Kaniesha's May 2014 Roundup

Finished:

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder Rating: ★★★.5 (might review)

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terril Rating: ★★★★★

Dollhouse by the Kardashians Rating: ★★ (review soon!)

Bang by Lisa McMann Rating: ★★★★★

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins Rating: ★★★★★ (might review)

Divided by Elsie Chapman Rating: ★★.5 (review soon!)

Started:

Breakshield by J.B. Rockwell

Kundalis: Storm Dragon by Frances Pauli

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Still Reading:

The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton

Acquired:

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas won from ABC Reading.

Edelweiss & Netgalley:

Divided by Elsie Chapman

Shield and Crocus by Michael R. Underwood

Coin Heist by Elisa Ludwig

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine

Posts from May:

Heather's Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art

Deux Lectrices Discuss: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor (Major Spoiler Warning)

Heather's Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I Almost Put Down But Didn't

Heather's Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books About Friendship
Deux Lectrices' Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Make Us Want to Write
Deux Lectrices Discuss: The Diviners by Libba Bray

So May was a really slow book blogging month for me! I didn't post any reviews or solo posts. But! I've got a review for Divided scheduled for next week plus five or six other posts in the work so I should be a lot more active in June, hopefully. June is going to be busy! My sister is graduating, we're going to a kpop concert in DC, Ruin and Rising is coming out on the 17th, Nicktoons is having an Avatar marathon on the 13th... can't remember anything else off the top of my head but I'm hoping for the best in June. Any fun things happening for you guys next month?

Deux Lectrices Discuss: The Diviners by Libba Bray

We're introducing another new feature! Instead of reviewing, we'll discuss books together. Feel free to tell us your opinions and join the discussion! In our discussions, we'll choose 10 questions (usually already chosen since we're aiming for a set (layout/plan/strategy? what is that word)). The questions that each of us came up with are labeled as so. Warning: these discussion posts can get wordy so we don't blame don't blame you for skimming!

Title: The Diviners
Series: The Diviners #1
Author: Libba Bray
Release date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown & Books
Genres/Subjects: fantasy, paranormal, magic, demons, psychics

Deux Lectrices' Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Make Us Want to Write

Top Ten Tuesday is a book blog meme created and hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week's topic is choose your own, so Kaniesha has chosen the top ten books that make her and Heather want to write.

Kaniesha's picks:

1. Throne of Glass / Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
I absolutely adore everything about Sarah Maas's writing style. Characters, world building, magic creating, good vs evil, etc. It's all pretty amazing.

2. The Diviners by Libba Bray
Wonderful, genuine characters in a time era built well that has me believing these characters truly could have existed.

3. Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor
Beautiful characters, well drawn out emotions and story lines. Truly magical set of books.

4. The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima
I read these books back in 2012 and the characters still haven't left my heart. Which is saying so much considering I usually have to go back Goodreads to see what the names of characters even are. (There's a character in these books that I named one of my own OCs after).

5. The Visions Trilogy by Lisa McMann
If there is anything  Lisa McMann can do, it's write and portray real teenagers. Teenagers that think they are always doing the right thing, even if it's not. Teenagers that laugh and make jokes about dumb things. Teenagers that make mistakes and learn from them.

Summary: If I could write characters, worlds, relationships, prose as well as these authors I'd be set for life. Good characters that feel like real people are downright incredible. Note: I haven't been much of a creative writer before now but it is something I want to (passively) pursue.

Heather's picks:

01  Anything Terry Pratchett
02  Molesworth by Geoffrey Willians & Ronald Searle
03  Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
04  The Zamonia series by Walter Moers
05  Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

Did we mention any books/authors that inspire your need to write? Do you not write but certain authors make you want to?

Heather's Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books About Friendship

Top Ten Tuesday is the creation of The Broke and the Bookish, each week they post a list and one of their writers answers.  This week's topic is Ten Books About Friendship

Heather's Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I Almost Put Down But Didn't

Top Ten Tuesday is the creation of The Broke and the Bookish, each week they post a list and one of their writers answers.  This week's topic is Ten Books I Almost Put Down But Didn't

Deux Lectrices Discuss: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor (Major Spoiler Warning)

We're introducing another new feature! Instead of reviewing, we'll discuss books together. Feel free to tell us your opinions and join the discussion! Needless to say, since we will be discussing the final book in the series, HERE THAR BE SPOILERS! We've come up with ten questions and answered talked about our topics, so prepare for a very long post! (Personally, Kaniesha doesn't blame you for skimming).

Title: Dreams of Gods & Monsters
Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone #3
Author: Laini Taylor
Release date: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Genres/Subjects: fantasy, paranormal, romance, magic, angels, demons

Heather's Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art

Top Ten Tuesday is the creation of The Broke and the Bookish, each week they post a list and one of their writers answers.  This week's topic is Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art

Heather's Monthly Roundup: April

This was a way more productive month for me, possibly because I just set my GR goal for the year and finally saw that I needed to get myself into (reading) shape to reach it.

Kaniesha's April 2014 Roundup

Finished:

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini Rating: 4/5 stars

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo Rating: 4/5 stars

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge Rating: 4/5 stars (reviewed!)

Shattered Secrets by Krystal Wade Rating: DNF (reviewed!)

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor Rating: 5/5 stars

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West Rating: 4/5 stars

Started:
Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terril
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Still Reading:

Dollhouse by the Kardashians

The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton

Acquired:

The Only Boy by Jordan Locke

Giveaway won, thank you!

April was super neutral for me for books. Shattered Secrets, the one I marked as DNF and dropped, put me in a more or less 10 day reading slump. I spent a majority of my time during that reading a few pages here and there of DoGaM and playing Skyrim. Though I did finish 1 more book than I normally do. (5 books seems to be my month limit even if I can read three times that if ALL I did was read. Too bad I can't do that!)

My posts from April: 
Top Ten Most Unique Books I've Read
Top Ten Characters Who I'd Date: Book Boyfriends (and Girlfriends) Edition
First Wired Weekends / Our 100th post
Top Ten Books to Read if You Like Adventure Time