Showing posts sorted by date for query Veronica Roth. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Veronica Roth. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post
Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.
Friday, August 3, 2018
Discussion: Why I DON'T Reread
This Week’s Topic: Why I DON'T Reread
I do a ton of reading challenges, and every time I see "reread" on the list, I automatically cross it out. I am just not a "re-" person in general. Re-watching movies? Nope. Re-watching TV shows? No, again.
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post
Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Recap: BEA + BookCon 2016
Hi, everyone! At the title of this post implies, I'm finally doing my BookExpo America and BookCon 2016 recap post! This year, BEA and BookCon were in Chicago rather than New York City and were earlier in the month than usual. This presented many problems for myself and my co-bloggers - NYC is less than an hour from where I live via the train, and with the date change, it was very close to when we were all taking finals. Traveling to Chicago instead made BEA more of a vacation than several day trips into the city.
I actually had to take a final exam the day before BEA Day One, so I ended up taking an early flight that morning - I woke up at 4 a.m. and I was not a happy camper. I had been so tired from working on final projects, taking final exams, and planning for BEA, so it was a bit of a struggle - but I was headed to BEA, one of my favorite parts of the year.
Once I got there, I headed to the hotel for a little while before meeting my mom at the convention center. It was a strange feeling to get there because I'm so used to being able to walk a few blocks to Javits from Penn Station and then knowing how to get around the building. McCormick Place wasn't so different from Javits - it definitely had a similar look - but it took a second to get my bearings and figure out where I needed to go.
The layout of the show floor wasn't much different from the layout in New York - I had actually looked over the map beforehand, so I had a decent understanding of where things were - and it looked so much like Javits once we entered.
The biggest difference between BEA in Chicago and New York is that Chicago definitely had a calmer vibe from most of the people there. There were definitely less people on the show floor, and I couldn't help but notice that the people generally walked a lot slower than in New York, especially since I tend to be a pretty destination-oriented walker at BEA.
Day One ended up being a really successful day for books! I decided not to go to the Blogger's Conference this year because I had to fly into Chicago that morning, but I managed to make it to a ton of drops, particularly at HarperCollins.
It was nice going into Day Two because I was familiar with the show floor, and I had a more clear picture of what books I needed to get that day. Since I had gotten most of the Harper drops on Day One, I only had to make it to the very first one that morning to get Replica and some other gems.
The most intense part of this day was definitely getting signing tickets for Macmillan, also known as the MacMob (possibly only to me, but I will continue to use this name for this event because it is Accurate). If you've never been to BEA, the thing you have to understand about people is that they will wait hours to get a book they really want. Unfortunately, the location of Macmillan's booth didn't really allow for accommodating a line for hours before they handed out signing tickets. The tickets up for grabs were for some highly anticipated books: You Know Me Well, Vassa in the Night, 738 Days, and, arguably the biggest attraction for people, Heartless. I really wanted to get all of these books, so I was there pretty early, just "hanging out" until they started the line. Unfortunately, instead of just starting an official line early, a mob formed. It was chaos. There were 3 "lines", going in all different directions, blocking other books and the entire walkway near Macmillan's booth. People were getting so edgy and it was just all around Bad.
I really think there should be "I Survived the MacMob at BEA 2016" t-shirts. It really did feel like an accomplishment. And not everyone survived. I mean, no one died, but the faint of heart gave up once the stampede began.
You might be wondering what I mean by stampede. Well, when Macmillan eventually made the official line (it was well over two hours after people started lining up), it was a stampede. Somehow, I ended up at the very front of that line - I'm still not entirely sure how that happened. At this point, I was super excited - I would get All The Books! Haha, no. Because of Fairness, everyone could only get up to two signing tickets. I'd like to just put in right here that I totally respected the rule, I just wish I had known earlier because I would have had my mother on line with me. So at this point, I had to make some Choices about which books I wanted to get. Given that Heartless was going to be available again on Day Three, I figured I could just get it then, so I opted for Vassa in the Night and You Know Me Well, which my mom really wanted to get because she wanted to see David Levithan. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about just getting a third ticket for Heartless as well, but knowing how there were people in line who probably wouldn't get any tickets, I decided to opt for good karma. This was the start of my path to not getting Heartless at BEA.
Overall, Day Two was super successful - by the end of it, I had very few books I still needed to pick up on Day Three.
Now, I shall continue my path to not getting Heartless at BEA. In New York, the WLABBers always went early to Javits to get on the line for autograph area signing tickets, and we always got the tickets we wanted. So I went early (granted, not as early as other people because we were relying on the BEA shuttle from the hotel) and got on the line. Little did I know, they, evidently, only had three Heartless tickets to give out. Three. It was extremely frustrating, especially because they always had way more to give out the day of the event in New York.
So Day Three was off to a disappointing start, but the rest of the day was very calm. I found myself just hanging out and wandering around most of the time, which was pretty nice. Most of my day was actually spent waiting on line for the Gemina drop at Penguin Random House.
On a side note, I'd like to take a moment to praise Penguin Random House - out of all the publishers at BEA this year, they definitely had the best set up and location to manage lines. They had a wonderful system going on. It was amazing.
Anyway, the Gemina line started about 3-4 hours ahead of time, but it was so calm. Everyone was just sitting down, hanging out, being calm. It was so refreshing in comparison to some of the other lines I had waited on the other days. I think it was partially due to how much space there was for us to have our line, but people were also a lot more calm since it was the end of the last day of BEA.
All in all, BEA 2016 was a success - I got almost every thing I wanted (insert sobs about Heartless here), and I had a great time!
As always, BookCon was more disorganized than BEA. When I got to the convention center, there was a line wrapped throughout the entire convention center. Having purchased VIP passes, we were confused about there only being one line. Apparently, you had to wait on the line to get your bag checked so that you could get autographing wristbands. I was not about that. So we just chilled in the general area of the entrance to the show floor, and ended up in the VIP first access line.
From there, we headed over to the First in Line Red Carpet event because why not. After that, we mostly just went to panels, which was a lot of fun.
The first panel was with Melissa de la Cruz, Sabaa Tahir, Lauren Oliver, and Veronica Roth. It was weird at first because it was past when the panel should have started but the authors weren't coming out yet. Then, I saw on Twitter that Lauren Oliver's Uber driver actually got lost and couldn't find the convention center. Once she got there, the panel was really cool and all about good and evil in books.
Some other panels we went to were Friendship is Magic with Sarah J. Maas, Alexandra Bracken, Susan Dennard, and Victoria Aveyard, Reality Bites with David Levithan, Jennifer Niven, Nicola Yoon, David Arnold, and John Corey Whaley, and The Simon & Schuster Sisters with Siobhan Vivian, Jenny Han, and Morgan Matson.
The last, and most fun, panel we went to was #IReadYA Presents Book Besties with Maggie Stiefvater, Jeffery Self, Aimee Friedman, and Francisco X. Stork, moderated by David Levithan. Maggie Stiefvater is just so fun, and David Levithan did an amazing job of steering all the conversations in exciting directions, which is something some of the other panels missed due to lack of a moderator.
Overall, I was disappointed by BookCon in Chicago. Not only was it one day instead of two, it felt like there weren't as many big things to go to this year as in the past. Additionally, I was very disappointed by the "privileges" of the VIP pass - it kind of felt like I paid way more than everyone else for no reason. It was still fun, but I'm happy BEA and BookCon will be back in New York in 2017!
You were wondering about the lack of Sloth above, weren't you? Well, here are some of the fun photos Sloth took while adventuring at BEA and BookCon!
If you want to check out more of Sloth's adventures, you can follow him on Twitter: @SlothGoesPlaces!
BEA Day One
I actually had to take a final exam the day before BEA Day One, so I ended up taking an early flight that morning - I woke up at 4 a.m. and I was not a happy camper. I had been so tired from working on final projects, taking final exams, and planning for BEA, so it was a bit of a struggle - but I was headed to BEA, one of my favorite parts of the year.
Once I got there, I headed to the hotel for a little while before meeting my mom at the convention center. It was a strange feeling to get there because I'm so used to being able to walk a few blocks to Javits from Penn Station and then knowing how to get around the building. McCormick Place wasn't so different from Javits - it definitely had a similar look - but it took a second to get my bearings and figure out where I needed to go.
The layout of the show floor wasn't much different from the layout in New York - I had actually looked over the map beforehand, so I had a decent understanding of where things were - and it looked so much like Javits once we entered.
The biggest difference between BEA in Chicago and New York is that Chicago definitely had a calmer vibe from most of the people there. There were definitely less people on the show floor, and I couldn't help but notice that the people generally walked a lot slower than in New York, especially since I tend to be a pretty destination-oriented walker at BEA.
Day One ended up being a really successful day for books! I decided not to go to the Blogger's Conference this year because I had to fly into Chicago that morning, but I managed to make it to a ton of drops, particularly at HarperCollins.
BEA Day Two
It was nice going into Day Two because I was familiar with the show floor, and I had a more clear picture of what books I needed to get that day. Since I had gotten most of the Harper drops on Day One, I only had to make it to the very first one that morning to get Replica and some other gems.
The most intense part of this day was definitely getting signing tickets for Macmillan, also known as the MacMob (possibly only to me, but I will continue to use this name for this event because it is Accurate). If you've never been to BEA, the thing you have to understand about people is that they will wait hours to get a book they really want. Unfortunately, the location of Macmillan's booth didn't really allow for accommodating a line for hours before they handed out signing tickets. The tickets up for grabs were for some highly anticipated books: You Know Me Well, Vassa in the Night, 738 Days, and, arguably the biggest attraction for people, Heartless. I really wanted to get all of these books, so I was there pretty early, just "hanging out" until they started the line. Unfortunately, instead of just starting an official line early, a mob formed. It was chaos. There were 3 "lines", going in all different directions, blocking other books and the entire walkway near Macmillan's booth. People were getting so edgy and it was just all around Bad.
 |
| At the MacMob |
I really think there should be "I Survived the MacMob at BEA 2016" t-shirts. It really did feel like an accomplishment. And not everyone survived. I mean, no one died, but the faint of heart gave up once the stampede began.
You might be wondering what I mean by stampede. Well, when Macmillan eventually made the official line (it was well over two hours after people started lining up), it was a stampede. Somehow, I ended up at the very front of that line - I'm still not entirely sure how that happened. At this point, I was super excited - I would get All The Books! Haha, no. Because of Fairness, everyone could only get up to two signing tickets. I'd like to just put in right here that I totally respected the rule, I just wish I had known earlier because I would have had my mother on line with me. So at this point, I had to make some Choices about which books I wanted to get. Given that Heartless was going to be available again on Day Three, I figured I could just get it then, so I opted for Vassa in the Night and You Know Me Well, which my mom really wanted to get because she wanted to see David Levithan. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about just getting a third ticket for Heartless as well, but knowing how there were people in line who probably wouldn't get any tickets, I decided to opt for good karma. This was the start of my path to not getting Heartless at BEA.
Overall, Day Two was super successful - by the end of it, I had very few books I still needed to pick up on Day Three.
BEA Day Three
Now, I shall continue my path to not getting Heartless at BEA. In New York, the WLABBers always went early to Javits to get on the line for autograph area signing tickets, and we always got the tickets we wanted. So I went early (granted, not as early as other people because we were relying on the BEA shuttle from the hotel) and got on the line. Little did I know, they, evidently, only had three Heartless tickets to give out. Three. It was extremely frustrating, especially because they always had way more to give out the day of the event in New York.
So Day Three was off to a disappointing start, but the rest of the day was very calm. I found myself just hanging out and wandering around most of the time, which was pretty nice. Most of my day was actually spent waiting on line for the Gemina drop at Penguin Random House.
On a side note, I'd like to take a moment to praise Penguin Random House - out of all the publishers at BEA this year, they definitely had the best set up and location to manage lines. They had a wonderful system going on. It was amazing.
Anyway, the Gemina line started about 3-4 hours ahead of time, but it was so calm. Everyone was just sitting down, hanging out, being calm. It was so refreshing in comparison to some of the other lines I had waited on the other days. I think it was partially due to how much space there was for us to have our line, but people were also a lot more calm since it was the end of the last day of BEA.
All in all, BEA 2016 was a success - I got almost every thing I wanted (insert sobs about Heartless here), and I had a great time!
BookCon
As always, BookCon was more disorganized than BEA. When I got to the convention center, there was a line wrapped throughout the entire convention center. Having purchased VIP passes, we were confused about there only being one line. Apparently, you had to wait on the line to get your bag checked so that you could get autographing wristbands. I was not about that. So we just chilled in the general area of the entrance to the show floor, and ended up in the VIP first access line.
From there, we headed over to the First in Line Red Carpet event because why not. After that, we mostly just went to panels, which was a lot of fun.
The first panel was with Melissa de la Cruz, Sabaa Tahir, Lauren Oliver, and Veronica Roth. It was weird at first because it was past when the panel should have started but the authors weren't coming out yet. Then, I saw on Twitter that Lauren Oliver's Uber driver actually got lost and couldn't find the convention center. Once she got there, the panel was really cool and all about good and evil in books.
Some other panels we went to were Friendship is Magic with Sarah J. Maas, Alexandra Bracken, Susan Dennard, and Victoria Aveyard, Reality Bites with David Levithan, Jennifer Niven, Nicola Yoon, David Arnold, and John Corey Whaley, and The Simon & Schuster Sisters with Siobhan Vivian, Jenny Han, and Morgan Matson.
The last, and most fun, panel we went to was #IReadYA Presents Book Besties with Maggie Stiefvater, Jeffery Self, Aimee Friedman, and Francisco X. Stork, moderated by David Levithan. Maggie Stiefvater is just so fun, and David Levithan did an amazing job of steering all the conversations in exciting directions, which is something some of the other panels missed due to lack of a moderator.
Overall, I was disappointed by BookCon in Chicago. Not only was it one day instead of two, it felt like there weren't as many big things to go to this year as in the past. Additionally, I was very disappointed by the "privileges" of the VIP pass - it kind of felt like I paid way more than everyone else for no reason. It was still fun, but I'm happy BEA and BookCon will be back in New York in 2017!
Sloth's Adventures
You were wondering about the lack of Sloth above, weren't you? Well, here are some of the fun photos Sloth took while adventuring at BEA and BookCon!
If you want to check out more of Sloth's adventures, you can follow him on Twitter: @SlothGoesPlaces!
- Kiersten
Did you go to BEA or BookCon this year?
Let us know in the comments!
Saturday, July 25, 2015
1989 Book Tag
I'm very vocal about the fact that I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan, so when Kiersten showed me this book tag (seen on Downright Dystopian, created by Reviews from a Bookworm) I knew I had to do it!
Amrutha mentioned this book in her section of our last Top Ten Tuesday (books that celebrate diversity) and this was the first book I read by both John Green and David Levithan (I'm like 98% sure of this so if you ever see me contradict myself about this I'm not lying I'm just wrong on one of my accounts) so it jumpstarted my love for both authors. Anyway, the writing in this book is fantastic and one of the protagonists is gay and so is the best friend of the other protag and all in all it's an excellent book that I highly recommend.
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
Ahhhh there are so many of these!! The Book Thief is one of the most prominent though so I'm going with this one. I reviewed it almost two years ago (wow has it really been that long?? I'm due for a reread) and the haunting feeling of the book has never left me. Every time anyone mentioned the book I get all the emotions again and I can honestly say that this a book that has stayed with me since I closed it the first time and will continue to stay with me for years to come. It felt like a punch to the gut but the good kind and I implore you all to read it if you haven't already.
The first book I thought of when I saw this prompt was this one which Amrutha and I did a double review of a while back where we both agreed that it was pretty on the outside and really really terrible on the inside. And it just made me so sad because honestly, it has such a pretty cover and and such a nice title and the actual book is just terrible and a few hundred pages of whining which honestly doesn't even make sense. Sigh, books that have nice covers but are terrible make me so sad because I honestly really frequently judge books by their covers because covers are supposed to entice you!!!! Don't entice me to a bad product!!!! Entice me to dynamic characters and fluid writing!!!!! Sigh.
Okay, so I realize this isn't a "latest" obsession and I probably should have put one considering I'm so fickle that I have a new fictional crush every week but I really wanted to take this opportunity to discuss how in love I am with the idea of Marauders-era Sirius black. Yes, I know the books haven't given us all that much to work with in that regard but the fandom has come up with such an elaborate idea of what Marauders-era life was like and it's all pretty consistent and I'm i love with Sirius Black, we were made for each other bye.
The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
I don't even remember when I read this book but I really really fell in love with it. Sometimes when I say I say Catcher in the Rye is one of my favorite books I feel like I sound like one of those pretentious dudes who lurk in cafes and think they understand the world better than most and really resonate with Holden Caulfield because they think everyone is a phony except them but honestly I hope I don't because I just really liked the book, I liked the way it was written and narrated, and I could reread it again and again because it just stuck with me.
While some high fantasy series like Lord of the Rings or A Song of Ice and Fire go super hardcore into world-building, I wanted to talk about Graceling because I thought Kristin Cashore did a great job integrating her story and plot progression with the world-building. In my review, I focus mostly on the characters and the writing, because the world wasn't thrown in my face and wasn't too much to handle. It flowed as a part of the story and didn't feel like a separate entity which was really nice. I'd still call it vivid though because the world created was intense -- people had Graces (skills they were exceptionally good at), and the protagonist was Graced with killing. It was so interesting to see the type of world they lived in and what the dynamic between all the different people was.
Out of the Woods
This book was interesting to say the least. I read it and reviewed it about a year and a half ago and I'd like to reread it because it's 100% one of those books where you get something different out of it each time you read it. It's also a love it or hate it book and I definitely enjoyed it. It's not exactly how it seems because the story has so many layers to it besides the simple "a man receives a letter in the mail, here is the letter." It leaves you with a strange feeling at the end, and I definitely feel like this is characteristic of Martel because the ending of Life of Pi was also a very reality-questioning one.
Okay, just want to preface this by saying I wasn't totally disappointed, I didn't completely dislike it, I just didn't love it. I'd give it, maybe 2.5 stars out of 5? There's a chance that if I read it again my opinion could change but as of now that's where I stand but I can see how people would like it. For me, there was too much going on and I wasn't invested in any of the characters because they weren't the ones I spent three books getting attached to and I just got bored which was impressive considering that there was so much happening. I don't know, it just wasn't for me, but it was kindof cool to see how everything began though.
A Game of Thrones
George R. R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire, #1
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
I DO NOT HATE THIS BOOK OR SERIES. I needed to write that in all caps before I started this. What I meant by putting this here is that I feel like there are so many people who I talk to about the show and they're like "yeah the book is so much more intense/so much better, you should read it!" and I think "wow I should read ASOIAF" and I have the series and I've tried to read it twice and it's just so heavy that I can't do it. I don't know what it is, because people have said that Eragon was too descriptive for them and I read that fine and LOTR is pretty high on the fantasy and I'm cool with it but this is another level and I just can't get through it and I really wish I could because I love the show but every time I start reading I think of what else I could be reading.
Everyone hates Allegiant and the ending of Allegiant and Veronica Roth for everything she did with Allegiant. I am one of the few people who don't share those feelings. I actually wrote a very positive review for it and looking back on that review I'm not sure everything I wrote there is still entirely consistent with how I feel now -- I still would say I perceived the book positively but I think now I'd be a little more critical about it and see a bit more of the negatives with it. In either case, I still was overall satisfied with it and with the ending, unlike most people.
I know this is the basic answer but honestly, this is the book series that I'll always come back to. It's just become such a central part of my life -- I literally grew up with it, from seven years old to now. And the other day on my Timehop, I saw that it was the eight year anniversary of Deathly Hallows and it felt like the first moment all over again. And the other week I got into an argument with a friend about Snape (by the other week I mean every time we talk) and I just felt so invested in the idea of all these characters that I knew this was a series I'd hold in my heart forever.
Lady Midnight
Cassandra Clare
The Dark Artifices, #1
I knew you were all waiting for Cassandra Clare to show up on this list and here she is. I think this is an appropriate place for her, don't you? I am absolutely dying to explore these new characters, to get to know Emma and Julian, and I am especially interested in the way the Fair Folk are involved in this book as I've always been quite interested in faeries as a general concept. I just really like the idea of a Shadowhunter series set in the same realm and era as TMI but focusing on different but slightly related characters. It's a new and refreshing way to take on the Shadowhunters while still giving us the setting we know and love (and maybe some of the in-jokes?? who knows).
This is like, the most unpopular opinion of them all but I'm really not a fan of Peeta? I liked him in the beginning, when he was really sweet and kind but then it just became too much and it was really annoying and his relationship with Katniss just seemed forced and incompatible to me and I just got really annoyed with him as a character. I don't know what it is, but he just got on my nerves. And while I do feel like Katniss would have gotten so much more done and so much more efficiently if she had zero boys slowing her down, obviously he was still helpful to their team, just in a really annoying way.
I will never get over the ending of Gone Girl. I will never forgive Gillian Flynn for the way it ended. This isn't even one of those situations where the fan is harassing the author like "why didn't you end the book the way I wanted you to?????" or "why did you kill off my favorite character don't you know this reading experience is all about me?????" That ending was just so wild, by literally not being as wild as the entire rest of the book. I mention how furious I am with it in my review. Honestly, the book is still excellent and one of the best books I've ever read but I'll never forgive her for doing that to me at the end.
Tape
Steven Camden
Amrutha and I reviewed this a few months ago and I know between the two of us it's definitely mentioned how predictable this book is because it was honestly ridiculous how easy it was to know exactly what would happen. The connection between the two main characters, which we weren't told until the end, was easy to figure out from just the blurb, and if you didn't read that, then the first few pages. A few chapters in, and you understand the way he's going to try and parallel their stories and have them connect but fail really hard at it. Read our full review for a longer description of how this book was predictable and all the other ways it didn't reach our expectations, but please don't read the actual book.
Ugh, these books are just so good. Everything about them is so intense, the language is so beautiful and Cassandra Clare demonstrates how varied her writing can be -- the narration of The Mortal Instruments is so different from The Infernal Devices but both offer compelling stories and writing. Not only that, but her characters have such depth and are so wonderful. I fell in love with every single one of them (especially Will. I should have written him as my fictional crush, sigh. I used to have a Tumblr URL dedicated to him and everything. Double sigh). I just wish I could have kept reading forever and ever about this set of characters.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Jennifer E. Smith
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
This was such an adorable book and I loved it so much. It was definitely one of my favorite books where they "got the girl" (well the girl "got the guy" because the girl was the protagonist) for quite a few reasons. One of them is a little strange, but it's because the book -- well most of it, including the beginning and their getting-to-know-each-other-ing -- takes place on an airplane and an airport and I really like those things so I just really liked the whole idea of this book even more because I just fell in love with the idea of sitting next to someone who could potentially be the love of your life on an airplane. Besides that, it was an excellent book and super cute and I just felt giddy when I read it so definitely a favorite romance.
I know I already used Gone Girl once and I really didn't want to do repeats but I really feel like this is the most appropriate book to put here because honestly it was such an insane and shocking book and I feel like Gillian Flynn deserves hella credit for that so she should get a section where I mention that instead of talking about how I'll never forgive her. It was just so unpredictable, the characters were so wild, something would happen and my mouth would open in shock because I would just not be expecting it.
I think everyone needs to acknowledge that their Twilight phase happened, and it was real, and that we should move past it. Anyway, seventh grade was clearly a bad time, because I was really into it: Twilight merch, midnight movie premiere, getting into fights over Edward and Jacob. Oh, I was terrible. I can't tell you exactly when I came to my senses but I know it was before the second movie came out because I know I didn't see it and it was a deliberate decision, so I'm going to say I spent about a year in this phase.
I don't have an answer for this one because when I'm reading a book it means a. I've decided to read that book or b. it's a textbook and in either case I don't have a problem being seen reading it???? If the book turns out to be bad, then it's bad, but I didn't know that going in and I'm not the one who wrote it, so if it's something I chose to read, then I'd read it in public.
Okay, this one is actually my fault. The wait between the books isn't actually longer than normal books, but I read the first book a super long time ago (I reviewed it and everything) and I never ended up reading the second when it came out and in that time the third came out too???? Noor what???? I own the second one too, and I've been meaning to read it forever and I don't know why I keep picking other books over it because I loved the first one so much I thought it was amazing but I'm a terrible person and I remember the plot and especially the important things but I'm going to read a plot summary of the first book before I start the second one anyway.
When Kiersten reviews a book lower than both Amrutha and I (especially Amrutha though) you know something is wrong with that book. I just want to pretend I never read Those Girls, that the things that happened in that book were not things I read about. It's working out pretty well. The points of view of the three main characters are already flying out of my brain and melding into one blob -- oh wait, they were already basically the same. It's still working though, the scarring left by the book doesn't seem to be too permanent and I think I'll be okay if I never think about this book again.
1989 Book Tag!
Welcome to New York
A Book with LGBT Themes
You can want who you want, boys and boys and girls and girls.
Amrutha mentioned this book in her section of our last Top Ten Tuesday (books that celebrate diversity) and this was the first book I read by both John Green and David Levithan (I'm like 98% sure of this so if you ever see me contradict myself about this I'm not lying I'm just wrong on one of my accounts) so it jumpstarted my love for both authors. Anyway, the writing in this book is fantastic and one of the protagonists is gay and so is the best friend of the other protag and all in all it's an excellent book that I highly recommend.
Blank Space
A Book that hit you right in the feels
(but was totally worth it)
You can tell me when it's over if the high was worth the pain
Markus Zusak
Ahhhh there are so many of these!! The Book Thief is one of the most prominent though so I'm going with this one. I reviewed it almost two years ago (wow has it really been that long?? I'm due for a reread) and the haunting feeling of the book has never left me. Every time anyone mentioned the book I get all the emotions again and I can honestly say that this a book that has stayed with me since I closed it the first time and will continue to stay with me for years to come. It felt like a punch to the gut but the good kind and I implore you all to read it if you haven't already.
Blank Space
A book you hated but loved the cover
Darling I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream
The first book I thought of when I saw this prompt was this one which Amrutha and I did a double review of a while back where we both agreed that it was pretty on the outside and really really terrible on the inside. And it just made me so sad because honestly, it has such a pretty cover and and such a nice title and the actual book is just terrible and a few hundred pages of whining which honestly doesn't even make sense. Sigh, books that have nice covers but are terrible make me so sad because I honestly really frequently judge books by their covers because covers are supposed to entice you!!!! Don't entice me to a bad product!!!! Entice me to dynamic characters and fluid writing!!!!! Sigh.
Blank Space
Your latest Book Boyfriend/Girlfriend
I've got a blank space baby and I'll write your name
Okay, so I realize this isn't a "latest" obsession and I probably should have put one considering I'm so fickle that I have a new fictional crush every week but I really wanted to take this opportunity to discuss how in love I am with the idea of Marauders-era Sirius black. Yes, I know the books haven't given us all that much to work with in that regard but the fandom has come up with such an elaborate idea of what Marauders-era life was like and it's all pretty consistent and I'm i love with Sirius Black, we were made for each other bye.
Style
A timeless classic you love
We never go out of style
J.D. Salinger
I don't even remember when I read this book but I really really fell in love with it. Sometimes when I say I say Catcher in the Rye is one of my favorite books I feel like I sound like one of those pretentious dudes who lurk in cafes and think they understand the world better than most and really resonate with Holden Caulfield because they think everyone is a phony except them but honestly I hope I don't because I just really liked the book, I liked the way it was written and narrated, and I could reread it again and again because it just stuck with me.
Out of the Woods
A book which had vivid world building
The rest of the world is black and white, but we were in screaming color
While some high fantasy series like Lord of the Rings or A Song of Ice and Fire go super hardcore into world-building, I wanted to talk about Graceling because I thought Kristin Cashore did a great job integrating her story and plot progression with the world-building. In my review, I focus mostly on the characters and the writing, because the world wasn't thrown in my face and wasn't too much to handle. It flowed as a part of the story and didn't feel like a separate entity which was really nice. I'd still call it vivid though because the world created was intense -- people had Graces (skills they were exceptionally good at), and the protagonist was Graced with killing. It was so interesting to see the type of world they lived in and what the dynamic between all the different people was.
Out of the Woods
A book where things weren't exactly how they seemed
The monsters turned out to be just trees
This book was interesting to say the least. I read it and reviewed it about a year and a half ago and I'd like to reread it because it's 100% one of those books where you get something different out of it each time you read it. It's also a love it or hate it book and I definitely enjoyed it. It's not exactly how it seems because the story has so many layers to it besides the simple "a man receives a letter in the mail, here is the letter." It leaves you with a strange feeling at the end, and I definitely feel like this is characteristic of Martel because the ending of Life of Pi was also a very reality-questioning one.
All You Had to Do Was Stay
A book you were eagerly anticipating, but ended up
being disappointed by
being disappointed by
You were all I wanted, but not like this
Okay, just want to preface this by saying I wasn't totally disappointed, I didn't completely dislike it, I just didn't love it. I'd give it, maybe 2.5 stars out of 5? There's a chance that if I read it again my opinion could change but as of now that's where I stand but I can see how people would like it. For me, there was too much going on and I wasn't invested in any of the characters because they weren't the ones I spent three books getting attached to and I just got bored which was impressive considering that there was so much happening. I don't know, it just wasn't for me, but it was kindof cool to see how everything began though.
Shake it Off
A book/series that everyone seems to love but you can't help but hate
The haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
George R. R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire, #1
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
I DO NOT HATE THIS BOOK OR SERIES. I needed to write that in all caps before I started this. What I meant by putting this here is that I feel like there are so many people who I talk to about the show and they're like "yeah the book is so much more intense/so much better, you should read it!" and I think "wow I should read ASOIAF" and I have the series and I've tried to read it twice and it's just so heavy that I can't do it. I don't know what it is, because people have said that Eragon was too descriptive for them and I read that fine and LOTR is pretty high on the fantasy and I'm cool with it but this is another level and I just can't get through it and I really wish I could because I love the show but every time I start reading I think of what else I could be reading.
Shake it Off
A book/series you love that everyone else seems to hate
The haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Everyone hates Allegiant and the ending of Allegiant and Veronica Roth for everything she did with Allegiant. I am one of the few people who don't share those feelings. I actually wrote a very positive review for it and looking back on that review I'm not sure everything I wrote there is still entirely consistent with how I feel now -- I still would say I perceived the book positively but I think now I'd be a little more critical about it and see a bit more of the negatives with it. In either case, I still was overall satisfied with it and with the ending, unlike most people.
I Wish You Would
A book/series you know you will always love
I wish you knew I'll never forget you as long as I live
I know this is the basic answer but honestly, this is the book series that I'll always come back to. It's just become such a central part of my life -- I literally grew up with it, from seven years old to now. And the other day on my Timehop, I saw that it was the eight year anniversary of Deathly Hallows and it felt like the first moment all over again. And the other week I got into an argument with a friend about Snape (by the other week I mean every time we talk) and I just felt so invested in the idea of all these characters that I knew this was a series I'd hold in my heart forever.
I Wish You Would
An upcoming release you wish you could have right now
I wish you were right here right now
Cassandra Clare
The Dark Artifices, #1
I knew you were all waiting for Cassandra Clare to show up on this list and here she is. I think this is an appropriate place for her, don't you? I am absolutely dying to explore these new characters, to get to know Emma and Julian, and I am especially interested in the way the Fair Folk are involved in this book as I've always been quite interested in faeries as a general concept. I just really like the idea of a Shadowhunter series set in the same realm and era as TMI but focusing on different but slightly related characters. It's a new and refreshing way to take on the Shadowhunters while still giving us the setting we know and love (and maybe some of the in-jokes?? who knows).
Bad Blood
A character you once loved but grew to hate
Now we've got bad blood, you know it used to be mad love
This is like, the most unpopular opinion of them all but I'm really not a fan of Peeta? I liked him in the beginning, when he was really sweet and kind but then it just became too much and it was really annoying and his relationship with Katniss just seemed forced and incompatible to me and I just got really annoyed with him as a character. I don't know what it is, but he just got on my nerves. And while I do feel like Katniss would have gotten so much more done and so much more efficiently if she had zero boys slowing her down, obviously he was still helpful to their team, just in a really annoying way.
Bad Blood
An author you haven't forgiven for what they did to your
favorite characters/books
favorite characters/books
Did you have to do this? I was thinking you could be trusted.
Did you have to ruin what was shiny, now it's all rusted
I will never get over the ending of Gone Girl. I will never forgive Gillian Flynn for the way it ended. This isn't even one of those situations where the fan is harassing the author like "why didn't you end the book the way I wanted you to?????" or "why did you kill off my favorite character don't you know this reading experience is all about me?????" That ending was just so wild, by literally not being as wild as the entire rest of the book. I mention how furious I am with it in my review. Honestly, the book is still excellent and one of the best books I've ever read but I'll never forgive her for doing that to me at the end.
Wildest Dreams
A book that was far too predictable
I can see the end as it begins
Steven Camden
Amrutha and I reviewed this a few months ago and I know between the two of us it's definitely mentioned how predictable this book is because it was honestly ridiculous how easy it was to know exactly what would happen. The connection between the two main characters, which we weren't told until the end, was easy to figure out from just the blurb, and if you didn't read that, then the first few pages. A few chapters in, and you understand the way he's going to try and parallel their stories and have them connect but fail really hard at it. Read our full review for a longer description of how this book was predictable and all the other ways it didn't reach our expectations, but please don't read the actual book.
Wildest Dreams
A book/series that you wish could have gone on forever
Nothing lasts forever but this is getting good now
Ugh, these books are just so good. Everything about them is so intense, the language is so beautiful and Cassandra Clare demonstrates how varied her writing can be -- the narration of The Mortal Instruments is so different from The Infernal Devices but both offer compelling stories and writing. Not only that, but her characters have such depth and are so wonderful. I fell in love with every single one of them (especially Will. I should have written him as my fictional crush, sigh. I used to have a Tumblr URL dedicated to him and everything. Double sigh). I just wish I could have kept reading forever and ever about this set of characters.
How You Get the Girl
One of your favorite books where they "got the girl"
That's how it works, that's how you get the girl
Jennifer E. Smith
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
This was such an adorable book and I loved it so much. It was definitely one of my favorite books where they "got the girl" (well the girl "got the guy" because the girl was the protagonist) for quite a few reasons. One of them is a little strange, but it's because the book -- well most of it, including the beginning and their getting-to-know-each-other-ing -- takes place on an airplane and an airport and I really like those things so I just really liked the whole idea of this book even more because I just fell in love with the idea of sitting next to someone who could potentially be the love of your life on an airplane. Besides that, it was an excellent book and super cute and I just felt giddy when I read it so definitely a favorite romance.
This Love
A book that completely shocked you
In darkest dreams, in wildest dreams, I never dreamed of this
I know I already used Gone Girl once and I really didn't want to do repeats but I really feel like this is the most appropriate book to put here because honestly it was such an insane and shocking book and I feel like Gillian Flynn deserves hella credit for that so she should get a section where I mention that instead of talking about how I'll never forgive her. It was just so unpredictable, the characters were so wild, something would happen and my mouth would open in shock because I would just not be expecting it.
I Know Places
A book you thought you loved but quickly came to hate
Loves a fragile little flame it could burn out
I think everyone needs to acknowledge that their Twilight phase happened, and it was real, and that we should move past it. Anyway, seventh grade was clearly a bad time, because I was really into it: Twilight merch, midnight movie premiere, getting into fights over Edward and Jacob. Oh, I was terrible. I can't tell you exactly when I came to my senses but I know it was before the second movie came out because I know I didn't see it and it was a deliberate decision, so I'm going to say I spent about a year in this phase.
I Know Places
A book you didn't want to be seen reading
Something happens when everybody finds out, see the vultures circling dark clouds
I don't have an answer for this one because when I'm reading a book it means a. I've decided to read that book or b. it's a textbook and in either case I don't have a problem being seen reading it???? If the book turns out to be bad, then it's bad, but I didn't know that going in and I'm not the one who wrote it, so if it's something I chose to read, then I'd read it in public.
Clean
When the wait between books made you forget
everything that happened
everything that happened
The drought was the very worst, when the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst
Okay, this one is actually my fault. The wait between the books isn't actually longer than normal books, but I read the first book a super long time ago (I reviewed it and everything) and I never ended up reading the second when it came out and in that time the third came out too???? Noor what???? I own the second one too, and I've been meaning to read it forever and I don't know why I keep picking other books over it because I loved the first one so much I thought it was amazing but I'm a terrible person and I remember the plot and especially the important things but I'm going to read a plot summary of the first book before I start the second one anyway.
Clean
A book/series you wiped from your memory
By morning, gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean
When Kiersten reviews a book lower than both Amrutha and I (especially Amrutha though) you know something is wrong with that book. I just want to pretend I never read Those Girls, that the things that happened in that book were not things I read about. It's working out pretty well. The points of view of the three main characters are already flying out of my brain and melding into one blob -- oh wait, they were already basically the same. It's still working though, the scarring left by the book doesn't seem to be too permanent and I think I'll be okay if I never think about this book again.
-Noor
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Link us to your posts in the comments!
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Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday - Authors I REALLY Want to Meet
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Here at We Live and Breathe Books, two of us choose five books each week. This week's topic is...
Authors I REALLY want to meet!
Kiersten's Picks
I have been lucky enough in the past to have met many of my favorite authors - Cassandra Clare, Rainbow Rowell, Rick Riordan, Sarah J. Maas, and more. However, there are still plenty of other awesome writers who I'd love to meet.- Susan Kaye Quinn - I have loved every Susan Kaye Quinn book I have ever read. I think Susan Kaye Quinn is probably one of the most interesting authors out there, having actually been a rocket scientist and now writing incredibly amazing indie YA. She's just so cool and I want to meet her.
- Shana Abé - One thing that's great about Shana Abé is all the conversations she has with her pets. I think we'd definitely get along well. I'm also in love with her The Sweetest Dark series (even though it feels like the third book is never coming out sob).
- Rachel Hawkins - Rachel Hawkins is Lady Hawkins on Twitter. That already makes her cooler than most of the people I know. I'm also a huge fan of the Hex Hall series and I hope to read Rebel Belle soon.
- Sarah Fine - I love her Guards of the Shadowlands series and all the characters so much. The way Sarah Fine writes her characters is definitely a tell to how she examines the world. I think having a conversation with her about people would just be an interesting thing.
- John Green - I mean, I think everyone who has read and enjoyed a John Green book wants to meet John Green. He seems like a chill dude.
Noor's Picks
Like Kiersten, I've also met a lot of authors I really love, like Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Veronica Roth, Michael Grant, and a lot more than I probably deserve to have met. Although, there are plenty more I would jump through hoops for the opportunity to meet, and thus here are 5 that I haven't yet met but would absolutely love to.
- Neil Gaiman - I've mentioned it many times, but Neil Gaiman is my favorite author and I'm in love with the way he writes and crafts stories. I did see him at a panel at BEA, which is where I received my signed copies of Fortunately, the Milk and his Make Good Art speech in book form, but I didn't actually meet him, I just saw him speak and I really want to meet him and tell him how much his work means to me.
- JK Rowling - You had to see this one coming, honestly, and it's very self-explanatory. Why wouldn't I want to meet the woman whose books shaped my entire childhood and what few years of adulthood I've experienced? If I could meet JK Rowling, I could die happy.
- Rainbow Rowell - Kiersten went to the launch event for Landline last year where she met Rainbow Rowell (and David Levithan cries), so she's a step ahead of me here. I absolutely love her writing style and the heartwarming, quirky nature of her books and she seems like she'd be a really cool person and I want to meet her very much.
- Jennifer E. Smith - So I'm 700% trash and her only work that I've read is The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (review here) but 1. I absolutely loved it (my copy is currently making its rounds through my group of 3 best friends who are also enjoying it) and thought it was such a well-written, wonderful read and 2. I get such good vibes from her books if that makes any sense and they are on my reading list I just have a lot of other stuff on there too but I really want to meet her, I think she'd be adorable.
- Yann Martel - I've read two of his works and I find his writing to be stunning and intriguing. His style has this air about it that makes me want to read his words forever and I like how he can be so dynamic with his writing because the two books I read were so different from one another. I'm just interested in meeting him and hearing what he has to say.
What authors do you want to meet?
Let us know in the comments!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
ARC Review: False Future - Dan Krokos
False FutureDan Krokos
Series: False Memory #3
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Release Date: August 19, 2014
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Rick Riordan x Veronica Roth
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
I have come full circle! Around a month ago, Disney Hyperion mailed me False Future and I promised to review it. I flew through False Memory, hooked but a little hesitant, and I was slightly shaky about False Sight, what with its insanely winding, borderline absurd plotline. Nevertheless, Dan Krokos has proven one thing: he knows how to end a series.
And oh my gods he ends it so well.
Plot-wise, the book begins as expected, with the our clone gang prepping for war. Noble, Sophia, Rhys, and Peter are the characters we have left. (Silent moment for Noah, Olivia, etc.)
Miranda's back! Within the first ten pages. It would have been a massive twist not to bring Miranda back, so this was expected. However, it doesn't feel cheap as, by now, death isn't a final in these novels. I liked the touch of guilt that the other characters express when they choose to bring her back, though, knowing the impact the newly war-torn world will have on her. It gives a kind of substance to death that is usually painfully absent from stories where characters are written back to life often(see Supernatural seasons six and onward). Even Miranda, whose been revived as she is twice, knows it's more complicated than it is often made out to be:
"Does it matter how many times I come back to life? It has to." (Krokos, 60).Then the book starts to delve into the heavier action material, where Krokos's grip on suspense, phraseology, and choreography shine.
When the action ebbs for a moment, I love that Krokos branches out, allowing humor and characterization, mainly through dialogue, to drive the story until another fight scene, like when Rhys and Miranda bring back a couple of invader clones and are pepping to interrogate them:
"We should let them wake up on -- " Rhys begins, but my slap across M-96's face interrupts him. "Or we could do that." (49)Krokos has stacked the odds so strongly against our protagonists that there is automatic tension and suspense in the novel, as readers try to cling on to the hope that is, at the beginning of the book, non-existent. This is mostly due to the insurmountable force of the villains, the Originals (or the Originals' Originals' Originals' etc) of "True Earth" and their army. Krokos knows how to write a crushing villain.
"Take heart citizens of New York. This is not your end." (35)The invading army from True Earth is terrifyingly relaxed, almost clinical in their actions. A polite predator, like Hannibal.
But true to the first two novels, Krokos pours suspension and tension into this novel as if it were the last thing he could possibly do. There's so much tension that one of the driving forces of tension from the first novels (memory shots) is completely overshadowed by the hell-hole our characters are in now.
The narrative beelines through dramatic scenes and mini-climaxes until we get to the holy crap moment. Which, of course, happens within the first few chapters. Olivia, the original Olivia, reveals dark secrets to our Miranda, which fuels the novel. (And, dare I say, the reader, because I burned through these pages with reckless abandon). And then it happens again. And again. The plot unravels the mythology, or, for clarity, if Krokos's mythology was a house, he flung a tornado full of plot twists at it.
There are a few drawbacks to this, however, in that I felt overloaded with new information. Miranda and the director are what??? And then: Wait so the future is whaaaattt?? And CAN THEY REALLY BRING HER BACK?
Krokos does well to allow these twists to settle in, but I feel as though the velocity of the pulsing plot only allowed for brief moments to take in anything.
The end is undoubtedly controversial. Miranda still makes incredibly dark choices. Innocent people still die. Miranda's last line might even seem entirely selfish:
"Finally, we have the rest of our lives."At least, selfish was what I initially thought, until I considered the novel at a greater depth than its prequels.
Throughout False Future, though, Krokos gives attention to characterization that was slightly lacking in the second novel, and, to an extent, the first, and allows it to function as a secondary drive alongside the plot.
For instance, when Rhys and Miranda attack another pair of Roses early on (around chapter 5, they check to see if they'd accidentally killed them. Their humanity and empathy are kept intact throughout a gruelling war between universes when it would be so easy to be merciless. In this way, Krokos keeps our protagonists from being like their enemies, and justifying our sympathies for their plight. It's just damn good writing.
And one scene, which I'm sure few people can skim over, is just painful. After sneaking into the Verge (even buildings can be written back to life, I suppose) under the guises of the Roses they interrogated, they find themselves facing a Peter, Noah, and Olive, the members of their team that are missing. These are members of another team, but in this moment they are humanized. The enemy isn't the eyeless, or the spiders, which can do nothing but kill, but it's these people. In Miranda's words:
"It's so familiar it hurts." (71)This focus on characterization often lends double meaning to words, especially these last lines. For me, "we have the rest of our lives" is not an invocation from the first novel's Miranda, who desperately wanted a normal life, it's from a Miranda who knows she can never wipe the slate clean for herself, who has been taught by the impossibly difficult decisions she's had to make. It's a shout to the dark that the final scene is a small, but beautiful, victory in itself.
But I can't explain it myself. That last chapter will thaw your freezing, broken heart (thanks Krokos) like Elsa's at the end of Frozen!
There are some errors with the science side of False Future. And no, this isn't a critique of the Sci-Fi aspect, because that would be nonsense in a Sci-Fi book. Rhys, trying to comfort Miranda early on, deals out the loveable "we are clones of ourselves" line. While the fact remains that most of our cells are replaced within ten years, the fact remains that it's only most cells. For examples, neurons in the cerebral cortex are never replaced, they simply die out. This doesn't affect the novel much because Krokos usually is correct on these points, and even so, one factual error is not enough to overturn a thrilling end to a series, especially when said from a character rather than from an authorial voice.
All in all, well done Mr. Krokos, and special thanks to Disney Hyperion for making this happen!
- Marlon
Do you believe in destiny?
Let us know in the comments!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Best of 2013
As 2013 comes to an end, we decided to reminisce on our favorite releases this year. There have been so many great books, whether they were anticipated sequels, series endings, or new series beginnings. To celebrate these loved releases, we've decided to share our best of 2013 picks with you!
Clockwork Princess was probably my favorite book this year. I absolutely love the Infernal Devices trilogy and I was anxious to see how everything turned out. I felt so much reading this book. SO MUCH. It is a crime that it did not win best young adult fantasy in the Goodreads Choice Awards.
After reading and falling in love with the world of Crewel (review) I was happy to dive right into more of that world with Altered. This was a great sequel, showing even more of the corruption involved in this world. I'm a huge fan of this series and I can't wait for Crewelest.
If you read my review of Palace of Spies you know how much I loved this book. This was my first Netgalley read and I'm really happy I discovered this title through them. Looking forward to reading more from Sarah Zettel.
The Sweetest Dark (review) was the first advanced reader's edition I've ever received (won through Goodreads First Reads) and it was one of the first reviews ever posted on here. I also posted a review of The Deepest Night on here as well. If you've yet to read this series, you should get on that.
I have to say that I regret waiting so long to read Fractured after it's release. Great follow up to Sanctum! Lela is a character that I empathize with more than most other characters I read and it makes me feel all the feels. I'll be posting a review for this sometime in January.
There were so many great 2013 releases I read this year and I just can't help but add a few more Honorable Mentions! There was Branded (Sinners, #1) by Missy Kalicicki and Abi Ketner (review), which was one of the most emotional books I've ever read; Prodigy (Legend, #2) by Marie Lu, which reminds me that I've yet to read Champion for some reason; Impostor (Slide, #2) by Jill Hathaway; and Zoo (Enclosure Chronicles, #1) by Tara Elizabeth (review).
As you may or may not know, Neil Gaiman is my favorite author so naturally, I had to purchase and devour this book the very second it was released. This was the very first book I reviewed so if you want to know why exactly it made the list, go check out the review!
I just read this book recently on my book and am planning to review it next week, and I think it's absolutely wonderful and a very heartwarming tale from an up and coming author.
I know this book got a lot of mixed reviews and it was either love or hate, but I am one of the people who enjoyed it (review) and I think the response it received just goes to show how influential it was and that's why it makes my list.
Oh look, another Neil Gaiman book. Well, I did mention how much I love him and even though this is a children's book, it's so well done I find myself rereading it all the time. Check out my review!
This book just shot me in the heart and didn’t care about picking up the pieces it just — ugh. I have a lot of feels. This book resolved countless plotlines from the earlier books and established each of the seven characters’ maturation. Literally the perfect set up for the final book. (live-blogging)
Ugh I hate James Frey but his novels are so beautiful. I’ve officially fallen in love with the I Am Number Four series, there’s just something about aliens fighting aliens for the lives of aliens and humans and oh god the romance and oh god the betrayal and death and horror it’s so perfect. (review)
Prepare to have a couple of repeats because I also like Neil Gaiman. Fortunately, the Milk is just such an incredibly woven childrens book (and those as you should know, are my favorite) that speaks to kids in ways that I really don’t even fully understand yet. It’s everything you need to tuck a kid in.
Ugh. Just. Ugh. Seriously. This piece is half memoir, half fantasy, half I don’t understand how there are three halves to this book but Neil Gaiman makes it seem that way, it’s full of everything you want in a sort-of coming of age novel and sort of learning about life through a million eyes at a time book.
Everyone should favorite this. This is how one ends a series of romance/adventure/supernatural novels. This is how. Take note. I’m still not over Will. Or Jem. Magnus Bane everyone, Magnus Fraking Bane. There’s too much to say here. This is one of the best romance novels I’ve ever read.
This was that one impulsive supermarket buy of the year that turned out to be oh so scrumptiously worth it. This is the only book I’ve reviewed that I’ve given a 5/5 star rating, because it is that perfect. Go check out the review and definitely read the book!
When I began the ebook for this, I wasn’t expecting much, especially because I am not the usual paranormal fan. This book far surpassed my expectations and is definitely one of the best books of 2013. (review)
This is actually just a short piece, the first in a series of 9. It is honestly beautifully written, and the idea of the story is literally one of the most creative I have read this year. Kiersten and I did a mini-review on it this year, so definitely check it out!
Just as Noor loves Neil Gaiman, I love Jodi Picoult. I read all her books as they come out, and they never ever disappoint. Get on this book and every other book by her as soon as possible if you have been deprived of her amazing-ness thus far in your life.
Kiersten's Picks
Clockwork Princess was probably my favorite book this year. I absolutely love the Infernal Devices trilogy and I was anxious to see how everything turned out. I felt so much reading this book. SO MUCH. It is a crime that it did not win best young adult fantasy in the Goodreads Choice Awards.
After reading and falling in love with the world of Crewel (review) I was happy to dive right into more of that world with Altered. This was a great sequel, showing even more of the corruption involved in this world. I'm a huge fan of this series and I can't wait for Crewelest.
If you read my review of Palace of Spies you know how much I loved this book. This was my first Netgalley read and I'm really happy I discovered this title through them. Looking forward to reading more from Sarah Zettel.
The Sweetest Dark (review) was the first advanced reader's edition I've ever received (won through Goodreads First Reads) and it was one of the first reviews ever posted on here. I also posted a review of The Deepest Night on here as well. If you've yet to read this series, you should get on that.
I have to say that I regret waiting so long to read Fractured after it's release. Great follow up to Sanctum! Lela is a character that I empathize with more than most other characters I read and it makes me feel all the feels. I'll be posting a review for this sometime in January.
There were so many great 2013 releases I read this year and I just can't help but add a few more Honorable Mentions! There was Branded (Sinners, #1) by Missy Kalicicki and Abi Ketner (review), which was one of the most emotional books I've ever read; Prodigy (Legend, #2) by Marie Lu, which reminds me that I've yet to read Champion for some reason; Impostor (Slide, #2) by Jill Hathaway; and Zoo (Enclosure Chronicles, #1) by Tara Elizabeth (review).
Noor's Picks
As you may or may not know, Neil Gaiman is my favorite author so naturally, I had to purchase and devour this book the very second it was released. This was the very first book I reviewed so if you want to know why exactly it made the list, go check out the review!
I just read this book recently on my book and am planning to review it next week, and I think it's absolutely wonderful and a very heartwarming tale from an up and coming author.
I know this book got a lot of mixed reviews and it was either love or hate, but I am one of the people who enjoyed it (review) and I think the response it received just goes to show how influential it was and that's why it makes my list.
Oh look, another Neil Gaiman book. Well, I did mention how much I love him and even though this is a children's book, it's so well done I find myself rereading it all the time. Check out my review!
Marlon's Picks
This book just shot me in the heart and didn’t care about picking up the pieces it just — ugh. I have a lot of feels. This book resolved countless plotlines from the earlier books and established each of the seven characters’ maturation. Literally the perfect set up for the final book. (live-blogging)
Ugh I hate James Frey but his novels are so beautiful. I’ve officially fallen in love with the I Am Number Four series, there’s just something about aliens fighting aliens for the lives of aliens and humans and oh god the romance and oh god the betrayal and death and horror it’s so perfect. (review)
Prepare to have a couple of repeats because I also like Neil Gaiman. Fortunately, the Milk is just such an incredibly woven childrens book (and those as you should know, are my favorite) that speaks to kids in ways that I really don’t even fully understand yet. It’s everything you need to tuck a kid in.
Ugh. Just. Ugh. Seriously. This piece is half memoir, half fantasy, half I don’t understand how there are three halves to this book but Neil Gaiman makes it seem that way, it’s full of everything you want in a sort-of coming of age novel and sort of learning about life through a million eyes at a time book.
Everyone should favorite this. This is how one ends a series of romance/adventure/supernatural novels. This is how. Take note. I’m still not over Will. Or Jem. Magnus Bane everyone, Magnus Fraking Bane. There’s too much to say here. This is one of the best romance novels I’ve ever read.
Amrutha's Picks
This was that one impulsive supermarket buy of the year that turned out to be oh so scrumptiously worth it. This is the only book I’ve reviewed that I’ve given a 5/5 star rating, because it is that perfect. Go check out the review and definitely read the book!
When I began the ebook for this, I wasn’t expecting much, especially because I am not the usual paranormal fan. This book far surpassed my expectations and is definitely one of the best books of 2013. (review)
This is actually just a short piece, the first in a series of 9. It is honestly beautifully written, and the idea of the story is literally one of the most creative I have read this year. Kiersten and I did a mini-review on it this year, so definitely check it out!
Just as Noor loves Neil Gaiman, I love Jodi Picoult. I read all her books as they come out, and they never ever disappoint. Get on this book and every other book by her as soon as possible if you have been deprived of her amazing-ness thus far in your life.
What are some of your 2013 favorites?
Let us know in the comments!
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