Book Review: Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian // the ash princess carries the story

Title: Ash Princess

Author: Laura Sebastian

Published: October 31, 2017

Length: 13 hours 18 min

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Amazon / Barnes & Nobles / Goodreads

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Ash Princess is the first book in its title series following Princess Theodosia.

Ten years before the start of the story, Theodosia’s mother, The Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes by the Kaiser—and her kingdom fell to the tyrant. For a decade, while her people were slaughtered and enslaved, Theodosia lived as a prisoner in her own palace, beaten and looked down upon by the Kaiser and his court. But after a traumatizing event, Theodosia’s heart is set aflame with vengeance for her mother and kingdom.

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Why Do You Read Book Reviews? // five reasons I still like book reviews

It appears the book blogging community has reached a general consensus that book reviews don’t gain as much views as other content.

I can attest to that, but it doesn’t stop me from writing them. I still find book reviews fun to create because it gives me a chance to form opinions on books I read and hopefully start discussions about them with others. I also find myself part of the audience that still reads and actively seeks book reviews. But, why?

Why do I continue to read book reviews?

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My Minimalist Bookshelf Tour // a brief history of the eleven books I own + my 100th post!

Look at me trying to do a bookshelf tour when I don’t even have a bookshelf 😅🤦‍♀️.

Kay at Hammock of Books recently made a post revealing her minimal collection of YA books. I loved how conscious she was about the amount of books she was keeping, especially since consumerism in the bookish community is more prevalent with the popularity of book hauls and bookstagram. The neat thing about having such few books is that Kay was able to remember exactly where and when she got them—and how much she spent!

I was inspired to show my own book collection and even more curious to see how much I remembered the history of the books on my *“shelf”.

*It’s truly just a drawer I shove miscellaneous items in, including my books lol.

That being said, I thought I only had six or seven books, but was surprised to find that I actually own eleven! It’s a little alarming considering I’m not actively buying books anymore. However after a little investigation, I deemed that all the books have a place on my “bookshelf” for one reason or another.

Enough meandering, here are the eleven books I own:

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Book Review: Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller // a disturbing YA, sci-fi novel

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Title: Otherworld

Author: Jason Segel, Kirsten Miller

Published: October 31, 2017

Pages: 355

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Amazon / Barnes & Nobles / Goodreads

Goodreads Description: The company says Otherworld is amazing — like nothing you’ve ever seen before. They say it’s addictive — that you’ll want to stay forever. They promise Otherworld will make all your dreams come true.

Simon thought Otherworld was a game. Turns out he knew nothing. Otherworld is the next phase of reality. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted.

And it’s about to change humanity forever.

Welcome to the Otherworld. No one could have seen it coming.

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Two words that will guarantee me to pick up any book? Virtual reality.

The first book in the Last Reality series, Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kristen Miller was a dark, speculative rework of virtual reality fan favorites such as Ready Player One and Heir Apparent. It was the story of Simon, a troublesome, boarding-school boy, and his journey to rescue his best friend, Kat, through the relentless, digital landscape of the video game, Otherworld. I’ll spare you the details because this was one book that hinged on its numerous mysteries and tiny unveilings to keep the reader engrossed. 

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Why I Love Science Fiction // five reasons it’s my favorite literary genre

🤖: Beep beep boop boop.

I really didn’t know how to open this post, so I hope robot noises are enough to capture you attention 😬.

Science fiction is my favorite literary genre.

Now, I don’t think any genre is better than another, but I do think you can certainly like one better. In this case, I like science fiction better than all the other genres.

But why?

Is it because I’m naturally fascinated by science?

How does my interest in the study crossover to my love for its companion fiction?

Do robots actually make beeping noises?

. . .

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Huh. Learn something new.

I tried my best to put my feelings into words and came up with this incomplete list of reasons I love sci-fi. Maybe some of you can relate 💃:

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The Unique Blogger Award // the worst thing I’ve done to a book, time travel, and being a bookish character

❄️ ←A rare picture of me being me, a snowflakeunique. 💁

Joking aside, Beth at Reading Every Night recently tagged me in The Unique Blogger Tag (thank you, Beth!). I don’t know how unique my answers will strike you, but I hope you enjoy them nonetheless 😊.

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Mini Audiobook Review: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson // a simplified story of the cosmos

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Title: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Author: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Published: May 2, 2017

Length: 3 hours 40 min

Genre: Nonfiction, Science

Amazon / Barnes & Nobles / Goodreads

Goodreads Description: What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There’s no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson.

But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day.

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*APH = Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

This version of APH, narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson himself, was one of my first forays into the realm of audiobooks. The format was better suited for me because my mind tends to wander when I read nonfiction. In fact, I once tried to read the physical copy of APH, but quickly abandoned it due to my short attention span 😅.

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Book Review: Feed by Mira Grant // zombies make politics more complicated

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Title: Feed

Author: Mira Grant

Published: May 1, 2010

Pages: 599

Genre: Horror, Science Fiction

Amazon / Barnes & Nobles / Goodreads

Goodreads Description: The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop.

The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives—the dark conspiracy behind the infected.

The truth will get out, even if it kills them.

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If you told me ten years ago that I’d be a fan of zombie books, I would’ve told you that you must not know me. Turns out, I’m the one who doesn’t know myself (*cue the X-Files theme song*).

Feed is the first book in the Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where zombies roam the United States and people have adapted to live not among, but around them. New age journalists like the main character, George, and her brother, Shaun, help people in their daily endeavors by providing unbiased and truthful media coverage through their blogs. As the U.S. gears up for their presidential election, George and her team of blogger-journalists are selected by up-and-coming candidate, Steve Ryman, to honestly cover his campaign. The already difficult job of journalism is made harder in this story as George’s team encounters zombies, targeted attacks, and dangerous conspiracies.

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Sequel September TBR // a month of tackling unfinished series

Oh boy, here we go again—quite literally (get it? ‘cause it’s a sequel challenge? I’ll stop myself.)

Kathy at Books and Munches is hosting Sequel September, a challenge dedicated to finally reading those unfinished series collecting dust on your shelves. Although I love binge reading series (mainly because I hate cliffhangers), sometimes sequels fall through the cracks and remain in my TBR pile for an indeterminate amount of time. So, what better way to tackle this “ issue “ by joining in on this challenge!

But, first, I have a confession to make.

𝕴, 𝕭𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖊, 𝖆𝖒 𝖆 𝖘𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖆𝖑 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖓𝖌𝖊 𝖆𝖇𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖗.

I’m not proud of it—there’s nothing fun about finding a great reading challenge… and then watching it pass you by. Seeing wrap-ups for challenges I intended to participate in, but didn’t, couldn’t, or even forgot to attempt is quite disheartening. However, since I’m relatively less busy these days  a n d  I’m posting a TBR online for you all to see, I’m hoping that I’ll be more committed to this reading challenge.

𝕴, 𝕭𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖊, 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖇𝖊 𝖆 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖓𝖌𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖕𝖑𝖊𝖙𝖊𝖗.

This reading challenge will be a little more difficult than others, just because of what it entails. Like I mentioned, sequels on my shelves sit there for a loooong time. One of the reasons they stay there is because so much time has passed that I can’t even remember what happened in the first book 😅. Alas, this challenge will not only be a test of endurance, but also memory.

If you hate me right now, so do I HAHAHA.

Without further ado and dramatics, here’s my TBR for Sequel September:

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My First WWW Wednesday // books I’m reading, read, and on my TBR

*WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Sam at Taking on a World of Words in which participants answer three simple questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What have you just finished reading?
3. What are you going to read next?

I love how straightforward this meme is and how it asks the questions I frequently like to direct at other bookworms. It’s also a great way to predict and anticipate upcoming book reviews by my favorite bloggers! So, let’s try it out: 

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