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Review: Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (Spoiler Free)

Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Date of Publication: October 18th 2016

Genres: Young Adult Sci-Fi

Pages: 608

Format: Physical Book (Hardcover)

Rating:★★★★★ (5 Stars)

Goodreads Synopsis:

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

After reading and Loving the ISH (funny cuz currency in Gemina is referred to as ~~ISH~~) out of Illuminae (review here) earlier this year, I knew that Gemina would be a book to have me running to the bookstore to drop that $$$ HAHA! just like its predecessor, Gemina did NOT disappoint. Offering up non-stop page turning action & a cast of witty characters you can’t get enough of. Illustrations by Marie Lu author of the Young elites covered the pages making Gemina one beautiful book both inside & out. The Illuminae Files are addictive, fun, and overall just great story telling…

CREDS & HAILS go to Gretchen @CHICNERDREADS for this EPIC aesthetic, I can’t stop staring at it with the only *heart eyes* Thanks again my fren’ you’re simply AMAZING!

PLOT

Gemina picks up with a brand new set of characters on the Jump Station Heimdall right after the events of the Kerenza invasion & BeiTech assault. Since this is book 2 in the series, I will ward off the dreaded spoilers. Gemina is said to be a companion novel to Illuminae & for the most part it is, however it most definitely is necessary to read Illuminae as it all does tie in. The characters at jump station Heimdall are unaware of the events at Kerenza or BeiTech’s involvement. As the reader, you feel a sense of anticipation all throughout Gemina because you are aware of what’s happened & the imminent danger that lays ahead. The civilians and crew on Jump Station Heimdall are unaware of the incoming ships & just like in Illuminae, they are in for a rude awakening. This is the story of how Hemidall came to defend itself & the intricate web of deception BeiTech has woven…

CHARACTERS

Although we have quite a few players in the game, the main characters are Hannah Donelly & Niklas Malikov. These are two young adults who end up having to step into much larger shoes when the ISH hits the fan. We get to know both these characters on a more personal level since the format in this book is dialogue heavy. I enjoyed the witty banter between these two so much & found myself either smiling or outright laughing at some of the their exchanges. Hannah also keeps a journal & she’s a pretty good artist (illustrations by Marie Lu) , depicting exactly what she thinks of Nik in a series of laugh out loud drawings. Hannah has to be one of my new hands down favorite kick a** female protagonists in YA PERIOD! she is smart, quick on her feet, a pro in war games thanks to her dad, witty, and loyal to her friends & family. Nik Malikov stole my heart with his dirty mind & endless attempts to win Hannah over. He was born into the House Of Knives, a criminal family (yup they exist even in outer space HAHA!) & is being groomed & taught to earn his keep through a series of innnnneresting criminal activities (I won’t divulge more than that hehe). I can’t discuss the characters in this book without mentioning my FAVORITE Spider, Ella Malikova who is Nik’s cousin and hacker extraordinaire. Ella is disabled from the waist down and spends her time in front of a computer in her wheelchair exchanging sarcastic & witty remarks with Nik through IM’s. Not only is Ella AMAZING at what she knows with computers but she’s also a fighter in every sense & I looked forward to seeing her IM’s pop up on the page.

Illustrations by Marie Lu author of The Young Elites trilogy

WRITING

The format for Gemina is the same as the one the authors used for Illuminae. The story is told through a series of IM chats, E-mails, & memorandums. In between these you’ll come across transcriptions from video camera footage which in the story, are written by Analysts that have watched & to the best of their ability tried to make sense of what is caught on camera. Gemina just like Illuminae may appear intimidating at first glance especially given the 600+ page count. However, I can assure all those that are interested in The Illuminae Files that it is all well worth it & a very quick read. In fact, the format of this book only helps move the story along much faster & the dialogue is so much fun that before you know it, you’ll be requesting that Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman get working on the 3rd book hehe 😉

Donelly, H: What, you’re just going to open the door so I can creep in?

Donelly, H: It’s too far, not safe. recon before action, that’s the rule. If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.

Merrick, J: What?

Donelly, H: Sun Tzu.

IM chat between Hanna Donelly & her boyfriend Jackson Merrick

THOUGHTS

Gemina deserves all of the hype it gets because it truly delivers & packs a punch, I’m lucky to have other books I’ve really been looking forward to because the book hangover is REAL! Once again, I am left so impressed with these two authors because I can’t tell where one starts and the other ends, they write so well together. The inclusion of Marie Lu’s illustrations in this book only enhanced the beauty and overall bad a**ness of this second installment. Although Illuminae will always hold that special place in my heart for introducing me to such an interesting world…Gemina came in & is now holding the crown. What really made this book even more spectacular is the humor & characters this round, these authors are clearly in tune with young adults making the dialogue so believable. I am now left waiting another year for the 3rd installment…currently experiencing the phase where I watch for (stalk) these authors for any bit of info…following the cookie crumb trail I go…

September Wrap-up & Book Haul

September…a month that I am usually looking forward to every year by the time the sweltering 90 degree weather in June make it’s presence felt. This year however, I was a bit apprehensive about all of the changes taking place with my little one starting in a “real” school lol. After completing pre-k in the same center as her daycare, this would be her 1st venture into an actual school building. Thankfully all went well & we just received news that she is actually at a 1st grade level. Could not be any more happier honestly. My reading month however, wasn’t the best but I managed to get 5 in & a very special book event (check out my About Last Night post here). October will be MUCH better 😉

I’ve linked my reviews for each of my reads down below

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova ★★★★★ (5 stars)

Empire of Storms by Sara J. Maas ★★★ (3.5 stars @ the time of review but…lol)

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo ★★★★★ (5 stars)

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson ★★★★★ (5 stars)

Wrecked by Maria Padian ★★★★ (4 stars)

After having a pretty slow book buying month in August (view August Book Haul here)…well slower than my usual LOL, I thought September would be mayhem but I think I kept it reasonable HAHA!…

Follow me on Instagram @Lair_Of_Books for more photos 😉

Kindle Deal $1.99 (no longer available however if you have Kindle Unlimited, it’s currently free)

I’ve read 2 of the books I hauled in September & i’m seriously avoiding Crooked Kingdom smh, I’m just not ready Gals & Ghouls *hides face* to let go of my favorite fictional characters or this deliciously dark world *sigh* avoiding book spoilers on Twitter has become quite the challenge. I’m not sure what i’ll read after my current eGalley (When The Moon Was Ours), i’ve managed to get my Netgalley ratio at a respectable percentage that i’m content with. It may not be perfect but it’ll do 😉

As for my viewing, cuz ya girl really does love TV & movies! it was actually really meh LOL. I didn’t catch any movies in the theatre BUT I did binge watch season 2 of Gotham with the hubby. truthfully speaking, I wasn’t a big fan of the first season but it’s so atmospheric & they did an AMAZING job of giving it authentic classic Gotham feels that we stuck with it. I enjoyed season 2 WAY more because we get a different side of Gordon, he’s been through a lot that I won’t list because of spoilers but he’s pretty bad a** now. The performance I enjoyed the most however, goes to Cory Michael Smith who plays Edward Nygma aka future Riddler. Season 2 focused on Nygma’s development into who he will ultimately become. I can’t get enough of this guy’s shenaningans but in all seriousness he truly kills it on this show *tips hat off*

Photo on IMDB

Fun fact: a lot of the outdoor filming in Gotham was done around my neighborhood. Some around the corner from my block & other shots were filmed by the train station near my place. We often joke our neighborhood might as well be Gotham since it’s so Gray smh. Whelp I guess word got out to FOX & Gotham has come to us. My husband took photos of the vehicles parked overnight for the shoot. There’s a pretty big old abandoned building that looks like an old bank but served as a Boys & Girls club many years ago, that was also used in one of their episodes where a banquet/party was filmed. I couldn’t get photos of that w/out trespassing though LOL.

Hope you all had an AMAZING September! We are now in October & i’m sure a lot of us are looking forward to all of the exciting book releases this month. What are some October books you all are looking forward to?

About Last Night…

My Monday started off with me trying to finish reading Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, a book that has been talked about & praised all over social media. It was my shameful little secret that I had not yet read this beautiful black paged book, until it was announced that Leigh Bardugo would be coming to New York City Strand Bookstore as part of her #Troublemakerstour. I could NOT put it off any longer because I’ve heard such amazing things not only about Six of Crows but the author herself. I have read the Grisha trilogy but I wasn’t too much of a fan on how that wrapped up. Six of Crows however, BLEW ME AWAY! I finished reading SOC on the train ride to the event signing for Crooked Kingdom & got off the train to immediately text Gretchen at Chicnerdreads that I had DONE IT! I had finished the book in time. I was also reeling from how it ended but nonetheless feeling pretty euphoric lol. Review for Six of Crows to come, gathering all of my thoughts & feels so that I’m not just saying I LOVED IT! over & over again lol.

The night was made all the more special because I was also meeting Gretchen (pictured above) for the very first time after many months of communicating through social media, our blogs, gchat, text, & HILLARIOUS voice messages LOL. I met Gretchen earlier this year when she was still a booktuber, thankfully I came across her before she left Booktube & started her blog. She is actually one of the people who motivated me to start my own (4 days later to be exact haha!) & for that I am very thankful for this friendship. It should come to no surprise that a couple of bookworms decided to do a little book & comic book shopping since we arrived super early for the event…

fullsizerender-3 — **$18.00 for hardcover = WINNING!!! 🙂**

The event was to start at 6:30pm but the crazy long line started forming by 4pm, luckily we were in the front of this line. We also happened to be standing in the exact spot where Leigh Bardugo & Jesse The Reader’s car pulled up which meant she had to cut through us…

Gretchen took this photo because I was author struck & froze, as a matter of fact it took considerable effort to move out of Leigh’s way so that she can get through *hides face* LOL! Leigh Bardugo arrived promptly at 6pm (early) & did not keep us waiting. We were in the first group of 20 to be let in & be seated which was great because the place quickly filled up to maximum capacity. Some artwork was brought in & placed in different corners…

I tried unsuccessfully to take a selfie with Jesper, he is hella tall & I am nothing but a shrimp next to him. Leigh & Jesse came out shortly after we were seated & from the moment she sat down it was non stop laughter from everyone because she is one funny lady! Jesse asked her a series of pop culture questions like “if the crew of Six Of Crows were Youtubers, what would each of their channels be about?” or “which drink would each of the characters order from Starbucks?” we were also given a chance to ask questions & she answered everything with sincerity, honesty, and gave some really good advice to aspiring writers. She spoke briefly about Wonder Woman; the YA book she is writing under DC but couldn’t give away too much of course. When asked about the possibility of more books in the Grishaverse she made no promises but said there are plenty more stories to tell & she’s not quite finished with that world sOOOo *fingers crossed*

Fact: Leigh is also donating 10% of book sales to GEMS, a charity for young girls ages 12-24 who’ve been victims of sexual exploitation & domestic trafficking. This charity works to empower young girls/women by giving them the tools they need to leave the commercial sex industry & develop their full potential. This charity is also close to the theme in Six Of Crows.

Can we just take a moment to admire this woman’s style?!?! Fierce! after a few rounds of questions we were then asked to form a line for the book signing & again arriving early truly makes a difference (signing expected to run till 10:30pm). We were the first 20 to line up & while we waited…smh…we realized there were other authors present for this event. We spotted Zoraida Córdova author of Labyrinth Lost (I recently reviewed & LOVED this book here), Daniel José Older author of Shadowshaper (on my TBR, probably will get a copy at Bookcon next week), and Libba Bray author of The Diviners series (I own & need to stop procrastinating). It happened again, I froze & didn’t woman up to talk to Zoraida but ummm there will be other times *cough* for sure…smh LOL. Back to Leigh Bardugo, it was finally our turn to get our books signed and take a photo with Leigh…

This was simply AMAZING! she struck up a convo when she saw my name on the post-it (Lilly) & told me that when she was a little girl, her parents used to call her LeeLee which is what my parents call me in Spanish. I got to pick up one of the playing cards that were face down on the table & drew Inej which YESSSSS!!! I LOVE!!!! also got a pin & a crow shaped cookie but that broke into bits so no pic lol.

Gretchen & I ended the night by going to Chipotle since we had skipped lunch and it was around 8 or 9pm. We chatted up a bit about the event AND already prepping for next week’s BookCon @ NYC Comicon. It was a great night & I had so much fun with Gretchen that I cannot wait to do it again! Thank you Gretchen for taking the photos at the event cuz you know you had the heels/height, what would I have done without you?!?! 🙂

**Six of Crows bookmark was part of the September Owlcrate, got it just in time for Crooked Kingdom!**

Friday Reads aka Currently Reading

Happy Friday Readers!!! It’s been a L-O-N-G and unexpectedly emotional week for my little fam & I. Today completes Izzy’s (my 5-year-old daughter) first week & a half (lol) of Kindergarten & although my girl is usually ready to conquer the world with her larger than life old soul personality…this was a new beginning & there were some tears from the both of us. I was allowed to walk her to class the first 2 days after which I was then told that my baby was growing up & basically it was time to “cut the cord” drop off’s would be in the cafeteria…does anyone else find the cafeteria to be one scary big place? I always have. Nonetheless, off I went to work but not before I had myself one good sob during my 7-minute walk to the train station on the phone with my husband. I boarded the train & to be honest had no desire to read. By Wednesday, Izzy & I had befriended the cafeteria lady & her daughter who also attends the school. Needless to say this brought me much comfort & Izzy re-assured ME (smh) that she was NOT scared. With her assurance I boarded my train & dived back into SJM’s Empire of Storms…

Empire of Storms by Sara J. Maas is the 5th book in the Throne of Glass YA Fantasy series & one of my most highly anticipated reads for the second half of 2016! I hadn’t realized how much I had missed certain characters in this world, specifically my favorite kick butt witch Manon & her Wyvern Abraxos who would follow her to the depths of the world if need be. I think what appeals to me most about these characters is the loyalty they have to each other (excluding Celeana who at times makes questionable decisions). I am really enjoying seeing the friendship btwn Aedion & Lysandra develop as well as Lorcan & Elide. Whether these friendships develop into something more, I’m not sure yet (on pg. 400 of 693) but wouldn’t be completely surprised if they do. Yes, SJM enjoys coupling up her charcters making it a bit predictable at times but I think it’s done well. In any case, I love these books for the character development & world building. I am currently OBSESSED with the Manon chapters smh, in the beginning I really just wanted to get to those chapters alone. Thankfully 🙌🏼 the story picks up the pace fairly quickly & never stops. Can this be the best book in the series? It’s sure looking that way but I still have about 300 pgs to go & that leaves Maas plenty of time to turn my world upside down. I kid you not, I really do think she types away with an evil smirk on her face, knowing she’s going to leave us in our feels in need of our blanky’s & the nearest teddy 😂😂😂

The other book I’m reading or rather should I say listening to? Is Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. I had used one of my Audible credits a few months back on this one but could NOT for the life of me, get people to stop interrupting me while I listened. After reading a review for this book on Amanda’s blog Cover2CoverMom, I decided to pick it back up again. For the most part, I’d rather listen to than read comedienne’s memoirs. They narrate their own books & therefore know when a line should read as funny or not. This makes a big difference for me. Perfect example is Mindy Khaling who I adore for the goddess that she is 🙌🏼 has written 2 books & it wasn’t until I switched to audio that I was able to enjoy her narrative. To be honest I had never heard of Jenny Lawson but the cover with the over the top excited raccoon made me smile every time I walked by it in B&N. After reading the synopsis & seeing that Jenny suffers from mental illness and that this was a collection of stories infused with her humor…I was intrigued. Now, I’ve heard great & not so great things about this book. Primarily, people taking offense to her use of humor when it comes to the topic of her mental illness or labeling herself. As a person who deals with anxiety, mild OCD, and others I don’t need to list…my sarcasm/dark humor IS my coping mechanism. It’s the blanket that provides comfort when faced with the alternative which is to let it overcome & that’s just not the choice that I’ve made. I’m now following Jenny on her blog The Blogess & I’m listening to Furiously Happy. Jenny’s husband Victor reminds me a bit of my husband. She does not shy away from listing their differences & the less than “normal” but still very humorous arguments they have because of her mental disorders. Her interactions with her pets (Ferris Mewler is a fave of mine) including Rory the raccoon who is deceased but has been brought back through her friend the taxidermist, provide plenty of entertaining moments. Overall, what I’m finding the most enjoyable are the many relatable day to day moments & thoughts she has at home and in social situations…

Rapid Fire Book Tag

Thank you Drew over at The Tattooed Book Geek for tagging me on this. If you’re not familiar with Drew’s blog, head on over but be warned, all of his posts are filled with humor guaranteed to make you look quite crazy if read in public places.

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Tag Questions:

E-Book or Physical Book?

Physical book, I started my own little library at home & enjoy staring at my shelves for unusually long minutes at a time. I do however read e-books for my more lengthier reads (usually Fantasy/Sci-Fi) because if I want to finish a 700 page book, it’s gonna have to be at night while my tiny humans are asleep. Also saves my pages from humidity & sogginess when i’m hiding from said tiny humans in the bathroom (it has to be daddy’s turn some time hehe).

Paperback or Hardback?

Hardback, I can’t even look at a broken spine w/out wincing. In the 3rd grade I scored my 1st “job” working in the school library. Part of my duties were binding up damaged spines with thick colored tape…it was the saddest job ever & this includes my stint working in a pharmacy.

Online or In-Store Book Shopping?

In-store. I love EVERYTHING about the experience from the moment I step foot through those doors. The book smell, new releases front & center, the book lovers quietly browsing, member’s coupons combined with 30% off in store deals (this gal knows what she’s doing lol), and the high I get from walking out with a new book & bookmark in hand smh. I also order online & take advantage of some amazing deals/steals, but nothing quite feels the same as a book store for me.

Trilogies or Series?

Series. Unfortunately I haven’t found many trilogies that left me truly satisfied (exception: Red Rising trilogy). As long as the books being put out are good then I don’t mind continuing.

Heroes or Villains?

I always choose anti-hero (sorry Drew lol). There’s something about a potty mouthed, sarcastic, loner of a anti-hero that I’m always rooting for. I don’t see myself filling the shoes of a hero but i’m not a fan of many villains either.

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A book you want everyone to read?

The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot

Henrietta’s story filled me with sorrow & appreciation. So many of the vaccines & scientific/medical advances were made off the cells in her body taken without her consent.

Henrietta Lacks

Goodreads synopsis:

Henrietta Lacks, as HeLa, is known to present-day scientists for her cells from cervical cancer. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells were taken without her knowledge and still live decades after her death. Cells descended from her may weigh more than 50M metric tons.

HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks was buried in an unmarked grave.

The journey starts in the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s, her small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia — wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo. Today are stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells, East Baltimore children and grandchildren live in obscurity, see no profits, and feel violated. The dark history of experimentation on African Americans helped lead to the birth of bioethics, and legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

Recommend an underrated book?

Little Bee: A Novel by Chris Cleave

I can’t attach a synopsis for this book since the publishers didn’t want to give anything away about this story but I can promise you that it’s one worth picking up. On Amazon the following is listed for this book:

Little Bee

Amazon:

“We don’t want to tell you too much about this book. It is a truly special story and we don’t want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this: It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific. The story starts there, but the book doesn’t. And it’s what happens afterward that is most important. Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.”

The last book you finished?

This Savage Song by Victoria Shchwab & it was DELICIOUSLY DARK! my review can be found here.

The Last Book You Bought?

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

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Weirdest Thing You’ve Used as a Bookmark?

Nothing weird recently but while on maternity leave…a clean diaper…a pacifier clip…I mean the possibilities were endless.

Used Books: Yes or No?

I have a few, there’s a store nearby the hubby’s office that carries some used books in tip top shape (yea I said that lol). For the most part I don’t buy used books because my mild OCD would drive me nuts at a torn cover or cracked spine.

Top Three Favourite Genres?

Fantasy, YA, & Literary Fiction

Borrow or Buy?

Buy. I don’t borrow because although i’m great at returning, I have learned that others are NOT. So in order to prevent anyone from asking, I don’t ask to borrow anything myself 😉

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Characters or Plot?

Characters. I think in my last tag I mentioned that characters make the story for me, they are the ones that remain after i’ve turned the last page. My current read has me wanting to leave the characters in the dust as I high tail it out of that fictional world -_-

Long or Short Books?

Long. I like tomes, as long as by the time I reach page 500+ you’ve gotten somewhere important in thy quest.

Long or Short Chapters?

Short, I get anxious when I don’t see an end chapter in the horizon lol.

Name The First Three Books You Think Of…

And I Darken by Kiersten White (soon to read anti-hero)

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2)…Need to read to catch up to hubby

The Lies of Lock Lamora…(thank you Drew, it’s now in my online shopping cart lol)

Books That Make You Laugh or Cry?

Laugh…PLEASE..put me in stitches!

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Our World or Fictional Worlds?

Fictional. Take me awaaaaaaaaaaaY! Far Far awaaaaaaaaaaaY!

Audiobooks: Yes or No?

Yes. I do audible especially for memoirs narrated by my favorite comedians & Neil Gaiman…cuz he has the perfect story telling voice…In my mind he is my uncle lol (don’t judge)

Do You Ever Judge a Book by its Cover?

Ha! after I said don’t judge…HELL YEA! it’s the 1st thing we see, I am terribly vein with my books *shame* not with real life people though.

Book to Movie or Book to TV Adaptations?

I agree with Drew, either or if it’s done well but I have also seen it go horribly wrong.

A Movie or TV-Show You Preferred to its Book?

World War Z (sorry not sorry)

Series or Standalone’s?

OooOo tough one! I like both, can’t choose one here *don’t make me*

I Tag:

Dee at The Bookish Khaleesi

TeacherofYA’s Book Blog

Stephanie at Between Folded Pages

Amanda at Hanging With Amanda

Beth at Reading Every Night

Melissa at BookNerdMomo

Askismet Mistook Me For Spam Today

Today I made my rounds commenting on a lot of your blogs my fellow book lovers. This evening I noticed something strange. I hadn’t received a single notification after mid-morning…now, my blog is still fairly new but it’s never crickets. After testing over at Gretchen’s page ChicNerdReads, we quickly realized none of my comments were posting.

After some research in Word Press Community Forums, I found an answer dating 5 years back. WordPress uses a spam blocker called Askismet & sometimes Askismet will mistake your IP address as spam and Blacklist you. Today, Askismet mistook me for a bot! & all of the comments I poured my soul into went straight into your spam folders.

Solution: Obtain enough approved comments from those of you I commented on & happened to be tossed into your spam folders. Once I obtain enough approvals, Askismet will re-learn my IP & take me off the virtual Blacklist in 1 to 2 days. Yes, this means you probably won’t see all of the wonderful comments I leave on your Top 5 Wednesday/Waiting On Wednesday….Unless of course you look for me in Spam where all the losers are benched (for no reason it can happen to anyone) -_-

I will continue making my rounds tonight & tomorrow, so please check your spam folder for little ol’ me & if you happen to like me…be a dear & click approve 🙂

I hope this post helps anyone going through a similar situation or even going forward 🙂

A Very Potter Date Night

Saturday night was supposed to be an ordinary night with my hubby & 2 little ones, I certainly didn’t plan any of the things we ended up doing instead of Netflix & finger-painting. Earlier in the day we had taken a trip to the city & as usual stopped by Barnes & Noble right before heading home. We walked right into B&N staff running around in high spirits decorating & re-arranging for the Harry Potter release party which we were hearing about for the 1st time. I’ve mentioned it before on my blog, but here goes one more time lol. I met my husband 7 years ago when I walked into my new job with a copy of Goblet of Fire & he a copy of Deathly Hallows…the rest is history 😉

A zillion light bulbs went off in the hubs aka Lorenzo’s head. We didn’t have a sitter but we had hope lol. After a quick call to my sister who doesn’t have the most stable schedule (life of a flight attendant), we had reserved her for the night. Like any parents who don’t get many date nights…we wanted to do it ALL!!! We caught Star Trek Beyond from 8-10pm (EPICCCC!) & then headed over across the street to B&N for the Harry Potter release party. I already had pre-ordered a copy of the Cursed Child that I probably will receive Monday afternoon BUT we were easily persuaded to pre-order another copy in-store just to be a part of this major event lol smh. After pre-ordering, we were given purple wrist bands that would place us on the 1st floor line. B&N in Union Square NYC has 4 floors & the line extended all throughout. Each floor was themed, offering face painting, balloon making, a magic show, and an arts & craft center to design your own wand. Although we missed the wand making (SooO bummed about this lol), we managed to get a few pics & videos by taking turns on the line that had formed at 10pm.

HIGHLIGHT OF OUR NIGHT:

While waiting on line, we decided to read our e-books UNTIL I was approached by someone with a very deep voice asking “anything good?” I was sooo engrossed in my book that I was caught off guard & when I looked to see who was asking the question, I had to take a few steps back lol. In front of me stood a 7-foot-tall man dressed as Professor Snape…I mean he looked IDENTICAL to Snape! I’ll admit, I was a bit scared there for a few seconds & lost the ability to speak smh. Lorenzo found this HILLARIOUS as did everyone else standing near us lol. Snape continued to do his creep on with other customers on line who were very distracted, all very funny.

Midnight:

The 10 second countdown to midnight honestly made me a bit emotional, I have so many great memories attached to the HP world & to share that experience with Lorenzo was nice. When I finally had my copy in my hands, it was time to head home. We took the train to our car & it was insane seeing everyone in our train car reading a copy of Cursed Child. People from all walks of life, ages, young & old. I don’t really do fandoms but this is one that I’ll always take pride in being a part of <3!

Currently Reading

I’m currently about 150 pages away from finishing Illuminae (almost 600pgs) & I’ve noticed that I’ve picked up a new habit in 2016. Just like with ACOMAF, I am enjoying the ride that is Illuminae SO much!…that I’m reading in bursts & then allowing myself to get distracted smh lol. Besides the fact that the format (e-mails, chats, & Briefs) makes this story feel fast paced & easy to digest, I find myself clinging to hope for the survival of some of these characters and I’m genuinely getting attached. I think what I’m enjoying the most is the dialogue btwn Kady & Ezra/Kady & Zhang. You get a sense of timelessness while they’re up in space, humor keeps them sane while they tinker away to improve their rates of survival. All in all, I’m really looking forward to continuing this story & going through the inevitable pre-order of Gemina that I’m sure will take place tonight 😉
*Oh & the review will follow. Anyone else excited about Brad Pitt/Warner Brothers producing the movie for Illuminae? I haven’t heard anything since it was first announced last Fall but think it would make for a great book to movie adaptation 📽💕

Something Old, Something Read, & Something New

So today started off a bit nerve racking, not sure if anyone else feels this way, but I get extremely nervous/anxious when i’m sent for ultrasounds. Thankfully, It went well & I just need to follow up with my doc but it left me rattled enough to go running to my favorite place. Yup, a bookstore! and while there I realized I had not gifted myself a wedding present…lol yea a gift to myself for getting married, its a thing…right? Anyways, Something Old (Graceling), Something Read (More Happy Than Not), and Something New (With Malice). I remixed the tradition to fit a booknerd’s lifestyle 🙂

Graceling by Kristin Cashore- I’ve heard so many good things about the Graceling series & have been dancing around the idea of ordering it off of Amazon. I found it today in hardcover for $8 in Strand and knew it was kismet. Blurbed by some pretty impressive ladies like Tamora Pierce, i’m pretty sure Graceling will be right up my alley.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight – she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po’s friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace – or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away…

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera- I read this book in the beginning of 2016 along with the bff of 18 years who i’m slowly converting into a bookworm AND his partner. All 3 of us enjoyed this book to the point where we now follow (stalk) Adam Silvera on all of his social media platforms (no shame-the day he liked my GR review was a good day!) waiting for him to drop a crumb our way for his next book (History Is All You Left Me). More Happy Than Not is an LGBTQ YA that felt very familiar to me because of it’s setting and the characters you meet throughout the neighborhood. It stirred up nostalgia of my old Brooklyn block. This book really tore my heart out & I never saw that ending coming, i’ll leave it at that.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the months after his father’s suicide, it’s been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again–but he’s still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he’s slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron’s crew notices, and they’re not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can’t deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can’t stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute’s revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.

Why does happiness have to be so hard?

With Malice by Eileen Cook- it’s not often that we get a thriller-suspense in YA & after reading the Goodreads synopsis I found myself wanting to know the outcome. Hoping it’s a good one.

Goodreads Synopsis-

Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron wakes up in a hospital room, leg in a cast, stitches in her face and a big blank canvas where the last six weeks should be. She discovers she was involved in a fatal car accident while on a school trip in Italy. A trip she doesn’t even remember taking. She was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care. Care that includes a lawyer. And a press team. Because maybe the accident…wasn’t an accident.

As the accident makes national headlines, Jill finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. It doesn’t help that the media is portraying her as a sociopath who killed her bubbly best friend, Simone, in a jealous rage. With the evidence mounting against her, there’s only one thing Jill knows for sure: She would never hurt Simone. But what really happened? Questioning who she can trust and what she’s capable of, Jill desperately tries to piece together the events of the past six weeks before she loses her thin hold on her once-perfect life.

Stacking The Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews in which we share the books that we’re adding to our shelves be it purchased, borrowed from the library, or received for review.

This Sunday I decided to take a trip to Strand to decompress a bit from all of the pre/post wedding blitz. I got married to my love of 7 years this past Friday & it was a day I’ll always cherish. The hubby & I are both bookworms so Strand was calling to us and we complied. While there I found Brandon Sanderson’s Calamity wich is the 3rd book in the Reckoners series. Now that I have all 3, I can start them. Yea, I’m funny that way but Brandon Sanderson has become an auto-buy author. This is his first YA fantasy series & has often been described as having an X-Men feel. This was all I needed to hear for me to say I WANT I WANT I WANT. I won’t add the Goodreads synopsis for Calamity since this is the 3rd book in the series, instead I’ll give the synopsis for book #1…

Steelheart (Reckoners #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics…nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart — the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David’s been studying, and planning — and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.
He’s seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

Ruined (Ruined #1) by Amy Tintera

A revenge that will consume her. A love that will ruin her.

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.

But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.

In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.

Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.
The hubby who decided to give me some space while I was in my comfort zone lol, found & gifted me 3 magnets he felt I would love…he was right! I married the right man 😉