{DNF Review} Secrets of the Tally by Halie Fewkes

Page Count: 330

Published on: August 22, 2015

Published by: Tally Ink Publishing

Genre(s): Fantasy, YA

Source: hardback via author

Age Rating: YA

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: DNF 

Goodreads synopsis:

Meet Allie: she's just woken up in an empty forest with blood on her hands and everything she's ever known wiped from her mind. In her survival-oriented world, people are hunted by vicious predators and it quickly becomes clear that they are specifically hunting her. 

Allie's friends and sister have no insight as to why she's a target, and her only clue is a list of tally marks she finds tucked away, detailing how many lives she's saved and how many deaths she's caused. Judging by the amount of ink slashed across the page and the fact that nobody seems to know about it, Allie knows she used to have secrets that need to be recovered. 

Without knowing whom to trust, she finds herself drawn to a new stranger in the caves they call home, and even though he won't talk about his own past, he's ready to help Allie recover hers. 

The problem now is that Allie's instinct to survive is the only thing strong enough to bring her memories back. Flashes of her old self will only surface to save her from life-threatening danger, so if she wants to avoid living as an echo of her former self, danger is what she must seek.

~~~

Hey, guys!

     I was sent Secrets of the Tally for an honest review by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own. See my review policy for my policy on review copies and DNF'd books.

    The premise of Secrets of the Tally had such promise but I, unfortunately, did not enjoy this book at all. I had quite a few problems with the book, but I really wanted to love it. I'm really disappointed that I did not enjoy this book. I adore Halie Fewkes, her Instagram feed, and her journey to being published is so inspiring. I can only wish her the best in her future endeavors. Unfortunately, her book was just not for me.

     Secrets of the Tally follows Allie who has woken up without any of her memories. She soon realizes that no one really understands her past fully and that she has to rely on her survival skills and intelligence to figure out who she truly is. She finds out that her memories only come to her when she's in true peril, so she has to seek out as much danger as she can.

      I initially started this back in May of 2017, but I really wasn't in the mood for it, so I set it down for a bit. I was starting to get into a slump and I felt like it wouldn't be fair to Fewkes if I read it when I wasn't in the mood. Well, at the end of the year, I was finally in the mood to read the book, but unfortunately, I just didn't like it. I was just really bored throughout the book and I couldn't even get through it. The plot was just so slow and the events were just so predictable or just so random. On top of that, I felt like the characters were really two dimensional and boring. I didn't connect to any of them and they were just so irritating and annoying. 

     There were a few instances where the story got interesting, but within a few pages, it just got boring again. I just could not get behind it. Many of the scenes that happened were just so irrelevant and annoyingly random. The whole plot was just so inconsistent and boring. I really did not enjoy the magic/fantasy element of this story. Within the first half of the book the system wasn't really adequately explained. I was just confused. I originally thought it was going to be really interesting, but I really didn't get anything from it. 

    Overall, I felt like this novel lacked development. I really wanted to love this story, but it wasn't for me. I was just bored and annoyed with the characters and plot. The concept was really intriguing, but this book just fell flat for me. 

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~
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{Reading Challenge} A-Z Reading Challenge

Hey, guys!

     I originally saw this challenge on Instagram, but it's been so long that I'm not sure where it originated. There was a similar challenge on Goodreads, so I'll link that below!

Original Goodreads Challenge: {click here}

I didn't actively try to complete this challenge throughout the year, but I found this towards the beginning of November. I thought it would be fun to fill out the list and see how I did this past year.

The Goal: 

✩ Read 26 books in which titles begin with the letters of the alphabet. 

The Guidelines: 

✩ Articles like "A", "An" and "The" at the beginning of the title can be ignored.

✩ For the letter "X", it's acceptable to use any book title with the letter "X" in it. 

✩ Feel free to join the challenge any time during the year. As long as the books were read in 2017, you can go ahead and backdate. 

✩ Have fun! Be sure to check out the lists of other players...it's a great way to find new TBR's!

Here are the books that I read that fulfilled this challenge!

A - A Court of Wings & Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

B - Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly

C - Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

D - Dead Ed In My Head by Barbara Catchpole

E - Eliza & Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

F - First & Then by Emmal Mills

G - (The) Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

H - Hello Sunshine by Laura Dave

I - (The) Impossible Fortress by Jason Reklulak

J -

K - (The) Kingdom of Oceana by Mitchell Charles

L - (The) Love Interest by Cale Dietrich

M - Moral Tribes by Joshua D. Greene (no review)

N - Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

O- 

P - Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff

Q - Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

R - Runaways Issues 1-4 (2017~) by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka

S - Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

T - Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

U - Uprooted by Naomi Novik

V - 

W - Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

X -

Y -

Z - 

20/26 Books Read!

I think I did pretty good for not really trying. I don't think I'll actively try to complete all 26 letters in 2018, but I think this could be really cool to fill out again at the end of the year. This just kind of shows how different my reading taste gets over the year. 

My 2017 Goodreads Year in Books: {click here}

My Full 2017 Reading Wrap Up: {click here}

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~
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2017 Reading Wrap Up

Hey, guys!

This year has been pretty great reading-wise. I've read 88 books this year and I've had such a good time reading them. Some of the books were really disappointing, but I really enjoyed the select few that made it to my top list. I didn't read as much as last year, but this year has been so busy that I'm not surprised I didn't read 100+ books. 88 is pretty great in my book. The books I read are narrowed down by when I read them and they are marked according to the guide below. Any unmarked books just mean I read them for myself. 

I'll post a huge end of year reading survey within the next few days! I hope you enjoy!

*review copies/ARCs from authors/publishing companies
+for class
** book club book of the month
^ buddy reads

January

• Gemina by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman
• Playlist for the Dead by Mitchelle Falkoff
• The Kingdom of Oceana by Mitchell Charles*
• The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak*

January Wrap Up: {click here}

February

• Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
• A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas

February Wrap Up: {click here}

March

• A Court Of Mist & Fury by Sarah J. Maas
• {DNF} The Last Shadow Gate by Michael W. Garza*
• The Chronicle of Three: Bloodline by Tabitha Caplinger*
• {DNF} On A LARP by Stephani Deoul*
• If I Fix You by Abigail Johnson*
• Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
• Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly

March Wrap Up: {click here}

April:

• Caraval by Stephanie Garber
• A Fool's Journey by Mark Pannebecke*
• Girl on the Verge by Pintip Dunn*
• If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland
• A Brightness out of the Blue by Jill Atkins*
• Some of Us Have Been Threatening Our Friend Colby by Donald Barthelme+
• This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona by Sherman Alexie+

April Wrap Up: {click here}

May:

• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
• The A Court of Thorns & Roses coloring book by Sarah J. Maas
• Dead Ed In My Head by Barbara Catchpole*
• Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
• {DNF} Dreaming of Daniel by J.M. Admore

May Wrap Up: {click here}

June:

• Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas
• Eliza & Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
• {DNF} Taken by Rosemary Hayes
• Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh**
• Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave*
• When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
• Kiss Me In New York by Catherine Rider*

June Wrap Up: {click here}

July:

• First & Then by Emma Mills
• The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead**
• The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich
• Shadow and Bone (Shadow & Bone #1) by Leigh Bardugo
• The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan
• The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs
• All the Feels by Danika Stone
• Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
• This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills
• The Ever Never Handbook by Soman Chainani

July Wrap Up: {click here}

August:

• The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler
• Seraphina (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman
• The Audition (Seraphina #0.5) by Rachel Hartman
• {DNF} Snowball (Chronicles of a Wererabbit #1) by M.Y. Zeman*
• Night Shift by Debi Gliori*
• Siege & Storm (Shadow & Bone #2) by Leigh Bardugo
• The Tailor (Shadow & Bone #1.5) by Leigh Bardugo
• {DNF} Trust (Between the Lions #1) by Jodi Baker*
• Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas
• Uprooted by Naomi Novik
• Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill+

August Wrap Up: {click here}

September:

• Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant+
• The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood+
• Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas
• Revolutions in the Atlantic World: A Comparative History by Wim Klooster+

September Wrap Up: {click here}

October:

• Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney+
• Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle+
• Ruby & Olivia by Rachel Hawkins*
• Filter Bubble: How The New Personalized Web Is Changing What We Read & How We Think by Eli Pariser+
• Red Hood & the Outlaws, Volume 1 Redemption by Scott Lobell, Kenneth Rocafort, & Joshua Williamson
• Whichwood (Furthermore #2) by Tahereh Mafi*
• Grendel by John Gardner+

October Wrap Up: {click here}

November:

• Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 1: The World's Greatest Team (Dragon Ball #17) by Akira Toriyama
• Wolf Children Ame & Yuki (#1-3) by Mamoru Hosoda, Yuu (Visual Art)
• The Assassin & the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass #0.1) by Sarah J. Maas
• The Assassin & the Healer (Throne of Glass #0.2) by Sarah J. Maas
• The Assassin & the Desert (Throne of Glass #0.3) by Sarah J. Maas
• Soul Siphon (Soul Stones #0.3) by T.L. Branson
• The Assassin & the Empire (Throne of Glass #0.4) by Sarah J. Maas
• Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us & Them by Joshua Greene (read and skimmed)+

November Wrap Up: {click here}

December:

• Technopoly... by Neil Postman (half read)+
• It's Not News, It's FARK... by Drew Curtis (half read/half skimmed) +
• Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
• {DNF} Secrets of the Tally by Halie Fewkes+
• Someday Somewhere by Lindsa Champion+
• The Backstagers: Rebel Without Applause (Volume #1) by James Tynion IV & Rian Sygh
• Jem & the Misfits (The Misfits #1) by Kelly Thompson, Jenn St. Onge, M. Victoria Robado
• Ladycastle #1 by Delilah S. Dawson & Ashley A. Woods
• Runaways (2017~) #1 by Rainbow Rowell & Kris Anka
• Runaways (2017~) #2 by Rainbow Rowell & Kris Anka
• Runaways (2017~) #3 by Rainbow Rowell & Kris Anka
• Runaways (2017~) #4 by Rainbow Rowell & Kris Anka
• Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
• Saga Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan
• Saga Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan
• Anne of Green Gables the graphic novel by Mariah Marsden, Brenna Thummler, Kendra Phips, and Erika Kuster
• An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Here are my basic reading statistics! I'll have a more detailed one coming on Tuesday! It's so much fun to write!

Number of Pages Read: 22,665
Number of Books Read: 88
Shortest Book/Novella Read: The Audition by Rachel Hartman (17 pages)
Longest Book Read: A Court of Wings and Ruin (707 pages)

Happy New Year, everyone!
Olivia 
~LivTheBookNerd~
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{Bookish Subscription Box} Owlcrate #1: October 2017: Find Me In the Forest

Hey, guys!

      My beautiful boyfriend bought me an Owlcrate box for my birthday and wow was it awesome. I really want to have a long-term subscription, but that probably won't happen until I graduate and have a full-time job...tragic, I know. 

Anyway, here is what was in this adorable box!

The Process:

• The Owlcrate team reads tons and tons of manuscripts of upcoming novels and select the very best to include in their boxes.
• Each box contains a brand new hardcover YA novel and 3-5 bookish items.
• Each box follows the monthly theme and includes special goodies from the author.

How It Works:

• Subscribe! There are plans from 1-6 month increments. 
• 1 month: $29.99 USD + shipping
• 3 months: $86.98 USD + shipping (charged every 3 months)
• 6 months: $167.94 USD + shipping (charged every 6 months)
• Owlcrate delivers
• Enjoy your book and goodies!

*Past boxes are also available for purchase in limited quantities

***Owlcrate also has a wonderful box specifically tailored for readers ages 8-12. I bought my little sister a box for her 9th birthday and she loved it.***

October Theme: 

Find Me In the Forest

The Book Featured:

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

(exclusive OwlCrate cover)

Goodreads synopsis: 

Love grows such strange things.

For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.

The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

~~~

Author Goodies:

signed bookplate

Wild Beauty themed Forget-Me-Not seeds

***the box also included a beautiful letter from the author, but I couldn't manage to take a picture that didn't have a glare*

~~~

Bookish Goodies:

A Princess Mononoke print by

Audra Auclair

“All Good Things Are Wild and Free” Coaster

      

Cabeswater Candle from InTheWickofTime

(inspired by the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater)

   

Where the Wild Things Are Magnetic Bookmarks from craftedvan

Sherwood Forest Earl Grey and Sweet Blueberry Tea from Riddle’s Tea Shoppe and Curiosities

   

   

Harry Potter Mug designed by Cara Kozik

OwlCrate Find Me in the Forest Pin

       I loved this box. I'm so excited to read Wild Beauty. It sounds so fantastic and I've only heard great things about it. The goodies that came in this box are so beautiful. I adore the Harry Potter mug the most, but every one of the items that were included are so gorgeous. I love that there are items I'll use all the time and not just random things.

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Bookish Subscription Box} Book of the Month #4: October

Hey, guys! 

I'm coming back to you with another Book-of-the-Month-Club monthly unboxing! I decided to treat myself after my birthday and get a couple books from the October box... I know. You've probably seen my Fall 2017 Book Haul and you've laughed at me. My birthday "treat yo'self" mantra really got out of hand, but I am so excited to read these books. They look absolutely fantastic. I have never read a Stephen King novel, so Sleeping Beauties (or The Gunslinger) should be a really great way to dive into his work. 

What Is The Book Of The Month Club??

Book of the Month is a monthly book subscription box. Each month, 5 curators pick out their favorite new hardcover books, and you can choose which one you want to receive on the first of the month. You can also add up to 2 additional books for only $9.99 each.

How It Works:

1. New selections are chosen each month. On the 1st of the month, the site announces the 5 books that they chose for the month.
2. Choose your book! Choose by the 6th, or skip the month.
3. The boxes are shipped and you get a beautiful BOTM box and book!

Shipping: U.S. only (apologies to my international readers!)

Overall Product: Subscribers will receive a hardcover book from the books that were selected that month. You can add up to 2 extra books for $9.99 each plus BOTM goodies for an additional fee.

~~~

October Picks:

• Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
• The Power by Naomi Alderman
• The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey
• Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance: A Novel by Ruth Emmie Lang
• After the Eclipse A Mother's Murder, A Daughter's Search: A Memoir by Sarah Perry

Extras:

• Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King & Owen King
• Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

My October Box:

About Sleeping Beauties:
[Goodreads]

In a future so real and near it might be now, something happens when women go to sleep; they become shrouded in a cocoon-like gauze. If they are awakened, if the gauze wrapping their bodies is disturbed or violated, the women become feral and spectacularly violent; and while they sleep they go to another place. The men of our world are abandoned, left to their increasingly primal devices. One woman, however, the mysterious Evie, is immune to the blessing or curse of the sleeping disease. Is Evie a medical anomaly to be studied, or is she a demon who must be slain?
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.83 stars (10,528 ratings & 1,380 reviews)
Release Date: September 26, 2017
Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Thriller
Page Count: 702

~~~

About Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance:

[Goodreads]

Orphaned, raised by wolves, and the proud owner of a horned pig named Merlin, Weylyn Grey knew he wasn’t like other people. But when he single-handedly stopped that tornado on a stormy Christmas day in Oklahoma, he realized just how different he actually was.

That tornado was the first of many strange events that seem to follow Weylyn from town to town, although he doesn’t like to take credit. As amazing as these powers may appear, they tend to manifest themselves at inopportune times and places. From freak storms to trees that appear to grow over night, Weylyn’s unique abilities are a curiosity at best and at worst, a danger to himself and the woman he loves. But Mary doesn’t care. Since Weylyn saved her from an angry wolf on her eleventh birthday, she’s known that a relationship with him isn’t without its risks, but as anyone who’s met Weylyn will tell you, once he wanders into your life, you’ll wish he’d never leave.

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance tells the story of Weylyn Grey’s life from the perspectives of the people who knew him, loved him, and even a few who thought he was just plain weird. Although he doesn’t stay in any of their lives for long, he leaves each of them with a story to tell. Stories about a boy who lives with wolves, great storms that evaporate into thin air, fireflies that make phosphorescent honey, and a house filled with spider webs and the strange man who inhabits it.

There is one story, however, that Weylyn wishes he could change: his own. But first he has to muster enough courage to knock on Mary’s front door.

In this warm debut novel, Ruth Emmie Lang teaches us about adventure and love in a beautifully written story full of nature and wonder.

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.26 stars (991 ratings & 327 reviews)
Release Date: November 14, 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Magical Realism, Fiction, Adult, Science Fiction, Romance
Page Count: 352

~~~

My Other BOTM Club Blog Posts:

• March: {click here}
• April: {click here}
• May: {click here}

These books sound so fantastic and I can't wait to read them. I'm especially excited to read Sleeping Beauties. These are on my immediate TBR, but who knows when I'll have time to binge so extensively. 

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Review} Whichwood (Furthermore #2) by Tahereh Mafi

Page Count: 368

Published on: November 14, 2017

Published by: Dutton Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House

Genre(s): Fantasy, Childrens, Middle Grade, Young Adult

Source: ARC/Hardcover -- Provided by Penguin

Age Rating: 10+

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

A new adventure about a girl who is fated to wash the bodies of the dead in this companion to Furthermore.

Our story begins on a frosty night…

Laylee can barely remember the happier times before her beloved mother died. Before her father, driven by grief, lost his wits (and his way). Before she was left as the sole remaining mordeshoor in the village of Whichwood, destined to spend her days washing the bodies of the dead and preparing their souls for the afterlife. It’s become easy to forget and easier still to ignore the way her hands are stiffening and turning silver, just like her hair, and her own ever-increasing loneliness and fear.

But soon, a pair of familiar strangers appears, and Laylee’s world is turned upside down as she rediscovers color, magic, and the healing power of friendship.

~~~

This book was sent to me for an honest review. 

Hey, guys!

      Penguin contacted me a few weeks ago about being on the blogger tour for Whichwood and holy cow was I excited. This book was absolutely fantastic. I think I actually enjoyed this more than I enjoyed Furthermore. This book was whimsical, magical, morbid, and so beautifully written. I adored the connections to Furthermore and the new characters we got to meet. This Persian folk tale was absolutely stunning. 

     I adored how dark this book is, however, I do not think kids as young as 10 years old would actually appreciate this book for what it was. I think some kids would even get terrified of this book. This book became really dark towards the end and I honestly do not think that my 9-year-old sister would be able to handle it. I, as a 20-year-old, really appreciated this book. The whole theme and message behind it were just fantastic. I adore the characters, especially Laylee.

     Laylee, our main character, is a mordeshoor. She and her ancestors before her were in charge of ensuring safe passage to the underworld for the dead. Laylee washes the bodies of the dead. How rad is that! After her mother dies and her father leaves to find Death, Laylee is left alone to was the dead of Whichwood. Laylee was such a relatable and complex character. She goes through so much growth and self-discovery in this book. I loved how she grew closer to Alice and Oliver. Their friendship was so sweet and I love how they became so close. 

Let's talk about Ben. He is such a sweet and interesting character as well. I loved his relationship with the bugs an how he used his abilities to help, rather than to terrorize those who rebuked him. His mother is such a cool lady too. She was probably one of my favorite characters too. She and Ben are the greatest. I love how they became closer to Laylee, Alice, and Oliver.  

     The magic system that develops throughout this book is just fantastically and wonderfully done. I cannot believe how mind-blowingly magnificent this book was. I adored how the magical aspects of Furthermore intertwined with Laylee's mordeshoor magic. It just created the perfect story. I cannot wait to reread this duology. 

Tahereh Mafi's writing has just gotten better and better. She has this magical ability to create fantastic worlds and stories that you cannot help but devour. 

Tahereh Mafi Reviews:

• Shatter Me review {click}
• Unravel Me review {click}
• Ignite Me review {click}
• Unite Me review {click}
• Furthermore {click here}

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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