Book Review: The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra

Book: The Tsar of Love and Techno

Author: Anthony Marra

Genre: Historical Fiction, short stories, fiction

Rating: 4/5

Format: Hardcover

Favorite Character: Kolya

I had my eye on this book for a while because the cover and the title are totally awesome. I finally picked it up with no idea what it was actually about. Recently I have started getting into collections of short stories, and this was an awesome place to start. I really enjoyed the entire premise of this book. I was a little slow to get into it in the beginning, but once it got towards the end of the first story it really kicked off for me. I love how everyones lives are so intertwined in such a strange way, all coming back to the same painting. There were even a few stories where I thought to myself "How is this in any way related to anything.." then BAM it would all come full circle. 

The main reason this book gets four stars is because the beginning and the end. I found the start of the book to be a little slow and did not grab my attention like I wanted it to. I also did not like the last chapter. I understood tying it back to Kolya nd Alexei and their childhood in the museum, but I thought it was unnecessary. I think if the book would have ended with Vladimir and the museum it would have been more powerful. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Book: Thirteen Reasons Why

Author: Jay Asher

Genre: Young Adult, romance, fiction, drama, mystery

Rating: 4/5

Format: Audio Book

Favorite Character: Clay, I suppose. Hard to have one in this book

Website

Goodreads

Well this book was incredibly depressing. It was also incredibly difficult to listen to due to the content. I'm not sure why I feel that it would have been easier to read. I think that It made me feel like I was listening to the tapes along with Clay. I don't have much to say about this book aside from I think everyone should read it. The only reason it got a 4/5 from me is that I found the character frustrating at times. Mostly Clay, but also Hannah. It brings up some important points about bullying and how some people can be terrible.

Book review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Book: Attachments

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Genre: Romance, fiction, contemporary

Rating: 4.5/5

Format: Paperback

Favorite Character: Beth
Website
Goodreads



This book had been sitting on my TBR for a while. I had read Fangirl, Eleanor & Park, and Carry On. I was excited to branch off into Rainbow's ealier books aimed at adults.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I think it was made better that I read most of it in my cubicle at the bank I work for. There is a team of Lincolns somewhere that go through out emails and report to HR if anything is inaapropriate. And just like Beth and Jennifer my friends spend a lot of time saying things we shouldn't be....shh... I found the characters to be realistic and I liked that it took place on the eve of the millennium. I feel like the story would not have been the same if it took place today. 

My only complaint and the reason it didn't get a five star rating from me is the ending. I really didn't like the ending. I felt like the entire book was build up and then at the end it felt rushed and like suddenly everything was perfect and happily ever after. But I found it to be awkward and unrealistic. Other than that I was pleased with this book and look forward to reading Landline as well.

Am I...

Books Read In 2015

January
1. Rumors by Erica Kiefer (3)
2. The Story of Awkward by R. K. Ryals (3)
3. The Selection by Kiera Cass (3.5)
4. The Elite by Kiera Cass (3.5)
5. The One by Kiera Cass (3.5)
6. The Guard by Kiera Cass (-)
7. The Prince by Kiera Cass (-)
8. The Queen by Kiera Cass (-)

February
9. Ever Day by David Levithan (5)
10. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (5)
11. (reread) Looking For Alaska by John Green (5)
12. (reread) Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J K Rowling (5)

March
13. Parallel by Claudia Lefeve (3)
14. Paradox by Claudia Lefeve (3)
15. Paradigm by Claudia Lefeve (3)
16. Hitched by Claudia Lefeve (3)
17. Hold Me Closer by David Levithan (5)
18. Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld (3.5)

April
19. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (4)
20. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld (2.5)
21. Evermore by Alyson Noel (1.5)
22. Mind Games by Kiersten White (2.5)
23. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (4)
24. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (4)
25. Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination by JK Rowling (5)

May

26. Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (3.5)

27. The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld (4)

28. The Heir by Kiera Cass (3.5)
29. Atlantia by Ally Condie (3)

30. The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart (3)
31. Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip by Linda Oatman High (2.5)
32. Stolen by Lucy Christopher (4)
33. Red Queen by Victoria Ayeyard (4)

34. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen (5)
35. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (4)
36. The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige (4)

June
39. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (4)
38. No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige (-)
39. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (4)
40. Glitches by Marissa Meyer (-)
41. 1984 by George Orwell (5)
42. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (4)
43. The Queen's Army by Marissa Meyer (-)
44. Lumberjanes Volume 1 by Noelle Stevenson (3.6)
45. The Hues Volume 1 by Alex Heberling (5)
46. Cress by Marissa Meyer (4)
47. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (5)
48. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (4.5)
49. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (5)

50. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (5)

July
51. You Deserve a Drink by Mamrie Hart (5)
52. Vicious by V.E. Schwab (4.3)
53. A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall (4.5)

August
54. Pieces Of Me by Amber Kizer (3.2)
55. Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde (4)

56. The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi (4.5)
57. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (3)
58. Warm Up by V.E. Schwab

September
59. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (4.5)
60.  Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (4)
61. Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story by Anne Rice and Ashley Marie Witter (4.4)
62. The Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo (-)
63. The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo (-)
64. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (4)
65. The Tailor by Leigh Bardugo (-)
66. The Too-Clever Fox by Leigh Bardugo (-)
67.  Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo (4)

68. Little Knife by Leigh Bardugo (-)
69. I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest
70. Queen Song by Victoria Aveyard (-)

October
71. Yes Please by Amy Poehler  (5)

72. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (5)
73. Binge by Tyler Oakley (5)
74. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews (4.5)
75. The Lost City of the Jedi by Paul and Hollace Davids (2)

76. So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld (4.5)
77. The Time Being by Antonia Honeywell (4)

November
78. Signs Point To Yes by Sandy Hall (4.5)

79. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (4.5)

80. Uglies: Cutters by Scott Westerfeld (4)

81. The Invention of Hugo Cabinet by Brian Selznick (5)
82. Stupid Perfect World by Scott Westerfeld (5)
83. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (4)
84. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (4.5)
85. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (4)
86. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (3)
87. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (4.5)
88. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (5)
89. Never Stop Shutting Up by Mike Falzone (5)
90. We Were Liars by E. Lockhard (2.5)
91. Egghead:  Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone by Bo Burnham (4)

December
92. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra (4)

93. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (4)

94. My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors (4)

95. Maleficent by Elizabeth Rudnick (4)

96. Trouble Is a Friend of Mine by Stephenie Tromly (4.5)

97. The Chimes by Charles Dickenson  (2.5)

98. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger  (4)

99. Star Wars: Smuggler's Run by Greg Rucka (4)

100. 21st Century Tank Girl by Alan. C Martin (4)

102. Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger (4)

103. Star Wars: Moving Target by Cecil Castellucci and Jason Fry (4)

104. Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon by Delilah S. Dawson (4.5)

105. Star Wars: The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku by Landry Q. Walker (4.5)

106. Star Wars: Before the Awakening by Greg Rucka (4)

107. Star Wars: All Creatures Great and Small by Landry Q. Walker (5)

108. Star Wars: The Weapon of a Jedi by Jason Fry (4)

109. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (4)

Total: 109

Book review: Stupid Perfect World by Scott Westerfeld

Book: Stupid Perfect World

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Young adult, fiction, dystopian, romance, science fiction

Rating: 5/5

Format: E-book

Favorite Character: None.
Website
Goodreads


This was a nice short novella by my favorite author. This was a good follow-up to my review of So Yesterday because this book was also SUPER Westerfeld-y and I loved it. Once again his use of creating a mirror culture and using language to build his story.

Loved this. Everyone should read it.

Book review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Book: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Author: Brian Selznick

Genre: young adult, fiction, historical fiction, childrens, fantasy, graphic novel

Rating: 5/5

Format: Hardcover

Favorite Character: Hugo
Website
Goodreads

I have been meaning to read this book for a long time, and I was not disappointed. I watched the movie a long time ago and as I was reading bits and pieces started to come back to me. I kept remembering scenes of the movies being described and trying to remember if it was the Hugo movie I was thinking about.

This was a very quick read, and I was able to get through it in a few hours. The art is amazing and I could stare at his drawings all night. There was a nice balance of text and art that made for a nice progression of the story.

Book review: Uglies: Cutters by Scott Westerfeld

Book: Uglies: Cutters

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Young Adult, fiction, graphic novel

Rating: 3.5/5

Format: Paperback

Favorite Character: None.
Author Website
Goodreads

To start, Uglies is one of my favorite series' and Scott Westerfeld is my favorite author. I had read the first graphic novel but did not realize there was a second one until I saw this on Amazon. Overall I enjoyed this. It's nice to see the story from a different perspective and to get new information on what was happening while Tally was off being main-character-y. It took me a moment to get into, just because it's been so long since I read Uglies.

I would recommend this and the first graphic novel to any Uglies fan, even if they didn't like Shay as a character.

Book review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Book: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Young Adult, fiction, fantasy

Rating: 4.5/5

Format: Hardcover

Favorite Character: Kaz Brekker


So when this book came out, I had just finished the Grisha trilogy and was excited to read something in the same universe. For some reason though it took me forever to finish this book, though. Most of the difficulty came in the first third of the book when everything was being set up. I just could not get into it and ended up setting it aside ans reading several other books. Finally after finishing Signs Point to Yes I picked it up again. And boy I don't know what happened because I couldn't put it down.

(Spoilers)
I feel like all the interesting things in this book happened at once. Kaz and Inej and their adorableness. An explanation of Nina and Matthias and back story for everyone. Also just the adventure of the heist. I could not stop reading. I feel like there was a lot of depth put into all of the characters, and each one was always facing something new. Inej had to deal past in the Menagerie, her feelings for Kaz, and her future; Al while climbing a hot-as-hell ventilation shaft. Jesper has a serious gambling problem and makes some serious mistakes, but he is also gay and totally into Wylan. The thing I like most about that is that it does not define him as a character in any way, like in most stories these days. Its mostly just a string of off-handed comments and actions that make you realize. Matthias makes me angry, but I can understand why he is that way, and he comes around in the end. Nina ties this story to the Grisha trilogy which I thought was pretty cool. As a character, I hated her for what she did to Matthias, but settled down after she explained herself. I have no real opinion on Wylan, other then I hope him and Jesper get together. 

I knew right away Iw ould like Kaz. He is just the type of character I swoon over. Calm, calculating, clever, always a step ahead, but with a dark past and flaws just like anyone else. I liked that he was played more than once, as it made him more human.

Overall this book was awesome and I'm anticipating the second one. Slow start, but totally worth it.

October wrap-up

 

   

I didn't read as much in October, but I did read some good books. A lot of good books came out this month as well so that is awesome. By far my favorite book I read this month was Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. Yes Please and The Time Being were both audio books. Overall not a bad month. I still think I can make 100 books this year, it will just be a busy two months!

Book Review: Signs Point To Yes by Sandy Hall

Book: Signs Point To Yes

Author: Sandy Hall

Genre: Young Adult, fiction, romance

Rating: 4/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: Target. Really liked her first book.

Favorite Character: Teo.


When I saw Sandy Hall was making a second book, I got excited. I randomly picked up A Little Something Different one day because I thought it looked adorable and ended up loving it. I was not disappointed by Signs Point To Yes. Hall's books are adorable, quirky, realistic romances and quick to read. They are nice breaks from highly intense or dramatic books. I did not like this book as much as her first book, though. There were parts where I thought it tried a little too hard to be relevant to too many things and it got overly complicated. Overall it was enjoyable and made me smile.

Book Review: So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld

 

Book: So Yesterday

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Young Adult, fiction

Rating: 4.5/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: HPB. Picked up due to my love of SW.

Favorite Character: Jen.


This book was VERY Scott Westerfeld. As an author, Westerfeld explores the idea of language in his books and the use of language to influence ideas and stories. There also seems to always be the exploration of a youth subculture in his books. I really enjoyed this book. I love Westerfeld as an author and found this to be an interesting story. They characters were enjoyable and at times it was super anime-esk. Like, this would make an awesome anime.

Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andews

 

Book:Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Author: Jesse Andrews

Genre: Young Adult, fiction, humor

Rating: 4.5/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: B&N

Favorite Character: None.


I had been meaning to read this book for a while. I kept seeing it everywhere and would pick it up, then for some reason set it down. Finally I bought it and ended up reading it one day. I then watched the movie. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I think it was humorous and I enjoyed Greg as a narrator. I appreciated that it didn't focus on some grand romantic teenage journey and seemed more realistic than most books like this.

However, I did like the ending to the movie better than the ending to the book. The ending in the book just seemed haphazard and all over the place, where as the movie was able to get the same point across in a cleaner way.

Good, quick read. Managed to not cry in the book, but did cry during the movie.

Book Review: Binge by Tyler Oakley

Book: Binge

Author: Tyler Oakley

Genre: Autobiography, lgbt, youtube

Rating: 5/5

Format: Hardcover

Where I got the book: Target, after going to three other stores trying to find an autographed copy.

Favorite Character: N/A.


Tyler is fabulous and I love him. This book was unapologetically raunchy and hilarious. I love that Tyler is not ashamed to himself and lays some pretty personal details out for the world to see, all while keeping an amazing sense of humor and wit. 

Book Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

 

 

Book: Carry On

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Genre: YA fiction, paranormal, vampire, chosen one, magic, LGBT, romance

Rating: 5/5

Format: Hardcover

Where I got the book: I have been waiting for this book to come out since finishing Fangirl.

Favorite Character: Baz.


So since reading Fangirl, I have been waiting for this book to come out. I find it kind of fantastic that it is a fan-fiction of a fiction novel from a fiction novel. I'm also all about the chosen-one-wizard-school thing. And adorable gay fan-fiction romances. SO all-in-all, I was incredibly excited about this book.

All in all I was pleased with this book. I did find the way they cast spells to be a little silly, and of course how can you not laugh at the name Insidious Humdrum. There were a lot of aspects influenced from Harry Potter, but also other 'chosen one' style books. Even when I was reading Fangirl, I could tell that Simon Snow was influenced by Harry Potter. In several ways I liked that, as it bade me feel a stronger connection to Cath and the world she loved.

(Spoilers)
So the one thing that I'm a little bit unsure about is the ending. There is a part of me that is bothered by the fact that the reader is the only one what knows the full story of Simon. Agatha had the picture, but she doesn't know what it means. Simon still thinks it was only Baz's mom that visited him. I just feel like there were so many lose ends and I want the characters to know what's going on. I don't know why is frustrates me, but it also leaves me wishing there was more. I mean, I kind of wish that anyway but still. I thought the whole concept that Simon was the Humdrum was interesting, and that he was sucking the magic out of the world every time he went off.

Overall, fun and adorable story. I wouldn't say it was a masterpiece, but still pretty good. 

September wrap-up

So after a rough July and August I was able to read a lot in September. Having a series helped, and I also read six novellas that were super easy to get through. 

I started out with A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. I listened to this book and ended up buying the paper copy because I loved it, and the book is beautiful. I really enjoyed this story and the world it created. I thought it was an interesting use of magic and dimensional travel, and I'm excited about the second book.

I then started the Grisha trilogy with Shadow and Bone and fell in love. I had a little trouble starting out but once I hit the halfway point I couldn't stop and bought the other two. I took a brief break to read through Claudia's Story, which didn't take very long since it is a graphic novel. I really loved the art and the glimpse into Claudia's screwed up tale. Then back to Ravka! Banged through the next two books and the novellas. Overall I really liked this series. I, of course, loved the Darkling because that's the way I roll. I also loved Nikolai because he is just fantastic. Alina pissed me off a lot, but most female leads in YA do. The last book gave me so many feels. I was crying so much through that book, for almost every character. 

Ended the month with I Am Princess X, which was a quick but thrilling read. It was tense in parts, and I found that fantastic. Then I read the Red Queen novella Queen Song. Meh. It was interesting to learn more about Cal's mother, but I felt the book dragged. It had also been a while since I read the book, so I was a bit lost at first until it came back to me. 

Overall I think it was a good month. I've started off October with Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, but I'm only about 30 pages in. I love that it takes place in the same world as the Grisha trilogy two years later, but has nothing to do with the previous cast. Though, I mean, I kind of wish it did. 

Onward and upward!

I'm back!

Sorry for the lack of everything! My computer wasn't doing so well, but I was able to get a new one. Huzzah!

I betrayed my house to match my outfit.

Finally gave in and squeezed a bookshelf in here.

Lovely day.

My To Be Read list....

So I will admit, I have a problem. I have a very bad (good?) habit of going into my local Half Price Books, going to the young adult clearance section, and buying every single book that looks remotely interesting. (They are a dollar! And I've gotten some good books there.) So it has resulted in a very....large stack of books that I need to read.

Some of these books I bought because I knew I wanted to read them, a lot of them I picked up on a whim. The ones in the front are books I've started but have gotten distracted from. So yeah. I have a problem. 

Then there is the list of books I want to read really bad but don't have yet. These are on the top of that list.

-Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

-The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

-Vicious by V.E. Schwab

-A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E.Schwab

-Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

-An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Ugg. Not enough time in the day.

Book Review: Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip by Linda Oatman High

Book: Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip

Author: Linda Oatman High

Genre: YA fiction, prose

Rating: 2.5/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: HPB Clearance section.

Favorite Character: Jake.


Not much to say about this one. The first books in prose that I've read in a long time. Not bad, basic Cinderella story.

Book Review: The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

Book: The Boyfriend List

Author: E. Lockhart

Genre: YA fiction, romance

Rating: 3/5

Format: Hardcover

Where I got the book: It was recommended to me on Goodreads then I found it one day in the clearance section of HPB.

Favorite Character: I don't think there is one. Not enough Character Development


This was a short and funny book. Like Atlantia It wasn't really good or bad, it just was. It was a nice change of pace from all the other types of books I was reading, as the book is realistic and retells the story of her High School downward spiral. A lot of the characters made me angry in their misinterpretation of events, but that is pretty true to High School so it works. (Still annoyed me though.)

Book Review: Atlantia by Ally Condie

Book: Atlantia

Author: Ally Condie

Genre: YA fiction, dystopia, fantasy

Rating: 3/5

Format: Hardcover

Where I got the book: HPB Clearance section, but I knew Ally Condie from Matched and had been planning to read it eventually.

Favorite Character: Can the bats be my favorite?

So I knew about this book from reading Matched but I wasn't drawn to it enough to pick it up until I found it for cheap at HPB. Overall I think it was an okay book. I I think the story was pretty similar to most dystopian YA novels, but also was different enough to not bore me. I especially enjoyed that this is a stand alone book and not part of a series, which made this a lot more stress free. I did not find Rio to be as obnoxious/short-sighted/naive as most female leads of these types of books, though that may have come from there being less space to fill with temper tantrums than there is a in a series.

Overall it was a short and decent read. I wasn't sure about it in the beginning but It ended up being alright.

Bout Of Books 13!

I've decided (a bit late..) to use all my reading towards Bout of Books 13!

BLURB

"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, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team"

Progress:

Monday

Pages read: (180)

-Atlantia p.149 - p.320 (end)

-The Boyfriend List p.1 - p.9

Listened to:

-Pride and Prejudice chapters 1-5

Challenge I: Bookish Survey

Tuesday

Pages read: (232)

-The Boyfriend List p.9 - p.229 (end)
-Stolen by Lucy Christopher p.1 - p.12

Listened to:

-Pride and Prejudice chapters 6 - 9

Challenge II: Character Face Off

Wednesday

Pages read: (256)
-Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip Whole book. (256 pages)
Listened to:
-Pride and Prejudice chapters 10-13

Challenge III: Book Haiku

Thursday

Pages read: (263)
-Stolen by Lucy Christopher p.1 - p.263
Listened to: X

Friday

Pages read: (153)
-Stolen by Lucy Christopher p.263 - p,301 (end)
-Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard p.1 - p.115
Listened to: X

Saturday

Pages read: (217)
-Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard p.115 - p.320 (end)
-Saint Anything p1 - p.12
Listened to: X

Sunday

Pages read:
Listened to:

Currently Reading: Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Finished:
 

Bout Of Books 13: Book Haiku

Challenge 3 by Kristina Horner is to create a haiku about the book you are currently reading.

Currently Reading: Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip by Linda Oatman High

Driving to the slam
Oh crap we his a stray pig
Lemon pie is gross

Bout Of Books 13: Character Face Off

Opponent #1: America Singer
Who: Lower class girl thrown into a high class world
Cons: Stubborn, skeptical, impulsive
Pros: Aware, brave, good-hearted

Opponent #2: Eadlyn Schreave
Who: Princess of Illea, daughter of America and Maxom
Cons: Stubborn, spoiled, naive
Pros: Innocent, loyal, reasonably intelligent....


Winner: America Singer

Why: America came from a lower caste and was thrust into a world of riches. For most of this journey, her flaws got the best of her (especially her stubbornness). However she was brave and stuck with what she believed in, even if it meant risking her own well being. Her daughter Eadlyn, however, was raised within the castle walls as a princess. Despite her parents, she is sheltered and spoiled and seems to know little about reality and her people. She has a difficult time putting others above herself and when she does she is sure to be unhappy about it, and does not take opportunities that are presented to her with stride. In the end, though America wasn't the best at all times, it seems much of her and Maxom was not instilled in their eldest child, or at least it has yet to be uncovered...

Lulo Fangirl

Bout Of Books 13: Bookish Survey

I'm too late for the challenge, but I still wanted to post up the survey from day one! 

1. How do you organize your shelves? I used to have them Organized by color, in the order of the rainbow. However it started to really bother me that series’ were not together and I had to hunt for books. So I rearranged them alphabetically by Author, separated into fiction and non fiction. 

2. What is one of your favorite book that’s not in one of your favorite genres? Running With The Demon by Terry Brooks. I don’t read a lot of adult fantasy but I love this book. 

3. What is the last 5 star book you read? Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling and Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline 

4. What book are you most excited to read during the read-a-thon? I don’t actually have any books planned. When I finish a book I just kind of stare at my stacks of unread books until I decide on one. :3 

5. What book do you recommend the most? Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I think everyone should read Harry Potter. At least once. If not more. :D 

Writing My Own Fairytale

Book Review: The Heir by Kiera Cass (Selection #5)

Book: The Heir (Selection #5)

Author: Kiera Cass

Genre: YA fiction, dystopia, romance

Rating: 3.5/5

Format: Audio Book

Where I got the book: Audible

Favorite Character: Kyle, Eric, Henry, Hale.

So I wasn't sure about this book going in. I really enjoyed the other Selection book, but I wasn't sure how I felt about a time jump. I was more interested in what happened to America and Maxon after the end of The One. I ended up listening to this book on my phone and I actually ended up getting super into it. I'm going to continue this under a spoiler cut though, just in case.
(Spoilers)
I spent most of this book hating Eadlyn, and it wasn't really until the last chapter that I started to hate her less. What a spoiled, whiny brat she is. It's hard to imagine that she was really raised by America and Maxon. I thought it was pretty adorable that everyone from the first trilogy was still in the background of this book. I also liked that at the end of the book I still don't know who the main love triangle is. (Let's be honest here, there is always a triangle.) I'm pretty sure Kyle's got a point and from the beginning I thought something was going to happen with Eric. Those are pretty much the two I am rooting for, though Hale is super adorable. 

I realized around chapter thirty that this book was not going to be the end. And I will admit I spazzed a little because I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

Book Review: The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld

Book: The Last Days

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: YA fiction, sci-fi, paranormal, vampire

Rating: 4/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: Ordered off of Amazon after finishing Peeps. Could not find this book in an actual store.

Favorite Character: Zahler.


Like many others I feel that this book is more of companion novel to Peeps rather than a sequel. I also thought this book was a lot better than the first one. The characters are a lot more interesting and I've always enjoyed stories where the reader knows more than the characters in the book. I still have some of the same feeling I did about the first book. I still thought the book was overall pretty juvenile and silly, but it was a step up.

(Spoilers)
I really enjoyed the idea of Luz, and that people were trying and succeeding at figuring out their own ways to get through the rough bits of becoming a peep. I liked almost all the characters, though I really enjoyed Zahler the most. With his crush on Pearl and his honest observations about the people around him, he definitely seemed the most likable. The whole concept of Minerva's singing bringing up the worms is...interesting. I wish there was some snippets of the language she was singing in. I liked the end, even though I also thought it was silly. In a world where everything is ruined, the band is touring and saving the world. The only thing that bothered me in the end, is what happened to all the people? Did they find a cure for peep-ism? If not, how did peeps/angels reproduce? Was everyone infected doomed to live a few hundred years then die out? There were a lot of infected people.

Book Review: Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination by JK Rowling

Book: Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination

Author: J.K. Rowling

Genre: Essays, non fiction

Rating: 5/5

Format: Hardcover

Where I got the book: I saw it on the new release shelf at HPB and immediately grabbed it.

Favorite Character: N/A

This book is the illustrated and published version of Jo's graduation speech to the Harvard class of 2008. I wasn't sure if I really should do a review for this as there isn't much to say. The speech struck home with me and I wish I had heard it while I was still in college. I think It was good advice and I enjoyed the layout of the book. I'm going to keep this book on my night stand or on my desk and look through it if I'm ever in a bad spot.