MAY READING WRAP UP 2016

In May I read a massive 7 books, including some very long reads. I finally completed the Heroes of Olympus series this month (you can see how I managed to alternate them with everything else I read), and I just want to read books set at Camp Half Blood forever and ever. I am also about 50% through 'Red Rising' by Pierce Brown, and so I'll hopefully finish that in the next couple of days.

Books Read:

1. 'The Son of Neptune'- Rick Riordan
Like the first book, this had a very slow start and it takes about 200 pages before it actually starts to get going, but after that it's just as great as the rest. I was so glad to get Percy back in this one, but I miss being inside his head in the same way that the first series is. Overall, this is my least favourite book of the series, but it was still a fantastic and genius continuation.

2. 'A Gathering of Shadows'- V.E. Schwab
I actually think that the first book could've been a standalone, but I had so many unanswered questions and I loved it so much that I'm really glad it wasn't. (Shall we briefly mention here again that I was a hypocrite; I didn't finish the first book the first time round, but I absolutely loved it the second time round. Let us speak of this no more). V.E. Schwab is so clever with all the different languages and cultures and worlds she has created, big respect to that. I loved, loved, loved seeing more of Rhy in this one, it was a magnificent continuation and I need the next book NOW.

3. 'The Mark of Athena'- Rick Riordan
What I really enjoyed about this book was getting to see more of Annabeth; you learn so much more about her than you ever do from Percy's point of view and it adds a whole new, really interesting layer to her character. I don't have much to say about this one apart from it's Rick Riordan and Percy Jackson so obviously it's fantastic, and they are actual squad goals on the Argo II.

4. 'Winter'- Marissa Meyer
Again with the hypocrite-ness, I said I've never read the Lunar Chronicles and here I am having finished and loved it. Winter was such as interesting character, without giving any spoilers, you never normally read anything like her, and I'd been excited to find out more since the end of Cress. I also really enjoyed how all the characters were slightly different ages, in YA you normally only read about 16 year olds, but this was a nice change. Another thought I had whilst reading this book was the life on Lunar reminds me a lot of the Capitol in the Hunger Games, but I'm not complaining. I would've liked to see a bit more of the history of the worlds and the Lunar royal family, but maybe that should've occurred in an earlier book. This book was a whopping 800+ pages (longest YA book ever?) but it needed and I loved every single one of those pages, which doesn't often happen with books like that. Just when you thought there was going to be a resolution, more and more things kept happening, and it was an incredible end to the series.

5. 'The House of Hades'- Rick Riordan 
Obviously I couldn't just stop reading Percy Jackson after the ending of the Mark of Athena. I read this one to give myself a bit of a break after some really slow parts of Lord of the Rings and, like every other book in this series, I flew through it in only a few short days. Potential unpopular opinion, I'm not a big fan of Frank; he annoys me a bit too much in his point of view chapters, I much prefer him in other peoples' chapters. Once again, incredible, like nothing I've ever read before. If you've never read any Percy Jackson before, what are you doing with your life?

6. 'The Fellowship of the Ring'- J.R.R. Tolkien
I'd been quite in the mood to read this for a long time, and I was quite in the mood for the Council of Elrond. I've watched these films countless times, I've read The Hobbit book (don't get me started on that film series), but I'd never read the Lord of the Rings before. This is an incredibly solid start to one of the most epic fantasies of all time, I'm really surprised by what they'd left out of the film (where was Tom Bombadil, please?), and I was also surprised about how scary it was. I've always loved these characters so much (Fellowship goals) and I'm excited to see what the rest of the books will bring (even though I know what's going to happen, I can never remember what happens in each film).

7. 'The Blood of Olympus'- Rick Riordan
WHAT AN AMAZING END TO THIS SERIES.Damnnnnnn. I can't give anything away because of spoilers but there's so much I loved about this book. This is joint with the first book for my favourite in the series (the fact that the first book is one of my favourites has surprised me a little bit, honestly). It was just so good. These characters are incredible. Rick Riordan is incredible. I desperately NEED to read the Trials of Apollo NOW, but my brother is hogging it and I have other reading commitments to make first. This isn't without sacrifice. I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't had all the books to marathon like this and if I didn't have the Trials of Apollo to read immediately afterwards, it would've been agony.

Rosie
The Rick Riordan addict 

MAY PLAYLIST 2016

It's time once again for a monthly playlist post of old, rediscovered favourites, random music and new obsessions. You're welcome.

'Daddy Lessons'- Beyonce
The new obsession that it's only fair we mention first. This song is from Beyonce's new album and holy crap it is incredible. My dad and I are absolutely obsessed, we're having to pace ourselves with how much we listen to it. I cannot describe how good this song is.

'Daddy Lessons'- Dixie Chicks (cover)
My family and I saw the Dixie Chicks at the start of May (which was in itself incredible as they're my favourite band ever and this is the first time they've toured the UK properly in 10 years). They covered Beyonce's 'Daddy Lessons' (that's how we first heard it) and it was mind-blowingly incredible. It sounds like they could've written it themselves and I would go as far as to say that it may have been even better than the original.

'So Hard'- Dixie Chicks
Are you even surprised that the Dixie Chicks are featuring heavily in this post?

'Tonight the Heartache's on Me'- Dixie Chicks
THIS ONE IS SO GOOD.

'Make You Feel Better'- Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Possibly one of the best but most underrated RHCP song of all time.

'This Ain't a Love Song'- Scouting for Girls
Scouting for Girls haven't been featured on a playlist post for a while but I still love them (especially in the summer) and I always will.

'Ole Black 'n' Blue Eyes'- The Fratellis
I don't think I've ever mentioned by love for The Fratellis on here, but my family massively overplayed it a few years ago and it's hard for us to listen to it too often now. I've been relistening to it and it is just as great as ever. (Don't overplay your favourite album, kids.)

Rosie

BOOK DEBATE #4: GIVING UP ON SERIES

We haven't had a book debate for a while, but I wanted to discuss giving up on series and also mention a couple of series that I don't think I'm going to be carrying on with.

Spoiler alert: I'm all for giving up on series.

And let me explain why. What's the point of putting yourself through something that you don't like? The saying is true that there are too many books and not enough time, so why read something you're not enjoying when there's something else out there that you're going to love? For me personally, the rest of the series could be good, but if I don't enjoy the first book then I'm not going to carry on. That's a lot of pressure to put onto a first book. At the moment, I'm finding myself in a mentality where I could enjoy a book, but just not enough that I can be bothered to carry on with the series (looking at you 'Red Queen' and 'The Kiss of Deception'). I'm also finding myself a little bit tired of reading series all the time (I write this as I read series upon series upon series), but I now feel that I need some more standalones in my life.

I can understand why people would continue with series, it may get better in the second book, or even the third, but then again, why risk it? I can also understand the feeling of 'maybe I should carry on, maybe I shouldn't just quit and stick it out'. In 2015, I read more first books of series that I'm not going to continue with than I've ever read before in my life, and I feel that maybe I should carry on with at least one of them, just so that I haven't given up on masses of series in one year. 

That being said, I'm coming round to the idea that life is just too short to read things you're not excited about, and so I thought I'd make a list of some of the series I don't think I'm going to carry on with. You should never had to justify why you don't want to read something, but for me these were all books that I was really excited for and was really let down by.

1. The 'Outlander' series by Diana Gabaldon
2. The 'Fire & Floor' series/trilogy/duoloy (who knows) by Victoria Scott
3. 'The Remnant Chronicles' by Mary E. Pearson (maybe I'll pick up the next book, but at the moment it's looking like a no)
4. The 'Red Queen' trilogy/series by Victoria Aveyard (again, maybe I'll continue but most likely not)
5. The 'Magonia' duology by Maria Dahvana Headley (those covers though, ooooommmmmgggg)

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY | SUMMER READS

Anyone who watches booktube will be aware of 'top 5 wednesday', a thing that occurs every Wednesday where you're given a topic and you have to talk about 5 books related to that topic. If that makes any sense. I don't normally do top 5 Wednesday (I always forget), but I really liked today's topic and I wanted to have my say. 

Just a quick little to note to say where I've been. I realise that I've been neglecting my blog since the end of April, but I've got two massive college deadlines tomorrow and next week and so I've been spending all my time working towards them. I have my last two deadlines in early June but after that I am free, free, free.

So here's my first ever contribution to 'top 5 wednesday', my interpretation of 'summer reads', the 5 books I am planning to read this summer. 

1. 'The Hidden Oracle'- Rick Riordan

This book is on the way and I am so excited! I have to finish the Heroes of Olympus series first, which I should be able to do by the end of this month, and then it is all go with this one. I'm saving it for holiday because it's going to be quite a big hardback, so I can bring it on the plane with me. (Along those lines, I might also finally read Magnus Chase).

2. 'Shadow and Bone'- Leigh Bardugo

I've wanted to read this series for so long and it's currently 99p on Kindle so I've finally downloaded it. I'm saving this for holiday as it's just easier to bring Kindle books with you to save space when packing. 

3. 'Shades of Doon'- Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

I have this on Kindle for summer for the same reasons as Shadow and Bone. I secretly love the Doon series, it's my guilty pleasure, and this is just a nice, fluffy read for the summer. 

4. 'A Court of Thorns and Roses'- Sarah J. Maas

I was undecided about reading this series, I go through fazes of really wanting to read it and not wanting to read it at all. With all the hype surrounding the second book, I'm in a mood where I really, really want to read it, and hopefully that is going to happen soon.

5. 'Sense and Sensibility'- Jane Austen

Every summer I read a Jane Austen book and this is going to be the summer of Sense and Sensibility. 

Rosie

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