Graphic Novel ARC Review: Britannia, V.1

Britannia, V.1 : We Who Are About To Die
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
Release Date: September 26, 2017
Format: Egalley

Source: Netgalley

My Rating: ★★★

Goodreads ★ Amazon ★ B&N ★ TBD

Valiant's critically acclaimed, 10-time sold-out magnum opus returns with a brand-new journey into myth and mystery, from comics master Peter Milligan (Shade, the Changing Man) and incendiary artist Juan Jose Ryp (Britannia!) 

Fifty thousand Romans stand on their feet, watching from the rafters of the coliseum with captured breath as Achillia, a Gladiator unlike any that Rome has seen before, faces incredible odds - one lone warrior against five of Rome's greatest. Such is the tradition, when a female gladiator enters the fray. When the carnage is complete, the coliseum roars its approval as Achillia stands victorious. Now only one match away from winning her freedom, she has begun to gain renown. 

The women of Rome, suppressed by their husbands and fathers, have noticed. The men of Rome, husbands and fathers to a growing horde of women entertaining ideas of independence, have noticed as well. On the other side of Rome, a strange mystery swirls through the Palatine Hill. In the dead of night, down winding alleys, Rome's elite swear that they see visions of a blood-soaked Apollo walking thecity...visions that are driving them mad. Even more are becoming sick with weird fever god-dreams. Panic ensues in the city. 

The Chief Vestal, Rubria, is arrested by Emperor Nero and threatened with crucifi xion unless the deadly curse that's fallen on Rome is lifted. She asks Antonius Axia, hero of Britannia and Rome's only detective, for help. She offers only one clue...the gladiator Achillia. 

Collecting BRITANNIA: WE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE #1-4.

I have been on a Roman society kick lately, so when I saw this was available to read I jumped at the chance. However, this is just one of those books that I just don't have a lot of feelings about. It wasn't bad, it wasn't amazing, I just feel "meh" about it.

I will say that I do love the art in this graphic novel. I think that's an important thing to note when you are looking for a graphic novel. If the art doesn't wow me, it has to take a lot for the story to wow me. This one was done in vibrant colors that made it really engaging. It was definitely done in a more tradition comic book style, which I liked it.

So the story is really about Antonius Axia, he is the first detective for Rome. He doesn't really believe in the Roman gods, but instead believes in reason and following the clues. I found his character interesting in these aspects, but it also felt like I was missing a lot about his background. I was very confused, was there another book I was supposed to read first? His relationship with his son also seems like there is more we need to know, but we don't get it. I guess for me, I just needed a little bit more from this character. He just read like a robot to me. I couldn't really feel his emotions in this story.

Axia ends up also teeming up with a female Gladiator, who is a former slave trying to win her freedom. I do really like that this story shows that all sorts of people of color also lived in Rome during the ancient times, not just white people. Achilla's storyline touches on this, and it also explains why she is fighting SO hard for her freedom. She's the most interesting character in the book, and I honestly wanted more of her.

Like most comics, the story ends on a cliffhanger, and you need to read the next one to find out what is going to happen. Usually, I am okay with that, but with this book it just annoyed me! I think I just wasn't that invested into this story. I think if you are interesting in a dectective story set in Ancient Rome this is a story for you. It just didn't completely work for me.

Happy Reads Everyone!
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Liebster Award!

Darque Dreamer Reads nominated me for the Liebster Award a long time ago, but I am so very behind on my blog that I am just getting to posting about it now! Thanks so much for the nomination! Please also go show her some love, she's a blogger I recently connected with and a super cool person! And then as I was working on this post Haley from Beautifully Books also nominated me! It's very nice and humbling to be nominated twice!

I've been spending a lot of my free time just reading so I can complete my quest path for The Reading Quest. When you work full time and run a book blog sometimes it hard to find time to both read and write reviews. So I've sacrificed some of my blogging time so I can actually get some reading done. I have SO many reviews I need to write! SO MANY!!!

If you are a book blogger you probably have seen the Liebster Award, and I think it's awesome because I love discovering new blogs and making new connections!

THE RULES:

• Thank the person that nominated you
• Give 11 random facts about you
• Answer the 11 questions they gave you
• Nominate 11 blogs
• Give them 11 questions to answer

FACTS ABOUT ME:

• I've been a vegetarian for 8+ years. I originally did because of animals, but now it's just a part of me. When people ask me why now I just say I really hate plants
• I live in Pennsylvania, in the the town where the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs is supposed to take place.
• I've been with my current boyfriend for close to 7 years!! 
• I've been working at my full time job for 4 years
• I've never been outside of the country (USA)
• I'm a huge hockey fan
• I'm also on a fantasy hockey team with a bunch of dudes I used to blog about hockey with
• I used to be a sports blogger
• I only have one sibling; a brother 3 1/2 years older than me
• I can do a pretty decent British accent
• I'm a huge fanatic of the Star Wars Expanded Universe books. I read them in middle school, and have been a fan ever since!

QUESTIONS FROM DARQUE DREAMER READS

1. Have you read a book with a perfect ending? 
   HM...probably yes, but I can't think off the top of my head which books that would be.
2. Does your favorite movie have a perfect ending?
   Well...not really. My favorite movie is Casablanca. It's a good ending, but not one we would call "perfect" 
3. Why did you start your blog?
   I started it so I could talk about my writing, but it ended up becoming all about books.
4. Do you have a follower goal in mind?
   Not really. I haven't been one that cares that much about followers and traffic. I'm pretty apathetic to it. This is for fun, so I shouldn't worry too much about it.
5. What advice would you give to your beginner blog self?
   Network with other bloggers earlier, use social media more.
6. Where is the best place you have visited?
   The Falls at Ricketts Glen National Park in my state.
7. Who is the most inspirational person in your life?
   I'm not sure I really have one. This is a hard question. Maybe Meg Cabot because she gives really good advice about the writing craft. And she's my favorite author.
8. What is your favorite book or movie genre?
   Definitely Sci-Fi
9. If you could write yourself in to a book or movie, which one would you be a character in?
   Hmm...this one is tricky, but I have to say Star Wars!
10. Do you like going to concerts?
    Yes! Recently saw The Flaming Lips in Feb, it was amazing!
11. What is one food you absolutely hate?
    MUSHROOMS! Why does every vegetarian meal have to include it? WHY?!??

QUESTIONS FROM HALEY @ BEAUTIFULLY BOOKS

1. How long have you been blogging?
   I have been blogging for 3 years!!
2. If you could only read three books for the rest of your life, what would they be?
   Okay, probably Outlander, A Game of Thrones & The Princess Diaries. Are the first two cheating because they are so long?
3. Do you prefer paperback or ebooks? Why?
   Hm...paperbacks, although ebooks are way easier to transport.
4. What are your top three favorite genres for books?
   Scifi, Fantasy & murder mystery.
5. What is your favorite book to movie adaption? Least favorite?
   Maybe, The Martian? As for least favorite there are a lot to chose from but I'm going to say The Golden Compass.
6. If you enter any fictional world, which would it be?
   This is isn't book related, but Mass Effect. I want to fight the Reapers.
7. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
   For people to answer my emails!
8. What fictional character would you spend the day with if you could?
   Jon Snow. 
9. Do you like to go out of your comfort zone with genres?
   No, because every time I try it I hate the book!
10. What's your favorite movie/tv show/book at the moment?
    I love the Wynonna Earp tv show, and I want to start the comics.
11. Which of your all time favorite books do you recommend for your followers and fellow book bloggers to check out?
    Arena by Holly Jennings, especially if you are gamer like me. I also always recommend anything by Meg Cabot.

MY QUESTIONS

1. Who would be your fictional bestie?
2. Do you prefer hardbacks or paperbacks?
3. What made you want to start a book blog?
4. How do you keep up with your reading & writing posts? No seriously, I want to know!
5. What do you love most about the book blogging community?
6. What would you want to change about this community?
7. What is your all time favorite book?
8. What books have you read outside of your comfort zone that you loved?
9. If you were transported into your favorite fictional world, what would you do first?
10. What advice do you give to new bloggers?
11. What book would you take with you if were stranded on a desert island?

I NOMINATE:

• Jess from Curiouser And Curiouser (Even though I know she is on hiatus)
• Simant from Flipping Thru the Pages
• Chelsea from Books for Thought
• Meredith from Pandora's Books
• Rinn From Rinn Reads
• Greg from Greg's Book Haven
• Courtney from Paperback Beaches
• Val From Innocent Smiley
• Kritika from Snowflakes and Spider Silk
• Louise from Exploring by Starlight
• Kathy From Books & Muches

I know that this award has been going around a bunch, so I did really try to nominate bloggers that haven't been nominated yet, because I really want people to check out all these blogs and give them some love. 

Happy Reads Everyone!
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Deanna Plays: #PlayWarcross

I recently introduced a new gaming feature to my blog that I am calling Deanna Plays. I have decided that I'm going to make this a monthly feature, that will go up the third Thursday of every month. Not sure if I will actually stick to every month, but I thought if I tried to make this bi-monthly I would forget which month to actually post! 

So in honor of my first actual post about gaming, I decided to use it as my #PlayWarcross post. So Warcross is a book that I am very interested in, because it's about gaming! A lot of people have been sharing who they would choose if they had their own Warcross team. I've seen it done with both bloggers or book characters. I like the posts that choose book characters, so I am going to go that route for this post today. 

Warcross by Marie Lu

Publisher: G.P Puntam's Sons Books for Young Readers (Penguin)
Release Date: September, 12, 2017

Goodreads ★ Amazon ★ B&N ★ TBD

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu—when a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths.

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

TEAM CAPTAIN

This is a no brainer for me, Kali Ling from Arena is already a natural captain, so I would want her to be the captain of my team. She has her own struggles, but in this first novel she does really care for her team and wants to remind them that playing a game for a living is supposed to be FUN! Also you probably want a gamer on your side in this world!

SHIELD

I think for my shield, I am going to go with Elias Veturius from An Ember in the Ashes. Elias fights for what is right, no matter what, and he will have the team's back.

ARCHITECT

This one was hard for me to think of, but I think I have to say Tyrion Lannister from a Song of Ice and Fire. He is always one step ahead and always thinks before he acts. Tyrion is the brains one needs on their team. 

THIEF

Sevro au Barca from Red Rising!  Everyone else is saying Kaz or another character from Leigh Bardugo's books, but since I have not read them I cannot say these characters would be good on my team. I do know that Sevro is a loyal thief to Darrow, and is the type of stealthy character you want on your team.

FIGHTER

I have to go with Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher series.  Geralt is interesting since he exists in both books and the video gaming world. In both versions of himself, I think he is the best fighter to have on your team. He's a little cranky, but he will begrudgingly help those in need. He is also a beast with his swords and signs. You want this dude on your team!

Who would you put on your Warcross team? Why? Do you agree with any of my choices?

Happy Reads Everyone!
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Audiobook Review: Yes Please

Yes Please By Amy Poehler
Publisher: Harper Audio
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Format: Audiobook

Source: Overdrive via my library

My Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads ★ Amazon ★ B&N ★ TBD

In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book full of words to live by.

I am a huge fan of Amy Poehler, so of course I had this book on my radar for a long time. I chose to do this one on audio because I find that I tend to like memoirs of funny people to be better if they actually tell me their story rather than me just reading it. Poehler narrates her own book, but also with some help. At first I thought it was interesting that she had Seth Myers, her parents, Kathleen Turner, Patrick Stewart, etc on this audiobook, but once I finished it I felt like those added voices didn't do much to the overall story. I did like the rapport between her and Seth Myers and Michael Shur, but the other voices didn't provide much to what she was trying to say. Having Poehler tell me would have been fine.

I liked listening to Poehler tell me her story, and I found it interesting to hear about her childhood, especially when she talks about the inner demon we all have that tells us we suck. That definitely resonated with me a lot. I also like that I got to hear more about her time in improv and how it shaped her to become the person she was on Saturday Night Live. Of course I knew her from her time on SNL, but I didn't know much about her time in Chicago or with the Upright Citizens Brigade. I found this to be super interesting.

At the time of writing the book, Poehler was going through a divorce with her husband Will Arnett, so there was a lot of really personal stuff going on in this book. Not something that I could personally relate to, but I feel like her candid talk about her divorce could definitely help others that may be going through the same thing.

The last chapter was actually read live, but I found this a little distracting and it made me stop paying attention a little. If I could change anything about this audiobook, it would be to just have Poehler narrate it and to not have the final chapter read in front of an audience.

All in all I did enjoy it, and there were only a few minor things that irked me about it. If you like memoirs from funny people, I would recommend this. It definitely was an entertaining and quick read!

Have you read Amy Poehler's book? What did you think? Do you like memoirs from comedians? Why?

Happy Reads Everyone!
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#TheReadingQuest TBR

The Reading Quest is a new reading challenge that is hosted by Aentee of Read at Midnight.  I'm not very good at doing reading challenges, so I generally ignore them, but since this one runs for a few weeks I figured I would try it! Also, as I started reading about this, I discovered that this is a challenge that is organized based on video game quests!

As a big gamer, and person that loves a good RPG this challenge spoke to me on so many levels. It was so made for me, so I decided it's time to join! Aentee put a crazy amount of work into this challenge and it looks like a lot of fun. It's looks like there will be a lot of other bloggers involved in this. So definitely check out the sign-up post. Also, big props to CW of Read, Think, Ponder for the AMAZING artwork for this challenge.

So what does this reading challenge actually entail, let's take a look at the amazing Quest Board!!

DON'T FREAK OUT!! There is no way I am doing this entire board! The point of this reading quest is to pick a character class and to do their path (purple squares) maybe try some side quest (blue squares) and then you can try your hand at a second character. 

For me, I am doing The Mage Path. I tend to play as a mage in all my video game playing, so it only feels natural for me to do so for this challenge. Plus all the options for the mage seems to make sense based on what I want to read next. I might not even complete my character, but I think it will be fun to try. I was hoping to use this as a way to finally finish Voyager, but since none of these books can be half-read books I'll have to finish that later.

THE MAGE MAIN PATH:

THE FIRST BOOK OF A SERIES

A BOOK SET IN A DIFFERENT WORLD

A BOOK BASED ON MYTHOLOGY

A BOOK THAT CONTAINS MAGIC

A BOOK WITH A ONE WORD TITLE

For now I want to focus on the main quest line before I make a decision about doing any of the side quests. Let's face it, trying to read just these five books will be a struggle for me! I'm excited for this challenge, I can't wait to see what everyone else will be doing. 

Happy Reads Everyone!
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Deanna Plays: A New Gaming Feature

You are probably wondering, "Deanna, why are you introducing another feature?" and I would say to you, "because I haven't been reading as much so I don't have reviews scheduled that's why!" I have also talked at length about doing a new feature involving video games, but I just wasn't sure WHAT that would be. I'm still not sure, but I decided to just do it, and get it started. 

Video games have pretty much taken over my life the past few years. It's become as much part of me as reading books, so I think it was time to merge it over onto the blog. Also as much as I love writing reviews and doing discussion posts about reviews, sometimes it's nice to have non-book content on the blog for a change. Although, that does not mean that this feature will not talk about books.

So what is Deanna Plays going to be about?? I still don't know, and I'm not sure if I'm going to stick to a monthly post yet or just post whenever I want to like I do with Bookish Thoughts. It might be video game reviews, it might be if you like this book, play this game, I'm not entirely sure but the fun thing is going to be the journey. I'm pretty excited to get started with this new feature!

If you have any ideas on what you think I should talk about on this feature, let me know! I would love to know your opinions.

Happy Reads Everyone!
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Deanna Listens: 88 Cups of Tea

Deanna Listens is a monthly feature on the first Monday of every month I created to showcase some of my favorite podcasts. This month I am talking about 88 Cups of Tea!

How I found this delightful podcast was such a happy accident. I follow a lot of YA authors on social media and Beth Revis happened to put up on her instagram that she was going to be interviewed on this podcast called 88 Cups of Tea. So I thought, "Oh, I should check that out" because I love podcasts and finding book related podcasts for this feature is something I'm always looking for. BUT then I saw that my favorite author Meg Cabot was also on this podcast, so I HAD to listen to that first. Then I went down the rabbit hole that is the podcast and binged a ton of episodes.

In the podcast host Yin Chang interviews different people in the writing business, whether that be authors, screenwriters, literary agents, etc. She asks really engaging questions about the writing process and craft, and I find this podcast to be pretty insightful. Yin is also such a delightful positive energy to the show that her excitement shows through the entire time. She is a joy to listen to, and her excitement to interview her guests makes me excited to listen to her do it.

If you are a fan of YA fiction, you will definitely find Yin talking to one of your favorite authors. I haven't really experienced author interviews too much, so I think this is a really refreshing take on a bookish podcast. There are so many great episodes, but I just want to feature a few of my favorites so far:

-Meg Cabot
-Jerry Spinelli
-Beth Revis
-Irena Brignull

I highly recommend this podcast if you are a reader and are interested in how writers come to their stories, or if you are an aspiring writer and want more insight. Yin makes this podcast fun with her positive energy and I think you'll learn a lot.

Got a great podcast you love? Give me a recommendation in the comments. No serious, please help, I'm running out of podcasts to listen to!

Happy Reads Everyone!
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Review: The Dream Thieves

The Dream Thieves By Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: September, 17th, 2013
Format: Kindle version, 453 pages

Source: Overdrive via my library

My Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads ★ Amazon ★ B&N ★ TBD

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...

The Dream Thieves is the sequel to Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys, so I will try to refrain from any spoiler content for this book, but there may be spoilers for the first novel in this review.

I have a hard time with sequels sometimes, but I think Stiefvater really won me over with this series, and I'm definitely going to continue with it. The book opens up pretty much right where the last book ends, and we deal a lot with what we know now about Noah, and how what Adam did at the end of the last book is affecting him. This novel is almost "Ronan's book" because it's a lot about his issues with his father's death and with discovering his new power of taking things out of his dreams. He learns a lot about his father and all the secrets that surrounded him, so it's very much a book that focuses on Ronan's struggles with the rest of the gang mixed in.

I'm not sure I'm totally sold on the prophecy that Blue will kill her true love if she kisses him. I kinda have been calling BS on this, but I know in this setting people accept the impossible, so I guess I have to accept that too. I think we find in this novel that Blue and Gansey are definitely attracted to each other, but they are both still fighting it. It's pretty obvious that they will get together and it will end in tragedy, so as a reader it makes me so torn about them. I did really love the scene that Blue has with Noah when none of the boys are around. Blue's life is a little sad, but she endures because that's what she does.

I think what really won me over in this novel was the writing itself. Stiefvater has this magical way of writing like a song. Her words are so lyrical in this novel that it really clung to my heart. There are some great lines in this novel that I really love that just really made me want to continue reading this book,

"...it has surprised Ronan; he hadn't realized yet that Gansey could persuade even the sun to pause and give him the time."

"Kissing's a lot like laughing. If the joke's funny, it doesn't matter how long it's been since you last heard one."

There are a couple things in the novel that put me off. I know Ronan is kind of jerk, and we are supposed to know that but sometimes I just couldn't stand how jerky he could be. I also didn't really like all the drug usage in this novel. I'm okay with reading that in books, but I just thought it was a little too adult for this young adult novel. I know that teens do drugs, I'm not dumb, but it just seemed so out of place for this story.

If you like the first book, this sequel will not disappoint. I did really like this one, but the ending just felt a little anticlimactic to me. I'm excited to read the next book to see where Stiefvater takes us.

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? What do you like about this series as a whole?
 
Happy Reads Everyone!
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The New Princess Book Tag

Thank you Darque Dreamer for tagging me in The New Princess Book Tag! I love me some tags, even if they take me forever to complete! Go check out her blog and give her some love!

THE RULES:

• Mention where you saw the tag/thank whoever tagged you!
• Tag Zuky’s and Mandy’s posts (the awesome creators of the tag) so they can check out the wonderful Princess fun throughout the blog world (Mandy @ Book Princess Reviews & Zuky @ Book Bum)
• Play a game of tag at the end!

SNOW WHITE

This book (like the movie) started it all

Favorite Debut Book from an Author

This one took me a bit to figure out, because I just couldn't think of a debut, since I tend not to read too many, at least lately. I think I'm going to go with Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda By Becky Albertalli.

CINDERELLA

A Diamond In The Rough

Just Like Cinderella, You Either Didn’t Expect Much Out of This Character in the Beginning But They Turned Out to Be a Total Gem

I'm not really a fan of Cinderella so....Maybe Isla from Isla and the Happily Ever After. I didn't really like her at first, and she did some really dumb things, but in the end I liked her and where her story went. 

AURORA

Sleeping Beauty
A Book That Makes You Sleepy, or Just Could Not Hold Your Attention 

I think Bradley Cooper's character in Silver Linings Playbook described my feelings about A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway pretty well. OMG SO BORRINNGGG!! And the ending sucked!

ARIEL

Under the Sea

A Book With a Water/ Ocean Setting

I had to resist not using a book about mermaids for this one, but I'm going with Maureen Johnson's Girl at Sea.  I don't think I ever actually rated this book (pre-goodreads and my blog) but it's got everything I wanted. Romance and a treasure hunt!

BELLE

Beauty and the Books

Name A Book With The Best Bookworm/ Booklover

Okay, this one is easy. HERMIONE GRANGER from The Harry Potter series. NO, not because Emma Watson plays both characters. Hermione was such a book worm, her and Belle would have been pals. Honestly, if Hermione was the girl who lived, she would have solved everything in 2 books. Harry was useless without her. USELESS!

JASMINE

The Thief and the Princess
Name A Book With An Unlikely Love Story (Either in Terms of Romance, or a Book You Didn’t Expect To Love So Much)

I think I'm going to go with Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers. It was slow to start, but I loved the romance in this one a lot! 

POCAHONTAS
The Real Life Princess
Name A Book That is Based On a Real Life Person You Want to Read or Have Read

I'm going to cheat a little on this one, and just pick a memoir I really love. I don't read a lot of books that are based off of real life people. I'm currently reading Yes Please by Amy Poehler. I love the audiobook version, she definitely made it really fun!

MULAN
The Princess That Saved Her Country
Name the Fiercest Heroine You Know

Oooh...I have to say Sybella from Dark Triumph. She is an unlikeable character, but man I really liked her. She did her job, and she did it well. A lot of people didn't seem to like her in the second book, but I think it gave me more clarity on why she was the way she was. 

TIANA

The Princess With the Coolest and Most Diverse Crew
Name A Diverse Book, Whether it is a Diverse Set of Characters (Like Tiana’s Group of Naveen, Louis, Ray, and More)or Just Diverse In General

Probably any of the Heroes of Olympus books by Rick Riordan. He does such a good job of writing books with diverse casts of characters, which I really appreciate. I like that he really wants kids to be able to see themselves in the books they read. 

RAPUNZEL 

Let Your Longggggg Hair Down
Name the Longest Book You Have Ever Read

According to GoodReads the longest book I've ever read is A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin! It's 1177 pages long! To be honest, it was probably 300 pages too long. 

MERIDA

I Determine My Own Fate
A Book Where There is No Love Story/ Interest or Isn’t Needed

City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett. I was just waiting for him to have Shara and Sigurd get together, and I was so happy that they could just be companions! Men and woman working along side each other and never having a romantic relationship is so refreshing.

Elsa & Anna

Frozen Hearts
A Book in a Winter/ Cold Setting

Easy! The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye. It's set in imperial Russia and there are even a couple of scenes that take place in Siberia!

MOANA

How Far I’ll Go
A Character That Goes On a Journey

Percy Jackson from The Lightning Thief By Rick Riordan. It is quite literally a quest story, and so is the rest of that series. Which I love!

TAGGED:Destiny @ Howling Libraries

A.Jade @ Pursuit of Wonderland

Nada @ Africaanah's Book Blog

Feel free to do this even if you aren't tagged, and if you are tagged, don't feel pressured! This is for fun!

Happy Reads Everyone!
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Audiobook Review: Star Wars: Rebel Rising

Star Wars: Rebel Rising By Beth Revis
Publisher: Listening Library
Release Date: May 2nd, 2017
Format: Audiobook narrated by Rebecca Soler

Source: Audible

My Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads ★ Amazon ★ B&N ★ TBD

New York Times best-selling author Beth Revis brings to life the early adventures and heartbreaks of the heroine of the smash hit movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
When Jyn Erso was five years old, her mother was murdered and her father taken from her to serve the Empire. But despite the loss of her parents, she is not completely alone - Saw Gerrera, a man willing to go to any extremes necessary in order to resist Imperial tyranny, takes her in as his own and gives her not only a home but all the abilities and resources she needs to become a rebel herself.
Jyn dedicates herself to the cause - and the man. But fighting alongside Saw and his people brings with it danger and the question of just how far Jyn is willing to go as one of Saw's soldiers. When she faces an unthinkable betrayal that shatters her world, Jyn will have to pull the pieces of herself back together and figure out what she truly believes in...and who she can really trust.

When I saw that Rebecca Soler was narrating this novel, I was like, "oh, I have GOT to do that one on audio." I've praised Soler for her narration of The Lunar Chronicles before, so I think she was pretty good choice to tell us Jyn's story pre-Rogue One. I thought at first her voice for Jyn was a little shaky. The accent she was using just didn't sit well with me. I think she found a rhythm as the book progressed so I got used to it and it ended up not bothering me. She does a lot of great voices throughout the novel, so I think that helps.

This book is interesting, because it basically tells you what happened to Jyn from the time Saw finds her in the bunker in Rogue One, to when she is broken out of the Imperial prison in the beginning of the movie. I don't think you NEED to read this to understand the movie, but I do think it gives you a lot of background on Jyn's personality and her thought process. It definitely explains why she wants nothing to do with either side in this war. If you wondered why she was so bitter about the rebellion it's revealed in this book. I think I get Jyn a little more now, and I definitely want to re-watch Rogue One now that I have this knowledge. I mean, I was probably going to re-watch it soon anyway!

The novel isn't exactly linear as it goes from Jyn in the imperial prison, to her past and it switches back and forth throughout the novel until you get to the end where she is being broken out. I'm not sure we 100% needed the story told this way, but it's not a huge dealbreaker. I enjoyed finding out what Jyn did all those years, and you really get to see her skills in action. Also knowing what I know now, makes her disinterest in reconnecting with Saw mean a lot more. I would not want to see that dude either.

I really enjoyed this novel, but I have to admit it's kind of depressing. If you know Jyn's fate before this novel, it just makes it a little sad. Homegirl, got the short end of the stick in this galaxy every single time. No matter how much she tried to overcome, it seemed like the galaxy and The Empire found a way to beat her down. POOR JYN! I felt for her a lot in this novel, and certain scenes in this novel just freaking crushed me!

If you liked the other Rogue One tie-in novels like Catalyst, I would recommend reading this one. I actually liked this one a lot better than James Luceno's novel. His was more analytical about Galen, but Revis' novel is more character based. If you don't know where to start with the new Star Wars Canon, I think this novel would be a good place to start.

What did you think about this novel? Do you think you will read this one?

Happy Reads Everyone!
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