Alright, I'm going to throw probably 4 or so book reviews into this one post, so please bear with me and don't curse me for being slow or gone for so long! I'll start off with the book I read back in late March and work my way up to the last novel I read.
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I wanted to read The Hunger Games before the movie came out, so I picked it up. When I first started reading it, I just couldn't get into the story. I did finally read the entire novel and I enjoyed it. Katniss is an incredible heroine and I loved her as a character. This book is very brutal in ways. I didn't like the story to being with, it's just extremely barbaric and terrible to put 24 children into an arena and make them kill each other. How is that even legal!?
I loved the story between Katniss and Peeta. He's a dear and I would so date him! After reading the novel, I did go see the movie and I found that the book, of course, was a lot better than the movie, because I felt that the movie was rushed. The book was beautifully written and I loved the whole story. In the future I will attempt to read the second and third novel of the series, but for now I've found I can't get into the second book, which is sad, but eventually I will finish it.
I gave The Hunger Games a 5 of 5 stars on Goodreads, it really did end up becoming one of my favorite reads of 2012 even though it's been out for a while as a novel. It's another reason why I truly do love Young Adult novels, there's an incredible mix of adventure with romance that just makes the story that much better.
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Sarah Beth Durst wrote a novel called Ice, which is based on the fairy tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" or I often call it the "Polar Bear King" fairy tale. I adored Ice and then I found out she was writing a story called Enchanted Ivy, which just sounded incredible as well.
Taking place at Princeton University, Enchanted Ivy is the story of Lily Carter, who wants nothing more than to attend her grandfather's college. The buildings of Princeton are adorned with many gargoyle statues. What Lily finds out is that to get into Princeton, she has to find the "Ivy Key" which is part of the Legacy Test. If you pass the Legacy Test, you are automatically accepted to Princeton.
As Lily starts the Legacy Test, she meets Tye, a totally cute college boy with orange and black striped hair. He helps her with the Legacy Test and Lily soon finds out that everything at Princeton isn't all that it seems... There's more to the University than meets the eye and Lily is part of it all.
I loved Enchanted Ivy, I devoured the whole book in one sitting, which I rarely do, but I had been dying to read this book so badly that I just didn't care. It met my expectations. The thing about it is, I'm very easy to please when it comes down to my novels, I rarely find myself upset or disappointed with a book, although there have been several, but Enchanted Ivy was a fun little read that I found myself wanting more of after I'd finished reading it.
I gave it a 5 of 5 stars on Goodreads because I adored it that much and badly wanted to have Tye as a boyfriend, he's my kind of guy and there's a real reason why he has orange and black striped hair!!
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Ah, Divergent... what a book. As I read this book I had very mixed feelings about it. I just had no idea whether I wanted to like it or hate it. It just filled me with that much controversy. The book sucked me in from the first page but through most of the book I was either upset or in awe. Veronica Roth has written an incredible story. I give her props for this book.
Beatrice is part of Abnegation, one of the five different factions that the world has split into to deplete war and conflict. Along with Abnegation there is Candor, Amity, Dauntless and Erudite. Each faction does different things. Dauntless are the warriors basically, Amity are farmers, Erudite want knowledge, Candor cannot lie and Abnegation put other's before themselves.
Growing up in Abnegation, Beatrice should have put everyone before herself, have no curiosity, not ask questions, but she does and then comes the test to decide whether she will stay in Abnegation or if she's destined to be part of one of the other factions.
Beatrice does something bold, she switches from Abnegation and changes her name to 'Tris'. The girl has incredible courage and becomes a great asset to her new faction, even though her father is angry with her decision and she's shocked that her brother, who would've been the perfect Abnegation, chooses to go to Erudite.
Divergent is a brutal book in parts and I didn't know what to think of it. I finally found that I loved this book and it's one of my favorites. I gave it a 5 of 5 stars because in all honesty, that's what it deserves. It was a fresh take in the dystopia genre of novels. Yes it does have romance, but it's not in your face romance, it's subtle and I liked that. Definitely worth a read!
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I don't think a lot of people have heard of this novel. Zelah Green is germaphobic. She has crazy daily routines that she has to go through or else she can't function and has anxiety attacks. It was a very unique story and I thought it was a fun read. Zelah started her crazy daily routines after the untimely death of her mother who died of cancer. Before that, Zelah was just a regular girl.
Zelah's step-mother sends her away because of her extreme case of OCD and germ affliction. Being taken by a family friend, the woman chooses to take Zelah to a group home for teenagers 3 hours from home. Surrounded by teenagers who have their own problems, anorexia, cutting, mute, depression, Zelah feels that she doesn't have a problem.
I enjoyed this book and gave it a 4 of 5, it's not very well known but I chose to read it as my Z book in my ABC Challenges. It didn't have zombies or any type of apocalyptic things happening in it, so I was happy with this book. Plus Zelah is a lovable character who's just trying to make it through life without her mother and her drunk father. As well as deal with her step-mother who's a bit spoiled and childish compared to Zelah. She's obsessed with looking her best, having no wrinkles and staying young forever.... (Maybe she should take some tips from Elizabeth Bathory who wanted to stay youthful forever as well.)
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This was my first Gena Showalter book and I adored it. The Stone Prince is about Katie James who is unlucky in love, because she has First Date Syndrome and finds something to dislike about ALL the guys she dates. At six feet tall, she also wants a man who's taller than she is, which is half of her problem. Katie buys houses, fixes them up and sells them. Her newest buy is an old beautiful Victorian home with a "pleasure" garden attached. The garden has statues which are in different positions and different throws of passion.
One of the statues catches Katie's attention most, the statue of a very handsome and very naked man. The statue gets into her fantasies and she finds herself kissing the statue one night. To Katie's shock and surprise, the kiss turns the statue from stone hunk to real life, warm NAKED man in her arms.
Jorlan is nothing Katie wants though, he believes women are weak creatures who were made to please and take care of man and Katie will never let a man make her feel weak and inferior to them. Even after growing up with a father who believes the way Jorlan does.
Katie tries not to let Jorlan get to her, but the man infuriates, annoys and irritates her to her last string because he insists constantly on bedding Katie, because that's supposedly how a woman will love a man.
Jorlan was cursed and now has 14 days to make Katie fall in love with him or he'll be stone forever.
I loved The Stone Prince, I cried at the end of this novel, but it was such a good book that I had to give it 4 of 5 stars. The story is fun and the clashing of Katie and Jorlan made me giggle. Gena Showalter wrote a very good book, I will be reading more of her work as the years progress!
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Those are all my updates to date! I will be reading more and hopefully I will remember to write blogs about them!
On a personal note, if she's reading this, I would like to apologize to K.C. Neal and let her know that I will be reading and posting a review of her novel Pyxis. I'm sorry I didn't get through the whole thing, I will be reading and finishing it soon and I will put up several reviews for it on different websites! I owe it to you because you're such a sweetheart and were kind enough to give me an ARC of it. Thank you very much.
I had been dying to read this book and I couldn't find it anywhere which totally bummed me out, but then, when I finally did find it, I didn't regret it. I loved Remembrance by, Michelle Madow because I am a sucker for reincarnation stories. Knowing that this book was inspired by Taylor Swift's song Love Story, I ended being a complete dork and listened to the song over and over as I read this novel.
I found this book to be very well written and worth the read. I was surprised by it and very much pleased. I've never thought of myself as being much of a 'girly girl' when it came down to it because well, I grew up with two brothers and a mother who isn't much for nail polish, mani's and pedi's and boys. Remembrance made me feel like a girly girl.
The cover is gorgeous and I've had a weakness for masks and masquerades. Although, no, there is no masquerade in this one, I found it very intriguing and worth the read. I've had it on my 'to-be-read' list for at least 6 months and now that I've read it, I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. I can't wait for the next book in the series, I think it will be just as good, if not better than the first and it will be worth it.
Lizzie has a pretty good life, she has a great boyfriend, a supportive and awesome best friend and she's has an undeniable attraction to the new guy. Drew makes Lizzie's heart pound, he makes her crazy and she has to remind herself over and over that she can't have him because she has a boyfriend. And then tragedy strikes.... her best friend starts dating Drew and Lizzie finds herself jealous and upset at the fact that she can't have the guy she wants.
I gave Remembrance a 5 of 5 because I just loved it that much. Lizzie was a fun character to get into the mind of, she's strong and she knows that even though she's attracted to the new guy by more than just his good looks, she sticks with her boyfriend Jeremy who she has been with for several years.
I'm reading for the next book to come out. I want to find out what happens between Lizzie, Drew, Jeremy and Chelsea. I want to know if things go good or bad.
I first saw The Dig on Goodreads and I figured I'd take a look at it. After reading the synopsis, I decided to read it and I adored The Dig. It's different than I thought it would be. Zoe is the outcast everywhere she goes, but the one place she isn't an outcast is when she's at a dig site with her aunt and uncle. She loves finding artifacts that are hundreds to thousands of years old.
Zoe is on another dig with her aunt and uncle again in the middle of Greece. She had no idea that when she got to Greece her destiny would be like a slap in the face.
From the beginning, I knew there was going to be something involving gods and goddesses in this book, I just didn't know how much it was going to be about them. I'm not saying I disliked it, it was quite the opposite. I've always had a fascination with Greek Gods and Goddesses and reading a story about them was pretty awesome.
I want to write a synopsis about this book, but I'm afraid I'm going to end up giving too much away about the book. I guess the name of the series is kind of a give away, but I'd rather you guys read it and find out what happens that gives it its name.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I liked this book so much, I highly recommend it. But as always, there will always be good and bad reviews when it comes to books. This was definitely part of my guilty pleasure genre of books. It wasn't too sappy, but it was adorable and I found it was worth a read.
If you ever find yourself enjoying the mythology of Greek Gods and Goddesses, go ahead and pick up The Dig by, Audrey Hart. You might regret it, but then again, you might not. You might end up really enjoying it. I also found myself falling for Zeus. So, I now have a crush on a Greek God. *drops her head onto her desk*
I gave The Dig a 4 out of 5 and hope that whether you wind up liking or hating this story, that you'll at least give it a try and see if you like it. I mean, what harm could it do to read one more book?
This book intrigued me greatly from the moment I read the synopsis. I finally got around to reading it and I didn't regret picking it up, Shut Out was excellent. Although I wouldn't say that it's a book for everyone, it was definitely a book that I greatly enjoyed.
Lissa from the get go, is not an everyday teenage girl, she has a big obsessive compulsive disorder that can affect her everyday life with the simplest little thing going wrong. Lissa also happens to be dating the quarterback of the football team, who is in an all out war with the soccer team.
The rivalry at Hamilton High is strong enough to tear best friends apart and put them on separate sides of the cafeteria. During the fall, when soccer and football are in full swing, the girlfriends of the players will find their boyfriends showing up at dates with black eyes, split lips and bruises and the girlfriends find themselves second best in their relationships, the rivalry suddenly coming first.
More than once Lissa has found herself left panting and half naked in the back of her boyfriends car as he chases after the soccer player who egged his car. Lissa decides she's had enough, especially after finding out a freshmen soccer player gets seriously injured during a hazing. And what does Lissa and the girls of Hamilton High affected by the rivalry do, wanting the rivalry finished once and for all?
They do what any sensible girl would do...
They go on a sex strike.
Lissa was a very strong character, despite her flaws. She grows so much from the sheltered, obsessive compulsive, worried girl that she is in the beginning. The strike gives her the strength to stand up for herself, also while having her best friend (the school slut) and her oldest best friend (a soccer players girlfriend)at her side.
Shut Out was a great read and I find myself wanting to read more of Kody Keplinger. I gave Shut Out a 4 of 5, finding it was a delightful read, even when I found my heart pounding so hard in my chest at one point.
If you're looking for a good "power to the woman" read, Shut Out is a great pick, but I would suggest it for the older teen crowd.
Wow, that's all I can really say about City of Glass. It was nothing that I was expecting and the things that happened in it made it better than book 1 and 2. This book, in my opinion was unpredictable.
What I do want to say, without giving anything away, is, what an incredible twist. I do have to say that I was not in any way disappointed with the ending of this book. Clary has become a very intriguing character and she's starting to grow into herself, seeing her potential and becoming the woman that she'll be when she gets older.
I just don't know what to really say about City of Glass. There's not much I CAN say without putting a huge spoiler in this entry. I'm beginning to love Cassandra Clare, she can spin one hell of a story and keep you guessing until the end. She'll have you loving and hating her characters as well as her as an author.
I'm so glad I picked up this series and began reading it. I can't wait to read City of Fallen Angels and the fifth book, which sadly hasn't come out yet. I want to read more. I want to know how things turn out in all the characters lives.
I will say that there were a couple times where I could kind of predict what was going to happen, but the scenes were few and far between if there was more than one. One part did break my heart and I'm sure it will to anyone who reads book three. Oh, and Alec became somewhat annoying in City of Glass, but he's also developing nicely and becoming a good man.
I give City of Glass a 5 of 5 because 1) it ended the way I wanted it to end and 2) I think this series is going to end incredibly and that things are going to get more and more twisted as the characters get older and become adults. (if the books go that way) Otherwise, it's a great series and I definitely recommend it to people who haven't read it!
I can honestly say that I'm not upset I didn't read this series sooner. The reason why... because it's so damned good that I would've been squirming, waiting for more of the books to come out.
I absolutely loved City of Ashes, sadly, I have to say that I hated the ending, AGAIN. I mean really??? Cassandra Clare, why do you have to torture me so in the ending?? WHY???
Clary is an incredible character and I adore her strength and her heart, despite all the heartbreak and loss that she goes through. She's one very strong young woman.
Clary's mother is in a coma, she's living with Luke, her mom's best friend and she's having a hard time coping with her feelings. But she still has the steadiness of her best friend Simon and the world of the ShadowHunters.
I'm trying not to give too much away, I really hate putting spoilers in my book reviews.
Clary soon finds herself fighting once again along side Jace, Isabelle and Alec, trying to survive and defeat the demons that are appearing in abundance in New York. She's getting more in touch with her Shadow Hunter roots and becoming more of a fighter than ever before.
I can't wait to read book three City of Glass. I give City of Ashes a 4 of 5 because well... I just hate the ending THAT much. I mean, really.... things are just getting annoying at that point. Please Cassandra Clare, be good to me in book 3, I really want things to end differently.
If you haven't read the Mortal Instruments series, read it, you'll probably really enjoy it.
Meg Cabot is a brilliant author. I've only read one of her books before this one, but she is a woman who knows how to write. Queen of Babble was amazing. I love Lizzie, she is one hell of a character and the fact that she's a blabber-mouth makes it ten times better.
I've always found fashion interesting, but I can honestly say that I have NEVER had that much of an obsession with fashion like Lizzie. The girl can judge a person by their clothing. She makes it into a sort of profiling that just is incredible.
Lizzie is a new college graduate, having made her own major, History of Fashion. Having recently lost thirty pounds, Lizzie soon finds herself in London, England, waiting for a boyfriend she only knew for twenty four hours in real life. The rest of their three month relationship has been through e-mails and phone calls.
When she sees her boyfriend, he's wearing something she never would want to see on anyone and the only person who had pulled the look off, was Michael Jackson.
Lizzie thinks that she is in love with Andrew, and she soon passes off the jacket. Things only get worse from there and soon Lizzie is on a train to France and her best friend Shari. Shari and her boyfriend Chaz are staying at a Chateau in France, helping Chaz's friend Luke with summer weddings.
Queen of Babble was a fast read with many ups and downs and lots of fashion. If you enjoy fashion, whether it's vintage or just off the runway, you'll enjoy Queen of Babble. This book is the first in a series of three.
I give Queen of Babble a 5 of 5 because I had fallen in love with Lizzie and her friends as well as the French Chateau. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and tell you if they're just as good or better than the first, or worse, but we'll hope not worse.
