the sequel I’ve been waiting for!! // The Camelot Betrayal Book Review, Playlist and Moodboard

Hello everyone and welcome to my stop on The Camelot Betrayal Book tour! I loved the first book of the series, and this sequel did not disappoint. Also thank you to TBR and Beyond Book tours for including me in the tour. Read on too see my thoughts, a moodboard, and a playlist for this book. Check out the rest of the tour.

Title: The Camelot Betrayal (Book #2 of the Camelot Rising series)
Author: Kiersten White
Purchase: Barnes and Nobles / Amazon
Synopsis (GR): The second book in a new fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White, exploring the nature of self, the inevitable cost of progress, and, of course, magic and romance and betrayal so epic Queen Guinevere remains the most famous queen who never lived.

EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN CAMELOT: King Arthur is expanding his kingdom’s influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her.

Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde, Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen’s knight, and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere–the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn’t belong. She never will.

When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, a devastated Guinevere returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet has arrived. Not in the form of the Dark Queen or an invading army, but in the form of the real Guinevere’s younger sister. Is her deception at an end? And who is she really deceiving–Camelot, or herself?

Pro’s

• Action packed! – This plot was actually picked up pace for faster than it did in the last book. Which was a good thing given the ending of the last book was actually epic! I really enjoyed reading about Guinevere and her coming into terms with her role in Camelot and just being a badass little queen. I also loved the inclusion of the little excerpts in between chapters talking about dreams, and stories in such because it added a lot more detail and fun into the plot.
• Plot twists! – Even though it is based on Arthurian legend, Miss master-at-storytelling Kiersten White made this completely on her own! She added a lot of plot twists that will leave you on the edge of your seat, and probably destroy your perception of pain, but that is what makes it so good. Or maybe I just like hurting myself idk
• World building/Magical system was A++ – So in the last book we get to know about knot magic, and fire magic and Guinevere is one of the few people in Camelot who can do magic. But in this sequel we see other people do magic and it’s so beautiful yet haunting at the same time. It’s pretty hard to explain without spoiling anything but we see other forms of magic that are sooo interesting. If you like very cool magical systems that are not so complicated and very easy to understand, then you will like this book. The way magic and sorcery is used is probably my favorite part of this book. I literally had a dream of doing magic with Guinevere, I loved it that much okay.
• Teasing romance! – Just like in the first book, romance doesn’t take the main stage of the book but it it there is teasing hints here and there. In the first book it also focused a lot on Arthur and Guinevere but in this one Guinevere definitely has a lot more chemistry with Mordred. And I loved it! Their moments together were sparse but so well-written and so cute. Mordred definitely cares for Guinevere and Guinevere also has feelings for him as well even she refuses to acknowledge it.

Cons

• I really enjoyed the plot and I didn’t find anything wrong with it.

• Guinevere – Let me start by saying I!! Loved!! Her!! Development!! I honestly wasn’t that big of fan of her in the first book because of her obsession with Arthur, but we get too see her grow away from that. Feeling lost and unsure is a very familiar feeling and seeing that reflected in her really spoke to me. And despite this feeling of uncertainty she was always trying to be her best self. She does act out rashly sometimes but given her situation it’s pretty understandable. I also sympathized with her love of nature and am glad that we go to see her sensitive side. She was a good fully dimensional character and a great main character!
• Arthur – Okay he wasn’t my favorite and his character is pretty one-dimensional and he pretty much stayed the same in the second book as well. I did admire how noble he was though.
• Lancelot – My second favorite character.! Really liked her development and how she interacted with the other characters. She’s so noble and such a great friend. We know in the original tale that Guinevere also ends up in a forbidden romance situation with Lancelot, and I do know Lancelot cares about Guinevere a lot in this book so I’m really excited to know who ends up with who.

• I love Kiersten White’s writing in general (And I Darken was my favorite book in 2017) and she didn’t disappoint. Everything flowed smoothly and it was great. There a few times where I was slightly confused because of how the action scenes were written but it didn’t really take away from the experience.

moodboard + playlist

So for my moodboard I just chose out some of the main characters name and their meanings. I also hate the formatting of wordpress very much, and I swear it looks 10x better on my tumblr.

About The Author

Kiersten White is the New York Times bestselling and Bram Stoker award-winning author of the And I Darken trilogy, the Paranormalcy trilogy, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, Slayer ,The Guinevere Deception, and many other novels. Kiersten lives with her family in sunny San Diego, California, where she perpetually lurks in the shadows.

Website / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads / Facebook

Is Romance in YA Harmful?

Romance has come to be such a prevalent part of YA book culture, and it is so rare to see a book without any.

I also love romantic couples in young adult books. If done right, it can be one of my favorite parts of the book. The meet-cute, the getting together process is very adorable but the thing is, it’s everywhere. And at times it can give such a wrong and harmful idea too the audience YA is generally pandered too–teenagers.

So in this post I’m going to talk about: why this excessive amount of romance in YA books are more harmful then just “cute.”

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Why Romance in YA can do more harm

• This over-the-top portrayal of romance sets up unrealistic expectations for love in the real world – In terms of romance, there is a simple step-by-step recipe that most YA books follow.

1) Meet cute
2) Getting to know each other/flirting stage
3) realizing both parties like each other
4) Some big argument or fight happens
5) They make up and live happily ever after

This is what I personally noticed in almost all of the young adult contemporary and even some fantasy books. It’s very clear cut and simple and usually gives the bogus message that “love is easy”, there is barely any conflict at all. Books, movies, music all talk about how “someone saved them”, and include swoon-worthy and passionate scenes which in the real world doesn’t happen. And everyone (me included) eats it up. I know most people are sensible enough to know that real love doesn’t work that way, but let’s be honest these exaggerated portrayals have influenced your hopes for romance a little bit. Have you ever caught yourself thinking “I need a romance like x and x” after reading a book?

However the truth is, romance is not like that at all. It’s not always filled with these heart-racing, passionate, and dramatic moments. People use these feelings too define love, and when these feelings fade away they think they have fallen out of love and move onto the next person. Both parties have set their expectations for each other, and if one of them don’t seem to meet it, they break up. And that’s of course normal in a relationship, but the problem is the expectations themselves. If they are only based on what people see on books (or mass media in general) then relationships are bound to fail because that’s not how real love works at all.

• Romance is so prominent in YA books it pushes the ideology that romantic love is something teenagers need – Why are teenagers so obsessed with finding boyfriends/girlfriends? Maybe because we see these happy couples everywhere on the internet.
  
  Seeing these fictional people find their “other half” and see how confident and secure they are, can lead people to unconsciously think “I should get an s/o so I could be like that too” and to that I say:

The idea of finding this fairy tale romance is so ingrained because of the media teenagers consume, which leads to teenagers are so obsessed with finding the perfect romantic partner. But this is so unnecessary. We’re going through this period in our lives where we are trying to find out who we are, our brains are literally re-wiring , we have added pressure of school figuring out our correct path in life, and now we have to worry about romance???

Am I condeming teenage romance, and saying that all teenagers shouldn’t date? No of course not! Just keep in mind that unlike what most YA books suggest, you don’t need romance too be considered valid, and it honestly shouldn’t be a top priority. We have our whole lives ahead of us.

• Valuing romantic love over other types of love – A lot of attention is put on romantic love, but what about friendships and family and even your pets? Maybe if YA (or media in general) put a lot of emphasis on family or friends, society would focus on fostering better human connections, and appreciating family rather then being so crazy about love.

This also ties in with aro/ace representation as well. There is little to no representation of ace main characters in YA books. Which once again, pushes the message that romance is an integral part of our lives. You can live a life without romantic love.

What’s the root of the problem?

It’s us! It all comes down to what sells, and romance definitely sells. Unless friendships and family suddenly starts trending out of nowhere, authors are going too include romance because that’s whats popular now.

And I’m not saying don’t buy romance books or any books that have romance. But just really be mindful of what you read, and how you take that in.

So this concludes my post. Keep in mind that this isn’t like a research paper so I didn’t include any concrete links to any research conducted on the effect of social media. This was based on observation, personal experience, and thinking. But this doesn’t make my point any less valid. What do you guys think about the amount of romance in YA literature? Do you think that it contributes to society a lot? Do you agree with my points? Do you disagree? Please let me know!

Good Books I Devoured During Quarantine // a recommendation post that no one asked for but i will give anyway

I’m just going too keep it short and simple, like most people, I had nothing too do during quarantine except read. I’m at the point where I’m going down this rabbit hole of book blogs just too find my next good read, and it just hit me that other people are feeling the same way. So I had the genius, groundbreaking idea of creating my own list for people who are looking for a good book too read.

Most of these are YA and feature romance (I’m a hopeless romantic sue me) and are plenty diverse in terms of characters, plot, and genre. I will be giving a mini-mini review, and providing links too Goodreads where you can see other reviews as well

1) A Good Girls Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson

Goodreads | 4.5 stars

• If you are big fan of mystery books written by authors like Kara Thomas (author of The Cheerleaders, Little Monsters) then believe me when I say YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!
• It’s basically about sixteen year old Pip who investigates a case about a dead teenager with Ravi Singh who’s brother was allegedly the killer. There are a lot of unexpected plot twists and by the end you will be the definition of shooketh o.O
• I love the layout of this book. It’s told in Pip’s point of view, but also features pictures, texts, and also letters, transcripts etc… it just adds so much appeal too the book.
• Some key characters were brown, and yes one of them was labeled as a murderer and had his whole family shunned from the whole town, but as a brown person myself, I was just giddy hearing a brown name lol.
• Pip is such a cool main character, I loved her so freaking much. She is so intelligent and compassionate and not afraid too go to extreme lengths too get what she wants which is something I admired about her.
• probably my most favorite book out of this whole list lol

2) Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

Goodreads | 4 stars

• Fast-paced, supernatural, cute romance, and badass book that takes place in Korea!!
• This book centers on Miyoung who is a gumiho or nine tailed fox, and her life becomes dramatically intertwined with regular human Jihoon after she loses her fox bead (her soul basically).
• From the very beginning this was action packed, and the author did a great job at writing fight scenes.
• This book also introduced me too Korean mythology which is so!! damn!! cool!! I know we all went through a Greek mythology phase with PJO, and Korean mythology is just as awesome
• Ending was a little rushed, but I was satisfied with it.
• Romance was A++, Jihoon and Miyoung are so freaking cute.
• Characters definitely made this book come alive. Miyoung and Jihoon were great and fleshed out, but I also loved the supporting characters as well
• It takes place in Seoul, Korea which kind of contributes to the plot and also Korea sounds like a really fun place too visit

3) Parachutes by Kelly Yang

Goodreads | 4 stars

• TW: This book deals with sexual assault and also has a teacher-student relationship which was very one sided.
• I know books that deal with harassment are not everyone’s cup of tea, but I strongly advise that everyone should read it (unless of course it’s too triggering) because it deals with picky subjects in a raw, and honest way. It tackles privilege, racism , sexual harassment, toxic parenting, and corruption in society.
• It’s basically about Claire who comes from a very wealthy family in China being moved out to America against her own will and living with a host family in America. Dani is her host sister, and is poor and supports her mother by working in a cleaning service.
• I related a lot to Dani’s struggles of being a daughter of an immigrant family, and at times my heart broke for her.
• Claire was a likable character although I did question her decisions sometimes. Towards the end however, she proved too be a really strong character.
• The romance was a bit ehhh, but I personally didn’t focus on that. The plot was definitely better.

4) Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Goodreads | 4.5 stars

• THIS BOOK IS SO UNFORGETTABLE YOU WILL NOT REGRET READING THIS BOOK!
• Also that cover is so eye-candy, I would love too have that in my room
• Anyways, this book follows Hesina who becomes Queen of her kingdom after her father dies.
• But Hesina believes that her father was actually murdered, and is now doing whatever she can too find out the culprit.
• So it’s a combination of murder mystery with a fantasy plot line?? Basically the two best genres combined?? YES MA’AM!
• This has so many plot twists OMG! At one point I literally had to pause and just calibrate my thoughts, cause there is so many things I guarantee you will not see coming.
• The characters are so great, and diverse in terms of personality. We have crazy twins, estranged brother, and mysterious handsome prisoner who could also break your arms.
• And THE ENDING HOW HKAKHDSJKSH
• The writing was a bit flowery, and heavy which kind of made it hard to read at first, but once I got adjusted too it the book just got better.
• The romance is there, but not a main thing, and it was meh. To be honest there was not that much chemistry, but I still found the main pairing sweet.
• ANd the world building was phenomenal. I loved the little fantasy world He built with magic soothsayers, and court systems. It was all just very *chefs kiss*

5) Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Goodreads| 4 stars

• This book was hilarious and so fun to read! It captivated me from the first page (and if you read the first page you’ll see why)
• It follows Sawyer Taft who lived with her mother all her life, and never knew anything about her other family. One day her grandma shows up out of nowhere and says that she will give Sawyer 500K if she lives in her estate for six months and participates in the Debutante Ball.
• Sawyer says yes, and is now on a mission too find her real father, and let me just say things get real crazy.
• One of my favorite parts of the book is the plot. It can be slow at times (especially towards the beginning), but then it started picking up pace and becomes reaaaaally interesting.
• Sawyer is kind of a bland character, and too be honest her friends are way more enjoyable then her.
• Lots of twists and turns, and the ending is super crazy
• Really original plot, it really amazes me how the author managed too tie in everything together.

6) Loveboat Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen

Goodreads| 3.5 —> 4 stars

• Okay so obviously this book is my least favorite in the list and for several reasons,,,
• But I enjoyed it nonetheless!!
• It’s about Ever who is passionate about dancing. However her parents look down on dancing and force Ever too pursue being a doctor. They send her off to a program (called Taipei) in Taipei too study Mandarin with children from some of the wealthiest families in the world. S
•  This was pretty addicting read. It follows Ever rebelling and getting away from her super strict parents and exploring Taipei which sounds so beautiful and fun.
• Romance was okay, there is a love triangle. She didn’t end up with who I wanted her too end up with, but I know some people disagree with my choice and have valid reasons.
• Also towards the end there was this big girl on girl hate which made my liking for this book go down a lot. I don’t like it girls are portrayed as people who only care about validation from men, and Sophie (a side character) was definitely that. I disliked her a lot.
• But I did enjoy the rest of the plot as well which is why I still recommend reading it!!

7) Honorable Mention: The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf

Goodreads| 5 stars!

• First off the cover art is so freaking beautiful!!
• This book broke me. I kid you not, I ran up to my mom and hugged her and if you read the story you’ll see why.
• It takes place in 1969 Malaysia, where race riots finally reach a tipping point and erupt into basically an all out war. Melati is Muslim and sixteen years old and is struggling with OCD.
• However because this takes place in a South Asian country where things like mental illness weren’t really talked about, Melati thinks she’s possessed by a “Djinn” which is a supernatural entity.
• A race riot erupts and Melati finds herself separated from her only family member, her mother, and now is trying to find her way back amidst all the chaos happening.
• This book is very dark and has slight trigger warnings (violence, death, anxiety triggers)
• However I loved the plot. The pacing was perfect, and watching Melanie so determined too find her mother despite the fact she could literally DIE, moved me so much.
• Also it covered the reason behind race riots which I think is very applicable with what’s going on right now. I never learned about the race riots in 1969 but it was disgusting and tragic over what happened too the innocent people died.

I was originally going too add ten books, but I thought that it might be a bit too extreme and also I have more than a 1k word count…Anyways these are just a few of the good books I have read over quarantine but what about you? What have you been reading that you really enjoyed (pls help me I need more book recs!)? What was your disappointing read? Please let me know!  

The Stigma Behind DNF-ing Books + Aspects of a DNF

Sometimes we all have that one book that we wish we’d be doing a thousand other things than actually reading it. It’s that one book that seems to take forever and a day to read. Well, what would you do? Throw the book in your donation box or continue reading it?

My experience with DNF-ing books has been a crazy one. There was a point in time where I never had to DNF  a book because I didn’t have too. It was a bookish bliss too read one book after another and actually like all of them. It was sort of around the time I read the HP series for the first time. Coincidence? I think not.

Obviously, that period of time didn’t last and I faced books that I really didn’t like, or even hated to some extent. But I still tried to finish it because I would a) feel extremely guilty over not finishing some books and b) I saw a lot of readers and bloggers on Goodreads talking about how they didn’t really believe in DNF-ing books. Some people said they never DNF-ed a book, and of course I was in awe. Well I’m exaggerating a bit, but the point is: I felt like I needed to read all my books all the way or else I would never be considered a “professional blogger”.

Then there’s the fact that when you receive an ARC from a publisher you have to read the whole thing for reviewing purposes. Otherwise you would be doing the publisher wrong for wasting their time, and money.

Also, pride is another main point. I sort of discussed it before, but I thought it was super cool to have only 1 or 0 books you haven’t finished. It sort of meant that you were able to put yourself  through all these hellish books, and you deserved bragging rights or something.

When I went through that very long 2 year phase of not DNF-ing books it was hell. I’m a pretty picky reader, and picky reader + bad book = unhappy Amena (if that makes sense). Reading books that I didn’t like from the start sucked the fun out of everything, and put me in a horrible;e reading slump. And reading was something that was always fun, and enjoyable to me. Something that makes me, me.

So I’m on the definite yes to DNF. Not finishing a book because I simply didn’t like it, is perfectly fine. If I don’t enjoy something and have the choice to stop, I will. Pride is no longer a problem for me because I realized that my happiness > some book.

So what makes a DNF, a DNF?

• Bad world-building – This refers mainly too fantasy novels. If the setting can’t really draw me in, or doesn’t make any sense I won’t be able to read it.
• Awkward Writing Style – Obviously the way the book is structured and written is an important part. Actually, I consider it one of the most. If the writing style isn’t flowy, and instead very awkward I would put it down.
• Problematic characteristics – This is a huge factor as well. Racism? I’m putting that as a one-star and telling everyone I know too not read this book. Cultural appropriation? Nope, not having it. Sexist? That book is already going to be in DNF pile. Check out my post on identifying a problematic book and what to do with it. 
• Book slump – Sometimes, I’m not in the right mood or state of mind to read this book. Like I said, I’m not pushing myself too read it, and I will just put it down.
• Little-No Plot – Plot is also a very important section of a book. Without one, a book is just a peices of paper. I detest slow plots that take a while for me to get into, and also boring ones. I feel like this is really prominent in YA contemporary romance, where it’s just fluff. Like that’s great, but where is the actual story??

• Annoying Characters – I can’t stand bland, boring character. Minor ones I can accept, but if it’s one of the MC’s we’re going to have a problem. I refuse to read about a whiny, or bratty character or a character having literally zero personality. It just irks me so much.

So that’s how I feel about DNF-ing books. Honestly, if you never DNF-ed a book, or have only done a few, props to you. I don’t know how you do it, but I think it’s amazing. What are some features of a DNF book? What are some books you have DNF-ed in the past? Do you think it’s right too not finish an ARC? Are you on the yes side or the no side of DNF-ing books?

a week of mondays book review // extremely cute!

Title: A Week of Mondays

Author: 4 stars

Blurb (GR):

When I made the wish, I just wanted a do-over. Another chance to make things right. I never, in a million years, thought it might actually come true…

Sixteen-year-old Ellison Sparks is having a serious case of the Mondays. She gets a ticket for running a red light, she manages to take the world’s worst school picture, she bombs softball try-outs and her class election speech (note to self: never trust a cheerleader when she swears there are no nuts in her bake-sale banana bread), and to top it all off, Tristan, her gorgeous rocker boyfriend suddenly dumps her. For no good reason!

As far as Mondays go, it doesn’t get much worse than this. And Ellie is positive that if she could just do it all over again, she would get it right. So when she wakes up the next morning to find she’s reliving the exact same day, she knows what she has to do: stop her boyfriend from breaking up with her. But it seems no matter how many do-overs she gets or how hard Ellie tries to repair her relationship, Tristan always seems bent set on ending it. Will Ellie ever figure out how to fix this broken day? Or will she be stuck in this nightmare of a Monday forever?

From the author of 52 Reasons to Hate My Father and The Unremembered trilogy comes a hilarious and heartwarming story about second (and third and fourth and fifth) chances. Because sometimes it takes a whole week of Mondays to figure out what you really want.

pro’s

• very interesting read – so when i first picked this up from my library i internally cringed at the size. like that is a huge book, and i am scared of huge books. i was worried i would get bored after the first 100 pages. and then i learned that the character goes through the same day 7 times, i was ready to flake out. but wow look at that, i was super wrong.

• • this was a lighthearted book, but it contained some important life topics that can be applied too teenagers (mainly me). this made me stop and think about my life, and the way other people think about me.  were people seeing me the way i wanted to be perceived? or was i just sucking up to them like out heroine was doing at the first half of the story?
  • but like i said before this was also cute, and genuinely funny. and also had some great character development (discussed more below). there were some hilarious moments.
• the concept was awesome! – a week where you can redo the bad days of your life before you get it right? sign me up please! i mean i can definetley see the bad sides, but i wouldn’t give it up the chance. i was also pretty surprised too see this in a contemporary book! but it fit in pretty well!!

cons

• romance – tristan was just so ughhh! he used the “not like other girls trope”, and that was just enough to send me into a rage! and he used to just consider girls dramatic as a whole. and that got on my nerves (but not as bad when i saw ellie play right into his hands, like c’mon girl you can do better than that!!). so yeah he was a horrible boyfriend, and i’m pretty dissapointed it tool ellie 7 mondays to realize that. and then you have the actual love interest, which was Owen.  and owen was a little smol, fluff ball, WHO DIDN’T GET ENOUGH TIME IN THIS BOOK!!

• • i didn’t really see owen, and ellie romance blossom. there was several cute moments, but really miniscule compared to that-jerk-tristan. and overall, i think owen, and ellie would do better as a best friend duo?? i felt like she didn’t need a boy at the end??? yea so there’s my unpopular opinion.

Ellison – so when i first was reading the book through her p.o.v, there was just this shrill, bitchy kinda voice. i couldn’t help it because she was acting completely boy-crazy over a stupid jerk. it was like her whole world revolved around trsitan. so i rolled my eyes. a lot.  but there was really awesome character development. and i love those!! ellie defienetly changed from some boy-crazy, a little space-headed girl to a badass who doesn’t give a f about what anyone thinks.  and i don’t mean the badass who wears black, and gives off an aloof vibe (because that is such a stereotypical view), but the type that puts their best self, and strives to make their-self happy.  and still doesn’t give a shit.

Tristan – hi, can someone throw an encyclopedia at him? because HE JUST GRATED ON MY NERVES!!

so like i said before, he used the whole “not like other girls trope”, and was just a complete snob. his response to almost everything was “i’m a musician, blah blah blah”. lIKE NO THE ONLY THING YOU ARE TRISTAN WHEELER IS A SELF-CENTERED JERK!!

literally me @ tristan

so yeah, didn’t really like him. so when ellie finally dumped his good for nothing ass, i was whooping!!

Owen – suuuper cute!! i loved owen, but i really wished he had more time in this book. he wasn’t really there for Ellie, and his romance to really develop. he just seemed so much better as a best friend, rather than a love interest.

This was honestly, SO WELL-WRITTEN! I was super engrossed, and interested in the novel. one you started reading it, you couldn’t back out. the author has written as Ellie with a passion, and i loved it!

so this is a pretty underrated book, which was worth my while. i really enjoyed this book. have you read this book? what did you think? what are your current reads?? and what are some favorite books you have read so far?

 

why negative reviews are so scary + how to not fail at writing them

reviewing is just part of a book blogging life.

reviewing is based on your opinion, and how you feel about the certain something. while stating your feelings sounds so easy, i came to realize that it’s not. it’s waaaay more complicated than that. especially if it’s negative, or a negative review amidst the sea of super popular ones.

why writing negative reviews can be scarier than taking a chem final

i lied nothings scarier than taking a chem final you didn’t study for 

1. scared of backlash – when i was writing a review for when dimple met rishi, it involved important topics like sex, and diversity. i read that review 10x to make sure i wasn’t writing anything that can offend anyone. i rewrote every line that remotely looked like i was trying to say something bad. why? because i was scared. i was scared of being seen as someone who doesn’t support such an important thing, and someone who is percieved of being racist. it’s embarassing, and sad to be thought of someone like that.
2. being the black sheep – confession time: way, way, way, back when i first started blogging (like i used to use blogger instead of wordpress) and i read hyped up books that let me down i changed my rating on goodreads so it could seem like i “fit in” with all the other positive reviews.  i didn’t write a whole review because anyone with a brain could’ve seen how fake i was. i don’t do this anymore, and i won’t do it anymore especially if a book is representing something in a very problematic storyline.
3. being sued – okay this sounds of a bit of a stretch, but believe me when i say, i was super scared of writing anything negative about a product, or ANYTHING after i found out you can be sued. i read a blog post about someone getting sued 350,000 for writing a bad review, and lord help me, i don’t need to be so broke that i end up in the negative values. 
4. authors can be scary?? – please read this, as well as this to figure out what i’m talking about.

so while we have that side let’s look on the side where it’s important to posting a negative review, and we shouldn’t be scared of it

1. to start off, there may be people who actually agree with you. and may think you’re helpful because you just saved them a lot of time, by crossing of that book of their TBR.
2. some authors will take the criticism in a good way, and hopefully use it later on to improve on their later books
3. it’s part of book blogging. reviews are pretty much the heart, and soul of a book blog. it’s the second (after goodreads) people look up to for a review on a book. you wouldn’t want to spread false statements on your book reviews.
4. fourth, and most important it’s your opinion., everyone has a different outlook on books, or things in general. so why should a negative opinion be considered in valid?

tips on writing negative reviews

• try to relay your opinion in a calm, and polite way

unless it’s extremely problematic you don’t want to immediately start bashing on an author. blood, sweat, and tears (bts reference!!!) have gone into these books, and the author will probably be upset, and a little pissed off to be bombarded with deragatory words.

DON’T: this book was just soo stupid, i don’t even know how the publisher allowed this to be published! my eyes were literally burning with each sentence. the author made very character sound so stupid. how was this even the final draft??? my grandmother could’ve wrote better than this, and she didn’t even go to school!! 

i think i went a bit overboard

DO: to start off, the characters were more or less developed, and i found them doing something that should really need some looking-over. there were a lot of grammer mistakes, that didn’t help with the already, broken writing 

• look at other peoples unpopular opinions

if you are unable or unsure of how to express your opinion (or if you don’t even know your opinion), you could look at the other reviews to help you out a bit. some people might see this as copying. that’s not the case. if you are quoting someone then of course credit them.

DON’T: *looks at famous blogger* *starts to write the same exact way, WITHOUT crediting them* 

DO: as another reviewer, ________ said, “lot of  plot holes, and dumb characters”. and i totally agree with that… 

• try to be sassy!!

if you try sugar-coating, but you sound like a 40 year old professor, try to make you reviews more entertaining! i love reading, may’s, julianna, or cait’s reviews because they manage to tell if something is not wroth the time, but still make me laugh. i try (key word try) to be funny, but no. i am not.

DON’T: everything about this was so stupid. for example in page 131 paragraph, 6…. 

DO: i have no idea how to be sassy, but if you want awesome exampled read Cait from Paper Fury’s review of Warcross or Em @ softlykaz’s reviews  

• balance it out

if you calm down enough, you might find something that was remotely good about the certain book. i remember when writing  When Dimple Met Rishi, i was so engrossed in writing away all the bad things about the book (which were a lot surprisingly) i forgot to focus on the one good aspect. which was the diversity, because it was so spot on.

I like to think that made me seem less like a angry, rambling, crazy, bitch, and made my conscience feel a bit better.

and one final reminder: it’s okay to post a negative review. you are your own person so by that logic, you have your own DIFFERENT opinions. so what your favorite types of review? were these tips helpful? what are some other tips you can add on? are you comfortable sharing  negative review online? let me know!

 

Update: I’m Alive, and Back! // New Feature + I’m Writing a Book

Hello everyone, it certainly has been a while. I came back from Bangladesh about a week ago, and couldn’t even lift a finger because I was so jet lagged. So jet lagged I slept for about 48 hours.

And too make matters worse I got a bad case of strep throat, which hurts soooo much. My throat was killing me in the first week, but I’m slightly better.

Now enough about me complaining about sucky health life, lets talk about the blog. I really want to write some good, interesting, and well written posts, because when I was going through my old posts, I was like

LIKE EW, WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL ME I WRITE LIKE A 5-YEAR OLD????????

I have to catch up on a lot of stuff regarding this blog, and I have a few posts planned. Here is a little sneak peek:

• My trip to Bangladesh + cringe-worthy pictures
• Things that make a good book.
• Back to school books
• how to balance blogging, and school.
• A new feature!! Things will be unveiled tomorrow!!!
• that’s it
• i’m sorry. 

It’s not that much?? But I really tried??? STOP JUDGING ME!

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Also, crazy news everyone. I am starting a book!! I have no idea what it’s called, and I’m starting too think of character names, and I have some aesthetics going on, but here is the gist of it.

• It’s fantasy, and has two kingdoms
• one is good, and one is bad.
• the girl from the good kingdom (let’s call it kingdom a, and the bad kingdom, kingdom b) hates her life cause she feels trapped, and whatever
• the boy from kingdom b also hates his life, because he has sooo much pressure on him, and everyone makes him feel like he’s not good enough. (he is honestly my favorite, and my heart hurts for this smol bean) 
• They meet up, somehow (I’m working on that), fall in love (I’m working on that), and there is an evil queen in there, and someone dies. Okay, a lot of people die.
• and that’s about it???

I JUST REALLY WANT TO WRITE THIS OKAY! I’m trying to get a hang of things like plot bunnies, Camp Nanawrimo, how to write in general. But this is turning out to be a really fun project, and I can’t wait for the finished project (if it even gets completed, let’s just be real here).

So how has it been for everyone else? How many books have you read in August? Which one was your favorites? I NEED NEW BOOKS TO READ!! How many books have you read in September so far?? 

 

Mini-Book Haul!! // July Edition

the greatest feeling in the world  is when you buy books that are on sale.

No joke. I love sales, and books so when the two are put together it’s true love <3.

A few days ago, my second hand bookshop had a huge sale because it was closing (😭😭), and you know I went all out! And I’m sharing my books here.

B O O K S

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest

Author: Holly Black

Blurb (GR): Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

This has been on my TBR for about 5,677,329,875,907,070,276,028,346 years okay? So to be able to hold this in my hand, and cross it off my TBR, feels so wonderful. But then I’d add another book anyway.

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Title: Riders

Author: Veronica Rossi

Blurb (GR): Nothing but death can keep eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

While recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can’t remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen—Conquest, Famine, and Death—are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now—bound, bloodied, and drugged—Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he’s fallen for—not to mention all of humankind—he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him?

I love Veronica Rossi’s books. Did I mention that I love Veronica Rossi? I LOVE VERONICA ROSSI AS MUCH AS I LOVE BUBBLE TEA!! I loved her series Under The Never Sky, and I cannot wait to see what beautiful story she weaves in this novel!

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Title: Dreamland

Author: Sarah Dessen

Blurb (GR): Love can be a very dangerous thing.

After her sister left, Caitlin felt lost.

Then she met Rogerson.

When she’s with him, nothing seems real.

But what happens when being with Rogerson becomes a larger problem than being without him?

I LOVE SARAH DESSENS BOOK, IT’S LIKE TREATING MYSELF TOO 5 CAKES!! Her stories are so sweet, and romantic ❤

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Title: Unlikelies

Author: Carrie Firestone

Blurb (GR): One good deed will change everything.

Sadie is not excited for the summer before her senior year. It will be her first without her college-bound best friend and (now ex-)boyfriend by her side, so Sadie braces herself for a long, lonely, and boring season working at a farm stand in the Hamptons. But things take an unexpected turn when Sadie steps in to help rescue a baby in peril and footage of her impromptu good deed goes viral.

As she’s recovering from “the incident” and adjusting to her Internet fame, Sadie receives an invitation to a lunch honoring teem homegrown heroes. The five honorees instantly connect and soon decide to spend their time together righting local wrongs. Sadie and her new friends embark on escalating acts of vigilante Good Samaritanism, but might be in over her heads when they try to help a heroin-addicted friend. Are good intentions enough to hold unlikely friendships—and an even unlikelier new romance—together?

I saw this everywhere a month ago, and I was intirgued by the cover (it has ice cream in case you haven’t notice), and the blurb. So when I saw this of course I had to get it!

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Title: Gifted

Author: H.A Swain

Blurb (GR): In Orpheus Chanson’s world, geniuses and prodigies are no longer born or honed through hard work. Instead, procedures to induce Acquired Savant Abilities (ASAs) are now purchased by the privileged. And Orpheus’s father holds the copyright to the ASA procedure.

Zimri Robinson, a natural musical prodigy, is a “plebe”–a worker at the enormous warehouse that supplies an on-line marketplace that has supplanted all commerce. Her grueling schedule and her grandmother’s illness can’t keep her from making music–even if it is illegal.

Orpheus and Zimri are not supposed to meet. He is meant for greatness; she is not. But sometimes, rules are meant to be broken. Here is a thriller, love story, and social experiment that readers will find gripping–and terrifying.

This was also a hyped up book. I saw this at a very cheap price. Only 3 dollars, and I grabbed it before anyone else can!

That’s all the books I acquired today! The total was about 10$, which is way less than the original amount. I’m so excited to read these, but I am pretty sad my favorite bookshop is closing. What have you recently bought/borrowed? What books should I read first (because I have no idea which one to start!!!)?  

Blog-Hopping: Is It Worth It? // Pro’s and Con’s of Blog Hopping, and My Opinion

Everyone knows that a best part for a blogger is comments. And what better way is too spread the love, than to comment back?

That’s the basic concept behind blog-hopping. And today, I’m going to discuss the pro’s, and cons of this blogging feature.

• Shows more appreciation to your followers – Commenting back to other websites helps show that you care about your followers, and their participation in your blog.
• Encourages more comments – This is basically you maintaining a healthy, blogger-viewer relationship with the people who comment on your blog. If you comment back on their blog, most likely they will come back and comment on another post. Which means you’re happy!
• Encourages more follows – A lot of people on my post about why I would follow a blog, stated that they will follow a blog where there is communication between blogger, and viewer.
• Discovery of more blogs – When you are going to comment back on someone’s blog, chances are you will probably like their blog as well. I’m always in constant need of following blogs (I don’t why, but I just like following a lot of people), and blog hopping solves that problem for me.
• Discovery of more friends – Like I said above, people are most likely going to comment back, if you comment back! This could strengthen the bond between you, and encourage you to make friends of the blog hopping community. I met a lot of people through blog-hopping!

• Can become a chore – I try to comment on other peoples post. And at first, it was really fun getting to meet other people. But as my blog grew, I was more busier with replying to my own comments, and hardly blog-hopped at all. And that was kinda upsetting, because I loved to this before.
• Not interested – Blog hopping can be pretty hard because at times the content of one’s website does not interest you. So what can you comment back on? This happens if the blog is not in the same niche as you.

My Opinion

I’m totally in the yes for blog-hopping.  To be honest, I think there are more pro’s, than con’s when it comes to blog hopping. It is such a fun experience.

Tips for blog hopping

1. Set a date, and time that works for you
2. Find out more blogs by using twitter (believe me, thousands of blogs will come flying your way)
3. Or to find about more blogs, start from the people who comment on your own!
4. Join linkups!

So that’s my (very important) opinion on blog hopping.  I love it! What about you? Are you for or against blog hopping? What are some pro’s, and con’s you can think of? And what are some tips you can give me for blog hopping? 

A Brief Hiatus // Taking a (temporary) Break From Blogging.

I think I’m having one of those mid-life crisis.

Except it has to do with blogging, so maybe a ‘blogging-life-crisis’, I don’t know. The thing is I’m going to go on a brief temporary break from blogging. I don’t exactly know the reason for this, but I think it’s because of exams, and also I recently fell into a blogging slump.

Aaaaaand it’s the worst think ever, but I’ll promise I’ll be back with fresh ideas, book reviews, and a whole buncha other stuff!

Also I’ll still be commenting around the blogospere, and taking part in Mahriya’s Typewriter Project! You should all join, like right now because IT’S WONDERFUL! There’s WRITING INVOLVED! If that doesn’t make you rush over to the link then,  you’re a very boring person.

have you ever been in a blogging slump?? Isn’t it the worst? PLEASE TELL ME IT GETS BETTER!?? What did you do to combat that horrible feeling? See you in two weeks!