The Friday 56 (99) & Book Beginnings: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life...

Beginnings: "I shouldn't have come to this party. I'm not even sure if I belong at this party."

56: "Momma cuts him a quick glare, then turns to me. "So, you think your up for it, Starr?"

Comments: I don't have much to say about this because I literally just started reading it yesterday. I've only read a couple of pages, but I plan on finishing The Hate U Give before the weekend is over.

What are you reading this week?

March Discussion Post: What If The Synopsis Spoils The Book

Spoilers is the topic of my March discussion post. Spoilers, well, it isn’t really a topic that I would normally have a lot to say about. At the end of the day, spoilers are still spoilers no matter which way you put it. My thoughts on this particular subject stemmed from some of the books I’ve recently read. Lately, I’ve gotten a couple of them that have made me think about what happens when and if the synopsis of a book accidentally ruins an integral part of the plot.

Don’t worry, I’m purely sharing my thoughts about this topic, but I will not name or reveal any spoilers pertaining to the books that prompted this post.

As I stated above, this has happened to me on multiple occasions. Usually, I don’t immediately take notice of this until I’ve finished the book and started to write my review—then I finally get that “Aha!” moment. While this doesn’t seem like it can be much of a problem, it does have an impact on me. I’ve noticed that this is especially the case when it’s the first book in a series. That first book is often the deciding factor of whether I want or don’t want to continue on to later books in a series. It doesn’t have to be the most literary thing in the sea, as long as I end up enjoying the story for what it is. However, knowing certain things about the plot can have a couple of different effects.

Let me explain. If the synopsis happens to spoil something important, and I either know or am unconsciously expecting it, then when I actually get to that part it might not have the impact that was intended. I find that this is especially the case when that reveal happens pretty late into the story. Simply put, that element of surprise just isn’t there. While this might not ruin a story—especially, if there’s more surprising twists and development left to the plot—it’s still something to think about.

So, what to do about it?

As a reader, it's hard to say, because it would be impossible to avoid synopses entirely. However, I still dislike when this happens, because I always think, “Would this book have had a lasting impression if I hadn’t been expecting a specific thing to haappen [insert spoiler here]? Would I have reacted differently?” Which always leads me to the same conclusion: possibly.

Has this ever happened to you?

What's New?: Victoria Scott

Today, I’m going to be mentioning a couple of books. The first is Victoria Scott’s new release, Hear the Wolves, which came out yesterday. The second book is Titans, which is now available in paperback. You can find more information about Titans and Hear the Wolves below...

Title: Hear the Wolves

Author: Victoria Scott

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release Date: March 28, 2017

Goodreads   Amazon    B&N    iBooks   Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads...

It’s survival of the strongest in a contemporary, girl-versus-wild middle-grade debut from Fire & Flood author Victoria Scott!

Sloan is a hunter...

So she shouldn’t be afraid of anything. But ever since her mom left the family and she lost hearing in one ear in a blizzard, it’s been hard to talk to people, and near-impossible to go anywhere or do anything without her dad or big sister within eyesight — it makes her too scared to be on her own. When they leave her home alone for what should only be two nights, she’s already panicked. Then the snow starts falling and doesn’t stop. One of her neighbors is hurt in an accident. And the few people still left in Rusic need to make it to the river and the boat that’s tied there — their only way to get to a doctor from their isolated Alaska town. But the woods are icy cold, and the wolves are hungry. Sloan and her group are running out of food, out of energy, and out of time. That’s when the wolves start hunting them . . .

Title: Titans

Author: Victoria Scott

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: February 23, 2016

Goodreads   Amazon   B&N   Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Ever since the Titans first appeared in her Detroit neighborhood, Astrid Sullivan’s world has revolved around the mechanical horses. She and her best friend have spent countless hours watching them and their jockeys practice on the track. It’s not just the thrill of the race. It’s the engineering of the horses and the way they’re programmed to seem so lifelike. The Titans are everything that fascinates Astrid, and nothing she’ll ever touch. She hates them a little, too. Her dad lost everything betting on the Titans. And the races are a reminder of the gap between the rich jockeys who can afford the expensive machines to ride, and the working class friends and neighbors of Astrid’s who wager on them. But when Astrid’s offered a chance to enter an early model Titan in this year’s derby, well, she decides to risk it all. Because for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it’s more than a chance at fame or money. Betting on herself is the only way she can see to hang on to everyone in the world she cares about...

Victoria Scott is the acclaimed author of FIRE & FLOOD, SALT & STONE, TITANS, HEAR THE WOLVES, the DANTE WALKER trilogy, and VIOLET GRENADE (May 2017). She is published by Scholastic and Entangled Teen, and is represented by Sara Crowe. Her latest novel, TITANS, received two starred reviews, and FIRE & FLOOD is a 2017 Spirit of Texas Reading Program selection. Victoria’s novels are sold in fourteen different countries, and she loves receiving reader emails from at home, and across the world...

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Musing Mondays (68) Random Weekly Questions

Rules: 

• Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker that asks you to muse about something book related each week. 

My musings for the week...

(Random weekly question from March 13th) Do you post book reviews right after you finish the book? Or do you wait a while so you can fully digest it before posting a review?

I don’t post reviews right after I finish a book. Lately, I’m finding more often than not, that I need a little extra time to think about what I want to say about the book. Even then, that’s not the sole reason why I don’t immediately post reviews. My main reason is that I typically put them on the blog on Wednesdays, and even with that in mind the review isn’t going to appear until about a week—give or take a few days—after I’ve mentioned the book for The Friday 56. That’s due to how I have things scheduled. The same thing kind of applies to ARC’s. Except, I will post the reviews closer to release date which has little to nothing to do with how I regularly schedule posts.

(Random weekly question from February 27th) Have you ever accidentally destroyed a book? Such as accidentally dropped it in the tub, or run it over with a bike? How about accidentally on purpose or simply purposefully?

I don’t recall ever intentionally destroying a book, but some of my most read, well-loved favorites have tattered covers and dog-eared pages. But that’s a small price I’m willing to pay for getting to reread all of my favorite scenes over and over again. After all, what’s the point of having so many books if I’m not willing to just enjoy them?

(Random weekly question from March 20th) What do think of fairy tales in general? The book versions and their movie counter parts?

Well, in general, I do like fairy tales and have specific favorites that I always go back to. There are some that I don’t like as much, but that’s just a personal preference of mine. I’m not really that picky when it comes to the movie and/or book version, because more often than not, there’s going to be aspects about both that I really enjoyed or don't like as much. Although, I will say that it’s always fun to see those characters come to life on the screen. This question reminds me about how much I actually enjoy movies based on fairy tales. I’m mostly in it for the magic, scenery, story, and the atmosphere that those things create.

Other Musings...

After I've gotten through some other stuff I need to do, I'm going to finally read The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Hopefully, that'll be sometime this week. Anyway, this is one of my most anticipated 2017 new releases, and I’m really looking forward to reading it.

Synopsis from Goodreads…

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life...

 What are you reading this week?

Music Monday (19) Rag'n'Bone Man, La'Porsha Renae + Upcoming Music

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Originally, I only had one song to share this week, but my co-blogger, Andrea, mentioned an album that's coming out soon. More on that later. First, I'm going to start with Human by Rag’n’Bone Man. I’ll admit that I only recently heard about this song, and that’s because a video game trailer happened to be the ad I got stuck watching—which turned out to be the best ad ever, because I love this song so much! There is something so addictive about Human. I can’t tell if it’s just the lyrics, vocals, or the beat. I suspect that it’s a combination of all three. I recommend giving it a listen.

Okay, remember how I mentioned that album? Well, now I'm going to talk about it. La'Porsha Renae's Already All Ready album is going to come out in about 4 days from now. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am for this album. But for now, you can check out her What Is Love song.

Are there any albums you're looking forward to? If so, tell me in the comments down below.