Hi, my name is Jen, and I'm an Anarchist. And I hope you'll join me in my attempts to undermine the Renegades revolution! My super power is Telekinesis, which means I'm very smart and can move things with my mind...so those Renegades better watch their backs.
😈
You can choose which side you're on, as well as discover your own super power, by taking this quiz.
I've always been kind of partial to villains, so as part of my recruitment campaign, I'm sharing my Top Ten Villains in Literature below.
But first, here's a little more about the book...
Title: Renegades
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: Renegades, book #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Purchase: Amazon |
Barnes & Noble |
Audible
From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer, comes a high-stakes world of adventure, passion, danger, and betrayal.
Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.
The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.
Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.
Top Ten Villains in Literature/Comics
I know some readers prefer traditional villains, and while I do have some of those on my list, I've got some...different kinds of villains in my list of faves, as well. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite villains:
1. The Lilim from Stardust by Neil Gaiman - These three witches, known collectively as the Lilim, seek the heart of a fallen star turned mortal woman so that they may eat it in order to stay young so that they may cast more evil spells and continue various nefarious deeds. After finishing off the heart of the
last fallen star.
2. The 7 Evil Exes from the Scott Pilgrim comic book series by Bryan Lee O'Malley - True, some are more evil than others and some are hotter than others, but evil is as evil does. And these evil exes have some fun psychic and mystical powers.
3. President Snow from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - This guy is evil incarnate. A true villain in every sense of the word. Diabolical, even. Him and those roses, tho...soooo creepy.
4. Queen Levana from the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer - Now this is a woman with a plan. Evil genius, yes, but also undoubtedly off her rocker. Some of my favorite villains are the crazy ones.
5. The Darkling from the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo - Um, so, yeah. Aleksander Morozova will always make my list, no matter what type of villains we're talking about. He's yummy. He's dark and mysterious. Kind of a stalker and halfway redeemable but evil when it really matters. *le sigh*
6. Other Mother from Coraline by Neil Gaiman - Man, she tries SO hard, doesn't she? She just wants a daughter of her own - to keep and sew button eyes on, but to each their own, right?
7. Valentine Morgenstern from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare - Now, here's a guy who really knows how to f*** with your head...and his own kids. And his wife, too. And his friends. Well, pretty much anyone he meets. What an evil mastermind lurks beneath that smooth exterior!
8. AIDAN from Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - So, maybe not a true villain by everyone else's standards, but this Artificial Intelligence was pretty malicious. Like, that death toll was only going to keep rising.
9. Amarantha from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - This lady knows how to play the long game. And make you cower in fear all the while. She likes riddles and kicking puppies and will kill you just for fun. Amarantha will destroy any bit of happiness you find, and it gives her immense pleasure to do so.
10. Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - She may not be the ultimate villain in the series, but at least Voldemort
knows he's evil. Umbridge waltzes around in her pink ensembles, thinking her poop doesn't stink, all the while making it even easier for Voldemort to carry out his evil plans.
Heroes aren't perfect and villains aren't always what they seem. I do like a villain who stays the course, who remains villainous for the duration of a series. But I also love a redeemable villain or one with a tragic backstory that explains WHY he or she ended up this way. And sometimes?
Sometimes. I. Just. Like. Villains.
About the author:
Marissa Meyer lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband, twin daughters, and three cats. She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, color-coordinating her bookshelf . . .), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was given a small book of them when she was a child. She may or may not be a cyborg.
Find Marissa:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Choose A Side: RENEGADES Blog Tour
Hi, my name is Jen, and I'm an Anarchist. And I hope you'll join me in my attempts to undermine the Renegades revolution! My super power is Telekinesis, which means I'm very smart and can move things with my mind...so those Renegades better watch their backs. 😈
You can choose which side you're on, as well as discover your own super power, by taking this quiz.
I've always been kind of partial to villains, so as part of my recruitment campaign, I'm sharing my Top Ten Villains in Literature below.
But first, here's a little more about the book...
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: Renegades, book #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
Top Ten Villains in Literature/Comics
I know some readers prefer traditional villains, and while I do have some of those on my list, I've got some...different kinds of villains in my list of faves, as well. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite villains:
1. The Lilim from Stardust by Neil Gaiman - These three witches, known collectively as the Lilim, seek the heart of a fallen star turned mortal woman so that they may eat it in order to stay young so that they may cast more evil spells and continue various nefarious deeds. After finishing off the heart of the last fallen star.
2. The 7 Evil Exes from the Scott Pilgrim comic book series by Bryan Lee O'Malley - True, some are more evil than others and some are hotter than others, but evil is as evil does. And these evil exes have some fun psychic and mystical powers.
3. President Snow from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - This guy is evil incarnate. A true villain in every sense of the word. Diabolical, even. Him and those roses, tho...soooo creepy.
4. Queen Levana from the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer - Now this is a woman with a plan. Evil genius, yes, but also undoubtedly off her rocker. Some of my favorite villains are the crazy ones.
5. The Darkling from the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo - Um, so, yeah. Aleksander Morozova will always make my list, no matter what type of villains we're talking about. He's yummy. He's dark and mysterious. Kind of a stalker and halfway redeemable but evil when it really matters. *le sigh*
6. Other Mother from Coraline by Neil Gaiman - Man, she tries SO hard, doesn't she? She just wants a daughter of her own - to keep and sew button eyes on, but to each their own, right?
7. Valentine Morgenstern from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare - Now, here's a guy who really knows how to f*** with your head...and his own kids. And his wife, too. And his friends. Well, pretty much anyone he meets. What an evil mastermind lurks beneath that smooth exterior!
8. AIDAN from Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - So, maybe not a true villain by everyone else's standards, but this Artificial Intelligence was pretty malicious. Like, that death toll was only going to keep rising.
9. Amarantha from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - This lady knows how to play the long game. And make you cower in fear all the while. She likes riddles and kicking puppies and will kill you just for fun. Amarantha will destroy any bit of happiness you find, and it gives her immense pleasure to do so.
10. Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - She may not be the ultimate villain in the series, but at least Voldemort knows he's evil. Umbridge waltzes around in her pink ensembles, thinking her poop doesn't stink, all the while making it even easier for Voldemort to carry out his evil plans.
Heroes aren't perfect and villains aren't always what they seem. I do like a villain who stays the course, who remains villainous for the duration of a series. But I also love a redeemable villain or one with a tragic backstory that explains WHY he or she ended up this way. And sometimes?
Sometimes. I. Just. Like. Villains.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
{Blog Tour} THE MIDNIGHT STAR Look Book
In celebration of the release of The Midnight Star next week, Penguin has put together an epic blog tour. You'll find all manner of posts for this tour but yours truly is taking another stab at a look book, which you can find below.
Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites, book #3
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 11, 2016
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
The Midnight Star Blog Tour:
Friday, September 30, 2016
{Blog Tour} A Shadow Bright and Burning: Review & Giveaway
Author: Jessica Cluess
Series: Kingdom on Fire, book #1
Publisher: Random House BFYR
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
"I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I?" I love that line from the summary because this book took the chosen one trope and turned it on its head and it was just so clever and unexpected...and fun.
A Shadow Bright and Burning was a very strong start to what is sure to be a very fun and magical series. The MC is headstrong, tenacious, and more than a little impulsive. And the boys -- yes, plural -- are all so droolworthy...I'm going to wait until AT LEAST the next book before I pass judgment on them. :P Super intriguing baddies and I have THEORIES and the wait for book two is going to be painful.
The sheer volume of male companions in this book was a little daunting at first, but as the summary suggests, each has his place and a role to play and you can weed out who's going to be a potential love interest pretty early on and who is not. I'm still pulling for the Mr. Darcy-like character, though he honestly didn't give me as much to work with in this first book as I'd have liked. But that's not to say that Henrietta doesn't see her fair share of romance from other would-be suitors. *wink-wink*
I was captivated by this story from the first chapter, and that has nothing to do with Henrietta's romantic prospects, fun as they might be. No, I'm here for the magic. And, sure, Henrietta might not be the prophesied one, but she still has powers of her own. She finds someone to train her with these powers, and I've got to admit, that guy was the one who intrigued me the most. I love characters that can surprise me while challenging other characters in the story.
I think what I loved best about this book is how it challenges everything you think you know. Not just the Chosen One prophecy, but bad guys are good guys and good guys are bad guys and no one -- I mean, no one -- is who you think they are. I'm so very excited to see where the author takes this story from here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thursday, September 29, 2016
{Blog Tour} 40 Days To #Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Hey, bookies! I'm helping Fierce Reads celebrate the days until #Heartless by sharing the #HeartlessCountdown poster below -- you can download a copy here! -- and my review of this epic retelling/origin story from the wondrous Marissa Meyer:
Join the #HeartlessCountdown and check out all 50 daily challenges from @FierceReads! To participate in today's challenge, just share a picture of the #HeartlessCountdown poster (linked above) in your town on Twitter or Instagram using #HeartlessCountdown and #Sweepstakes and you'll be entered to win a special edition advance copy of Heartless and MORE every single day.
Now, on to my review...
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: November 8, 2016
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Ah, this wonderful, dreamy little book. Anyone who's read Alice in Wonderland knows the Queen of Hearts to be a ruthless monarch, who ruled the land with frequent taunts of "Off with his head!" So, to say that I went into this origin story with some trepidation about the ending would be a major understatement. But I'm a long-time fan of Marissa Meyer's work, and I knew she would do Catherine's character proud.
Meyer told Queen Levana's -- from The Lunar Chronicles -- origin story in Fairest, but that lady was cuckoo before she even got started. Catherine, however, is a hopeful, somewhat naive girl whose optimism knows no limits, other than those that society would place upon her. And yet, with the possibility of all of her choices being taken from her, it's easy to see how she might become the Queen of Hearts we know and despise. I love that one of the hashtags for this story is #DefyDestiny because that's exactly what I was hoping Catherine would do as the story progressed. But if the King and her parents have their way, Cath's destiny is to wed the King and become the Queen of Hearts.
Even before she meets Jest, Cath has reservations about being queen. She just wants to open a bakery and marry someone she loves and lead a simple life. But Cath is the daughter of a Marquess and the kingdom expects far greater things from a lady. Much greater than falling for the Court Joker, for example. Jest is enigmatic and charasmatic, and the attraction between him and Catherine is undeniable. As undeniable as it is foolish, considering she's being courted by the King. To be honest, this scenario reminded me a lot of Evil Queen Regina's plight on Once Upon a Time: to be in love with a lowly servant-type fellow when her mother has much bigger plans for her future, namely to be Queen. And just as I found myself empathizing with Regina on the show, I feel much the same way toward Catherine and the obvious chemistry she has with Jest.
Much as the romance reminded me of OUAT, the story itself reminded me of every foray I've ever made into Wonderland. The whimsy, the dream-like quality, the unforgettable characters -- all are present and accounted for, and yet they are still undoubtedly Meyer's creations. I loved seeing how she tied certain aspects from the original tale into her story. Some instances had me fascinated, while others had me saying, "Oh, OH...I get it now!" It was uncanny how familiar this story felt again in such capable hands.
I must say, I've loved each and every word I've read of Marissa Meyer's, but I think Heartless is my new favorite story. Unlike in The Lunar Chronicles where the author took beloved characters and gave them new life in a new world, Heartless just felt like a fairy tale...not a reimagining like TLC but a continuation or precursor to an old favorite. I know that this is supposed to be a stand-alone, but Meyer's vivid descriptions and gorgeous words did nothing to satiate my longing for more Wonderland encounters. I already can't wait to get this one on audio, too, so I can experience the wonder of it all over again!
Thursday, September 8, 2016
{Blog Tour} Reading Without Walls
Welcome to my stop on the Reading Without Walls Blog Tour! Per the publisher:
I am a big proponent of influencing children to become STEM students and nurturing their love of science and math and all things technology into something great. And that includes my own kiddo. Not that I really have to do anything more than put her on the right path because she's naturally very curious and industrious. ;0)
For my stop, my daughter and I are discussing Paths & Portals (our review is below) and chatting about STEM titles in general and what they mean to (and for) kids.
Author: Gene Luen Yang & Mike Holmes (illustrator)
Series: Secret Coders, book #2
Publisher: First Second
Publication Date: August 30, 2016
Source: received from publisher for review
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
I sat Katie down to read Paths & Portals one evening while I was cooking dinner. One of her nightly assignments is to read for 20 minutes, and I thought that this book would last her all week and then she could help me review it. But she loved it so much that she read it all in one sitting! She's already shown quite the interest in coding -- which is why we're looking at getting her this for Christmas -- so it really shouldn't have been any surprise how easily this story captured her attention.
This book is a graphic novel, which isn't altogether my favorite format for reading, but I knew it would probably interest Katie even more than her usual reads because it was illustrated. And she agreed that it was definitely more fun to read than a regular novel. Katie also had fun pointing out that it was utilizing subject matter that she was already learning in school, such as rounding and patterns/repetition.
We both enjoyed the fact that Hopper is a girl who codes because it shows that anyone can code and that it's fun for both boys and girls. Katie said, "I liked the girl the best because she was kinda nerdy and basically always happy. She showed that girls can code, too. She actually does most of the coding, creating commands to make a robot do what she wants, even her homework."
And the fun thing is, you don't have to read the first book in this series to read this one, but Katie's already asking to read it AND when the next book comes out. And I just know that my nephews are going to want to borrow her copies because it's already a subject they enjoy and relate to.
I'm so proud that Katie is already of the mind that girls can do anything they set their minds to, but I'm even more excited about her love of all things science and technology. She's constantly asking for science kits and loves watching the girls of Project Mc² and visiting Minecrafters coding on their YouTube channels.
But she also loves that there are increasingly more STEM titles being made available for kids. She says that having these kinds of books makes it easier for kids to get into those activities, and I have to agree that they definitely make the subject more accessible. Not every kid starts off as science- and technology-minded as Katie, but books like these are a great start.
Check out what others are saying about Secret Coders: Paths & Portals and then be sure to follow the rest of the Reading Without Walls Blog Tour:
September 2: Samantha at Forest of Words and Pages
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starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
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