Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Legend by Marie Lu Book Review

Halo guys! Today's post is a book review (haven't done those in a while, have I?) of a book that I re-read not too long ago -Legend by Marie Lu. The second time I read it, I think it was even better, because I've been recommending this book so much to my friends so they can read it during the summer and I feel much more qualified to do so with the details fresh in my mind.

I'm going to start with the non-spoilery part of the review so that I can hopefully convince you to read this book. Legend is a solid first book filled with action and suspense that will keep you flipping the pages until the very last word. The underlying romance isn't really a main part of it, but it is one that I certainly enjoyed. The writing is straight-forward without feeling rushed, but you won't even notice it because you're just so into the story. June and Day are to very independent strong character, but they are so smart, and I have no idea how to say this without it sounding like a cliche, but it's not. Just. READ THE BOOK.

Ehm. See? This is one of the reasons why I don't do book reviews. Anyways, sorry if I scared you a little bit there. I don't have much more to say that's won't spoil, so I'll just go on ahead and talk about the book in depth.

SPOILERS AHEAD

In the beginning, when Metias picked June up because of her being a trouble maker (I don't know about you, but climbing the however many foot building was pretty epic), and then to see Thomas acting like an innocent little thing, and at the time, I already knew he wasn't, so I was just screaming at him and hating him from the start. I mean, how could he do that?! June's attitude about the poor people was irritating, but I was already thinking of how it's going to change so much and just how ironic it is. And then the fateful moment of June stepping up for Tess and fighting Kade (love the fight, by the way). Day rescuing June and us slowly seeing June try so hard to not feel pity for them. And the cheap wine scene was such a good one, with Day kissing June, and them realizing for the first time :). But then Day made that faint gesture of taking his pendant that wasn't there which tipped off June, and the horror that June must've felt to see that the one person that has made her feel happy after Metias is his supposed killer... (DAMN YOU THOMAS!!) Day coming back to his house to try and rescue his beloved family, and the panic and dread was almost too much. I had forgotten just how young Eden was -he's barely 10, and to see him in such a weak state was painful. I also realized that Day's mother never knew that her son is a criminal, and Day only got to really talk to his mother for frickin 5 second before she's killed
WHY. Again, DAMN YOU THOMAS!!! And then how June still couldn't bring herself to believe fully that Day killed Metias... Okay, I hate the fudgin commander and how cruel she is, and rubbing it in Day about how his mother. And June acting so harsh Day, but how in their head their all trying to not feel sympathy towards each other. June's change in her thoughts of the people in the slums after experiencing it first hand with the dress, and seeing Anden for the first time :) I love when June started to realize how horrible the Republic is -such a light bulb moment. And then seeing Day so hopeless... Also loved when Day is being smug to Thomas about him kissing June :D. Not long after, June sounded so sad (I listened to the audiobook), and how she said that she thought that he would be here for a long time... *cries "The look on her face is so heartbreaking, that I wish for a second that I could hold her." Day's necklace aka the last remnants of the US, and his memories of seeing his family whole and happy... I hate Thomas for a lot of things, but I especially hate his possessiveness of June. I mean, seriously, he should die. The sort of scavenger hunt for Metias' massage was quite interesting to see just how smart June is, and how she finds about her parents death. All the flashbacks with Metias was hard to read, just because you know what happens to him in the end. I loved how June made the deal with Kaede, and the actual escape was very thrilling. I completely forgot about John's sacrifice, and I can't help but think of how Day once again lost a father figure in his life. And then June and Day woke up only to see "Day's" execution played over and over again. And how June pictures Ollie alone in the house, the last piece of Metias she has left...

"You take it all one day at a time. You try to walk in the light."

And that is it! This review was so all over the place, it's a miracle if you understood some of it, but I just needed to vent about all my feels about this amazing book :D

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Tay Tay Book Tag

Hi people! Today's post is a tag called Tay Tay Book Tag, and I was tagged by the wonderful Haley of My Addiction: Books. Essentially, the questions are in sync with some of Taylor Swift's song. What I like about this tag is that it covers all of the aspects of reading -cover, romance, characters, and so much more. Props to the person who made this :)

We are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Pick a book or series you were pretty sure you were in love with, but then wanted to break up with
Divergent Trilogy
The first book was okay, I don't remember much of what I thought of it, but the last two books were sort of disappointing. This is one of the many reason why I don't see how the Allegiant movie is going to be split in two, and why I haven't even seen Insurgent (my other reason being that I don't want to get out of my house).

Red
Pick a book with a red cover
Forbidden
This cover is just lovely. The bold red color and simple chain heart perfectly represents the title and what the book is about.

The Best Day
Pick a book that makes you feel nostalgic
Percy Jackson
These books were what I read during the olden days before I discovered blogs, goodreads, and booktube. I used to always re-read each and every one of them over and over again because I didn't know how to find new books to read. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase are some of the first characters that I related and shipped :D

I Knew You Were Trouble
Pick a bad character you couldn't help but love
Sebastian from the Mortal Instruments
I'm not going to say much because it spoils, but if you've read the City of Heavenly Fire, you'll understand where I'm coming from.

Innocent
Pick a book someone ruined the ending for
The Fault in Our Stars
Me being spoiled was my mistake, really, but I didn't know any better and read the shmoop summary of this where literally the first paragraph of it summarizes the whole book. And of course, it told me who died, which proved to be the only thing I could've been spoiled about that actually mattered. Yay me :P

Everything has Changed
Pick a character from a book who goes through extensive character development
June
She goes from this loyal but unemotional prodigy of the Republic to a person who shows her heart to the people she loves. It's quite the opposite of the normal weak girl turned awesome, so it's very refreshing to read.

You Belong With Me
Pick you most anticipated book release
Winter
Closely followed by Queen of Shadows, the conclusion of the brilliant Lunar Chronicles series is one book I want desperately to read. I've missed Cinder and the gang, and I cannot wait to see how they're doing and to find out what their happy endings are (because I'm hoping that they'd actually get one).

Forever and Always
Pick your favorite book couple
Wessa
This is by far one of the hardest question you can ask any book lover, but I chose to go with an old favorite of mine. Will and Tessa are two of my favorite characters who I love on their own, but together, they make the most romantic and sassiest pair :D

Teardrops on my Guitar
Pick a book that made you cry a lot
Clockwork Princess
Not a lot of books make me cry, mostly because I am a robot just kidding, but this book's epilogue was amazing. It made me cry from sadness because of ____'s death, and how _____ had to cope with the fact that it will happen over and over again... ;(
(I'm just putting blanks to avoid spoilers, in case you haven't noticed)

Shake it Off
Pick a book that you love so much, you just shake off the haters
Champion
A lot of people thought the ending was too abrupt and not satisfying, but I really thought that it had enough amount hope and happiness that it did sadness. And keep in mind that both of them had wondered what would've happened if they met as normal people, and so it came true, right? (It's so hard to talk about it without spoilers!)

Blank Space
Pick the most over hyped book or series that didn't work for you at all
The Hunger Games
Everyone adores this series, and the Hunger Games series is seen as such awesomeness, but I don't get it. I mean, there are so many other books or series that are better, but everyone seems to either forget or not know.


Invisible
Pick the most underhyped book or series that you think deserves the spotlight
The Archived
The two books are filled with action, Wesley, and the plot isn't something you've seen before, what with the libraries of the dead and all that. I think if more people were to read these books, it would be a refreshing experience for them.


The Story of Us
Pick a couple you think should end up together
Celaena and Chaol
I know, I know. After Heir of Fire, I probably shouldn't be on this ship anymore, what with everybody else immediately changing to Celaena and Rowan's ship (whatever the name is), but I'm still here. I still hope that they somehow end up together, because the little glimpse we got in Crown of Midnight made me so very happy. Please Sarah?


Love Story
Pick a forbidden love in a book or series
The Seven Realms Series - Princess heir and (not so former) streetlord
I loved their romance. Some might call it angsty, but what'd you expect? They're from two completely different worlds, but reading these books made me love them so much (both as individual characters and a couple).

And that is it! Thanks again Haley for tagging me :D I'm not going to tag people because I don't know who's done it or not, but if you want to do this tag, feel free to say that I tagged you :D

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

The Liebster Award

Hi guys! Today's post is an award that I'm sure you all have heard of: The Liebster Award! I was nominated by Hannah of The Donkey Invasion (thanks so much, by the way), and here are the rules:
1) Once you are nominated, make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated you. Include the Liebster Award sticker in the post too.
2) Nominate 10 other bloggers who you feel are worthy of this award. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting on one of their posts. You can also nominate the person who nominated you.
3) Ensure all of these bloggers have less than 200 followers.
4) Answer the ten questions asked to you by the person who nominated you, and make ten questions of your own for your nominees.
5) Lastly, COPY these rules in the post.


1) Who encouraged you to start reading?
Hm... Well, to be honest, I started reading on my own. My first day of school in America, there was a book fair going on, so me and my class went and I bought a book (which I proceeded to finish in about 2/3 days). After that, I kept on going back to the library, and I guess I just kept on doing that :)

2) How long have you been running your blog?
I first started this blog last summer, so about a year.


3) Do you write loads of blogs in advance, or do you write one at a time?
4) Do you watch any booktubers? If so, who?
5) Where do you get your books from? (I.e - book shop, jumble sale, kindle/Amazon store, library etc...)
6) Three books you recommend
7) Name your favourite male, female and animal character from a book
9) Can you read as a passenger in a car?
10) Is your blog strictly for books, or is it a mix?
Here are my questions:
I nominate all these awesome people:
And that's it for today's post! Please leave your post links if you guys decide to do it :D

I would like to think that I write in advance, but since I am a lazy person, usually I write posts one at a time (even though right now I'm prewriting a bunch so my blog is still active while I travel).

Yes, even though not as much since I've been on my anime/cartoon kick. CassJayTuck and PeruseProject are some of my all time favorites. (What are some of yours?)

The library. That place is my heaven.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Legend by Marie Lu, and Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

This shouldn't be a surprise for the male one, but it's William Herondale. Yup, I know. Celaena Sardothean and Annabeth Chase are tied for my female character. For the animal character I'm just going to pick one from a cartoon that I'm rewatching right now, and that is Appa! I love him! He's just so amazingly fluffy :D

8) Do you watch the film or read the book first?
I read the book first, but sometimes I procrastinate to do even that, which is why I haven't seen the Paper Towns movie. I know, I'm a bad person, and it's John Green, but how do you even stop procrastinating??

Yes, one of the greatest things about traveling is that I can read non-stop and uninterrupted for a long period of time :P

It's mostly about books, but I occasionally do a random post where I talk about tv shows/anime/cartoons.

1. Do you have any weird nicknames? If yes, what are they?
2. What are tv shows/anime you recommend?
3. Favorite place to read?
4. Songs you're currently listening to?
5. Hobby other than reading?
6. Why do you like reading?
7. Least favorite genre of books?
8. Do you read fanfiction?
9. The one place you want to visit?
10. Random question, but if you were to choose laptop or book? Yup, I'm so sorry I did this to you :P

Anna-Maria of A Book Obsessed
Anna of Unquenchable Reads
Ivy of IvAnReads
Courtney of CourtneysReads
Olivia of Brewing Up Books
Britanny of Space Between the Spines
Haley of My Addiction: Books
Sam of Book Rebels
Esther of A Reading Addiction
Tina of Tina, the Bookworm

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the Rest of 2015


Halo guys! Today's my first Top Ten Tuesday post, and I think I made the right decision to join this meme now, because today's topic is a great -my most most anticipated books for the rest of the year. I did it in order to how close the release date is from now, and all the synopsis are from goodreads. I cannot believe we're already halfway through 2015. I mean seriously, where did all that time go?

Please skip over the sequels of books you haven't read to avoid spoilers


Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone: June 16
If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.
Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.
Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.
Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.
I don't exactly know why, but I've been wanting to read more books about mental ilness and how people with it sees the world, and I think this book is a good start. I haven't really read many contemporaries that aren't light and happy, so that's new too. The simple cover also drew me in :)

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson: July 7
Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.
Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to Lia, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives amongst them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny..
From the synopsis, it seems like Lia is dealing with A LOT. And while I don't really remember things about The Kiss of Deception, from my review (more of a reaction, really) in goodreads, which was "Wow.", I really liked it so I'm pretty excited.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness: August 27
What if you weren’t the Chosen One?
What if you’re not the one who’s so often the hero in YA fiction; who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? What if you were like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again. Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life. Even if your best friend might just be the God of mountain lions...
After reading Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking Trilogy, I want to read more from him, and what this book is about just screams rEAD ME NOW!! I've never read a story where the main character isn't some significant part of an epic adventure, so I can't wait to see how this'll turn out.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas: September 1
Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.
Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .
She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.
Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.
AHHH THis is probably one the most epic synopsis ever! I cannot wait for the showdown between Arobyn and Celaena, and the meeting with Manon, and seeing Chaol with his new self aRGH I NEED IT.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: September 1
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

This innovative, heartfelt debut novel tells the story of a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.
My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
This book seems like it's going to be cute and moving with a dash of sadness, and I've been wanting to read new authors, so this is perfect.

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan: October 6
Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.
One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.
The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.
When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .
I would read anything that Rick Riordan writes, and I can't wait to learn Norse myth. I'm hoping for some Percy Jackson cameos, but since this is no longer his series, I'll be fine with just about anything that we get.

The Rose Society by Marie Lu: October 6
From New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu comes the second book in the exhilarating Young Elites series
Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.
Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers that murdered her love, the Crown Prince Enzo Valenciano.
But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?
After the events that happened in the Young Elite, I want to see Adelina spiral even deeper into her path of darkness, and I'm hoping that she stays a villain. I'd like it if this series doesn't become one where the villain is actually a misunderstood person and everything's all good, that'll be refreshing.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell: October 8
Rainbow Rowell continues to break boundaries with Carry On, an epic fantasy following the triumphs and heartaches of Simon and Baz from her beloved bestseller Fangirl.
Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.
Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.
I am intrigued by how this will turn out, because there are snippets that we already know, and the chapters -are they going to be fanfic sized? I know it's not likely, but I'm hoping that it'll be in fanfic format, with the author's note and all that, because we'll see the internet side of Cath that we didn't really get to see in Fangirl.

Winter by Marissa Meyer: November 1
Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.
Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend–the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?
I cannot wait to see Cinder and the gang -especially the rescue mission for Scarlet, Thorne getting his sight back, and Winter's crazy talk. I'm also excited to read about Levana, because now that I've read Fairest, I kind of feel sorry for her, and I want to see what happened to Winter's dad from all those years ago.

Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Grey: November 3
Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.
Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.
The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above Youfeatures Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.
Even more scavenger hunt! I want to see how Paul's consciousness got divided, what does that even mean? And seeing the the three cities in such a different light should be really interesting also :)

And that is it for today! That was really long, mostly because of the synopsis, but thank you Goodreads for those :) As you already noticed, I am very excited for these books and I was sort of surprised that there are some new authors in there. I'll be reading them as soon as I can get my hands on them. What are some of your most anticipated books? Tell me in the comments down below.




Monday, June 1, 2015

Summer TBR

Halo you guys! Today's post is a short one, it's about my summer TBR (as you've seen from the title, duh :P). I'm going to plan the books that I absolutely want to read during the summer (if possible), whether it's because of the awesome reviews or it if just sounds great :)
I would like to read more, but I'm not going to be hard on myself for this one because I'll be moving sometime this year, and I plan to catch up on all the studying things that I've missed (yay...). Anyways, what are some of the books you want to read? Tell me in the comments below :D