The Daydreamer's Ramblings: To Reread or Not to Reread

The Daydreamer’s Ramblings is a semi-regular feature here at Ramblings of a Daydreamer. It ranges from discussion posts to rants to raves.

 
Late last year as I was going over my TBR list and mentally thinking of the books I wanted to read in 2013 - plus some of the requirements of challenges I'd signed up for - I realized there were several books I wanted to reread. Some are favourites that I've been wanting to reread for a long time, some are books I really enjoyed and want to be refreshed on certain aspects, and others are classics I enjoyed that I want to reread. 

Then I got thinking...there are so many new books I want to read - and by new, I don't necessarily mean new releases, just books that I haven't read yet. There's also the fact that I'm a pretty slow reader. This made me wonder if I should spend time rereading books when I could (should?) be reading new books and review books. 

I'm kind of torn. There are a few I know for sure I'll take the time to reread, but then others I'm not so sure about. The plus with rereading books is that almost all the ones on my list are books I read before I started blogging, so at least I'll get to write reviews for them this time around. That makes me feel a little less like I'm 'wasting time'. 

Some of the books on my reread list for 2013:

• The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen  - I read this several years ago and loved it. I intended to reread it in November or December 2012, but still haven't gotten around to it. 
• Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery - the second book in the Anne of Green Gables series. I reread Anne of Green Gables last year, and I want to reread Anne of Avonlea (which I read in my teens) before continuing on with the series. 
• Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, and Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares - I loved these when I read them several years ago, and I want to reread them before I read the final two books in the series.
• That Summer, Keeping the Moon, and Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen - Someone Like You was one of my favourite books as a teen (I read it a few times, and was convinced Sarah Dessen had written it about my best friend and me - it was just one of those books), and I read the other two in my mid-teens, but can't remember what they're about. I'm planning on doing a Sarah Dessen reading challenge this spring, and I want to read/reread all her books. 
• Zel by Donna Jo Napoli - an incredible retelling of Rapunzel that I read a couple times in my teens; it feels like it's time read it again. 
• On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt - another book I read in my teens and loved, but I honestly can't really remember what it's about now. 
• The Iron King by Julie Kagawa - I bought the boxed set of Iron Fey books in 2012 and I have the novellas, so I want to reread the first book and then read the rest of the series.

 How do you feel about rereading books? Do you think it's a waste of time, or do you think of it as revisiting favourite characters and worlds? Do you reread previous books in a series before reading new installments? Is there something specific about a book that makes you want to reread it? What are some of the books you plan to reread this year? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Stacking the Shelves October 28th

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

***Subscribe to my YouTube channel*** 

 

BOUGHT

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

The Demon Trapper’s Daughter by Jana Oliver

Dark Passage by MJ Putney

Magic Mike and Bridget Jones’ Diary DVDs

WON

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian + signed card

Harry Potter golden snitch necklace and rose ring

FOR REVIEW

Venom by Fiona Paul

Kismetology by Jaimie Admans

KOBO FREEBIE

Meant to Be by Tiffany King

LIBRARY

Dark Lover by JR Ward

Starling by Lesley Livingston

Also mentioned in the video: The Game Changer Spread the Word Giveaway

**A huge thank you to Tiff from Mostly YA Lit, Saz101 and Lauren’s Loquacious Literature, Razorbill and Penguin Canada, and JaimieAdmans**

 
 

What books did you get this week? Tell me in the comments below or post a link to your Stacking the Shelves/Book Haul/In My Mailbox/Showcase Sunday, etc. Happy reading! <3

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Stacking the Shelves October 20th

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

***Subscribe to my YouTube channel***

 

BOUGHT

The Iron Fey Box Set by Julie Kagawa

(The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen, The Iron Knight) + signed Ash and Puck poster

Iron’s Prophecy by Julie Kagawa (ebook)

Supernatural seasons 1-7

WON

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Wynne Channing prize pack (What Kills Me ebook, Kindle Fire cover, signed bookmark with butterfly charm, rhinestone butterfly necklace)

KOBO FREEBIES

Madly by M. Leighton

Gravity by Abigail Boyd

FOR REVIEW FROM PUBLISHER

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

*I start to squee even just typing that*

ALSO MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO

Molli’s ARC and publisher posts - here and here

Giselle’s ARC and publisher post - here

*Thank you so much girls for writing these posts. I meant to explain in the video that the reason I rambled on about requesting ARCs from publishers is that I want other people who are nervous to know they're not alone. It can be nerve-wracking, and you might get turned down, but you might also get to make connections with publishers and get some fantastic books. For anyone who's looking for great tips, whether you're a newbie or whether you've been blogging for a long time, check out Molli and Giselle's posts for help*

Spooktacular Paranormal Reading Challenge - Sign ups here

Scarlet Read-Along - Sign ups here

I also forgot to mention I have a couple giveaways going on:

The Book Love Giveaway Hop - win 1 of 16 ebooks

Kathy Coleman is giving away a book of your choice up to $12 to celebrate the cover/trailer/prologue reveal of her debut novel, Sealer’sPromise

  

A huge thank you to HarperCollins Canada, Kimberly from Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Wynne Channing, and Dark Mind Blog Tours

What books did you get this week? Tell me in the comments below or post a link to your Stacking the Shelves/Book Haul/In My Mailbox/Showcase Sunday, etc. Happy reading! <3

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Book Love Giveaway Hop

The Book Love Giveaway Hop is hosted by the amazing Jessica from Thoughts at One in the Morning. The giveaway runs from today (October 15th) until October 21st at 11:59pm EST.

Since I got my new Kobo, I'm in love with ebooks. Because of that, I decided for the Book Love Giveaway Hop I'd give away an ebook to one lucky winner. These are either novellas from well-known series (most of which you can only get in ebook format), books I've read, books I want to read, or, well, books I've written lol. One winner will get to pick the ebook of their choice from the selection below. All of these are available on Kindle, and most are available for Kobo, Nook, and/or Smashwords, so the winner can choose based on the type of e-reader or app they have.

I tried to come up with something for everyone - there's YA, adult, and a couple of erotica books (if you plan to choose those, you must be 18+). Some are traditionally published, some are self-published. I hope you see something you like!

E-novellas

Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey #1.5)

Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey #3.5)

Iron's Prophecy by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey #4.5)

Corsets and Crossbows by Alyxandra Harvey (Drake Chronicles #0.1)

A Killer First Date by Alyxandra Harvey (Drake Chronicles #3.5)

A Field Guide to Vampires by Alyxandra Harvey (Drake Chronicles #4.5)

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me #1.5)

YA and Adult Novels

A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers (my review)

Scotland by Starlight by Nancy Volkers
(my review)

Being Human by Patricia Lynne
(my review)

Callum and Harper by Fisher Amelie 

What Kills Me by Wynne Channing

Chasing McCree by JC Isabella 

The Wild Ones by M. Leighton

Undressed by Marie Landry

Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry

Full giveaway details/rules are as follows: 

*There will be one (1) winner, who can pick one ebook of their choice. 
*Open internationally as long as you can accept books from Amazon.com, Kobo.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or Smashwords. Availability depends on each individual site. You might want to have a second choice in case your first choice isn't available for your particular e-reader/app. 
*You must be a follower of Ramblings of a Daydreamer. That's the only mandatory entry. All other entries simply get you extra chances to win, but you do not have to do them - it's up to you how many you do. 

While I have your attention, I'd like to take a second to mention the Scarlet Read-Along. Jessica (the host of the giveaway hop, and one of my best blogging buddies) and I are having a read-along for Scarlet by AC Gaughen starting November 1st. Click here to check out the details. We'd love for you to participate! :-)

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Top Ten Fave Books I’ve Read During the Lifespan of My Blog

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

It's been a really long time since I participated in Top Ten Tuesday. In fact, I don't think I've done one all this year - crazy! This one was really hard to do, because I've read and loved a ton of books in the year and however many months that I've been blogging. I managed to narrow it down though, and here's my top ten for today.

Top Ten Favourite Books I’ve Read During the Lifespan of My Blog

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Paris! Anna. Etienne. Canadian flag pin. Movies. Sleeping alone in the dorm. Humor. Romance. Did I mention Paris? What’s not to love?

Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Touching, funny, emotional, worthy of the ‘epic’ in its title. I’ve always wanted to take a cross-country road trip, and this book had my wanderlust itching as I fell in love with Amy, Roger, and all the secondary characters.

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Lyrical writing, unique storyline, beautiful love story.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Riveting, exciting, romantic, brilliantly unique.

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Another story that got my wanderlust going. I connected so much with Bria, fell in love with Rowan, and felt like I was right there with them as they explored and learned and grew.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Another fantastically unique concept, totally different from other dystopians, which often feel like the same old recycled story with new characters. Brilliant characters, beautiful writing - overall amazing book.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

A dark and gritty retelling of Little Red Riding Hood...with werewolves. Incredible.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

When I read Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen, I was barely in my mid-teens and I couldn’t imagine loving one of her books more. It was my story - it felt like she’d written it just for me, but I think I loved Along for the Ride at least as much. There’s a reason why Sarah Dessen is known as the YA contemp queen, and it’s because of books like Along for the Ride.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

I’d been looking for a truly amazing faerie book, and I found it with The Iron King. Enchanting, romantic, exciting, funny - it had a bit of everything with a healthy dose of fae lore (I love all things fae).

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Incredibly emotional, beautifully written, poignant.

I fell in love with the characters in each of these books - I was able to relate to the female leads, and I swooned over the guys (seriously...every single one of these books has at least one swoonworthy boy...I'm all about the romance and swoonworthy boys!). Even though it's been a long time since I read a few of these, I still think about them often.

What are some of your favourite books that you've read in the lifespan of your blog? Have you read any of the books from my list? Be sure to leave a comment or a link, and I'll visit you in return!

In My Mailbox Week 9

In My Mailbox is weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.  The idea is to share books you've acquired during the week, whether you've won them, bought them, picked them up at the library, received them for review, whatever.  It's a great way to bring attention to books and authors and share the love!

 

Please pardon my awkwardness in this video…I was having one of those days where I was uncomfortable in my own skin and I think it shows lol…plus, I’ve mentioned it before, but I do not have a lisp, it’s the stupid super-sensitive audio on my camera that makes it sound like I do. *sigh*

 

 

Books mentioned:

 

Review books:

Cloyne Court by Dodie Katague

Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Won:

Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland - thank you Prospera Publishing

Library:

Norway to Hide by Maddy Hunter

Hearts at Stake (also known as My Love Lies Bleeding) by Alyxandra Harvey

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Top 10 Tuesday: Books I want to reread

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It was created because of their love of lists and books, and since I love those things too, I thought it'd be a fun meme to participate in!

Top Ten Books I Want to Reread

I read most of these books awhile ago, but some of them are recent reads. 

1. All of the Harry Potter books by JK Rowling. I've read 1-5 numerous times, 6 a couple of times, and 7 once. These are books I will continue to reread probably for the rest of my life.

2. The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. I read these books a few years back, loved them, and definitely need to read them again.

3. The Circle Trilogy by Nora Roberts (Morrigan's Cross, Dance of the Gods, Valley of Silence). Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors and this trilogy was quite possibly what really got me hooked on paranormal books - there are witches, sorcerers, vampires, demon hunters - it's amazing.

4. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. One of my favorite books ever. EVER. I want to read this one again just for pure pleasure, but also so that I can review it now that I'm a book blogger. Hardly anyone I know has read this book, and I'd love to bring more attention to it.

5. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. I just finished reading this book a couple days ago, and already I want to reread it. I loved it so much, and for so many personal reasons, I haven't been able to write my review yet. I'm hoping to have it up by Thursday though.

6. U2: At the End of the World by Bill Flanagan. Ok, so if you've visited my blog before, chances are you know I'm U2 obsessed. This book is known among U2 fans as the U2 bible - an insider's view of the boys during the early 90s, the good, the bad and the ugly. I love this book and I've been saying for years I'm going to reread it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

7. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. I read this one just a few months ago and know that I'll definitely reread it at some point - probably once I've read the entire series, I'll go back and start again.

8. On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt. I read this book in my early-to-mid-teens and remember loving it. I even own it, plus the first book in the series, Jackaroo, which I still haven't read. I didn't realize OFW was the second book in a series, but I've been saying for a long time that I'd read Jackaroo and then reread On Fortune's Wheel to see if I enjoy it as much as an adult.

9. PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern. Well, basically anything by Cecelia Ahern because I love all her books, but PS I Love You is the first one that comes to mind, possibly because I love the movie so much (mmm, Gerard Butler). 

10. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares. I really wanted to reread this series this summer and then read the new book, The Last Summer, but I ran out of time. I'm still planning to read it eventually and buy the last book so my collection is complete.

What are some of the books you want to reread? Have you read any of the books on my list? All comments are welcome, and I always try to visit back - if you participate in this meme, be sure to leave a link!

Book Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (first in The Iron Fey series)

Published: February 1st, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
363 pages (paperback)
Genre: Young adult fantasy
Acquired this book: at the library
Warning: may include spoilers

Synopsis, taken from dust jacket of the book: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny - one she could never have imagined...Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six.  She has never quite fit in at school...or at home.  When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.  But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war.  Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.
My thoughts on The Iron King:

Last month, when I reviewed Lesley Livingston's Wondrous Strange, I said that it was finally the type of faerie book I'd been looking for that I hadn't been able to find.  I can honestly say the same thing about The Iron King.  With an original plot, great, solid characters, action, romance, suspense and humor, it is definitely high on my list of new favorite faerie books - actually, new favorite books, period.

Besides the things I just mentioned, the plot has great twists and turns that kept me wondering throughout, and has me itching to read the next book in the series, The Iron Daughter.  I thought the whole concept of the story was not only brilliant, but well executed.  So many stories have a great concept but fizzle on the execution - it's obvious that Ms Kagawa put a lot of thought into the plot, which made for a unique story. 

If you're familiar with faerie lore, you'll recognize some familiar characters in the faerie royalty - Oberon, Titania and Mab - but the way they're written, they're completely fresh and different.  I couldn't decide on a favorite character because I liked them all, but especially the main four characters, Meghan, Robbie, Ash and Grimalkin. 

Meghan feels invisible and forgotten, her only real friend is Robbie, and she feels held back in her life, not only because she feels like she doesn't really matter, but also because her family is so poor.  She makes the best of it, trying not to care too much about what others think, but it still affects her.  Throughout the story, she shows that she's strong and capable and doesn't need anyone's approval.  As for Robbie and Grimalkin (who's a faerie cat, by the way), they're both hilarious characters.  I love how Grimalkin is devious, but despite that he comes to care for Meghan.  Ash is dark, mysterious, dangerous and haunted, which of course makes him the perfect love interest, and he's definitely one of the reasons I can't wait to read the next book!

*I belong to Amazon Affiliates - anything that you buy from my blog through Amazon gets me a small commission, and as a struggling freelance writer, I can use every cent I can get!  If you're considering buying this book or any other book I review, if you go to Amazon through the links on my blog to buy, I'll be eternally grateful!*

WWW Wednesdays: Week 7

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.  All you have to do is answer these 3 questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Simple right?  I love to read and love to know what other people are reading!

\

What are you currently reading?

I'm about halfway through Across the Universe by Beth Revis.  It's really good - completely different from anything I've ever read and I'm really curious to find out what's going to happen.

What did you recently finish reading?

Recently, I've read Tithe - A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black (you can read my review here), The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, and The Violets of March by Sarah Jio (both of which I'm in the process of writing reviews for, and both of which received 5 stars from me). 

What do you think you'll read next?

Well, I still have about 10 library books, so I need to pick from those.  More and more books keep coming in on reserve - some that I've had reserved for weeks or even months - so I feel like I never make a dent in my pile before I'm adding more to it!

What are you reading this week?  Have you read any of the books on my list?  Have any suggestions?  I'd love to hear from you!

WWW Wednesdays: Week 6

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.  All you have to do is answer these 3 questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Simple right?  I love to read and love to know what other people are reading!

What are you currently reading?

I'm about to start reading The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.  I've had this on my list for ages and even had it from the library a month or two ago but didn't have time to read it so had to return it.  I got it again 2 weeks ago and it's due Saturday and can't be renewed, so I've gotta get a move on!

What did you recently finish reading?

Last night, I finished reading Tithe - A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black.  It was a different and interesting spin on faerie - very dark and slightly disturbing but I actually really enjoyed it.  I'll be starting my review on it later today, so stay tuned!

What do you think you'll read next?

Well, I have 7 library books and another couple on hold to pick up Saturday when I go, so I'll have to see what's due the soonest.  My choices are: Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams, When it Happens by Susane Colasanti, From Notting Hill With Love - Actually by Ali McNamara, Phanton Evil by Heather Graham, The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton, The Violets of March by Sarah Jio, Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen, and whatever's waiting for me at the library, I can't remember what it is.  Decisions, decisions!

So, what are you reading this week?  Have you read any of the books on my list?  Have any suggestions?  I'd love to hear from you!

Library Loot: June 4th - 11th

 

Library Loot is a weekly theme hosted by  Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. 

Since I'm currently scraping by as a freelance writer, I unfortunately can't afford to buy books right now *insert sad face here* which I hate, but luckily I have an awesome library in my city, so until I can have my own personal library filled with wall-to-wall books, the public library's the next best thing.

  
This week, I was back to my usual style of picking more books than I could possibly read but that I was compelled to get anyway.  My choices were divided up between Tuesday's visit, and Saturday's.  Saturday was the library's 5th 'birthday' and they had a party to celebrate.  My mum, sister-in-law and 2 nephews went, had cake, and played in the children's section for awhile.

Here are this week's selections:

Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams.  A month or two ago, Elizabeth S Craig - aka Riley Adams - started following me on Twitter.  I couldn't believe it, I was so flattered.  I immediately checked out her books and added them to my list and finally just got around to picking up this one, which I can't wait to read.  Oh wait, did I mention this amazing woman also follows my blog?  How cool is that?  It doesn't take much to make me happy, but it's rare that I feel special, and that made me feel special!  Thank you Elizabeth!

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa and Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black.  Two faerie books - if you've been reading my blog, you'll know that I love faerie books, and that I have an idea for one of my own that I plan to start writing as soon as I'm done editing my current novel.  Besides just plain loving books about faeries, I figure reading them is research - it's good to see what's out there, what's been done, and what hasn't been done so that my story can be unique.
 

Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne - I can't remember where I saw this book or what made me add it to my list, whether someone mentioned it or reviewed it on a blog, or I came across it randomly, but anyway, I had it on my list and the reserve came in Saturday. 

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti - I saw a few of Susane's books in the library a couple weeks ago, wrote down her name to check her out (I always do that with authors that I'm unfamiliar with because so many books are part of a series these days that I don't like picking up books and then finding out they're mid-series).  I have a few other books by her on my list but this was the one I chose first.

*The linked titles of the books lead to each book on Amazon.  I belong to Amazon Affiliates - anything that you buy from my blog through Amazon gets me a small commission, and as a struggling freelance writer, I can use every cent I can get!  If you're considering buying any of the books I mention on this blog, if you go to Amazon through the links on my blog to buy, it would really help me, and I'll be eternally grateful!*

What are you reading this week?  What have you read lately that you really enjoyed?  Do you have any suggestions for my library loot picks next week?  I read just about any genre, and I'm always looking for suggestions!