The Just Like Fate Tag

Thanks to Jack from The Book Stop, who is participating in the UK Just Like Fate blog tour, for tagging me! 

If by some chance of fate a book from your wish list or anything else you desire could magically fall into your hands, what would you like it to be?

An invitation to attend Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It would be a few years late, but hey, who wouldn't die if they were accepted into Hogwarts?

If you had the chance to go back in time and change a certain decision or choice, would you?

Meh, not really. I've watched enough time travel movies to know the consequences of that. 

Review: Second Star, by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Title: Second Star
Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Genre: Contemporary
Publication Date: May 13, 2014

A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy’s journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove’s charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward Pete's nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. A radical reinvention of a classic, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up--and the troubled beauty trapped between them. -Goodreads

1 Star

You'd think a novel set so very locally to me would instantly make it appealing. You'd think.

You'd think a novel with such a compelling blurb would call to me. It did. And boy, was I displeased.

I think I shall dissect that synopsis sentence by false sentence just for the fun of it.

"A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers."

Was there love? No. Was there loss? Only if you count a loss of my precious time. Were there lies? Sure, but I don't see how this helps market the book. There was NO adventure, only whining about everything that can possibly be whined about.

Why I Suck at Blogging.

Yup. You read the title correctly.

I have been an absolute failure in blogging as of late.

I don't schedule my posts. I haven't been reviewing books as much as I'd like to.

In total, I've DNF'd five books in the past month.

I am way behind on my ARCs.

When I see one of my ARCs, I pretend it's not there and begin another book. (yay for procrastination!)

DNF Reviews: This Is What Happy Looks Like, The Queen's Choice, and The Long Way

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.
Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs? -Goodreads

2 Stars

If I were to summarize the main reason why I DNF'ed this in one word, it would be: immaturity.

Don't get me wrong; I'm a pretty immature/random person myself, but this isn't a case of the pot and the kettle. I'm talking about the shallow-ness of this book; it feels like pure fluff with no real point to it. It's not enjoyable fluff, either; nor can it be possibly categorized as "guilty pleasure". This book is pretty much the reason why I tend to stay away from contemporary fiction altogether. 

Stacking the Shelves (12)

I haven't done a STS in a whiiiile. But, I'm back!

Here is ze showcase:

FOR REVIEW:

1- Time After Time, by Wendy Godding
2- The Truth About Alice, by Jennifer Mathieu
3- Second Star, by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

FROM THE LIBRARY:

1- This is What Happy Looks Like, by Jennifer E. Smith

2- Tarnish, by Katherine Longshore (review to come!)

3- A Soldier's Secret, by Marissa Moss

BOUGHT:

1- The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker
2- A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
3- Cress, by Marissa Meyer (review to come!)

What's on your STS?

Cover Reveal: Mortal Gods, by Kendare Blake

So, I have a confession to make. I haven't actually read Antigoddess, or even Anna Dressed In Blood. That's not to say that I don't want to start either series written by this author, it's just that I'm afraid of disappointment. I've heard such great things about Anna Dressed in Blood, and I'm waiting for that perfect moment to dedicate myself to both books (I think it's a duology?). And well, I recently went on a Netgalley spree, which I'm not entirely proud of. But anyways.

The cover for Mortal Gods, by Kendare Blake!

IT'S SO PRETTEH. Makes me want to start the series!