Book: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
Author: Holly Black
Format: E-book
Page Count: 440
My Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis:Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.
One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.
Now if you have been following my updates on Goodreads, you know how much I absolutely love this book. I've seen this book in my library for about a year and I kept passing by it because it didn't seem interesting. I saw so many good reviews though on booktube, I finally decided to read this. The world Holly Black creates is very fascinating and the way she portrays the story is amazing. I love the characters she has created and the story has the right amount of romance and action. That is all for the non-spoiler part of this review because I literally cannot talk about this book without spoiling.
THIS PART CONTAINS SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS, DO NOT CONTINUE!!!
So when Tana first introduced Aiden, I had a deep hatred for him. In all honesty, he seemed like a douche and I couldn't understand why she was ever with him. I mean, he would kiss others in front of her and tried to get her to kiss another guy in front of him and I just cannot fathom why she stayed with him. I did however appreciate that Holly Black made him bisexual because you don't find a lot of popular guy bisexuals in fiction. He later became a pretty alright character and I appreciated that he stopped trying to rekindle a relationship that was never meant to work.
Now getting to the actual world Holly Black created. I was amazed by the amount of detail she put into world building. She gives so many specifics on how people become vampires and how the situation has escalated throughout the years giving rise to the Coldtowns. She also points out the flaws in the system which is so rare, even in the real world, which was really refreshing. I always have a deep appreciation for authors who can create an entire world with such detail. She gave us so much information about this world I honestly feel like it is real, like I found myself at night while I was reading this book paranoid at the thought that vampires might come busting into my room at anytime.
Gavriel. Jesus... that boy or should I say man. He's such a mysterious character and I love it. The cryptic sayings he has really gives an air to him that I love. It also helps that he appears to be pretty hot. While he is pretty crazy at times, I think that is what makes him such a great character.
Right off the bat I knew Midnight and Winter were crazy. They might have thought they had everything thought out but they obviously didn't, hence their deaths.
Now don't hate me. But I kept drawing parallels with this story and "The Vampire Diaries" (the tv show obviously because I refuse to recognize the books as cannon." Like Gavriel and his brother were like Damon and Stefan and the girl was kinda like Katherine. As I was reading this book, I pictured Gavriel as Damon because of the craziness yet little bit of humanity he has. Is it just me... who sees the parallels?...
Back to the story, the chemistry and relationship between Tana and Gavriel was just so great. Tana comes to love this crazy guy even after she knows all the bad he has done because she realizes no one is perfect. When they first kissed against that wall, I found myself squealing with joy because their chemistry made me so happy. And later when he comforted her at Lucien's mansion and later when she is chained up, I really appreciated how love can cause a monster to be tamed.
Favorite Quotes:
"Every hero is the villain of his own story, wouldn't you say?" -Lucien
"Hush, Tana," he said, petting her hair. "Oh my sweet Tana. Remember that I'm still a monster. I can listen to you scream and cry ad beg and I still won't let you out." -Gavriel
Those quotes... am I right? Overall this book was just so satisfying and definitely one of my favorites.
So this is my very first Top Five Wednesday. Top 5 Wednesday is a group on Goodreads where every Wednesday you post your top 5 whatever of whatever the book related topic is. Here is a list of the participating members. http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1608567-complete-list-of-wednesday-ers
Fair warning, the pictures of the spines are not so great cause I was a little out of it when I took the pictures and I grabbed my crappy camera instead of my nice one. So.... HERE WE GO!
Top Five Book Spines
5. Charlotte's Web
This is the oldest book in my collection and I really like the hand drawn look of the spine
4. The Spiderwick Chronicles
Now these spines are really nice because they match and form an image
3. The Scarlet Contessa
Now I haven't actual read this book, but I still like the spine
2. Lux: Beginnings
The shiny sparkles and color scheme just really appeals to me
1. Schooled
I don't know why this is my favorite on account of I hate the color pink, but I really like the stripes
And that was my first Top 5 Wednesday. I hope you guys liked it.
Book: Stolen
Author: Lucy Christopher
Format: E-book
Page Count: 306
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; 1 edition (February 1, 2011)
My Review: ★★★★
Synopsis: It happened like this. I was stolen from an airport. Taken from everything I knew, everything I was used to. Taken to sand and heat, dirt and danger. And he expected me to love him.
This is my story.
A letter from nowhere.
Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back?
The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.
As a warning this review is going to be longer than usual and will have some spoilers in it, SO PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
This book was absolutely fantastic. Story aside, the writing style was very unique and beautiful. It starts of writing from first person past, always referring to the captor as "you" since it is a letter to Ty, and the actions are in the past. Then once the reflection of the kidnapping has past, the style changes to present and conditional, discussing what she is doing and might possibly do. The transitions to each style is beautiful and the wording is magnificent. Lucy Christopher did an amazing job putting together this story in such an individual story.
Now the actual story. The story was so captivating. I found myself shipping Gemma and Ty, despite the fact that I knew it was wrong. In a sick twisted way, Ty really did care for Gemma, and the care and attention he gave her was sweet in an odd way. He never tried to force her to do anything she truly didn't want to do. I also loved the progression we saw in the way Gemma viewed Ty. She starts off intrigued by the handsome stranger (but we learn later he truly isn't a stranger), to disgusted by the creep who kidnapped her and watched her for years, to borderline love because of the way he watched out for her and viewed her. I mean there were time when she longed for him when he was away from her and I was so intrigued that she went from seeing him in the same room, to cuddling with in the sand in the desert.
When Gemma is bit by the snake and Ty willingly allows himself to be turned in so he can save her, I almost cried. I was awed at how he would put Gemma's life before his freedom.
Overall the book had me feeling so many emotions, from creeped out, to loving their relationship. I loved the writing and this book is definitely on my favorite's list.
Series: Witch World
Author: Christopher Pike
Format: E-book
Page Count: 530
Publisher: Simon Pulse; Reprint edition (August 19, 2014)
My Rating: ★★
Synopsis: Heading off for a weekend in Las Vegas with her friends, Jessie Ralle has only one worry—how to make it through the road trip in the same car with her Ex, Jimmy Kelter. The guy who broke her heart five months ago when he dumped her for no reason. The guy who’s finally ready to tell her why he did it, because he wants her back.
But what Jessie doesn’t realize is that Jimmy is the least of her problems.
In Las Vegas she meets Russ, a mesmerizing stranger who shows her how to gamble, and who never seems to lose. Curious, Jessie wants to know his secret, and in response, alone in his hotel room, he teaches her a game that opens a door to another reality.
To Witch World.
Suddenly Jessie discovers that she’s stumbled into a world where some people can do the impossible, and others may not even be human. For a time she fears she’s lost her mind. Are there really witches? Is she one of them?
Now I am a member of the site "pulseit" run by Simon & Schuster. The site has free ebooks and excerpts of books and allows you to enter giveaways and a bunch of other cool book stuff. Anyway I saw this book on their site and decided to give it a shot.
The book was a bust for me. It had potential but it was sloppily put together. The author didn't do a good job building up the world. He tried to explain everything in one conversation, making the details too forced. Also the way people became "witches" wasn't explained thoroughly and didn't make sense.
The beginning of the book had potential, and I was really into it. But then Jessie was kidnapped and everything from that point on was just bad.
Overall, the book's plot and world lacked a solid foundation and I will not be continuing the series.
I was searching through book blogs and discovered this little tag/questionnaire, so I decided I might as well do it so people can get to know me.
Which book has been on your shelves the longest?
The book I have had the longest is "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White. My aunt gave this book to me in third grade for my birthday when I moved to a new town, and I have kept it since then. Honestly, it is the book that made me love reading so much.
Which book has been on your shelves the longest?
The book I have had the longest is "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White. My aunt gave this book to me in third grade for my birthday when I moved to a new town, and I have kept it since then. Honestly, it is the book that made me love reading so much.
What is your current read, your last read and the book you'll read next?
Current: "Witch World: Red Queen" by Christopher Pike
Last: "Isla and the Happily Ever After" by Stephanie Perkins
Future: "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
What book did everyone like and you hated?
"Landline" by Rainbow Rowell. I was really looking forward to this book because not only did everyone say they liked it, but I loved all of her other works. I tried to read it, but it was a bust for me.
Which book do you keep telling yourself you'll read, but you probably won't?
My mom bought me "The Scarlet Contessa" by Jeanne Kalogridis a while ago and I told myself I would read it since she went out of her way to buy it for me, but I probably won't because it really isn't a genre I'm interested in.
Which book are you saving for "retirement"?
Now I've read "Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling before, but I still want to read it later on.
Last page: read it first or wait till the end?
Honestly, it depends on the book and how invested I am in the book.
Acknowledgments: waste of ink and paper or interesting?
Personally, I think they can be quirky and interesting, but I don't always read them.
Which book character would you switch places with?
This is so hard because I would literally switch places with any fictional character... if I had to choose just one though... I would go with Rose Hathaway from "Vampire Academy" by Richelle Mead.
Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?
Without a doubt "Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling. It reminds me of my childhood and all the memories I have from growing up. It also made me a huge fan of reading and that is when I first started shipping people.
Name a bok you acquired in some interesting way.
I got the entire "Maximum Ride" series by James Patterson because my friend was doing a book unhaul and she was about to throw them all away because she has a deep hatred for James Patterson now. Luckily her mom let me in the house before she did anything stupid and I grabbed the books and a handful of others and crammed them in by book to save them. I don't particularly like "Maximum Ride" and James Patterson either, but there was no way I was going to let any harm come to those books.
Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?
I gave away one of my favorite dictionaries to my best friend because I felt like she needed it more than me.
Which book has been with you to the most places?
"The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern.
Any "required reading" you hated in high school that wasn't so bad ten years later?
On account of I'm still in high school, I can't answer that question... yet!
What is the strangest item you've ever found in a book?
I've found homework and really personal notes.
Used or brand new?
I don't care. To me, as long as it is readable, that is all that matters.
Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of masses?
I've never read Stephen King before so I don't have an answer. My mom loves Stephen King, so I tend to not read the stuff she reads simply cause she reads it.
Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?
Oh yeah. It is rare but it happens. For instant I love "The Lord of the Rings" by JRR Tolkein, but the movies are way more enjoyable to me.
Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?
Without a doubt, "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan. I mean, that movie was SO bad.
Have you ever read a book that's made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?
... Uhm I'm always hungry so I guess?...
Who is the person whose book advice you'll always take?
Nobody because I have such a wide variety of genres I like that people don't know I like, that I really just kinda find out on my own what books I want to read. I do trust the booktube community a lot though.
I hope you guys enjoyed the tag!
Title: Where the Sidewalk Ends
Author: Shel Silverstein
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 176
Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition
My Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis: Where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. There you'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.
Now I know what you are all thinking: "Why are you reading a children's poetry book?" Well the answer is, sometimes I just want something light-hearted and easy to read, and this fulfills both of those requirements.
There really isn't much I can say other than it is a funny and wonderful book of poetry everyone should read at least once in their life.
Series: Anna and the French Kiss (Book 3)
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Format: E-book
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Dutton Children's (August 14, 2014)
My Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis: Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?
Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.
Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.
This book. This book was... absolutely fantastic. The third book in the standalone series, "Anna and the French Kiss", "Isla and the Happily Ever After" was such a satisfying book. Matter of fact, I think I'll go ahead and claim it as my favorite book of the series.
Out of Anna, Lola, and Isla, I really felt a more personal connection with Isla. I've been where she was at, hopelessly crushing on a boy. Unlike me though, Isla managed to snag the guy, Josh, though it was a bumpy road for the both of them.
The relationship between Isla and Josh was cute, though not flawless. Isla saw herself as not deserving of Josh which causes problems, though she isn't the only one to cause problems. The first draft of Josh's graphic memoir has some unflattering pictures of Rashmi and a lack of pictures of Isla. Isla becomes extremely disgruntled, which is totally understandable because the way Josh depicted Rashmi made her seem like a goddess in comparison to Isla. They manage to work out their snag though and become a great couple.
Now with this series, I usually don't have any cons, but with Isla I do have one, though it is nothing major. In this book, there are a few sex scenes and countless making out sessions. While this is typically not a problem with YA contemporaries, I felt like they weren't necessary and out of place, making Isla and Josh's relationship seem more physical than emotional.
Overall this book was splendid. I'm sad the series is over, but I'm sure Stephanie Perkins will continue to give us great work.
Title: Landline
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Format: E-book
Page Count: 319
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (July 8, 2014)
My Rating: ★★
Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor & Park and Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell, comes a hilarious, heart-wrenching take on love, marriage, and magic phones.
Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply—but that almost seems beside the point now.
Maybe that was always beside the point.
Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her—Neal is always a little upset with Georgie—but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go without her.
When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.
That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts. . . .
Is that what she’s supposed to do?
Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?
Before I say anything about this book, I want to inform you all that I love Rainbow Rowell's writing. I read "Fangirl" and "Eleanor and Park" and absolutely loved them with all my heart. That being said...
I was not a fan of this book. Like, at all. I don't know if it was the topic, the writing style, the whole time travel through phone thing or what, but I just couldn't get into it. I got about forty percent into the book before skipping to the third to last chapter from the ending.
The book wasn't interesting to me and I found myself lost due to the writing being hard to follow along.
I really wanted to like this book because I have loved all of Rainbow's other books and I had heard so many great things about it. I guess this book just wasn't my cup of tea which is really difficult to comprehend because I usually like everything, especially contemporary.
Series: A Lux Novel (Book 5)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Format: E-book
Page Count: 500
Publisher: Entangled: Teen (August 5, 2014)
My Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis: Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came. She can’t believe Daemon stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred.
Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.
Let me start start by saying if you haven't read "The Lux Series" you need to. Like, right now. What are you doing with your life if you haven't read it? Go away now and come back when you have read it.
Now to the real deal. This book was a great conclusion to a great series. As always, the relationship between Katy and Daemon was just amazing. We got to see more of Archer outside of Area 51 which I rather enjoyed a lot. He is witty and sarcastic just like Daemon and when the two of them bickered, it was just so pleasurable to read. We also saw the relationship between Archer and Dee develop after she came back from being batshit crazy, which I wasn't a really big fan of their pairing, but it was tolerable.
Now the Arum... I really thought that I would hate them after all the pain they caused my people, but I found them to be great characters. Hunter and his brothers were really nice and I thought the relationship between Hunter and Serena was a great parallel to Katy and Daemon. While I liked those Arum, the leader of the Arum was one messed up mofo. I was glad that he helped out though.
Overall, this book was funny, had my hard racing, and I loved it with every inch of my fiber. I thought the ending was an excellent way to conclude the series. While I would LOVE to have more from this series, the ending left just enough peace for me.
Now to the real deal. This book was a great conclusion to a great series. As always, the relationship between Katy and Daemon was just amazing. We got to see more of Archer outside of Area 51 which I rather enjoyed a lot. He is witty and sarcastic just like Daemon and when the two of them bickered, it was just so pleasurable to read. We also saw the relationship between Archer and Dee develop after she came back from being batshit crazy, which I wasn't a really big fan of their pairing, but it was tolerable.
Now the Arum... I really thought that I would hate them after all the pain they caused my people, but I found them to be great characters. Hunter and his brothers were really nice and I thought the relationship between Hunter and Serena was a great parallel to Katy and Daemon. While I liked those Arum, the leader of the Arum was one messed up mofo. I was glad that he helped out though.
Overall, this book was funny, had my hard racing, and I loved it with every inch of my fiber. I thought the ending was an excellent way to conclude the series. While I would LOVE to have more from this series, the ending left just enough peace for me.
Series: The Vampire Diaries (Book 1)
Author: L.J. Smith
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 272
Publisher: HarperTeen; Rev Mti edition (August 25, 2009)
My Rating: ★★
Synopsis: A deadly love triangle
Elena: beautiful and popular, the girl who can have any guy she wants.
Stefan: brooding and mysterious, desperately trying to resist his desire for Elena . . . for her own good.
Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him.
Elena finds herself drawn to both brothers . . . who will she choose?
Now "The Vampire Diaries" is one of my favorite tv shows. I recently was introduced to it by my friend and I have been binge watching it for months. Recently, I discovered the show was loosely based off a book series. Usually I read the book before the adaption, but I decided to make an exception since I love this tv show so much. That was a mistake...
The book is nothing like I expected. For starters, the characters aren't even the same people as the show; and when I mean they aren't the same, I mean names, descriptions, and personalities. One character I just cannot get over is Elena. Granted, I am not a huge fan of her on the show, but I hate her even more in the book. Pardon my French, but she is a bitch. She treats people like they're minions and her one goal in life is to be with Stefan. She fixates on him and when he is eventually hers, she becomes one of those girlfriends where their boyfriends are their life. To make things even worse, when she discovers he is a vampire, she doesn't freak out like any normal human would have done. No, she tells him to drink her blood... Crazy much?
Overall, this book just made me cringe. Due to the love I have for the show that I would like to remain untainted, I will not be continuing this series.
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