Stacking the Shelves #43

Welcome to Stacking the Shelves. Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. This is where we showcase books we have received or bought during the week.

This week was a pretty good week in physical books. Up until today I had not received any e-books, and then this morning I got approved for a request that I had pretty much assumed was going to go unanswered. I am very excited but man, could you not have approved me sooner? Because now I am even further behind. GAH. Okay, but I'm really excited and I already downloaded it to Kindle so there will be no expiration of THAT galley. 

As far as personal stuff goes, this was another rough week for me. I'd love to chat about it more, but I am really trying to move on from what happened and heal. I am trying to maintain a positive outlook and focus on the happiness and excitement I have coming up. BEA! Book Bash and Disney with Karina and Laura! Christina's visit! Vacation to New Jersey! Dan almost being off for the summer! There is a lot of fun stuff coming up to look forward to. I think my summer is more packed than a summer has ever been. Which, if I may be honest, makes me slightly uncomfortable being the hermit that I am, but fuck it. I am really trying to get out more and be more of an extrovert. I will never completely be that person but I do need to find a happy medium. 

Okay, I think I rambled long enough. It's time for the booooookksssss.

For review from Macmillan Children's Publishing, I received ARCs of Tumble and Fall by Alexandra Coutts and This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales. Thanks to them and I am so excited to read both of these.

From my lovely, Kriston Johnson, I received my editor's copy of Awakened. It's so pretty! Thanks, Kriston, and thanks for the lovely acknowledgement. 

Finally, from my dear friend Jenni at Alluring Reads, I received her ARC of The 5th Wave and I read it already and reviewed it here. It got 4 stars from me, in case you were wondering. 

And in e-books this week, I got approved for a copy of Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo. This is the one I was whining about up at the top of the page. Still really happy to have it though! And I'm only whining because I am already so behind. I over requested again. FML.

And that's it for me in books this week! Leave me a comment and I will come visit your haul. Until next week...you know the drill.

I didn't think I would have a haul this week, but due to graduation last Saturday, everyone was feeling a little generous, and I was able to pick up some great finds at the used bookstore.  The new release shelf was so tempting, it hurt.  I also have a wonderful ARC to share, and some new Kindle books.  I don't have much to add.  It was a highly emotional week towards the end, and I hope to have a steady job by the end of next week.  I am also moving, and I will be more than happy to share how many boxes of books we have moved out of this apartment. So, without any further, ado, here is my wonderful haul for the week.

Books:

The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff - Awww, yeah! I wanted this book in the worst way, and I was lucky that I found it last week.  I'm really looking forward to reading this book.

Reboot by Amy Tintera - After seeing a few reviews pop up for this book, I was curious about Reboot.  I found it used, thankfully!

Loki's Wolves by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr - YES! I OWN IT!!  The pictures really add to this story!

The Divide by Elizabeth Kay - An enticing middle grade book.  I have had my eye on this one for a while.

Kindle Books:

I Bring the Fire Part I: Wolves by C. Gockel - I found this by browsing for "Loki" on Amazon's website.  I figured it couldn't hurt to give this book a chance.  It looks so freaking awesome!

Suicide Watch by Kelley York - This was suggested to me by a fellow blogger (I can't remember who it was - please claim credit!).  This book was featured on a TTT, and it sounded like a wonderful addition to my own book collection.

ARCs:

Ink by Amanda Sun - The Holy Terror read this one and loved it, so I thought it would be nice to try to pick it up.  Thank you, NetGalley, for approving me!

What did you get this week? Leave a link!

Book Review of The Caged Graves by Dianne Salerni

Publisher: Clarion Books
Release Date: May 14th 2013
Pages: 336
Genre: Young Adult-Historical
Source: I received a galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

Description from Goodreads: 17-year-old Verity Boone expects a warm homecoming when she returns to Catawissa, Pennsylvania, in 1867, pledged to marry a man she has never met. Instead, she finds a father she barely knows and a future husband with whom she apparently has nothing in common. One truly horrifying surprise awaits her: the graves of her mother and aunt are enclosed in iron cages outside the local cemetery. Nobody in town will explain why, but Verity hears rumors of buried treasure and witchcraft. Perhaps the cages were built to keep grave robbers out . . . or to keep the women in. Determined to understand, Verity finds herself in a life-and-death struggle with people she trusted.

Inspired by a pair of real caged graves in present-day Catawissa, this historical YA novel weaves mystery, romance, and action into a suspenseful drama with human greed and passion at its core.

I'll confess. I probably should have reviewed this right after I finished reading it. Because honestly, I remember very little of what I read. And that's probably because it's not a very memorable book. There are a lot of things you THINK this book will be before you begin reading it, but it actually lives up to very few of those expectations. I appreciate that some of this book is rooted in fact (like there really are caged graves in Catawissa), but the main problem is that this book is pretty boring. I think that maybe readers that read historical fiction more than me may enjoy this one, but for me, this is a period in history that doesn't really interest me. I was going into it expecting the creep factor and a paranormal plot line and it is neither of those. I suppose you could call that a spoiler but I really think it's an important fact that readers should know before picking this one up. It's much more historical than paranormal, and if you are reading it for that, I do think you will be genuinely disappointed.

I also had problems with Verity. She was a fairly unlikable character and I had a hard time rooting or caring for her. She was a snob. Bratty and entitled, she constantly judged those around her and the fact that they weren't from a city and they didn't have all the experiences she had. Of course characters go through growth,  and so does Verity, and I liked her more by the end of the book, but she is simply not a character I would have cared for in real life and so why should I care for her in a book?

Also? A love triangle. I feel that it's a decently written triangle and I did care for both love interests, and I was conflicted over who Verity should choose, and that tugged at my heart strings a little, so for me that was a positive. I'm not usually a fan of love triangles. But if they are done well, I can deal, and in this case I did because I felt both characters were developed well and the triangle felt realistic and the interactions between the characters worked for me. So I wouldn't immediately write it off because of that element but I did feel it was something that should be stated. There is a largely romantic element to this book though and I almost feel as if the plot took a backseat. It was at least 50/50. So if you love the romance in your YA novels, I am sure you will enjoy this more than I did. Personally, I can do without romance completely. I don't MIND romance, but I certainly don't need it to enjoy a book.

Good things? The prose is lovely. A lot of the side characters were developed well, particularly Verity's father and the housekeeper. The mystery is fun to solve and go along with but it's hard to focus on that when we are being constantly interrupted by a sappy romance. The plot is slow moving and I never felt fully invested in what I was reading until around page 180, and that is FAR too long. I liked the book enough to call it average but I was not won over in the end. Bottom line here: interesting premise with only an average execution. I wan't impressed and so I move on to the next.

3/5 Dragons

Find The Caged Graves on Amazon

Book Review of Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 9th, 2012
Pages: 432
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: I own a copy

Description from Goodreads:

The end of their world begins with a story.
This one.

In most fairy tales, princesses are beautiful, dragons are terrifying, and stories are harmless. This isn't most fairy tales.

Princess Violet is plain, reckless, and quite possibly too clever for her own good. Particularly when it comes to telling stories. One day she and her best friend, Demetrius, stumble upon a hidden room and find a peculiar book. A forbidden book. It tells a story of an evil being -- called the Nybbas -- imprisoned in their world. The story cannot be true -- not really. But then the whispers start. Violet and Demetrius, along with an ancient, scarred dragon, may hold the key to the Nybbas's triumph . . . or its demise. It all depends on how they tell the story. After all, stories make their own rules.

Iron Hearted Violet is a story of a princess unlike any other. It is a story of the last dragon in existence, deathly afraid of its own reflection. Above all, it is a story about the power of stories, our belief in them, and how one enchanted tale changed the course of an entire kingdom.

Review: At the start of the book, Iron Hearted Violet had a lot of thing that seemed to promise a great story. Everything I was ready to see in a fantasy novel was combined into one book. The book hit all the right notes, but the pacing, inaccurate illustrations and lack of consistency crippled the storyline from the start.

Iron Hearted Violet raises an interesting point about the common misconception of royalty, especially princesses. Go to the Disney store, and you can see what issues face our little girls from a young age – a true princess is flawless. A true princess is beautiful. Something will be tossed in about bravery or a good heart, but a kind soul doesn't sell dolls. Beautiful hair and a fair complexion drives the money machine. I found it interesting that this issue cropped up when Disney decided to give the Brave heroine a complete makeover to drive Merida’s popularity in the marketplace. Fans revolt. I grew up with Barbie dolls, and Ariel was my inspiration when I was a small girl, but it was nice to see a princess hit the scenes that reflected a realistic look. I don’t want to veer off topic, but this very idea about the aesthetically pleasing princess played a center roll in the novel. Right away, I loved this blatant rebellion against plastic-looking female royal heirs.

The entire voice of the book quickly drove the novel into a weirdly detached and whiny novel that never seemed to end. This book went on forever. I can handle a long book, but the inconsistent descriptions drove up the annoyance factor. The characters all seemed like their personalities were just made up as the author went along. I understand that the book was written from the point of view of the storyteller of the court, but the book would have stood a much better chance if it had taken on the voice of the main character. I am unsure if the author wished to make the book seem inconsistent to follow the realistic guidelines that fable-makers tend to assign feelings and actions to the people of their stories, but the results was a rambling emotional mess that really lost steam about mid-point. The world build was weak as well, and for a majority of the book, I felt a bit lost and struggled to keep up with the information and the people.

The illustrator seemed miss the memo about Violet’s appearance, which rubbed me the wrong way. Princess Violet, in the book, was consistently described as unpleasant to the eye. The illustrations, however, depicted a sweet-looking girl. If you’re going to have the bravery to stand up to this hyped up description of pretty, pretty princesses, then have the courage to take a chance and draw the story accurately as well. It sent the wrong message and seemed to cancel out the moral of the story when the girl in the pictures failed to match the girl in the book.

I wanted this book to be more, and it had a chance to be an outstanding novel. We need more authors telling girls that their worth is not equal to their appearances, and there is nothing wrong with looking different from the glossy and romantic images that are pushed on us from a young age. This novel, sad to say, was neutered from the start, and in the end, the book wimped out on an important message and deflated like a balloon after the party.  Was it bad? No. Did I set my expectations high? Yes. Could have it been better? Hell yes.

3/5 Dragons

Buy Iron Hearted Violet From Amazon!

Book Review of The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Pages: 480
Genre: Young Adult--Post-Apocalyptic
Series: The Fifth Wave #1
Source: ARC sent by a friend

Description from Goodreads: The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

I wasn't sure how to feel about The 5th Wave at first. I wasn't a fan of the way the book was written at the beginning, and the first third seems to have a bit of a different writing style than the rest. There is a lot of flashing back and differing POVs and it is hard to tell who is who at first. And then there is the exposition and info-dumping. It just keeps going and going, and though I was starting to feel something for these characters, I wanted THEM to tell me their story, not the author. And that's how I felt. Like it was this happened and then THIS happened, and finally this happened. Even though it is written much better than that, it felt all over the place and disconnected. Where was the plot, and when was it going to get going?

But. Even though there was a lot of jumping around, once I got involved in a chapter--whether it was in the past or present--I was won over. The problem was though that some of them were too short. It felt like the second I got engaged, it would end and then we would be with another character. 

It's also at this time that I must mention a really weird quote that I found in the book:

"Forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us." At which point her arch nemesis, the sole atheist in Camp Ashpit's foxhole, a college professor named Dawkins, shouted out, "Particularly those of extraterrestrial origin!"

Was it necessary to name him Dawkins? And what was the point in doing that? I hardly think the author meant the actual Richard Dawkins, so what gives? And only having one atheist in this refugee camp? That's another thing I don't believe because in a time of trauma, most people would choose one side or another. They would turn to their faith or lack thereof. So it actually kind of offended me a little as an atheist to think there would only be one of us. I just don't find that realistic in the least. There are more of us than you think. Maybe not as vocal as I am, but there are a lot of atheists out there. So this made me have a sad face and it kind of hung over my head there for a while as I was reading.

Okay, now I'm angry. Pause for a second.

Moving on. At around page 290, the book really began moving and it got really intense. So if you are a reader like me waiting for something major to happen to yank you into the narrative, that's about when it happens. It's not that I disliked the book before, because I didn't, but that is the moment when I felt truly engaged. Creeped out, uncomfortable, and overwhelmed. 

The major problem with The 5th Wave that I could see is that it never stops being predictable. It is all laid out there for you if you just think for a second. And in some cases it doesn't even take that much thinking. It is just so obvious. All the way until the end, I knew what was going to happen. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it's not like it isn't a great story, and hey, Cinder was predictable as all get out and I loved that book, but somehow here I expected more. 

But what matters the most in this book is the relationships between the characters. What they do when they are knocked off their feet and all hope is lost. How they fight, what they do, who they trust. What plans they make. Those are the important things. How the relationship between Cassie and Evan develops. I'd like to mention other character but I can't without revealing spoilers. But I did enjoy this part of the book. But it wasn't what I was expecting from the novel, and after watching the book trailer, I expected a story with more action. I got some of that toward the second half and it was definitely worth waiting for, but this definitely wasn't a perfect book for me. A little overhyped, maybe? And I have to be cognizant of that in the future when so many of my friends are loving something and I go to read it myself. 

I definitely want to continue on with the story though and read more of this author's work. His writing style flowed well and engaged me for the most part. I loved how he wasn't afraid to write the way teens really speak, and yes, that includes profanity. It's realistic. And it was the right decision to include it, especially in a book like this. As much as I want to give it a perfect rating, I just can't. This is not a 5 star book in my opinion. It is very close to being that for me, but there were just too many little things that bogged it down. 

Favorite Quote:

"When the moment comes to stop running from your past, to turn around and face the thing you thought you could not face--the moment when your life teeters between giving up and getting up--when that moment comes, and it always comes, if you can't get up and you can't give up either, here's what you do: Crawl."

4/5 Dragons

Find The 5th Wave on Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday #24

Welcome to this week's Waiting on Wednesday. Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we showcase upcoming releases we are looking forward to.

This week I have two kind of random picks, but they are both novels that sound pretty interesting to me, particularly the second. The first one is YA and sounds like it could be pretty scary, though the blurb kind of leaves me feeling lost and unsure what to expect. The second book is middle grade fantasy and that is very much the genre I am enjoying right now. I MUST have that one.

Title: Overpowered
Author: Mark H. Kruger

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Release Date: August 27th, 2013

Pages: 432

Blurb: The world’s safest town might actually be a deadly kind of dangerous. And Nica Ashley is about to learn the hard way.

Nica Ashley is accustomed to traveling the globe with her journalist mother, so when she gets sent to live in a small town with the father she barely knows, she’s in for a bit of a culture shock. Barrington prides itself on being a sleepy, family community with the lowest crime rates in the state of Colorado. There’s even a private security force run by Barrington Technology (BarTech) and a nightly curfew for all residents.

On Nica’s first day at school, she meets Jackson Winters and finds out he went from school superstar to living ghost after his girlfriend disappeared a few months ago. When Nica follows him out after curfew one night, they both witness a mysterious green flash—and the next morning the power has gone out and all the birds are dead.

But secrets are well and alive, and as Nica and some of her friends discover they now have abilities best described as “super,” they also realize that Barrington might not be so safe. And that BarTech is looking for them.

Title: The Twistrose Key

Author: Tone Almhjell, Ian Schoenherr

Publisher: Dial

Release Date: October 17th, 2013

Pages: 336

Blurb: When a mysterious parcel arrives at her family’s new home, eleven-year-old Lin Rosenquist has a curious feeling she’s meant to discover what’s inside.

Much to Lin’s surprise, the ornate key contained in the parcel unlocks a spellbinding world called Sylver, hidden behind the cellar door. Sylver is an enchanting land of eternal winter, inhabited by animals that shared a special connection with children in the real world, either as beloved pets or tamed wild animals. In death, they are delivered to Sylver, where they take on a curiously human-like form and still watch over the children they cherish. While Lin is overjoyed to be reunited with her beloved pet, Rufus, she soon learns that the magic of the Petlings and Wilders is failing, and snow trolls want to claim Sylver for themselves. Lin must discover a way to stop them and save this enchanted world.

Full of charm, suspense, and heartfelt emotion, this memorable classic in the making will leave readers breathless.

Thoughts? Interested in either of these? Leave me a comment and I will try to stop by your posts this week. Happy reading!

Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic: Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects.


Reading is a labor of love. We invest in characters. We celebrate our favorite authors. We promote and fan girl/boy over our most beloved books. We use them to escape life and live somewhere else, meet new people, and live vicariously through the main characters.


Then there are books that we read for a good dose of reality. This week's topic allows us to discuss the books that cover difficult and painful subjects. I do not have a solid list in one particular subject, so I will include the topic that each book discusses as I go through my top ten this week.

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (drugs) - I read this book in high school, and it scared the living daylights out of me, but at the same time, it made me thankful for what I had. Shock lit was huge when this released, but this one stuck with me the longest, thanks to the deep emotional drive in the novel.



















The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (death) - I believe this book has made it on a TTT list in the past.  Grief and dying are difficult subjects to approach.  It is hard to define and place into words.  Nelson tackles this chafing topic with a beautiful story of the people left behind after death.

















Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (victim blaming) - I usually avoid these books due to the the saccharine-induced candy coating  treatment of real world issues. However, Anderson's novel came across as genuine and authentic, leaving a bittersweet flavor at the end of the book.



















After by Amy Efaw (pregnancy) - A sorely overlooked book, this one needs to be read completely to fully comprehend the message of the story, and the hardships that teens face when they accept the choices in their lives.  After was a complete shock, and I found the novel highly compelling and down right gutsy.





















One Child by Torey Hayden (poverty) - One of the best school-required books I have ever read.  This author worked with a number of severe cases of disturbed children, and this book brings up many difficult emotions and conflicting opinions regarding children, crime, definition of giftedness, and the legal system when considering the rights and the lives of elementary students.
















Stop Pretending: What Happened When my Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones (mental illness) - Watching loved ones suffer through a mental illness is beyond any words I can think up.  The best way I can describe it is "heart wrenching".  Sones, best know for her What My Mother Doesn't Know series, reflects the pain of becoming a witness to mental disturbances, and what happens to a family in the center of the battle.


















The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Alexander Sherman (poverty/racism) - I never thought I would enjoy a story about the struggles that Native Americans face today in the current social climate, but the honesty in the writing and the pure, ugly truth of the subject matter made this fiction a must-read book for any age.




















If You Find Me by Emily Murdock (kidnapping) - This one has rushed onto the scene and been hailed highly by book bloggers.  This includes me as well.  On the cusp of recent stories about kidnapped children, Murdock pushes the boundaries by enfolding resent events into the young adult literature.  A little bit horrible, and a little bit hopeful, If You Find Me is abrasive and beautiful at the same time.



















Me, and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews (cancer) - Take a John Green novel and flip it right on its head.  Then you have this delightful and often cringe-worthy story about a teenager dealing with a classmate's fight with cancer. It doesn't hold back, and at the end, you don't know if you should throw the book across the room, or sing high praises for the tongue-in-cheek approach to "sick lit".
















Speechless by Hannah Harrington (homophobia/bullying) - I couldn't get enough of this book.  The main character pissed me off at time, and what she did was horrible, but this book doesn't say "sorry" - it says "put on your big girl panties, because we're going to face the truth." It is quite cheeky how Harrington tackled such a serious subject, and in the end, this book hit so close to home that it hurt and entertained all at once.

What books made your list for this week? I am highly interested to see the results of this week's topic - leave a link below!

KC and the Sunshine Chats (4): DNF Reviews and DNFing Books

Hey, everybody! Welcome to another edition of KC and the Sunshine Chats. Today we are going to be talking about DNFing books, and DNF reviews. For those of you that don’t blog, DNF stands for did not finish. This is a hot-button issue that has been discussed a few times in the blogosphere, but I don’t believe I have ever put MY opinion out there and it’s probably time I do that. I know that this is an important topic to many bloggers and it has caused a few arguments, so it’s a good one to talk about.

So, my first question for Christina is this: What do you think about rating books you don’t finish, and do you do it?

CF: No, I do not rate books that I don’t finish. Actually, I didn’t used to do anything with DNF reviews until I figured out how to add a shelf for DNFs on Goodreads, so that they wouldn’t be on my to-read shelf still. Learning about exclusive shelves was a gamechanger. Now, I do post a brief explanation for why I wasn’t feeling the book for the short amount of it I read, and shelve it as DNF. I don’t rate it, because, personally, I just don’t feel comfortable rating a book I haven’t read in its entirety. This might be why I don’t like anthologies/collections. I have to suffer through all of the crappy stories to feel like I can rate/review.

KM: So you don’t include them anywhere on the blog then? Just Goodreads? That’s usually what I do. I used to post my DNF reviews up on the blog, but then I ran out of space and that was like the least important thing I was doing, so it had to go. I still post them on Goodreads though. As far as rating, I actually DO rate books I haven’t finished, but it’s a really rare occasion when I do this because I save it for the utterly horrendous. Like Alice In Zombieland. I didn’t finish it and I still rated it. That book was ridiculous and unreadable. Ha. So I felt like I almost had to. But again, this is something I don’t do often. I rarely read short stories either. Just not my thing, I guess. So, have you ever gotten shit from other users over writing DNF reviews?

CF: Well, I did do a roundup of my DNFs during the first few months of 2013. I’d not really done that before, just because it didn’t really occur to me, but I’d had some people ask about what I DNFed in 2012, and I had no clue, because I wasn’t recording it at that point. I didn’t link the DNFs in my Review Archive, but they’re there if you look. Bleh, I did finish Alice in Zombieland, and just...no. I can’t. Oh, and speaking of getting shit over DNF reviews: I got my second troll on my blog ever (that I remember anyway) when I posted that roundup of reviews. So yeah. I’m sort of on the fence about doing that again, but then the trolls win.

KM: I haven’t gotten any on the blog, but that’s because I only did it a couple of times, and it was pretty much before anyone knew about our blog. I did get one on Goodreads though one time. I DNFed and rated a book that I had won from a Goodreads giveaway, and I was told by staff that I had to do that or it would mess up my winning algorithm. It’s effed up anyway, but I did what they said, and this woman flipped her shit because I one-starred a book she loved apparently. It was just one comment but it pissed me off. Anyway, I don’t particularly care about trolls anymore, but those were the early days, so yeah. So how do you structure your DNF reviews? And have you gotten positive feedback from other readers about their helpfulness?

CF: Oh, yeah, GR decides if you can win more by if you’ve reviewed the ones you already won. Thus why I don’t enter any at the moment, since I have two reviews outstanding. Oops. I don’t have the stones to not be freaked out by the trolls. This comment was sort of funny, though, because the troll was like “why would you waste your time reading books you don’t like?” on a post about how I didn’t do that. *tilts head*

KM: Weird. I don’t have ANY reviews outstanding and I haven’t won a book from them in over a year now. I guess they don’t like me. LOL!! I remember that comment and it made me cackle like a madwoman. Could they have been anymore obtuse?

CF: The fact that people get so up in arms about them does make me glad that, back before I knew anything about the community when I started my blog, I didn’t include them. It just never occurred to me to do so. However, I do enjoy reading other people’s DNF reviews. Doesn’t mean I will take their word as gold, but if they’ve read half or more that’s enough to make a real judgment, and I can see reviewing it, even if I don’t. Even if it’s just of twenty pages, go right ahead. I do like for DNF reviews to be clearly marked, and even better to say how much the reviewer read (something I’ll add to my next DNF roundup.

Oh, Kara just kicked me behind the scenes because I missed that question about formatting DNF reviews and positive feedback. *rubs shins* Okay, there’s no specific format to them. Usually, it’s just one brief paragraph about what wasn’t working for me (lack of characterization, something rage-inducing early on, bored to tears, confusing). Though I did go all out with my Period 8 DNF review and outline the first 25 pages and how awful they were. Pretty proud of that one honestly. Oh, and, yes, most people respond positively, even when they say “I still want to read it,” which is totally fine by me. Best of luck to you!

KM: I love reading DNF reviews, actually. I find them extremely helpful, especially when they are coming from bloggers I trust. At this point, I pretty much know what I like and don’t like, so seeing something in a DNF review that rubs me the wrong way is usually a pretty big indicator that I shouldn’t be reading it. Last year, I wrote a lot of snarky reviews. I still like to do that, but this year, I am not reading as many books I like, and I am DNFing a lot more often than I have in the past. And you are right. Including how much the reviewer has read is important because if they only read twenty pages, that’s not going to mean as much to me as someone who had read one hundred.

I format mine pretty much the same way you do. I used to take a lot of notes when reviewing, but I stopped doing that because it felt like work. I am thinking I might start it up again in the future though because I feel that my reviews have been lacking in detail lately. Sorry for the off topic. LOL.  I loved your Period 8 review. I thought it was wonderful, and that’s part of the reason I want to start taking notes again. So...how do you feel about DNFing in general? How often do you do it? Is it easy for you to DNF a book, and what makes you do so?

CF: I do love reading them too, because they tend to be really hilarious. Plus, they can save me from a book I would hate, if I have similar taste. Obviously, the better I know someone, the more impact their DNF review will have on me. I know that I often agree with you or Giselle or Jenni or April, so if you guys don’t like something, then I’m going to be more likely to pass. In the end, that DNF review is saving the author from additional bad reviews because we can avoid the book which would have made us mad the same way. I’m DNFing more too! A whole 6 books in 2013 already. *pats self on back*

Speaking of only reading twenty pages, I generally DNF by page 50. Otherwise, I feel like I’ve committed so much time to the book that I might as well finish. I thank my lucky stars I haven’t been trolled much since I often finish books I didn’t like from the beginning, because I kept hoping they would get better, and, by the time I was sure that it wouldn’t I was too far in to stop. So, if I’m not feeling a book very early on, generally either because I am incredibly bored or already enraged, I will go look up reviews for the book, both negative and positive and see if I think there are any chances of it improving for me. If I seriously doubt it, I DNF with a swiftness. How about you?

KM: I agree. And I decided not to read How My Summer Went Up in Flames based on one of your reviews. I know you didn’t DNF it, but I have a feeling I would have. I think sending a message to HarperCollins saying I know this book would upset me instead of reviewing and ranting over it is going to be better for me in the long run. I don’t like to be angry when I read, and I am sure the author would appreciate the lack of that review, even though I don’t write my reviews for authors. I just don’t like to read books I hate anymore. At least not lately.

I have DNFed (goes to look) 7 books this year so far. Almost the same as you. I actually thought there were more than that. I usually give a book one hundred pages unless it makes me rage early on. But this changes based on the book so I am sure some of them are 50 like you. Last year, I finished a lot of books I probably shouldn’t have. This year, I am not doing that. Even IF they are review books. If the publisher doesn’t understand (they will), oh well, because I am not torturing myself.

CF: How My Summer Went Up in Flames ended up being a 3 star for me. The main character would piss you off enough that I don’t think it would have been for you. I was able to enjoy that the characters were at least well-developed, even if Rosie is a hypocritical bitch. *coughs* Umm, but yeah, general things.

One hundred pages is too many pages. If it’s really long, I might give it more. It’s sort of a ten percent rule, I guess. If it’s not grabbed me in ten percent, and the reviews praise things I don’t care about or complain about things I hate, then we’re done. Usually though, I’m not that unhappy in such a short period of time, or I’m convinced things will improve against all reason. I never used to DNF review books, because I was afraid the publisher would hate me, but now I will. I accepted some crazy stuff early days and had to write negative reviews that were like “Well, this totally wasn’t for me and I knew that, but, uhhh, it was free?” AWKWARD.

KM: I like your ten percent rule. I generally go about twenty, I think though. If a book is 350 pages, I’ll read 70 before quitting. Unless it makes me rage quit. I know you would hate that though. 70 is a LOT. Hahaha!

And so did I. When I first started blogging, I would take everything that was offered to me. I just wanted stuff to read. I think everyone does that. Now I don’t even answer most of the email requests I get. I just don’t have the time. Totally awkward. I reviewed a lot of self-published books and I am lucky that I didn’t get trolled early on because most of the drama comes from that area of the publishing industry. Not all, mind you, but yeah. And it was torture, trying to finish those books that I hated. And then reviewing them? I didn’t DNF at all in the beginning and I should have. I didn’t want anyone to feel bad and I didn’t want to hurt any feelings. Let’s just say that I’ve changed a LOT. So, anything else to add on this topic, Christina? Or are we ready to wrap it up and ask for comments?

CF: I could say more, but it would be on a tangent. Maybe we need to tackle the early days of review copies in a later chat?

KM: Sure! That sounds like a great idea. I love talking about my early days of blogging because everyone’s experiences were different.

CF: Next time on KC and the Sunshine Chats, find out all the things Christina did wrong when she started book blogging. Are you excited? Yeah, you are!

KM: I can’t wait for this topic! Muahahaha.

Bloggers, what are your policies for DNFs? Readers, do you like DNF reviews? How long do you stick it out in a book you’re not liking before you DNF?

Links for post:

DNF roundup: http://readeroffictions.blogspot.com/2013/04/january-march-2013-dnfs.html

Period 8 review on GR: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/479878850

How My Summer Went Up in Flames: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/412820178

Alice in Zombieland review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/191504566