Musing Mondays - Do Negative Reviews Affect Your Reading?

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! This is when we speak about bookish rants or issues, among other things.

For this week's topic, I am talking about whether negative reviews affect your reading. More specifically, do other people's negative reviews affect whether you give a book a chance or not?

Personally, I think it depends on who is giving the negative review. After blogging and reading other blogs for seven months now, I have gotten a feel for which bloggers have similar taste as me. For instance, Shannon at It Starts At Midnight likes a lot of the same books as me (I also kind of love her blog). I would probably give a negative review by her a little more weight. Of course everyone does have their own tastes. Sometimes it also depends on what a blogger did not like about a book. For instance, some bloggers may hate books that have cheating in it, while others don't mind it. It is not a deal breaker for me, so if a blogger hated a book for that reason only then I wouldn't necessarily dismiss it. There is one example of a book (Red Queen) where book bloggers all over were saying it was too much like other dystopian novels and not very original. After reading so many reviews like that, I decided not to read it. I love YA dystopian novels so much, but I want something original. Because that type of genre is becoming so popular, it seems like it is getting harder and harder to find one truly original. Nevertheless, I just have no interest in reading a book that is about ten different books all rolled into one. I have too many books on my TBR for that. 

When it comes to Amazon or Goodreads, I take those with a grain of salt. I will admit that if a book has an average rating of four stars, I will intentionally seek out the negative reviews just to see what flaws they saw that others may not have. That won't necessarily keep me from reading the book though. How much weight can I really give perfect strangers, especially when everyone has different tastes? 

So what do you think? Do you read the negative reviews of books? Do they affect whether you read the book or not?

Friday Finds

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm, where we show off books we recently added to our TBR list or books we recently purchased, borrowed, etc.

So many finds this week!

First, I got approved for two ARCs from NetGalley:

A Whole New World by Liz Braswell - A retelling of Aladdin, where Jafar is actually the one who finds the genie!
The Fixer  by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Basically the TV show Scandal (a minor obsession of mine), but set in high school.

Second, I won quite a few of ebooks in a Facebook giveaway. Really, I didn't even realize I would get so many. There were several fiction books, as well as nonfiction. There were several that I probably won't read. But there were several others that I am looking forward to!

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Unbroken by Laura Hildenbrand
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

What books have you acquired this week?

Mini Reviews: The Sky Is Everywhere, Falling Into Place, and The Duchess War

Mini-Reviews of some of the books I finished for Bout of Books!

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson 
Amazon synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.

First of all, let me just say that I was a blubbering, sobbing mess at the end of this book. I guess I should have expected it after I'll Give You The Sun. This book was beautiful and sad and oh man, it gave me ALL THE FEELS!!! I loved Lennie's poetry inserted at random points in the book. The poetry was full of grief and raw emotion. I didn't even mind the love triangle in this one, despite the fact that one of the guys involved was her dead sister's boyfriend. I totally got where Lennie was coming from. People do strange things out of grief. And Joe . . . talk about swoon worthy. I just loved him so much and was rooting for him and Lennie to get together. Buy/Borrow/Skip: Buy

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang 
Amazon Synopsis: One cold fall day, high school junior Liz Emerson steers her car into a tree. This haunting and heartbreaking story is told by a surprising and unexpected narrator and unfolds in nonlinear flashbacks even as Liz's friends, foes, and family gather at the hospital and Liz clings to life. 

Oh yes, the second book I read for Bout of Books that made me cry. Argh! I will admit that it took me a while to connect to Liz. Maybe it was the narration style. It was narrated by someone a bit surprising and you don't find out who the narrator was until the end. Actually, I still wasn't sure who the narrator was and had to google reviews to figure it out. Liz is not likable at all. Throughout the book, we see instances where Liz was a bully and a mean girl, even to her own friends. The chapters revolve around the days and hours right before Liz tries to commit suicide and I loved how they were all connected. This was a beautiful book with such a hopeful message at the end. Buy/Borrow/Skip: Buy!

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan
Amazon Synopsis: Miss Minerva Lane is a quiet, bespectacled wallflower, and she wants to keep it that way. After all, the last time she was the center of attention, it ended badly--so badly that she changed her name to escape her scandalous past. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing she wants is his attention. But that is precisely what she gets. He realizes there is more to her than her spectacles and her quiet ways. And he's determined to lay her every secret bare before she can discover his. But this time, one shy miss may prove to be more than his match.

Adult romance is not typically my favorite genre. But a reviewer at Book Riot was raving about it and it was free on Amazon (still is last time I checked). Also, I desperately needed a lighter read after The Sky Is Everywhere and Falling Into Place. And that is exactly what I got: flirty banter and hot love scenes. Yes there was the traditional lust at first sight, which was followed by almost instantaneous love. And yes, there were some predictable obstacles in their path. But I just loved the characters so much. Robert was strong and so afraid to ask for the love he desperately wants. Minnie is used to making herself small and not showing her emotions so she doesn't bring attention to herself. Together, they make an amazing couple. The only issue I did have with the book is that certain parts were drawn out. Just get to the kissing already, am I right?!? Buy/Borrow/Skip: I think if you are a fan of historical romance, you will want to buy it. Otherwise it's get to borrow for a light read. But if you have a Kindle, you may still be able to get it for free through Amazon!

BOOK REVIEW: The Lunar Chronicles Series by Marissa Meyer

Okay, I know that just about everyone in the blogosphere has blogged about this series already. So I am just going to do brief reviews of all three books. But "brief" may be subjective. I am fangirling all over the place about this series. If you haven’t read this series yet, well first of all, READ IT NOW. Second of all, there may be some minor spoilers. You have been warned!

Ahhhh . . . Cinder. My wonderful introduction to this world. I love this retelling of Cinderella so, so, so much. This is my favorite retelling ever. Okay, this is the only retelling of Cinderella I have ever read but still . . . Marissa Meyer is a freaking genius. This is the first in the series so there is a lot of world building. And the world building is amazing. And the romance . . . swoon. I absolutely loved Kai and Cinder together. He was an emperor and he didn’t care that she was a mechanic. He was still attracted to her and still invited her to the ball. I wanted her to tell him she was a cyborg so many times! And oh man, that stepmother. I hated her way more than the evil stepmother that was in the real fairy tale, and that’s saying something. There was a secret about Cinder that I predicted about halfway through. Because of all the world building, there wasn’t a lot of action until more than halfway through the book, but I wasn’t complaining. As long as I had plenty of Kai, Cinder and Iko, I was happy. But oh man that cliffhanger! Argh!!! Loved this book!

And then there was Scarlet. I did not think it was possible to like a character more than Cinder or root for a romance more than Cinder and Kai. But then I met Scarlet and Wolf. I loved her character even more and this book was also better than Cinder, which I did not think was possible. This book was action packed from beginning to end. The chapters bounced between Scarlet and Cinder’s POV and we were also introduced to the delightful Captain Thorne. I was afraid that the book would be just about Scarlet. As much as I love her, I am glad that was not the case because I wanted to see what happened with Cinder. It took me a while to figure out how Scarlet and Cinder’s stories intersected, but I was happy when they finally did. These two women became friends instantly and I loved them fighting Levana’s men together. And Wolf, no we cannot forget about Wolf. Wolf was the very definition of the strong and silent type. He was so protective. And when he called Scarlet his "alpha' . . . swoon again. Yeah, Marissa Meyer knows how to write a good romance. 

And then there was Cress. Oh Cress . . . she was so sad and I just wanted to cry for her. She was stuck in a satellite for seven years by herself, no contact with the outside world except for the evil Mistress Sybil. I felt so bad for her. She was so lonely that she created a computer program of herself at age 10 so she would have someone to talk to. She called it "little Cress." When that program got destroyed, she was so sad about losing her "little sister," that I almost cried myself. I completely understand why Cress chose to daydream all the time. I mean, she was isolated for so long! I even get why she made up this whole story about Captain Thorne and the possibility of a romance between the two. But then I really wanted them to get together. Aside from the romance, this book was not lacking in action either. Argh! So much suspense! The team gets separated and then they try to devise a plan to stop the wedding of Kai and the evil Queen Levana. And no more Dr. Erland! Ugh, that surprised me almost as much as the twist regarding his connection to Cress. And Kai and Cinder see each other for the first time since the ball. Then the cliffhanger! Ughhhhhhhh!!

Yeah, this was me pretty much the whole time I was reading each book of the series.

And this was me when it dawned on me I have to wait until NOVEMBER for the conclusion! Why?!?

I will be reading Fairest soon so maybe that will help . . .  a little. 

Buy/Borrow/Skip: For this entire series, I recommend that you buy it!!! If you are a fan of fantasy, then you will love it. Every single book in this series has been just amazing! 

BOOK REVIEW: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

This is a book review for Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers.

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Did you ever read one of those books that gave you a pit in the middle of your stomach after the first chapter because you just knew what was going to happen? Yeah, this was one of those books for me. And I don't mean to say that the book was predictable. It wasn't. But girls can be. The book starts with Regina and her friends at a party. Regina is the designated driver and everyone else is drunk. While Regina's best friend Anna is passed out, Anna's boyfriend tries to rape Regina. Regina makes the decision to keep this to herself because she is afraid Anna won't believe her. But then one of Regina's frenemies (Kara) tells Anna that Regina and Donnie had sex. Suddenly, one of the members of the Fearsome Fivesome is being frozen out.

This book was like a punch in the gut. All of the bitterness and hatred that Regina experienced was palpable. I could feel her pain, as well as her anger. Regina is not an easy character to like. Throughout the book, we learn a lot about Regina, mainly that she was a bully who dished out a lot of the same behavior that she is now suffering through. She is not a very likable character and part of me enjoyed that she was a bully who was now being bullied. But it says something about the author that I can feel so much sympathy for a girl who probably doesn't deserve a lot of it. She doesn't get sympathy from the kids she used to bully, kids she is now trying to ingratiate herself with because she doesn't like to be alone. I loved her relationship with Michael. As one of the people she bullied, he doesn't cut her any slack, yet he still sympathizes with all the hell she is being put through. Yes, a romance eventually develops but it is slow and steady, as it should be considering all she put him through. Regina is a girl who gives as good as she gets and the character growth in this book is as slow as the romance. There were parts of the book where I wanted to shake Regina and make her see that the stuff she is doing out of revenge is almost as bad as what the girls are doing to her. When the book ends, I want to believe that Regina realized what she was doing and realized all of her mistakes. But I am not sure that's the case. As Michael said, "Some girls are just fucked up."

Buy/Borrow/Skip: Buy! This is such an emotional and powerful book, definitely a must read.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Authors I Want To Meet!

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. They feature a different top ten list every week. This week's topic is the top ten authors I would love to meet!

1. Michael Grant - Any excuse to talk about the Gone series and fangirl all over the place about it. Also, I think he has an amazing imagination!

2. Margaret Atwood - She writes some amazing books. Also I have read some of her quotes and she seems like such an interesting woman.

3. Courtney Summers - All The Rage. Do I really need to say more?

4. Leah Raeder - Black Iris is now one of my favorite books. I want to meet the mastermind behind it.

5. Charlotte Bronte - Yes, obviously this is a pipe dream what with her being dead and everything. Ha. But I still want to meet the brilliant mind that came up with Jane Eyre.

6. Marissa Meyer - Love her Lunar Chronicles series!

7. Harper Lee - I know she is such a recluse, but I would love to pick her brain about To Kill A Mockingbird.

8. Jandy Nelson - the genius behind I'll Give You The Sun

9. Maya Angelou - another pipe dream, but this topic didn't really ask about authors we would actually be able to meet, right? 

10. Hannah Brencher - I absolutely loved her memoir If You Find This Letter. She is also the sweetest person. After I raved about her book on Twitter, she sent me a love note of my very own!

What author would you most like to meet?

Bout of Books 13 Final Update!

This is my final update for Bout of Books!

So how did I do on my goals?

• read at least 3 books - check! I actually finished seven books this week (Cress was finished, but I started it before the week started, which is why I actually read about 6 1/4 books).
• read for at least three hours every day (180 minutes) - kind of check. I met this goal every day except Friday.
• participate in at least one Twitter chat - check!
• participate in at least two mini challenges - check! I actually participated in three mini challenges
• ENJOY everything I am reading!! No forcing myself to read something I am not excited about - check! I read some really good books this week!

Progress:

Monday

Books Read: 1 1/4
Total Books Read: 1 1/4
Pages read: 478

Minutes Read: 275 ( about 4 1/2 hours)

Notes: Participated in the Bookish Survey Challenge. Internet was down for most of the day, so I got a lot of reading done. I finished Cress by Marissa Meyer (I started it on Saturday). then I started and finished Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers (amazing book!!).

Tuesday

Books Read: 1

Total Books Read: 2 1/4
Pages Read: 325

Minutes Read: 205 (almost 3 1/2 hours)

Notes: Was reading an ARC, but I was not enjoying it so I stopped after 100 pages. I will probably go back to it after Bout of Books is over. I did start and finish The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. I was a blubbering, sobbing mess at the end of it.

Wednesday

Books Read: 1
Total Books Read: 3 1/4
Pages Read: 386

Minutes Read: 185 (just over 3 hours)

Notes: Participated in the Bout of Books Haiku Challenge. I finished another book and it is the second in a row to make me cry. It was Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang. I needed a lighter read after that so I started on a romance novel, The Duchess War by Courtney Milan. 

Thursday

Books Read: 1
Total Books Read: 4 1/4
Pages Read: 302

Minutes Read: 185 (just over 3 hours)

Notes: Woke up at 3am, got a little reading done. Finished The Duchess War by Courtney Milan. Started The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I got the bare minimum of reading done because I was tired and I was playing with my new Fitbit.

Friday

Books Read: 0
Total Books Read: 4 1/4
Pages Read: 306

Minutes Read: 125 (just over 2 hours)

Notes: I did not meet my goal today, unfortunately. But after two days of waking up at 4 am, I was tired. The Night Circus was moving too slow for me so I started I Shall Be Near To You.


Saturday
Books Read: 1
Total Books Read: 5 1/4
Pages Read: 262
Minutes Read: 180 (3 hours)
Notes: Finished I Shall Be Near To You, which was an average book. Started the ARC of Because You'll Never Meet Me and I am loving this one so far. I did the Favorite Book Read Cover Challenge. I also participated in the Twitter chat. So much fun!


Sunday
Books Read: 1
Total Books Read: 6 1/4
Pages Read: 331
Minutes Read: 200 (a little over three hours)
Notes: I finished Because You'll Never Meet Me (one of the best books I have read this year). Read some more of The Story Of Us. 

Books I have read during Bout of Books:

Cress by Marissa Meyer (click here for my review)

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers (click here for my review)

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (click here for my review)

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang (click here for my review)

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan (click here for my review)

I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsey McGabe
Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

How did you do with Bout of Books?