Sunday, June 1, 2014

The fault in our stars by John Green

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
HardcoverFirst Edition313 pages
Published January 10th 2012 by Dutton Books (first published January 1st 2012)


Honestly what can I say about this book that a million others haven't? 
I read this book in one day i did really enjoy it it wasn't really like the books I had read before.i didn't think that I would Ever read it to be honest. I have had a few people in my life die from cancer and my best friend right now is suffering from cancer
So I expected to be in tears for most of the book but I found that I just didn't connect the way others
did. I went into it expecting to move me to tears and I was kind of let down for the feels.
Other hen that I did love Hazel and Gus there love reminded me of A walk to remember where it shelled and inevitably saved the person left behind. This review is a little all over the place I apologize it's hard for me to put all this into proper perspective.

I'll say I loved the writing and the story was great but my personal opinion is that not everyone is going to cry and be moved and some people will think that this is romanticizing cancer, which I don't a free with as the cancers never made to be the star of the book. The star of the book is the evolution of the characters. The love between Hazel and Gus doesn't spring up out of nowhere we experienced it with them as they did and that's what can make a good book great so I can say I loved aspects of this book and liked others my over all rating of this book was 4/5 just due to the over hype of feels and the let down of emotion 
If you haven't read this I would recommend that you do before you see the movie.

Monday, May 26, 2014

May 2014 bookhaul

My half decent May bookhaul. Let me know if you guys have read any of these.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Willam Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher

Hardcover174 pages
Published July 2nd 2013 by Quirk Books

Inspired by one of the greatest creative minds in the English language—and William Shakespeare—here is an officially licensed retelling of George Lucas's epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. ’Tis a tale told by fretful droids, full of faithful Wookiees and fearsome Stormtroopers, signifying...pretty much everything.

Reimagined in glorious iambic pentameter—and complete with twenty gorgeous Elizabethan 

illustrations—William Shakespeare’s Star Wars will astound and edify Rebels and Imperials alike. Zounds! This is the book you’re looking for.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book.
With that's being said Omg I can not fan girl enough about this book I have nothing negative to say as I was reading this I could picture myself nestled into a theatre seat watching my favourite thespians on stage. There was humour there was drama and the shake spearing aspect was not at all overwhelming, because let's be honest sometimes reading a play becomes very dry and repetitive example Romeo and Juliette in high school just bored me to tears. But not with this at all.

Doescher does a great job of incorporating quotes everywhere. It ranges from the frankly ridiculous (Luke's "What's that light flashing?" becomes "--But O, what now?/What light through yonder flashing sensor breaks?")
to the apt application of wit (Solo's "Over my dead body!" to Greedo becomes "The day when Jabba taketh my dear ship/Shall be the day you find me a grave man" ). 
I can see this book becoming an introduction to Shakespeare as it is both timeless and fun for fans of both the science fiction and the literary lovers of William Shakespeare.  I'm going to gush over the cover because this book is beautiful I love the aged palate and take the dust jacket off and the book is a beautiful aged leather looking book I'm in love completely.
I will be recommending this series to every one.
5/5 amazing interpretation wonderful negative and totally attention catching.

Monday, May 19, 2014

giveaway April wrap up May TBR

Just a little giveaway since I had accidentally ordered double, please enjoy.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Dark Companion byMarta Acosta

Dark companion by Marta Acosta
Jane Eyre meets Twilight in Dark Companion, a lush and romantic YA gothic tale about an orphaned girl who attends an exclusive private school and finds herself torn between the headmistress’s two sons.

Orphaned at the age of six, Jane Williams has grown up in a series of foster homes, learning to survive in the shadows of life. Through hard work and determination, she manages to win a scholarship to the exclusive Birch Grove Academy. There, for the first time, Jane finds herself accepted by a group of friends. She even starts tutoring the headmistress’s gorgeous son, Lucien. Things seem too good to be true.


They are.

The more she learns about Birch Grove’s recent past, the more Jane comes to suspect that there is something sinister going on. Why did the wife of a popular teacher kill herself? What happened to the former scholarship student, whose place Jane took? Why does Lucien’s brother, Jack, seem to dislike her so much?
As Jane begins to piece together the answers to the puzzle, she must find out why she was brought to Birch Grove—and what she would risk to stay there.
Hardcover368 pages
Published July 3rd 2012 by Tor Teen

I selected to read this book of my shelves at random hoping it would pull me out of my reading slump. It did in fact pull me out of my slump, it was a rather interesting take on a Jane eyre for the twenty first century. I did over all enjoy it but didn't love it I just found way to many character flaws.

For example our main character Jane is an orphan who's discovered bloody in a tree after her mother and stepfather are murdered, Jane turns into an angry person after her best friend at the foster home dies. Jane then makes a promise to better her self and wins a full scholarship to the prestigious Birch grove school for exceptional girls. 
As janes handed absolutely everything her heart could want she doesn't start to second guess anything till shit goes south. The main love interest if you can call lucky a love interest is a spoiled pick I wanted to hit with the business end of a shovel for three quarters of the bloody book. As Jane finds out that things are too perfect she really finds out, lucky asked Jane if she'd let him use her and blind daft Jane says yes. For the love of god what girl says yeah ok use me as long as it's just me and it's special?? 
Long story short lucky needs janes blood because of a genetic abnormalities that a quarter of the isolated village has making them the inspiration for modern vampires. Jane finds out that she was not selected for the scholarship at random she was chosen to be lucky companion a person feed bank for life. Lucky's older brother Jacob (does that name sound familiar) he spends most of the book trying to make Jane leave but he speaks in quizzical lyrics and conspiracy theory's. At one point he references the Kings fool from Shakespeare, after looking it up Jane finds great he's the one in his family that can tell her what's going on without telling her what's going on. 
Jane figures everything out and refuses the offer after realizing that she loves Jacob Aka Jack and not lucky. 
I really did think there was a lot in the book that could have been explained more I felt that the prefect wrapped up ending was rather rushed and forced. I feel like some of the conflicts ended with bandaid solutions that could have been resolved in a few added chapters. Seeing as this is a stand alone I was rather frustrated I like to finish  a book knowing it's the end of the book tis just left me wanting to read what happened next.
There were many times in this book that it came off as Twilight fan fiction which was completely unnecessary as the vampire aspect was unique enough under the right circumstances to Stanford by its self.
All in all I gave this book 3.5 was enjoyable enough but not anything to write home about.


Thursday, May 8, 2014

Fallen By Lauren Kate

Hardcover1st Edition452 pages
                                                             Published December 8th 2009 by Delacorte Press

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch 
every move.
Even Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce – he goes out of his way to make that very clear. But she 
can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret...even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, FALLEN is a page-turning thriller and the ultimate love 
story.
This book has a lot of negative stigma surrounding it and going into it I wasn't sure how I would feel about it, to start off I will say I did not a hate this book I actually enjoyed it for the most part however I figured the plot twist out in the first two chapters and I did spend the whole book waiting for Luce to clue in which she doesn't completely anyways.
 I liked the premise of this book and I thought the take on the fallen was actually rather unique and while there where points in the book that I didn't think that the story developed very well I still found
myself wanting to keep reading. The insta love in this book was intense and by intense I mean no one needs to be with another person like that in real life realistically past life or no. I also had to question the intelligence of Luce more then once it just seemed like she was short a few bricks in her load! But we later find out she's extremely intelligent which just does not corisponde to her actions at all.

1) smart people do not get into black vehicles not knowing the driver or destination.
2) smart people do blindly follow anyone close by in an emergency without asking some questions.
3) smart people do not accept extravagant gifts from a horn dog who you've known for two days.

Again I state I did not hate this book tho I was completely set up to I will still read the series because as a good book usually does something about this draws you in and you just want to know what the authors not telling you. I gave this book a 4/5 I would have given it a three because of the characters personalities but the plot kept me interested and the world building kept my attention.
I do have to say I kind of wish that the cover was more modernized to go with the more here and now of the story.
If your a fan of boarding school books I would deffinetly give this book a look and if you've heard all the horrible things I had I still say giving the book a read and making up your own mind is the best thing to do.
4/5 give it a look.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

April wrap up May TBR + ( Giveaway)

It's a little bit of a longer video and my voice is pretty scratchy, but I hope you enjoy it all the same :)

Monday, April 28, 2014

If I stay by Gale Forman

Hardcover201 pages
Published April 2nd 2009 by Dutton Juvenile
Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.
Stay, he says.


Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?


Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.


If I stay was such a beautiful well written novel, I ordered this book because I had seen a few other booktubers mention that it was a heart wrenching contemporary and since I am broadening my horizons and reading things outside my comfort zone I picked it up and I was not disappointed.
Ms Forman has written a tear jerking coming of age story that is relatable to so many people I found myself in tears more then once, Spoiler alert if you have not read this book I suggest you do and come back.
 I found Mia's relationship with her family to be both deep and complex I could easily picture her sitting around the table talking to her parents and playing for Teddy. I won't even try to cover up the fact that I broke down completely finding out that Teddy did not make it tho I should have guessed it.
I don't know what I would be like to have a choice like Mia's but this book made me think about the little things. Tonight I will hold my kids a little tighter and tell my husband i love him a little louder. 
This book was excellent I will read the second shortly.

I knew that the movie was coming out and this made me want to read it even more I did not watch the  trailer till after I was finished the book, I have to admit that the cast isn't how I pictured them I wish that Mia had the darker hair mentioned in the book and Adam didn't look at all like he was written 
but non the less it made me bawl all the same.  All in all I loved this book it made me have the feels like none other this year I give it a 5/5  I recommend this book for any fans of The fault in our stars.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

April book haul, possible giveaway

My large April book haul. I have done a large un haul in order to be able to have room on my shelves for the new books I hauled.
 As mentioned in this video I have a few extra books order by accident that I would love to hear if anyone has any ideas wether I should do a giveaway .

Books in question are- The Archived/ The Unbound by Victoria schwab
                                   - The Forever song by Julie Kagawa

Friday, April 25, 2014

Ignite me by- Tahereh Mafi

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, called “a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love.”

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.


The Shatter Me series is perfect for fans who crave action-packed young adult novels with tantalizing romance like Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu. Tahereh Mafi has created a captivating and original story that combines the best of dystopian and paranormal, and was praised by Publishers Weekly as “a gripping read from an author who’s not afraid to take risks.” Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and satisfying end.


Ignite me was an amazing ending to a heart pounding series,  fast paced and action packed this book read so fast before I knew it I was 300 hundred pages into it.  
Needless to say I loved this book the character development was exactly what I hoped for we find the real Warner aka (Aron) in this book which I loved, we also get to see Juliette come into her own completely and with out the so needed male crutch that so many YA female protagonists seem to need. 
I enjoyed how the instance love in the first book was addressed and explained in a way that we all see when reading, the girl always falls face first for the first guy to look her way and in this book the author addresses that . The character finally realizes that she didn't need a man to be strong she needed to see that her strength was a gift.  I found as the novel went on I disliked Adam more and more he became a whining brat but to be honest I saw that in the first book.

Now for the few problems I had with the book I did think that the book had a lot of build up to a very small climax I thought that the war would have been a much larger part of the book but it was rather secondary to the character development. Another thing was I didn't enjoy the god complex that the 
main antagonist had and yet he was taken down so quickly. On a whole this book was very enjoyable but the ending did leave me wanting a little I feel as though there could almost be a continuation or spin off here's hoping :)

Even with the few faults I had I still gave this book a 5/5  a ser

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Cover reveal- Tempting the bodyguard by J.Lynn

TEMPTING THE BODYGUARD by J.Lynn



A sexy category romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint…
He can protect her from everyone except himself.
Alana Gore is in danger. A take-no-prisoners publicist, her way with people has made her more than a few enemies over the years, but a creepy stalker is an entirely different matter. She needs a bodyguard, and the only man she can ask is not only ridiculously hot, but reputed to have taste for women that goes beyond adventurous.
Chandler Gamble has one rule: don't protect anyone you want to screw. But with Alana, he's caught between his job and his increasingly hard libido. On one hand, Alana needs his help. On the other, Chandler wants nothing more than to take the hot volcano of a woman in hand. To make her writhe in pleasure, until she's at his complete mercy.
She needs protection. He needs satisfaction. And the moment the line is crossed, all hell will break loose…


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.


Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, 
science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

We'll I don't know about the rest of you but this has been added to my must read list. I hope you all check it out.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday

                     Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
                                              This week is all about bookish things you 
                                                                    want to own
1.
Just because it's Harry Potter that's all lol.
2.
Batman book case this pretty much sums up my nerd needs in one picture.
3.
Another super hero themed item but seriously who doesn't want these two holding up their books.
4.
This shirt it's yellow it's game of thrones it's perfect.
5.
This case is just awesome .
6.
These Harry Potter infinity bands are all of Etsy.
7.
Who wouldn't want a special place just to read.
8.
This is just a wicked pillow.
9.
Just one of those things that's to cool not to want.
10.
I need this cup just for the simple hope that it might actually deter the noise.



















Saturday, April 12, 2014

Unspoken- Sarah Rees brennan

Paperback
Published 2013 by Random House Books for Young Readers (first published January 1st 2012)
Kami Glass is in love with someone she’s never met – a boy the rest of the world is convinced is imaginary. This has made her an outsider in the sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, but she doesn’t complain. She runs the school newspaper and keeps to herself for the most part – until disturbing events begin to happen. There has been screaming in the woods and the dark, abandoned manor on the hill overlooking the town has lit up for the first time in 10 years. The Lynburn family, who ruled the town a generation ago and who all left without warning, have returned. As Kami starts to investigate for the paper, she finds out that the town she has loved all her life is hiding a multitude of secrets- and a murderer- and the key to it all just might be the boy in her head. The boy who everyone thought was imaginary may be real…and he may be dangerous.


Kami Glass is not your ordinary high school student, she is a pushy sleuthing wannabe journalist who does what ever she can to get the story, she also has an imaginary friend she talks to in her mind.She starts a school paper with the help of her angst ridden best friend Angela who for lack of a better word is a moody bitch. Strange things start happening that happen to coincide with the mysterious arrival of the Lynburn family after 17 years of being away from the sleepy little town Story-in-the-vale. As Kami gets to know the two Lynburn boys she starts to wonder if anything she knew was true..


Okay let me start off by saying how much I loved this book cliche love triangle aside. There was something so refreshing and gripping in Brennan's writing that I found pulling me in from the first sentence. The fact that Kami wasn't a single parent typical YA female protagonist was just welcoming to read, her family is very much a large part of the book as the background builds up the books main 
plot. I really enjoy when there's explanations about secondary characters. So let's delve into the nitty gritty.

1)teenage girl who doesn't fit in. Check
2)mysterious boy from a mixed background. Check
3) side kick best friend. Check
4) love triangle. Check
5) series. Check


These are the most typical YA aspects in pretty much every book most of us read it's not that there bad but it generally either makes or breaks the book and or series for us. I myself am not generally a fan of love triangles I tend to just either like both male characters or I feel that the girls kinda skanky to go back and forth. In this book I love that the romance is there but it's not at all centre stage it gets hinted and and played with but there's so much more going on. Brennan has defiantly written a story that grabs you and won't let go. I was completely surprised by the plot in this book I had no idea it was going the way it did and I was happy when it did.
The ending of this book is frustrating I will admit but it only makes me want to continue the series that much more .
I ended up giving this book a 5/5 I loved it and honestly had no real problems with anything that would make me lessen my rating .
Amazing series and I will do my best to make sure more people know about and read this.


Sunday, April 6, 2014

March wrap up April TBR - updates


White hot kiss Jennifer L. Armentrout

Paperback392 pages
Published February 25th 2014 by Harlequin Teen (first published February 1st 2014)
One kiss could be the last

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. 
Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. 

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.
 This was by far my favourite Jennifer L. Armentrout book the plot was amazing and the story never let me down. I found this book a little reminiscent of the Lux series in a few spots that didn't bother me at all. I love how even in a made up world Jennifer still puts in enough references to make the average person giggle I found I laughed at the supernatural reference the most as that's my favourite tv show.  I love the fact that the secondary characters had development I usually dislike when there just names in a background it's rather frustrating but I liked Layla's friends. I loved the world building  and the plot twist just kept coming . I loved Roth from his spiky hair to every inch of the dragon tattoo, he had bark and bite and being a demon he had redeeming qualities that I loved. I also found myself absolutely loving Bambie Roth's snake tattoo her personality was larger hen life while doing very little . Zayne came to life within the second half of the book and I found myself being torn between the two main men I haven't made up my mind who's the better guy but I loved Roth more for Layla :)

Layla our main character is a half demon half warden which is a gargoyle . The wardens are sanctioned to destroy demons but the public thinks they just lock up bad guys Layla does a job 
for the warden by tagging demons lighting them up like a Christmas tree. While doing this she meets Roth.

Roth is a beautiful tattooed hunk who ends up saving Layla's ass more then once. We find out theirs more to this guy then meets the eye he's a demon an upper level demon and she's the reason he's topside. The sparks fly immediately between the two but in true J,L fashion Layla denies her feelings till the bitter end. 
There's also happens to be her some what adopted brother Zayne who's the son of Abbot the head of the warden clan that took Layla in.  Layla's been in love with Zayne since forever but she couldn't kiss him without sucking his soul which is a real problem for Layla. Tasting souls makes Layla sick 
it's the warden in her rejecting the demon in her.  Layla thinks Zayne doesn't love her because of what she is and not what she isn't. But Zaynes has loved her forever too. 

All in all White hot kiss is an amazing beginning to what I think is going to be a new favourite on many people shelves. I gave this book 5/5 I loved it I didn't dislike anything and it was so quick to read I will be sitting on egg shells waiting for November and the next in the series

Friday, April 4, 2014

Let's talk about it!!!

I'm still a new blogger and a new book tuber but I realized after reorganizing my shelves for what can only be described as the millionth time that I have a greater volume of unfinished to finished books.
Now I can only describe buying books as a uforic experience that can be compared to an addicts high for myself but what happens once those books are back home on your shelf? Are you left with the bitter taste of buyers remorse or are you still in love with the thought of a new book..

I read around six books a month and I consider that to be pretty good considering what little spare time I have but with the volume of new books I bring into my shelves I'm quadrupling my TBR pile. I figured out that if I were to only finish the books on my shelfs and not buy any new books with the rate I read it would take me about two years at my current pace to read the entire contents of my TBR.
I love getting new books and if your like me watching a book haul on youtube usually makes you order at least one new book but from time to time putting ourselves on a buying ban isn't the worst thing in the world . It all comes down to self control and knowing our own financial limits.
So I have decided that if the books on my shelves sit for more then a year I will donate them or give them to a friend that wants them.
So what do you guys think do you find buying books addicting or do you only add to your collection when a new book in a series comes out.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Quick fire review- Savage girl Jean Zimmerman


Cover reveal Lux beginning and Lux consequences

Lux: Beginnings (Obsidian & Onyx) official Blurb:

Obsidian
There's an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he's hot...until he opens his mouth. He's infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he lights me up with a big fat bulls-eye. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.
Onyx
Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro alien 
connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But 
we’ve got bigger problems. I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

Lux: Consequence
 (Opal & Origin) official blurb:

Opal
After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret 

organization responsible for torturing and testing alien hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.
Origin
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back. After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?  


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Grasshopper Jungle- Andrew Smith published by Penguin Feb,2014

Austin Szerba read somewhere that “human beings are genetically predisposed to record history.” So that’s what he’s doing – recording everything that happened leading up to the night he and his best friend, Robby, broke into the From Attic to Seller thrift store and witnessed a few Hoover Boys unwittingly release a plague strain that could destroy the world as we know it.

Austin is not lying when he promises that within the pages of ‘Grasshopper Jungle’ there are “babies with two heads, insects as big as refrigerators, God, the devil, limbless warriors, rocket ships, sex, diving bells, theft, wars, monsters, internal combustion engines, love, cigarettes, joy, bomb shelters, pizza, and cruelty.”



But it’s also a book about a third-generation Polish-American boy who’s in love with his girlfriend, while being confused about his feelings for his gay best friend. It’s about his mother who kayaks with little blue Xanax pills and what it’s like to grow up in the small town of Ealing, Iowa. Oh, and it’s about the “Unstoppable Soldier” and 6-foot-tall man-eating praying mantises.

It’s a history of the end of the world, and a history of this boy’s life so far.

‘Grasshopper Jungle’ is the new contemporary/dystopian/sci-fi/coming-of-age … Kafka-esque young adult novel from Andrew Smith.

In a recent interview with Kirkus, Smith summarized his new book thus; “I think it was my singular intent to write a book that nobody could ever write jacket or flap copy for.” Well, he’s certainly succeeded there. 


This book can I just say Wow and WTF did I just read , I have read my fair share of apocalyptic dystopias. As I'm sure so many of us have but this book was so different form any of them. I was generously sent this book by Penguin after requesting it I received it within a week I quickly devoured this book.
Witty and deliciously entertaining this book is written in the perspective of our young male protagonist who is both filled with angst and sexual confusion. I love how this book brushed against some very deep issues without being preachy which I'm sure everyone can agree on makes us usually want to put a book down not this time there was no putting this book down it simply got better the further into it you get.
Here’s the thing, though.  The premise of the book, as outlined above, might sound a bit ridiculous.  And, in spots, it’s far from believable.  This is because it’s rooted in science-fiction which, by its very nature, is not meant to be entirely realistic. On the surface of Grasshopper Jungle, then, is an action-packed coming-of-age story with groovy, original and horrifying science-fiction elements.  Dig deeper, though, and you’ll find that Smith is asking some seriously profound questions about life, power, love, independence, and responsibility.
I gave this book a 5-5 an absolute must read ..

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Top ten Tuesday Influential books



Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where they make lists of bookish things! 




This is my first top ten Tuesday so I decided a good transition topic would be my top ten influential books
To start this off  is my number 10 pick.

10) Twilight-  Stephanie Meyers- now this is the most sophisticated read in the world and the morals of the book are actually rather sketchy but it's a fun addictive read that like it or not most of us own one if not all four of the books on our shelves.

9) The Lord of the rings(trilogy) JRR Tolkien - I read this series in my sophomore year of high school so quite a while ago, this trilogy opened my eyes to the world of fantasy and is a great gateway book to those who just don't know about the genre.

8) I capture the castle, Dodie smith- this was one of the first contemporary romance reads that I ever read and I loved it, it was well written and beautifully moving.

7) The hunger games- Suzanne Collins, this is a kick ass dystopian that I'm sure launched thousands of readers on the epic journey we all have loved watching Jennifer Lawrence embark on.

6)The Darkest minds- Alexandra Bracken- another wonderful dystopian book that just entrances readers start to finish highly recommended.

5)Daughter of smoke and bone- Lani Taylor-  If you have not read any of Lani Taylor's books I highly suggest you pick this up Lani Taylor has a way with words that captivates you and draws you in completely.

4)Divergent- Verinica Roth- I had a t first found this book to be slow to begin and I won't beat around the bush I haven't finished this series but I loved this book I found I connected with more then one of the characters and also found myself second guessing what was going to happen. It was a great quick read.

3) The perks of being a wallflower- Stephen Chbosky-  this is a great coming of age novel it's a quick read that should be on everyone's shelves.

2) Harry potter- JK Rowling - this is probably one of the most influential YA/ middle grade books ever written what more can you say other The it's Harry Friggin Potter get on board people.

1)Wonder-R,J palacio this book opened my heart, as a person with a physical deformity I found that I connected with the main character and understood his struggle to be seen as normal. I would recommend this book to any young adult or adult who at times doesn't feel they have a place.

Cover reveal Lux beginnings

Lux: Beginnings (Obsidian & Onyx )
will release on June 3, 2014.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writ
ing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, 
Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
Lux: Beginnings (Obsidian & Onyx) official Blurb:
Obsidian
There's an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he's hot...until he opens his mouth. He's infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he lights me up with a big fat bulls-eye. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.
Onyx
Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro alien connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems. I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, 
even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me??
These two books are definitely two of my favourites this year 

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Cover changes and confusion why?

                                                 Cover changes in series.



This topic is in my opinion and should in no way be taken personally or be seen as a bash on publishers.

I like most bloggers and book lovers have a un dying love for my books and my shelfs. So when I find myself in love with a series and invested to the point where I purchase the whole series I hope that my series looks as good on the outside as it does on the inside. I do realize that sometimes authors are dropped by certain publishers or that they simply hope to rebrand their book to reach a wider audience or a different demographic.

 With this being said there are a Few major book series that have had very negative reactions due the choice of covers that we're chosen such as Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis, the original covers are beautiful depictions of blue and purple and pink space with lovely silhouetted people, insert the third cover a very literal interpretation of the name Shades of earth is a green book with leaves and what looks like stone thistle sign was clearly done as marketing to bring in more male readers.





Another series that was issued a redesign tho this one was done with the second book instead of e third was Sarah J Mass's Throne of glass series. The first book in hard cover was done as an edited model picture fairly generic and un original as this book cover has been widely scrutinized by other bloggers and vloggers alike it was quickly redesigned to a more widely accepted fantasy cover complete with a kick ass female assassin designed very much like an anime character. I personally don't really care for the redesign that much.
 


  
Another series that underwent a redesign after the first book was The Shatter me trilogy by Taharah Mafi . The first cover has been quoted by people as being a picture of a kardashian it wasn't a bad cover by any means it was a depiction of a scene in the book. The redesign was of a eye which is an absolutely beautiful cover, the publishers also made all the books available in both paperback and hardcover which I appreciate since hardcovers are nice but paperbacks are cheaper.



These are just a few examples of some of the many cover changes in theYa genre I'd love to hear your thoughts on these books and many more.
Till then keep the pages turning bookies :)





Monday, March 17, 2014

Vampire Academy by Rachel mead

Here is my review of Rachel meads Vampire Academy.

Our heroine is 17 year old rose Hathaway who is a Dhampire which is a child of a Moroi and a Dhampire mix. In this vampire world there are two main types of vampires Moroi who are living vampires and strigoi dead vampires who can only survive by killing people. Moroi can wield magic and every Moroi specializes in one of the four classes of magic fire ,air water, earth, but a class that no one knows about is spirit and this is introduced further upon in the story line. The Academy is like any other school except that there's a bodyguard class room for dhampires and magic classes for Moroi.

The book starts off with rose and Lisa living away from the Academy for reasons that get introduced later on in the story, as the girls enjoy their quiet life away from the school they quickly find themselves hauled back to the academy by the guardians consisting of Dimitri the main love interest. As soon as the girls get back to the school all hell starts breaking lose Lisa starts losing her grip and rose  is forced to find a way to save her friends sanity.

Overall I really enjoyed this book I found the plot easy to follow and the characters to be well described and developed. There were a few problems I found with roses character only because it felt to me that her personality completely switched mid way through the book.
With Lisa I do find her character to be a little trying in that she is a strong person who acts completely weak on purpose. Her dependence on rose even without the bond becomes a little irritating but I do believe her character is still redeemable as far as the series goes. I would definitely give this series a read especially if you like vampire books but you want to read something with a twist.
I give Vampire Academy 3-5 worth the read.
I am sorry that this is all over the place I hope to be doing more reviews soon
Till next time bookies keep the pages turning:)