November Wrap Up and December TBR

    Hello everyone!  I know, it's basically the middle of the month at this point and I'm finally getting around to doing this, but I've been super busy with end-of-semester assignments (both my final projects were due a day apart last week).  Now that I finally have time to relax, I can tell you about all the books I didn't get to last month and the abysmal TBR list I have for this month.  I blame most of this on Outlander (which I'm STILL READING) and putting time and effort to one book I never finished.  More on that in a minute.

(goodreads.com)

    Obviously I was able to finish A Torch Against the Night, seeing as how I was almost done with it by the end of November anyway.  This was the second installment to Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes series and it was very different in comparison to the first.  This book starts right where we left off in Ember, with Laia and Elias on the run from the Commandant and the Martial army.  This book has the fantastical element that I felt was lacking in the first book.  There is more elaboration on the Jin and their conflict with the humans as well as a look into a different realm of the world.  We also see Helene coping with the aftermath of Elias's choice and her ultimate goal of having to kill him eventually, per the Emperor's demand.  I thought the setting was a bit lacking in this book.  In the first book, the reader is given the set-up of the plot and the world building is intense so you can picture the empire in your mind.  This book is all about the journey through barren lands and flat terrain, so the only relief we really get in setting is toward the middle when they arrive somewhere new, but it doesn't last long.  There are other powers at work here in this book, so I'm curious to see if the issues resolve themselves or if we'll see an all-out war between the humans and the fantastical beings.  Overall I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang was not originally on my TBR for last month because it was something I read for a class, but it was surprisingly wonderful to read!  I'm very lucky in that my "required readings" are mostly items that I chose myself, so when I realized that I would have the opportunity to read this graphic novel that I've had my eyes on for years, I was excited to finally pick it up.  This award-winning graphic novel follows a young Chinese-American student whose family moves from the San Francisco area to (I believe) San Diego, where he's the only Asian-American in his school.  From there chaos ensues, with tie-ins to Chinese mythology and obnoxious Chinese stereotypes scattered throughout, this book is not only entertaining, but eye-opening.  The author really captures the feelings of a diverse people living in a white-washed society and how that effects someone's childhood.  I highly recommend this graphic novel to anyone interested in diverse literature or Asian-American themes.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.  I'm hoping to pick up Yang's other graphic novel series Boxers and Saints next year.

(goodreads.com)

    I also read a book of prose for one of my classes called Aleutian Sparrow by Karen Hesse which followed a group of native Alaskans living on the Aleutian Islands during World War II.  During the course of the book, we follow the perspective of a young girl living with her family on the island as she and her people are displaced by American soldiers and forced to live elsewhere in deplorable conditions for many years.  I've been very intrigued by World War II literature that follows lesser-known stories about the struggles of different types of people effected by the war.  The format of this book was sometimes difficult to read, being prose, but the message was received loud and clear.  I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Now about the book I never finished...  I very rarely review books I DNF, but I felt compelled to talk about my troubles here.  I had anticipated that As Old As Time, a Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell, would be right up my alley as a Beauty and the Beast retelling.  I was very disappointed with the writing style and the blatant regurgitation of the original Disney version.  They even use the same dialogue and words from the film in the beginning.  I don't know if it was naivety on my part for not realizing that this is probably more of a middle grade book than a YA, or if Disney had this in mind when helping to publish this book.  I had heard mixed things about the other books in this Twisted Tales series, but I thought I could at least handle this one since I knew the story best.  I just couldn't get over how awfully written it was.  I couldn't even connect with Belle, who wasn't even really the main character in this story, but instead focused on her mother, the enchantress who supposedly cursed the beast in the first place.  I got about halfway through before I gave up.  I'm sad to say that this was a very disappointing "retelling" of this story and I was sad to give it up, but at least it has a stunning cover.

    Since we're almost halfway through December already, here are the books I plan to read this month:

(goodreads.com)

    Outlander by Diana Gabaldon:  I WILL FINISH THIS BOOK THIS WEEK.  I knew what I was doing when I decided to read this monster, but I never imagined that it would take me almost two months to finish!  I will definitely be more cautious with the next book in this series and make sure I have plenty of time to devote to such a behemoth.  As you should already know, I began watching the series a few months ago and really enjoyed it, so I decided to read the book as well.  At this point, I'm at the same part in both the series and the book, so it's cool to see how the show really portrays the book well and sticks to the main story line with little to no deviation.  I'm excited to start season two, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to read Dragonfly in Amber in January...  We'll see what happens.  For now, this is only a partial review.  A more in-depth one will follow soon!

(goodreads.com)

    Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes: The 5th book to the Falling Kingdoms series comes out TOMORROW and you bet your ass I'll be at the bookstore after work buying myself a copy.  I can't go into much detail about the plot at this point, especially if you haven't read any of the other books, but this is a continuation of the series after the events of the last book Frozen Tides.  Magnus, Cleo, Lucia, and Jonas have all separated, but will converge on Mytica in a magical battle that will test the strength of whoever wins the throne.  This series is great for fans of Game of Thrones and I, for one, can't wait to get my hands on it!

(goodreads.com)

    A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray:  I was really entertained by Bray's Diviners series, so I decided to read her other one, which I believe will be more to my liking.  Set in Victorian England among other places, this story follows Gemma, who has spent the majority of her life in India until her mother's death (this immediately sparked references to Secret Garden for me, which hooked me immediately).  Enrolled in a prep school for girls, Gemma weasels her way into the popular circles in an attempt to gather gossip and solve her mother's murder.  Gemma is soon introduced to the Order, a powerful organization of which her mother was a part.  The Order had knowledge of a other-worldly realm outside of reality to which Gemma can travel in her visions.  There seems to be a lot of mystery, intrigue and fantastical elements to this story and I'm interested in diving in.  Hopefully it'll be a quick read.

(goodreads.com)

    Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling AB:  Continuing on my quest to re-read the Harry Potter books, I'm hoping to finish Chamber of Secrets this month and perhaps start Prisoner of Azkaban by the time the month is ending, so we'll see how far I get.  It's been great re-reading them in this form and I'm really enjoying being able to remember certain things I've forgotten about the books in the last 15 years as well as making connections to the films.  It's the perfect thing for winter!

    So, that's all for today I'm afraid.  I didn't want to put too much on my reading plate this month because I'm not sure where I'll be with Outlander and other commitments by the end of the month.  I'm trying to keep it simple until I can get a good rhythm going again.  What are you all planning on reading during the holidays?  What's your favorite read for the winter season?  Let me know in the comments below.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

August TBR

    Sorry it's taken me so long to get to my TBR for this month, but this past weekend was super crazy!  Boston Comic Con was awesome and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but after three packed days and a lot of walking around the city, I was totally spent.  I definitely needed the 10 hours of sleep.  Unfortunately, I also had no time to read, so it looks like my August TBR may be a bit small in comparison to last month, (since August is already half way done).  Here are the books I'll attempt to get to this month.

(goodreads)

    Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson:  I think I've been working on this book for at least two months now, but I'm determined to finish it!  This book is the first in a lengthy series about a society where certain people can bend metals to manifest extraordinary powers.  These people are rare and most reside with the noble class, whereas the lower class Skaa citizens are treated as slaves.  A rebellion is brewing, led by a Skaa rebel named Kelsier, who is also a Mistborn, someone who possesses the power to wield all metals.  Vin, his young apprentice, gets thrown into the mix as we follow her journey from Skaa street urchin to rebel spy.  I'm about 70% finished and I'm really enjoying it so far.  I'll definitely be adding more Sanderson books to my to-read pile.

(goodreads)

    The next book I'm planning on reading is Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch.  I think I had planned on getting to this one last month, but ended up running out of time, (story of my life).  Someone recommended this series to me after I read A Court of Thorns and Roses because the setting revolves around kingdoms separated by seasons.  The kingdom of Winter has been conquered and enslaved and Meira, a surviving refugee, has taken on the task of retrieving Winter's lost magic and restoring her kingdom back to glory.  This looks like a fun YA Fantasy series and I've been looking forward to starting it for awhile now.  The third book, Frost Like Night, comes out in September, so I'm hoping to get caught up before then.

(goodreads)

    The last book I will hopefully get to before the end of this month is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling.  This book is actually a published screen play for the theatrical eighth installment of the Harry Potter series and follows the gang and their children almost 20 years after the events of The Deathly Hallows.  I'm surprised at myself for not immediately wanting to read this because I bought it like two weeks ago, but I've been having trouble bringing myself to open it.  I have to read Snow Like Ashes before this because it's a library book that has a due date as opposed to a book I already own, so I will eventually get to this, hopefully within the next few months, but maybe not this month, due to the lack of time.

    So there you have it, my lackluster attempt at a TBR list.  Let me know if you've read any of these books and what you're planning on grabbing next month.  September is a big month for new book releases and I'll be doing a post soon about the books I'm most looking forward to next month.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

December TBR

    Hello guys!  December is upon us and I'm really excited!  Not only is Christmas my favorite holiday, but my birthday is also this month, so I have multiple reasons to celebrate.  That being said, December is a great reading month because of the excess downtime from holiday break.  I'll also have at least a couple opportunities to acquire new books, so I've kept my TBR list light this month.  It will also be subject to change, depending on what mood I'm in and what books I get.  I didn't have any particular theme for this TBR, just books I've been interested in reading for awhile.  I'm still in a fantasy mood, although still slightly hungover from finishing The Mortal Instruments series.  I will try to think up a theme for next month, but for now here's a look at what I'm planning on reading this month.

(goodreads.com)

    Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima is the first book in a new series which takes place about 20-25 years after the events of her Seven Realms series.  Also, LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS COVER!  I was given an ARC copy of this book to read after I expressed interest in the Seven Realms novels.  If you haven't read any of The Demon King books, please go out and fetch them immediately.  Also, if you haven't read them, the following synopsis will be a bit spoilery, so fair warning...  Flamecaster follows a young prince named Adrian sul'Han, or Ash for short, as he tries to fight for his family against the cruel king of Arden.  His path crosses with a prisoner from Delphi named Jenna and they both need to work together to stay alive and destroy the king.  The king of Arden has his sights set on conquering the last free Queedom of the Fells, but Queen Raisa won't go down without a fight.  I'm already about half way through this book and it's already breaking my heart into pieces, (which is technically a good thing).  I don't know if I'd suggest reading it right after finishing The Crimson Crown like I did, but to each his own.  Eager to finish this one and see where it goes from here.

(goodreads.com)

    Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta is the second book in the Lumatere Chronicles and the sequel to Finnikin of the Rock.  This book takes place three years after the events of FOTR and follows Froi, who was originally a slave and a thief in the first book.  Froi now fights for the Queen and Finnikin.  He is sent on a secret mission to the kingdom of Charyn and discovers more than he bargained for.  I originally wasn't planning on reading the rest of this series any time soon, but I've heard really good things about this book in particular, so I thought I'd give it a try.  I didn't particularly like Froi in FOTR, so I'm hoping that because he's been trained more, he'll be a little easier to understand.  Here's to hoping!

(goodreads.com)

    I had planned on reading Shadow and Bone last month, but got swept away in The Mortal Instruments, so I put it off until this month.  I very much wanted to read this book, so I'm glad I kept it in mind.  Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is set in the nation of Ravka, (which seems to be based loosely on Russia), which has a flesh-eating demon problem.  Many people are forced into the army to fight against the darkness, which is the case with Alina Starkov.  Alina is able to save her friend from death, only to be taken away to be trained at the royal palace as a member of the Grisha, a magical fighting elite, led by the Darkling.  She must tap into her untamed power to save her country.  I've been interested in this book for a long time and the premise still grabs me, so I'm excited to start this book, which will probably be right after I finish Flamecaster.

(goodreads.com)

    Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers is another female assassin book that takes place in England I believe.  Ismae escapes an arranged marriage only to be taken in by a guild of female assassins in a convent who work for the God of Death.  On assignment in the court of Brittany, she finds it difficult to stick to the task at hand when it involves murdering the one you love.  This book was recommended to me after reading Cruel Beauty, although I'm not sure why.  I have no major feelings for this book, but I'm in the mood for more assassins.  I feel like I'll either love it or hate it, so let's hope it's the former.

(goodreads.com)

    The Invasion of the Tearling was another book that I was supposed to read last month but set aside in favor of The Mortal Instruments.  This is the second book by Erika Johansen in which we find our main character, Kelsea, ruling over her Queendom of the Tearling.  The events of the first book have overflowed into this one and the Red Queen is seeking vengeance for Kelsea's defying her rules.  Kelsea also has some secret mystery power to see into the past and future, which was revealed a little in the first book, but not expanded upon, so I hope there's more of an explanation of that.  I kind of get that it's a regressed future society, but I'm not sure to what extent.  We'll see if I like this one more than the first.

(goodreads.com)

    I want to read The Bane Chronicles solely because I literally can't get enough Shadowhunters in my life right now.  Also, I want to know why Magnus is no longer allowed in Peru.  Can it just be January already?

(goodreads.com)

    The Warrior Heir is the first book another series called The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima that I was introduced to recently.  As if I needed yet another lengthy series to take up my life.  This series actually came before Chima's Seven Realms series, although this is still fantasy.  From what I understand, this book starts off in the real world of Ohio with a normal teenager with a health problem.  He soon finds out, through a series of unfortunate events, that he is actually a member of a secret race of magical warriors called Weirlind.  He is sucked into their world to battle for two warring houses.  The premise seems very Percy Jackson or Harry Potter-esq to me, (normal teenager, revealed to have secret/hidden ties to magic, goes on a quest involuntarily, becomes a part of their world, has to choose between the world he knew and the one he fits in better with now, etc.).  There's a bunch of books in this series, so if I get sucked in it'll be for awhile I bet.

(goodreads.com)

    Lastly, I wanted to re-read my original copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, (since everyone else seems to be reading it this month as well).  I don't have the illustrated copy in my possession, (yet), but I do have my original hardcover copy that I got when I was in about 4th or 5th grade.  I always feel like watching or reading Harry Potter around Christmas time for some reason and apparently I'm not alone in this.  I haven't re-read them in a very long time, so I'm curious to see what it'll be like for a 26-year-old to read this middle grade book now.  I may also watch the movie right after I read the book, just to better catch the differences.

    So there you have it, my diluted December TBR.  I'm hoping not to change this list too much, since I'll probably have read most of the books on this list come Christmas time.  That way, if I do get books, I can read those and add them on as I go!  Next week I'll talk TV recaps and go over my Christmas book list.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Halloween Movies That Aren't Scary!

    If you're anything like me, you aren't really a huge fan of Halloween.  October is one of my favorite months, but Halloween always makes me a little anxious.  Almost all of my friends love Halloween, (as most of the rest of the world would agree), so it's difficult for me to participate in the Halloween festivities when it most often includes a scary movie marathon.  I can't do scary, so, as a result, I get scared easily; I HATE the dark, I don't do haunted houses or corn mazes and I cringe at the sight of porcelain dolls.  I just don't enjoy being scared, and that's OK!  Not everyone enjoys those gory, suspenseful messes, so I thought I'd come up with a list of acceptable alternative movies to watch if you're not into that scary business.  Now that Halloween is almost upon us, the Halloween-themed movies will be starting.  Most of the ones on my list will even be on ABC Family's 13 Nights of Halloween, if you're interested, (check your local listings).  I will list my top five favorites first, (in no particular order), followed by five honorable mentions.

(www.imdb.com)

    Beetlejuice:  This is still one of my favorite movies to watch during Halloween.  I didn't always like it, but I've grown to appreciate it over the years.  This movie allowed me to fall in love with Winona Ryder.  If you still haven't seen it, (the movie came out in 1988), the movie is about a married couple, Adam and Barbara, who die in a tragic car accident.  Their house goes in the market after years of vacancy and is purchased by an art dealer and her family, including young Lydia Deetz.  Adam and Barbara are still coming to terms with their predicament, but loathe the new owners of their home, so they make a deal with the devil to get them out of there.  This movie is horrific, as any Tim Burton movie should be.  The characters are great and dynamic, the story is morbid, tragic and funny at the same time, and the acting by Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice is fantastic.  I highly recommend if you're a fan of Tim Burton and his other works, mainly Edward Scissorhands.

(www.imdb.com)

    Casper: The ORIGINAL Casper, from 1995, is another one of my all-time favorite Halloween movies.  If you've seen any other Casper movie, this one beats them all.  Kat Harvey follows her father, who is a "paranormal psychologist," to Maine to explore a haunted mansion, all the while on a quest to track down Kat's dead mother.  Kat is determined to stay put this time around and befriends a "friendly" ghost named Casper.  Her father ends up running into Casper's nasty uncles and hilarity ensues.  The ghosts want them out, but Kat's dad isn't leaving without answers.  This movie is hauntingly beautiful and a great coming-of-age story.  The ending gets me every time with ALL THE FEELS, so if you haven't yet, go watch it.

(www.imdb.com)

    Hocus Pocus:  I can't make a list of Halloween movies without including this one.  It's a cult classic and everyone loves it, regardless of what kind of Halloween experience you prefer.  Three witches are resurrected on Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts to finish a ritual started centuries ago.  Two teenagers and an adorably brave little cat/human named Binx embark on an epic journey to save their town.  Easily one of Sarah Jessica Parker's best performances and who can forget Sean Murray as Thackery?!?  UGH, I need this movie in my life right now.

(www.imdb.com)

    Hellboy:  I know this isn't technically a Halloween film, but I still love a little Guillermo del Toro to round out my Halloween playlist.  Since most of his stuff is terrifying, quite frankly, I thoroughly enjoy this non-creepy(ish) take on a demon reborn.  Hellboy follows a paranormal research team that was founded close to the beginning of World War II, in which this team stumbled upon a Nazi camp during a ritualistic opening of a door to Hell by Rasputin.  Although they managed to defeat the Nazis and close the door to the other side, a small demonic humanoid being came through and was adopted by the team and codenamed "Hellboy," because of his red skin and horns. Flash forward to today and he's working with the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence, (BPRD), to stop an influx of paranormal events from taking over the city of New York.  This movie has tons of action and sarcasm, so if you're into that, this movie is for you.  I really prefer this one to the second one because it's a little darker and has an element of mystery around it, plus a lot more humor, which I love.  Hellboy is also a comic book that I've been reading this month and it is similar, yet different to the movie, so if you're into reading your films, have at it.

(harrypotter.wikia.com)

    Harry Potter:  I can't make this list and not include a little Harry Potter!  Obviously with it's heavy focus on magic and the supernatural, this is a perfect series for Halloween, (or any event actually).  Clearly I'm not suggesting a Harry Potter marathon next weekend, (unless you really want to), but I would definitely recommend The Sorcerer's Stone, due to it's Halloween-specific scenes as well as The Prisoner of Azkaban, just for a little dose of magical creatures and creepy scenery.  Those two are the most suited for Halloween, in my opinion, (which is almost always right when it comes to Harry Potter).  So go have yourselves a HP marathon!

    Now we're getting into the honorable mentions.  These movies are perfect for Halloween, however they aren't my absolute favorites, (even though some of them are classics).  Definitely make time for these before next weekend!

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    The Nightmare Before Christmas:  Unlike the rest of the world, I'm actually not a huge fan of this movie.  It used to scare me as a child, so I never took a liking to it like everyone else did.  I watched it again last year and I thought better of it this second time around, so I'm adding it to my list.  It's obviously a cult classic and made for Halloween, (and Christmas), viewing.  The fact that this movie bleeds directly into Christmas territory still irks me, but to each his own.  Tim Burton's crazy like that I guess.

(ed.wikipedia.org)

    It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!:  I love the Peanuts, so I'm going to include this lesser-known work of theirs on this list.  Everyone I know shits on The Great Pumpkin, but I LOVE IT!  While Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang celebrate Halloween, Linus sits out in a pumpkin patch to await the arrival of The Great Pumpkin, of which he is the sole believer.  It's so cute and perfect for kids and I'm so glad they're still airing it on television.  The Peanuts are like family tradition and everyone has their own personal favorite that they watch every year.  Even if it's not yours, make the effort to watch this one.

(www.imdb.com)

    Batman Returns:  As I've figured out, any Tim Burton film is perfect for Halloween.  Case and point, the second Batman movie.  Although the original Batman was also a Tim Burton film, I found that the second one, featuring the Penguin, (courtesy of Danny Devito), was a lot darker and more Halloween-esq.  This one also has Catwoman, played by Michelle Pfeiffer.  Lots of black leather.

(www.imdb.com)

    The Crow:  I'm not a huge fan of this movie, but my husband loves it.  Set on Halloween, this movie is about a couple who are murdered the night before their wedding.  On the anniversary of their death, Eric Draven is resurrected to exact vengeance for his beloved.  This movie is extremely creepy and dark, has an inner-city setting and interesting visual effects.  There are some decent fighting scenes as well and a lot of killing, so prepare yourself for some gore if you're planning on watching this one.

(www.imdb.com)

    Ghostbusters:  This last one was an obvious choice.  I tend to lean more towards funny Halloween movies and this one is no exception.  If you've never heard of Ghostbusters, you don't deserve to know.  Three unemployed parapsychology professors start ridding their neighborhood of poltergeists and hilarity ensues.  This is another cult classic with an all-star cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis.  It's currently going through a reboot, so check it out if you're interested.

    Well, there you go!  There's my list of Halloween movies to watch if you don't like scary movies.  Are there movies I missed?  Which ones are your go-to favorites for Halloween?  Let me know in the comments below.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Author Spotlight

    Hey everybody!  I had a really great idea to highlight a different author I love every so often, so I hope I can keep going throughout this blogging experience.  The idea came to me after finishing Queen of Shadows literally mere hours ago and I just can't wait to talk about how great this book is, so I'm highlighting Sarah J. Maas as my author this month.

(goodreads.com)

    It shouldn't come as much of a surprise to any of you, but I've grown to love Maas's writing over the last few months.  I started my love affair with her after reading the first book in her new series A Court of Thorns and Roses, (my review of that book should be in my Book Reviews section above).  I loved everything about that book, from the plot intermingling with the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale to the strong female lead character to the hot, steamy romance everywhere.  I didn't think I would be into all that stuff, but Maas proved me very wrong.  Although I started reading her books this July, I have almost caught up with everything she's written so far, save for The Assassin's Blade, (which I will desperately try to save for next month's TBR list, but I honestly don't know if I can stand it).  These books have made me love reading again in a way that I can only explain as being similar to my love for Harry Potter.  I was eager to get my hands on the next book in the series, painstakingly waiting each time they were released, read them in record time and craved more each time I finished one.  I was enthralled by the story line, the characters, the descriptions of the scenery, the world building around me, etc.  I didn't think I would ever feel this way about reading ever again, so these books mean a lot to me in that regard.

    Sarah J. Maas's characters are strong and complex, but still relatable.  At this point, after reading all of her books, her characters are also kind of predictable, but in a good way.  She enjoys the strong, independent female lead with a strong man on her arm or by her side to make the fighting easier.  Both female protagonists in the Throne of Glass and ACOTAR series are fighters, warriors in their own right as well as hunters, survivors.  They are also complex, with dark pasts that still haunt them, which is a conflict they must address in each of their stories.  I love how both protagonists have similar traits, but are still their own character.  I feel like Celaena/Aelin in the Throne of Glass series is a completely different person from Feyre in ACOTAR.  Maas usually has a lot of side characters to help or hinder her protagonists as well.  Although there are a lot of characters to watch out for, I've always felt that their side stories enhanced the experience of the main plot and contributed something to the story.  Everyone has a place and she knows exactly what to do with them.

    Maas's writing is terribly good.  I don't remember reading anything quite like it before.  She builds her worlds so thoroughly, you feel like you're actually there in the books, experiencing it first hand.  Again, something I remember from my days of reading Harry Potter.  Sometimes her writing can get a little over-dramatic, but the words she uses and the way she weaves them together 99% of the time have me screaming, "WHY CAN'T I WRITE LIKE THIS?!"  It's so fluid and natural for her, it's staggering how beautiful she paints a picture in your mind.  The descriptions within each book are incredible and well-thought out.  Character descriptions are solid and paint a decent picture of who you're looking at or talking to without giving everything away, so you can create a little bit of your own character too.  It's just stunning, how she writes and what she makes you feel while you're reading it.  I can't even...

(pulse2.com)

    I never thought I would be this into the fantasy genre either.  I knew that I liked things like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, but I spent a long time not reading, and when I did read, it would be contemporary or historical fiction.  I never thought that I would crave high fantasy literature like I once did.  Sometimes I wish I could take back the years I spent not reading for leisure and doing a disservice to myself in the process.  I held myself back from discovering books like these awhile ago, so I want to embrace anything and everything I can.  Sarah J. Maas has made it possible for me to crave reading again, to read day and night until I finish the damn book, so stay up until all hours of the night just to see what happens next.  It's a fantastic feeling, one that I missed, and one that Maas has given back to me in the best way.

    Have you read any of Sarah J. Maas's books?  What was a book you read growing up that made you love to read?  If you've read Queen of Shadows, or any of Maas's other books, let me know in the comments below so we can discuss.  Also, let me know who your favorite author is and maybe I'll give them a try.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.