Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Book Series I’ve Decided to Quit
/60 Comments/by Suzanne
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is Books I’ve Decided I’m No Longer Interested In Reading. I tweaked this topic a bit because even after I made a list of ten books I was pretty sure I no longer wanted to read, I still kept rethinking my decision. (In case you haven’t heard, we Libras can be an indecisive bunch, haha!). I could, however, pretty easily come up with 10 series that I’m not interested in continuing (or in some cases, even starting) at this point.
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Top Ten Book Series I’ve Decided to Quit
- FIFTY SHADES by E.L. James – In this case, it’s not so much quitting a series as it is deciding not to even start it. I bought a copy of the first book back in my pre-blogging days when the hype was so high for this series. Everyone I knew was telling me I needed to read it. The more I heard about it, the less interested I was until I finally sold the book the last time we had a yard sale, lol.
- OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon – I liked the first book in this series well enough, but I started reading the series right about the time I got completely burnt out on reading romance so the chrmistry of Claire and Jamie just didn’t do much for me. I do keep this one in the back of my mind in case I ever do get solidly back into reading romance.
- THE NEOPOLITAN NOVELS by Elena Ferrante – My Brilliant Friend, the first book in this series, was actually one of my most anticipated reads for 2016. With its post-war Italian setting and its focus on the friendship of two school-age girls, I thought it just sounded like such a wonderful read. Unfortunately, it took me nearly 3 weeks to slog through the first 40% of the book and I completely lost interest in finishing it or in continuing the series.
- STEPHANIE PLUM by Janet Evanovich – I think with this series, it’s a case of too much of a good thing. I actually really love the series and all of the characters, but I got as far as book 12 and just had no interest in continuing because at a certain point, the books all start to sound the same. I could see myself revisiting this at some point, but for now, we’re on a break.
- SOOKIE STACKHOUSE by Charlaine Harris – Another good series that I just lost interest in because it started to get too predictable. I noticed that I was starting to rate each book lower and lower so I decided it was time to stop reading.
- THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner – Up until recently, I was pretty excited about starting this series sometime soon, but now I’m just not feeling it.
- THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS by Maggie Stiefvater – I’m not entirely sure why this series is no longer of interest. I think maybe because I had such a mixed reaction to All the Crooked Saints, which was my first Stiefvater read. I’m still interested in reading The Raven Cycle so maybe if I like that one, I’ll reconsider this one, but for now, it’s coming off my list.
- RED QUEEN by Victoria Aveyard – I spent so much time yelling at Mare when I read the first two books of this series. I know I’m the unpopular opinion when it comes to this series, but I just don’t think I can take a third book of her trying to decide what’s more important, boys or saving her people…
- MISS PEREGRINE’S PECULIAR CHILDREN – I read the first book and thought it was pretty good, but then just lost interest in continuing with the second book. My sister read the second book recently and said she thought it was a disappointing read even though she loved the first book. She and I have similar taste so my gut says not to continue.
- GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson and now David Lagercrantz – I read and loved all of the books in this series that were written by the original author, Stieg Larsson. When he passed away and David Lagercrantz took over the writing duties, I decided I wasn’t interested in continuing the series. It just didn’t feel right to have a different author at the helm of Lisbeth’s story.
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Question: Do you think I should give any of these series a second chance? What series have you decided to quit?
Review: DAUGHTERS OF THE STORM by Kim Wilkins
/26 Comments/by SuzanneAlso by this author: Sisters of the Fire
Series: Blood and Gold #1
Published by Del Rey Books on March 6th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 448
Also in this series: Sisters of the Fire
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
MY REVIEW:
The first novel in an exciting new fantasy series by Kim Wilkins, Daughters of the Storm follows the story of five very different royal sisters who must put aside their differences and come together to save their kingdom.
These sisters are so different from one another, at times, it’s hard to believe that they share the same blood. There’s Bluebell, the eldest, a fierce warrior who has been trained by her father to rule the kingdom of Thyrsland someday. She is feared by all and actually rumored to be unkillable in battle. Then there’s Ash, a gentler soul than Bluebell. Ash is studying to be a healer but has discovered she has the ability to see the future. As she struggles to learn more about and control this ability, she becomes more and more torn about whether being a seer is a gift or a curse. The third sister is Rose, and Rose is ruled by her passion. Her father married her off to the ruler of a neighboring kingdom, as a way to form an alliance and keep the peace. Rose, however, does not love her husband and is willing to risk peaceful relations between the kingdoms by pursuing a forbidden love. And finally, there are the twins Willow and Ivy, who have been living with a distant relative for a while and left to their own devices. For Willow, being left to her own devices translates to her joining a new religion and behaving as though she’s a brainwashed member of a cult. For Ivy, it means being vain and flirtatious and trying to bed any man she desires.
When their father, the King, is stricken by a mysterious illness that appears to have magical roots, the sisters, led by Bluebell who appears to be the most devoted to their father, come together in a desperate attempt to save his life and their kingdom. Not only do they need to track down a powerful witch who can cure the King, but they must also do so while not letting word get out that the King is near death. They have enough trouble on their hands trying to keep their treacherous stepbrother from stealing the throne; the last thing they need is to alert the rest of the King’s enemies that he is vulnerable should they wish to mount an attack.
What an exciting and fast-paced read this was! I originally picked it up because I liked the idea of these sisters who would normally have little to do with one another being forced to come together to save their father. But in many ways, it was so much more than that. Not only are these sisters different from each other, but they also differ in their devotion to their father. Bluebell, even though she would become ruler of the kingdom if her father were to die and is clearly ready to rule, is desperate to save his life at all costs. Ash appears to be similarly devoted, but the younger three seem almost indifferent as to whether they save him or not. They are annoyed they have been summoned from their lives to be a part of this rescue mission. That was quite unexpected and added a layer of depth to the story I wasn’t expecting going into it and I wanted to know more about why each of them felt the way they did.
I got my opportunity to learn much more about each sister too as the story is presented to us from the alternating points of view of all five sisters, not to mention a few chapters from the stepbrother’s point of view as well. At first I thought so many POVs would be too confusing and would bog down my reading experience, but Wilkins does a great job of incorporating each POV in a way that wasn’t confusing while still advancing the overall plot. I think the sisters being so different probably helped with that. I never got one mixed up with another. I also really loved getting inside of each sister’s head because wow, they are each holding on to some secrets that if they got out, could easily bring down their kingdom whether their father lives or not.
I also really liked the complicated family dynamic with the Queen as stepmother to the five sisters instead of their birth mother. In many ways the Queen sets most of the drama into motion because of her assumption that Bluebell and the girls hate her and will expel her from the castle if their father dies. Because of this fear, instead of sending word out to the girls first when their father falls ill, she summons her son instead. She wants him there in case they try to throw her out. This just opens up a whole can of worms as Bluebell finds out elsewhere that her father is ill and thus immediately suspects that her stepmother and stepbrother are up to something. Getting on Bluebell’s bad side from the get go probably wasn’t the smartest move.
As far as the sisters themselves, my reaction was a bit mixed. Bluebell and Ash were, by far, my favorites. I admired the fierceness of Bluebell and the fact that people truly were scared to death of her. I chuckled a few times throughout when people referred to her as Princess and then practically fell over themselves apologizing after receiving a death glare from her. It becomes clear that it’s well known throughout the kingdom that she hates the term Princess and wishes only to be addressed as My Lord. I found Ash to be equally as interesting as Bluebell, and I liked that they did appear to be pretty close unlike the other sisters. I also enjoyed the subplot involving Ash’s seer abilities that ran alongside the main storyline of the book. It was fascinating to watch her learn more about and control her abilities, which are apparently a bit more than being able to see the future, to help on their quest to save their father, and I liked the self-sacrificing side of Ash that comes out whenever she thinks her abilities may cause others to be hurt.
Strangely enough, in many ways, however, the most interesting character was the stepbrother, Wylm. I think what I liked about him was that he was such a complicated character and kept me guessing throughout the story as to how much of a villain he really was. At first I was okay with him, but then I hated him. Then a bit later, something else happened and I thought “Hmmm, maybe he does have some redeeming qualities” and so on. If you enjoy complicated characters, he’s definitely the one to keep your eyes on.
I didn’t have a lot of issues with this book, but I did have a couple. The first of which is the name Bluebell. I know it’s shallow and nitpicky to get hung up on a character’s name, but I just found it distracting, especially every time she was referred to as Bluebell the Fierce. It’s hard to think of a character as a fierce warrior with a name like that. So yeah, shallow nitpick from me because I loved everything about Bluebell except her name, but there it is.
The other issue I had was that I didn’t like the other three sisters at all. Aside from the drama they added to the plot with their secrets and their willingness to betray one another and their kingdom, I just didn’t find them nearly as compelling as Bluebell and Ash. I’m wondering if they’ll play more important roles in later novels in the series, but for this one, most of the time they just felt like background noise to me.
Even with the couple of issues I had, I still thought Daughters of the Storm was an exciting read and I look forward to seeing where Wilkins takes the story next. If you’re into strong female characters, with a side of secrets, lies, and betrayal, this is a fantasy world you’ll want to immerse yourself in.
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:
Five very different sisters team up against their stepbrother to save their kingdom in this Norse-flavored fantasy epic–the start of a new series in the tradition of Naomi Novik, Peter V. Brett, and Robin Hobb.
FIVE ROYAL SISTERS. ONE CROWN.
They are the daughters of a king. Though they share the same royal blood, they could not be more different. Bluebell is a proud warrior, stronger than any man and with an ironclad heart to match. Rose’s heart is all too passionate: She is the queen of a neighboring kingdom, who is risking everything for a forbidden love. The twins: vain Ivy, who lives for admiration, and zealous Willow, who lives for the gods. And Ash, who is discovering a dangerous talent for magic that might be a gift–or a curse.
But when their father is stricken by a mysterious ailment, they must come together on a desperate journey to save him and prevent their treacherous stepbrother from seizing the throne. Their mission: find the powerful witch who can cure the king. But to succeed on their quest, they must overcome their differences, and hope that the secrets they hide from one another and the world are never brought to light. Because if this royal family breaks, it could destroy the kingdom.
About Kim Wilkins
Kim Wilkins was born in London, and grew up at the seaside north of Brisbane, Australia. She has degrees in literature and creative writing, and teaches at the University of Queensland and in the community. Her first novel, The Infernal, a supernatural thriller was published in 1997. Since then, she has published across many genres and for many different age groups. Her latest books, contemporary epic women’s fiction, are published under the pseudonym Kimberley Freeman. Kim has won many awards and is published all over the world. She lives in Brisbane with a bunch of lovable people and pets.
Weekly Recap #40: Week of 2/11 – 2/17
/36 Comments/by Suzanne
It’s time for another weekly recap post of all things happening on and off the blog. This week I’ll be linking to the Sunday Post, which is hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and to Stacking the Shelves, which is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.
This week was such a mixed bag weather-wise. We started out with wintry temps but by Thursday and Friday, we had spring teaser temps in the 60s and 70s. Those two days were fantastic, but sadly, today we were right back to highs in the 30s and sleet. Mother Nature just can’t seem to make up her mind, lol.
Aside from the weather roller coaster, it was a fairly typical week here. Valentine’s Day was okay, not as romantic as I would have liked, but it seems to always be that way when the holiday falls during the week. We’re both just too rushed and too tired to put much effort into it. Heck, I even bought my own box of chocolates this year just to make sure I got what I really wanted. That evening though, the hubby did manage to surprise me with tickets to see the Dave Matthews Band in concert. We won’t be going until July, but I’m pretty excited about it. I haven’t been to a concert of any kind in years and DMB is from Virginia so it’s always fun to support the local boys.
The whole week feels like a blur honestly, in part because I fought a headache all week long and just couldn’t focus on much else. Nothing over the counter helped at all, and I was just miserable. I’ve never had a migraine before but when I described what I was feeling to my husband, he seems to think that’s what it is. I finally called my doctor on Friday and have an appointment to see her this coming week. I also fell behind on my blog visiting/commenting late in the week as my headache grew worse, but hopefully I’ll be able to get caught up this weekend since it has finally eased up a bit.
In spite of the headache that just wouldn’t go away, I did watch a lot of the Olympics coverage as predicted, and I also managed to get a lot of reading done too. Out of those 5 March 6th ARCs I was fretting about a couple of weeks ago, I’ve finished reading 3 of them and have started the 4th. I haven’t written a single review for them yet (still working on that procrastination goal obviously, lol), but at least I’m making good progress and should have them all reviewed prior to the publication date. Because I’ve been so focused on those ARCs, my backlist reading has not been nearly as good as it was last month. I did finally start a backlist book though, Bruce Springsteen’s 500+ page autobiography. I’m about halfway through it now and It’s one that has been on my shelf since October 2016, so I’m happy to finally be working towards marking that one off the to read list.
I think that’s it for me for now. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
WHAT I POSTED LAST WEEK
- [11 Feb] Weekly Recap #39: Week of 2/4 – 2/10
- [12 Feb] Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine, Ann Aguirre ★★★★
- [13 Feb] Top Ten Literary Couples I Fell in Love With Even Though I’m Not a Fan of Romance
- [14 Feb] Can’t Wait Wednesday – Spotlight on OLIVIA TWIST by Lorie Langdon
- [15 Feb] The Hush by John Hart ★★★★
- [16 Feb] My Name Is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd ★★★★
WHAT I’M READING THIS WEEK
UPCOMING REVIEWS
STACKING THE SHELVES
TOTALLY RANDOM