Nov. Wrap-up and Dec. TBR

November Wrap-Up

1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
   A book about books? I suppose so. Books, rebellion, and runaways. It was exactly what I thought it would be and nothing more. 
2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
   Not everyone is going to agree with me on this, but I liked the movie better. Maybe its because Leonardo DiCaprio was in it. 
3. Pride and Prejudice (Audiobook) by Jane Austen
   I have been in such a classics mood lately. Plus the movie with Kiera Knightley is one of my all time favorite movies. 
4. Depravity (Beastly Tales #1) by M.J. Haag
   I really do enjoy fairy tail retelling's.  
5. Beauty and the Beast by Anonymous 
   Not much to say, just been in a fairy-tail mood lately.  
6. A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3) by George R.R. Martin
   SOOOOOO FREAKING GOOD!!
7. Chance of Rain by Laurel Veil
   Nothing like what I was expecting, but I still really enjoyed it, it's been too long since iv'e read book with more romance in it. 
8. Relentless (Relentless #1) by Karen Lynch
   So freaking good! I felt like this book had some City of Bones, Twilight, and The Body Finder elements. For a free Kindle ebook that was much better than I thought it was going to be. 
9. Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5) by Marissa Meyer
   So I'm not usually one for novellas, but this book gave so much perspective to things! So happy I decided to pick it up.

December TBR

1. Red Rising (Red Rising #1)
   I'm actually currently reading this, but hopefully I don't get distracted by something else.
2. A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4)
3. The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia #3)  
4. Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia #4)
5. A Book of Spirits and Thieves (Spirits and Thieves #1) 

Top 5 Characters I Want To Be My Bestfriend

Created by gingerreadslainey.
Goodread group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-Wednesday

This definitely got me thinking on the characters I liked. In the end this was much harder than I thought it was going to be.

1. Jon Snow
   Probably one of my favorite fiction characters of all time. I just can't get enough of him! Plus, I know he is a very loyal friend and just generally awesome. 
2. Peregrin Took
   I know that if he was my bestfriend we would always be going on adventures and laughing in general. Pippin is definitely a very interesting and funny character. 
3. Elizabeth Bennett
   Her and I are so much alike it's almost scary... 
4. Legolas
   Who doesn't want an elf as their bestfriend. Being friends with Legolas would be incredible and lets not forget to mention that Orlando Bloom looks pretty good as a blonde elf from middle earth. ;)
5. Neville Longbottom
   Such an underrated person. He is loyal, smart and an overall great person. Everyone needs a friend like Neville by their-side. 

Top 5(s) Book Or Movie

Book Not Movie

1. The Book Thief  by Marcus Zusak
   My favorite standalone book of all time. There are not enough amazing things I can say about this. 
2. The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials  (The Maze Runner #1/2) by James Dashner
   I've read and really enjoyed all the books in this series, plus I think Dylan O'Brien is kind of really great, but I have just never gotten around to seeing either of these movies even though I really want to. 
3. The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) by Rick Riordan
   I was crazy about this book so I had little to no motivation to watch this movie, even though my family has it on DVD
4. The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1) by Lois Lowry  
   I have no excuse for never watching this movie. I liked the actors and I do really enjoyed the story. 
5. A Song of Ice and Fire (Series) by George R.R.Martin
   I absolutely love this series and the only reason I have yet to watch Game of Thrones is because I want to read the books first. 

Movies Not Books

1. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
   This s going to sound kind of ridiculous, especially considering I've read so many of the A Song of Ice and Fire books, but this book is just so intimidatingly long. 
2. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
   I have no excuse for not reading these books yet!!!
3. Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead 
   One movie versus a whole series of books...yeah I will stick to the one movie for now. 
4. City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare
   I have started this book like 3 times and I still have yet to actually get into it, however, I am determined to eventually read it. 
5. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
   My favorite suspenseful movie, as well as my favorite Leonardo DiCaprio movie. I actually had no idea it was a book until years after I saw the movie in theater.  

Chance Of Rain Book Review

Chance of Rain by Laurel Veil

This book was not exactly what I was anticipating. The book itself was a good read for the most part but there was something lacking that I couldn't quite put my finger on. The protagonist, Ashley, definitely reminded me of most high school students I know act, and her best friend Bri, was exactly how most HS best friends are portrayed in books; quirky, loud and all over the place.
The writing style was very easy to follow and the story had a good mixture of romance and mystery. The friendship between Ashley and Bri was entertaining all in itself and the HS experience in the book brings me back to my own HS days. Ashley and Trent's blossoming romance in the book was something I could not stop myself from rooting for. Plus he fast pasted ending helped to make sense of some of what happened in the beginning of the book and really added a perspective in regards to the parents relationship that mended a lot of what happened. (Especially in regards to certain creepy and ill tempered people).
However, the story was a little predicable in regards to the mystery blonde, the fathers job, and what occurs in the last few chapters. Trent having a dark side and a mysterious aura about him was something very expected, especially when they first met. Plus the book was so short!! Though I really enjoyed it and related to a lot of aspects to the book, I felt like there were missing aspects. I wish there was a little bit more character building and that the story as a whole was just a bit longer, 200 pages was not enough, I wanted more! 3.75/5
(ps. I received this book via Goodreads giveaway)

Top 5 Books and Movies

Movie and BookThese are probably my favorite movies that I have also read the book to...yes, I put 6 not 5...

1. Lord of the Rings (Series) and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
   Love the Series so much and the movies are so great as well. I know they are different in a lot of ways, but I love them both regardless. Plus the cast for them are pretty A+
2. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia #2) by C.S. Lewis
   Part of me enjoys the movie just a little bit more, but that's mainly because the book itself is so short! again, I still love them both though
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
   Not everyone is going to agree with me, but I do enjoy the movie more than the book.  
4. Alice's Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
   Tim Burton has a way of making everything amazing, no matter how different it is than the original (Ps. can't wait for Alice Through the Looking Glass by him) 
5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
   Both of them are so beautiful and the movie is cast so well. 
6. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #1) by Louise Rennison
   One of my all time favorite movies from middle school. Definitely an old love. 

Classics: Book Reviews: Fahrenheit 451, The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

This was pretty much exactly what I thought it was going to be. The story line itself is thought provoking and interesting view on the affect that books have on us. I like Bradbury's extremism in this book and his play on firefighters, in that they now start fires instead of stopping them, and how so many people's lives revolve around their television. Overall it was fast paced and unique in a sense, however it wasn't really my cup of tea. I feel like there were a lot of things that could have been better explained and that some aspects were a little confusing. The book definitely seems to jump right into the action opposed to having a back story.


The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Not everybody is going to agree with me on this, but I like the movie adaption with Leonardo DiCapreo better than the book itself. The story is beautiful and tragic at the same time and I did enjoy it. The writing style itself was enjoyable and the imagery had a direction that was easy to understand but that also left much to the imagination. I felt as though Gatsby was very misunderstood and that Daisy in no way made his life easier. The whole thing with the light and the parties was tragic and a lot of what happened to him I don't believe he deserved. But in the game of love, you never know what is going to happen.


Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I absolutely love the movie adaption of this with Kiera Knightley; one of my all time favorite movies. The book itself is also amazing. Jane Austen has a gift in both being able to give life to her characters and make them incredibly relatable. The diversity of the characters and what they go through truly creates a story with both layers and believability. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcey are a couple that learns the truth behind the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover'. Elizabeth truly believes Darcey to be a very prideful person whom she wouldn't marry if he was the last living thing available to her. Mr. Darcey on the other hand views Elizabeth to be very plain and lacking in regards to her physicality, and believes her family to have an air of utter ridiculousness about them. The writing style in this book is beautiful and Austen ties an amazing web of pride and prejudices to show that sometimes one truly has to now someone to understand why they are the way they are. Moving past the pride that makes one believe they are better than the other, and the fact that everyone in their own way is prideful and everyone holds prejudices against other, whether it be due to jealousy or something else entirely.

Top 5 Books I Did Not Finish

(  Created by gingerreadslainey. Goodreads group https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-Wednesday  )

So I have to admit this is going to be very difficult considering I usually force myself to finish books, even when I am not really enjoying them...but here we go...

1. Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors #1) by Susan Beth Pfeffer
   I feel like so many people really enjoyed this series, but I found that so much of the book dragged on way to much. I mean, nothing interesting happened in this book at all. I got about 3/4 of the way through it. 
2. Escape From Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity and My Journey to Freedom in America by Francis Bok  
   The story itself I have to admit was amazing in regards to what this man had to go through, he was really strong considering all the shit he went through. The only reason this book is on the list is because the last hundred or so pages is all about the politics of the war going on where this book took place and I wasnt interested in anything other than his story.
3. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1) by Ransom Riggs
   Such a disappointment. Riggs has an amazing writing style and the story line is incredible well thought out, however there was something about this book that made it impossible for me to get through, in the end I had to put this down about 1/3 of the way through and I ended up reading the graphic novel version of it instead.  
4. Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga #4) by Stephanie Meyer
   UGHHH...I spent so much time reading the first three books in the series hoping it would get better, and in Eclipse it sort of did but when it came to reading this one I just couldn't get passed the first 50 pages...
5. Loser by Jerry Spinelli
   I had to read this book for a group project in 8th grade and it is probably one of the worst books I have ever read in my entire life. The writing style is hard to look past and the story itself was incredibly boring, I mean, it was so bad that not one person in my group could finish it and its only about 200 pages long. My mom is the only one I know who has been able to finish the book and she agreed that it was pretty awful.,,,It really is just terrible. 

Lunar Chronicles (Pre-Winter Release) Review

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
- Cinder (#1), Scarlet (#2), Cress (#3)

I'm just going to start off my mentioning that this is one of my favorite series ever.
In this series Meyer makes her own twist on classic princess, e.g. Cinderella, by throwing them into a world where there are cyborgs, "people" living on the moon, and wolf-warrior hybrids. That doesn't even include evil queens and lost princesses.

Cinder was definitely not what I expected. I went into this book with very little knowledge as to what it was about, other than the main character, Cinder, was a cyborg and there were people called Lunars who weren't exactly on the best of terms with the people on earth. But damn did this book surprise me in the best possible way. I mean, cyborg Cinderella? YESSSSS. Yes in the best possible way. I am such a sucker for re-imagined fairy tales and this in no way disappointed. A great beginning to a series. 5/5
“I'm sure I'll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who thinks complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on.” 
― Marissa Meyer, Cinder


Scarlet is where it lagged a little for me, I mean, again it was so incredible like the first book, but it still had that awkward middle of a series slump. Scarlet was another great character (not as great as Cinder, but we can't all be kickass cyborgs), she had the kidnapped granny angle going for her, and a guy who made us all kind of question his intentions, but other than that she was just a girl on a wild goose chase (depending on how you look at it). At the very least this book was a good segue into the third one. 5/5
“She did not know that the wolf was a wicked sort of animal, and she was not afraid of him.” 
― Marissa Meyer, Scarlet


Cress....to say this book was awesome would be an understatement. It definitely hit the ground running and never stopped. We get more of look into the inner workings of Queen Levina and how she manages to be such a manipulative person. Like hot damn, for such a terrible queen/person in general, she can be pretty clever. Cress is also a pretty big genius in her own way. The things she has single handily accomplished in her satellite over the years is crazy. Like the first two books this one one starts off with the newly introduced girl and how her life gets turned around in some way or another, and of course, the romance has to be thrown in there. However, I feel like out of all the romances in this series, Cress has the cutest one because it isn't an instant love connection between her and her man thing, its more naturally built up. Back to the story though, the ending to this book just leaves you wanting more! Winter needs to be released like right now...ughhhh. Seriously though, she's got me hooked. 5/5
“You said yourself that the people of Luna need a revolutionary.” She lifted her chin, holding his gaze. “So I’m going to Luna, and I’m going to start a revolution.” 
― Marissa Meyer, Cress


Anyways as a whole this series seriously is awesome as all hell, especially considering that Cinder is Marissa Meyer's debut novel. I CAN NOT wait for Winter to come out already, I can't even imagine what she has in store for us in the final installment of Lunar Chronicles, to say it is going to be epic, i'm sure, is a huge understatement.

How to Survive a Horror Movie!!

In honor of it almost being Halloween I thought it would be both festive and helpful to share some of the best tips in regards to surviving a horror movie. All these tips are from the book How to Survive a Horrow Movie by Seth Grahame-Smith.

First off you have to determine if you are even in a Horrow movie. This is easy in that there are only three months Ina horror movie year: July, October, and December. Also, though there are 24 hours in a horror movie day 21 of those hours are at night. There are also multiple other tests to determine this. 

Second, you have to determine what type of horror movie you are in. The horror catagories include Slashers, Fangs, Evil Places and Things, the Undead, and of course Satanic 

Of course once you've discovered that you may have been sucked into a Terrorverse you must immediately "stop, drop, and roll" or, in the wise words of Seth Grahame-Smith, follow C.R.A.V.E.N.

(Cover, Recon, Arsenal, Vehicle, Escape, North) 

However just knowing all of this you still have to survive, so beware of the Seven Deadly Horror Movie Sins. 

1. Doubt 

2. Machismo 

3. Independence 

4. Ugliness 

5. Curiosity 

6. Irresponsibility 

7. Vehicular Sex 

So with the spooky season coming up "Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid." 

This incredibly helpful and absolutely hilarious book is really perfect for this time of year, not only does it help you with everything listed above but it also teaches you how to perform an exorcism, kill a vampire, vanquish a murderous doll, and so much more. 5/5 read 

Little Bits of Karma book Review

Little Bits of Karma by Luara Simmons

Little bits of karma is a cute romantic read blended with reincarnation, karma, and coincidence. I really enjoyed all the paranormal aspects, such as all of Holly's past lives. All that has happened between the characters in their past lives really added to they way they are in the current ones creating more depth to the characters and the story. The romances between the characters were also really sweet to follow. However there were a few small aspects to the story that made me feel a little indifferent to the book as a whole. Many of the conversations has a bit of an interrogation vibe and several of the "coincidences" seemed almost forced, making it seem a little ridiculous. Haha and I must comment on the fact that the story ends with "and they lived happily ever after", I mean, that is a little bit cheesy. 

Overall it was a pleasant read and I did enjoy it for the most part, however I feel a little indifferent to the book as a whole. It's a good, light, cozy read, but nothing overly fantastic. 3/5

*ps. I received this book in a giveaway* 

Hollow City book Review

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

I am going to start off by saying that I never finished the first book, after the fist 200 pages I stopped and read the graphic novel instead.

I wanted so much to love this book, the story seemed awesome and everyone else has raved about. But I just couldn't really get into it. Ransom's writing style is so amazing and he does an incredible job at creating such a magically captivating world. The bizarre photos of the peculiar children just added to the story and made it that much more enticing. However part of me just couldn't get into it, I spent a large majority of the book forcing myself to finish it. As well thought out and captivating the story was, it just fell short a note or two for me. I in no way hated it, but its definitely not at the top of my list. Some of it felt a bit too convenient, even forced, especially when they were trying to find other loops. 

Overall the books was an A+ idea to me. I loved the idea of it but couldn't bring myself to actually get into it. I'd probably give it a 3.75/5 or 4/5

Oct. Wrap-Up and Nov. TBR

 (My Wrap Up is ordered by date read)

OCTOBER WRAP-UP 

1. The Return of the King (Lord of the Rings #3) (4.5/5) 

The Lord of the Rings movies have always been some of my favorite so I am so happy I finally got around to reading the books. Love Love Love. And there's so much more to it than the movies which makes me really excited me. 

2. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. (The Chronicles of Narnia #2) (4/5) 

Again another series I am so happy to get around to reading. I know there are two different orders to which people read the books (I am reading it chronologically, so this is #2) and I am glad I read the magicians nephew first because it added a lot to the magic of the wardrobe. 

3. Little Bits of Karma (3.5/5) 

Pleasant read but for the most part underwhelming. 

4. A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) (5/5)

Jon!!!! Damn I'm really getting into this series. 

5. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass (4/5) 

I forgot how much a love this book. Seriously the most nonsensical thing ever and it's freaking awesome. 

NOVEMBER TBR 

1. A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3) 

2. The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia #3) 

3. Fahrenheit 451

4. City of Bones (the Imortal Instruments #1) 

5. Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy #1) 

Long Book Struggles: The Behemoth

I love the sweet feeling of having a huge book. I had to rewrite that sentence about a dozen times in hopes it wouldn't sound inappropriate and eventually had to settle with that. Anyways, for me long books actually give me so many mixed feelings. On one hand I love them because there is so much story, so much depth, so much muchness. The characters have more personality and complexity making them more interesting to follow. While on the other hand it can be so daunting to pick up a long book knowing you are going to have to dedicate so much time in order to finish it, even worse is when it is a series of crazy long books. I, for one, am currently try to get through the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series where basically every book is around a thousand pages, which is a little ridiculous. Since I've started 'A Clash of Kings' (969 pages) I've taken breaks to read both 'The Return of the King' and 'The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe' and I have started 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' as well. It's like my brain doesn't want to commit...regardless I will probably never not read a book because of its length. That's even more ridiculous. 

Top 5 Manga

My top manga! I really love getting into this kind of stories, manga is actually what got me into reading and I'm always going to fall back on these favorites.

1. Inuyasha

This manga/anime has got to be at the top of my list. It's an incredible adventure with a lot of humor, drama, and general awesomeness. Plus Sesshomaru is just too great not to to love. 

2. Ouran Highschool Hot Club 

I'm a sucker for a good laugh and this manga/anime literally made me cry with laughter. It's all over the place and crazy, in a good way, and always makes you wonder what they could possibly do next. 

3. Fruits Basket 

Beautiful and incredibly fun. I love all the different characters and how they are all helping each other through one of the craziest curses. The zodiacs all have differing opinions and yet all love each other with a strong bond to stick together. Such an incredible read through hardships, laughter, and change. 

4. Hollow Fields 

My all time favorite mysteriously interesting manga. This steampunk-themed greatness is just overall so much fun to read. It's full of mad scientists, deadly detention, and boarding school that is far from the ordinary. (Loving the reread during Halloween season) 

5. .hack//legend of the twilight 

So refreshing. This story is what got me into really loving manga, it's so fun, crazy, and oddly relatable with the relationships and need for adventure. An old love.

Series I am not going to finish (part 1)

Let's start off with the more popular series. 

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I know this is a very popular series but because I made the huge mistake of watching the movies first I just can't get into the series. I have read the first book, the hunger games, however like many movie adaptions, so much is just thrown into the air and it's just not the same. 

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth 

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, I originally read it in preparation for the release of the movie. However there was something about the movie that put me off on the series as a whole. It's not that I don't like it, it's more that I am just no longer interested. 

3. The Selection by Kiera Cass 

Like Divergent, I really enjoyed the first book in this series and I was excited to read the second, however something about the tidles of the books took away form it. I mean, let's be honest, we all knew America was going to win, but they could have made us question it a little more, or at the very least, had a little more to the story. That and America was just up and down on my like scale, sometimes I thought she was being a little overdramatic/crazy/needed to be slapped and than there were times that I could really understand her struggle. 

4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer 

Well all know the world has a love hate relationship with this series. Personally I'm in the middle somewhere. I can see why this series is very popular, but I just couldn't take it. The romance was cute, kinda creepy, but cute nonetheless. My biggest problem was that a lot of it was over descriptive and very unrealistic (yes, I realize that vamps and werewolves are not real, but I'm referring to the insta love and the relationships between everyone in general) 

5. The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater 

Maggie Stievfvater is an incredible writer and I have loved every book of hers I have ever read. The only reason this series is on the list is because I long time ago (2011) when I was in California she was at a book signing in a small bookstore and my friend got signed copies of the three books. I read them and I loved them, it was a great series for me at the time, especially considering I wasn't that big of a reader at the time. Now I had no idea that she wrote a a fourth book for the series recently, I would read it but I would have to reread the first three books to know what was going on and that is just in no way going to happen considering I have so many books I have never read that I would rather get into. (E.g. The rest of the Raven Cycle series)