Graphic novels - mini-reviews (non-spoiler).

Hi booklovers

A while ago a colleague let me borrow some graphic novels that he really enjoyed. The only graphic novel I had read so far were Fables, Locke & Key and Saga, so I thought it would be nice to discover some new ones.
 

These were the graphic novels he lent me:
 

-Y, The Last Man: Unmanned.
-Transmetropolitan: Back on the Street.
-The Boys: The Name of The Game.
-Scalped: Indian Country.

The only one of these I had ever heard about was 'Y, the Last Man', so I was immediately intrigued by that one - although it still took me a couple of months to finally pick it up :-$

These last couple of weeks, I finally felt like reading them and I even read them back to back and now I'll do a mini-review for each one.

The order in which I'm reviewing them is the order in which I read them:

*Y, The Last Man

I found the concept of all the male species - save two - dropping dead for no apparent reason really 'refreshing'. Throughout this first volume we don't really get an answer as to why Yorick & Ampersand - his male monkey companion - survived, but I'm guessing that will be explained in later volumes. Some of the women in this graphic novel are very weird - yes, Amazones, I'm talking about you - but I'm curious to see if they'll succeed in their plan to get rid of the last two males on earth.
I found this to be a very cool concept and I really liked the drawings. I'll definitely be continuing with the series. I might even start collecting them.

*Transmetropolitan

My colleague 'warned' me that the other three graphic novels were more 'guy-orientated' and this one is definitely a lot more 'graphic'. The drawings in this one were completely different, much more ellaborate and bombastic. The colours were a lot more vibrant, so it took me some time to adjust to that. The story was all kinds of weird. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but it was unlike anything I had ever read before. That being said, the ending of the first volume left me really curious and I'll also be continuing with the series.

*The Boys:

 

The drawings in this one reminded me very much of the drawings in Locke & Key and I really like those, so I didn't have any problems getting into this one. Again, the story is all kinds of weird with all these superheroes that have gone wild, but there is also a lot of humour in it. I was only on page 6 when I started laughing out loud, which is very weird when you're on a train. The different characters have their own unique personalities and they 'complement' each other very well. Oh and I love Terror the dog :-) Also, be warned that this one is very 'graphic' as well. Out of the four I liked this one the best and I'll definitely be continuing with the series and probably start collecting them. 

*Scalped

I couldn't - for the life of me - get into this one, mainly because of the drawings. I don't know what it was, but they felt off to me. I started it twice and both times I gave up after a page and a half, even though my colleague said the story was very good. I won't be rating this since I never finished it. Needless to say I won't be continuing with the series.

All in all, I think this was a successfull introduction to some new graphic novels.
 

Have you read any of these or other graphic novels. Which ones would you recommend?
 

Bye for now
 

Annelies

April 2015 - wrap up

Hi booklovers

This is my April reading wrap up. This month was a great reading month, thanks to the Easter break :-) I read a total of 9 books.

You can click on the titles to go to the Goodreads pages.

1) Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers.

This is the sequel to Grave Mercy. This time we get the story from Sybella's POV. We already met her in Grave Mercy. While GM was packed with political issues that could really be tedious at times, this book focuses a little less on the political stuff. I found this book to be slow at times and action packed in other parts. Especially the last part is action packed and some surprising secrets are revealed. I really liked the characters, especially the interaction between Sybella and Beast. It's also nice that Ismae  and Duvall (Grave Mercy) are still part of this story. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I gave it 3.5 stars.

2) All Lined Up by Cora Cormack. 

This is the first book in the 'Rusk University' series. I really liked Cora Carmack's Losing it series, so I wanted to give this a try. This series made sure that Cora is now one of my auto buy authors :-) I really liked this book about Dallas and Carson. I did have some problems while reading the parts about football, because I hardly understand the game :-s. On the other hand, I could really relate to Dallas' love for dancing - having taken dance lessons myself for 10 years :-). I really liked how sassy Dallas can be sometimes, she is a rather strong character with good character development. I also really like the interaction and (sexual) tension between Dallas and Carson.

This is New Adult, so beware of sexual content. I gave it 3.5 stars.

3) When I'm Gone by Abbi Glines.

This is book 11 in the Rosemary Beach series. This is part of a massive companion series where the stories all tie together.
After You Were Mine I was really hesitant about picking this one up, because I began to find them a bit 'more of the same': SPOILERS READ AT OWN RISK  boy meets girl or vice versa - something bad happens (usually an unexpected pregnancy) - they split up - they find out they can't live without one another - they get back together - they live happily ever after.

I also really don't like the covers anymore. I have the first 7 books in these 'nice' black covers with items on them. But books 8 and 9 have people on the cover and they are soooo cheesy. (I have book 10 on my e-reader since it is a free e-novella) From now on, I'm only getting them on my e-reader, because the covers are just so bad. But anyway, rant over. This story focuses on Mase - Harlow's (Take a Chance - One more Chance) brother and he is a typical cowboy, including the boots and hat. Reese - the female protagonist - got a bit on my nerves because she could be so naive at times.
I have to admit I rather enjoyed the story. Just don't go in expecting high quality literature. It's cheesy at times, full of clichés, but still addicting nonetheless. There's something about these stories that keeps drawing me back in, although some parts make me cringe. I'm going to give the next one in the series, 'When You're Back', a go - it comes out June 30th. There are still more books to come in this series but it'll really depend on the next one whether or not I will pick them up. I gave this one 3 stars.

I do recommend you read the books in order, because they contain major spoilers for the other books. You can find the reading order here.

4) All Broke Down by Cora Carmack.

This is the second part of the 'Rusk Univesity series' and this time we get Silas' story. At first I didn't think I would like Silas because of what happened in All Lined Up, but that soon changed. He is such a loveable character and so is Dylan, the female protagonist. In this story the focus isn't so much on actual football games, so it wasn't as confusing for me to read as the first one. (It still revolves around football and college, but it was looked at from 'the outside'.) Maybe I should read up on American football so that it's not so confusing anymore :-)
This story is a bit heavier on the sex scenes, but it's still not too overwhelming.
Like All Lined Up I read this one in almost one sitting and I can't wait for the third one in the series to come out. I also gave this one 3.5 stars.

5) Making Faces by Amy Harmon.

This one was a bit of a disappointment. I went into this with really high hopes because of April's NA recommend video. She was raving about this book so much that I really wanted to read it. The premise of the story is good, but I didn't think it was that well executed. I found the story to be very slow at times. I was actually more moved by Bailey's part of the story than I was by Ambrose's, which is supposed to be the main plot line. I gave it 3 stars.

6) Addicted to you by Becca & Krista Richie.

This is the best book I've read so far this year. I have a non-spoiler review on my blog, if you want you can check it out. This is NA, so beware!
This is the first book I've rated 4.5 stars this year.

7) Ricochet by Becca & Krista Richie.

This is the sequel to Addicted to you. It's actually an in-between novel that links Addicted to you to Addicted for now. I really enjoyed this. It gives you a good insight in the processes that both Lily and Lo have to go through. But not just that, you also take a look at their past, which helps you to better understand some of their actions and decisions in the first book. I'm not going to say anything else because I don't want to spoil you. I gave this book 4 stars. I'm dying to continue this series, but I want to pace myself, because I want to make this series last as long as possible. Fortunately, the authors assured me that the books get chunkier as they go along, so YAY for chunkier books :-)

8) Encounters by Bre Faucheux.

Since this is the third part in 'The Elder Origins' series I'm not going to say too much about it because I don't want to spoil it for you. What I can say is that I really enjoyed this story. I have to be honest that it was a bit confusing at times, but in the end all the information clicked into place. The characters develop even further, which I really enjoyed. As with the previous two parts, this is a good combination of historical elements with fantasy ones. And I'm so happy the vampires - or vampyrs - don't sparkle while walking in the sun!! I can't wait for Bre to publish the 4th part of the story. I gave this 4 stars.

9) From the first sight (2) by Gwendalyn Fox.
This is the second part in Lexi's story. I have come to enjoy these stories very much because they are quick but very addicting reads. I think Lexi is the most complicated character in these companion novella's and I really feel for her and the struggle she is going through. Can't wait for the next one because this one ended on a major cliffhanger :-) 
Remember, this is erotica, so it's heavy on the sex scenes. I haven't rated this yet, but I'm thinking of giving it 3.5 to 4 stars.



I think we can safely say that April has been an NA month :-) Maybe this is because Spring invites me to read more 'lighthearted' things. What genres do you prefer to read during Spring? Also let me know in the comments which books you've read in April and what you thought of them.

Bye for now

Annelies 

March 2015 - wrap up

Hi booklovers

Apparently I forgot to write my March wrap up, so here goes: 

In March I read 5 books (although, some of the books I read were 3 books in a boxset), so it was a good reading month.

1) Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan.

This was my first TBR-jar pick and the first Colgan I've read and I really enjoyed it. I gave it 3.5 stars on Goodreads. At first I had to get used to the way the story is told. You have two different POV's: Rosie Hopkins', her aunt Lilian's and then you also have flashbacks from Lilian's past. But once you figure this out, it's a really fun story to read. Mind you, the parts about Lilian's past were heart wrenching at times. Being the sweet tooth I am, I really enjoyed reading about the different sweets that used to be sold in Lilian's shop. The only problem was that I didn't know them all. I'll have to look up some of the sweets to really know what they are. And this book made me want to visit old sweetshops :-) I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, because when I picked it from my TBR-jar, I didn't think I was in the mood for it. But it pleasantly surprised me and I will definitely be reading more of her books. I already own 'Meet me at the cupcake cafe' and I'll be picking up the sequels to this story: 'Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' sweetshop' and 'The Christmas surprise'. 

 










2) Exile by Bre Faucheux.
I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.

This mini-review contains spoilers. I you want to read it, just highlight the text.

 bit helpless, but iThis is the second novella in 'The Elder Origins' series and the story picks up where 'The Elder Origins' left of. We meet Madison after having fallen into the river and waking up with a Sioux tribe. During this part of the story we find out more about what Madison and Jayden have become: vampires. They learn how to deal with their new 'life', their abilities and their thirst for blood. They receive help from a healer from a Sioux tribe. The healer knows what happened to Madison and he wants to help her come to terms with her new condition. Jayden is a bit more restless and he wants to return to their homeland and he asks Madison to join him. During this story we get to know all the cool things vampires can do, all the abilities they have along with the characters. I really enjoyed the character development in this book. First I thought that Madison was a bit whiny and she seemed an this story she really grows and she learns to stand up for herself. She has to, considering Jayden is the only one of her homeland left and the only other vampire she knows. And believe it or not, Jayden is actually growing on me. He can still be arrogant and selfish, but you also get to see a different, more compassionate side of him. When I told Bre this, she said that Jayden was such a misunderstood character :-)
When they arrive in England they discover that the plague has been wreaking havoc. And this is where the story takes an interesting twist: they find out that another one of the original 'crew' has survived: Lyndon. And with that cliffhanger, the 2nd book ends.
Like in the first part, Bre manages to combine historical and fantasy elements brilliantly.

3) From the first touch (1 - 4) by Gwendalyn Fox
These novella's are in the romance / erotica genre. They were actually the first erotica stories I've read. In this series we meet Jayme and follow the development of her relationship with actor Lucas Wolfe. They were fun, sexy, steamy reads. Sure, sometimes they're a bit cliche, but that doesn't stop me from reading them. Beware these books contain a lot of sexual content! I gave the whole series 3 stars.

4) From the first kiss (1 - 3) by Gwendalyn Fox
This is a spin-off series of the 'From the first touch' series, focusing on Lauren - Jayme's friend - and her story of finding true love. I really enjoyed these novella's. I appreciate them for what they are: erotica, nothing more, nothing less. I still believe in judging a book by it's genre. You shouldn't expect complex stories from books in this genre, they are meant to be fun, exciting, enticing. If you want to read something more complex, choose a different genre! I gave the series 3.5 stars.

5) From the first sight (1) by Gwendalyn Fox
This is another spin-off series. This time we get to know Lexi's story - Lexi is Lauren's colleague and friend - and I have to admit that this is the most intriguing character so far. I hope that there will be more to her story, because she is a more complex character with a heavier background than Jayme and Lauren. Although I have to admit that Lauren's background isn't all that pleasant either. I also gave this one 3.5 stars.

What have you read in March? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

February 2015 wrap up

Hi booklovers

During the month of February I was able to read 5 books, thanks to my midterm break and some shorter, quicker reads. I've added the links to the Goodreads pages so you can check out the synopses.

1) Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes: non-spoiler review / spoiler review.

2) Faking it by Cora Carmack. This is the second book in an NA companion novel series. I've read Losing it and Keeping her (a novella) last year. The first two books are about Garrick and Bliss and I really liked reading about them, so at first I was a bit hesitant to read the other stories. (I tend to have that reaction to companion novels, I had the same issue with Katie McGarry's books.) But while I was on the train to go to Waterstones Brussels the other day, I decided to read it on my e-reader. I was still reading Gathering Darkness at the time, but I didn't feel like taking such a chunk of a book with me, so I took my e-reader instead.
This story is about Cade and Max - it's written in dual POV - and I read it almost in one sitting. Cade is trying to get over Bliss but he has a hard time forgetting her. And then, all of a sudden Max comes into his life asking him a weird question.
Like Losing it and Keeping her this was a quick, fun, sexy read, but with a bit of an edge. I know most NA stories are about the same themes but this one didn't have the cliches that Abbi Glines' stories sometimes tend to have. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads. (Click here if you want to know how I rate books.)

Beware if you're a younger reader because this has sexual content.

3) Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes: non-spoiler review / spoiler review. (coming soon)

4) Finding it by Cora Carmack. In this book we follow Bliss' best friend Kelsey on her trip around Europe. On this trip she want to discover herself and find out what she's going to do with her life. What I like about this book is that although there is instant attraction between Kelsey and Hunt, they don't hit it off immediately. You have your typical characters weighed down by their personal histories, but it was so well written that this didn't bother me. My heart was trampled on a couple of times. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

5) Seeking her by Cora Carmack. This is a novella in which we get part of the Finding it story told from Hunt's POV. I really liked it because we get to know a bit of the story before the start of Finding it. It was nice to get to know the story from Hunt's POV and some of his back-story. The only problem I had was that I thought it ended at a weird point in the story. I would've loved to read a bit more. That's why I gave it 3.5 stars on Goodreads. 

All in all, February was a good reading month :-)

Which of these books have you read or would you like to read? Let me know in the comments!

Bye for now

Annelies

January 2015 wrap up

Hi booklovers

I know this blogpost may be a bit redundant, but I want to write it anyway. (Redundant because you can check what I've read in January on my 2015 Reads page.) Also, I know this post is a bit late...

In January I managed to read three books. You might think that isn't very much, but for me this is a good number. I know people think teachers always have all this spare time and I'll be the first to admit that we have a lot of holidays, but during the school year, we are very busy most of the time. This week my pupils got a report card so this meant a lot my time went to marking tests, entering grades and commenting on them. So most of my reading takes place during my holidays. To give you an example, I read 19 books during my two month summer break :-)

I know a lot of bookbloggers and BookTubers read a lot more books during a single month, but I simply don't have the time to do that. Good for you if you can do that and I wish I could do that too, but alas...

Anyway, let's talk about the three books I read in January:

1)  Breaking the rules by Katie McGarry. Katie McGarry is one of the authors I discovered last year and I absolutely fell in love with her books. Echo and Noah and Rachel and Isaiah are two of my all time favourite couples. So far, I've read all of the books in her companion series that starts with Pushing the Limits. Since reading that book, I know that all of Katie McGarry's books will be automatic buys from now on :-)

Maybe I should talk a bit more about the actual book :-) I'm not going to tell you that much, because that might spoil Pushing the Limits. It's a sequel that picks up where PTL left off. Because I read the other books in the series, it took me a while to realise that the events of the other books hadn't taken place yet. But other than that I absolutely loved the book. It has great character development. You see the characters grow through all the ordeals they have to deal with. I also thought Katie's writing evolved a lot. I had the feeling that she dared to go deeper. I'm not sure how to explain it, but the content was a bit more mature than PTL. Don't get me wrong, it is still a YA book, but she didn't shy away from all the aspects of a relationship.

If you like contemporary with an edge, you should definitely pick up this companion series (I do advise reading them in the order they came out - except for BTR, you can read it immediately after PTL)

2) The Elder Origins by Bre Faucheux. I have a review of this. This was the first book I read by her. I really liked it and I'll be reading the sequels too, as well as some of her other books. Bre is a currently a self-published author but I hope her books get picked up by a publisher very soon because she deserves it.

3) Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. I absolutely loved this book and I'm currently reading Rebel Spring. I'm going to post both a non-spoiler and a spoiler review for this.

I'm not going to do a February TBR, because monthly TBR's aren't my thing, but I've made a winter TBR.

That was it for this month's reading. Let me know in the comments if you've read any of these books and what you thought of them or if you want to read any of them.

Bye for now

Annelies