:

• Empire of Night - Kelley Armstrong
• Scholar's Plot - Hilari Bell
• The Dark Hills Divide - Patrick Carmen
• Hopper's Destiny - Lisa Fiedler
• Ignite - Sara B. Larson
• Devoted - Jennifer Mathieu
• Hidden - Donna Jo Napoli
• The Spindlers - Lauren Oliver
• The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail - Richard Peck
• Asylum - Madeleine Roux
• The Sin Eater's Daughter - Melinda Salisbury
• Circa Now - Amber McRee Turner
• Of Monsters and Madness - Jessica Verday
• The Whispering Trees - J. A. White
• Bad Luck Girl - Sarah Zettel

I have also read:

• Tsubasa: Those With Wings Vol. 1 - Natsuki Takaya (3/5)
• Fruits Basket Vol. 4 - Natsuki Takaya (4/5)
• Attack on Titan Vol. 3 - Hajime Isayama (5/5)
• Noragami: Stray God Vol. 2 - Adachi Toka (4/5)

I am currently reading 3 books:

• Scholar's Plot by Hilari Bell
• A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
• Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead

I have caught up on 1 series (The Invasion of the Tearling), and I have started 8 new series/trilogies/duologies (Fruits Basket; Attack on Titan; Basara; Black Butler; Fairy Tail; Noragami: Stray God; Rave Master; Tsubasa: Those With Wings).

For my 2015 Reading Challenge, I have completed 24 items:

• A book with more than 500 pages: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
• A book that became a movie: Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
• A book published this year: Firefight by Brandon Sanderson
• A book by a female author: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
• A mystery or thriller: Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz
• A book with a one-word title Ticker by Lisa Mantchev
• A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet: Slaves of Socorro by John Flanagan
• A book based on a true story: Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz
• A book at the bottom of your to-read list: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
• A book based entirely on its cover: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
• A book you can finish in a day: Beneath the Stone Forest by Jordan Quinn
• A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
• A book set in high school: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
• A book with magic: Thursdays with the Crown by Jessica Day George
• A book by an author you've never read before: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
• A book you own but have never read: Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
• A book with bad reviews: Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernen
• A graphic novel: Locke & Key Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez
• A book that made you cry: Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
• A classic romance: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
• A book you started but never finished: Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
• A book set in the future: The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

I have 13 planned reads that I have yet to complete:

• A book of short stories: Clockwork Fairy Tales by Various Authors
• A book with a number in the title: Survival Colony 9 by Joshua David Bellin
• A book written by someone under 30: Wolfsblood by Hazel West
• A book with nonhuman characters: The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck
• A book set in a different country: Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
• A nonfiction book: Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand
• A book a friend recommended: Impossible by Nancy Werlin
• A trilogy: Delirium, Pandemonium, Requiem by Lauren Oliver
• A book that was originally written in a different language: Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier
• A popular author's first book: The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
• A book that won a prize: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
• A book that scares you: Asylum by Madeleine Roux 
• A book based on or turned into a TV show: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

I have 14 categories to still plan and complete:

• A book your mom loves
• A book more than 100 years old
• A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
• A memoir
• A book with antonyms in the title
• A book that came out the year you were born
• A book from your childhood
• A book with a love triangle
• A book with a color in the title
• A book that takes place in your hometown
• A book set during Christmas
• A book written by an author with your same initials
• A play
• A banned book

Hedgehog Life: 10/5/15 - 10/11/15

So I know you've all noticed my unannounced, sudden disappearance from the blogosphere and really all of my social media. Except for the still-consistent Goodreads updates, you haven't seen hide nor hair of me for a good month (and a half). I'm really sorry about there; there is an explanation for it, and I have every intention of still posting my August Wrap-Up, Book Haul, TBR, and all that good stuff.

Now normally, I do a brief weekly update of what I've posted and what I've read. But I'm going to skip a lot of that, except for a brief reading update.

This Week I Read:

- Tsubasa: Those With Wings Vol. 1 - Natsuki Takaya (3/5)

- Fruits Basket: Vol. 4 - Natsuki Takaya (4/5)

- Attack on Titan: Vol. 3 - Hajime Isayama (5/5)

- Noragami: Stray God Vol. 2 - Adachi Toka (4/5)

- The Lost Kingdom - Matthew J. Kirby (3/5)

So I gave a very brief update a few weeks back on why I've been absent. I had some medical things come up that had me wiped out for a while. I'm getting better now, but then I got busy with college and my motivation to blog just slowly disappeared. That isn't to say I've been lazy, though! So what's been going on in my life other than my body playing stupid tricks on me?

Well! I've been dancing away, as usual. This week, I start Argentinian Tango classes and at the end of the month my swing friends and I get to go to a fancy dancy masquerade gala at the capitol building! Yes, I am shopping for a dress. I just realized that out of all the masks and dresses I own, none of them actually go together. Anyway, I have a very specific color in mind and I don't have a dress or mask to match!

Some of you may have also already heard about my new project: The Freelance Chronicles. Check out the link, but it's essentially a serialized series I'm doing 1) for the fun of it, and 2) I miss writing, but I need a break from my "big" story. I've had a lot of ideas and characters floating around in my head for a future fantasy steampunk world that I didn't really know what to do with. So I put them in The Freelance Chronicles. Please check it out! I'm trying to get a new installment up every two weeks.

I also took the time off my blog to just rest. While I'm only taking one class at college this quarter (a Microsoft Word course that is oodles of fun, but also super easy), it's still been sapping a lot of my energy. 7am and I don't and never shall get along, and from there I have to go to work, and then from work usually to dance. So in my down time, I haven't felt like reading any books that make me feel the pressure of writing reviews for.

Thus I discovered manga. I blame my friend Catherine. She's been trying to corrupt me for two years and I always maintained that I would never get into anime or manga. The style isn't for me, I don't want to read books "backwards", I'm sure there are some super cool storylines and characters but it's not for me. . . .Yeah, well, she finally wore me down. Thankfully, Catherine knows manga and anime as well as I know YA and Middle Grade, so she can filter out the bad stuff for me. I'm getting the cream of the crop. ;-) Manga and anime have become my guilty pleasures. They're fast, they're fun, and they really do have some of the most amazing characters and storylines I've ever encountered. September was essentially a "get better by indulging" month. Recovering from my medical issues and reading a lot of manga and watching a lot of anime. I had to create a special shelf in my bedroom for all of the manga series I have currently going.

But I'm feeling a lot better now. Still kind of beating it out of my system, but still a lot better. I'm back in the rhythm of college, work is getting steadily busier with the holiday season upon us, but I'm okay with it (for now). And my evenings are getting a rhythm back as well. I'll have an August book haul, reading wrap-up, and TBR video for you in the next few weeks. As well as a September wrap-up/what mangas and animes am I currently in the middle of video and an October TBR. My September book haul will be combined with my October one, as the books have accidentally been mixed together already.

Until then, I'll see you around!

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

Books to Movies is a feature where I review movies based off books! These reviews are for people who have read the book, so spoilers are definitely within.

Rated: PG-13

Is it worth watching?

Oh, absolutely. Whether or not you've read the book, this was one hell of an awesome movie. Very well made, intense, and thought out, it'll keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

Is it clean?

There is quite a bit more profanity in this installment than the previous one. Thomas and Newt and Brenda spit out a lot of s-words. And while it's not gory (more suggested), there's some violent moments and the Cranks are disturbing, so if intense isn't your thing, you'll find it all quite disconcerting.

How is the cast?

I have absolutely no complaints about the cast. Zilch. Brenda, Jorge, Aris, Jensen were all spot on. Our returning characters - Thomas, Newt, Minho, Teresa, Winston, Frypan - continued to deliver just as effectively as they had in the first movie.

Did the story stay close to the book?

And now we get to tricky ground. There's only one way to put this: Scorch Trials the movie and Scorch Trials the book are nothing - I repeat, NOTHING - alike. There were so many changes that I don't even know where to begin with it. And I honestly can't without giving things away. The movie has all of the characters we know and love, and it keeps many of major concepts - like the Cranks and a few key scenes. And then it turns it all on its head and does whatever the hell it wants. It really is an entirely new and different story. And because of this, I can't give anything away. Not one thing.

Did they even get the little things right?

Little and big - no; they changed everything. I can't stress that enough.

But the ending is good, right?

Oh, it's spectacular! The ending sets up perfectly for the third installment. But it's still completely, entirely, utterly different from the book.

So if I absolutely adore the book, will I like the movie?

Let me instead talk about my experience. I went into Scorch Trials knowing they would probably change some things - pretty big things, too. Like the beginning. I was prepared for the beginning to be almost nothing like the book. It needed to be to work for the screen. What I was not expecting was for the movie to continue along that vein of "this is its own entity; you are not in the story you were anticipating." The first time I saw Scorch Trials (opening night), my brain physically hurt afterward. I couldn't process what I had just seen; I literally could not think about it. I went through all the emotions of surprise, confusion, uncertainty, fear that I was going to hate the movie after all, and then finally absolute amazement all in a single night. Wes Ball is one bold director. I'm sure he's well aware of the gigantic risk he took in pretty much flipping Scorch Trials on its head and disregarding everything in the book. However, I totally, absolutely appreciate what he did and why he did it. Maybe I'm wrong, but I got the impression that this movie was created with the 3rd one in mind the whole time. Fans, let's be honest with ourselves: while The Death Cure is good, the explanations it gave were rather disappointing and it really kinda felt like it had no direction. Suddenly, rebels and this place called Paradise were being introduced and more crazy stuff was happening - but not in the same way as the last two books. Scorch Trials the movie took several of those key concepts from The Death Cure and introduced them early. Then it gave a much, much more satisfying explanation behind what WICKED was trying to accomplish. It gave further purpose to characters' actions and filled in plot holes. Yes, unfortunately it meant that a TON of the original material had to be sacrificed. I was especially sad that the lightbulb creatures were cut. But it was entirely necessary and I think Wes Ball made the craziest and best and most brilliant move in creating this movie. Seeing it a second time definitely confirmed that for me.

But what about fans? I realize I'm a very tolerant fan. If I can understand the why behind changes, I generally accept them - and even like them. Most fans, unfortunately, aren't like that. If you're like me and can appreciate what they did to an awesome storyline that did, unfortunately, have a lot of gaps and issues - you'll love Scorch Trials. The number of changes will shock you and you might have to think about it for while, but ultimately you'll love it. If, however, you don't like any changes in your adaptations, you will hate this movie. Me? I loved it.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Toymaker's Apprentice

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

The Toymaker's Apprentice

by Sherri L. Smith

Publication Date: October 13, 2015

From Goodreads:

Stefan Drosselmeyer is a reluctant apprentice to his toymaker father until the day his world is turned upside down. His father is kidnapped and Stefan is enlisted by his mysterious cousin, Christian Drosselmeyer, to find a mythical nut to save a princess who has been turned into a wooden doll. Embarking on a wild adventure through Germany, Stefan must save Boldavia's princess and his own father from the fanatical Mouse Queen and her seven-headed Mouse Prince, both of whom have sworn to destroy the Drosselmeyer family.

Based on the original inspiration for the Nutcracker ballet, Sherri L. Smith brings the Nutcracker Prince to life in this fascinating journey into a world of toymaking, magical curses, clockmaking guilds, talking mice, and erudite squirrels.

Why I'm Excited

- Well, The Nutcracker is quite simply my most favorite Tchaikovsky ballet ever!

- I'm game for anything that takes place in Germany and has to do with clockmaking and toymaking.

- I think this is the first time that a Drosselmeyer hasn't been a villain!