Fairest by: Marissa Meyer

Fairest by: Marissa Meyer

Edition: Hardcover
Pages: 222
Published: January 27th, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Goodreads Synopsis: In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

My Thoughts:

**This blog post had been previously written and never posted. So I decided to share it Today!

When I heard that Fairest was being released I knew that I had to have it, especially since the release date of Winter got pushed back (I am still in my feelings about that...).  As you already know Fairest gives you the back story of Queen Levana so that you can get an idea of why she is the way she is.  Most people would say that this was an unnecessary book, but I would have to disagree.  Although, my feelings for the Queen haven't changed ( I still can't stand her!!!) I felt like now I somewhat understand why she treats people the way she does.  In short, Levana had a very rough life, but on the same note I don't feel like that is an excuse for some of the decisions that she makes. 

Since this book was so short I can't really go into detail about Levana's past, all I can say is that she has done a lot of messed up things to people for so many years and her rational for all the harm and suffering that she caused is just ridiculous.

So would I recommend this book?

I sure would, especially if you want to know a little bit about Winter, why the Queen wears her veil and doesn't allow mirrors in her palace, as well as to get an amazing description of what Queen Levana truly looks like... !!

Favorite Quote: "Levana had not seen the bodies, but she had seen the bedrooms the next morning, and her first thought was that all that blood would make for a very pretty rouge on her lips."

Final Verdict: 5 Stars

Angelfall by: Susan Ee

Angelfall by: Susan Ee

Edition: Paperback
Pages: 326
Published: May 23, 2013
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Goodreads Synopsis: It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

My Thoughts:

This is a book that I had on my tbr for the longest time, literally since the book first released.  So finally I went to the library and picked up Angelfall and it's sequel World After.
Angelfall follows Penyrn six weeks after the apocalypse has destroyed much of Earth.  Unfortunately, in the first few pages something terrible happens to where she finds herself in the company of an angel, Raffe and together they set out to accomplish their own personal missions.

At first, I have to say that I honestly couldn't understand why so much hype surrounded this book because it just didn't seem that great.  One of my main issues was with Penyrn, she annoyed me throughout almost the whole book, one moment she would act super tough, then the next act like she was following head over heels for an angel while stating how much she hated them.  The next issue that I had was how closed off the characters seemed to be towards the middle of the book, especially Raffe, it was a really weird shift that I couldn't comprehend.  My last issue with this book is how some events lacked detail.  We know that the apocalypse happened six weeks ago, but when it's talked about it seems as if the world has been in that state for several months.  Also I never got a clear understanding as to why the apocalypse even happened, especially since both the angels and the humans seem to have no clue either.  But maybe this is just my misunderstanding.

Overall, I did end up enjoying this book.  Penryn's mom was interesting to the point that i couldn't wait until she popped back up.  Also, the ending is when every thing pulls together and becomes amazing...scorpion fetuses and Raffe OMG !!! Definitely go read this book.

Final Verdict: 4 Stars

Black Ice by: Becca Fitzpatrick

Black Ice by: Becca Fitzpatrick

Edition: Hardcover
Pages: 392
Published: October 7th, 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Synopsis: Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

My Thoughts:

Black Ice is a book that I've heard so many people become excited for when it first released so I put it on my tbr in hopes that I would get around to it soon.  Once people started to read it and give it somewhat bad reviews, it definetly made me think twice about reading it.  That is until I seen it in my library.  I decided to just see what this book was about for myself, and I'm actually glad that I did.

The beginning of this book was somewhat enjoyable, but I started to lose interest quickly because of the two main female characters, Britt and Korbie.  Korbie gave me a complete headache and Britt was just annoying to the point where I can't really pinpoint an exact moment that annoyed me the most.  Even then I kept reading on, and took a few days break when I got to the middle of the book when the two girls where in the mountains.  This portion dragged on for so long with hardly anything happening and I was so tempted to just not finish the book because there was nothing exciting happening.  But I guess the break I took from this book gave me the drive to complete it since I was more than half way through, and I'm glad that I did!

The ending of this book took such a wonderful turn that I was shocked and excited to see how everything ended, although I did have a theory of who the murderer was.  I do think that people should give Black Ice a shot and see how they feel, because even though I pratically despised this book in the beginning, my feelings compeletly changed all because of the last 100 or so pages.

Final Verdict: 3 Stars

Never Never by: Colleen Hoover

Never Never by: Colleen Hoover

Edition: Kindle
Pages: 159
Published: January 7th, 2015
Publisher: Hoover Ink

Goodreads Synopsis: Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen.

Complete strangers since this morning.

He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget.

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

My Thoughts:

This is a book that I noticed so many people reading in the book community as well as adding it to there Goodreads and mentioning how amazing it was, so like always I got extremely curious and ordered this book on my Nook (it was only $2.99 so I couldn't pass it up).

Like you can see from the synopsis there wasn't much of a description to give me an idea of what this book was about so I went into it with really high expectations since so many people thoroughly enjoyed it.  This story basically follows Charlie and Silas who can't remember anything about their lives or really who they are, so they set out to find clues that could hopefully spark their memory.  This is basically what the whole book is about in a nut shell.  And for this fact I can't quite say that I enjoyed reading this book.  Its almost as if I am lost for words because although some details about Charlie and Silas's lives are uncovered it is still not enough to even know what is going on.

As far as the characters Charlie was super annoying, especially how she would act towards Silas when he was only trying to make her feel better, in my opinion.  With that being said my favorite character thus far is Silas! I love the way he interacts with other people and how we get to see how he feels about Charlie.

The best part for me was the ending and that is what truly has me excited for the next book!  Also, the way these authors added in Avril's character was perfect, I definitely didn't expect that at all.  Although, this wasn't the best book I have read, it kept my interested enough that I will definitely keep reading the rest of the series because I need to know what Silas and Charlie did to get in the situation that they are in now.

Final Verdict:
3.5 Stars

To-Be-Read | May 2017

 Today I want to bring to you my May TBR. For those of you who don't know what that is, it literally stands for To Be Read. So the books listed below are those that I foresee myself reading in the month of May.

This year I have a reading goal of 30 books, and I am terribly behind (7books behind exactly). With that being said, hopefully in the months to come I can surpass that goal or at the very least meet my goal of 30 books.

All books that I happen to not read this month will spill over into June.

My May TBR:

1. Torn by: Amanda Hocking
2. Illuminae by: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
3. The Minaturist by: Jessie Burton
4. Lover Awakened by: J.R. Ward
5. Do Not Disturb by: A.R. Torre
6. Requiem by: Lauren Oliver

I'm really excited for this reading month because all of the books that are on my TBR are either from a series I need to finish or one that has received rave reviews. Stay tuned for my wrap up in June!

What are you reading this month?

Have you read any of the books mentioned above?

Switched by: Amanda Hocking

Switched by: Amanda Hocking

Edition: Paperback

Pages: 318

Published: January 3rd, 2012

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Goodreads Synopsis: When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

Purchases: Amazon | Bookdepository


My Thoughts:

Switched follows a girl named Wendy who never seems to
fit in at any school that she attends. This causes issues with her family resulting in the constant school hopping that she experiences. As the story develops we see that Wendy isn't exactly living the life that was intended for her. The shock from these secrets unraveling makes her rethink everything that she has ever knew, including the family that she had called her own. Getting into the swing of dealing with her new life, the weight of her new title and the constant emotional ups and downs for her potential love interest you see the struggles of a girl that really just wants life to go back to normal. The problem is they don't!

This book has been on my want list for quite sometime, and when I finally found the omnibus version of the whole series at the bookstore I took the plunge and bought it. I'm so glad that I did because I really enjoyed everything about it. This book is about changelings and trolls. and to be honest I don't think I have ever read a book about trolls but it sure does make them sound interesting. Especially because they are actually pretty and have an array of different powers that I myself wouldn't mind having.

I put Amanda Hocking on a pedestal for simply creating great books like no other. Also, for being such a success in the Self-Publishing world when she first put out her books.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants something different to read. Or just needs a lighter book to read in between a huge series/fantasy novel.

Final verdict: 4 stars

Carry On by: Rainbow Rowell

Carry On by: Rainbow Rowell

Edition: Hardback
Pages: 522
Published: October 6th, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters. 

My Thoughts:  It is no secret that I am not much of a fan of Rainbow Rowell's novels.  Personally I feel like she is a great writer and creates very unique books, but I just feel that it takes too long for anything interesting to happen, and when it finally does I have almost finished reading the book.

Carry On follows Simon Snow, who is seen as the "Chosen One" and his schoolmates through their last year at the Watford School of Magicks. Through the course of this school Simon not only is able to control his magic but he also finds out who he truly is meant to be...in more ways than one.  My main issue with this novel is that the first half of the book was so boring.  Literally, nothing of importance happened that made me want to stick it out and continue reading.  So, I put this book down for a few weeks, and when I got motivated to read again I finally picked this book back up again.  I still was having a tough time getting through this book until Baz, Simon's enemy, admitted his true feelings for one of the characters.  And I can tell you for that reason alone, I ended up enjoying this book more than I thought I would.

I can't say that I would recommend this book because I feel that it went on longer than it really needed to, and this book is quite long.  Also, I didn't like the fact that Rainbow Rowell never answered or went in to detail of very important moments/facts that happened in the characters lives.  For instance, why wasn't Simon's Snows parents brought up for Simon and the others to know?  The readers have this knowledge, but as far as the characters they never knew this information.  Once the story did wrap up, I felt that it was rushed and some things happened way too conveniently.  There was one scene, where Baz attended a party and did something that caught everyone's attention (I'm sparing you the details so not to spoil the book) and that technically wouldn't be accept but it didn't cause any questions or disturbance, for lack of a better word.

In the end, I just wished that this book was better written and with that I feel like I would have possibly enjoyed this book more than I did.  And although, I don't care for Rainbow Rowell's book I will finish what I've started and read all of her books.

Final Verdict: 3 Stars

Walk on Earth a Stranger by: Rae Carson

Walk on Earth a Stranger by: Rae Carson

Edition: Hardback

Pages: 432 

Published: September 22, 2015

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift.

My Thoughts:
This book follows Leah Westfall, a Teenage girl living in Georgia with her parents on a small homestead during the Gold Rush era.  But Leah carries the burden of a secret that her and her family has kept since she was a child, she can sense Gold around her.  This is a wonderful gift since her ability to sense gold has brought in money for her family, but when a big event happens in the beginning of the book Leah finds herself traveling across the country to find the one person she can trust the most.

Walk on Earth a Stranger is not like any book I have read.  Going into it I didn't really know what the story was about, but because it was so popular in the book community I decided to give it a go, and I am glad I did.  This book starts out with so much drama and action that it keeps you entertained throughout the whole story.  Most YA novels take almost half of the book to truly get into what the whole story was about, but Rae Carson wasted no time in that aspect and for that alone she gets two thumbs up!

Leah is a character that I didn't have to learn to love, but instantly cared about her from the beginning.  She was so strong and no matter what she went through or what people did to her she kept going and never gave up.  I also feel that I have learned a lot about what the people had went through during this time period.  For instance, the Native Americans and African Americans had it pretty rough.  The Native Americans were usually to blame when things went wrong instead of the people finding the real cause of their problems.  But this is to be expected during this time period.

I really liked most of the characters, although sometimes it was hard to keep up with each person because Leah came in contact with so many people.  My favorite characters have to be Jeff and Leah, but I also came to like Mrs. Joyner, and Major Craven.  All in all, I would definitely recommend this book.

*Like a River Glorious, the second book in the Gold Seer Trilogy is expected to be released on September 27th, 2016 .

Final Verdict: 5 stars

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by: Patrick Ness

The Rest Of Us Just Live Here by: Patrick Ness

Edition: U.S. Hardback
Pages: 352
Published: August 27th, 2015
Publisher: Walker Books

Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository

Goodreads Synopsis: What if you aren’t the Chosen One?

The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions.

Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.


My Thoughts:
I've been so behind on the Patrick Ness bandwagon that it isn't funny and after finishing The Rest of Us Just Live Here, have decided to read his other books because his storytelling is pretty awesome!!

I went into this book completely blind and let me tell you, this is by far the weirdest book I have read thus far. This book follows a group of kids (the normal ones!) in their last year of high school and also another group of kids, the Indie kids (which are the weird ones) which for some odd reason bad things Always happens to them.  That's about all I can say without spoiling anything...I want you to be able to experience the weirdness for yourself!

Honestly, I ended up liking this book way better than I initially thought I would.  Although, Patrick Ness adds some interesting twists to the main story line, I love how the characters seem so real and go through real life situations (at least the "normal" characters).  In most YA novels I notice that the characters seem to overcome all the issues they face throughout the book, whereas the characters in The Rest of Us Just Live Here, don't necessarily overcome their issues but just deal with the issues at hand, and that's what I enjoyed most!

This is definitely one of the most clever books that I have read this year, and recommend it to anyone! Next up on my list from this author, is the Chaos Walking Trilogy.

Final Verdict:
4.5 Stars

Anna and the French Kiss by: Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss

Edition: Paperback

Pages: 372

Published: December 2nd, 2010

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile 

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming,beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?


My Thoughts:
Why have I waited so long to read this?!?! That is what I keep asking myself because I actually liked it. For so long there was so much hype about Anna and the French and it's companion novel, Lola and the Boy Next Door that I just wasn't convinced that I would like this book. I had so many preconceived thoughts and that is what kept me from giving this book a chance. And it doesn't help that I've had this book on my shelf for soooo long. I can say now that I am so happy that I gave it a fair shot because I just love it, and absolutely love the characters.
Stephanie Perkins definitely adds a twist to a romance story because most books make it seem like when two characters see each other for the first time they instantly fall in love and then everything clicks into place happily ever after. Life doesn't work that way though, and that is one of the things that made this book awesome. And then St. Clair!! I thought he was perfect even though he has flaws (which are realistic, compared to the incredibly cute guy that has the perfect abs, hair, etc.) and it just made me like him even more although he really annoyed me at times. Actually St. Clair and Anna gave me a huge headache over and over again. That's what happens though when two people belong together but they have too many hang ups to actually get together. Regardless of my rambling, I am so excited to read Lola and the Boy Next Door. I also like Stephanie Perkins writing style which makes it easier to get into the book. One thing I can say though is that the cover (I have the old covers not the new ones) does this book no justice, and that may have been another thing that put me off from reading this book sooner than I did. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone read it if you haven't!

Favorite Quotes:

• "Where have you been all my life?" I ask the beautiful panini. "How is it possible I've never had a sandwich like this before?" He takes a large bite. "Mmmph grmpha mrpha," he says, smiling. Which I'm assuming translates to something like, "Because American food is crap."
• "St. Clair coughs and shifts again. His leg brushes against mine. It stays there. I'm paralyzed. I should move it; it feels too unnatural. How can he not notice his leg is touching my leg?"
• "Rashmi iss me," Josh said into my phone. "Mer? Put Rashmi on. Iss emergency." "It's not an emergency!" I yelled. "They're just drunk."
• "Because I was right. For the two of us, home isn't a place. It's a person. And we're finally home."

Final Verdict: 4 Stars

If I Stay by: Gayle Forman

If I Stay (book 1)

Edition: E-book

Pages: 201

Published: April 2nd, 2009

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: 
Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.

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

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

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

My Thoughts:
I have been meaning to read this book for quite sometime now, and finally found the time to read it. Also after hearing so much hype for the movie that is coming out I decided that I want to be in the loop as well. Before reading this, I had no clue what this book was about. The only thing that I had heard was that this was such a heartbreaking story!
I have to say that I am not as in love with this book like most people are. The story is very unique, especially with the events that took place early on in the book, but after that hardly anything happened. With that type of beginning I excepted way more jaw dropping events to happen (which they did...Kind of) but I wasn't really impressed. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this book enough to want to go on and read the second book, Where She Went, but this just isn't a favorite of mine since I feel that the majority of this book was filler.

Cons:
I literally only had one con while reading this book and that was the flipping back and forth from the present and the past. I found it to be confusing at times and boring. When the storyline picked up I found myself not caring to read the past events (I did read them though) because I just wanted to get on with the story.

Overall, I think this is an interesting read that everyone should at least try. Plus it's such a quick read that it will hardly take much of your time. As far as the movie is concerned, I will see it because I am curious as to how they are going to portray Mia since the majority of the book was a lot of "internal reflecting" on her life.

Favorite Quote: "Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you. Does that make any sense?"

Final Verdict: 3 Stars

The Gunslinger by: Stephen King

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower 1)

Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 231
Published: June 10th, 1982 (1st published)
Publisher: Plume

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: Book I

In The Gunslinger (originally published in 1982), King introduces his most enigmatic hero, Roland Deschain of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting, solitary figure at first, on a mysterious quest through a desolate world that eerily mirrors our own. Pursuing the man in black, an evil being who can bring the dead back to life, Roland is a good man who seems to leave nothing but death in his wake.

My Thoughts:
The Gunslinger is the first installment in The Dark Tower series by: Stephen King.  This story follows Roland a gunslinger (the last one actually) who is on a journey to find "the man in black". While on this journey Roland runs into a few people, including a child name Jake who accompanies Roland for a good portion of his journey until he meets his fate, so to speak. While reading this book you also get a glimpse of Roland's childhood and the world that he lived in, which is much different from the world that Jake once lived in.

What I gathered from this is that this is a post-apocalyptic book with hints of magic in it, and every character has experienced very different lives but can't seem to remember much from their past lives due to something "the dark man" has done. This book was quiet hard for me to follow compared to another Stephen King book that I had read. Events kind of skipped around and certain things were implyed but never really explained so I found myself struggling to understand certain portions of this book. Also some of the lingo that was used was older so that could be a reason as to why I was confused while reading this book.

Overall, I thought this was an ok book, I might feel differently if I re-read this sometime down the road. I will be continuing on with this series though because I have heard that some of Stephen Kings books connect back to the Dark Tower series. My favorite character is Jake hands down!!

Final Verdict: 3 Stars

The Maze Runner by: James Dashner

The Maze Runner #1

Edition: E-book

Pages: 374

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Published: October 6th, 2009

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: "If you ain't scared, you ain't human." 

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers--boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out--and no one's ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.


My Thoughts: I decided to re-read The Maze Runner because I wanted to finish the series, which I started so long ago. The first time I read this was in 2012, so I basically forgot 90 percent of the events that took place in this book.  Looking back on my review from when I first read this book, my opinion has defintely changed.  Before I gave this 5 stars and was completely head over heels about this book because I had never read anything like it. This is the time when I was just getting back into reading again.  Now, after reading so many dystopian books I can say that this is not one of my favorites, like it had been before.  This book is still good and pretty entertaining for the pure fact that I don't know any YA novels that puts kids in a maze and expects them to solve certain "puzzles" in order to gain their life back, even when that means killing several of them.  To be honest, I found the majority of this book to be boring, even when some jaw-dropping incidents were happening.  I think this was because I was annoyed with most of the characters and certain things that I will leave unsaid just seemed to fall into place way to conveniently.  The main character Thomas annoyed me most of the time because of how he acted through this book. Some times he would be completely brave on the most riskiest (and sometimes deadliest) tasks, and then on small things (like stepping up to a bully) he would act so afraid which I didn't understand.  Overall I think that this book is good enough to give it a shot and see how each individual feels about it (some will be blown away and some will not).  I am still interested enough to continue on with the series, especially after reading the epilogue because it seems like these teens may not be as lucky as they thought they were.

Side Note: I did love how the author painted a very descriptive picture of the grievers.  They sound completely horrible and I am so glad that I don't have to come in contact with those things.

Favorite characters: Chuck, Thomas, Teresa, Newt, and Minho

Final Verdict: 3.5 Stars

Bout of Books 11

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I am so excited to be participating in another Bout of Books read-a-thon!! The last one that I participated in I set pretty strict goals and accomplished quite a lot, but this time around I will be taking a more relaxed approach. So, below are my goals that I wish to achieve for Bout of Books 11.

Goals:

• Read at least 100 pages a day (last read-a-thon I went for over 200 pgs a day)
• Document progress throughout the week
• Finish 2 books from my tbr list

My Tbr:

• If I stay by: Gayle Foreman (201 pages)
• Beautiful Darkness by: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (503 pages)
• Across the Universe by: Beth Revis  (398 pages)
• Spirit Bound by: Richelle Mead (489 pages)

So I have a few different choices to choose from during this read-a-thon so hopefully I can read at least 2. Keep an eye out for my daily updates!!!

Updates:

Summer/Fall Reads 2014

In an attempt to reduce my large Tbr pile, I will be compiling a list of books that I want to read in the next few weeks/months. Most of the books that I will put on this list will be those that I have had for a while. So with that being said I hope to get at least 15 books knocked off of my Tbr shelf. Here is the list of books that I will be reading:

Summer/Fall Reads:

 1. Allegiant by: Veronica Roth
 2. Unravel Me by: Tahereh Mafi
 3. Beautiful Darkness by: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
 4. The Final Empire by: Brandon Sanderson
 5. Spirit Bound by: Richelle Mead
 6. Last Sacrifice by: Richelle Mead
 7. Anna and the French Kiss by: Stephanie Perkins
 8. Partials by: Dan Wells
 9. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by: Lani Taylor
10. Cinder by: Marrissa Meyer
11. Desperation by: Stephen King
12. Clockwork Princess by: Cassandra Clare
13. Fever by: Lauren Destafano
14. The Grimm Legacy by: Polly Shulman
15. Across the Universe by: Beth Revis

*You can check out all of my unread books (minus my e-books) under the Unread Books tab at the top of my blog.

On Vacation From Sanity by: Elizabeth Ross Yurich

On Vacation From Sanity

Edition: E-book

Pages: 327

Published: May 20th, 2014

Publisher: Grid Media

Purchase: Amazon | BarnesandNoble

Goodreads Synopsis: What do you do when your world is turned upside down and you're forced to recreate your life?

Life is perfect for sixteen-year-old Jenna Webb. She lives with her rock-star dad in New York City, she has a perky, fun, beautiful best friend, and a super-model, sort-of stepmother. An artist, writer, bass player, Jenna has her life planned to precision—well, until her dad is killed instantly by a New York City cab driver.

With every aspect of her life turned upside down, Jenna is forced to recreate a life in Los Angeles with her Mom, stepfather, and his two daughters—a life she did not want. Travel along on the journey that includes rock and roll, the Buddha, crazy friends, a creepy stalker, unexpected romance, and a downward spiral into a world Jenna never imagined, but needed in order to find herself.
My Thoughts:
* I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
From the time I first started reading this book, I knew that I was going to like the main character Jenna.  In the beginning of this book Jenna is faced with drastic changes after her father Sean dies and has to move all the way to L.A. from her comfortable home in New York.  I found this book to be very enjoyable and lighthearted at times, so I think it would be a great summer read.
The style of this book is written quiet differently than most of the books that I have read before because the events that took place seem to skip around a bit, so I found myself confused on a few sections. Once I got use to the writing style I can truly say I really liked it and enjoyed the characters. The things that I loved about this book is how everyone was so close and went out of their way to help others. I felt like the whole concept of this book being surrounded by music was a great idea, especially since Jenna's dad was in a band.  I also thought that James was incredibly charming but found myself to heavily dislike him in the middle of the book, just to start liking him all over again towards the end. And I can't forget Gavin because he has to be my favorite character in this whole book for the simple fact that he was always willing to help others, stayed positive, and was always so nice to Jenna even if James wasn't. For the character that I hated the most, which shouldn't be a shock is Will. I knew something was up with him as soon as he was introduced in the book. At the same time I am really glad for his character because he added a very interesting twist to this whole story.

Cons:
One of the things that I had a problem with while reading this book is how at first everything seemed to just click into place for Jenna and that no matter what happened to her she was extremely nice (not in all instances but most), so it would've been nice if she had a little edge to her.  The second thing that I felt was odd was how Ryan, Jenna's step-dad, yelled at her after finding out where she spends most of her time and then her mom just assumes the worst. I guess I could see why they behaved that way but to me it just felt over the top considering how mellow Ryan is. Lastly, I felt like in the first half of the book the characters lacked emotion, so when I read what they thought I didn't really believe it, but most of that went away in the last half of the book.

I am actually going to keep my review as is, as to not spoil the book for anyone.  I feel like so much goes on in this book that it's best to not know anything and to just take it all in on your own. I do have to say though, that Jenna is an outstanding character because she is hit with so much negativity I don't know how she keeps going everyday! So, I will recommend this book to anyone that wants a light book to read and likes contemporary style books.

Final Verdict: 4 Stars

Edge of Shadows by: Cege Smith

Edge of Shadows

Book 1 in the Shadows Trilogy

Edition: Paperback

Pages: 276

Published: November 2011

Publisher: N/A

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: "Beware what lurks in the darkness of Cege Smith's paranormal Shadows series..." Darkness has been Ellie Coulter's constant companion since her parents' untimely death when she was eight, and she harbors a secret that never fails to remind her that she's different than everyone else. Fresh off a failed marriage with a man who harbored his own dark secrets, Ellie shut herself off from the world as a form of self-preservation. For months, Ellie's protective bubble includes nothing but her coffee shop, her few friends, and her dog. The attention of a handsome young doctor, David Mitchell, pushes her out of her comfort zone, and Ellie warms to the idea that she may have found a risk worth taking. Then one of Ellie's friends abruptly leaves town; entrusting her home to Ellie's care. The house has its own mysterious past that draws Ellie into a tangled web of deceit. Her ex-husband resurfaces with premonitions of Ellie's death. And suddenly Ellie's life is being turned upside down yet again. Something old and evil has found Ellie, and wants to keep her all to itself. Edge of Shadows (Shadows #1) is the first book in the Shadows series. Shadows Deep (Shadows #2) is available now!

My Thoughts:
*I had received this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review*
When I began reading this book I had absolutely no expectations for this book, I just wanted to go into with an empty mind, so to speak.  Let me just tell you I was very surprised!  I didn't know that this book was going to draw me in the way it did.  Ellie was a character that at times annoyed me because of how down in the dumps she would always be.  As the story progressed I grown to love her character because she is actually strong and not broke down as she comes off as.  This book as an element of surprise because really it is hard to tell what is going to happen, it just keeps taking several different turns and ends so wonderfully making you want to hurry and read the next book in the series.  I really don't have anything bad to say about the characters or the character development because I think that everything was exactly how it should be.  Linda's character was awesome, weird, and creepy at the same time!  There were a few things that I do wish I knew more about, like why twas he Realtor acting the way he did, it just seemed odd to me how he started to change into a completely different person.  And what is the importance of one of the characters ( I won't say who so I don't spoil anything) seeing Auras, besides of course being able to tell what mood they were in?  I guess those are things that I will learn as I read the next book in the series.  As I keep thinking about this book I find that I really didn't like Jenny, she annoyed me so much and had this terrible attitude throughout the book.  I guess I can forgive her though because she did go through a lot :)
Overall, I feel like this is a book that more people need to read, it is definitely underrated.  There are a few areas in the book where there are typos but if you look past those it truly is a great story that draws you in.  I can't wait to read the second book in this trilogy because I feel like the terrible ghost/demon like things have just begun.

Final Verdict: 4 Stars

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

To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Edition: E-book

Pages: 288

Published: April 15th, 2014

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: 

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.

My Thoughts:
I literally just finished this book, and I have to say that I am highly impressed.  Going into this boo I thought that it would be pretty interesting to hear about a girl who writes loves stories to the boys that she loved at one point in time. Especially since I knew a lot of people could relate to this topic (being young and having a lot of crushes).  I can say though that this book made me go through so many emotions to the point that I wasn't quite sure if I liked the book, and then other times I was head over heels for it. So, I'll start by saying what I liked about this book...  I think Jenny Han's character's were so realistic and each one had a completely different personality, so it made me feel like I was actually reading about someone else's life.  Kitty, the youngest of the Song girls, had to be my favorite character because she was so mature for her age, and at times would put Lara Jean in her place when she was having one of her moments (If you read the book you will know what I mean). At times I found myself just LOL and asking myself what's with this kid!!! She was amazing. I also liked how this book portrayed school for teens and displayed how mean girls can be to one another because those are the things that girls are having to deal with today.  Lastly, believe it or not I really did like Peter K. I felt that he made Lara Jean's life a bit less predictable and made her live a little, because she was definitely uptight.

Cons:
There are only a few things that I didn't like about this book and the main thing was how Margaret treated Lara Jean. I know that she was just trying to keep her sister in the right direction but I felt like it was too much pressure constantly telling Lara Jean to sign up for this and that, and volunteer at this place, etc.  I am glad that Lara Jean started to become her own person at the end of the book.  Lastly, I didn't like Lara Jean at the start of this book because I felt like she didn't act her age and that she was way to dependent on her sister Margaret. I think that that was the main reason why I struggled to get through the first half of this book.

Overall, I think that this is a great book and would recommend to anyone who likes love stories with a splash of some high school drama in it.  Plus, I felt like there were so many things left unsaid so I will def be reading the next book (I heard there will be a sequel and I sure hope so, I need more!!).

Favorite Quote:
"Josh, you break my heart. And you're a liar. Because you know me, you know me better than almost anybody, and you don't love me."

Final Verdict: 5 stars

Attachments by: Rainbow Rowell

Attachments by: Rainbow Rowell

Edition: Hardcover
Published: April 14th, 2011
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Pages: 336

Purchase: Amazon | Bookdepository

Goodreads Synopsis: "Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?
My Thoughts: 
Everytime I hear great things about Rainbow Rowell's books I am always so happy to get them and start reading them to see what all the hype is about.  Altthough I get so excited to start reading one of her books, there is also a small part of me that is worried that I won't like it (I'll explain).  Attachments is Rainbow Rowell's adult novel about a guy named Lincoln that gets a job to read peoples emails that get flagged at their job. As he is reading these flagged emails he happens to stumble upon Beth's and Jennifer's emails and finds himself drawn to there conversations/personal lives.  I really enjoyed Lincoln's character, although at times I just didn't understand him.  For instance, I feel like I never got a good grasp on why he had all those college degrees and I was actually curious to know what he majored in (since I am a college graduate as well).  Plus I felt like Lincoln came across younger than what he actually was.  Beth was incredibly funny and I felt like one of the main reasons why I kept reading was to hear more about Beth, and her Cute Guy because we all have experienced one of those.  And I found myself really liking Jennifer for the fact that she was so realistic and when she said certain things she didn't try to make things sound better than they actually were.  I do have to say that in all the Rainbow Rowell books I have read she sure knows how to make her male characters charming and just so freaking cute! Overall, There were several parts in this book that I found to be boring because a lot didn't happen, but I did really enjoy this book even though it wasn't one of my favorites.  I do believe that I would recommend this book as well as the other books Rainbow Rowell has written because her writing is just amazing (especially Eleanor & Park), and I will continue to read each book she publishes.

Final Verdict: 3.5 Stars

Stacking The Shelves #2

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews.  It is all about sharing the books that you have recently acquired, whether they are books you bought, borrowed, or got for review!

There was a huge sale going on at a used book shop that I frequently go to so I couldn't help but to pick up a few books.  These are the books I got:

The Notebook by: Nicholas Sparks
Feed by: Mira Grant
Flowers in the Attic by: V. C. Andrew
Petals on the Wind by: V.C. Andrew
The Waste Lands by: Stephen King
The Drawing of the Three by: Stephen King
Brave New World by: Aldous Huxley
Betrayed by: P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Chosen by; P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

*Mass Market paperbacks were $0.50 and the last 3 books were $1 each

My mom also surprised me with a Nook so of course I had to get some books!! :)

E-book:

Losing It by: Cora Cormick
Beautiful Disaster by: Jamie McGuire
Awakened by Jaime Guerard
To All The Boys I loved Before by: Jenny Han

Library Books:

Rebel Belle by: Rachel Hawkin
Sweet Evil by: Wendy Higgins  (e-book)
If I Stay by: Gayle Forman (e-book)
We Were Liars by: E. Lockhart (e-book)

Once again this is a pretty big book haul, but I had been forgetting to make a post about the books that I had gotten over the last few weeks. Have you read any of these?