Friday, November 27, 2015

FALL BOOK HAUL!

FALL HAUL! 

Hey all!
So Fall/Autumn has been sorta intense, as far as university goes. I’ve been pretty busy, hence my lack of reviews. BUT christmas break is coming up in 2 weeks, so I’m planning on catching up ^-^. 
Even though I didn’t read much, I was able to get quite a few books! Today, I want to share my fall haul with you guys! 


Here’s the haul!  :)






1. The Rest of us Just Live Here, Patrick Ness
2. Shadow and Bone, Leigh Bardugo
3. Everything, Everything, Nicola Yoon
4. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, the Sword of Summer, Rick Riordan (Signed!)
5. Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess, Cassandra Clare
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, illustrated version, J.K. Rowling
7. Ptolemy’s Gate, Jonathan Stroud
8. FrostFire, Zoe Marriott
9. Illuminae, Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
10. Destined, Aprilynne Pike (Signed!)
11. Soundless, Richelle Mead (Just noticed it’s not in the picture!)

12+ Some e-books =p 

Did you get any books in the fall time (of course you did XD), did you go black Friday shopping? Let me know!

and yeah I didn’t go Black Friday shopping... we don’t have it here! 
^-^

Have a great day!! 












Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Illuminae, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Illuminae, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 

Hey all!

I just finished Illuminae! I did get an ARC version from netgalley, but I read a hard copy I pre-ordered ^-^
This was one of my most anticipated books of 2015, if not my most anticipated. 

Wow

I was NOT disappointed!! 


(The picture of the cover is nothing in comparison! o_o) 
Goodreads blurb: 
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.



Can I just take a minute to congratulate the authors on creating such an amazing mindscape? Every page and design and story-telling method was chosen and written in such a way that it enhanced the mood, the seriousness of events, the implications of things, the importance of ideas... I felt like I was a part of the story! Just... wow! Big round of applause! *clapclapclap* 


This book, despite the sad times and scary moments, was such a fun read! I loved looking at all of the different scenes through different points of view! (my instagram is full of pics of the different formats! @justanotherbookishblog )


So in case you are confused as to what this book is really like, imagine it as a mix between Sci-fi (most of the book), dystopian, and horror. Then, you get a pretty good idea of what Illuminae is like. Artificial intelligence, also known as AIDAN, is almost too smart, too humane. There is a deadly disease that spreads uncontrollable fear amongst passengers. Planets get destroyed. Spaceships break into their atoms. There is a cute love story. 


ABOUT THAT! Kady and Ezra, the two protagonists, are so awesome! Kady is 18, a computer and hacking genius, and totally awesome, rocking sarcasm and pink hair. Ezra is kind and funny, always wanting to do the right thing, even though it doesn’t always show. He’s also awesome! 


AIDAN, the AI unit, is both a ‘character’ I really love and really hate. It takes over a ship, basically, and attacks another one, but tries to understand human emotion in its own way. This usually leads to <errors> and <fails> in its system, but it always comes back. 


ALSO! Am I the only one who read this and imagined AIDAN being voiced by the guy who plays Spock in the recent Star Trek movies?! No? Just me? Okay then, it was worth a try! 


Now for the story - it was GENIUS! I’ve been wanting to read a sci-fi like that for a while! Basically, a planet exploded, and evacuating space ships went into space. Kady and Ezra are separated. There is a third ship, an enemy ship. An then from there, the whole thing is like a whole space war! Epic! (I really don’t want to give away too much!) 


The last few pages, where the Illuminae starts talking, left such a cliffhanger that I was kind of in a daze for a while! 


The only thing I wish could have been different is that it took me up until page 200(ish) to really get into it, and to start understanding the story. 


I’m giving this a 4.5/5 stars! 



Did you read Illuminae yet? What did you think? Let me know! 

Top Ten Tuesday - Thanksbooking!

Top Ten Tuesday - Top ten bookish things I’m thankful for

Heya! 


Welcome to a new Top Ten Tuesday, brought to you by 
The Broke and the Bookish! Top Ten Tuesday (aka TTT) is a weekly blogger meme where you write lists of your top ten (insert topic here)!

                                 



This week’s theme is the top ten bookish thanks! (Mostly open theme).  I”m going to go with ‘top ten bookish things I’m thankful for"


Okidokey let’s get this started! 


1. Having started blogging. 

2. Having signed up on Netgalley
3. Having met some awesome blogging buddies
4. There’s a book fair next week. Enough said XD 
5. My friend introduced me to John Green’s writing
6. The Mockingjay movie was so fantastic
7. I discover new stories every day
8. My bookshelf is starting to look okay
9. Book-to-movie adaptations are getting better and better
10. I have an awesome bunch of people following my blog, who I’ll never be able to thank enough! <3

And that’s it for this week! 

What are you thankful for?
Have a great day! 

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Mockingjay Part 2 - OH MY FEELS!

Mockingjay Part 2 - OH MY FEELS! 

Hello fellow tributes!
I just came back from watching Mockingjay Part 2. 
I laughed, I cried, and I had the biggest jump-scare I had in a while.  
The movie was FANTASTIC! My feels are scattered all over the place. I can’t believe it’s the last one...

This will now contain spoilers. Read on if you have seen the movie and/or read the book. If not, well, read if you want, I’m not going to stop you =p 

The movie starts off right where the last one ends. No fluff added. 
It followed the book amazingly well! The mutts in the underground were absolutely TERRIFYING! There’s traps everywhere that set off all sorts of nasty ways to die. You really get the feeling that this time, the rebellion is on. It’s not a tv show anymore, and it’s certainly not a game. 
Finnick and Prim... oh my gosh it made me cry. Actually, I almost cried when the capitol’s people were attacked. And then Prim was there... :’( 
Peeta is probably one of my favorite fictional characters. He went through so many mind-problems throughout the movie! But Katniss was there for him. :3
Some parts were freaking scary. Like with the oil? The mutts? The bombs? Brrr...

end of spoilers. Yay!

Okay now I really want to do a THG marathon, with all four movies one after another! 
I’m sorry this wasn’t super in depth, I’m planning on finishing Illuminae today. And I have homework. 
See you tomorrow for a book review! C: 

Have a great day! :D



Friday, November 20, 2015

Feature and Follow ~16~

Feature and Follow ~16~

Hey all! 
Welcome to a new FF! 
Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me. Everyone wins!

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkees view and Alison of Alison Can Read! Make sure to check their pages!!

Also, you can follow me via GFC, email, Google+, Facebook, or goodreads! Let me know how you follow me, and I'll make sure to follow you back! 

Question: If you could teleport into any story, which would it be? 


Ooh I actually have quite a few ideas for this!
- Harry Potter (probably THE most used answer for this)
- Magonia
- Eragon
- Graceling 
- Stravaganza
- The Mortal nstruments
- Wings

What about you? Let me know and I'll see you again soon for another FFF! :D

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday - A year in quotes!

Top Ten Tuesday - Top ten quotes from books I have read from the past year or so 

Heya! 


Welcome to a new Top Ten Tuesday, brought to you by 
The Broke and the Bookish! Top Ten Tuesday (aka TTT) is a weekly blogger meme where you write lists of your top ten (insert topic here)!

                                 



This week’s theme is the top ten quotes from books I have read from this past year or so.  


Okidokey let’s get this started! 

January - Let It Snow - John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle 
“Once you think a thought, it is extremely difficult to unthink it.” 

February - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J. K. Rowling
Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on Earth should that mean that it is not real?” 

March  - Paper Towns - John Green
“If you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all.” 

April - The House of Hades - Rick Riordan 
To my wonderful readers, 
Sorry about that last cliffhanger.
Well, no, not really. HAHAHAHA. 
But seriously, I love you guys.” 

May - The Shock of the Fall - Nathan Filer
Reading is a bit like hallucinating.” 

June - Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas
“No. I can survive well enough on my own - if given the proper reading material.” 

July - An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
“Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. Such moments are tests of courage, of strength.” 

August - Nimona - Noelle Stevenson





September - Saint Anything - Sarah Dessen 
You get used to people being a certain way: you depend on it. And when surprise you, for better or worse, it can shake you to your core.

October - Library of Souls - Ransom Riggs
These strange-looking people weren’t peculiars. They were nerds. We were very much in the present.” 


And that’s it for this week! 
What cool quote did you come across this year? Let me know! :D
Have a great day! 

Monday, November 16, 2015

#TheShelfieHop

#TheShelfieHop!

Hey all!
Even though I did a similar post a few months ago, I thought doing this again could be nice! 
Of course, I got new books between then and now, and I unhauled a few, so it won’t be exactly the same!
Also, I cut the bottom shelf out of the picture, it’s just a bunch of textbooks, notebooks and binders =p 


Sorry for the awful pic quality!! ^-^
I still need to find a way to organize it better, I feel like random series are put at random spots, just because they fit together on the shelf! 

Some of my collections include...
- Rick Riordan books
- John Green books
- The Giver Quartet
- The Mortal Instrments
- Wings
- Stravaganza
- Graceling
- Maximum Ride 
- Hunger Games
- Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiars
- Harry Potter
- The Fire Within

And more! :D 

*I just bought Soundless, which is not on this picture! 

Make sure to click on the links below to see other shelfies! ^.^

Have an amazing day






Sunday, November 15, 2015

Re-reads!

Just some books I really want to re-read! 

Hey all! 
I’m taking a homework break, and was looking at my shelf and started thinking “I really want to re-read some of these”. Some of these I already have re-read, but eh, I love re-reading! 

So here’s a little list I came up with! c: 

1. The Heroes of Olympus, by Rick Riordan 
2. Maximum Ride, by James Patterson
3. An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir
4. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
5. Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard
6. The Bartimaeus Trilogy, buy Jonathan Stroud
7. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
8. Eragon, by Chris Paolini
9. The Fire Within, by Chris D’lacey
10. Graceling, by Kristin Cashore
11. The Mortal Instruments, by Cassandra Clare
12. Wings, by Aprylinne Pike

Tada ^-^ 
I’ve read all of these, and want to re-read them. Mostly either because
a. I forgot something about them (eg. #6)
b. Just for fun
c. Cus I finally have the entire series, but it’s been a while since I’ve read the ones before the ones that recently came out XD 

But I just counted, and it turns up that there’s 47 books in that list!! o_o

How about you? Is there any book/series you really want to re-read? Let me know! :D 

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Read-Along - Book Review - The Last Olympian

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Read-Along - Book Review - The Last Olympian

Hey Halfbloods! 

So, as a part of our PJO read-alongErika and I have completed the reading of The Last Olympian, and will now review it :) I know I’m a week late, I’m sorry!! ^-^ 
(this is going to be really short, sorry /: )
Goodread’s Blurb
"All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows. 

While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.

In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate."


OH my gods so good! 

This was one heck of an ending! Surprised around every corner, unexpected conclusions... you name it! 
Overall, this book did have that looming sense of ‘something is very wrong’ to it. But even so, the author managed to put certain light humor in it!

” Its him,” I said. “Typhon.” 
I was seriously hoping Chiron would say something good, like No, that’s our huge friend Leroy! He’s going to help us!”

“Curse me eh? I”ll make you pay! / I don’t want to rhyme all day!” 

“With great power... comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later.

And then there’s a ton of really kick-butt pats where you just sit there like ‘woah!” while you are reading. 

This book is a perfect conclusion to the series. It’s fun to read, and has everything a good book should have! 

(Also I don’t know if you noticed, but there’s a bunch of foreshadowing to the heroes of olympus series. And I mean a LOT. *cough*House of Hades is mentioned *cough* Annabeth almost falls into a void *cough*) 

Of course I’m giving this 5 feathers! Pff is that even a question?! 


What did you think of The Last Olympian? Let me know in the comments! :) 

~~~

~~~

#PrayForParis

#PrayForParis

“When the city of lights goes dark,
the rest of the world lights up for her"
Good morning everyone! 
So if you have been anywhere near the internet lately (or the newspapers, tv, etc...) you have probably heard about the attacks in Paris that happened last night. 
I’m half French, and seeing the capital of my country under what can be described as war-like conditions is deeply shocking and saddening. I never though that I would ever hear “C’est un acte de guerre...” (It’s an act of war...), referring to one of my two countries. 
I’m not going to pretend that I understand what is going on. I know what happened, but I can’t seem to figure out why it did. 
In Paris, there were several mass shootings and explosions over several hours, in several locations. The biggest one of which was in a small concert hall. My thoughts are with France today, in hopes that something like this will not happen again. We can’t give in. This is scary. 

And this is not the only place where this happened. There was an attack in Beirut, as well as one in Baghdad. There was an earthquake in Japan, and a hurricane in Mexico. (Not to take this lightly, but talk about a Friday the 13th...) 

The world is shaken with all of these events. Who knows what will happen in the near future. For now, the best we can do as individuals is send our thoughts to Paris, Beirut, Baghdad, Japan and Mexico. 


Friday, November 13, 2015

Feature and Follow ~15~

Feature and Follow ~14~

Hey all! 
Welcome to a new FF! 
Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me. Everyone wins!

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkees view and Alison of Alison Can Read! Make sure to check their pages!!

Also, you can follow me via GFC, email, Google+, Facebook, or goodreads! Let me know how you follow me, and I'll make sure to follow you back! 

Question: What are the funniest books you have read?


To be honest, I’m not totally sure! High fantasy isn’t usually all that funny! 
I’d say the Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan! Those were so funny, just through one-liners! 
Maximum Ride by James Patterson was also funny at times!


What about you? Let me know and I'll see you again soon for another FFF! :D

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday - Book-To-Movie-Adaptation

Top Ten Tuesday - Top ten book-to-movie adaptations I would like to see! 

Heya! 


Welcome to a new Top Ten Tuesday, brought to you by 
The Broke and the Bookish! Top Ten Tuesday (aka TTT) is a weekly blogger meme where you write lists of your top ten (insert topic here)!

                                 



This week’s theme is the top ten book-to-movie adaptations I would like to see! Some of these might not ever turn into a movie, sadly... 


But let’s get this started! 

1. Mockingjay Part 2!
IT’S AT THE MOVIES IN LESS THAN A WEEK! :D I’m so sad it’s the last one but at the same time I’m sooo excited! Even though I know what will happen and I’ll be completely torn and sad but happy and I can’t wait to see how they pull it off! (I’m sorry that sentence was awful, but hey I’m really looking forward to it!) 


2. Throne of Glass
I think they could made an amazing movie or series from these books. It has everything people would be interested in watching, an incredible story, awesome characters, and crazy plot-twists! 


3. The Lightening Thief (A newly-made one) 
Yeah I won’t start taling about the movie they made. They need to start from scratch. And read the book while they do so. 


4. Illuminae 
I’ve really really been enjoying this book so far, and I think that they can make a really cool movie out of it, with cool graphics and everything! Imagine something really cool and modern, in a futuristic society, in space, with a dystopian setting! 


5. An Ember in the Ashes
I think that this can be pulled off pretty well. I mean sure, it has two points of view, but if they can manage to blend both stories in a cinematic way, that would be amazing! 


6. Allegiant 
Yes, they butchered the end of Insurgent. I’m kind of worried to see how Allegiant will turn out, but my hopes are high. Hopefully they will *massive spoiler here, but those of you who read it will know what I mean* in the end! Even though it would be awful. 


7. Magonia (anime??) 
I think this could work so well in an animated anime style (like Avatar?!) 


8. Cinder
Just while I was reading this book, I though it has cinematic qualities to it! I don’t know I just think it could make a cool movie :’) 


9. Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them
I can’t wait for this oh my gosh! *-* 


10. Eragon (Also a newly-made one!) 
Like for Percy Jackson, they really just need to re-make the whole thing. 


11. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
*does the cannot-wait dance!* It has so much potential to be an amazing movie! 


And that’s it for this week! 
What book-to-movie adaptation would you add? Let me know! 
Have a great day! 


Sunday, November 8, 2015

Discussion Saturday - PJO read along - How did reading this series change my love for reading?

Discussion Saturday - Percy Jackson and the Olympians read-along - How did reading this series change my love for reading?

Hey all!
Welcome to this read-along’s last Discussion Saturday! (Yes I know it’s Sunday. Yes I know I haven’t posted my review yet. It’s coming I promise!)



This week’s theme is: How did reading this series change your love for reading?

Okay, so I’ve loved reading and being read to since I was absolutely tiny. I was one of those kids who could spend hours just listening to a story, and reading these stories when I got older. One distinct memory of mine goes back to when I was 8-ish, and I was sitting on a pillow in our living room, reading The Magic School Bus (You know the one where they go to space? Yeah that one.) I remember reading the entire thing without putting it down, and realizing that only an hour passed. I remember how proud I felt that I read a whole chapter book all at once! 

In elementary school (primary school), I was in a book club, where we would have book discussions and general reading knowledge competitions (our team won that year yay!) 

And then in 5th grade (year 6, CM2) I moved away to another country. My reading slowed down after that - getting accustomed to a new place isn’t easy. In the middle of 6th grade, I joined another reading group that would meet up in the library on Wednesdays. We had to bring our favorite book and explain why it was our favorite. I brought a series about dragons that I had read in the wrong order. One of the girls had brought The Lightening Thief (The one with the old cover which was all silvery with the monsters drawn into the lightening bolt). She explained the story, and something made me want to read it right then and there. After that meeting I went to the middle-grade shelves in the school’s library and picked up The Lightening Thief. And that was my first encounter with Perseus Jackson. 

I read the book two or three times over in that year alone! I remember having to do a book report for the summer in which we moved up to 7th grade, and instead of saying “The Thief Lord”, I kept saying “The Lightening Thief”. But hey those two are fairly easy to confuse, I’m sorry! 

That’s when I picked up the next books, and realized that only four of them were published... the agony of waiting for the fifth one was so real, especially with the cliffhanger the 4th one left me with! I remember finally receiving it in the mail, reading it, and everyone wanting to borrow it. 

That was the first time I waited for what felt like ages for a new book to be released. It was also my first introduction to Greek Mythology, which I now really love! Reading this series throughout middle school made me realize that there could be so many amazing stories that I’m still missing out on! So I continued reading, and adding to my shelf. But every year, I would read the quintet, just for the fun of reading such a good story that inspired me to read more. That’s also when I started keeping a book log, just so that I could always go back to stories that I’ve read one before. 

Thanks to reading those, in my middle school years I also discovered amazing series such as Stravaganza, Wings, Maximum Ride, The Dragon Chronicles, Exodus, Narnia, and many others! 

Now how it impacted me, as a person. First of all, much like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson grew almost at the same time I did. He was a kid like I was, and it showed me that even though things can get hard (like moving around and figuring out middle school with all of its absolute craziness), things can be figured out and made better. I felt like I didn’t fit in in middle school at all. Even though that was hard for me, the series taught me that that’s not always bad! (And that books are good friends as well!) But I think I only realized that later on. Plus it gave me that appreciation for greek mythology that I now have! 

Anyway, that’s it for this read-along! I’m sad that it’s over! (Sorta, I still have to finish the last book!) I really enjoyed taking part of it, and I hope that you enjoyed reading these books and following our discussions! 
I wanted to thank Erika for being an absolutely awesome co-host! I had so much fun going through this with such an awesome blogging buddy! C: 


What do you think about the subject? Also, make sure to check out Erika’s discussion! 



P.S. Oh and Percy says hi!
P.P.S. Tyson says hi-bye...?