Review: The End of Everything

The End of Everything
By: Megan Abbott
Website: http://meganabbott.com/end.html
Release Date: July 7th, 2011
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Rating:


This book has many contrasting reviews online. Some are glorious, with high ratings and accolades for the author for developing such a tale. Others dismiss the book, their criticism ranging from “it didn’t suit me,” to the book being terrible. Where do I fall? Good question because…I’m just not sure.

Okay, first things first — there are some spoilers here because there is no good way to review this book without them to explain the ups and downs of this book.

#ThrowbackThursday – Ragnarok, Vol. 1 by Myung-Jin Lee

Ragnarok, Volume 1
By: Myung-Jin Lee
Release Date: (Original Korean) 1998; (US Release) May 21, 2002
Publisher: TokyoPop
Series: Ragnarok #1
Rating:


Happy Throwback Thursday everyone! Let’s talk about a very old manga that has graced my husband’s bookshelf since our middle school days. Ragnarok, Volume 1 by Myung-Jin Lee was the first manga he ever managed to convince my mother-in-law was appropriately priced despite the book’s real lack of words in the traditional sense.

So, for a manga that’s been tucked away between multiple volumes of Black Cat and Trigun for the past almost twenty years, how is it?

Review – The Devil is a Part-Timer!, Vol. 1 by Satoshi Wagahara

The Devil is a Part-Timer!, Vol. 1
By: Satoshi Wagahara
Release Date: April 221, 2015
Publisher: Yen On
Series: The Devil is a Part-Timer Light Novel #1
Rating:


The Devil Is A Part-Timer!, Vol. 1 by Satoshi Wagahara is a light novel (and anime, and manga) I’ve had my eye on for a long time. I watched the anime and when it became apparent there wasn’t another season coming out, at least nothing any time soon, I grabbed a copy of the original light novel. This is the first light novel in a still ongoing series about a half angel hero turned call-center employee, the literal devil working as a part-time fast food employee, and his top general as acting house-husband for lack of an army (or magic).

And it is tons of fun.

Review – Overlord, Vol. 3: The Bloody Valkyrie by Kugane Maruyama

Overlord, Vol. 3: The Bloody Valkyrie
By: Kugane Maruyama
Release Date: January 31, 2017
Publisher: Yen On
Series: Overlord #3
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Tuesday saw the release of the next Overlord novel. So here I am, book in hand, to tell you all about it while waiting (not quite so) patiently for the next novel in the series. Overlord, Vol. 3: The Bloody Valkyrie by Kugane Maruyama is a fantastic installment in the series and possibly my favorite released (in English) thus far. The artwork by so-bin, including a double sided foldout at the beginning of the book, is absolutely stunning. And I can’t wait for Vol. 4.

That’s it guys. I’m hooked.

Throwback Thursday: The Hero of Ages (Mistborn #3)

The Hero of Ages (Mistborn #3)
By: Brandon Sanderson
Website: http://brandonsanderson.com/
Release Date: October 14th, 2008
Publisher: Tor Books
Series: Mistborn Series
Rating:


Returning to the world of Vin, Elend and the rest of Kelsier’s crew was enjoyable and it kept me hooked on this series. The action is still there, the characters are still well written and the story only gets more complicated from here on out.

If you haven’t read the first two books…go back and do that before reading on. The story picks up  after the previous book left off. From here on out there are SPOILERS.  

New Release – Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Three Dark Crowns
By: Kendare Blake
Website: http://kendareblake.com/
Release Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Three Dark Crowns #1
Rating:


Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake is a book I’ve heard a lot about. A dark tale of three sisters vying to be queen, each dead set to murder the other one in order to gain the throne, it sounded quite intriguing. In Three Dark Crowns the land of Fennbirn is ruled by a queen. Each queen gives birth to triplets, three girls who possess different magical abilities the most common of which are power over the elements, power over nature, and the ability to create and ingest any poison. The night they turn sixteen marks the beginning of the battle to be queen. Only one sister will emerge victorious, and only after the other two are dead.

Review – Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Every Heart a Doorway
By: Seanan McGuire
Website: http://www.seananmcguire.com/
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Tor.com
Series: Wayward Children #1
Award: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy (2016); Alex Award (2017)
Rating:


Every Heart a Doorway is a novella written by Seanan McGuire. This is a tale where all the doors to other worlds are real. The Narnia’s, the Wonderlands – all of these exist. But this isn’t a story of wonderful fantasy lands and the little girls and boys who fall into them. This is a story of what happens afterwards, once they fall back into our world sometimes older, perhaps a little wiser, but most definitely changed.

Throwback Thursday: The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2)

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2)
By: Brandon Sanderson
Website: http://brandonsanderson.com/
Release Date: August 21st, 2007
Publisher: Tor Books
Series: Mistborn Series
Rating:


Returning to the world of Vin, Elend and the rest of Kelsier’s crew was enjoyable and it kept me hooked on this series. The action is still there, the characters are still well written and the story only gets more complicated from here on out.

Review: Me, Earl & The Dying Girl

Me & Earl & The Dying Girl
By: Jesse Andrews
Website: http://www.jesseandrews.com/#intro
Release Date: March 1st, 2012
Publisher: FBA Powersetup
Rating:


All most kids want to do is survive high school without being noticed (or if they’re noticed, for the right things) or made fun of (because no one wants to be laughed at). This is exactly what Greg Gaines wants, to survive and escape criticism. Unfortunately it is not so simple (it never is.)

Review – Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Gemina
By: Amie Kaufman; Jay Kristoff
Website: http://amiekaufman.com/ ; https://jaykristoff.com/
Release Date: October 18, 2016
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Series: The Illuminae Files #1
Award: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2016)
Rating:


There’s something to be said for having a library a block and a half away from my apartment, especially when the nearest bookstore is a half an hour away. It’s saved me on more than one occasion when I need the sequel to book I just finished.

This time was certainly no exception. Gemina by Amie Kaufmann and Jay Kristoff was just put on the shelf, the book so new that it didn’t yet have a library card sleeve in the back. (Yeah, my library still uses those, only sans the actual library card. Why? Great question.) So I picked it up, brought it home, and read all 672 pages in one sitting to the awe and disbelief of my husband.