The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters

"I can't run off with your family." 

"Don't think of it as running off with my family." I lifted my eyelids far enough to see the concerned blue or her irises. "Think of it as running off to be with me in a land like the ones we created as children."

"There's no such place, Hanalee."

"We'll make the place ourselves."

I was a little more than excited to read this book. I loved Cat Winter’s In the Shadow of Blackbirds, and was instantly in love with the idea of 1920’s Oregon murder mystery inspired by HAMLET? Yes.

Sadly, it wasn’t quite as overwhelmingly beautiful as I wanted.

Cat really did put a lot of research into this. That's obvious simply by reading the authors note. I appreciate the topics she dealt with, but unfortunately, I simply didn't care for the actual story.

Stats:

Genre:  Historical fiction (Paranormal wannabe)

Feelings: Yep

Cuteness: FRIENDSHIP

Fast pacing: i'm so sorry to say this but this book was so boring.

Series: Nope

Read if you like: Murder. 1920's. Diverse characters.

Content: A lot of talk of sex, but always in the terms along the lines of "The taking of virtue" and a few vaguely rude comments a few boys make because Hanalee and John are found asleep in the woods together. Some disturbing topics regarding hangings and such. Also this book has a gay male character, so there are some scenes that imply a lot to deal with that, which may bother people who aren't comfortable with it.

Trigger warning? Loss of a parent. Violent racism. Violent homophobia.

In summary...Being a girl of color in a 1920's oregon small town is not easy. It's especially not easy when the boy accused of killing your father was just released from prison. But things are not always as they seem, and with the help from some sketchy ghosts...Hanalee very well might discover just that.

Thoughts: Swamp water, pine needles, rough ropes

Messages: Too much to sum up. This book never really takes like, an obvious huge stance regarding racism and homophobia, but it paints a strong picture of what it was like and makes it clear how awful it was. Which is a stance in and of itself.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Just this once, I’m going to combine the “Characters” and “Plot/Writing” part of this review, since the reason I didn’t like them go hand in hand.

-The characters+Plot/Writing-

The root problem as to why I didn’t care for this book is really because it felt half-baked. Don’t get me wrong. The writing was very lovely as to be expected with Cat Winters. But the plot felt void of life. The ghosts? They were tossed in there. In my own writing, I sadly have experienced how hard it is to write a ghost story where the ghosts don’t feel tossed in. My own novel needs to be rewritten because of this.

But these ghosts could have been nonexistent. They felt like they had been put there for plot only purposes, and that’s not how I want my ghosts.

The mystery should have been scary. But it wasn’t. All that being said, this book was scary for other reasons, that I’ll talk about in the “Messages and other” part of this post. This plot was just half-baked.

And the characters really didn’t jump out at me. Hanalee. She was…okay. I appreciated her realism. I appreciated a well shaped diverse character. But I just didn’t care. I should have, but I didn’t. And the other boy. John? I liked him, because he was also a nice diverse, interesting character. And their friendship was wonderfully platonic (For obvious reasons). But I really didn’t care about these characters enough to really care about the story and I don’t know why.

For me, characters are important. No matter how well put together a plot is, if I don’t care about the characters then I don’t care about the plot. I’ve never been one to be able to pick apart plots easily, unless I really think about it. And in this books case, the plot was lacking because the characters were lacking, but they both were lacking because they didn’t feel finished. These characters were g o o d, but they lacked that reader connection. 

The one thing I did love in this book was the setting. It felt vibrant. Real. I adore the 20’s, but I have never thought particularly about the small western town feel of it. So I loved getting that swampy, foresty feel.

-Messages and other-

As said earlier, this is a scary book. Not because ghosts, or murder. But because this book shows so clearly how scary it would actually be for a girl like Hanalee in 1920’s Oregon. It’s scary because even if this wasn’t a murder story, her life would constantly be in danger. Because stepping into a restaurant would put her at risk. And that actually happened.

It was an absolutely despicable time in the terms of racism. Often times jokes are made that the 20’s aren’t much different than now in the sense of homophobia and racism, and while cases like the ones in this book are around, they are never as saturated into the community as they are here. And so, it’s scary to read this book and wonder how people survived. How many homosexuals and colored people got lynched and killed simply because of those things.

For that, this book really is an important one. Any book that deals with these topics is important. Which is why in the end, I did like it. I simply didn’t care about anything except the things it had to say.

Overall, this wasn’t a terrible book. I do think a lot of people will love it, and a lot of people do love it. I simply wasn’t able to care enough to love it. 

Shorties Entry 2: The Ghost in the Glass House by Carey Wallace, Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff and When My Heart was Wicked by Tricia Stirling

I am the ultimate loser.

Yes, it has been about two months since I last posted. I have excuses!

1: NaNoWriMo. I participated in Camp NaNo last month and it basically took up all of my writing brain.
2: Reading slumps. I honestly just have not read much. I did not finish a single book last month and it's tragic.
3: Sickness. School. Life??

But I have returned. I have two shiny books to review. I have started about 5 other books and once school ends...well I will be reading obsessively. Stay tuned for that!

These three books aren't as "short" as the last set of shorties I reviewed, but they all were very quick reads I read in about a day. Sadly, all three of them I was pretty disappointed by, and today I am going to share why.

The Ghost in the Glass House by Carey Wallace

Clare's intense interest in these visitors was a source of gratification to Bridget's mother and a point of content with Bridget, who though about ghosts, very much the same way that most people thought about God: Despite the fact they were probably real, it was unforgivably impolite to talk about them.

Growing up, the roaring twenties were my life. Lately, because of my dear friend Emma, has made me rediscover how much I love the twenties.

So, naturally I went on a rampage to find 1920's books. I was so freaking excited when I found this. Ghosts??? 1920's?? How about yes?

Sadly...it was not quite a "yes" book for me.

Stats:

Genre: Like...I can't say paranormal. But. Ghost-ish middle grade historical?

Feelings: No

Happiness: The writing was fun to read, but other than that...not much

Cuteness: No .-.

Fast pacing: Nopety nope.

Series: Nopeeee

Read if you like: Middle grade books, and really quirky old fashioned type prose.

Content: Other than a bunch of 12 year old's talking about being in love and kissing people? Nope.

In one sentence... Clara finds a glass house in her yard. There is a ghost. They fall in love. She is 12 years old. That was not one sentence but shhhhhh

Thoughts: A cave, filled with old furniture. 

Messages: Not really any heavy messages in this book? Very....very....middle grade.

Overall:

Rating: 3/5

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits:

I really wanted to love this book. It had all the components of a book I would love. And I didn't enjoy it, just....not enough.

I can't really do my normal -Characters-Plot-Messages- layout, because none of these things I actually liked in this book. So I will switch it around some.

I did like the prose in this book. It had that really fun old fashioned feel that I love to read in books. The setting was very vibrant and real to me, and when I read it, I did feel caught up in this little world. 

Jack was a likable ghost. He was mischievous and fun, though juvenile. I honestly think he was the only character I actually liked in this book.

I feel bad that there's not enough to say about this book that I liked. Because it was not awful. The only reason I didn't like it, was because I didn't realize it was middle grade. When I read ghosts, I want dark ghosts. I want scary ghosts. I didn't expect this tiny book to be full of so much 12 year old drama and...nothing scary.

So, basically, this book was not for me.

The Less Lovely Bits:

Clare. Bridgit. Whatever those two other boys were named. They really just weren't likable. Simply because, they were 12, and caught up in their 12 year old drama. Bridget constantly talking about boys and asking Clare who she is in love with really got on my nerves. I mean, yeah it's 1920 and they're 12. But I am a 16 year old teen living in the 21st century, and that was not the type of story I wanted.

Clare I felt like I wanted to like? Because she was the main character, because she wanted what was best, because she was stubborn and went about stealing keys to get her way and have fun. But she was...(again, bringing this up,) 12, so her priorities were way out of wack. So I really didn't connect with her at all. 

And Bridget. Ah, Bridget. Bridget I think is one of those characters that if she grew up, I'd love. She's spirited and determined, and she seems like a fun character. But she came across annoying. So, so annoying. 

There's not a whole lot to say about this? It was a very simplistic book. There was no heavy plot, no suspense. It was a very quick, simple book that I think a lot of younger readers will love. Not teens.

Even for younger readers, the messages seemed a little off. It's honestly always bugged me when young people in books are obsessed with romance. I understand that life for a young kid in the 20's was very different, but any type of book with that bothers me.

Why?

Because right now everywhere you look 12 and 11 year old's are pulling out their smart phones and getting boyfriends and...it bugs me. What happened to being a carefree kid? Being 12 is right on the brink of being a teen, and getting closer to high school. Childhood is so short, and I know I am only 16, but I wish so much I could go back in time and give 12-year-old-me a shake and yell "Stop obsessing over boys and makeup! There will be enough drama in two years! Go have fun"

Yes, books should be historically accurate. Yes, it's okay for books to have these things. I still wish there was less of it. Childhood books should be about childhood, not things that they will have plenty to deal with in high school.

Overall, it was a fun book and I want to have younger kids read it because ghosts are awesome. But, it really wasn't for me. And a lot of it's little messages irked me. 

Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff

..., and I went back to my old habit of walking the halls looking down most of the time. It was different now, though—before I’d done it without thinking, because I didn't know another way. Now I was actively avoiding a life I knew might be out there. But it was my choice.

Ah. This book. It was small, it was cute, it had a killer cover. And the concept? Someone using music and playlists to figure out a friends suicide? And each chapter had one of the songs??

I needed it. I even made the playlist so I could listen while I read.

Gods, was I disappointed. 

Stats:

Genre: Contemporary

Feelings: There should have been more 

Happiness: There should have been MORE

Cuteness: No

Fast pacing: Not realllyyy?

Series: Nope

Read if you like: Music? Mediocre characters? Pretty covers?

Content: Not much, I think just some swearing. And, it deals with suicide, so.

In one sentence... Hayden is dead, and all he has left behind is a playlist for Sam to listen to, and try and figure out the truth.

Thoughts: Nothing. I'm really sorry, but I seriously got nothing from this book.

Messages: Honestly....not much.

Overall:

Rating: Like...1.5-2/5, maybe?

This review has PLOT SPOILERS but really. They are so obvious it hurts

The Lovely Bits:

 Uh. I liked the cover? I liked the concept?

Honestly, this book is so concept driven. I've read a lot of books about suicide and depression, and this concept seemed so intriguing and unique to me. But everything else was so mediocre, and it bothers me because this book could have been great.

The Less Lovely Bits:

There's nothing to really say about Sam. He was...nothing. He was kind of pathetic and annoying and I wanted to like him because of what he went through but he was so... I don't know, man. He wasn't anything special.

Then there's Astrid! The tough girl! With piercing! There to put his life back together! It was. No. 

The problem was all of the characters were molds. They had no unique aspects that set them apart. They were archetypes on a page, basically. 

There are two things I really need to love a book. Emotions, and good characters. This book had neither when it should have had both.


Was there any? Unless I was so fed up by the end I missed it, I don't remember any actual solution to the whole "what does the playlist mean" question. The plot was weak. So weak.

And then the end came and gasp! You discover that Astrid is the one hurting those who hurt Hayden, Astrid is the one messaging Sam with Hayden's account. Even though....Astrid told Sam she knew the password to Hayden's account and constantly dropped hints through the whole book.

Yeah. Big reveal. 

Suicide books are a big deal. They're very important books to be written, and I really wanted so much more from this. I wanted a beautiful friendship story, with music and sadness.

Instead I got some guy-girl drama, with some muggings in the background and the music as some...plot thing that never even gets figure out. And Hayden's suicide? It felt like a plot device and that really bugged me. 

Suicide books are a big deal. When an author writes a book about this, I expect messages. Authors needs to use suicide in books to raise awareness, not to attract teens to their books, not to make the plot "work."

Overall, this book just didn't work. At all. Weak characters and plot aside, it really didn't have enough seriousness about the subject matter. Suicide is such a fragile subject and it really wasn't handled well here. Luckily, it was not heavily triggering like Thirteen Reasons Why, or I would be a raging monster right now.




When my Heart was Wicked by Tricia Stirling

"We are rare birds with sharp teeth and gilded wings," she would tell me. "We soar above roofs and treetops, shooting through clouds and tickling the moon. The stars are our nightclubs where we dress in silver bangles and eat men whole before spitting them out. People tell us we have our head in the clouds and we laugh, ferociously baring our teeth. We don't like the be pulled down to earth."

This book's cover grabbed me as soon as I walked into the store. And it was so tiny and cute, it immediately caught my attention. And then I read the synopsis. It sounded just like my type of story! Witches, and darkness, and facing inner wickedness. 

Ah, yeah, no it didn't work. 

Stats:

Genre: Paranormal-ish?

Feelings: Not really

Happiness: I had a weird uncomfortable feeling during this whole book

Cuteness: Ew no

Fast pacing: Slow? But not painfully

Series: Nope.

Read if you like: Ah....choppy but pretty prose, and weird witchy stuff 

Content: A uncomfortable sex scene thing. Like, not graphic but it was just...no. Some dark magic stuff, and swearing.

In one sentence... Lacy used to be bad, but she got better. Now? She's not so sure

Thoughts: Dirt under your nails and black boots

Messages: Ah...I honestly am not even sure. People are bad but people can get better?

Overall:

Rating: 

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits:

During the first bits of this book, I really did like it. The prose was choppy, yes, but very pretty and fun to read. The character voice was strong, and the plot really neat.

It had just a very unique feel and atmosphere that I was really liking. The elements of the black birds and things like that was so intriguing. I loved the way things were described, and how dark and twisted everything felt.

But as it progressed, it got...not as intriguing and pretty.

The Less Lovely Bits:

Lacy was...frustrating. I thought she was a cool character at first, but after a while her character ARC and motivation feel flat and I was so confused and I wanted to give her a good shake. And yell at her a lot.

If this book hadn't been so short, I doubt I would have finished. I kept waiting for some redeeming factor. As it went on it just got worse and worse. 

The prose that was pretty started to get repetitive, weird. It felt a little try-hard. After the first 100 pages, everything felt too forced. And the dialogue started getting so stilted.

Really, I don't remember much of this book. I remember it left me feeling very weird and uncomfortable. Like a lot.


So, I would still maybe give it a try if you feel up to it. Because it was pretty. It may be another case where it wasn't for me. 


And that's it! Those are the three shorties I've read the past two months. Let me know if you read them, and what you think!

And I will try and post more. Seriously. I swear.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Do you really want to know where we come from?" she said. "In every century, in every country, they'll call us something different. They'll say we're ghosts, angels, demons, elemental spirits, and giving us a name doesn't help anybody. When did a name change what someone is?

Well, finally, I'm here with a review for a book I read the end of February. Do not judge me. 

If you like crazy cool faeries, dark atmospheres, and messed up characters, try this one out. For all the little things that bothered me, it's an enjoyable book.

Stats:

Genre: Faerie paranormal. 

Feelings: I didn't connect with the book as much as I wanted to, except for sibling love.

Happiness: See above

Cuteness: I personally didn't ship it. At all. 

Fast pacing: It was a steady solid story, but because of some reading problems I had going on, it dragged at a few parts.

Series: No

Read if you like: Faeries! Dark faeries. Changeling stuff, awesome sibling characters, POV characters who think they're awful but they aren't.

Content: Some kissy kissy touchy touchy. Some bloody stuff, some bits where Mackie mentions girls chests and other bits, so if any of that bothers you...well. Also profanity, teenage drinking, and stuff like that.

In one sentence... Mackie Doyle is a changeling and because of that dark magic is coming, and he is determined to stop it and rescue a missing child from the fate like his.

Thoughts: Cold wet grass and cold air. 

Messages: Not a message-y book, but it sent a lot of nice messages about the whole "You're not as dangerous and awful as you might think" thing.

Overall:

Rating: 3.5/5 I really liked it, but I don't think it was the right time for me to read it and get more out of it.

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits:

This was a lovely book through and through. Not perfect, but lovely. It had some great vibes and prose, and plenty of cool characters.

-Characters-

Mackie was a very interesting main character. I love reading about changelings, so getting a first person POV from one was really neat. He was likable, mainly because of how much he almost despised himself. That was really powerful.

Tate was definitely a refreshing character, though I didn't like her as much. She was far from the submissive female side character, and that was appreciated. I'm not saying that in the Blue-Sargent-Raging-Feminist way, but more of, it was a different character trope I hadn't seen for a while.

 Emma, on the other hand, I loved. I really love a good sibling relationship, and this one was effortlessly flawless. There dialogue and actions were relaxed and done so beautifully without shoving there sibling love on the reader.

The Faeries and villains? They were cool. They were twisted and evil, far from any type of faerie I have read about. 

-Structure and Plot- 

The plot was well thought out which perfectly led up to an epic climax. I liked the slow and steady pace, with the perfect amount of excitement scattered throughout. Other than that, there really isn't much to say about plot and stuff.

I'm just upset that this is Brenna's first book and it's this good.

-Messages and Other-

Mackie felt like he was not normal, or he was dangerous, but he proved multiple times that he was good. And that in itself is a really interesting thing. 

Brenna's prose was like fire. It flickered steadily, but occasionally burst up in a beautiful one liner or paragraph that you just grinned at yourself because you like it so much. I definitely want to read all the others of her books. They sound brilliant.

The Less Lovely Bits:

I don't really know why or how it dragged at one point, but it did. It's weird to be, because I loved the prose and characters and concept, but the whole story seemed almost flat. I'm really not sure why? Looking back I can't find anything that really threw me off. 

I think it's a combination of many little things that bugged me. I think the main problem is that I hadn't known what to expect really. And the atmosphere was more modernly scary that I thought. When I hear Faeries, I think something more ethereal and lightly dark if that makes sense. This one was like a punk rock faerie story, which will appeal to many and even me, but not what I had been expecting and wanting to read. 

Mackie is one of those characters that was interesting, and I felt like I should totally connect with, but I just didn't. Maybe it's because he was so distant. Maybe it was the constant complaining about the people of his town being fake, or the constant lust after that one school girl. Or the weird back and forth with him and Tate. I don't know what it was, but I didn't connect as much as I really desperately wanted to.

Overall, I really think a lot of people will enjoy this. It's got some real cool concepts, and some great rock vibes, and interesting characters.

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal

“He says that all that happens when you go far, far away is that you discover you've brought yourself along.”

Again, a book has been presented to me with a gorgeous cover, an amazing synopsis, and promise of a really great story. And I walk away very disappointed. 

Don't get me wrong...it wasn't bad. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be.

Stats:

Genre: Fantasy-ish paranormal wanabe

Feelings: No.

Happiness: No, not really.

Cuteness: I honestly could care less about the "romance".

Fast pacing: No

Series: No. 

Read if you like: Grimm fairy tales, light concepts, quick romance

Content: Nothing, other than a few kisses that aren't described and stuff. This could basically be a juvenile fiction book.

In one sentence... A troubled teen aged boy and a feisty redheaded girl try to piece together a mystery, all from the point of view of the ghost of one of the Brothers Grimm.
Thoughts:  A beautifully baked cake, guys. Cake.

Overall:

Rating: 3/5 

This review has NO MAJOR SPOILERS

The Lovely Bits:

Okay. You see that one sentence summary I wrote? It sounds pretty darn cool. The concept itself is awesome. Narrated by the ghost of one of the Grimm Brothers? Um,  yes! Sadly other than the concept there were few lovely things I was happy with.

The writing wasn't bad. There were some characters I actually really liked. I think the "problem" is that this is a modern day story advertised as an old fashioned fairy tale retelling. While that does go well with the voice of the narrator, it left me unsatisfied at the end, seeing as I had been expecting something dark.

Really, this is one of those books where I had a lot of things I disliked but those didn't make it a bad book. So the "Lovely Bits" section is quite short, but I still think other people can enjoy this book as long as they really know what it's about.

The Less Lovely Bits:

First off, as nice as the synopsis sounds, it really ticked me off after finishing the book. Let's take a look.

On goodreads, it tells you exactly what this story is about. The ghost, Jeremy, the girl, and the mystery. But on the book itself it says something along the lines of:

"Then Ginger takes a bite of cake that is said to make that person fall in love with the first person they see...and for her its Jeremy"

Okay. Interesting. And it did happen.

But was not brought up again basically the whole freaking book. What? 

I was told this book was dark and creepy. I like dark and creepy things. I was expecting at least a Kill Me Softly level of creepy. I didn't get it. There were subplots thrown in there that felt forced and contrived, and very out of place in a story that's supposed to be dark and about Grimm fairy tales.

This was such an amazing concept. I just wish they would have done better. I wish they would have made Ginger less of a stereotyped "wild feisty" redheaded girl. She was a fun character. But I felt like she was too much like every other feisty heroine out there. There was nothing that really made her stand out to me.

Overall, it wasn't a bad book. It wasn't a good book. It wasn't lovely or not lovely. I think people can enjoy this if they know that it's really more of a contemporary with some fairy tale stuff thrown in. 

It's just a book that won't be sticking with me personally.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

“Every form of art is another way of seeing the world. Another perspective, another window. And science –that’s the most spectacular window of all. You can see the entire universe from there.” 

I really wanted desperately to like this story. As soon as I saw that cover I knew I needed it in my life. I had been anticipating its release for so long. And you know what? I went out and bought it. 

And now I'm just disappointed. I am pretty much going to rant in this review. I did like it...but there are many things I would like to complain about.

I tried so hard to like it, just as this book tried so hard to be good.

Stats:

Genre: Wanabe sci-fi. Romance.

Feelings: Sadly, no.

Happiness: A few bits I liked.

Cuteness: No, not for me even though this whole book is a romance.

Fast pacing: Eh.

Series: Yes.

Read if you like: Romance, super romantic lines, places all over the world.

Content: Swearing.  Some scenes and description that REALLY did not need to be there.

In one sentence... A romance between two teens criss-crossing alternate universes trying to solve a mystery. 
Thoughts: Russian buildings and silken gowns

Overall:

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

This review has VERY LIGHT SPOILERS. 

The Lovely Bits:

Obviously the cover is the best part of this book. I seriously think this is one of the most gorgeous covers of 2014. I love city-scapes on covers, as well as watercolors, so this cover really did it for me.

The changing settings and atmosphere was really very lovely. I loved the Russian setting, and the peek into different lives. I also appreciated the fact that this is one of the few books I have read that acknowledged real things, like girl stuff. Very few books actually have that as an event in a story.

Really... Meg was a fine character when you saw her with her family and friends. I like her little sass-offs with her siblings in the different universes. I liked watching her talk with her parents. I /liked/ her when she wasn't being defined by her relationship to Theo and Paul. 

The Less Lovely Bits:

The romance. Okay. I am a huge hopeless romantic. I love romance. A lot. I thought for sure I would like this. A romance taking places in different dimension? Yes!

No.

This book tried so freaking hard.

It tried to be funny. It tried to be cute. It tried to be epic sci-fi. It tried to have a strong willed main character. It tried to be eloquent and have lovely passages describing grief and pain. It tried...too hard. And I think after I've read so many more books that have beautifully described pain...this one did nothing to me. 

The prose was so lacking it made me want to cry and steal to cover away to give to a different book. But what made it worse is the prose was trying not to be lacking.

The romance was gag-worthy. They were the type of couple I really should like. But after so many attempts at little cute couple catch-phrases,,, I was done. They weren't real to me. I simply did not care about their relationship.

Meg. When she was talking about Theo and Paul, I was so done with her.

 To begin with she was so gullible. Barely halfway through the whole synopsis the book talked about was over and we find out that Paul IS NOT the killer. And Meg gets all "OMG good because I love you!"

Cringe. 

Meg was so cringe-worthy at times. Of course, yes, she is flat chested and -not like other girls-. What's wrong with other girls? Why must every character be categorized as odd duck to be liked? 

And I really wasn't buying her whole art thing. Her hobby should have been endearing but it was not. And all the scenes when she goes on about how guys are all over her and she thinks Paul or whoever are impressed? Ugh.

And certain scenes. The swearing. The objectifying of woman in certain scenes. The sex. The extent of the tongue-kissing descriptions. See, normally scenes don't bug me that much. It's annoying, but it's a thing that happened. Unless its explicit, it normally doesn't bug me. But in this book it did.

See, here is what happened. When I saw that cover, I went into the book expecting something whimsical and eloquent story. 

I didn't get it. 

In the end, I did like it. It was far from perfect, but I don't think I regret reading it. While I don't see myself recommending it to many people, I don't think I will be too upset over buying it. There were scenes and moments I loved, and the cover will look amazing on my shelf. 

And yes, I will be reading the next books. It is unlikely I will buy them, but I will hold on to the hope that the stories will get better. 

Either that, or I hope the covers get ugly so I don't feel so distraught at the waste.