TTT - Top Ten Books I've Read in 2015 So Far :)
Hey all!
Welcome to a new TTT!
I'm really liking today's theme, because its not restricted to books published in 2015!
This TTT was created by The Broke and the Bookish, make sure to check out their blog by clicking on the image on the right!
So, the best books I've read so far in 2015 are...
1. Magonia, by Maria Dahvana Headley
I read this book recently, right when it came out, and I can probably say that it's my favorite book this year so far! Make sure to check out my review if you haven't done so already! :D
2. Paper Towns, by John Green
I read this book because the movie was coming out, and, aside from Will Grayson, Will Grayson, it was the only John Green book I hadn't read yet.
I loved this book more than Looking for Alaska, and maybe even more than The Fault in our Stars! It was just such a nice story!!!
Full review to come with the release of the movie ;)
3. Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard
Really like this one! Read it when it came out, and I can't wait until Glass Sword comes out!!... in 2016...
4. The Shock of the Fall, by Nathan Filer
Another book that I read this year that I just loved! It was such a nice story! A bit confusing at times, but it was written that way for a reason :)
5. Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare
Gimme the next books! I loved this one, can't wait to see how the next ones play out! :D
6. Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas
Can't wait until the next books come in the mail!! This book was so amazingly great!
7. Let it Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Probably one of the cutest christmassy books I've read in a long time! Such sweet stories! :3
8. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
Awesome book, great idea behind it! I love how the author was able to take these amazing pictures and weave a story out of it!
9. Gathering Blue, by Lois Lowry
This book is an accompaniment to The Giver, and, even though I really liked the Giver a lot more, I thought that this was a cute and unexpected continuation of the story! :)
10. Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling
I read all of the Harry Potter books again this, year, and HBP is one of my favorites :)
Whats your favorite book so far? Let me know in the comments! :D
Also, don't forget to vote on the poll! :D
Have an awesome day!
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Inkheart
Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke
Hey all!
Just finished Inkheart, and to be honest, I was a bit disappointed by it :|
The main reason why I gave it 3/5 stars on goodreads is because I LOVE the story and the idea behind it!
But I also had a few problems with the book.
I don't know why, but I had a hard time being drawn into the book, and feeling connected to the characters... Its a bit strange to explain, but it feels like I couldn't really absorb all of it.
Also, who else thought that the ending was anticlimactic? Capricorn's death was like "his heart stopped beating, and no one went up to help him". Boom. Done. That's it. I've seen the movie version of this and it portrayed his death much more dramatically!
Overall, great idea, great plot, but there were a few bits and pieces that could have been a lot better.
As mentioned, I gave this book 3/5 stars on goodreads!
This book filled my 'a book you started but never finished' goal!
Hey all!
Just finished Inkheart, and to be honest, I was a bit disappointed by it :|
The main reason why I gave it 3/5 stars on goodreads is because I LOVE the story and the idea behind it!
But I also had a few problems with the book.
I don't know why, but I had a hard time being drawn into the book, and feeling connected to the characters... Its a bit strange to explain, but it feels like I couldn't really absorb all of it.
Also, who else thought that the ending was anticlimactic? Capricorn's death was like "his heart stopped beating, and no one went up to help him". Boom. Done. That's it. I've seen the movie version of this and it portrayed his death much more dramatically!
Overall, great idea, great plot, but there were a few bits and pieces that could have been a lot better.
As mentioned, I gave this book 3/5 stars on goodreads!
This book filled my 'a book you started but never finished' goal!
Friday, June 26, 2015
The Summer Reader Book Tag
The Summer Reader Book Tag!
IT'S. FINALLY. SUMMMERRRRR!!!!
I am such a summer person! Just a week and a day left of uni! :D
So excited!
So to commemorate this summer mood, I decided to complete a summery book tag!
Lets get started! :D
1. Lemonade: A book that started off bitter, but got better!
For me this would probably be Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke. I'm almost done reading it, but I just found it hard to get into at first, it's a lot better now :)
2. Golden Sun: A book that made you smile beyond compare! :D
Of COURSE I'm choosing The Lightening Thief, by Rick Riordan for this! It's so filled with awesome ideas and hilarious lines that you can't not read it without smiling beyond compare!
3. Tropical Flowers: A book set in a foreign country.
So many books that I read are set far away! But I think I'm going to choose The Thief Lord, also by Cornelia Funke. This is set in Venice, where I lived until I was 4. Even though I've lived there, I'm still considering it a foreign country, as it is not where I'm from. More than the story itself, I just love reading all of the descriptions of Venice! The same goes for the Stravaganza series, by Mary Hofffman - I love the story in these, but the descriptions of Italy are just beautiful!
4. Tree Shade: A book in which a mysterious or shady character is first introduced.
I think the entire world is collectively choosing Sebastian, from the Mortal Instruments! The guy's way too shady!
5. Beach Sand: A book in which the plot was grainy, and barely developed.
For this, I have to pick Half Bad, by Sally Green. I'm sorry, I just didn't really understand the plot development in this. Now maybe the first book makes more sense after reading the next books! But for now, I just didn't really understand the plot...
6. Green Grass: Pick a character that was full of life, that made you smile.
Celaena Sardothein, from Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas. I loved how quirky and sassy this character is despite the situation! Such a cool character!
7. Watermelon: A book that has some juicy secrets.
For this one, I'm choosing The Giver, by Lois Lowry. Secrets being that there are colors, and the world existed before all the plainness! If that's not a juicy secret I don't know what is!
8. Sun Hat: Pick a book that had a wide universe/setting.
Eragon, by Chris Paolini!
9. BBQ: A character that was portrayed as a hunk.
I'm thinking of Jace, but if we don't want to repeat books, I'll say Four/Tobias, from Divergent, by Veronica Roth :)
So thats it! :D Do you have any books that scream out to you when you see some of the questions? What book are you most looking forward to reading this summer? Let me know in the comments!
Also, if you haven't already, please fill in the little survey on the right! Thank you!!
IT'S. FINALLY. SUMMMERRRRR!!!!
I am such a summer person! Just a week and a day left of uni! :D
So excited!
So to commemorate this summer mood, I decided to complete a summery book tag!
Lets get started! :D
1. Lemonade: A book that started off bitter, but got better!
For me this would probably be Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke. I'm almost done reading it, but I just found it hard to get into at first, it's a lot better now :)
2. Golden Sun: A book that made you smile beyond compare! :D
Of COURSE I'm choosing The Lightening Thief, by Rick Riordan for this! It's so filled with awesome ideas and hilarious lines that you can't not read it without smiling beyond compare!
3. Tropical Flowers: A book set in a foreign country.
So many books that I read are set far away! But I think I'm going to choose The Thief Lord, also by Cornelia Funke. This is set in Venice, where I lived until I was 4. Even though I've lived there, I'm still considering it a foreign country, as it is not where I'm from. More than the story itself, I just love reading all of the descriptions of Venice! The same goes for the Stravaganza series, by Mary Hofffman - I love the story in these, but the descriptions of Italy are just beautiful!
4. Tree Shade: A book in which a mysterious or shady character is first introduced.
I think the entire world is collectively choosing Sebastian, from the Mortal Instruments! The guy's way too shady!
5. Beach Sand: A book in which the plot was grainy, and barely developed.
For this, I have to pick Half Bad, by Sally Green. I'm sorry, I just didn't really understand the plot development in this. Now maybe the first book makes more sense after reading the next books! But for now, I just didn't really understand the plot...
6. Green Grass: Pick a character that was full of life, that made you smile.
Celaena Sardothein, from Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas. I loved how quirky and sassy this character is despite the situation! Such a cool character!
7. Watermelon: A book that has some juicy secrets.
For this one, I'm choosing The Giver, by Lois Lowry. Secrets being that there are colors, and the world existed before all the plainness! If that's not a juicy secret I don't know what is!
8. Sun Hat: Pick a book that had a wide universe/setting.
Eragon, by Chris Paolini!
9. BBQ: A character that was portrayed as a hunk.
I'm thinking of Jace, but if we don't want to repeat books, I'll say Four/Tobias, from Divergent, by Veronica Roth :)
So thats it! :D Do you have any books that scream out to you when you see some of the questions? What book are you most looking forward to reading this summer? Let me know in the comments!
Also, if you haven't already, please fill in the little survey on the right! Thank you!!
Monday, June 22, 2015
Take a poll please! :D
Hi all!
So summer is coming up, and, with it comes hours of traveling!
The only thing is, that with all of these traveling hours, I can only take one (or maybe two) books in my carry-on...
And I really can't choose |:
So on the right is a poll, listing different books I haven't had the chance to read yet, and that I'm contemplating taking with me on the plane!
If you could help me out by voting, I'd be really grateful! :D
The plane ride + layovers should take around 25 hours... so maybe that would influence my choice?
I don't know ^^
So yeah! please vote in the poll on the right, or, if you have other suggestions, leave them in the comments!
Thank you!!!
Laterz
So summer is coming up, and, with it comes hours of traveling!
The only thing is, that with all of these traveling hours, I can only take one (or maybe two) books in my carry-on...
And I really can't choose |:
So on the right is a poll, listing different books I haven't had the chance to read yet, and that I'm contemplating taking with me on the plane!
If you could help me out by voting, I'd be really grateful! :D
The plane ride + layovers should take around 25 hours... so maybe that would influence my choice?
I don't know ^^
So yeah! please vote in the poll on the right, or, if you have other suggestions, leave them in the comments!
Thank you!!!
Laterz
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas
LKDS;FAJSD FJDS,FD,C FEWTIOE TFGIAG JFDJ'DAFJIOGOPNE G!!!!!
And now in English =p
THIS BOOK WAS JUST FILLED WITH SO MANY WOW'S AND WHAT'S AND WHERE IS THIS EVEN GOING'S AND HOW AMAZING WAS THIS'S?!?!?
I loved loved LOVED IT!!!!
~OoO~ <- little dancing surprised thing =p
I'll break this review into parts, for my own organization and convenience. Otherwise, this entire review will look like the gibberish I wrote above =p
AS PER USUAL THE SPOILERS WILL BE IN PURPLE!!
1. The Competition
I love how some of the Tests are almost insultingly easy for Celaena, whilst others were uber dangerous and hard to get through safely.
My favorite test was DEFINITELY the castle-climbing one! She tries so hard to beat Cain, and then, when she sees Nox might die, she FREAKING JUMPS OFF THE WALL, FALLING DOWN TO SAVE HIM!!!! I just thought this part was so epic!!!
2. The Love... um... shape?
I can't really call this a triangle. She liked Dorian, Dorian liked her. Done, plain, and (mostly) simple. But, towards the end, it is ADORABLE how quietly jealous Chaol is! But yeah can't really call it a triangle, cause it was more like a love line with an outlier (poor outlier though... /: ) BUT I'm looking forward to seeing how that all plays out in book 2... which I'll only get in July... let the waiting begin, eh? (BTW for those of you who might ask, I do ship Celaena and Dorian, for now ;) )
3. The World
Um can I go there on vacation or something??? Please?! Nah but I love it! The countries are all distinct and unique... (Man it's hard to do this without spoilers!!) It's a really great world!
AND THERE ARE FAIRIES AND FAE AND SHE CAN TALK TO DEAD SPIRITS THAT HELP HER AND ITS SO COOL!!! I dunno about you, but during the final duel, when all the spirits were around, it made me think of Aragorn's ghost army in Return of the King O-O I absolutely LOVED the idea of the Wyrdmarks, which kind of reminded me of the marks in The Mortal Instruments, except, well, the people in the Shadowworld know what all of their marks mean =p
4. The Mystery
I'm so sorry this all has to be hidden >.< But you really don't want such a spoiler to just appear out of nowhere if you are planning to read this!! But what I can say is that the mystery was incorporated super well with the rest of what was happening in the story! Even though all of these things were happening on the side, the main storyline really was written in such a way that what was happening there made sense with what was happening on the side!
I KNEW IT WAS CAIN!!!!!! Ghehehee ^^ But the deaths were SO gruesome and gory and just the way they died is awful! And then that deamon thing was terrifying! And the whole secret tunnel thing with the old queen and the tomb was awesome!! and Celaena is such a cool protagonist, kicking demon butt like that!!
Weew this is getting looooong!! I'll just end by saying that I can't wait to get the second book!!! This was so fun and addicting to read!!
Two final words for this book:
<
>
I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads! (duh)
This book completed my 'First book by a popular author' goal! (These goals are getting so specific I don't now how I can complete them all!! D: )
LKDS;FAJSD FJDS,FD,C FEWTIOE TFGIAG JFDJ'DAFJIOGOPNE G!!!!!
And now in English =p
THIS BOOK WAS JUST FILLED WITH SO MANY WOW'S AND WHAT'S AND WHERE IS THIS EVEN GOING'S AND HOW AMAZING WAS THIS'S?!?!?
I loved loved LOVED IT!!!!
~OoO~ <- little dancing surprised thing =p
I'll break this review into parts, for my own organization and convenience. Otherwise, this entire review will look like the gibberish I wrote above =p
AS PER USUAL THE SPOILERS WILL BE IN PURPLE!!
1. The Competition
I love how some of the Tests are almost insultingly easy for Celaena, whilst others were uber dangerous and hard to get through safely.
My favorite test was DEFINITELY the castle-climbing one! She tries so hard to beat Cain, and then, when she sees Nox might die, she FREAKING JUMPS OFF THE WALL, FALLING DOWN TO SAVE HIM!!!! I just thought this part was so epic!!!
2. The Love... um... shape?
I can't really call this a triangle. She liked Dorian, Dorian liked her. Done, plain, and (mostly) simple. But, towards the end, it is ADORABLE how quietly jealous Chaol is! But yeah can't really call it a triangle, cause it was more like a love line with an outlier (poor outlier though... /: ) BUT I'm looking forward to seeing how that all plays out in book 2... which I'll only get in July... let the waiting begin, eh? (BTW for those of you who might ask, I do ship Celaena and Dorian, for now ;) )
3. The World
Um can I go there on vacation or something??? Please?! Nah but I love it! The countries are all distinct and unique... (Man it's hard to do this without spoilers!!) It's a really great world!
AND THERE ARE FAIRIES AND FAE AND SHE CAN TALK TO DEAD SPIRITS THAT HELP HER AND ITS SO COOL!!! I dunno about you, but during the final duel, when all the spirits were around, it made me think of Aragorn's ghost army in Return of the King O-O I absolutely LOVED the idea of the Wyrdmarks, which kind of reminded me of the marks in The Mortal Instruments, except, well, the people in the Shadowworld know what all of their marks mean =p
4. The Mystery
I'm so sorry this all has to be hidden >.< But you really don't want such a spoiler to just appear out of nowhere if you are planning to read this!! But what I can say is that the mystery was incorporated super well with the rest of what was happening in the story! Even though all of these things were happening on the side, the main storyline really was written in such a way that what was happening there made sense with what was happening on the side!
I KNEW IT WAS CAIN!!!!!! Ghehehee ^^ But the deaths were SO gruesome and gory and just the way they died is awful! And then that deamon thing was terrifying! And the whole secret tunnel thing with the old queen and the tomb was awesome!! and Celaena is such a cool protagonist, kicking demon butt like that!!
Weew this is getting looooong!! I'll just end by saying that I can't wait to get the second book!!! This was so fun and addicting to read!!
Two final words for this book:
<
>I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads! (duh)
This book completed my 'First book by a popular author' goal! (These goals are getting so specific I don't now how I can complete them all!! D: )
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
TTT - Summer Reads
Top Ten Tuesday - top ten books on your summer TBR!
Hi all! Welcome to a new TTT! :D
So this week's theme is SUPER broad - my TBR list for this summer is so long! But I guess that I do have some of the books that I'm looking forward to reading the most :)
1. An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir
SO EXCITED TO READ THIS!!! Just heard that I have to pick it up at the post office!! YAYYYYY!!!
2. Angelfall, by Susan EE
This has been on my TBR for a while now! Hopefully I'll get to it in a few weeks. I've heard so many amazing things about this!:)
3. Crown of Fire, by Sarah J. Maas
Just started Throne of Glass, and I'm already finding everything about it soooo amazing! Can't wait to get to the rest of the series!
4. Heir of Fire, by Sarah J. Maas
See above =p
5. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
I've always loved Neil Gaiman's books! I keep seeing this one around, so I'll most likely pick it up sometime this summer.
6. A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas
Everything about this book looks amazing! I've always loved fairytales, as well as fairytale spinoffs! Like with Angelfall, I've heard a lot of great this about it!
7. Red Rising, by Pierce Brown
I have it, just need to read it! But the summary already makes me super curious about what it is like!
8. The Martian, by Andy Weir
I have two reasons why I'm looking forward to reading this. One, the movie is coming out soon, and I like reading books before seeing their movie adaptation. Two, I've heard amazing things about it, and its really something I would read.
9. Clockwork Prince, by Cassandra Clare
To follow Clockwork Angel :)
10. Ink and Bone, by Rachel Caine
Just everything about this book seems fabulous, so I have to read it of course! :D
Thats it for today's TTT! It was created by TheBrokeAndTheBookish - you can see their blog by clicking on the image on the right!
Let me know what you are excited to read this summer! :D
Hi all! Welcome to a new TTT! :D
So this week's theme is SUPER broad - my TBR list for this summer is so long! But I guess that I do have some of the books that I'm looking forward to reading the most :)
1. An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir
SO EXCITED TO READ THIS!!! Just heard that I have to pick it up at the post office!! YAYYYYY!!!
2. Angelfall, by Susan EE
This has been on my TBR for a while now! Hopefully I'll get to it in a few weeks. I've heard so many amazing things about this!:)
3. Crown of Fire, by Sarah J. Maas
Just started Throne of Glass, and I'm already finding everything about it soooo amazing! Can't wait to get to the rest of the series!
4. Heir of Fire, by Sarah J. Maas
See above =p
5. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
I've always loved Neil Gaiman's books! I keep seeing this one around, so I'll most likely pick it up sometime this summer.
6. A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas
Everything about this book looks amazing! I've always loved fairytales, as well as fairytale spinoffs! Like with Angelfall, I've heard a lot of great this about it!
7. Red Rising, by Pierce Brown
I have it, just need to read it! But the summary already makes me super curious about what it is like!
8. The Martian, by Andy Weir
I have two reasons why I'm looking forward to reading this. One, the movie is coming out soon, and I like reading books before seeing their movie adaptation. Two, I've heard amazing things about it, and its really something I would read.
9. Clockwork Prince, by Cassandra Clare
To follow Clockwork Angel :)
10. Ink and Bone, by Rachel Caine
Just everything about this book seems fabulous, so I have to read it of course! :D
Thats it for today's TTT! It was created by TheBrokeAndTheBookish - you can see their blog by clicking on the image on the right!
Let me know what you are excited to read this summer! :D
Rainbow Reads TBR
Rainbow Read-a-thon
Hi all!
So this week, there is the Rainbow read-a-thon going on! This is basically a week where you have to read six books, all corresponding to the six main colors of the rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple). I saw a Booktuber doing her TBR for this, and thought it looked like fun!
One thing I should mention is that I can't read all these in a week - I'm pretty busy with family and university this week. However, I'll try to finish it over two weeks, along with finishing Throne of Glass! It was started by Riley Maries' channel on youtube!
So here's the picture I have of my TBR books for this book-a-thon!
So colorful! :D
1. Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke
Even though it looks like I've read this book may times, due to the condition of the spine, I've never actually read this! (I picked it up at a thrift store =p ) I thought this could be a good occasion to read it!
2. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
I read this book in 8th grade, with my class. I don't remember much about it, which is why I'd like to get through it again! :) I just remember how sad the end is though... I should get through this fairly quickly - its a tiny book, and, if I remember well, very smooth to read.
3. Looking for Jake, by China Mieville
I'm going to be honest - I've never heard of this author before, or of this book! I also got it at a thrift shop, because I really enjoy short story collections, and the fantasy aspect of this book looked interesting! Hopefully I'll enjoy it! If not, I might switch to Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman :)
4. Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
I haven't read this book in aaaaaaages! Plus its green! I love the story of it so much, that I really want to re-read this nowadays!
5. North Child, by Edith Pattou
I know I've read this, but a long time ago. It looks like an easy enough read, as well! Can't wait to re-discover what it is all about! :D
6. Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Leuithan
This is the only John Green book I haven't read yet! To be honest, I haven't started this yet because of the capitalization thing. If you've read this, or even opened it, you'll know what I'm talking about. =p BUT I'm ready to give this book a chance! :D
Okay so those are my TBR books for this read-a-thon! If you are participating as well, make sure to comment what books you are reading, or the link to your post! :)
Enjoy your day!
TTT to come in a few hours :)
Monday, June 15, 2015
Champion, by Marie Lu
Champion, by Marie Lu
Hello Hello everyone!!
Before I start my review, just want to share with you guys that this book took me a while to finish, because I went to a music festival over the weekend, so had no time to read! The festival was absolutely amazing! I saw so many amazing bands, some of which I've been wanting to see live for years! (OneRepublic, for example) Others, I discovered over the weekend, and I can't wait to hear more music of theirs! (Dotan, Kensington...) So yeah! That was a lot of fun! I had an absolutely amazing time at the festival!! :D
And now for the review :)
Champion is the last book of the Legend series by Marie Lu. This book, in my opinion, was a lot better than the first two! It really brought together a lot of loose ends, and was constantly action-packed! At times I was even thinking that the main characters would never find a time just to sit down and relax! This third installment of the trilogy really finished that whole character definition that was problematic in the first two books! June is much more... vulnerable than in the other books. I think that this is actually really good for her character - she's just 16, she can be vulnerable! In the first two books, she seemed too invincible, which I didn't like much. Day, with his health issues, isn't as active as in the first two books, but developed a type of public influence, which was really great as well! As a side character, Anden is also really interesting to read about :)
The storyline is really good as well! Sometimes, the line between the plague problem and the Colonies problem is a bit fuzzy, and its hard to tell how one links to another, but that's just a minor problem. Otherwise, the storyline kept twisting and turning to form this coherent story with many unexpected parts to it!
So everything so far is great... BUT WHATS WITH THE ENDING???
I didn't like the ending :|
I will be spoiling the ending, so if you haven't read it yet, skip the purple part!
SPOILERS START NAO!
MARIE LU WHAT DID YOU DO?????
It's like she took the parts of the endings of City of Heavenly Fire and The Deathly Hallows and merged it to fit her story.
Here's what I mean by that
1. Day LOOSES HIS MEMORY OF THE PAST TWO YEARS!!! *cough* Simon *cough* Like he doesn't remember ANYTHING from the timeframe of the series, hence he doesn't remember June. AND THAT'S HOW IT ENDS! (There's a 10-years later epilogue where Day sorta recognizes June, but still /: ) It's actually really sad that it ends like that.
2. One thing that bothered me is that when Day got shot, and the narration changes to his point of view, there's a part when HE SEES HIS DEAD MOM! Not only that, but she actUALLY SAYS 'WE NEVER LEFT"! That is exactly like when Harry is sorta about to die at the end of Deathly Hallows!
3. The whole battle suddenly just stops for no apparent reason. Sure Commander Jameson is killed, but I doubt she was the one leading the whole thing. All we know is that a peace treaty was signed. I think that that could have been explained better.
END OF SPOILERS!
Okay so thats basically it for my review!
I gave this book 4/5 stars on goodreads!
This series completed my "A trilogy" goal! :)
Let me know your thoughts on the series, and, more specifically, the ending of Champion!
:)
Hello Hello everyone!!
Before I start my review, just want to share with you guys that this book took me a while to finish, because I went to a music festival over the weekend, so had no time to read! The festival was absolutely amazing! I saw so many amazing bands, some of which I've been wanting to see live for years! (OneRepublic, for example) Others, I discovered over the weekend, and I can't wait to hear more music of theirs! (Dotan, Kensington...) So yeah! That was a lot of fun! I had an absolutely amazing time at the festival!! :D
And now for the review :)
Champion is the last book of the Legend series by Marie Lu. This book, in my opinion, was a lot better than the first two! It really brought together a lot of loose ends, and was constantly action-packed! At times I was even thinking that the main characters would never find a time just to sit down and relax! This third installment of the trilogy really finished that whole character definition that was problematic in the first two books! June is much more... vulnerable than in the other books. I think that this is actually really good for her character - she's just 16, she can be vulnerable! In the first two books, she seemed too invincible, which I didn't like much. Day, with his health issues, isn't as active as in the first two books, but developed a type of public influence, which was really great as well! As a side character, Anden is also really interesting to read about :)
The storyline is really good as well! Sometimes, the line between the plague problem and the Colonies problem is a bit fuzzy, and its hard to tell how one links to another, but that's just a minor problem. Otherwise, the storyline kept twisting and turning to form this coherent story with many unexpected parts to it!
So everything so far is great... BUT WHATS WITH THE ENDING???
I didn't like the ending :|
I will be spoiling the ending, so if you haven't read it yet, skip the purple part!
SPOILERS START NAO!
MARIE LU WHAT DID YOU DO?????
It's like she took the parts of the endings of City of Heavenly Fire and The Deathly Hallows and merged it to fit her story.
Here's what I mean by that
1. Day LOOSES HIS MEMORY OF THE PAST TWO YEARS!!! *cough* Simon *cough* Like he doesn't remember ANYTHING from the timeframe of the series, hence he doesn't remember June. AND THAT'S HOW IT ENDS! (There's a 10-years later epilogue where Day sorta recognizes June, but still /: ) It's actually really sad that it ends like that.
2. One thing that bothered me is that when Day got shot, and the narration changes to his point of view, there's a part when HE SEES HIS DEAD MOM! Not only that, but she actUALLY SAYS 'WE NEVER LEFT"! That is exactly like when Harry is sorta about to die at the end of Deathly Hallows!
3. The whole battle suddenly just stops for no apparent reason. Sure Commander Jameson is killed, but I doubt she was the one leading the whole thing. All we know is that a peace treaty was signed. I think that that could have been explained better.
END OF SPOILERS!
Okay so thats basically it for my review!
I gave this book 4/5 stars on goodreads!
This series completed my "A trilogy" goal! :)
Let me know your thoughts on the series, and, more specifically, the ending of Champion!
:)
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday - 2015 releases
Top Ten Tuesday! - Top 10 most anticipated releases for the rest of 2015
Hi all! this will be a short little TTT, because I just realized that I finished a future TTT made for the beginning of July! And since I'm pretty busy, I'll just keep the re-make of this post nice and short! ^^
1. Soundless, by Richelle Mead
2. Illuminae, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
3. The Rest of us Live Here, by Patrick Ness
4. Passenger, by Alexandra Bracken
5. Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo
6. Queen Song, by Victoria Aveyard
7. The Marvels, by Brian Selznick
8. Ink and Bone, by Rachel Caine
9. Dreamstrider, by Lindsay Smith
10. Court of Fives, by Kate Elliot
<
>
If you've read any of these books as ARCs, you are the luckiest person ever!
What's your most anticipated 2015 read? :)
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish! You can go check out their blog by clicking on the top ten tuesday picture on the right! :)
Hi all! this will be a short little TTT, because I just realized that I finished a future TTT made for the beginning of July! And since I'm pretty busy, I'll just keep the re-make of this post nice and short! ^^
1. Soundless, by Richelle Mead
2. Illuminae, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
3. The Rest of us Live Here, by Patrick Ness
4. Passenger, by Alexandra Bracken
5. Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo
6. Queen Song, by Victoria Aveyard
7. The Marvels, by Brian Selznick
8. Ink and Bone, by Rachel Caine
9. Dreamstrider, by Lindsay Smith
10. Court of Fives, by Kate Elliot
<
>If you've read any of these books as ARCs, you are the luckiest person ever!
What's your most anticipated 2015 read? :)
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish! You can go check out their blog by clicking on the top ten tuesday picture on the right! :)
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Magonia
Magonia, by Maria Dahvana Headley
Hi all!
Just finished Magonia, and, I can say, that it is probably one of my favorite books I've read this year. DEFINITELY will be in my top 5 of 2015!!
THIS BOOK IS PURE MAGIC!!!
Magonia is about a girl called Aza, who has always had troubles when it comes to breathing. The doctors cannot help, as no one else seems to be having this problem. Her life completely changes when, one day, she sees a ship in the sky.
The book itself was insanely unique - if you are looking for something that is YA, but totally different than everything that has been published in the past few years, then this is exactly what you are looking for! I highly agree with its popular comparison with Neil Gaiman - the writing style and the ideas are very similar. However, this book has to be read apart from his books!
Reading this was magic all the way through. It is super captivating, and is very impressive
The mythology, the fantasy, the imagery, the writing... it is all so beautiful! The characters are amazing! The ideas were so unique! The writing is something that I wish I could read more of!!!
So for my review.
Let's start with the cover, shall we?
Hi all!
Just finished Magonia, and, I can say, that it is probably one of my favorite books I've read this year. DEFINITELY will be in my top 5 of 2015!!
THIS BOOK IS PURE MAGIC!!!
Magonia is about a girl called Aza, who has always had troubles when it comes to breathing. The doctors cannot help, as no one else seems to be having this problem. Her life completely changes when, one day, she sees a ship in the sky.
The book itself was insanely unique - if you are looking for something that is YA, but totally different than everything that has been published in the past few years, then this is exactly what you are looking for! I highly agree with its popular comparison with Neil Gaiman - the writing style and the ideas are very similar. However, this book has to be read apart from his books!
Reading this was magic all the way through. It is super captivating, and is very impressive
The mythology, the fantasy, the imagery, the writing... it is all so beautiful! The characters are amazing! The ideas were so unique! The writing is something that I wish I could read more of!!!
So for my review.
Let's start with the cover, shall we?
This is possibly one of the nicest covers i've seen this year. The picture doesn't show it well, but it is slightly shiny. I love the composition of it! The back cover, along with author reviews by Victoria Aveyard and Django Wexler, has a beautiful starry background. Honestly, I probably initially picked this book up because of the cover!
And now for the story.
IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING!!! There are so many unexpected turns and plot twists, with huge revelations every other chapter. The writing style was great as well! The author took imagery and shaped it into what she was describing. One of my favorite examples is this (p. 115):
"I don't know why, but my heart is pounding, and then, arcing across the sky, the Northern Lights appear, rippling out in the dark.
Green
blue and
r
o
s
e
and
R
E
D
and
t
a
n
g
e
r
i
n
e
and
w
h
i
t
e
and
SILVER.
The colors drape over our ship, and I look at Dai, glowing under the lights."
I absolutely LOVED reading parts like this! It really enhanced the idea, in this case, of the dancing northern lights! The way the entire book is written is just beautiful - some passages were written out in such a way that I could imagine being in the scene myself, surrounded by sounds and colors.
The Magonian Mythology presented throughout the book was absolutely amazing! It is hard to say a lot about it without major spoilers, so if you want to avoid spoilers, I would suggest not reading this purple part ^^ But I'll try to keep it just to Magonian mythology :)
SPOILERS!
Okay so Magonian mythology is absolutely fascinating! Basically, it entails that there is a whole world in the sky, built up by floating cities and flying ships. Magonians are human-bird hybrids, who can sing things into happening with the help of a canwr, a special bird. There are sky-pirates and tradesmen. Another awesome part of the mythology is that these boats are surrounded by squallwhales, which, to humans, resemble clouds and take care of our weather.
So yeah it may seem strange and nonsensical for now but it all fits in so perfectly with the book!!
SPOILERS OVER AND OUT!
I also really enjoyed the fact that Jason, Aza's friend, narrates a part of the book. In a way, he really reminds me of John Green's male characters, especially in An Abundance of Katherines. Jason is quirky, recites pi for comfort, and is interested in the strangest topics! Aza's character is also super interesting - without giving away too many spoilers, her character really develops a lot throughout the novel! And their relationship is sooooo sweet!!
Overall, this book is fun, quirky, amazingly beautiful and just magic! I highly highly highly recommend it to anyone!! (For those of you who have already read it, see what I just did there...? ;) )
If you have read it, or are planning to read it, let me know your thoughts in the comments! I love hearing from you guys!! :D
I gave this book a 1000/5 stars on Goodreads!
This book completed my 'a book by a female author' challenge! (kept this for later for who-knows-what reason)
OH and before I forget!
I'm starting the Top Ten Tuesday blogging program thing! I won't post every Tuesday - some lists I just can't complete ^^ But I'll do my best!
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Prodigy, by Marie Lu
Hi all!
In my honest opinion, Prodigy was a more interesting read than Legend. The sequel continues with June and Day's protests agains the Republic, but in a more interesting way than Legend did. Prodigy had more twists and turns and a LOT of plot-twists! I ended up surprised by what was going on so often, especially in the last few chapters! There were a lot more events in this book, which actually made it easier to read as well, as it was a lot more action-packed.
The ending was not at all what I would have expected it to be! In fact, I'm looking forward to reading Champion, just to see how things play out!
As with Legend, I loved the font-and-color change when changing perspectives! It really helped clear things up from a reader's point of view. However, whereas June and Day's characters seemed almost identical in Legend, they start developing more distinct personalities and characters throughout Prodigy, which I enjoyed discovering!
However, also like in Legend, I could not get over the fact that Day and June are FIFTEEN (Day turns sixteen in the book). I understand that this novel is supposed to be dystopian, but I can't help but feel that being engaged in an assassination plot at 15 (as well as other huge things that I won't mention because of spoilers) just isn't right. I wish that Marie Lu had made her character a few years older! This is especially apparent when June explains how she finished university at 15 and started at 12, when someone else from the same university was 17 a year before graduating. I understand that the characters are extremely gifted, but I still thing the ages are a bit exaggerated. That's really my biggest rant of the series ^^
Let me know what you thought of Prodigy! :D
I gave this book 3.75 stars on goodreads!
Hi all!
In my honest opinion, Prodigy was a more interesting read than Legend. The sequel continues with June and Day's protests agains the Republic, but in a more interesting way than Legend did. Prodigy had more twists and turns and a LOT of plot-twists! I ended up surprised by what was going on so often, especially in the last few chapters! There were a lot more events in this book, which actually made it easier to read as well, as it was a lot more action-packed.
The ending was not at all what I would have expected it to be! In fact, I'm looking forward to reading Champion, just to see how things play out!
As with Legend, I loved the font-and-color change when changing perspectives! It really helped clear things up from a reader's point of view. However, whereas June and Day's characters seemed almost identical in Legend, they start developing more distinct personalities and characters throughout Prodigy, which I enjoyed discovering!
However, also like in Legend, I could not get over the fact that Day and June are FIFTEEN (Day turns sixteen in the book). I understand that this novel is supposed to be dystopian, but I can't help but feel that being engaged in an assassination plot at 15 (as well as other huge things that I won't mention because of spoilers) just isn't right. I wish that Marie Lu had made her character a few years older! This is especially apparent when June explains how she finished university at 15 and started at 12, when someone else from the same university was 17 a year before graduating. I understand that the characters are extremely gifted, but I still thing the ages are a bit exaggerated. That's really my biggest rant of the series ^^
Let me know what you thought of Prodigy! :D
I gave this book 3.75 stars on goodreads!
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