Thursday, February 28, 2013

Book Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.

Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.
Book Summary: Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.


Liana's Summary: They locked Juliette up, like she was some crazy psychopath. She wasn't. She just didn't know how to control her disease. When Adam comes into her life once more, she's not sure whether or not he's dangerous, but she trusts him anyway. However, when things turn strange and horrible, Juliette knows exactly what to do, knows exactly who to trust, and knows exactly who to run away from. And she especially knows who's immune to her and who's not... or does she? Is she the only one with strange 'powers'? Is she alone, or not?
Rate(1-10): 9.5

I'm starting to think I'm giving every good book I read a high ass rating. LOL. But honestly, this book totally deserves it.

I got this as a recommendation from a friend, and even before that recommendation I've been wanting to read it for quite some time already. 

I don't know what I expected, but for sure it wasn't some crazy chick who can kill people with her touch. Which is awesome. Her powers, man! It's so Dystopian it's just so wow. I guess I think I'm done and over with my no-dystopia-for-now phase?

What I like about this book is that it has a voice. Reminds me a whole lot of Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking Trilogy. Yes. The author's writing is about as good as Patrick Ness's. Ermahgerd. I'll tell you what's special about Shatter Me. There are sentences and phrases written like this.  It's like her thoughts-- yeah, she could have italicized them. But, instead, she stroke them out and it's like Juliette refused to think those thoughts. It's not really explicable but that's what I really like. It's part of what creates the voice. 

And
this
too.

1
2
3
4
and 5

It's like poetry, and it really creates such a voice that you can hear. To me, that's remarkable.

My eyes are seriously about to fall out. I'm sick as a dog and I can barely breathe through my nostrils and I can barely afford to look at the screen right now as I'm typing this because my eyes HURT. However, I think this book was worth it.. although I won't be too happy if I turn blind.

Juliette- She's a fairly likeable protagonist. However, sometimes she forces everyone to question her sanity. LOL. But yeah, I like her!
Adam- He's so freaking hot omg. I like Adam. They were a cute couple ever since 3rd grade; awwwww. (;
Kenji- It's probably me being too obsessed with Vampire Diaries but I imagined him as Tyler Lockwood. LOLOL. But he's pretty cool.

The antagonist. Don't even get me started.

Overall this book was freaking AMAZING. Totally a recommendation.


Quotes!


"You're afraid of me." 




DUH

"..he's not wearing a shirt."


LOL OMFG

"Your eyes are so deep."


That's honestly a strange thing to say to someone you just met


"Maybe I want to touch you."


Oh okay.


"Well aren't you a little shit?"



MERDE PETITE HAAHAHAH BRB DYING


"Adam is a soldier."


omfg wtf I am angry


"He's beautiful."



I KNEW IT WOULD BE A LOVE TRIANGLE FKODSJFKLS (or is it)


"Besides, it'd be a shame to lose such a pretty face."


That moment when an annoying antagonist is perverted and unsuccessfully trying to be flirtatious omfg


"I'd like to cry into his eyes."


WTF LOL


"You insist on making me the bad guy."


THAT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE POOP


"You're absolutely delicious when you're angry."


#Awks

"I've wanted to kiss you for so long."



YEAH, KISS HER NECK BEFORE YOU KISS HER LIPS. THAT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL.

"Because I'm in love with you."



D'aaaaaaaaaaw. (:


"It's a full living room, open and plush."


IT'S HANNAH MONTANA'S CLOSET ALL OVER AGAIN HUH
------------
That's that! What did you think of this review? (:

Cover Reveal- Embracing the Flames by Candace Knoebel.

Embracing the Flames (Born in Flames Trilogy, #2)Embracing the Flames by Candace Knoebel.

(Born In Flames #2)

Cover reveal! Read the first book, BORN IN FLAMES! 

My review: http://bookaholic-ness.blogspot.com/2013/02/book-review-born-in-flames-by-candace.html


 Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Born-in-Flames-ebook/dp/B0096PPK4Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356639575&sr=8-1&keywords=born+in+flames+candace+knoebel


Isn't it just gorgeous?! Ermahgerd.

Book Review: The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde.

The Last Dragonslayer (The Last Dragonslayer, #1) The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde.
Book Summary: In the good old days, magic was indispensable—it could both save a kingdom and clear a clogged drain. But now magic is fading: drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and magic carpets are used for pizza delivery. Fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for magicians—but it’s hard to stay in business when magic is drying up. And then the visions start, predicting the death of the world’s last dragon at the hands of an unnamed Dragonslayer. If the visions are true, everything will change for Kazam—and for Jennifer. Because something is coming. Something known as . . . Big Magic.

Liana's Summary: Jennifer Strange has 2 more years until she's free, and she's determined to make the best out of those 2 years, running Kazam, the magician agency. When she encounters something inevitable and crazy, she has to take action.. as the last Dragonslayer.

Rate(1-10): 6

Can I just say it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be? I mean, it was okay. But honestly it shouldn't be in the Young Adult shelves at the library. It should be in the Juvenile Fiction section. The cover is, indeed, very alluring and wonderfully made, but really.. the story isn't as good as the cover is.

Jasper Fforde is another James Patterson, I'm just gonna say that. For those people who have read my James Patterson reviews, y'all know wassup. My point is, Jasper Fforde's writing style is a bit juvenile. I really dislike writing negative reviews and all, but like.. this book just didn't come to me as good. I wanted more dragon action and medieval stuff (because yes, I am a dragon fan) but it just concentrated on Kazam and the society and this alternate universe where things are magical. I sort of consider it Dystopian.

As for Jennifer, the main character. She would have been better off as a boy. Jasper Fforde should have made her a boy. I don't know why, but I just know that she would have been better off as a boy. LOL.

Maybe you'll love it, maybe you'll like it, and maybe you won't. People have different opinions and that's all I really have to say.

Quotes.

"You are the last Dragonslayer."



LOL WHAT

"You may leave now."



So.. dismissive. LOL

"Humans," he scoffed.



DRAGONS, LIANA SCOFFS. Idk. Why are other species so prejudiced against humans and look at them with disgust gosh

"Perhaps it was my destiny.."


AIN'T NO SUCH THING AS DESTINY
---------------
Well, that's that.
It may be that I had a really bad stuffy nose while reading this, or my phone was exploding with texts while I was reading this, or that my eyes were about to fall out of their sockets while reading this, or I was just sick of reading books without romance while reading this, or it may be that I just dislike the author's writing style, or it may be that I skimmed some paragraphs.. or whatnot, but I just really didn't like this book. It may have been the author's writing style. But yeah, I'm done!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Cover Reveal: After Summer by Hannah Harvey.

 Title: After Summer

Author: Hannah Harvey

Release Date: March 1st 2013

Synopsis: Everything changes for Arianna when  she loses one of her best friends in an accident, suddenly everything that felt happy and safe, is no longer there, and she can't handle it. It used to be Ben, Summer and Arianna, always together, and now it's just Ben and Arianna left, and she needs to escape. After Summer's death she pushes Ben away, cutting of her connection with who she used to be, but she can't keep running forever, not when the past is always ready to catch her up, especially since it's more than just Summer's death that she's running from.

Full Synopsis: After Summer is a young adult fiction novel, set in a fictional beachside small town in America. It centres around Arianna, an eighteen year old who has just graduated high school. All her life Arianna has had a plan in place, but after her best friend Summer dies, she finds it increasingly difficult to live up to the expectations. She has secrets, and throughout the novels she’s battling between what she wants, and what she thinks others want for her. Most of the story is told in third person, though there are a few journal style letters incorporated. After discovering who you are, through many trials of growing up. It delves into loss, love, expectations and a fear of asking for help, even when you know you need it. Summer is a book about discovering who you are, through many trials of growing up. It delves into loss, love, expectations and a fear of asking for help, even when you know you need it.

Excerpt: ‘Don’t lecture me Ben I can’t deal with that tonight.’

‘I expected more from you.’ He sighs.

‘That’s the whole issue though,’ Arianna shouts, ‘so many people expected so much from me, by the time I was about thirteen my whole life had been mapped out, and I felt like if I changed even one thing, I’d be letting everyone down! I was drowning in expectations. After Summer died I just couldn’t do it anymore, but that Arianna, the one I used to be, she was so tied down by all of that, so I had to become someone new.’

‘And cut everyone out of your life? I know it’s not just me, you hardly talk to Alex anymore, you’re withdrawn around your parents, you don’t talk to my parents anymore, all of your friends were dropped, you don’t talk to Kate, and she says that Fletcher has been trying to contact you but you won’t talk to him either. I don’t understand it, you had a great life and sure I know things weren’t perfect, but you had a support system of friends and family, and you pushed them all away. What’s so horrible about the life you had planned?’

‘Nothing’s horrible about it,’

‘Then just explain to me what you’re doing? Why you’re acting like this prom queen type of girl.’

‘Maybe because I am the prom queen,’ she shrugs noncommittally, ‘I like who I am now, I have a big group of friends, I have money, I don’t have to worry about being labelled a nerd, I actually have a varied social life that consists of more than staying at home, or going to the arcade. I don’t have to care,’

‘About her, ‘that’s the biggest problem, you used to care about things and people, but now you don’t, or you pretend you don’t.’
anything,’

‘I didn’t come here to talk about myself, so if this is the way the nights going then I’ll leave now.’ She snaps back angrily.

About the Author: Hannah has had a keen interest in writing for a long time, starting out writing short stories when she was young. As she got older she started taking her writing more seriously, and writing longer pieces, but it wasn’t until taking part in and completing NaNoWriMo, that she decided to pursue her writing.
Her first novel ‘How I Got Here’ was released in the summer of 2012.

Links:

Author's Website:

www.thebooktower.webs.com
How I Got Here
Amazon Authors Page:

www.amazon.com/author/hannahharvey

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/bookish92

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Book Review: Liesel & Po by Lauren Oliver.

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver Liesel & Po by Lauren Oliver.
Book Summary: Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice,until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.
That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.
Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.
From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places.
Liana's Summary: Liesel's father and birth mother are both dead. All she has left are her stepmother and her stepsister, and all they do is send her tiny morsels of food and keep her locked up in the attic. Will is the alchemist's apprentice. But does he even want to be? Po is a ghost. It's not a boy or a girl. At least, it doesn't know. When the three cross paths they go on an adventure, no matter how many bad guys come to stop them, each desperate for different things. (Or not!)

Rate(1-10): 8
Yes, people. You guessed right. I'm such a Lauren Oliver fan that I would read all her books, even the ones for children and in the Juvenile section in the library. Yes, I love her that much. And yes, Liesel & Po was just a temporary tranquilizer for me to stop throwing tantrums about more Lauren Oliver. (But what I really need is Requiem)

Anyways, about this book. I liked it, actually. But since I'm such a wuss I really can't stand the ghosts. Seriously.. LOL.

So Liesel is just a poor little orphaned girl who just lost her dad, and she's basically locked in the attic. Will is an orphan boy, a bit of a klutz, but he's likable anyway. Po is an it. (Most of the story, heheheh) Po is a ghost and Liesel doesn't know if it's a boy or a girl. Yeah. Po is awesome. In the end of the story I honestly think Lauren Oliver wanted to make this a Lena-Julian-Alex thing. In little kid version, LOL.

I think this story is a mix of Cinderella and The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Barbie movie version, anyways) with a mix of Lauren-Oliver-style. Which was pretty cool.

Lauren Oliver herself said in the Acknowledgements that this was the most personal book that she'd ever written and it means a lot to her. And I commend her for writing such an amazing book. In 2 freaking months. Only.

Oh yes! The illustrations were amazing as well. Very detailed.

Well, overall, I think you can tell I enjoyed this.
Quotes!

"Are you a girl or a boy?"

LOL WHAT
"Po had remembered how to lie."

omg my feels
"There is no time for that."

AIN'T NOBODY GAT TIME FO DAT
"And then he stepped on a bit of broken glass."

Of course. -__-

"He was enjoying the girl's attention."

HAHAHAHA omg Will. 

"You are to find the Lady Premiere.."

Holy shit. Another betrayal.

"..somewhat annoyed that the ghosts had been Liesel's first concern."

Is that jealousy I smell? LOL.
------------
That's it! What did you think of this review? (:

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Book Review: Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone.

Time Between Us Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone.
Book Summary: Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett has the unique ability to travel through time and space, which brings him into Anna’s life, and with him a new world of adventure and possibility.

As their relationship deepens, the two face the reality that time may knock Bennett back to where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate, what consequences they can bear in order to stay together, and whether their love can stand the test of time.

Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, Time Between Us is a stunning, spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new voice in YA fiction.

Liana's Summary: Anna is 16 years old in 1995. Bennett? Well, he's.. not even 1 years old in 1995. However, when Bennett discovers his traveling ability when he grows a bit older, he goes back in time and meets Anna when she's 16. They were never supposed to meet. Never supposed to meet when both of them were the same age, anyways. When romance unexpectedly occurs, Anna is heartbroken to see that Bennett can't stay.. what can she do? And more importantly, what can Bennett do?

Rate(1-10): 10

Okay, call me a judgmental person. At first I thought that this book was boring (shame on me shame on me shame on me) based on the cover. (I need to slap myself.) Usually, I dislike contemporary novels. A lot. With some exceptions. Well, as I've been reading more and more contemporary novels and a wee little less fantasy, dystopian, etc, I've come to realize that contemporary novels aren't so bad after all.

I should have guessed it was about time travel based on the title, but I didn't really think that. Ugh. I thought that this was a normal contemporary novel.. however, it's time travel time travel time travel. How cool is that?!

At first I was so set not to read this because it just wasn't a book that fit into my usual genres. But then I got this as a recommendation. 2 times. From people I trust with their book opinions. So I guess I had to give it a try. After all, I don't turn down recommendations.

I've always been fascinated with time travel. I would do it if I could but the whole thing is kind of scary because of the butterfly effect and all, and especially that one story by Ray Bradbury.. A Sound of Thunder, I think. It just scared the crap out of me and I know the significance of time-travel and messing with stuff that was about to happen. Because we are all catalysts (sounds like something I could use in an essay).

So the guy character. Bennett. I feel the need to talk about him first, LOL. He's the time-travel guy. He can teleport and time-travel. It's amazing because I want to be able to think of one place and then be there in a flash. I'd take the teleporting ability, but not the time-travel one, thanks. Ha. 

Now, the protagonist. Anna. She's a good protagonist. But she was really pushy and selfish and just plain annoying at specific times. Otherwise, she's fairly likable. 

The romance between Bennett and Anna? It was PEEEEERF. Yes, totally. PERF. Although I find it sort of strange how they live in different times.. how she's 17 years older than him. LOL. But they fell in love when they were -supposedly- the same age, if that makes sense, so everything's good.

The ending is also perfect. It ended right where it should have ended, and I'm glad it ended that way and at that moment. 

If you think hard about this time & space travel thing it messes with your brain. LOL so just go with the flow..

This was totally an amazing 368 pages and I wasn't even eager to finish it and yet I was so eager to finish it because I didn't want to finish such an amazing book but I didn't want to leave it alone because it was so amazing. My point is, I loved it, and finished it in one sitting. 

-it hurts me to think that I have to return this to the library-

Anyways. Quotes.

"He dog-ears his page.."



HE DOES WHAT. HELL NO

"Anna?" He stares at me in disbelief. "Your name is Anna?"



Is this recognition I smell?

"..a connection."



Awww. Y'all have a connection! (;

"Go away,"



Wtf he has issues.

"..but Bennett is gone."




"..the proximity makes my heart race."



Aww the proximity makes your heart race. (;

"His arms are more muscular than I'd pictured them.."



"Your friend from the record store, Justin, sort of asked me out."



BLOODY HELL WHAT

"Bennett has gotten a haircut."



NO WTF WHY


"..I'm completely in love with you."


Awwwww he's in love with her. :')

"..because he's suddenly leaning forward, closing his eyes..."


GASP GASP GASP GASP HYPERVENTILATE
-----
That's that. What did you think of this review?(:

Friday, February 22, 2013

Book Review: The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey.

The Storyteller's Daughter The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey.
Book Summary: In a faraway kingdom, a king has been betrayed. Deeply hurt and bitterly angry, he vows never to be deceived again. Unfortunately, the king's plan to protect himself will endanger all of the realm's young women, unless one of them will volunteer to marry the king - and surrender her life. To everyone's relief and horror, one young woman steps forward. The daughter of a legendary storyteller, Shahrazad believes it is her destiny to accept this risk and sacrifice herself. On the night of her wedding to the king, Shahrazad begins to weave a tale. Fascinated, the king lets her live night after night. Just when Shahrazad dares to believe that she has found a way to keep her life — and an unexpected love - a treacherous plot will disrupt her plan. Now she can only hope that love is strong enough to save her.

Liana's Summary: A king has been betrayed. He's furious-- therefore, he promises himself to never be deceived or betrayed by a woman ever again. However, his promise to himself puts all women in his kingdom in horrid danger.. unless one of them stands up and sacrifices herself. The king is doubtful. Should he trust her? Or should he not?

Rate(1-10): 8


Have I mentioned that I love Cameron Dokey's retellings? SO SO MUCH.

So, this one is a retelling of The Arabian Nights. This wasn't as good as the author's other retellings, but it was still good.

I haven't read the original story of The Arabian Nights, but I've read another retelling of it in Girls to the Rescue.

The narrator-- whoever that may be (It can be Cameron Dokey herself)-- is very conversational and acknowledges the reader. I find that kind of interesting.

My absolute favorite thing about Cameron Dokey is that she retells the original story in her own way and adds all these little details to make the whole thing more authentic, and make the characters more authentic as well.

This was a short and very interesting read, 78 pages in PDF. I'm excited to read the rest of her retellings!


Well, quotes.


"..she flew into a rage so great that her heart burst, and she died."


LOL WHAT

"Who is she? What is her name?"


Just imagine Haymitch saying "Whoa! So eager!" Right here and right now. LOL.


"..the possibility for love."


HA

"..and heaved it back into the ocean."





"Do you trust me?"


This is so... Aladdin.


"A great silence seemed to settle over them--"



-awkward-


"Then his lips found hers and neither spoke aloud at all."


AWWW IT'S ABOUT TIME


"Take this woman away."



---------------
That's that!
What did you think of this review? (:

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Book Review: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles, # 2) Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
Book Summary: Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Liana's Summary: It's been a few weeks since Lena's sixteenth birthday. They've been counting down, ever since they met, and before, too. Lena's been dreading it. Would she turn dark, or light? But when it's time, things turn into a special occasion. Lena has to be claimed at age 17 instead. What will she do? Macon told her once to claim herself. So that's what she'll try to do. Ethan is confused and lost and hurt when Lena starts to pull away- and he doesn't know why. With the help of Link and Liv, Ethan tries to make things right-- or at least find out what's happening.

Rate(1-10): 8.5

Well, let me thank +Cindy for lending me her book so I could read it. THANKS CINDY. I DIDN'T RUIN YOUR BOOK. YAY. I TOOK FOREVER THOUGH.

To be honest, I only read this book for the sake of reading it. LOL. If that makes any sense at all. So, recently, as y'all know (or not), the movie for Beautiful Creatures just recently came out, and of course I watched it. I wasn't satisfied with a few things but I will not elaborate further because this is not a movie review blog. Ha. Anyways, as much as I hate to admit, if I didn't watch the movie then I would have been completely and totally lost in reading this book.
Some say that this book is better than book 1, but in my opinion, they're the same. Still pretty good though. I just feel like the only difference is that the authors added a lot more concepts into this book. I find it pretty cool how Kami and Margaret are co-writers. So awesome. Ermahgerd.

Can I just say, I'm glad that Ethan narrates? I really disliked Lena in this book, something I never thought I would do, based on the first book. Lena is starting to scare and annoy the crap out of me. PLEASE LENA JUST GO AWAY NOW AND LET ETHAN BE HIS MORTAL SELF AND LET HIM HANG OUT WITH HIS NEW MORTAL FRIEND

Ridley. She scares me. Really, really really really really scares me. So does John. Link is annoying. Liv is pretty cool. Just another version of Hermione Granger. (; I think I'm done..

Quotes!

"Which made me hate him."


Oh-kay.

"I have a lot of experience, you know."



"Good-bye, Ethan."



"There are always choices, Macon."



"Why do you say 'no offense' when you're trying to offend me?"


I should say this more often. LOL.

"..and leaned down.."



"I pulled away so fast,.."



"My mom was the girl in the visions."



"Liv was gone."



"Macon's face."


ERMAHGERD
"It was decided."

------------------
And that's that. What did you think of this review? (:

Book Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman.

Where She Went (If I Stay, #2) Where She Went by Gayle Forman.
(If I Stay #2) 
Book Summary: It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I StayWhere She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.


Liana's Summary: Adam and Mia have been separated for 3 whole years. They've both changed. They think that they'll never see each other ever again, but, that thought is contradicted when the two cross paths one night, explaining things, starting things over. Making new changes.

Rate(1-10): 7.5

This is the sequel to If I Stay, which I read 2 years ago, not to mention forgetting some of the details. Honestly, that wasn't even the best book ever. I felt like falling asleep on some parts, but I guess that's just me discovering that Contemporary books aren't my thing.

Since in If I Stay, Mia was in a freakin' coma, and she was the one narrating, I didn't get to know her that well from another person's point of view. One of the things I like about this book is that Adam is narrating, instead of Mia. So we can see Mia from his point of view.

Adam. Well, this is interesting, ain't it? In If I Stay, he seemed like a totally different guy. Or maybe I don't remember that well. He smokes now, gets angered at the smallest things, yells at people, and throws tantrums. He's a rock star rising to fame, and yet when the paparazzi comes he loses his composure and that sort of affects his stardom a little.

Mia, on the other hand, didn't change as much, if I'm allowed to say. Honestly, I don't know. From what I collected together about her in the first book, she was like that in the second book.

This was seriously a quick read. Finished in a few hours in one sitting. The story revolved around one or two days.

When I finished the first book, I was just like, "UGH NO I'M NOT READING ANY MORE GAYLE FORMAN," but I seemed to change my mind, since I was told the second book was better than the first, which is somewhat true... But, more accurately, I think they're both Gayle Forman style. I grudgingly opened this book and was faced with satisfaction. I like how Forman explained the stuff from If I Stay and made everything right again.

Quotes!

"I pull a cigarette from my pocket.."


Oh gosh, Adam! What happened to you?!

"..so butterflies scared me."


Butterflies scare me too

"I need a cigarette."


No you don't you just want one

"Because I hated you."


That escalated quickly..
------------
That's that.
What did you think of this review?(;

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Giveaway batches!

Hey guys! This is sort of late but I guess you can consider this as my celebration for reaching 300+ blog followers. I love y'all! So, right now I have a few good-conditioned books that I want to give away. I separated it into two batches:

Batch #1: Romance for younger readers. I'm talking middle-school level. Yeah, nothing gets overboard with these books.. no erotica or anything. Nothing more than a few kissing scenes, LOL. After all, these are all Scholastic. I think the one with the most intense romance is Beastly, but that's not Fifty Shades of Grey, is it?
Will Work for Prom DressThe Grimm LegacyBeastlyThe False Princess
Batch #2: Elementary school level. Adventure, mystery, you know. I myself would recommend it to 4th and 5th graders, though. Or maybe 6th graders. But yeah. Parents, if you would like to get your younger kids something then this is it.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

And, YA readers, I have something for you guys too.



These books are brand new. This isn't a batch. There will be three books and 3 winners. Yeah, so if you have any questions or concerns then please email me @ lianachau2@gmail.com.

Everyone has a month to enter. Spread the word! (;

The only condition is that you have to be within the USA. I'll be shipping them myself and unless a creepy mailman steals your books, then you'll get it pretty soon because once I get my winners, I will definitely ship right away.

Bonne chance! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Haul- 5.

Well, I put one photo, the lazy way. LOL. Y'all who saw my previous book hauls know this is lazy. Today, I went to Walmart without my mother's knowledge (with my friend.. yes we're rebels), got followed for about a minute by a creepy pedophile, got soaked and almost blown away by the rainstorm, and had to carry a paper bag full of these. I hope they're worth the fuss. LOL. Spent 101 dollars.
1- Rift by Andrea Cremer.
Hey, an Andrea Cremer book! Just wanted to get it.

2-Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
A recommendation. Has no romance, but heard it was good! It'd better be worth the 20 dollars LOL.

3- The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken.
My friend thoroughly enjoyed this book. Wonder if it's good? (;

4- Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. 
Yet another recommendation. LOLOL

5- The Kiss by James Patterson.
You know, since I own books 1-3 of this series.. might as well finish it. I wouldn't be caught dead with a book named THE KISS. Seriously, J. Patterson?

Book Review: The Merchant of Death by DJ MacHale.

The Merchant of Death (Pendragon, #1) The Merchant of Death by DJ MacHale.
Book Summary: Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby. He is going to save the world.

And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he thought it was. And before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution.

If Bobby wants to see his family again, he's going to have to accept his role as savior, and accept it wholeheartedly. Because, as he is about to discover, Denduron is only the beginning....

Liana's Summary: Bobby Pendragon is going to save the world. But he doesn't know that, at first. His Uncle Press is usually a cool guy, someone who never takes things too seriously. However, when Uncle Press suddenly becomes serious and urges Bobby to go with him, Bobby knows something's up. So he decides to follow Uncle Press.. into the dimension of Denduron, somewhere that completely contradicts his ideas of logic, and that's where he finds out what he needs to do and what role he needs to play.

Rate(1-10): 9

My friend has been recommending this series to me for about 6 months, LOL. And I finally decide to touch it now. Not because I didn't want to read it, but because I couldn't seem to get my hands on an available copy. But now that I've read it, I'm glad that I have done so.

Bobby Pendragon, the main character, seems like a normal 14 year old kid. He's popular, point guard on the school's basketball team, respected by his peers. He's funny and sarcastic and clever when he knows he needs to be. I found that in many situations in this book he had to save himself and the people with him, and he always had a way. Reminds me a lot of Percy Jackson. And, like Rick Riordan, DJ MacHale sort of writes with the same style, too. Which made me love this book that much more.

I'm honestly shocked that there are 10 books in this series. That's a whole lot. I'm serious. omg. But yeah, I'm totally ready. 

My friend, Dalena, said that this book wasn't as good as the rest, and that just got me excited because this book was pretty fabulous on its own.

Yeah, I think I'm going to save my breath and discussion concepts for the next 9 reviews I'll be writing for this series.. sooner or later. 

Quotes~

"Yo."

Someone slap this kid. \

"And then Saint Dane began to transform."


Transformerrrrrrrs

"Tomorrow I'm going after Uncle Press."



"Gee, sorry I hit your hand with my face, chubby."


AND IN THAT MOMENT I SWEAR WE WERE INFINITE  KNEW I LOVED BOBBY 
PENDRAGON'S SARCASM
--------------
Yeah, that's that!
What did you think of this review? (;

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Book Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer.

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, #2) Scarlet by Marissa Meyer.
(Lunar Chronicles #2)
Book Summary: Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Liana's Summary: Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. And no one cares to continue the search any longer. This makes Scarlet furious. So what else can she do? When she encounters Wolf, a mysterious, wolfy guy, she decides to trust him, even if she doesn't know if she should. She finds herself finding clue after clue, closer to her grandmother each time. Meanwhile, Cinder, who's trying to break out of prison, has an unexpected companion, Caswell Thorne, cocky and arrogant, who might or might not help her. When Cinder and Scarlet's paths intersect, they know more than to just sit there and do nothing. They are going to take action.

Rate(1-10): 10!!
Why was this book so perfectly written. So PERFECTLY WRITTEN. BRB CRYING.

I've been waiting for what seemed like an eternity to read this book. A whole entire year or more. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2013, and when I got my hands on it, I was totally going to cry.

Like Cinder, Scarlet has a beautiful and attractive cover. When the cover reveal first came out, I was just fangirling so hard because it was so beautiful and at that moment I swore (we were infinite) that this was definitely going to be about Little Red, while Cinder, of course, was about Cinderella.

Usually the second book of a trilogy or series is the 'preparing for battle' book. I guess you can consider Scarlet to be one of those books, based on the huge cliffhanger at the end.

I highly recommend that everyone read The Queen's Army, the short story between Book 1 and Book 2, first, before reading Scarlet: Click here. Because that's what I did. And it helped, really. It helped explain some concepts I wasn't familiar with, and in Scarlet, I was able to connect those and be like OMG OH. And I seriously love moments of realization. The Queen's Army will not spoil anything for you, it'll just explain some concepts. When I first read it I had no idea how it connected to SCARLET at all, but when I read Scarlet, I was able to connect and analyze.

Character discussions-

Cinder- She's the fabulous lady mechanic protagonist that everyone (or at least I hope everyone) loves. She's smart and independent and the last thing she needs is a guy to complete her. I find it really cool how she's a cyborg-- but people just think it's creepy. Huh. The only thing that annoyed me about Cinder was that she can't get over the past. Which was like, 2 weeks ago. LOL. But seriously. It annoyed me so much..

Scarlet- When I first met her, I was just like, OU SNAP, FEISTY! I imagined her to be so much younger than 18, but I guess she can be a feisty 18 year old.. no matter how bad that sounds. However, later in the story, she got some character development on her, which is a good thing. I don't even think she was aware of her own changing. But she definitely changed. She became more.. jaded from what she saw and what she's been through. Otherwise, I find her a pretty good protagonist.

Thorne- I'm serious when I say BEST CHARACTER EVER IN THIS WHOLE ENTIRE BOOK. I love him. He's so arrogant and cocky and so freaking HOT. Why is he so hot. He reminds me of Jace Wayland and NO ONE REMINDS ME OF JACE WAYLAND (except Will. And Thorne.)Hopefully Cinder will open her eyes and see who exactly is the right guy for her.

Wolf- I learned about his background reading Queen's Army. I find that he's sort of fobby at some things, LOL. But yeah, he's pretty awesome! Especially tolerant, too.

Kai- KAI, CAN YOU PLEASE GO AWAY. I HATE YOU I HATE YOU YOU STUPID IDIOT PRINCE/EMPEROR JUST GO AWAY I HATE YOU SO MUCH WHY ARE YOU SO HOT I HATE YOU

Iko- Yay! Iko's back! Let's just thank Cinder for being an awesome mechanic. Iko's pretty awesome. That's.. really all I have to say LOL.

I seriously love Marissa Meyer's writing style and story line and plot creation omg I just love this idea.

Now I have to wait for book 3, CRESS. Are you freaking kidding me I am so going to die. After waiting more or less than one year for Scarlet I have to wait another one for Cress. Marissa Meyer's gonna kill me omg.

Overall, this book was GREAT and it was totally worth the wait. Highly recommended!!

(Fabulous) quotes:

"It was my irresistible charm that convinced you, wasn't it?"



"Is it just me, or is this a big moment in our relationship?"



AND IN THAT MOMENT I SWEAR WE WERE INFINITE  I knew Thorne was my favorite character.

"She could brainwash him."



"No. She wouldn't take advantage of him,.."




"Linh Cinder."



omg. Kai. If you hate her then please stop thinking about her because no one likes you and it's torture to read your point of view because everyone hates you

"His prison photo showed him flippantly winking at the camera. Kai hated him immediately."



Oh my God I love Thorne so much. Who winks in their mug shot? NO ONE. BUT THORNE. I love him so much omg afkjaksad

"We're having another moment, aren't we?"



Yes yes you guys are 

"Whatever he'd once felt for Cinder-- or thought he'd felt for her--was over."



Good because everyone hates you, KAI

"Eww, is that an ID chip?"



HAHAHAHAH OMG THORNE JUST SAID 'EWW' I'M IRRESISTIBLY FALLING IN LOVE WITH THIS CHARACTER

"..buried one hand into her mess of curls and kissed her back."


AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW


"We can run away,"


To the other side of the wooooooorld

"Crazy in love. She's gorgeous."




"Now that was definitely jealously I heard."


-wink wink winkity wink wink twitch wink- Okay I don't even know anymore LOL.

"I love you too. My brave, stubborn girl."



"..when she heard footsteps echoing down the corridor."



HOLY SHIT

"If it wasn't such a repulsive thought, I might take advantage of you here, now that we're all alone,"




"It was Wolf."


Wolf to the rescue!

"She is mine,"



Yes she is

"Things have changed."


NO -hiccup sob- THEY -sob hiccup- HAVEN'T -wail-

"You're alive."


Duh.

"And then I'm going to stop hiding."



--------
Okay I'm just going to admit that a variety of those quotes are Thorne quotes
What did you think of this review?(;