February Wrap-Up and March TBR!

Hey booknerds! I'm here with another wrap-up for the month! I had a really good month of reading and I really hope that next month is good to me as well! Here's all the books I read this month!

All Fall Down by Ally Carter (Embassy Row #1)

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (Series Of Unfortunate Events #1) (reread)

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han (TATBILB #1)

Throne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Throne Of Glass #1)

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

A Time To Reap by Jonas Lee (Carter Gabel #1) (ebook)

Brooklynn's Bridge by K.T. Hunter (Brooklynn's Bridge #1) (ebook)

Divergent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #1) (reread)

 

Not Shown In Picture

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children Graphic Novel by Ransom Riggs

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Chibi Vampire by Yuna Kagesaki (Chibi Vampire #1)

 

And Here's my TBR for March!

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #2)

The Anybodies by N.E. Bode (The Anybodies #1)

Cress by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #3)

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games #1)



February Book Haul 2015!

Hey my bookish friends! For once, my book haul for the month isn't as big as the month before which I'm very proud of myself for! I bought a total of 15 books and 2 book-to-movie adaptations. Here's my haul for y'all!

Jane Austen- Four Novel Bind-Up- Library- $4

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard- Target- $14.95

The Doll People by Ann M. Martin & Laura Godwin- Library- $1

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski- Half Price Books- $8.99

Grim Fairytales for Adults- Thrift Shop- $0.25

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke- Library- $1

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- Half Price Books- $1

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan- Half Price Books- $4.49

Looking For Alaska by John Green- Thrift Shop- $0.25

100 Poems by 100 Poets- Thrift Shop- $0.25

If You Want To Write by Brenda Ueland- Thrift Shop- $0.25

Cress by Marissa Meyer- Half Price Books- $8.79

Specials by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies #3)- Half Price Books- $4.99

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies #2)- Half Price Books- $4.99

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies #1)- Half Price Books- $0.25

 

MOVIES:

Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe- $2

Narnia: Prince Caspian- $2 

 

Stay tuned for my February TBR!

Top 5 Friday: Series!

If you enjoyed seeing my Top 5 favorite trilogies last Friday, here are my top 5 favorite series at the moment! It was really hard narrowing my picks down to just five so keep in mind that these are just an iota of picks!

5. The Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter

I grew up in my teen years reading this series after a friend of mine introduced me to them! I still remember how excited I was when the third book was coming out! I plan on rereading this series sometime this year and I'm stoked about it.

 

4. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

 

I fell in love with the first two books in this series but for some reason never continued to the next two. I plan on rereading the first two books and picking up the last two in the series so I can finally finish the series and find out what happens next!

 

3. The Selection by Kierra Cass

 

I loved the first book in this series and pretty much pulled all my hair out during the second but I'm excited to pick up the third book! The fourth book in this series "The Heir" comes out in just a few weeks and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

 

2. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

 

Yet another series my friend introduced me to and I seriously love this series so much!! I haven't read "Cress" yet but I plan to read it in March because I desperately need to know what happens next before the fourth and final book in the series "Winter" is released in November!

 

1. A Series Of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

If you follow me on Instagram then you already saw this coming. I grew up reading this series over and over again and it never gets old for me. I've read this series three times and this year I want to read the entire series for a fourth time. Oh nostalgia . . .

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Fantasy

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 404

Book #1 of the Throne Of Glass series

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Published: August 7, 2012

 

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another.
Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined

 

Review:

PROS:

1. It took pretty much forever to finally track down this book at the bookstore and that was only because I wasn't looking for it when I found it. Ironic. Anyway, once I found it, it took a little while for me to finally pick it up and read it. That TBR pile man . . . Here's the review!

 

2. The characters in this book were so cool and I have to say I'm a huge fan of Celaena Sardothien just like every other person that's read this book. Celaena is such a kick-butt character, she's strong, smart, sarcastic and doesn't like being told what to do, how to dress, who to be or anything of the sort. Like at all. I felt like she was just an amazingly strong female protagonist that definitely represents girl-power very well. I also loved the Crown Prince in the story. I felt he wasn't the typical prince character you tend to see in books. He wasn't all that tough, not solider material, and a bit of a nerd. I also really loved Captain Westfall because he was the typical tough and no-nonsense person but that made his relationship with Celaena more entertaining since they loved picking at each other.

 

3. I loved how exciting this book was! It had awesome and nail-biting scenes with sword fighting and intense training. It also had amazing magical elements strewn throughout the story that didn't make it feel completely like a straight-up magic book. It was fast-paced and a lovely fantasy read for anyone who loves Narnia and The Hunger Games.

 

4. Lastly, I loved the writing! Sarah J. Maas is an incredible writer and author and I seriously was engulfed in the book for the most part because of that. I loved how she was able to word things to make a scene seem so epic and amazing when it was just a character walking down a hallway. I definitely can't wait to pick up the next book in this series to see what happens next.

 

CONS:

1. Even though I enjoyed this book, I didn't love it as much as everyone else did. I was expecting more from the book than what I got. I hope I'm not alone on this one but the book tended to get a bit slow at times and I felt it didn't have enough fighting scenes. I just felt it had so much more potential to be more amazing than it already was.

 

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I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter! 

Music Matching Monday: The Young Elites

 

 

The Young Elites is probably my favorite book of all time so I really wanted to pair this book with a great song! To pair this one, I chose a song that reminded me of not only the characters but also the story and Adelina and how she started out as the hero but had the villain-esque element in her heart. I finally stumbled upon the perfect song that not only gets these points across but even shows it in the video. I see Adelina as a potential hero gone dark because of the things that have happened to her in her life and those emotions only anger and upset her more and more until she's considered a person to fear. She has the potential to be the hero but her dark past conflicts with that.

"My Heart Is Broken" by Evanescence

The DUFF Movie Review

The DUFF

 

 

 

Rating: PG-13

 

I was originally invited to an early screening of the movie in the beginning of February but because of a terrifyingly large TBR, I hadn't yet read the book so I didn't attend. That was my fault. I have two different opinions about this movie, one from a movie stand point and a book adaptation review. Below you can get my thoughts on both!

 

Review:

The first thing I really liked about the movie is the casting. I really thought all the characters were brought to life by the brilliant actors and actresses. I really loved Mae Whitman aka Bianca Piper in this movie! I'm a big fan of the actress and I thought she really delivered in bringing Bianca alive with her quirky and sarcastic performance. She really gave the character a personality that I thought was lacking a bit in the book.

 

Another thing I loved about the movie was that the movie focused mainly on Bianca trying to define who she was and focused less on the sexual elements the book contained. Of course the movie didn't include ANY intimate scenes from the book, which is understandable since the movie is a teen movie and the makers of the movie didn't exactly want to gather a 50 Shades Of Grey vibe.

 

The movie was also hilarious and sweet and romantic and overall enjoyable and a movie that's perfect for a girl's night out or just a great movie to see on the weekend. Now while I enjoyed the movie a bit more than the actual book (a true SHOCKER) I still took note on how many things were changed in the movie:

1. Westley and Bianca were projected as distant childhood friends and not-so mortal enemies.  

 

I actually liked their movie relationship better than the one in the book. I just personally felt that it made the chemistry between them a little sweeter and more romantic.

 

2. Bianca's parents have already divorced and she lives with her mother.

 

I have mixed feelings about this change. I liked in the book how Bianca's dad hit a rough spot and really delivered on projecting her life as nothing near perfect. I did enjoy seeing Bianca living with her mother and how good their relationship was however. I thought the change was a tad unnecessary but again, understandable. It made the film more focused on the bullying portion of the story.

 

3. Different events and characters were changed.

 

Some of the things that play out in the book were switched around a bit and some completely taken out. Some of the characters were also changed either personality wise such as Toby Tucker or presence wise meaning made more prominent with their part in the story such as Madison Carter. Some new characters were also added or not even mentioned which is something I can probably let slide this time. Another thing that was changed was the situation between Wesley and Bianca, it was changed from her kissing him randomly at a party to them working together out of pity with school and "unduffing" Bianca with no romantic reasons playing a part in their companionship. I actually think this change benefited the romantic build-up between the characters. It was the classic started-off-friends-but-became-something-more element.

 

As a movie, I really loved it and would totally see it again any day. It's perfect for a weekend at the movies or just hanging out with your girls.

As a book-to-movie adaptation, you would more than likely have to read the book AND see the movie to decide which one you like better since they're almost completely different from each other. If you've read the book, don't go into the movie thinking it will be a perfect adaptation of the book because, I'm sorry to say, it just isn't. 

Top 5 Friday:Trilogies!

So I've been asked a lot on Instagram what my favorite trilogies/series are. I actually have many favorites but there are a few that stand out among the rest! I'll be making a separate post letting you guys know what my favorite series are but for now, here are my favorite trilogies at the moment!

5. Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie

 

I know this isn't the most loved trilogy among readers but I actually really loved this one. Yes, the last book wasn't that amazing and yes, the second tended to get a bit slow but I still really loved seeing the story progress and would honestly pick it up again.

 

4. Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver

 

I really loved this trilogy when I first picked it up. I really loved the world and the characters and I thought the story progressed well with fast-paced scenes and kept things exciting. I plan to reread these books but of course, there's that huge TBR pile in the corner I need to take care of first.

 

3. The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner

 

I originally picked up the first book in this trilogy simply because the movie was coming out and I wanted to see it but in order to do that, I had to read the book first. I ended up loving it and continued on with the books until I read them all and the prequel within just a couple of weeks. I'll also be rereading The Scorch Trials before the movie comes out in September and I'm excited for that!

 

2. Daughter Of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor

I honestly picked up the first book because of how beautiful the cover was. I'd been seeing the book over the years and picked it up again and again but never bought it or borrowed it from the library. I kept slipping it back onto the shelf and later realized it was the worst mistake I ever made. I still haven't read the third book in this trilogy but I'm excited to see where the story goes and what happens next! A five star trilogy for sure!

 

1. Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

I originally picked up the first book because it was also becoming a movie. I read the book back in October 2013 and ended up finishing the series in just five days. I was hooked, needless to say. This was the first trilogy/dystopian book I ever read and since reading it, I've been a sucker for any dystopian read I can get my hands on. I also plan on rereading Insurgent before the movie comes out!

 

BONUS PICK!: Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu

This was another trilogy that had me hooked within just a few pages. I know the first book isn't that well loved but I personally loved every minute of it. I especially loved the last two books, even with all the heartbreak, and couldn't read these books fast enough. 

Review: The Duff by Kody Keplinger

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Contemporary

Score: 3.5 Stars

Page Count: 277

Stand Alone Novel

Publisher: Little Brown/Poppy

Published: September 7, 2010

 

 

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face. But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. I've been hearing about this book for months now and had no idea that this book was in fact becoming a movie and that's why pretty much every teen was reading it. I was finally able to find a copy of this book and read it just in time before seeing the movie. Here's the review!

 

2. I really appreciated that this book was written for teens by a teen. Kody Keplinger, at the time, was only 18 when she wrote this book and I feel like that gave the book a stronger sense of understanding among teens. I really liked that the author was able to capture realistic and relatable feelings of not fitting in, feeling insecure and being confused as to who you really are. I really connected to the story in those ways.

 

3. I also liked how this book was also more of a deeper contemporary. The characters in this book were far from perfect which, again, is very realistic. They all had their issues and insecurities that they were all dealing with and tried their best to do so.

 

4. Lastly, I really loved the message of this book. The characters, especially Bianca, had to deal with bullying and struggled to see the true beauty of themselves. I really loved how this book teaches readers that in a way, we're all "Duffs" but that it doesn't mean that we're not beautiful, it just means we're not perfect.

 

CONS:

1. I really liked the characters in this book but I had a hard time connecting with them the way I wanted too. I thought Bianca was sarcastic and hardheaded but I still felt she was a little flat. Same thing with Wesley, Casey, Jessica and the rest of the characters. I just thought they all had so much potential to have really great character development but didn't quite have enough for me.

 

2. I also didn't really care for the first half of the book. I found myself getting bored easily and had to force myself to keep reading to see if the book got better, which it did about 100 pages in. I also had to force myself to read through Bianca's irrational and infuriating decisions that I just couldn't wrap my head around. I enjoyed this book overall but it isn't something I'd pick up again.  

 

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I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

 

Lying Out Loud (The DUFF companion) by Kody Keplinger

Out April 28, 2015



SEE "THE DUFF" IN THEATERS FEBRUARY 20, 2015!



Music Matching Monday: New Segment!

Hey people of books and all things reading! I recently took to social media to ask you guys what y'all would like to see on this blog and I got some really awesome Ideas from people! I want this blog to be about books and reviews but I also want to include things that are book related to add something fun to my blog but also keep the theme of books going. So, without further typing, here's a brand new segment for you guys! I'm calling it "Music Matching Monday!"

Here's How It Works:

 

Every Monday, I'll choose a book and pair it with a song and tell you why I think they go together so well. It's pretty much like giving a book your own personal soundtrack. I have PLENTY of books and songs that I've paired together in my mind so I'm super excited to share my pairings with you guys! This idea came from one of my friends on Instagram @bookishmelissa (whom you should follow). Since my account name on IG is @books.music.life, she suggested I combine music and books together which I think is a brilliant way to interweave my account and blog :)

So, here's the first pairing I have for you guys!

 

 

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

 

I've paired this book with one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite artists! This pairing has actually been one for almost a year now and every time I play this song, I still can't get it through my head how the song somehow didn't make it into the movie or official soundtrack. Like, what even?

Like A Star by Britt Nicole



Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Rating: PG

Genre: Contemporary

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 355

Book #1 of the To All The Boys I've Loved Before duology

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Published: January 1, 2014

 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. If you know anything about the book community on social media and YouTube, you have probably more than likely heard of this book and know how much hype surrounds this book, especially since the sequel is coming out later this year. After weeks of waiting to read this book, (my TBR is HUGE) I finally got to pick it up and I have to say, I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did! Let's get started with the review!

 

2. The characters in this book were so adorable and loveable I just wanted to jump right into the book and have them be my own friends. They were so different in personalities but they went together so well and made an entertaining group of friends. I fell in love with Lara Jean's character for many reasons. I liked how she was very quirky and a little socially awkward which in my case, I related to a lot. She also had to grow up a little faster after her sister leaves for college and she's left alone to take care of the family, including her sassy and feisty little sister Kitty. I also loved how Lara Jean, even though she wanted to be with someone, cared more about her family and friends than being in love. She was just a girl who wanted to find out who she was exactly and focus on the people she loved the most.

 

3. The romance in this book was nothing short of entertaining. Lara Jean and Peter were very sarcastic with each other as well as goofy and even though they didn't get each other most of time, it was funny to see them try. I also liked the romance between Lara Jean and Josh. They had chemistry but didn't really know how to deal with it, considering they were close childhood friends and didn't want to lose each other. That's right people, this one has a major love triangle!

 

4. The character development was absolutely fantastic! I loved getting to know them all and see what each character was like, even the side characters were well developed in just a short amount of time. Some characters were funny, some were sassy, some were smart, and some were just plainly and clearly the bad guys but you still loved them a little. I'm excited to see how the story progresses in the sequel and see just where everyone ends up and what happens next!

 

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I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

 

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Out May 26, 2015

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

All Fall Down By Ally Carter

Rating: PG

Genre: YA Fiction, Action & Adventure

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 310

Book #1 of the Embassy Row Series

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Published: January 20, 2015

 

This exciting new series from NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter focuses on Grace, who can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world, and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row. Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay--in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. I'm not only a huge fan of the lovely and talented Ally Carter but I'm also such a huge fan of this new novel by her! I seriously couldn't wait to get my hands on it and even though I wasn't able to pick it up immediately after buying it, my excitement only increased. Here's the review!

 

2. One thing I seriously loved about this book was the characters! I loved the witty and sarcastic banter between them and it was exactly what you'd expect from a band of misfits trying to unravel the mystery of a murder. Grace was definitely my favorite out of all of them however. I loved how Grace knew she wasn't perfect despite her grandfather's important place in society and I loved how she accepted it but also used her imperfections to drive her to do whatever it took to catch her mother's killer. I also loved how Grace and Alexei had some major chemistry between them but Grace, however, chose to put her feelings aside and focus on her mission. I felt she was a strong character and very daring and a big risk taker.

 

3. The whole book had an air of mystery from the first page to the last. I loved how the story unfolded and how, at first, things seemed somewhat normal in Grace's life until different events started happening which revealed the true nature of Grace's personality and anxiety. It also felt like there were multiple twists and turns and even some pretty exciting, heart pounding moments that kept you on the edge of your seat. I wasn't sure where the story would go when I first picked it up but then things started falling into place, secrets were revealed, rumors were spread and a path was opened up for the story and boy did I love where it headed!

 

4. This book was an exciting, heartbreaking, heart pounding, action and suspense with a touch of romance read that I seriously want to reread it already! Not only did this book have an amazing band of characters, very well developed ones at that, and a really amazing world and surprising truths, but it had a mind blowing and all around freaking amazing plot twist about 20 pages from the end! Needless to say, I almost had a heart attack while reading and because of the amazing ending, I need the sequel to see what happens next! A sequel that I know will be worth the wait!

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any more book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

 

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Brooklynn's Bridge by K.T. Hunter

Brooklynn's Bridge by K.T. Hunter

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Rating: PG

Genre: Drama, YA Fiction

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 144

Book #1 of the Brooklynn's Bridge series

Publisher: Spectacle Publishing Media Group

Published: January 9, 2015

 

After her life is turned upside down through a serious of unfortunate events, sixteen-year-old Brooklynn is forced to move to Texas, where she and her family can start over. Plagued with the ability to read the thoughts of those around her and visions of the future, she must juggle adapting to her new high school and saving those she sees may be doomed to die. But after the incident back in Edmonds, Washington with Alex Pierce, Brooklynn is shaken about her ability and with only her grandmother, Karen, to understand her, she’s not sure whom she can trust—especially after meeting the mysterious and fearless January who seems to be the one person immune to her abilities. With a new school, new friends, and the conflicting feelings of a new crush, Brooklynn has a lot to manage… all while dealing with January’s impending threats of revenge. Filled with suspense, drama, and wit, Brooklynn’s Bridge will take readers through a spiraling mystery, as it follows Brooklynn and her secret abilities through the whirling world of high school and revenge… but will her powers and her new friends be enough to allow her escape January’s grasp with her life?

 

Review:

PROS:

1. After being sent this book for review by the author herself, I was pretty excited to read this book since I'd been looking for more of a fantasy read and since this book deals with psychic abilities, it counted as one in my book. Keep reading for the review!

 

2. I really loved the characters in this book from our "evil villain" to our main character, Brooklynn. I really liked Brooklynn's character because I felt she was relatable. Seeing as she was the new girl in school, fell into the wrong crowd of friends and had to deal with being different, I definitely felt like myself and Brooklynn had an understanding on certain levels and I thought that others could see eye to eye as well. I liked that she was quiet and nice but also tended to shut people out due to her struggle with her unique ability.

 

3. I really liked the storyline in this book. I liked how at first, things in Brooklynn's life didn't seem to be related at all with each other, such as her run in with Alex Pierce and even January's anger and hate towards Brooklynn but later seemed to all weave together with other things that were happening in the story and blended well into a few surprising conclusions. It had an air of mystery throughout the whole story and I really enjoyed that.

 

4. Lastly, I enjoyed the author's writing. Everything from the characters to the plot, climax and everything in between was well written and fleshed out and beautifully developed. I loved the mystery and suspense, romance and even the touch of comedy in this book. 

 

CONS:

1. The only thing I didn't enjoy that much about this book was that at first, the story didn't seem to have any real plot which is understandable since there had to be some world building and character development first before diving into the rest of the book. Everything did fall into place, however, as the story progressed.

 

Age Recommendation: 13+

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

A Time To Reap by Jonas Lee

A Time To Reap by Jonas Lee

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Rating: PG

Genre: Sci-fi, Time Travel

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 250

Book #1 of the Legend Of Carter Gabel Series

Publisher: Createspace

Published: July 2014

 

Pemberton Academy is not just a school, it’s a gathering place for the children of the future that are afflicted with Temporal Displacement and Telepathy; in short, time travelers and mind readers who have been diagnosed with this “disease.” The Academy is not all as it seems after an explosion nearly takes one of its classmates, but not before Carter Gabel rescues her by using an unknown symptom related to his described illness. An unsanctioned group called the Program begins taking notice as the two classmates exhibit stronger abilities when they are together. Carter's sense of reality begins to unwind as he learns more about his estranged father's involvement with it all. Carter will have to overcome the past of his father leaving, the present of an unknown adversary hunting him down and a future that seems to change with each decision he makes. He will have to learn who to trust out of the people in his life if he wants to conquer the looming notion that the government may be hunting him down because of his developing abilities.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. First off, I was pretty excited when I was sent this book for review not only because it sounded freaking cool, but also because it was the type of book that I'd been wanting to read. There are quite a few things I liked about this book so without any more rambling, let's just jump right into the review!

 

2. The characters in this book were so loveable in many ways. I have to say that our main character, Carter, is definitely my favorite, hands down. He was very funny with his sarcastic comments and snarky personality and pretty much had the perfect image of a typical teenage boy with a sometimes overprotective mom and not enough sleep to handle his very exciting and unpredictable life. I really loved Carter because he made me laugh out loud with the things he said and was just a fun character to follow in this book.

 

3. The storyline was fast-paced from beginning to end which, of course, is always a good thing for a sci-fi book. I loved getting to know about Carter's world, the abilities he has, as well as going along for the ride as he has to not only stay out of harm's way but also fight to keep the people he cares about alive. There was a lot of twists and turns that kept me hooked, wanting to know what happens next and also had a few mind blowing moments and plot twists that were pretty awesome.

 

4. I really enjoyed the writing in this book as well. I really loved how the sarcastic comments from the characters gave the book a lighter and fun loving feel even though the story was a bit dark and serious. I also loved how everything was well explained from Carter's ability to Leap, to how him and his gang planned on pretty much shutting down an entire government system. It was an exciting read and I recommend this book to anyone who wants something fun, fast-paced, and is full of exciting moments that will have you on the edge of your seat.

 

Age Recommendation: +13

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

January Wrap-Up and Book Haul 2015

Hey bookworms! So this month was really good to me both with reading and book buying! There is a lot of both so let's just get started!

Wrap- Up

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Bang by Lisa McMann

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green (reread)

Evermore by Alyson Noël

Love Of The Undefined by Amelia Louise Carter

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards

The Edge Of Falling by Rebecca Serle

Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

(Reviews available for all the books above)

 

Book Haul

 

How Rude! by Alex J. Packer, PH.D - Library- $1

Throne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas -Half Price Books- $4.99

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin - Half Price Books- $8.99

Eragon by Christopher Paolini -Library- $2

The Help by Katheryn Stockett -Library- $2

The Edge Of Falling by Rebecca Serle -Half Price Books- $4.99

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han -Half Price Books- $4.99

Fairest by Marissa Meyer -Target- $14.95

All Fall Down by Ally Carter -Target- $14.95 (signed copy)

Good Girls by Laura Ruby -Thrift Shop- $0.50

Being Nikki by Meg Cabot -Thrift Shop- $0.50

Uglies by Scott Westerfield -Thrift Shop- $0.50

Little (Grrl) Lost by Charles De Lint -Given book-

October Baby by Eric Wilson and Theresa Preston -Mardel- $5.00

Avalon High by Meg Cabot -Thrift Shop- $0.50

The False Prince by Patrick Nielsen -Thrift Shop- $0.50

The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan -Library- $1

Marked, Betrayed, Chosen, Untamed, Hunted by P.C Cast and Kristin Cast -Thrift Shop- $3.00 total

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern -Library- $1

The Maze Runner movie (Blu-ray Collector's Edition) -Target- $19.95

Divergent Official Illustrated Movie Companion- Half Price Books- $7.99

 

Phew . . . that was a lot of typing.



Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 332

Book #1 of the Vampire Academy Series

Publisher: Razorbill

Published: 2007

 

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . . Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. In case you didn't know, I'm currently on the hunt all of this year to find some really good vampire series/books and obviously, this book was the first on my list to check out. Seeing as this book has been talked about so much by so many people, I thought I would stop putting off reading it and decided to finally pick it up. Let's get started with the review!

 

2. Even though they weren't my favorite group, I still really enjoyed the characters in this book. I especially loved Rose. She was very determined and didn't take well to authority and was the type of person who didn't like being told what to do, who to be and how to act. I felt she was very rebellious but still aware of her duties as a protector of Lissa.

 

3. I also liked that this book had multiple high points that kept me intrigued. It was quite a roller coaster of events with something unexpected right around the corner in every chapter. 

 

4. Overall, it was worth the read and I had a lot of fun reading it. I will most definitely be continuing on with the series. It wasn't overly cheesy or unbelievable and it was even funny at times. It was a darker read that I enjoyed and it was romantic, exciting, mysterious and a lot of fun.

 

CONS:

1. At times during this book, it got really slow and sometimes felt like it dragged some scenes on too long. Which is a common problem with most books so nothing personal!

 

2. I would've loved to see more character development in this book since I couldn't connect with most of them. I know during the rest of the books I'll more than likely see just that but I would've liked to have gotten to know them in this first book.

 

Age Recommendation: 13+

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!