What's the Summer Series Challenge? Here's the story from Heather @ Flyleaf Review, one of the hosts:
"The Summer Series Challenge is a three-month-long opportunity to complete unfinished series you've already started. Or read through series that are now finished, but you have yet to begin. Even better, consider reading a series or two in its entirety, back to back -- this is something I particularly enjoy, especially series with 4 or more books in it."
I signed up for this challenge but knew that I wasn't going to get any series reading done until I was on vacation. Which I am! Two straight days of rain has dampened my spirits but allowed me to read, read, read...
What I've Done So Far:
In the car on the way to the beach, I read the Curseworkers series by Holly Black.
I love this series so much -- it's possible that I stopped reading because I didn't want the story to end. But I had to find out what happened. And .. it was amazing. I think I want to read these books back to back. Maybe next summer….
Last week, I finished up the Lumatere Chronicles by reading Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn. I LOVE Melina Marchetta, but I'm not the biggest fantasy reader. Last summer, I finally read Finnikin of the Rock, and was completely blown away by how amazing it was. And, of course, the whole series is amazing. I still think that the first book is my favorite, but this series has an amazing cast of characters, wonderful themes of warfare and enmity, love and loyalty, and heartbreak and hope!
This week, I am finishing the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty. I read one or two of these books years and years ago, and it's been interesting to re-read them. Here's my quick take:
- Jessica and Marcus are less endearing than I remember. Maybe because I'm that much older? I love her whole smart-girl-stuck-in-the-suburbs thing and can relate to that. I don't remember Marcus' whole go-meditate-in-the-desert thing. If any guy said, "our relationship is what we let it be" to me, I'd throw something at his head.
- I can see the strong influence of 80s teen movies on this series, and then, looking forward, I can also see the influence of this series on popular culture of the 2010s. I'd bet that Lena Dunham read these books!
- Revisiting the early 2000s is pretty funny. References to Britney and K-Fed (remember him?) and The Facebook (a place for college students to find dates) had me chuckling.
Have you read any of these series?
Yay for vacation! And rainy days make the best reading days! It's kind of gloomy where I am now, so after some blog reading, I'm going to curl up with a cuppa and read, read, read.
ReplyDeleteTanya Patrice
Girlxoxo.com
MORE rain today! I got a review written, at least. But it looks like it's clearing now...
DeleteI read the first Jessica Darling book ages ago and didn't like it much so I'm not sure that I do want to continue with it. However I have had the Black series recommended to me and I've seen so many good things about Marchetta that both of those are of interest.
ReplyDeletehaven't read any of these but I will check them out. I need to complete some series myself but I need to buy the sequels first:)
ReplyDeleteAndreea
Happy reading.
Nice haul. Happy reading :)
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http://www.itchingforbooks.com/2013/07/stacking-shelves-48.html
Loved Black Heart so much. I loved it even more that it's kind of open ended so there could be more, which would be awesome.
ReplyDeleteI totally remember K-Fed lol.
I really need to read Froi of the Exiles. Finninkin of the Rock is the best YA fantasy I've read. K-fed, LOL, whatever happened to him?
ReplyDeleteNot read any of these series, I should really check them out!
ReplyDeleteI am forever a Curse Workers fangirl! I really need to read Finniken of the Rock.
ReplyDeleteKate @ Ex Libris
I love Jessica and Marcus so much. I remember wanting the fourth one to end differently and HATING Hope, but now with some time between it (these are the books that started my no books back to back rule) I see her point! I'm going to send you the MG when I go to the post office!!!!! Sorry it's taken me so long to get it to you!
ReplyDeleteI am hoping to start Fourth Comings in August and get hold of a copy of Perfect Fifths so I can complete that series (though I have never reviewed the first 3 books.) I'm nervous (that Hope statement above makes me VERY nervous, Fake Steph!) but excited to see how it all ends. And yes, Jessica is like the angstiest of all angst-ridden teenagers ever written in my opinion. But I still love her AND Marcus (even when he totally flakes out.)
ReplyDeleteI LOVED the Curseworkers series. Absolutely loved it! I know you didn't jive with Cold Fury, I just finished the sequel Flicker & Burn, but mafia themes are always, always a favorite of mine and I love the twist Black puts on it in her series. I don't think enough people read those books--they are EXCELLENT:)
And I am so happy you finally read The Lumatere Chronicles, Jen! Gosh I love that series so much. I'm actually glad to have read it prior to starting The Queen's Thief series (I'm about to start Bk #3) because the vibe of those two series is so similar and I can see how Whalen Turner's books influenced Marchetta's. I wonder if Marchetta will write more fantasy one day, because I would be FULLY on board for that:)
I want to read the Curseworkers books but I may want to audiobook them - haven't decided yet. And I tried to read Finnikin recently but it didn't click with me, so I'll try again soon. I am a HUGE fan of fantasy so I think for me it was an issue with timing. I just KNOW those are book that I'll enjoy. I've read the first two Jessica Darling books but I need to re-read them before I go any further. The thing is, and I think we may have discussed this before, I love the way the second book ended, so I almost HATE to go any further. But I will. I laughed at your "The Facebook" - I had forgotten about that.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried any of these but I want too.
ReplyDeleteI adore the Lumatere Chronicles, and I'm so happy to hear you loved the series too, despite not being the biggest fantasy fan. I totally did the same thing with the Curse Workers series, I postponed finishing it because I think I just wasn't ready for it to end!
ReplyDeleteI'm also participating in this challenge and haven't had the opportunity to read too many yet (hopefully more next month), but I am also finishing up the Jessica Darling series. I'm currently on the fourth book. Not the biggest fan of YA contemporaries, to be honest, but they are a lot of fun! I read Finnikin last year as well and plan on reading Froi and Quintana soon, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get to them before the end of this challenge. Good luck with your continued series reading!
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