A Little Thank You and Rant!

Oh my goodness. IT's the end of March already... and  I am going off to State Thespian Festival! (If you don't know what a Thespian is... it means that I am a part of Theatre) And this year I get to relax and enjoy everything and really soak it in as it is my last time going to state!

Which is insane! But experiences with theatre have been so impactful on my life, and I will do an entire post about it when I get back, but my theatre family is so generous and kind and mean so much to me! This weekend I will be having fun and watching theatre! Immersing myself in the family! :)

Here's a little update on what's been going on in my life....

Dearest Blogger Friends,
Hey guys. So, March was an insane time and oddly super stressful. You'd think because of Spring Break I would have had a better month. But, eh. It was very mediocre. I have felt a lot of pressure in my life lately, trying to hold up to my own standards and standards set by myself. I try so damn hard at everything that I do, and it's been really difficult to try and fail, and watch others not try and succeed. In fact, it kind of pisses me off.

I am one of those people that firmly believes you need to work for what you get in your life... and yes, I'm white, and I have a lot of privilege that comes with that, but that does not mean that I don't work my ass off. It doesn't mean that I have everything I need in life, and that I can kick back and relax.... NO. I have to work super hard for everything. Do I have money for college? Nope. I am entirely relient on Scholarships and Grants and I am just praying colleges will give me money.

I can't go to my dream school, Emerson College, because they are $64k a year and we simply cannot afford that. I will probably be going to Community College next year, something I would have said hell no to that two years ago. But, it's going to be practically free, so it's what I'm going to have to do.

I'm scared as hell about my future, but praying that things work out. I want to work for a publishing company and specialize in YA... and I will publish multiple books in my lifetime. I will become a full-time writer. I will do this. Because I have to to survive.

I started this blog so I could spread the love of books, and improve my writing style and hone my voice.

I am determined. I will succeed and it's all of you that help me believe in myself. With every conversation on twitter, with every comment on my blog, with every little thing you do.

Thank you. I truly appreciate it.

Love,
Cody Roecker

February Wrap Up

I read some incredible books in February and overall I really felt like it was a strong reading month. All the books I read were first books to a series and all but one I thoroughly enjoyed!

1. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

5/5 SHINING BEAUTIFUL STARS

You can find a synopsis for this book here

This book absolutely blew me away.  I had high expectations for this one, especially after reading Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I didn't think there would be a book to be able to top SoC for a long time.  But ADSOM far exceeded my expectations.  The world building is phenomenal and Schwab really brings all the Londons to life. The characters are so fleshed out and intricate.  Delilah Bard is just plain badass and so strong and witty.  Kell is very real and humble and the dynamic he has with the royal family is so interesting and nuanced.  The antagonists are amazing as well. In fact, they were one of my favorite parts of the book.  The Dane twins and Holland are all so deliciously ruthless, and some of the scenes with them chilled me to the bone.  I loved it.  I loved everything about this book and highly highly highly recommend it.

2. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

4.5/5 Stars

You can find a synopsis for this book here

This book was very addicting.  I was a little nervous going into it after coming off of a ADSOM high.  I really didn't want to get into a reading slump.  Turns out, I didn't have to worry.  Ahdieh's writing style is so beautiful and sooooo addicting.  I read 2/3 of this book in one sitting and stayed up until 1am doing so, whilst I had to wake up at 4am to catch a flight.  The first 100 pages or so were a little slow, but when it picked up it reaaaally picked up.  Although the romance may have been a little insta-lovey, I really didn't care.  I loved every ounce of sexual tension and angst and lust in this book.  The world building and descriptions were all so lush and imaginative.  Ahdieh really has a gift for writing descriptions.   Sharzad, the main character, is very strong headed and I enjoyed her as a main character.  I didn't feel 100% connected to her, but the plot more than made up for what lacked in her character. Overall, an amazing read and SUPERB writing.


3. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

2/5 Stars

You can find a synopsis for this book here

This book was very confusing to me as well as underwhelming.  I felt like the plot was everywhere and I rarely found moments that piqued my interest.  The world building was non-existent and it was hard for me to try and visualize where the characters were.  None of the characters interested me or really felt real to me, and the romance.... -_- pls. stahp.  The romance made me want to bang my head against a brick wall. It felt very tropey and insta-lovey. The scenes between Safiya, one of the main charcters, and Merik, the love interest, felt very forced and cheeeeeeeeesy.  I could see no connection between them whatsoever.  My favorite part of the book, which I realized days after I finished it, was Iseult's threadwitch power.  I found myself thinking about how cool it would be to have that power.  Other than that, the book was a struggle for me to read.

4. Angelfall by Susan Ee

 4/5 Stars

You can find a synopsis for this book here

Very fast paced and enjoyable!  The thing I loved most about this book was the main character Penryn.  She is HELLA smart and independent.  I found myself in awe of her character.  I like how she is strong without being prideful.  She can be stubborn at times, VERY stubborn, but only out of the loyalty she has for those she cares about.  She's different from other YA female characters in that she doesn't let some boy determine her actions.  She's an independent woman who don't need no man. The romance was just a very small part of the book and doesn't really show itself until the end.  Its the slow burn kind of romance that I luuuuuuurve.  I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to continue the series.

February Wrap Up and March TBR

February was a little disappointing for a reading month, but really because I was so busy the entire month.... So I guess it was not that bad of a month for the time I had to read!

1. The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig 4/5 Stars My full review is here

2. Lifer by Beck Nicholas 1.5/5 Stars (I changed my rating...) My full review is... here

3. Hamlet by William Shakespeare 3.5/5 Stars (maybe more? Rating classic works is difficult for me)

4. The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle 5/5 Stars (full review to come!)

5. Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula by Andi Watson 3/5 Stars (full review to come!)

6. A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab 50000000 Stars! Full review is here

7. The Haters by Jesse Andrews 2.5/5 Stars! Full review  is here

8. Mosquitoland by David Arnold (currently reading) looking like a 4 star, might change to a 4.5, maybe a 5 depending on how it goes....

I did not really stick to my February TBR, but I still managed to get 4 full novels finished and most of a fifth, two graphic novels and a play!

Obviously my favorite book of the month was A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC!


I will be posting a set of mini reviews for some graphic novels/comic books sometime in March. Should I make it a set of posts or one GIANT post? Let me know in the comments!

March TBR (hoping for the best!)
1. The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

2. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

3. A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

4. The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban

8. Dreamology by Lucy Keating (ARC)

plus a variety of eARCs if I have time... as well as some other books/plays from the library TBD

Stopping it at 8 this month...(with a bunch of others...) I have more time in March, but I don't want to overshoot it this month...

Confession time: I mentioned this in the Love-A-Thon a week ago... but...

I have never read Harry Potter before....

HIDES IN A CORNER

But I am getting to it now... so that counts for something right?

RIGHT?

Please don't hate me...

Forgive me...

But Annelise and I will be buddy-reading the series in the upcoming months!
(She has not read it either!)

March promises to be an awesome month and I am so excited!

What books are you reading this month? Let me know in the comments!