Top 10 Favorite Booktubers

Hey, y'all! This is the seventh post in a 10-post series listing some of my favorite things. The first seven posts are lists of my current all-time favorites, while the last 3 posts include only favorites of 2015.

If you want to check out the other lists/posts in this series, you can check them out here:

A Few of My Favorite Things [2015]

So, originally, I was going to only have one list that was unranked, but I got into this list and was having a ton of trouble ranking them. So once again, I have a list of favorites, this time separated out into 3 different sections-- lower, middle, and top tiers. While I love a lot more booktubers, these are just the ones that I tend to watch the most regularly.

Lower Tier Baes

WellDoneBooks

Max, also known as WellDoneBooks, is a pretty recent fave. We tend to reach for very different genres and types of books, but I really like his personality and discussions, as well as his non-book videos, such as a recent one about his favorite podcasts (some of which have now become my favorite podcasts).

polandbananasBOOKS

I've been watching Christine regularly for about a year and a half. Sometimes, her personality is a bit too much, but she's always a lot of fun and has a good variety of videos. She tends to read mostly books that are really popular, which means that she tends to have reviews on books that I'm interested in reading. 

Riley Marie

Riley is another more recent favorite. I started watching her earlier this year, and she's become somewhat of a staple in my booktube viewing. We have somewhat similar tastes, but it's really her personality that keeps me watching.

Middle Tier Baes

Elisabeth Paige

I first discovered Elisabeth through Regan (from PeruseProject) when she had less than a thousand subscribers, and she's been a favorite ever since. I also subscribe to her second channel, which is mostly vlogs devoted to her writing. I just really like her personality and a lot of the books she reads.

padfootandprongs07

I've been watching Raeleen for about two years at this point, but she's only recently risen to one of my favorites. It's really interesting to follow her reading challenge each year as she does it, and I feel like she reads a really interesting variety of books. Even though we don't always have the same taste in books, I do tend to really trust her reviews, and I have really enjoyed watching her videos lately. 

Jessethereader

Jesse was one of the first booktubers that I watched, and I've watched him regularly ever since. I watch him mostly for his personality. While we do enjoy some of the same books, a lot of the genres/books that he actively seeks out aren't really my favorite things, and we often have differing opinions on the books that we do read. That being said, I still really enjoy his videos just because of how sweet and fun he is. His videos are always just really fun to watch.

Top Tier Baes

Lindsey Rey

I've actually only been watching Lindsey since the beginning of 2015, but she's become one of my absolute favorites very quickly. I'm constantly impressed by the sheer number of books that she's able to read, and I generally really trust her reviews. On top of that, the vast majority of videos that she makes are ones that really interest me. There are a lot of books that have been added to my TBR because of her.

Ermahgerd Berks

I'm so glad that these two have begun making videos again. I missed them so much in 2015. Jeff is possibly my most-trusted reviewer on booktube. While I definitely read a lot of books that aren't his thing, I know that if he reads a book and really enjoys it, I'm also going to really love it. Technically, it is Jamie's channel, and I do love her solo videos, but I just love the dynamic between the two of them.

Katytastic

Kat was my entryway to booktube (as, I think, she was for most people!) and she remains a favorite for me. She's always really in the know and up to date on upcoming releases and I really trust her reviews. She also just makes interesting content. Whenever one of her videos pops up in my sub box, I know it's one I'm going to really enjoy. She just has really cool and interesting ideas and I love her personality.

PeruseProject

And finally, last but not least, Regan from PeruseProject! I've been watching her for about two years, so she's another of the long-term faves. Not all of the books that she reads are my thing, but she reads some really cool fantasy, much of which has been added to my TBR because of her. This goes without saying, given that she's in my top-tier, but she's another of my most trusted reviewers. If she reads a book that sounds interesting to me and she really enjoys it, it will almost certainly be added to my TBR.

So, those are my absolute favorite booktubers! I definitely watch more, but these are the ones that I tend to watch most regularly. Which booktubers are your favorites? Let me know down in the comments?

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Top 10 Books on my "World-Building 101" Syllabus!

Hey, y'all! So, for the third week in a row, I'll be participating in Top 10 Tuesday, hosted on The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is actually partially self chosen. The idea is to choose your top 10 books you would include on your _______ 101 syllabus. And you fill in the blank with a topic, which could be something general like "Fantasy" or more specific like "Magic Schools." Since I'm a huge stickler for world-building, I decided that I would make my class World-Building 101. This week, my list starts with the examples of good world-building, and then the last three are ones I'd use as not-so-great world-building. Also, HP is not on the list, because I'd just assume that everyone already is aware of its perfection.

1. The Merchant of Death (Pendragon #1)

by DJ MacHale

I've talked about this series quite a bit as far as world-building goes. The problem here is that I would want the class to read all 10 books just to understand how great all of the world-building in this series is. Especially since I think that some of the best world-building is in some of the later books. Either way, I just really love the world-building in the series and think it's a great example.

2. Ready Player One

by Ernest Cline

I think that this one would be really interesting because I feel like this would bring some good discussion to the class. The vast majority of people seem to love this book, but the biggest dissension between people's opinions seems to come from their opinions on the world-building. Some people seem to think that it's a bit info-dump-y and some people really enjoy it. And since I think it's really great world-building, I would love to see debate on how it's set up and what makes it great or questionable. 

3. Across the Universe (Across The Universe #1)

by Beth Revis

I think I'd actually prefer for the class to read all three books, because I feel like the thing that makes this world-building so outstanding is that it's really spread out across all three books as the world changes and develops. Across the Universe is some of the best world-building I've come across in YA literature, and I think that this would be an outstanding example.

4. The Body Electric

by Beth Revis

Once again, a Beth Revis novel on the list! Can you tell that I really respect her world-building? It's amazing how quickly and subtly that Beth Revis can present a world to you. It's so well done, non-invasive, and un-complicatedly constructed. I can't imagine her ever being accused of info-dumping.

5. The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles #1)

by Patrick Rothfuss

THIS BOOK. The world-build is phenomenal. Everything from the magic system to the history of the world is incorporated into the story in a non-invasive way. It's just so well constructed and I give him mad props. 

6. The Bone Season (Bone Season #1)

by Samantha Shannon

I guess this is more of a magic-build than a world-build but when it comes to fantasy, I feel that the magic-build often is the way to go about the world-build. Once again, some people think this is info-dump-y and confusing, and some really love it so it would once again make for some really interesting discussion.

7. The Final Empire (Mistborn #1)

by Brandon Sanderson

I mean, honestly, how could I make this list and not give Brandon Sanderson at least one slot? The scene in this book where Vin learns about allomancy is one of the best scenes in the entire trilogy, and the world-build cannot be touched. 

OK, so now on to some that would be great for learning how NOT to world-build.

8. The Giver (Giver #1)

by Lois Lowry

Now, I'm not saying that this is a bad book by any means. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. My problem with the world-build in this is that I just think it's an underdeveloped world. The reader doesn't really know much about the world outside of the immediate things facing the main character. I just feel like the world-build has tunnel vision, and I'd prefer to see the whole picture. 

9. Fahrenheit 451

by Ray Bradbury

My reasoning for this one is pretty much the same as with The Giver. The world-build is very tunnel vision. Books are burned because freedom of thought is not allowed. OK. Got it. But there needs to be more to the why. How did we get to this point? What else is incredibly restrictive about the world? I just need a broader view. 

10. Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)

by Tahereh Mafi

Full disclosure, I really don't like this trilogy, especially this book. I would've gotten rid of my copies if not for the pretty covers. I do understand that the trilogy is a romance first and a dystopian second. However, I do still feel like this is a great example of how not to world-build. Because Tahereh Mafi was focusing almost solely upon the romance, the world-build is almost nonexistent. It's a generic dystopian society. How/why did the society get to this point? What is the society like outside of the very isolated settings in the novels? No idea, because it's not addressed. Yes, I think that Tahereh Mafi did exactly what she intended to do with the world, and I understand that (although I don't really respect it, per se). However, if you want to write a book with a fully developed, fleshed out world, Shatter Me is a great example of what not to do.

So, that's it for my post on the books that would be on my World-Building Syllabus! There were definitely several books that I had to cut (both good and not-so-great) so maybe I'll end up doing a part 2 to this list!

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The Lunar Chronicles Series Review [Books 1-3] SPOILER FREE!

Hey, y'all! So today I'm going to be reviewing all 3 books that are out of the Lunar Chronicles series!

Series Overview

The Lunar Chronicles series is a four-book sci-fi dystopian series by Marissa Meyer. Each book focuses on a new main character, while including the main characters from the previous books. Individually, each book in the series is a fairy tale retelling, and they combine to create a really intriguing story about an evil queen and a large cast of characters working to bring her down. As of now, the first three books (Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress) have been published, as well as a prequel novella called Fairest. The conclusion to the series, Winter, is set to be released in fall of 2015.

Cinder

Cinder, as is probably obvious from the title and cover, is a retelling of Cinderella. Cinder takes place in the future in New Beijing, where 16 year old Cinder is a mechanic. She's also a cyborg. Because of an accident when she was younger, one of her feet and one of her arms have been replaced by metallic parts. As a deadly illness plagues humans and the relationship between Earthens and Lunar residents strains, Cinder finds her life intersecting with Prince Kai's and finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle.  

There were a lot of things that I really enjoyed about Cinder. The first was... Cinder! I thought that she was a really great main character. She's not exactly the "Cinderella" stereotype. She's intelligent and resourceful, not totally lovesick, and not willing to be walked all over. Her main purpose within the story differs greatly from the original tale, and she is a much more substantial character, which I appreciated greatly.

I actually just finished a class about German fairy tales, and that helped me to appreciate Cinder even more. The original tale's plot is easy to recognize within the book, but it never feels like it's trying too hard to remain true to the source material. The use of the original tale is never heavy handed, which was one of the best aspects of the book. The modernization is drastically different and cleverly done, and I really, really enjoyed the way that worked within the book. 

As for the world-build, I would say that it's good. The world was well-developed, but nothing stood out to me as particularly amazing or outstanding. This might partially be because some of the technology reminded me of technology I've read in other books. I'm not claiming that it stole concepts, or anything like that, I just think that it could have been slightly more creative in that aspect.

The one complaint that I did have about Cinder had to do with the foreshadowing. Obviously, we all already know the story of the original tale. However, this is separate. Some elements of the book were very heavily alluded to, long before they were revealed. And, while this didn't necessarily take away my overall enjoyment of the book, it did take away some surprises that I feel could have been clever and interesting.

Aside from a couple minor flaws, I really enjoyed Cinder and decided to give it 9 stars out of 10.

Scarlet

Scarlet, as is probably obvious once again, is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Scarlet mostly takes place in France and is focused upon our newest main character, Scarlet (go figure). Her grandmother disappeared shortly before the beginning of this book, and alongside a mysterious new companion named Wolf, Scarlet attempts to discover what happened to her grandmother. 

My opinions on the characters in this book are a bit more ambiguous than my opinions on the characters in Cinder. In general, I think that I would say that I like both Wolf and Scarlet, but I still feel slightly hesitant to even say that. Maybe I just haven't fully formed my opinion on them. I think I can definitively say that between all of the important characters presented within the first two books, Cinder is my favorite. With Captain Thorne (a new character introduced in Scarlet) as a close second. I thought he was annoying at first, but he's grown on me quite a bit. The guy never fails to make me laugh. 

One thing that the book did really well was integrating Scarlet's story with the continuation of Cinder's. When I started the series, I was under the impression that each novel was going to be a succinct story that all fit together to form an overarching plot, and that is definitely not the situation at all. It's clear at the end of Cinder that her story is not yet complete and that made me really curious to see how the back and forth was handled within the coming books. And, like I said, I thought that the two plots were integrated really nicely. 

Like with Cinder, the original tale is definitely recognizable, but never overbearing, which (as I said before) I really enjoyed. Overall, I enjoyed the book and had minor problems with it but decided to give it 8.5 stars out of 10 because I did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Cinder. I thought Cinder's plot was more exciting and its characters more interesting and just overall enjoyed it more than Scarlet.

Cress

Once again, this is probably quite obvious from the cover, but Cress is a retelling of Rapunzel. Cress has been locked within a satellite for most of her life and in that time has become a pretty accomplished hacker. She wants nothing more than to get off of her satellite, and she might have just finally discovered her way out...

So far, Cress is my least favorite character. Not just of the main girls, but of all of the lead characters. I don't hate her, I'm just not a big fan. This makes me extremely glad that the story doesn't just focus on her plot. However, I do have to mention that I did think that the plot hit a bit of a lull not too far into this book. That generally doesn't happen in this series, since there are so many different plots weaving together and even if one is a little slow, the rest have something interesting going on, but it just hit a point where all of them weren't extremely intriguing and therefore it felt a little slow. HOWEVER, that's not to say that I didn't like it-- it just wasn't quite as interesting as the rest of the book.

However, that's the only semi-negative thing that I have to say about this book, because the rest of it was awesome. Once the lull ended, the plot got really intriguing and built up more and more toward the AWESOME last 150 pages. Seriously, though, I'm pretty sure that I got through the last 150 pages in slightly over an hour. I'm a pretty fast reader, and with a book that's as easy to read as this one, I can usually get through about 100 pages in an hour. But 150, that's just crazy fast even for me. I was just so invested in what was going on because it had this great mix of action and information reveals and it just kept me on my toes and kept me flying through it. 

Once again, I also really enjoyed the way that the original tale was reworked into this story. Overall, despite the lull that I felt occurred during this one, the rest of the book made up for that and more. I decided to give it 9.5 stars out of 10 because what even was that ending?!

Overall Thoughts

I really like this series, and I can't wait to see what happens in Winter. As far as the world, it's not my absolute favorite world nor is it my favorite part of the book, but I do really like it. I think that the world was built well and subtly, without any sort of info dumping. However, some of the things within the world are slightly reminiscent of some other books I've read, and while that might not be the Lunar Chronicles' fault, it doesn't seem quite as fresh when I've experienced it within another book.

Overall, I would say that I think that the overall plot is more intriguing than any of the individual plots has been so far. That's not to say that I don't like the individual plots, but rather that the whole is better than the sum of its parts.

In general, the characters are also really great. They each have a very distinct personality, and the range of personalities within them is incredibly diverse.

In the end, this series has quickly become an all-time favorite for me, and I am now among the large group of fans who are eagerly awaiting the release of Winter in the fall.

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