Sunday's are the days where I like to look back on my reading week and see how it goes. Or, you know, guilt myself into reading more, because I get lazy as hell during the semester.
I am adding a few from the end of the last week, because I red them while I was planning out this blog, so I'm going to count it as a long week (only be a day though, so it's okay).
I am adding a few from the end of the last week, because I red them while I was planning out this blog, so I'm going to count it as a long week (only be a day though, so it's okay).
Finished:
I Hate MySelfie - Shane Dawson | 228 pages | Jan 3 2017 - Jan 6 2017
Stars: ✮✮✮✮✫
Opinion: I went into this book having read Dawson's followup months prior, so I had a pretty concrete idea of what to expect. That being said, it was interesting to see him talk about sexuality and to make jokes at his own expense when, not long after I Hate MySelfie's release, Dawson came out of the closet as Bisexual. Seeing this as sort of a precursor, or even as a stepping stone on his path to understanding. His books are like watching his YouTube videos (mainly the one's on his second channel which I think is the only one he really updates anymore), so if you don't like his internet personality, you will not like his written one.
Recommend?: Y/N
Opinion: Let me start by saying that yes, this is a mlm romance novel. They're a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine (is that bad? I'm sorry if it is). The reason I picked this up, however, had little to do with the romantic aspect (as surprising as that surely is, with a URL like mine) and much more to do with its characters. Kai was a lot of things that I hadn't read, and filled a void I didn't realize I'd been fostering. He was a Twitch streamer, playing video games as his source of income. My YouTube viewing history is filled with video game Let's Players, so for the story to focus on a demographic that is a major part of another aspect of my source of entertainment was instantly intriguing. To add icing to the cake, Kai has anxiety. He experiences panic attack and hadn't left his home in nearly three years. Reading about his evolution was fascinating, and the romance was pretty enjoyable too, if I may say so myself. It would've deserved three stars, if not for the ending, but it was still a good enough way to end the story; just not how I would have preferred.
Recommend?: Y/N
Opinion: Again, this is a mlm romance. I can normally finish romance novels in a day, regardless of the romantic orientation present. This one was no exception. I actually found it because I was looking for LGBT+ New Adult books (for a reading challenge I'm taking part in), and Goodreads recommended one about a tattoo parlor, a guy who does piercings for a living and may be more metal than man, and his ensuing relationship with a guy who interns at some white collar business. It was definitely... interesting. I originally gave it a 4 star review on Goodreads, but looking back, I think i might have aimed too high. I have a tendency to sway my review based on how good the ending was, if I try to rate the book right after I finish it. I can, however, say that this story will stick with me; from this book, I learned that there are more places on the human body to pierce than I previously knew possible!
Opinion So Far: Love the concept. Love the art. Love the introduction, where Porath apologizes for everything he got wrong, but hopes that he was close enough to the truth anyway, because this kind of author's note reminds me of basically every essay I've ever written. I think it's interesting that he used to work for Dreamworks, and I feel like that really shows in his art of casual storytelling- he can go on tangents without detracting from the story, and it feels like someone is telling you what's happening, rather than you reading words printed on a page (which is my favorite way to learn of historical accounts). I'm trying to hold off on reading too far into this, because I want it to still count as a "want to read" instead of a "read", but that might be a losing battle.
Opinion: I went into this book having read Dawson's followup months prior, so I had a pretty concrete idea of what to expect. That being said, it was interesting to see him talk about sexuality and to make jokes at his own expense when, not long after I Hate MySelfie's release, Dawson came out of the closet as Bisexual. Seeing this as sort of a precursor, or even as a stepping stone on his path to understanding. His books are like watching his YouTube videos (mainly the one's on his second channel Recommend?: Y/N
Strong Signal - Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell | 229 pages | Jan 6 2017
Stars: ✮✮✮✫✫
Opinion: Let me start by saying that yes, this is a mlm romance novel. They're a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine (is that bad? I'm sorry if it is). The reason I picked this up, however, had little to do with the romantic aspect (as surprising as that surely is, with a URL like mine) and much more to do with its characters. Kai was a lot of things that I hadn't read, and filled a void I didn't realize I'd been fostering. He was a Twitch streamer, playing video games as his source of income. My YouTube viewing history is filled with video game Let's Players, so for the story to focus on a demographic that is a major part of another aspect of my source of entertainment was instantly intriguing. To add icing to the cake, Kai has anxiety. He experiences panic attack and hadn't left his home in nearly three years. Reading about his evolution was fascinating, and the romance was pretty enjoyable too, if I may say so myself. It would've deserved three stars, if not for the ending, but it was still a good enough way to end the story; just not how I would have preferred.Recommend?: Y/N
High Contrast - Tess Bowery | 226 pages | Jan 9 2016
Stars: ✮✮✮✫✫
Opinion: Again, this is a mlm romance. I can normally finish romance novels in a day, regardless of the romantic orientation present. This one was no exception. I actually found it because I was looking for LGBT+ New Adult books (for a reading challenge I'm taking part in), and Goodreads recommended one about a tattoo parlor, a guy who does piercings for a living and may be more metal than man, and his ensuing relationship with a guy who interns at some white collar business. It was definitely... interesting. I originally gave it a 4 star review on Goodreads, but looking back, I think i might have aimed too high. I have a tendency to sway my review based on how good the ending was, if I try to rate the book right after I finish it. I can, however, say that this story will stick with me; from this book, I learned that there are more places on the human body to pierce than I previously knew possible!
Not Finished:
Gemina - Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff | 130/608 pages | Dec 29 2016-
Opinion So Far: I'm intrigued, but like I said on Tuesday, I want to wait to form a more concrete opinion until I'm further in the story. These are the types of books where your opinion can change wildly within twenty or so pages. High hopes, but hesitant to say more.
Rejected Princesses - Jason Porath | 25/384 pages | Jan 11 2017-
Opinion So Far: Love the concept. Love the art. Love the introduction, where Porath apologizes for everything he got wrong, but hopes that he was close enough to the truth anyway, because this kind of author's note reminds me of basically every essay I've ever written. I think it's interesting that he used to work for Dreamworks, and I feel like that really shows in his art of casual storytelling- he can go on tangents without detracting from the story, and it feels like someone is telling you what's happening, rather than you reading words printed on a page (which is my favorite way to learn of historical accounts). I'm trying to hold off on reading too far into this, because I want it to still count as a "want to read" instead of a "read", but that might be a losing battle. 
