Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Sunday Review!: 6.28.15 (Part II)
Author:
Kiersten White
Number of
Pages: 275
Publisher:
Harper Teen
Rating:
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
** ARC: This
book was given to me in exchange for an honest review
“Shadows
go in front of you, leading into your future, and trail behind you, leaving a
part of you in the past. They are clearest when we are in the light, and
disappear when we lose ourselves in darkness.” – Finn
Jessamin has been an outcast since she
moved from her island home to study in the dreary country of Albion. Everything
changes when she meets Finn, an enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the
secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t
–
power, money, status … and magic. But Finn has dangerous secrets, which his
enemies are desperate to uncover –
and Jessamin, armed solely with her wits and her determination, is the only one
who can stop them.
“His
lips are soft and warm and fit mine like the answer to an equation I didn’t
know I was trying to solve.” –
Jessamin
The beautiful cover is what drew me in
right away. It’s just so pretty! I
was going through some giveaways and BOOM! this one caught my eye; and after
reading the quick blurb I just had to have it. So I entered, but wrote down the
title so I remembered to look for it when it came out. I was beyond ecstatic to
win it!
It did take me a while to get around to
reading it; which was NOT the book and/or author’s fault. (The book was amazing, but I’m getting to that.) I
just had a span of time where I couldn’t read anything in the 1800s time frame
and taking place in Britain (which Albion basically is). Seriously, I could
barely get through the first Infernal
Devices book and had to take a sabbatical from that genre. In a way, I’m
glad I waited, because I cannot describe how much I ended up loving this novel.
“I
plan on studying history scholars.” –
Finn
First and foremost, I am in love with
Finn. I giggle like a schoolgirl every time he opened his mouth or did
anything. He was so rakishly charming and witty. *heart eyes*
Now that that bit of gush is out of the
way, let’s talk about the rest of the novel. The characters were all lovable,
most especially: Finn, Jessamin, and Eleanor. They were so sassy, in that witty
British way; you know, where they’re being polite but still getting jabs in. I
loved every minute of it. I hated how everyone (except Jessamin) underestimated
Eleanor, but I guess that was part of her ruse. If no one paid attention to
her, no one knew where the mischief was coming from. I think out of all the
characters, she ended up being my favorite.
I was also very intrigued with the how
White used the Ancient Greek name for Great Britain, Albion. As I started
reading the book, I kept thinking how similar the world, customs, and
mannerisms were very British. So, I looked up the name Albion and came up with
it being the oldest name for Great Britain. It tickled me pink to have guessed
right (not that it would have taken a genius to figure out), but I like when
authors do that –
use old names for a “new” world they are giving to us readers. It makes the
historian in me go “I see what you did there”. ^-^
I was a little disappointed when the
reveal for our bad guy, Lord Downpike, finally came up. But it was enough of a
disappointment to retract any points, in my opinion. At that point, I was so
invested in whether Jessamin was going to stop being a blockhead and realize her
feelings for Finn that I didn’t care much.
Oh! and I almost forgot. This doesn’t
pertain to the review, but I liked how Jessamin came from a culture whose
language allowed for eleven different words for “love”. I have always wondered
WHY this English language is limited only one word when there are so many
different feelings that go with that word.
“I
did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my
best to protect you now that you have.” – Finn
Sunday Review!: 6.28.15 (Part I)
Title:
Red Queen
Author:
Victoria Aveyard
Number of Pages: 383
Publisher: Harper Teen
Rating:
<3 <3 <3 <3 <
“Rise, red as the dawn.” –
Scarlet Guard
Mare
Barrow’s world is divided by blood – those with red and those with silver. Mare and her
family are lowly Reds, destined to serve the Silver elite whose supernatural
abilities make them nearly gods. Mare steals what she can to help her family
survive, but when her best friend is conscripted into the army, she gambles
everything to win his freedom. A twist of fate leads her to the royal palace
itself, where, in front of the king and all his nobles, she discovers a power
of her own – an ability she didn’t know she had. Except …
her blood is Red.
To hide this impossibility, the king forces her into the role
of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is
drawn further into the Silver world, she risks her new position to aid the
Scarlet Guard – the leaders of a Red rebellion. Her actions put
into motion a deadly and violent dance, pitting prince against prince – and Mare against her own heart.
“We destroy.
It’s the constant of our kind. No matter
the color of blood, man will always fall.” – Julian
I picked up this book because I saw a little “advertisement”
for it on Goodreads. It was before it was even published and the tagline: “Power is a dangerous game” caught my
attention. Not to mention the simple, but gorgeous
cover. I mean, a silver crown dripping with blood; add that with the catch line
and that was all I need to pique my interest.
“Anyone can
betray anyone.” – Julian
I will say, the first half of the book dragged. I didn’t really like it, but I understood why it did. The author was building a
new world and wanted to make sure her audience understood the government,
culture, etc., so that when things did start
rolling, there weren’t any blank spots.
However, a little heart-pounding/suspense would have been appreciated to keep the
interest alive. I will admit I almost put it down after 200 pages without so
much as a tiny blip in my heart rate. The only reason I kept trucking along was
because I was in the swimming pool and didn’t have access to another book. But good thing I did keep with it,
because right after that turn pointing, my heart almost collapsed with all the
betrayals and just craziness that was
happening. There was barely time to breathe!
The first half of the book’s
pacing is the only reason I detracted ½
a point in my rating (4.5/5). I really did thoroughly enjoy the rest of the
book. The world Aveyard created was remarkable; her characters were complex and
(in some cases) diabolical. I loved them; even the “bad guys”.
The were the ones who could really rile you up and you loved them for that.
“The truth
is what I make. I could set this world on fire and call it rain.”
–
Maven
Friday, June 26, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Books and Cupcakes Book Photo Challenge
Day 23: Quote
"The problem with my life was that it was someone else's idea."
- Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Day 22: Reading Next
Day 17: All the Feels
These 5 made me feel hopelessness, rage, giddiness, hope and everything possible in between. Each one. No mercy.
Day 16: Book Stack
Stack of Shadowhunters <3
Day 15: Makes Me Happy
Chaol x Celaena = *heart eyes*
Day 14: Book Haul
So ... I may not be allowed back in the bookstore for the rest of summer. This is the damage I did just in June. I will say, I didn't pay full price for a single one. Most were clearance or 50%+ off.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Sunday Review: 6.21.15 (Part II)
Date Read: 6.17.15
Title: He’s
Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys
Author: Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3
Synopsis: He says:
Oh
sure, they say they’re busy. They say that they didn’t have even a moment in
their insanely busy day to pick up the phone. It was just that crazy. All lies.
With the advent of cell phones and speed dialing, it is almost impossible not to call you. Sometimes I call people
from my pants pocket when I don’t even mean to. If I were into you, you would
be the bright spot in my horribly busy day. Which would be a day that I would
never be too busy to call you.
She says:
There is something great about
knowing that my only job is to be as happy as I can be about my life and feel
as good as I can about myself, and to lead as full and eventful a life as I
can, so that it doesn’t ever feel like I’m just waiting around for some guy to
ask me out. And most importantly, it’s god for us all to remember that we don’t
need to scheme and plot, or beg anyone to ask us out. We’re fantastic.
My thoughts: I recently re-watched the movie and
forgot I had the book. A book my BFF let me borrow eons ago. So I sat down and
read it (as well as all the little notes, underlines, highlights and dog-ears
she included). I have to say, through half the book, I kept hitting my
forehead, groaning how naive or desperate to believe anything some
women are (*cough* Nikki *cough*); I
felt sorry for some of them. I’m not saying I haven’t had some of the same
situations occur, but I’m what my friends call “finicky”; I don’t stick around
in a relationship that isn’t working. Period. Don’t have time for me? Fine, c’ya.
Can’t stand my family/dog? Ciao. Hate how independent I am? Adios.
But as I got to the end,
I found myself in one of the letters. It was like looking at a younger, less
jaded version of myself - the one who believed in the big talker. The one who was "naive" and "desperate to believe anything". It was not
pretty. *shudder* It was hard to face the person I used to be before I became the "finicky" person people know my as today.
I did like the way the
book was written. It was a mixture of letter responses; an explanation of why
the concept is difficult for women (Here’s
Why This One Is Hard), and a handy-dandy “workbook” activity. ;) The
teacher in me loved that – gotta make sure the lesson really sank in (apply
what you learned!!).
Sunday Review: 6.21.15 (Part I)
Date Read: 6.17.15
Title: The Other Boy
Author: Hailey Abbott
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3
Synopsis: Maddy’s
Boy Pros & Cons …
Brian
– Super cute / hangs with my friends / goes to my high school / my boyfriend!
David
– Says I’m a spoiled princess / hates my friends / has amazing blues eyes / cooked
me an unbelievable dinner / annoyingly irresistible!
Summer for
Maddy Sinclaire starts as a blur of house parties and dips in the pool – until she’s
caught throwing an unauthorized beachside bash. As punishment, her parents send
her off to Napa Valley, where she’ll spend her free time working on the family vineyard.
Even with her boyfriend, Brian, miles away, Maddy’s about to discover that the
vineyard is a very romantic place. It’s vast, sunny, magical … and there’s another boy just waiting to steal her
heart.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed reading The Other Boy. It was a quick, flirty
summer read that was a nice break from all the heavier and more serious reading
I’ve been doing lately. I’ve read Hailey Abbott’s books before and forgot how
refreshing they can be. I’m so glad I started my summer break reading one of
her books.
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