Beat the Heat Readathon Progress Report (Updated Daily!)

*Format inspired by Auntie Spinelli's awesome blog progress post! 

Monday 7/29
Currently reading: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Progress: 40%
Books completed: None

Tuesday 7/30
Currently reading: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Progress: 64%
Books completed: none

Notes: Unfortunately, I didn't read as much as I wanted. I got sidetracked by Pretty Little Liars. Curse Netflix and it's many seasons of shows....

Wednesday 7/31
Currently reading: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Progress:  NONE
Books completed: NONE!
Notes: I read nothing. Absolutely nothing yesterday. I didn't even pick up my Kindle, much less turn the freaking thing on. I'll be better today. I promise! My goal is to finish this book by tomorrow morning and get started on the next. What should I read? 

Thursday 8/1
Currently reading: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Progress: 70%
Books completed today: None
Notes: Um....hardly read any. Yet again. 

Friday 8/2
Currently reading: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Progress: 74%
Books completed today: None
Notes: Wow....a whopping 4%...I'm just that good :P It seems whenever I plan to read, I never actually do. It has to be spontaneous! But I WILL finish this book by tomorrow. Challenge accepted. 

Saturday 8/3
Currently reading: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Progress: 100%
Books completed today: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Notes: I honestly am at a loss of words for how absolutely amazing this book was. If I could give it a thousand stars I would. Actually, even that wouldn't cover it. Hopefully I will be able to make a coherent review of this absolutely wonderful book. 

Sunday 8/4
Currently reading: Nothing
Progress: Nothing
Books completed today: None

WEEK 1 SUMMARY

Books I completed this week: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

                                                                                                                       

Monday 8/5
Currently reading: Sweet Venom by Tara Lynn Childs
Progress: 100 of 344
Books completed today: None

Tuesday 8/6
Currently reading: Sweet Venom by Tara Lynn Childs
Progress: 261
Books completed today: None

Notes: So far, Sweet Venom is a fun, mythological adventure! The three girls are about as different as you can possibly get, yet I love all three of them! Though, Greer is a bit hard to like, I understand where she's coming from so I feel as if she'll redeem herself :) 

Wednesday 8/7
Currently reading: Sweet Venom by Tara Lynn Childs
Progress: COMPLETED!!
Books completed today: Sweet Venom by Tara Lynn Childs
Notes: What a fun adventure! I love how distinctly different the girls are! However, I was wishing for a bit more plot wise. Overall, definitely worth reading!

Thursday 8/8
Currently reading: Defiance by C. J. Redwine
Progress: 6%
Books completed today: None
Notes: This one has been on my radar for a while so I'm excited to get started! 

Friday 8/9
Currently reading: Defiance by C. J. Redwine 
Progress: 26%
Books completed today: None

Saturday 8/10
Currently reading: 
Progress: 
Books completed today:

Sunday 8/11
Currently reading: 
Progress:
Books completed today:

WEEK 2 SUMMARY

Books I completed this week:  

2 WEEK FINAL SUMMARY
Total # pages read: 
Total time spent reading: 
All books completed:  

All the best ♥

Mackenzie

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Beat the Heat Read-A-Thon!

• The Beat the Heat Readathon runs from July 29th through August 11th. What does this readathon entail, you ask? Well, read as much or as little as you want – the main point is to READ! You set your own goal, and for two weeks you read as many books as you can/want to reach your goal!
• There will be mini-challenges throughout the Readathon for participants, along with a grand prize giveaway at the end!
• Sign up at Auntie Spinelli Reads or Phantasmic Reads. You may join whenever you like, but to be eligible for our grand prize giveaway, you must sign up by August 5th.
• To join, all you have to do is make a sign-up post – even if it’s just a “Let’s do this!” thing - and add your post URL to the linky below! You can put your goals and progress (will be required for the final giveaway) in your sign-up post, or you can make it separate. Totally up to you! Feel free to copy and paste this handy little list for your post. We don’t mind. :)
• In order to enter for the grand prize, you must have a post to keep track of your progress so we can see that you participated.

*Progress post coming later tonight!*

So...I know I said I probably wouldn't participate in another read-a-thon, but I lied. Sue me. This one is totally worth it! This is the last leg of summer before school starts up again so I decided to go out with a bang! Well, probably not a bang because, let's face it, who knows how much I'll read. But, it'll be fun participating in the challenges and at least pushing myself. Both of the other challenges I participated in I only set my goal at 3 books, which I barely finished, if I finished at all. I admit it, I can be a slow reader and I also don't know how much time I'll have to read because of my volunteering and getting last minute stuff ready for school, so my goal will be small but that's okay! Honestly, if I finish 3 or 4 books I'll be incredibly happy! 

I'm currently reading Crown of Midnight and OKMSDFLKAJGADKLSFSDFISFL!!! Okay....calming down. It's good. Obviously.

Future books - I don't really know for sure what books I'm going to read, but here's a list of books I'm going to choose from (a lot of them have sequels coming out or I've had them a while and just want to read em!): 

        

I really don't know what books I want to read so I'm asking y'all to help me out. What books do y'all recommend? 

And are y'all participating? 

Let me know in the comments below!

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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DNF: Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

Carnival of Souls (Untamed City #1)
by Melissa Marr
Pages: 306
Source: Library
Format: Hardback

Rating: DNF

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father—and every other witch there—fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable.While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series andGraveminder, comes a brand-new tale of lush secrets, dark love, and the struggle to forge one's own destiny.

My (mini) Review: 

Eh....

That's pretty much how I felt about this book. There was just nothing keeping my interest. And that's what makes writing a review for it so hard. I didn't hate the book necessarily, but I certainly didn't love it. 

I was a bit nervous to read it to begin with because I hadn't heard to many good things about her previous series, but this one just sounded to good to pass up! Daimons? The Carnival of freaking souls?! The synopsis just sounded so enticing, but don't let the blurb fool you. This book is anything but.

For one, I felt like it was 2 completely different books. You have two different POVs. One of Mallory in her "ordinary" home and the other dealing with daimons taking place in the Carnival of Souls. But even halfway through I didn't feel like there was any connection between the two. Even though I know there is, it just wasn't enough to keep my interest. I really had no interest in learning anything about Mallory and her history and what-not.

The only semi-interesting part was the Carnival of Souls but it still wasn't nearly intriguing enough for me to really care about anything. I didn't really care about any of the characters and therefore could care less what happened to them. Oh, he just got mauled? Well that sucks. Too bad I don't care. 

Overall:
Meh. 

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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Waiting on Wednesday (31)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which we showcase upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

Darker Days (The Darker Agency #1)

by Jus Accardo

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jessie Darker goes to high school during the day, but at night she helps with the family investigation business. Cheating husbands and stolen inheritances? They’re your girls—but their specialty is a bit darker. Zombie in your garage? Pesky Poltergeist living in your pool? They’ll have the problem solved in a magical minute. For a nominal fee, of course...

When gorgeous new client, Lukas Scott, saunters into the office requesting their help to find a stolen box, it sounds like a simple case—until the truth comes out. The box is full of Sin.

Seven deadly ones, in fact.

They’ve got five days to recapture the Sins before they're recalled by the box, taking seven hijacked human bodies with them. Easy peasy—except for one thing...

There’s a spell that will allow the Sins to remain free, causing chaos forever. When the key ingredient threatens the life of someone she knows, Jessie must make the ultimate choice between love and family—or lose everything

Why I'm Waiting:

Um...doesn't this sound like a ton of crazy adventurin fun? I can just see Jessie being snarky and sarcastic. And she kicks zombie butt? Sign me up! Add in the 7 Deadly sins, a hot boy and a race against time and I'm game to see how this goes! 

So what are y'all waiting on this fine Wednesday?

Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

All the best ♥

Mackenzie

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City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
by Cassandra Clare
Pages: 512
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought

Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

My Review: 

This is actually a re-read for me. And there are two reasons for this. For one, the movie is coming out in August and I wanted to brush up on my CoB knowledge. And two, I just finished her prequel series and loved it and wanted to go back to see if I could find the same spark in this series. Unfortunately, my feelings haven't changed much.

The first time I read this book, I gave it 3 stars. I liked it, but didn't fall in love with it. Well, that's not changing. I originally picked this up because of all the hype surrounding it and was expecting it to be some utterly fantastic book. Maybe all the hype was why my feelings for it were less than excellent because we all know that exceptional hype can end up ruining a book.

Whenever it comes to "meh" books, it's alway hard to write a review because many things I feel torn on. I neither loved it nor hated it. However, there was one thing I loved:

The World:

I loved the world-building. I truly did. I thought it was utterly fascinating and exciting. It was a world ripe with mythology and adventure. It was rich and beautiful and incredibly intriguing. I caught myself consistently wondering about this world Clare had built. I was so incredibly interested in all things Shadowhunters. Not to mention Shadowhunters are just all around bad-ass. The Shadowhunter world this takes place in is what kept me rooted to this book.

Unfortunately for me, an amazing world isn't enough to make me fall in love with a book. I need to like the characters too, especially the main characters. And, quite frankly, that didn't happen.

Jace: Don't get me wrong, I love a good snarky, arrogant, tough guy. But when it's done right. For some reason, Jace just irked me. Not to the point of me hating him and wanting to punch him in the face (well, at least not all the time), but I just couldn't fall in love with him the way some others have. I can't quite pin-point what made me not like him. I think it was the fact that while he was arrogant and cocky, he didn't really have any redeeming qualities to counteract those characteristics. He was simply cocky. Plain and simple. But he was sarcastic and I love sarcasm so brownie points there.

Clary: Eh. You were sometimes a rather strong girl and I personally felt bad for you, but you also really got on my nerves. Clary isn't a Shadowhunter so she's not exactly "bad-ass", but she is tough. I like that she didn't just believe them, but believed it over time. I liked her curiosity and her fierce protection of her mother, even though they didn't get along. But she was also a very annoying teenage girl. She got petty and jealous and angry. And annoying. Can't forget annoying. She'd vie for Jace yet get mad and extremely mean when Simon looked at Izzy. Oh, boohoo. You can't have both honey. Besides, you ignored that poor boy until someone else came along. Sucks to suck.

Isabelle: Tall, thin and gorgeous. Pretty much a model. Hate her already. That aside, I liked that she is a tough girl who kicks-butt. But I don't find her incredibly memorable. Again, she's like Clary. Stereotypical whiny, jealous teenage girl.

Alec: Not much to say. He was a jerk. I don't like him. But he also wasn't really in the book enough for me to really say whether or not he redeems himself.

Simon: I actually liked Simon! Yes, I'm rooting for the friendzoned boy here. He's funny, sarcastic, and geeky. Totally adorable! And he knows how to use a bow and arrows. Cool points!

Magnus: Okay, I can't deny that I do love Magnus. His "I'm awesome and I know it" attitude coupled with his careless and sarcastic demeanor made me adore him. He was cocky sarcasm done right. And, he's a warlock. He's just all around cool.

Oh yeah, on a final note - I hated the ending. It sucked and was stupid and awkward. Me no likey. I know what is actually going on from me reading the rest of the books, but the first time I read this, it just disturbed me. Not to mention it totally made the relationship beyond awkward in the next book. 

Overall:

This book has potential. While I didn't really love the main characters because they were all typical annoying teenagers, I did love the world Clare created alongside all the action-packed adventure. If plot and world-building are the most important to you, definitely check out CoB! Although I didn't love it, it's definitely a series worth reading on a rainy day.

*On a side note: I'm thinking of doing a comparison post between the Infernal Devices series and the Mortal Instrument series. Both are by Clare, but one is exceptionally better than the other. So, after my review of Clockwork Princess comes out, keep and eye out for the "Battle of the Series!" post. 

All the best ♥

Mackenzie

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Read-a-thon wrap up and WordPress questions

Read-a-thon = epic fail

Yeah....I technically didn't even read a full book. I finished a book that I had already started before the read-a-thon began so I guess that kind of counts right? My goal was 3 books. And I would've completed my goal....

if I hadn't gotten sick.

Ughhhhhh....most sicknesses allow you plenty of time to read. Heck, you're in bed all day anyways, might as well pick up a book.

But not this sickness. No. I couldn't get that lucky. 

I had dizziness, vertigo and nausea. I slept on the bathroom floor constantly for a day and a half. I couldn't even really look at a computer or a book for long periods of time until today. Quite frankly, it sucked. I'm still not perfect yet, but at least I'm feeling a whole lot better. I believe it has to do with my inner ear (allergies and I've had a ton of ear problems) so I still have to get it checked out, but it completely ruined my reading time. Boo. 

But oh well. What can I do? At least I finished one book. And it was a great book! So I'm relatively happy. 

And guess what? Now I'll be getting on a regular schedule. I'll have a review up tomorrow and some memes up throughout the week. 

*Side question: I've just seen another blogger move to WordPress and I admit that I've always been curious. Is it worth it? Is it hard? Let me know in the comments below!

All the best ♥

Mackenzie

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The Hot Summer Reads Read-A-Thon

So guess what guys? I've decided to join another Read-a-thon! Why? Well, honestly, it keeps me reading. I'm an awful manager of time. I really am. I love to watch TV  and often times I end up getting side-tracked by it because my sister is watching Netflix and I just can't seem to pass it up. However, knowing I'm participating in a read-a-thon makes me put books as a priority and learn to manage my time better. 

I'm now joining the Hot Summer Reads Read-A-Thon. It goes from July 14 through the 20th. A full week of reading? I'm game. 

My goal? 3 books. I just feel like this is a good number. Not to many, not to few. I volunteer at the Education Center here on base and I may be taking another trip this weekend, but hopefully I'll have plenty of time to accomplish my goal.

Current read: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo. Loving it! Though, unfortunately, not as much as I hoped. But don't fret! This is all my fault! Ever read of book that you know is a great book, but your kind of in just an "ehh" mood? Yeah, unfortunately that's where I'm at. The book is great! Truly it is! But I'm not zooming through it because I'm just not in the reading mood (hence the Read-A-Thon! A way to make me read!) 

Future books? Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Mass - cue hyperventilating. 
OMGOMGOMGOMG I haven't read it yet but I know it's going to be fantastic. Some people I trust very much have loved it so it'd be an understatement to say I'm not excited. In fact, when I got it through Netgalley, I may have squealed like a little kid in a toy store. No shame. I need more Chaol. NOW. 

And after that? I have no idea. I'll probably have to have y'alls help with picking a book. I just can't make the decision!

Note*- I will have reviews soon. I promise. I've written some and am writing/editing others, I've just been a bit unorganized. Also, these read-a-thon's get me reading which means more reviews for y'all! The reviews will start once this read-a-thon ends.

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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Stacking the Shelves (8)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews as a way to share all the books we've received this week!

So.....I kinda went on a Netgalley shopping spree....

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

by Sarah J. Maas

AHHHHHHHH!!!!! YESSSSSSSS. I absolutely loved Throne of Glass and I have been eagerly anticipating this sequel (but not the cover). When I received the e-mail saying I obtained an ARC, I may have squealed like a little girl....no shame. 

My Sparkling Misfortune (The Lakeland Knight #1)

by Laura Lond 

A villain as the protagonist? Sign me up! This sounds like one awesome book full of fun mischief and misfortune ;)

Arrow of the Mist (Arrow of the Mist #1)

by Christina Mercer

First off, loving the cover. It accurately shows the questing and magic that the blurb promises. Keeping my fingers crossed for this one! 

Sworn to Raise (Courtlight #1)

by Terah Edu 

Court intrigue? Sold. 

The Bane (The Eden Trilogy #1)

by Keary Taylor

Previously known as Eden, it's being redistributed as The Bane...cooler name and freakin badass cover. I've heard great things about this book and am looking forward to loads of action and bad-assery. 

Sky's End 

by Lesley Young

Sci-fi space academy adventure with "warring species"? 

I'm game. 

So, I believe that's all I got this week. What book goodies did y'all get this past week? 

Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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Thinking Through Thursday (11)

*Unfortunately pictures are not currently showing up*

Welcome to another "Thinking Through Thursday"! This is a post I write (or try to) every Thursday in which I discuss various bookish goodness. 

This week's discussion is:

THE DREADED SERIES END:

Dun, Dun, Dunnnnnnn.....

So personally, I love series. I don't like standalones because I know that while reading that book, it'll be the only book. When I get to the last page, it's over. Done with. No more. Quite frankly, that gets depressing. Especially if I just fall in love with the book as a whole! 

A series gives me lots of books. When I finish one, I know that there are more wonderful adventures awaiting me. I get to spend more time with the characters and even be introduced to more as the time goes on. Each adventure in the book is built upon and the books go more in depth with the content. 

But I started to notice a trend recently. I would go through my books looking for a new read and I'd always start a new series or possibly read the second book in a series. But what book would I never pick up? The last book of the series....

I hate it. I really do. There are so many good series out there that I want to read so badly, yet a vehemently refuse to have the character's stories end. It's too sad. I just can't handle it. 

For example:

The Crimson Crown (The Seven Realms #4) by Cinda Williams Chima

I love this series (Reviews for The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, and The Gray Wolf Throne). High fantasy? Sign me up. Yet, for the life of me, I cannot get myself to read this book. I want too. Believe me, I do. But I can't stand the thought of this book ending! 

I'll also give you an example of a book series I finally did end. The Infernal Devices (Reviews for Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince). I kept putting this book off. It would stare at me from the shelf and I would simply walk by in blissful ignorance. But I finally took the jump. And I'm thankful I did. It was amazing (gushing review coming soon). This was the book that gave me the idea for this discussion and made me realize I have a problem. This book turned out amazing, so what's to say other series enders won't? I decided to dissect some reasoning behind my refusal to finish a series:

1. What is the characters don't end up with the person I want? A lot of books nowadays have a "love triangle" and many times I know which one I want. What happens when it doesn't turn out that way? Will it ruin the whole series for me?

2. What is the plot turns out stupid? Series arcs are finally fully fleshed out in the finale. What if it's a stupid explanation? For the first two books I may have come up with some brilliant ideas or reasoning for something but what if that's not what actually happens? Thanks author. My idea was better. 

3. What if it turns out to be anti-climatic and pointless? Ughhhhhh. No one likes a boring book. I know a lot of us worry more about the second book in a series being the dreaded "filler" book, but sometimes the third book ends up being the boring, pointless one. What if that happens? I don't think I could function!!!!! Okay, over-dramatic, but you get the point.

All in all - I would sometimes just rather be blissfully ignorant. I want to come up with the happy ending I want. By not reading the last book, I can make up my own ending where everything works exactly how I want. I'm in control. 

However, I know it's a problem. Something I'll definitely work on. Just look at Clockwork Princess. I was so worked up about it and just didn't want to read it, yet I'm incredibly glad I did. It was heartbreaking yet wonderful. Hopefully, this experience will get me to finish the other series I've been dying to read. A lot of the series I love have their final books coming up this year or next and I plan on making myself read them. I will. I really will. Maybe I should go to a support group. Book Ender's Annonymous (BEA....hm.... ;) perhaps?

So how about y'all? Please don't tell me I'm the only weird one out there! And if so...lie to me and say I'm completely normal. :P

All the best ♥

Mackenzie

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