Kayla Rayne Guests on The Way You Make Me Feel!

So, I’m baaaaack! This week I bring you the amazingly talented, Kayla Rayne! Come check out her channel (after you read her fabulous answers, of course). (Link Below…)

In case you haven’t read one of my TWYMMF posts yet…I send my special Guests 5 scenarios or feelings and they name books they’d recommend if they felt that way. Ready to see what Kayla Rayne has to say? Here we go!

1. Feeling lost and seeking inspiration? This book will help you find your way… Wild by Cheryl Strayed is a go to book for me when I’m feeling uninspired. This is a memoir of a woman who felt stuck in life and needed to make some changes. Choosing her own version of therapeutic recovery, she turns to nature and hikes a large chunk of the Pacific Crest Trail. This book is not for the faint of heart, but when I need to feel inspired and get out of a rut, this book reminds me that the possibilities to making a change are endless.
2. Life has become predictable and you need a little mystery? Turn to Kayla Rayne for help… I have the perfect one for you! A Madness So Discreet has a perfect blend of mystery and historical fiction. I’m a sucker for a historical fiction, so when I dove into this book, I was even more pleasantly surprised to find a mystery.  This book follows one of my favorite main characters as she tries to help a doctor find a murderer in exchange for her life.
3.  Feel like you’re ready to take on the world? This book will do the trick…read We Should All Be Feminists by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie. This essay discusses feminism and how it truly applies to us all. Just read it. It’s under fifty pages and will change everything.
4.  Going hands free for the first time and you’re unsure what book to choose? Choose this audiobook…you should try out Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli! The narrator is amazing and adds so much to the story. I really enjoyed how this book was produced and found myself fully invested in the narration.
5. Just came back from a big trip. Real life just doesn’t compare. Try this book to get you back to reality… I would go grab a copy of Anna and the French Kiss. This book is adorable and set in Paris! It will transport you back to all the vacation vibes you are missing. With themes of love and feeling at home, I’m sure you will feel refreshed after finishing this book.

Didn’t she have some fantastic answers? Don’t forget to check out her Booktube Channel at Kayla Rayne! She’s so brilliant and worth your time! Please stay tuned for further posts and in the meantime, check out my other fabulous Guests!! If you’d be interested in being a Guest, please let me know! My internet has been giving me trouble, so it may take me a bit to post the next TWYMMF post…but I’m always gonna come back! hehe Meanwhile, you can do my Fall Over My TBR Tag or if you’re interested in Zelda games…my Zelda Made Me Stop Reading My Book Tag! Until Next Time!!! 🙂

Zelda Made Me Stop Reading My Book Tag (Original)

So, my heart is screaming ZELDA and my head is screaming FINISH THE BOOK YOU LOVE….So I created a Tag.

This is a little bit crazy. I know this. You don’t have to tell me. In fact, it might be down right ridiculous. I don’t care. I’m doing it anyway!

The…Zelda Made Me Stop Reading My Book TAG….Original 😉 It’s a mouthful, but its fun and attention grabbing, right? You love it! 😉

1. Princess Zelda is always taken by the Evil Ganondorf/Ganon, etc. Which book have you read where the main character was kidnapped? FableHaven by Brandon Mull. I can’t say more. Spoilers.
2. Link needs a Tunic, a Sword and a Shield before he starts his quest. What do you need before you settle down with a good book? My book light, a comfy pillow and some blankets. Oh, and water!
3. Poor Link, he can’t get anywhere without having to fight something! Who’s your favorite book villain or “bad guy”? V’lane from the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning. He’s so shady and I love him for it.
4. Bottles and Rupees and Hearts, Oh My! What book series was your favorite to collect? Since I said the Fever Series already, The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater or Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer would be next. Oh, and Laurien Berenson’s Melanie Travis series. There are quite a few and I was so excited to get them all. Sadly, they were lost in a move, but I loved them. Harry Potter is obvious! 😉
5. Puzzles galore! The Dungeons are full of some epic and challenging puzzles. What book left your head spinning? The Progeny by Tosca Lee. Heart racing fun!
6. Some puzzles are really frustrating! What book left you frustrated to no end? A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia. Discovery had everything wonderful a book could offer. Then she crammed all this useless boring info into it and ruined it. I had to put it down. Beautiful Creatures was a very enjoyable read. It’s sequel bored me to tears. Also, I bought the whole series because I was SURE I was going to love it. Nope!
7. So you think you collected everything you need to save the day…and now this persons gonna tell you you’re wrong?! I need to collect WHAT? Name a book that threw you a massive curveball. I wanna say The Raven Cycle (Yes, every single one!)…I’m trying to say something different, buuuut….nope. That series destroyed me in the best possible way!
8. Lastly, you defeated Ganon. You rescued the Princess. You are amazing! Now it’s time to get back to your book. What are you currently reading? Is it as good as Zelda? 😉 Robin Hobbs “Assassin’s Apprentice”. It’s glorious and wonderful. It’s everything fantasy should be. I’m completely obsessed with her now.

Thanks for reading and PLEASE try my Tag! Make sure you let me know via Twitter so I don’t miss your blog post or your video! Until Next Time!!!

The Way You Make Me Feel (Part 2)

If you haven’t checked out “The Way You Make Me Feel,” please do! It will explain a little more. On this post, I will name emotions or moods that you may be feeling. I will help you by recommending a book choice for each feeling. So let’s begin!

Last post, I didn’t mention Mystery Books…feeling mysterious? Really wanna solve a puzzle? Try “A Pedigree to Die For” by Laurien Berenson. This is a cute and quirky Doggy Mystery! This is the first book in her long running series. I happened to love this book and blew through her entire series. Melanie Travis is a divorced mom and a teacher. When her uncle dies, her whole world is turned upside down. His prize poodle is MIA and suddenly she’s solving the mystery with a funny sidekick! Shockingly not a dog fan? Ok…no worries…Try “Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins. This book is being made into a movie for good reason. It’s a great mystery that pulls you in and makes you second guess yourself. There’s no “good guy” in this story!

How about the ideal book for a Gamer or Pop Culture buff? Wanna feel like you are inside a game? Look no further than “Ready Player One!” Now, I know this book is well hyped on Booktube, but I can’t resist recommending it. This book blew me away and if you haven’t read it…now you know! This book consumes you in video game culture and 80s pop references. It’s never info dumpy or boring. It’s constantly entertaining and I dare you to put this baby down…you won’t be able to!

Love the paranormal? Want something a lil eerie? Try Dean Koontz’s “Odd Thomas” series. Now, I can only really recommend the first 3 books with good conscious. After that, I thought the series (and Dean Koontz’s writing) started to slide. Those first 3 books though, absolutely glorious guys and gals. You see, Odd has the ability to see dead people (que The Sixth Sense references lol). Odd takes it one step further though. Odd can see when something BAD is about to happen. Ghosts will come to him and try to warn him about the upcoming danger. Odd has to put the pieces/clues together to figure out what will happen and how he can stop it. He’s an amazing character. He’s very likeable and the books all have a great humor to them…given the subject.

Feeling religious and haven’t read The Left Behind Series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins? Please read them! Even if you are…mildly religious, I think you would LOVE these books. They are about the Rapture. (Rapture- God takes all of his loyal and faithful followers up to heaven…POOF GONE AKA Everyone GOOD disappears.) Out of nowhere….people vanish! Were they driving that car??? Not anymore! SMASH! Flying that plane? Not anymore! CRASH!! Now, the remaining people have to figure out what is going on and how to stay alive. You see, God isn’t done! He’s got plagues and many other obstacles these people need to face. Only the loyal and faithful will survive. Would you change your feelings and repent? Oh, and the AntiChrist is coming to take over and screw with the new believers. He will destroy everything…the epitome of evil! Who wouldn’t wanna read these books? They are serious page turners and really make you think at the same time. Check them out!

I know these books are “technically” considered Mysteries and while that is true…I also read them for a different reason. When you are finished with a HUGE Tome of a book and you just need a light read…or you need a laugh but don’t want to read a Rom Com….maybe that new book is coming in the mail and you need to kill some time….check out Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum Series. These books are quite popular, but I still want to rec them. I like these books for the reasons listed above. The mystery is great, although I usually have a good idea WHO did it…just not HOW. In the meantime, there’s hijinks and great characters. They are quick and fun. Plus she’s still writing more to my knowledge…so you will always have one!

If you want a book that will crush you and mess with your emotions…Check out The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I’m not sure how hyped this book was when it came out, but I can tell you that it messes with you. It’s a horrifying and tragic story about a young girl who was murdered. The unique element, you may ask? The murdered little girl is telling the story! It’s devastating and thought provoking. If you haven’t read it, it’s worth the tissues.

That’s all for this post! I’m going to be asking fellow Booktubers to make Guest Appearances on my blog for future posts! So please keep your eyes out for Michelle from MichEllisLife and Jody from ThatOneGirlWhoReads.com. If you would like to contribute, please let me know! I will send you feelings/moods/etc and you can name a book for each one! Just follow my format above! You’d like to post your answers on your blog or channel as well? Absolutely!! Let me know and we can post at the same time!!! Keep me posted 😉

 

The Progeny: A Spoiler Free Review

“I’m Twenty-One years old and my name doesn’t matter because it’s about to be erased forever.” Intriguing, right?

 Ohhh I have so many things to say about this book!!! (I apologize if I ramble!) Let’s just dive in!

 Let me include the inside flap for you, because I’m so excited that I can’t sum this up correctly! Lol

When you wake up, you remember nothing. Not your name, or where you were born, or the faces of the people you knew. Just a single warning written to yourself before you forget it all:

Emily, it’s me. You.

Don’t ask about the last two years…Don’t try to remember and don’t go digging. Your life depends on it. Others’ lives depend on it.

By the way, Emily isn’t your real name. You died in an accident. You paid extra for that.

 You start over in a remote place with a new name, a fresh life. Until the day a stranger tells you you’re being hunted for the sins of a royal ancestor who died centuries before you were born.

You don’t believe him, until they come for you. Now you’re on the run.

Every answer you need lies in a past you chose to erase. The only thing you know for sure is that others are about to die and you need those memories back.

But first, you have to stay alive.

 Pacing: I want to start with pacing, because that’s where this book excelled! This book was a wild thrill ride! Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger and you just don’t want to put it down! I honestly would have finished this in one day if adulting didn’t get in the way. That says a lot, if you know anything about how slowly I move through books.

Plot: Ok, so the only real flaw I found in this book was the ancestor part. Let me explain. The ancestor they are referring to is Elizabeth Bathory. She is a real person, not fictional, and was apparently a serial killer. Oh My! In this story, Tosca Lee creates a world where Bathory’s family members are being hunted by Scions (I’ll let the book explain) because of her sins. Suffice it to say, she kills their family and they kill her family throughout the decades. The issue I had was…if they are so good at their jobs…wouldn’t they eventually kill all of her offspring and there would be none left? In this book, there’s a good amount left. Lee does explain that they didn’t start hunting until 200 yrs after Bathory’s death (I believe it was her death. Sorry if I’m wrong) but still…that’s only so many family members, right? Why are so many still around? Why are any? I thought that was very far fetched and struggled with that part.

Then, it all changed for me (Mind you this was page 64) when I became so sucked in, I could think of nothing else. That’s not long to wait! Also, please keep in mind that I enjoyed the book up until that part. It was very interesting! I just got hung up on the ancestors-still-alive part.

So, now I’m pulled in and that’s when the magic happened! There are twists and turns you will never see coming. She’s brilliant too, because she teases you with predictable moments. You stop and go “HA! I saw that coming!!” and she comes back with “HA! GOTCHA!!” Yes, I’m having a convo with the author right now! Lol! It was fantastic! This book consumed me.

Character development was fantastic as well! Now I won’t go into it because the beauty of this book is…you have NO IDEA who to trust. No idea. I think this made it even more fun. So, the only person you trust is our main character and she is along with you. She doesn’t know who to trust. She has no idea what’s going on. I loved living through her perspective. She was strong and intelligent. She has a big heart and I loved that about her. She’s very relatable. You ask the same questions she does and feel the same way she does. Just wonderful!

What more can I say? Come jump on the thrill-ride train and experience this book for yourself. Every character is interesting and every chapter ends with an “OH CRAP” moment. I dare you to put it down! 😉

I’m unsure if this will be a trilogy or series, but I’m grabbing book two as soon as it comes out! This book had a clear ending, but left me screaming with anticipation! If you’ve read it, DM me!! I’d love to have a spoilery convo!

I gave this book 4.5 stars. It would definitely be a 5 Star read if it wasn’t for that far fetched family tree thing. Until Next Time!!!

TWYMMF (Guest Sarah-Jane from TheBookLife)

Hi! Welcome back to The Way You Make Me Feel!! Today’s splendid Guest is the fantastic Sarah-Jane from TheBookLife and www.thebooklife.co.uk! If you don’t know who she is, you’re missing out! (that means go click on her channel/blog when you’re done here hehe) I have given her 5 scenarios, things that you may be experiencing, and she’s given her book recommendations to help you! So, let’s get right to this….

1. Nothing can get in your way! You’re unstoppable today! Read this…

The Big Lie by Julie Mayhew. Not only is the book genuinely unlike anything you have ever read, Julie is always a supporter of little acts of rebellion – and I think we could all stand to let out our rebellious side once in a while.

2. You’ve just gotten some bad news. You feel sad and gloomy. Try picking this up…

Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella. I read this book years and years ago, but recently I was reminded by how much I loved this book. If it was a movie (I’m still holding out hope), this would be what you stick on the tv to watch with your girls, with chocolate. And wine.
3. If you’re looking for a quick book that will warm your heart, Sarah-Jane has the answer for you!

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover. She’s the kind of author I love to binge read because her books are so addictive. I read Maybe Someday in one sitting, and it gave me all the feels. It was wonderful!

4. Have you been reading a lot of slower paced books? Are you completely over it? Try this page turner on for size!

Anything Rachel Vincent. Seriously. It’s true, I’d push any of her books but last year, Menagerie was one of my most favourite reads of the entire year. It’s dark, addictive, and thought provoking all at once. Set in the world of a dark carnival full of mythical creatures, it makes you question what it means to be human. I couldn’t put it down.

5. Seeking a book with an unexpected twist? What about this book….

Hmmm. Well, the best twists are usually the ones you don’t see coming, which is why they are so difficult to recommend. With that being said, Colleen Hoover’s latest book It Ends With Us absolutely ticks this box. I’m saying no more. Except, read it.

Thanks again to the splendid Sarah-Jane!!! You can also find her answers (and so much more!) over on her blog (Link Above) so please go check it out! It’s one of my faves!

It’s been a joy and I hope she’s inspired you to do some book shopping!! As always, if you are interested in being a Guest, please send me a DM on Twitter or comment down below! Also, don’t forget to check out my previous TWYMMF posts! Until next time….