Update + Announcement!

HEY Y'ALL.

OMG I actually went there.
(Why didn't I delete it. Ehhhh I don't edit. No ok seriously. I want you guys to read my posts as if I'm actually talking to you guys and I can't exactly take back spoken words can I. Whatever. I shall embrace my weirdness! :D)

OK so heh guess who slack off.
But I have a legitimate excuse. I got my wisdom teeth out and it's all I've been able to do to actually like breathe and eat.



So I know it's been ages and there's been like a billion things I promised to review and I didn't... but I will. Like actually.

First thing first: I will have my August list up. This will be the final post before that.

Deux: My review for The Syrena Legacy and Mythos Academy will be up after that within a week of each other.

Third: SO I'M PLEASE TO SAY... that I will be blogging EVERY DAY for ONE WEEK during the THIRD week of August! They will be more random posts, and not alllll necessarily about books. Evil plans are in motions. MUWAHAHA. I might talk about Top Ten of this or Top 5 of this... I dunno :P (I originally wanted to call this Auglist but um yeah it might not all be all LISTS so... plus it was kinda lame)

Fourth: Lately I've been deciding whether or not I've been wanting to do book haul photos and stuff. I have done it once, but I feel like it wasn't very me... HOWEVER, if you guys are really interested, I'd be really happy to do book haul posts, although I think I would primarily keep the small-ish hauls only on tumblr and the bigger ones here.

(Who knows maybe I'll do shelfies one day :P)

ALRIGHT well that's all for today. I'm sorry for not posting as I said I would, but I'm trying. :) Seriously guys just friend me on Goodreads. You'll never miss a beat. Lots more swearing too.

Web Series Review: The Autobigraphy of Jane Eyre

Web Series: The Autobiography of Jane Eyre
Episodes: 95
Rating: 4/5 stars- poignant with a strong sense of longing

Review:

A quick disclaimer: this review comes to you from a girl who has not read the original Jane Eyre book. (ok so sue me for not reading it SORRY) I have read an adaptation of it so I know what happens.

I started The Autobiography of Jane Eyre about a month or two after I finished the Lizzie Bennett Diaries. I was in a bit of a drawback after finishing that series and after rewatching one of the episodes (take a guess which one I rewatched) I saw that someone had commented that there was another web series called The Autobiography of Jane Eyre that was also excellent. I had read an adaptation of the novel, and thoroughly enjoyed it. So I figured I'd give it a go. This was around the time when The Autobiography of Jane Eyre was only about... 14-15 episodes in? Somewhere around that.

I blew through all the episodes in day (those of you who've watched it know that the beginning episodes are VERY short so it was quick), and I was intrigued and yeah I just wanted to see Rochester's face.

Can you blame me.

The actors in this series are simply amazing. Alysson Hall is ridiculously talented at playing Jane Eyre. She completely encompasses the quiet shy persona of Jane, yet there's a richness and depth to her in this modern adaptation. She and Adam (the original actor for Rochester- more on that later) had the most incredible chemistry on screen. I was addicted to seeing them on the same scene.

Honestly their chemistry was so incredible that literally any other character who shows up (despite the fact most of them are amazing) and I will scream for them to leave to so I can see Jane and Rochester together.

I sense some shipping guys.

Despite that I did enjoy the other characters, and they all really had good chemistry as a cast. I especially love Suzanna.

Another thing I really loved about this series was how it was shot. It wasn't on the high end of productions with like super fancy lights, as say LBD or Emma Approved. It felt very genuinely as if someone just picked up a camera and decided o keep a video diary/vlog. It was a very down to earth and personal touch to it and it made it unique.

Also the setting. Granted they didn't really have much choice in country and province (I assume) but I'm so happy they shot in Vancouver. Because a) I'm a Vancouverite and yeah I'm biased and b) the forests just complimented the gothic-y feel of the original Jane Eyre.

I do have a few things that I think was a bit of an issue. I thought pacing could be a bit slow sometimes. I dread every video without Rochester. (Seriously why would you do that to me.) I thought we spent too much time with some of the other characters. (Maybe that's just my Rochester bias speaking sigh). Again, not really to big of an issue, kind of just personal preference that pacing is a bit faster, but fans of the book seem to really enjoy it sooo... I'll promptly shut up.

My only really giant big issue is the ending. OK first and foremost, I understand that because of certain situations, the actor who played Rochester ended up leaving the series before they finish shooting it all. That's understandable. I just wished that they found a way around it instead of seemly spontaneously ending the series. I would've excepted that he had an accident so bad that he got total facial damage and needed a completely new face. I WOULD'VE PROBABLY BEEN SOMEWHAT OKAY WITH THAT. (Depends on the replacement actor actually.)

I feel like we needed one more episode between the second last video and the ending. Something with more substance to explain the things between Jane and Rochester. With some of the dialogue that the end of the book has and the feeling you get when they meet again, stuff like that. They could've hidden his face or something. Honestly I would've even accepted just PHONE DIALOGUE AT THIS POINT.

I felt like my computer swallowed a secret episode somewhere. It's like swinging on monkey bars and suddenly realizing one bar is missing so you have to reach out a bit further to make the connection. Not awful but not great either.

I loved the ending video but I wanted something BEFORE it.

Overall, I will say this was a great series to follow. I enjoyed the first half much more (are you sensing more Rochester bias cause I am) and although I'm a bit disappointed with the ending... I still think this series has a lot of strong points that overshadow that one really major thing.

July 2014

Monthly Wish List for this month and what I've read and seen this past month.

Book List: 

*synopses may be spoilery if you have not read the previous books in the series. All synopses were found on Goodreads

Book: Silver Shadows (Book #5 in the Bloodlines series)

Author: Richelle Mead

Release Date: July 29th 

Synopsis:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive. 

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Note from Carmen: LIFE WHY DO YOU HATE ME RICHELLE MEAD WHY 

Book: On the Fence

Author: Kasie West

Release Date: July 1st

Synopsis:

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect.

Note from Carmen: OKOK I know, it sounds really cliché, but I've heard good things about her other books, and if you guys know me by now, I love a good dose of well done clichés. 

Book: Landline

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Release Date: July 8th 

Synopsis:

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

Note from Carmen: It's definitely adult fiction but: RAINBOW. ROWELL. 

Book: Midnight Thief (Book #1 in the Midnight Thief series)

Author: Livia Blackburne

Release Date: July 8th 

Synopsis:

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.

But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.

Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

Book: The Queen of Tearling (Book #1 in The Queen of Tearling series)

Author: Erika Johansen

Release Date: July 8th 

Synopsis:

On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.

Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.

But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend…if she can survive.

The Queen of the Tearling introduces readers to a world as fully imagined and terrifying as that of The Hunger Games, with characters as vivid and intriguing as those of The Game of Thrones, and a wholly original heroine. Combining thrilling action and twisting plot turns, it is a magnificent debut from the talented Erika Johansen.

Note from Carmen: This is coming out way earlier than I expected. Although I've heard many bad things from it (because it was marketed like crazy a while back and apparently it didn't live up to the marketing), I'm still excited because I do tend to like unpopular things sometimes. And also the cover is GORGEOUS. 

Book: Extraction (Book #1 in the Extraction series)

Author: Stephanie Diaz

Release Date: July 22nd

Synopsis:

"Welcome to Extraction testing."

Clementine has spent her whole life preparing for her sixteenth birthday, when she’ll be tested for Extraction in the hopes of being sent from the planet Kiel’s toxic Surface to the much safer Core, where people live without fear or starvation. When she proves promising enough to be “Extracted,” she must leave without Logan, the boy she loves. Torn apart from her only sense of family, Clem promises to come back and save him from brutal Surface life.

What she finds initially in the Core is a utopia compared to the Surface—it’s free of hard labor, gun-wielding officials, and the moon's lethal acid. But life is anything but safe, and Clementine learns that the planet's leaders are planning to exterminate Surface dwellers—and that means Logan, too. 

Trapped by the steel walls of the underground and the lies that keep her safe, Clementine must find a way to escape and rescue Logan and the rest of the planet. But the planet leaders don't want her running—they want her subdued.

With intense action scenes and a cast of unforgettable characters,Extraction is a page-turning, gripping read, sure to entertain lovers ofHunger Games and Ender's Game and leave them breathless for more.

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June Obessions

The Fault in Our Stars (movie)

Stuff I Read/Watch and Didn't Review in June:

Let the Storm Break (Book #2 in the Let the Sky Fall trilogy)

Better Off Friends

Every Never After (Book #2 in the Never trilogy)

Alienated (Book #1 in the Alienated series)

Shine (Book #3 in the Shade trilogy)

Origin

Death Sworn (Book #1 in the Death Sworn duology)

To All The Boys I've Loved Before (Book #1 in the To All The Boys I've Loved Before duology)

Scorched (Book #1 in the Scorched series)

Rebel Belle (Book #1 in the Rebel Belle series)

The Greatest Love (Kdrama)