Sunday, February 28, 2016

February Wrap-Up and March TBR

February Wrap-Up
  1. The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy #2) by Marie Rutkoski (4/5) 
  2. +Anima 1 (+Anima #1) by Natsumi Mukai (4/5) 
  3. +Anima 2 (+Anima #2) by Natsumi Mukai  (3/5)

  4. Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer (4/5) 
  5. The Martian by Andy Weir (5/5)
  6. Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 1 (Rosario+Vampire #1) by Akihisa Ikeda (3.5/5)

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March TBR
  1. Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige  
  2. The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) by Rick Yancey 
  3. The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith
  4. Vicious (Vicious #1) by V.E. Schwab 

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

The Coffee Book Tag

As I am sure most people feel the same way, but this tag feels like it was meant for me and my uber obsessive coffee addiction... Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I really REALLY enjoy coffee. I don't know how else to word that without it sounding too weird.
* I found this tag on a fellow book bloggers blog and after back tracing it through more that half a dozen other blogs I was unable to find the original creator of this tag. *
So lets just get to the questions!

BLACK: A SERIES THAT IS TOUGH TO GET INTO BUT HAS HARDCORE FANS.
A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin.
 There are two main reasons why this series is so hard to get through; one, it is so freaking LONG, two, because so much is going on between all the POV's. But, it is really really good, it's one of those series that has amazing world and character building, making it a world you can really get into. I've only read the first three books but I have all intentions to read the 4th and 5th books in the next few months.

PEPPERMINT MOCHA: A BOOK THAT GETS MORE POPULAR DURING WINTER OR FESTIVE TIME OF THE YEAR.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
 I swear, I feel like I hear people talk about this book come Christmas time every year, and every year I have all intentions on reading it but I just never get around to it. Top of my list for holiday reads though.

HOT CHOCOLATE: A FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK.
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling or Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
 Because I feel like the Harry Potter series can technically fall under a lot of categories, I am going to go with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland because this is an ultimate classic, and all the movie remakes and book retellings are just killer.

DOUBLE SHOT OF ESPRESSO: A BOOK THAT KEPT YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT FROM START TO FINISH.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
 I don't even know where to begin with this awesomeness. I've already raved about this book so I won't say to much, however to say this book kept me on the edge of my seat is a bit of an understatement. It's a must read for anybody who like science fiction books.

STARBUCKS:  A BOOK YOU SEE EVERYWHERE.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
 Holy guacamole, this book has been what feels like EVERYWHERE, especially since the newest book came out. And its not just this book, or even this series, I feel like everyone is talking about Sarah J. Maas in general.

THE HIPSTER COFFEE SHOP: A BOOK BY AN INDIE AUTHOR (SHOUTOUT).

OOPS! I ACCIDENTALLY GOT DECAF: A BOOK YOU WERE EXPECTING MORE FROM.
Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
 I've talked about my disappointment with this book already in my Top 5 Books I didn't Finish  but basically I just feel like this book could have gone further than it did. I did, however, enjoy Hollow City much more than the first book.

THE PERFECT BLEND: A BOOK OR SERIES THAT WAS BOTH BITTER AND SWEET, BUT ULTIMATELY SATISFYING.
Splintered trilogy by A.G. Howard (Ensnared)
 This series gave me both bitter and sweet feelings through out the entire thing. It's kind of creepy and one of the better takes on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, in my opinion. But the craziest roller coaster ride is probably the third book, Ensnared, anyone who has read the series will understand why, because the end of the last book give you all the feels.

GREEN TEA: A BOOK OR SERIES THAT IS QUIETLY BEAUTIFUL.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
 I don't have much to say here. If you have read this book you understand why I chose it, if you haven't read the book than you need to jump on that band wagon ASAP. Your'e welcome.

CHAI TEA: A BOOK OR SERIES THAT MAKES YOU DREAM OF FAR AWAY PLACES.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy or The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
 To me, this is the ultimate adventure novels. I know that Middle Earth isn't real, but, even though it isn't the safest, part of me really wishes that it was. I mean, there's magic, intrigue, and a plethora of incredible interesting and bad ass characters. What more could you possibly want?

EARL GREY: FAVORITE CLASSIC.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen or Hamlet by William Shakespeare
 The idea of Pride and Prejudice is definitely my favorite. But in regards to both execution and readability, I actually enjoy Hamlet more. I hope that makes sense...

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Crane Book Review

Crane (Legends Saga #1) by Stacey Rourke

Summary: 
"The Horseman is unending,
his presence shan’t lessen.
If you break the curse,
you become the legend.
Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind Ichabod Crane’s disappearance. Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow awakening macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep. 
What if the monster that spawned the legend lived within you?
Now, Ireland Crane, reeling from a break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on the newly awakened Rip Van Winkle to discover the key to channeling the darkness swirling within her. Bodies are piling high and Ireland is the only one that can save Sleepy Hollow by embracing her own damning curse. 
But is anyone truly safe when the Horseman rides?The Horseman is unending,
his presence shan’t lessen.
If you break the curse,
you become the legend.
Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind Ichabod Crane’s disappearance. Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow awakening macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep. 
What if the monster that spawned the legend lived within you?
Now, Ireland Crane, reeling from a break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on the newly awakened Rip Van Winkle to discover the key to channeling the darkness swirling within her. Bodies are piling high and Ireland is the only one that can save Sleepy Hollow by embracing her own damning curse. 
But is anyone truly safe when the Horseman rides?"

Review: This book was definitely not what I was expecting going into it. The cover lead me to believe it was going to be a dark and mysterious story about the Headless horseman in modern day Sleepy Hollow,` but it became so much more than that. By reading from two perspectives you get to see how both Ichabod Crane and Ireland Crane (centuries apart) try to fight the unearthly and seemingly immortal spirit of the Headless Horseman; both fighting the endless turmoils of love and destiny.
This book far exceeded my expectations. I went into this book only knowing that it was going to be a Horseman retelling, which is obviously why I originally believed it was going to be so dark and mysterious, which it totally was, but it was also shockingly really funny. Rourke managed to bring incredible banter and unsuspected humor at the best of times, while also keeping the harsh reality of the brutal beheadings far from a joke. I mean, I still can't get over the (almost) fight scene in the middle of the book, which was only paralleled by the unstoppable laughter in the epilogue. A+ Rourke for keeping things real. Plus, now I am pretty sure that Noah is now one of my favorite fictional characters. (4.5/5)

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Top 5 Books I Was Recommended

As Always Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at gingerreadslainey. All past topics and the rest of February topics can be found at the Goodreads group.

1. The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill 

Recommended by: Ma/Mom/Mother/Madre
When I first read this book it didn't really blow my mind, but
since than I have found myself thing back on it a lot. I mean,
this is by the same women who wrote The Woman in Black, which is one of my favorite ghost movies. This is a great
 short story for those just getting into reading suspense books,
or want to get a feel of Susan Hill's writing before getting
 into some of her other work. 


2. Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder 

Recommended by: Friend 
I have never been a buddy reader kind of person, not because I don't
like it, but because none of my friends are big readers or they just
aren't into the same 
kind of books as me. Anyways, in middle school a
 friend of mine really want to 
read this book so my friends and I decided
 to read it together. Long story short,
we all loved it. The book was
kind of like a knock off pretty little liars (which 
at the time I had
never heard of), I don't think I would love it as much if 
I read it
 now, but I still really enjoyed it.


3. The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1) by Lois Lowry 

Recommended by: Sister 
I'm going to be honest, the main reason I picked this book up was
because I was the only member of my family who hadn't read it
yet. But I am happy 
I did. My only big flaw with this book was
the fact that I felt like 
it was much to short. Though I understood
it, I just felt like there could have 
been more to the story overall.
 I'd still recommend it though. 


4. Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater 

Recommended by; Friend
I remember reading this first three books in this series when they 
first came out and I thought that they were so good. Since than the
only other book I have 
read by her is the Raven Boys, which I also
really enjoyed. Maggie has such 
an interesting writing style and I
cannot wait to read more of what she has 
to offer. Everything
she writes is both entertaining and alluring in its own 
way. 


5. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrines 
Peculiar Children #1) by Ransom Riggs 

Recommended by: Sister 
When I first heard about this book from my sister I wasn't completely
sold on the whole thing. I felt as the the 'peculiarities' of the children weren't all that great; however, after enough nagging from my sister
I finally picked 
it up. Though I still feel the same in regards to the 
'peculiarities', the writing style just isn't for me either. Don't get me 
wrong, the story is actually pretty interesting, and I even went on
to reading the second book, which was even better than the first.
Though my feelings are pretty wishy-washy,  would still
recommend it. 

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Favorite Bookish Couples!

Favorite Bookish Couples! We've all read a book where we thought one of the couples was freaking adorable, you know, couple goals. <3
-In no particular order-


Cress and Thorne (The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer) 
From what I have seen, this is everyone's favorite couple from the book, which doesn't surprise me, they are so adorable. Plus, look at those eyes *Winky-face*

 Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen) 
He's loyal. She's a fighter. They're both prideful. I love the dynamics. 

Arwen and Aragorn (Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien)
These two are one of my favorite bookish couples because, not only are they very resilient, but they are so incredibly dedicated to each other. Such a beautiful underrated couple.  

Hermoine and Ron (Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling) 
Such a classic. Not much more to say. 

Ginny and Harry (Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling) 
So many reasons, I don't even know where to start...

Friday, February 12, 2016

25 Bookish Facts About Me

TGIF. I don't know about you but I am a very nosy person, and I am sure that most people are as well; so why not post random facts about myself on the internet for the world to see. Enjoy.
  1. Out of every format to "read" a book, audiobooks are my least favorite because I tend to hardcore zone out when I am listening to them and I don't realize until I manage to focus back to the book and have no idea what the F is going on. 
  2. I can't eat or drink anything that's not in a bottle or has a straw while I am reading because I tend to spill things all over myself when I am not paying them enough attention. (Fun fact, I am pretty sure that sentence may not have grammatically sound) 
  3. Almost every time I sit down to read a book I have to cover at least some part of my body with a throw blanket or else I feel awkward. 
  4. I love owning pointless books. For example, I own The Official Dictionary of Sarcasm and a book that's literally just a giant checklist called You are Good at Things.
  5. I am terrible when it comes to finishing book series, sometimes a small thing happens in them that makes me just nope right on out of them.
  6. Those ridiculous books teachers assign, such as Decisive and How to Read Literature Like a Professor, tend to be my favorite school readings. 
  7. Similar to the above, I prefer assigned books in history and science classes more than the ones given in English classrooms. 
  8. I very rarely, if ever, read contemporary books. Not because I don't like them, but because fantasy, especially high fantasy, is like crack to me and I can't get out of it long enough to enjoy a good contemporary book. 
  9. Many years ago when Maggie Stiefvater was promoting the The Wolves of Mercy Falls series I met her in a book store and at the time had absolutely no clue who she was. My poor young self was so naive. 
  10. The only book I have ever completely reread is Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler. All other books I have "reread" have had parts that I have skipped. 
  11. When I was in secondary school (8th grade to be exact) I wrote a play about friendship that contained a Walrus and some other random animals that my teacher thought was so good I had to make finger puppets of the characters and perform it in front of nursery students with some of my friends. 
  12. I have never had all of my books on display before. Some are always either in storage or my closet for some reason or another. I would have them all out if I could though. 
  13. I own more books by James Patterson than any other author, and, to be honest, he isn't even an author whom I am a big fan of. 
  14. The more beautiful and well done a book is the more inclined I am to actually read it.
  15. I am so bad at adult coloring books, I would literally rather draw my own thing for 8 hours than spend 20 minutes coloring in something. 
  16. My favorite narrated book ever is The Book Thief because its narrated by Death.
  17. I have had to read Lord of the Flies three times for school, but have never read the last chapter. 
  18. I was home-schooled from kindergarten to 6th grade and during that time my mom used to make me spend 30 minutes every night reading. Over all those years the only book I can ever remember actually reading is 1001 Arabian Knights
  19. Manga is and forever will be my guilty pleasure. 
  20. This year is the first time ever that I have read the Harry Potter series
  21. The 2005 movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen is one of my all time favorite movie adaptions. 
  22. I CANNOT HANDLE THE SOUND OF PEOPLE RUBBING PAGES WITH THEIR FINGERS.
  23. While I read I either listen to the Deep Focus playlist on Spotify or The Lord of the Rings (film score) radio on Pandora. 
  24. Poetry, while beautiful, usually goes right over my head.
  25. I, when I can, avoid books that make me cry. This is one of the reasons I have procrastinated reading the Harry Potter series, as well as the last book in many series. (Also the reason why I have never watched Titanic, Marley and Me, etc.) 

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Series I'm Not Going to Finish Part Two



1. The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series  by Michael Scott
I'm not going to say this is a bad series, I mean, I've only read the first book so I can't really say much. Anyways I know I will never finish this series because it is kind of long and the books just aren't to my liking enough for me to want to finish it.

2. Witch and Wizard series by James Patterson 
5 books in a series isn't, in my opinion, a very long. However, the biggest problem I have with it is that this series should have been a trilogy. They kill they end the bad guy at the end of the third one after all! The premises behind the 4th and 5th book are two other, not as frightening, bad guys. Basically, I only read the three first ones and not the others because I felt like James Patterson was trying to suck as much out of this series as he possibly could and in the end just unnecessarily extended a trilogy.

3. The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting
When I read the first book in this series in middle school I absolutely LOVED it. It was actually my favorite book for a long time. Sadly, it wasn't until my senior year of high school that a friend of mine kindly informed me that this was a series and not a standalone...It's safe to assume that I was disappointed.

4. Maximum Ride series by James Patterson
Damn, James Patterson, stop sucking series dry and than trying to revive them. There really didn't need to be anymore than 8 books in this series, and that's kind of stretching it. I will admit, the concept of this series is very intriguing, but I felt like it could have been better executed. (PS. I read the graphic novel versions of the series so...yeah)
5. Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick
I am not going to lie, I feel a little bit bad about adding this series to the list but it couldn't be helped. (SPOILER ALERT!) ughhhhhhh so I have a big problem with memory loss in the middle of a series, and the second book ends with the female protagonist basically having her memory swiped. I literally wen't from being so intrigued and into the story, to being so disappointed because I knew the moment I finished the second book that I was not going to finish the series. BUT, I will say, that I enjoyed the first two books and I really cheered Patch on a lot in them.

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Winter Book Review

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer

To be honest I don't even know where to start with this book. I discovered the world of the Lunar Chronicles towards the beginning of last year and immediately fell in love with Cinder's story. Now that I have finished the series, looking back on all of it I can't believe how far its come. 
I loved just about everything about this book, however the characters were by far the best part. This series as a whole has incredible character development, the characters grew so much in the relatively short amount of time that the books take place. Plus, the friendship between the characters is portrayed so well with the sarcasm and the drama leading to one of my favorite fictional group of friends.Plus I just have to add that Cress and Thorne, whom are my favorite characters/couple, made me both awww and want to hit them across the face more than once. (You can see my opinions on the first three books here) The villains were also really great; I just loved to hate them and they added so much to the story...or at least to my feels considering how many times I wanted to throw this book against a wall. Some of the things that happened in this book I didn't see coming at all, even though I totally should have considering that they were retellings; I mean, don't eve get me started on all that happened in the last 70 or so pages. *tears* The emotional turmoil this book inflicts on the reader can definitely break a few hearts, but it is still so beautiful in so many ways. 
The story in itself was crazy, for lack of a better word. The things that happened in this book were all over the place, but not in a nonsensical kind of way. I will admit, that there were a few parts in the middle of the book that seemed to drag on a little bit but in the end the overall story and excitement kind of makes you forget all about those parts. That, and, though I know this is probably a very unpopular opinion, I was not Winter's biggest fan; her as a character just didn't really do it for me. Also, though the end of the book makes a lot of sense, it still made me want more! But, it was so incredibly sweet and cute and I just can't get over it. 
Overall, this book was so amazing and everything I knew it was going to be. I actually procrastinated reading this for almost a month after I got it because I couldn't deal with the fact the the story was over. The book was so fact-paced and action packed.Though I'm not the kind of person who is crazy about multiple POV's, this book was just so well done and they tied together so well I have few complaints in that aspect. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is into fantasy, and especially fairly tale retellings. (5/5) 


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Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Top 5 Badasses

As Always Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at gingerreadslainey. All past topics and the rest of February topics can be found at the Goodreads group.

1. Neville Longbottom / Hermione Granger 
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling 
I couldn't decide which one I thought was a bigger bad ass, considering they were both bad ass in their own ways. So I obviously had to tie them both for 1st. 

2. Sevro 
Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown 
Holy crap, talk about an unexpected bad ass, Sevro goes from kind of questionable, silver tongued, weakling to probably one of the coolest fictional characters ever. I kind of wish they talked about him more in Red Rising, but I've only read the first book so far so I am sure there is more to learn. 
 

3. Daenerys Targaryen 
A Song of ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin 
She is the mother of dragons. Seriously, what more do I have to say about her. 

4. Legolas Greenleaf  
The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien 
C'mon now, let's be realistic, now that you are thinking about it we are all in agreement that not only is he hot when being played by Orlando Bloom, but he can also kick some serious ass and look good doing it. *sizzle* 

5. Arya Stark 
A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin 
I mean, the girl ate bugs and got kidnapped half-a-dozen times and yet she still managed to...*spoilers*