#Cayla Keenan

[between-the-pages657]

I’ve finished “Catching Stars” and I am so glad it’s over. I still don’t understand why these two characters care about each other. Usually I would be all about the “Using the love interest as collateral” trope, but it personally doesn’t work for me here because there is no chemistry between them.

[boyslit]

too shy to reblog so i'll make my own post lol :3c tagged by @ladymalchav <3

3 ships: hmm. Sharkface/Locus forever of course, CaeSam naturally and recently Qingque/Gepard has been rotating in my brain like rotissierie chicken

First Ever Ship: god this was forever ago and my memory is bad but I want to say Bakura/Malik from Yugioh

Last Song: Coheed and Cambria - The End Complete IV: The Road and the Damned

Last Movie: *blink* I don't have attention span for movies. I'm pretty sure the last one I watched was like... back in June? Secondhand Lions

Currently reading: still attempting to make my way through Catching Stars by Cayla Keenan. it's really good!! the adhd is just making me its bitch

Currently Watching: rewatching Hoozuki's Coolheadedness/Hoozuki no Reitetsu <3

Currently consuming: i'm eyeballing this mushroom soup I made but I genuinely don't know if I want it

Currently craving: pudding... </3

if u want to play consider urself tagged <333

[willreadforbooze]

DRUNK REVIEW: Catching Stars by Cayla Keenan

Catching Stars by Cayla Keenan Reviewed by Sam! What I drank prior: i had one of the weirdest day. I woke up pissed off for some reason and just couldnt kick it… so Parker drank with me on FaceTime. Goodreads Overview: Jayin Ijaad is in hiding. A witch with powerful abilities, she carves out a life for herself in the slums of Pavaal, a city rotting from the inside out. When an old…

[literary-lion]

Books On My Spring 2019 TBR | Top Ten Tuesday

Books On My Spring 2019 TBR | Top Ten Tuesday

The topic this week is Books On My Spring 2019 TBR!

I can never actually stick with these. I always fail my TBR challenges. I’m hoping I’ll be different this year but the truth is I’ll probably fail this one too. That’s alright, I’m still reading after all! Just not the books I initially planned on reading…I feel so bad for the ones that will sit unread for months and months more – but here are…

[i-breathe-therefore-i-read]

May’s ‘Fight Like a Girl’ Owlcrate has not one but two books!

🏖Next month’s theme is “Summer Lovin’ “ [the book is about a girl who dreams of being a groundbreaking filmmaker! It centers around a summer film festival and all sorts of shenanigans ensue!]

[booksandrandomfandoms]

CATCHING STARS by Cayla Keenan This book was pretty good It had magic and traveling and just so much stuff in it but I loved all of it The main male character kinda pissed me off a little... I don’t like a lot of things he said and I feel that he’s barley made a change in him, like they say he has but I just don’t believe it I feel like it’s kind of the enemies to lovers trope and idk I think I just want to see him suffer a little for the things he said before they get together... like I know he’s seen and experienced things that have changed his opinion and all but I don’t feel like he’s really gone through a change (this probably doesn’t make sense and I think I’m rambling but🤷‍♀️) I really did enjoy this book and I wish there was a way for some characters to come back but I really hope I never see Hale again 🙄(supposedly he’s a villain but I just find him really annoying)

[btwnseaandsun]

OwlCrate May 2018 Review

I absolutely loved this month’s crate. The wall hanging is beautiful and the perfect size.The bath bomb is so gorgeous, I don’t even want to use it. Out of Print has a ton of incredible stuff so I was so excited to get something from them. I was so excited to hear that this crate would include two books! I don’t even know which one to start first!

Click the pictures for details on each item. Most items are exclusive to OwlCrate; but be sure to check out the creators, they have some amazing things for sale!

Featured Creators: Out of Print, Indigo Eleven, Evie Bookish, Whipped Up Wonderful, and Melanie Bourgeois.

[kieranhiggins]

Owlcrate Unboxing May 2018 (Fight Like a Girl)

[between-the-pages657]

I’m so bummed because this book has one of my favorite tropes, but I’m honestly so bored.

[boyslit]

suffering the past five hours belching/feeling like some kid's baking soda/vinegar balloon science project but at least i hacked my miserable past time of pacing the halls by buckling down to read a book I've been meaning to

Catching Stars by Cayla Keenan is pretty good so far

[thekindworthreading]

[literary-lion]

March 2019 | Wrap Up

March 2019 | Wrap Up

There was nothing particularly special about March to be quite honest. I kept working, got sick for a bit, enjoyed some time with my boyfriend…but genuinely it was just a normal month. I miss the holidays. I did, however, get through more books than usual. So far I’m doing really well with reading this year and getting through books that have been on my TBR for way too long. I’ll get through all…

[pridebooks]

so uh.... here I am

Books in the picture:

Looking For Alaska by John Green (needed a new copy)

Timekeeper by Tara Sim

Chainbreaker by Tara Sim

Beyond The Black Door by A. M. Strickland

The Magician King by Lev Grossman

White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee

Crier’s War by Nina Varela

Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz

Ruin of Stars by Linsey Miller

Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan

This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender

The Outside by Ada Hoffmann

Catching Stars by Cayla Keenan

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy

An Accident of Stars by Foz Meadows

[sampagnereads]

Hi, lovelies! It’s the most exciting time of the year again, aka the O.W.L.s readathon! This readathon is hosted by G over at BookRoast, and the main idea of it is that you’re reading books to pass your Ordinary Wizarding Levels. This year, though, G added another side of it and created a document full of magical careers and the exams you’d need to pass to achieve them, and so I’m even more excited than I was last year! For more information on the readathon, please check G’s announcement video right here. 

Just so you know, I’ve decided to become a healer, which means that I absolutely need the following O.W.L.s: Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, Transfiguration, and three other subjects up to me. However, my goal is to complete all the exams, and so I’ll be aiming to read at least 12 books this month! 

Under the cut, you’ll find my tbr!

( LOW PRIORITY ) ANCIENT RUNES — RETELLING

For this class, I’ve decided to read Kissing the Witch, by Emma Donoghue. This is a collection of short fairy tale retellings that focus on women, women saving themselves, and women saving each other. It also apparently has sapphic relationships, which I’m really excited to read. Also, this is a pretty short book, which makes it perfect for a readathon. Add to that the fact that it’s a collection of short stories, which I usually read quickly, and you’ve got the best readathon book, basically.

( MEDIUM PRIORITY ) ARITHMANCY — WORK WRITTEN BY MORE THAN ONE AUTHOR

For this class, I’ve decided to read Lumberjanes, Vol. 10: Parents’ Day, by Shannon Watters, Kat Leyh, Ayme Sotuyo & Maarta Laiho. This is the tenth volume in the Lumberjanes series, which is a series that follows a group of girls and non-binary folks who go to a summer camp to become Lumberjanes, aka something akin to girl scouts. I’ve rated the first six volumes of this series somewhere between a 3 and a 3.5 stars, but ever since the 7th volume, they’ve been getting very strong four stars from me. Therefore, I’m highly anticipating reading this volume for the readathon, and I already have it borrowed from the library, which means that I can for sure get to it in April!

( LOW PRIORITY ) ASTRONOMY — “STAR” IN THE TITLE

For this class, I’ve decided to read The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson. Honestly, I don’t know much about this book. I know it’s a mystery, possibly a paranormal one, and that’s about as far as my knowledge of it goes. I don’t currently own this book, but I’m like 90% sure I’m getting it for my birthday on March 29, and worst case scenario? I’m pretty sure I can borrow it from the library or buy it on my Kobo for cheaper. And even then, I have another book with “star” in the title in my physical TBR, and though I’m not SUPER excited about it at the moment, I’m keeping it as an option! (That second option book is Catching Stars, by Cayla Keenan, by the way.)

( MEDIUM PRIORITY ) CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES — LAND ANIMAL ON THE COVER

For this class, I’ll most likely be reading The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power, by Ryan North & Erica Henderson. This comic literally has a squirrel on the cover, which I’m sure you’ve guessed thanks to the name, and so it fits perfectly with this challenge. To be completely honest with you, I don’t know much about this comic, except for the fact that it seems amazing. They have it at my library, too, so I should be able to get to this one quite easily! Problem is, I don’t have it out from the library yet, so I might not be able to get to it in April. Worst case scenario, I’ll be reading The Storm Runner, by J.C. Cervantes, which has a dog on the back of the cover! (EDIT: There’s a slight chance I’ll instead read Catwoman: Soulstealer, as I still haven’t read it even though I borrowed it from the library last week.)

( HIGH PRIORITY ) CHARMS — ADULT BOOK

For this class, I’ve decided to read Daydreams of Angels, by Heather O’Neill. This is a collection of short stories that have been described as “fable-like tales”, so to say that I’m excited to read it would be an understatement. My mother read the French translation of it last year, loved it, and thought that I would love it too. Therefore, she bought it for me in English last Christmas, as she knows I prefer reading a book in its original language if possible, and now I get to read it for this readathon! Honestly, I’ve been itching to get to this book for a while now, and I can’t wait for April!

( HIGH PRIORITY ) DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS — TITLE STARTS WITH “R”

For this class, I’ll be reading Royal Wedding, by Meg Cabot. This is the last book to have come out in The Princess Diaries, and is the only adult book out of this whole series. This series follows Mia, a regular girl who one day finds out that she’s the princess of a small European country. This was my favourite series when I was younger, even more so than Harry Potter, and I absolutely cannot wait to see these characters again! It feels like it’s been so long since I last read a book in that series, and I am thoroughly excited to get back into it.

( LOW PRIORITY ) DIVINATION — SET IN THE FUTURE

For this class, I’ll be reading Queen Song, by Victoria Aveyard. This is a prequel novella set in the Red Queen universe, and though I’ve read all the books that are out already, I’ve yet to read the novellas. Fortunately for me, this particular novella is available at my library through OverDrive, so that’s where I’ll be reading it! And though I won’t be prioritizing this class, as I don’t really see how useful Divination would be to me, as a healer, I’ll probably read it pretty early on in the month since it’s so short. 

( HIGH PRIORITY ) HERBOLOGY — PLANT ON THE COVER

For this class, I’m planning on reading Frida, c’est moi, by Sophie Faucher & Cara Carmina. This is a children’s picture book about Frida Kahlo, and I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it from basically everyone around me. It’s also 30 pages long, with very little text, which makes it perfect for a readathon. Also, since Herbology is one of the classes I absolutely need to become a Healer, I’ll definitely be prioritizing this book, and it might even be my first read of the readathon.

( MEDIUM PRIORITY ) HISTORY OF MAGIC — PUBLISHED 10+ YEARS AGO

For this class, I’m definitely going to be reading Les Trois mousquetaires (The Three Musketeers), by Alexandre Dumas! This is a French classic, and though it’s been a while since I read in French, it is my first language, and I will therefore be reading this book in its original language! I honestly watched the movie version of it so often when I was little, that I’m thoroughly excited to get back into this story. Also, it’s the book of the month for the Classics’ Support Group I’m hosting, so it all works out perfectly!

( MEDIUM PRIORITY ) MUGGLE STUDIES — CONTEMPORARY

For this class, I’ll be reading Belly Up, by Eva Darrows. I was lucky enough to get an e-ARC of this book, and since it’s coming out at the end of April, I thought it’d be perfect for me to read it during the readathon. This book follows a teen who becomes pregnant, and has been compared to, not only Juno (which I liked), but also to Gilmore Girls (which I adore and re-watch often). Therefore, to say that I’m excited to read this book would be quite the understatement. 

( HIGH PRIORITY ) POTIONS — SEQUEL

For this class, I shall be reading Gone Rogue, by Marissa Meyer & Stephen Gilpin. This is the sequel to Wires and Nerve, a graphic novel that takes place in the world of The Lunar Chronicles after the events of the last book, Winter. I really, really liked Wires and Nerve, which surprised me since I had picked it up on a whim, and can’t wait to get to this one! Problem is, it’s a library book, so there is a slight chance I won’t be able to get my hands on it during April. If that happens, I’ll instead be reading A Swiftly Tilting Planet, by Madeleine L’Engle. 

( HIGH PRIORITY ) TRANSFIGURATION — SPRAYED EDGES OR RED COVER

For this class, I’m planning on reading Heart of Iron, by Ashley Poston! Both because it’s the only book I own with sprayed edges that I haven’t read yet, but also because I’ve been itching to read it for a while now. I had actually started the book last year, but since I remember very little of it, I will be re-starting it all over from the beginning. I do remember the fact that I really liked what I had read, though, and am therefore very pumped to get back to this book!

Aaaaand, that’s it! Here are all the books I’m planning on reading for the 2019 O.W.L.s! I might end up reading more books than those twelve during the month, but either way, I’ll have had a very good reading month! School does come first, though, so there is a chance I won’t be able to get to all these books, but let’s hope I manage to organize my free time well enough so that I can read all of these.

[sqreviews]

Catching Stars Review

“Catching Stars" by Cayla Keenan is one of my favorite indie fantasy novels that I have read.  It has an expansive world that feels real and tangible, characters that you can identify with and root for, and a killer ending that opens itself for many theories and a possible sequel, although to my dismay I have not heard any news of one to be written.

Jayin Ijaad is in hiding. A witch with powerful abilities, she carves out a life for herself in the slums of Pavaal, a city rotting from the inside out. When an old acquaintance tracks her down, Jayin is dragged back into a world she tried to escape -- and is determined to escape again.

Maddix Kell is on the run. After two years in prison for crimes he did not commit, Maddix escapes and seeks out a legendary order of witchhunters who are his only chance to find justice.

But all is not as it seems and Maddix soon finds himself on the run from the people he sought as allies. When their paths collide, Jayin and Maddix must put aside their prejudices and forge an uneasy alliance that could crumble at any moment. But if they want to survive in Aestos -- a brutal kingdom where magic and corruption lie hand in hand and enemies lurk around every corner -- they must first survive each other. (Via Goodreads)

Keenan captures the reader's attention and holds fast as you read through- even the opening sentence immediately snatches your mind. "Maddix wasn't afraid of witches." Who is Maddix? Should he be afraid? Why isn't he? Throughout the prologue you can plainly see Maddix's contempt of witches and magic users, and also his need to prove himself- traits that run throughout most of the book and set up a rather lovely character arc for Maddix- not to mention the whole demonic possession and subsequent murder spree that follows the end of the prologue.

In the chapters from Jayin's point of view (and the whole novel), Keenan does a rather astounding job of fitting into her characters and making them feel real and tangible- from the very first page of Jayin's POV we can tell she has a certain swagger about her, not to mention a sort of rough confidence and heart of gold. I may be biased, as swaggering magic-wielding kick-butt ladies are by far one of my favorite character archetypes. The main plot of the story kicks off with Jayin coming face to face with a palace witch from her past with a job for her- to find the escaped murderer Maddix Kell. She calls Jayin by her street name of sorts- the "Gullwitch" and needs Jayin for her astounding magical talent in reading people and locating them.

Maddix ends up being picked up by witch hunters, and soon joins their ranks. Jayin then seeks a talented fire mage who loathes his powers and owes her a debt and they (over the course of a time) become quite close as  they charter a ship together to escape from the palace witches, we find Jayin lowering her barriers and finding peace out on the open seas- that is until Maddix and the witch hunters attack the party as they reached the shore. Ending with the death of Jayin's friend, and his peace with his own magic in his final breaths. Jayin is captured, and a turn of events leads her to escape nearly dead with Maddix and he ends up binding the two's life together so that he can use her magic to clear his name.

I realize that I have been dragging on too long, and will leave the rest up to you if you finish this wonderfully twist-riddled tale. All in all Catching Stars has a rich and wonderfully understandable magic system, deeply satisfying character arcs, wonderfully written characters, both main and background and a plot that will keep you wrapped up in it tight and won't let you go. I will admit I first read this all in one sitting and didn't put it down (much to my sleep schedule's dismay, I might add) and I am anxiously awaiting a sequel so I can find resolution in the amazing twist of an ending Keenan constructed.

You can find this book on Amazon for less than 5 dollars and I would emphatically recommend doing it (especially with vacation season coming up!)

Remember, books were made to be loved (and so were you)

XOXO Nikki