Series Review - Fallen

Fallen

Lauren Kate

5 Stars

YA/ Romance / Supernatural/ 

Fallen

5 Stars

452 Pages
Lucinda Price, who can see mysterious and threatening figures in shadows, is sent to the Sword and Cross reform school after the  mysterious death of her friend in a fire; it is suspected that she was the arsonist responsible. Luce meets Daniel, a mysterious boy who both encourages and shuns her advances and Cam, who is straight forward and honest about his interest in her but occasionally gives off bad vibes. But all is not as it seems.

I went into this book having been a little spoiled and so I was ready for the style. I knew it was very twilight-ie, instalove, love triangles, angsty teens, all those tropes. Having been forewarned I didn't expect a lot, and it was pretty much what I thought it would be. It is a good read, with flaws, light and quick my kind of spring go-to.

Torment

5.5 Stars
452 Pages
Luce now knows that Daniel and Cam are fallen angels on opposite sides of an age old war. Taken to another school for Nephalim(the offspring of angels and humans) to hide and learn. Breaking the curse that has held them captive for thousands of years wont happen in a day but step by step Luce hopes she is getting closer. But the more she knows the more questions she has.  Is it really love that binds them together or is it obligation to the spell? What if being with someone else would break the curse?

I was expecting something like the first novel (which it was) but I got an unexpected surprise in some of these characters and in the setting. The Nephelim school was amazing, the dynamic worked in all the ways the Sword and Cross didn't. There was other things than just the love story. There were a few points in the book where there was so much potential for a novel much better than Fallen, and the idea had just been left on the sidelines.

Passion

5.5 Stars
420 Pages

Luce has decided to find the answers for herself, by jumping into her past lives; reliving them to know what Daniel has been through and too see for herself if it is true love. Daniel, Cam and the others are chasing her down to bring her home, however time travel can be very dangerous and one wrong move could change the course of history forever, with almost a dozen interlopers who will be the one to make that mistake?

I went into this thinking it was the last book in a trilogy but turns out there are two more novels after this one. I still enjoyed this book more than Fallen but less than Torment in some places because it dragged on. There was a lot of repetition which didn't bother me as much as it normally does but I was very aware of that flaw. I feel like some of the book could have been condensed, the whole series in fact could have been to turn it into a trilogy. Not sure when, or if I will get to the rest of the books because I don't know where they could possibly go after this. and to end on a positive note : no love triangle in this book! Yay!

Series Review - Darkest Minds Trilogy

The Darkest Minds Trilogy

Alexandra Bracken

7 Stars
YA / Dystopian / Mystery / Action /
Easy Read

This was one of those overly hyped series yet again. As always that makes me wary of reading the novels because of how high my expectations are and how often the books then fall short (even if they are great books). I was really pleased with how the series progressed, I had labeled these as a younger YA then what they turned out to be. There are some pretty heavy topics interwoven into the story, including big influences from such as WW2, prisoner of war, and genocide. I will definitely be recommending these books.

The Darkest Minds

6 Stars
This is my original Book Review.  I will be adding to it as my opinions have morphed a little since.

I found the writing and the concept of the story to be everything promised by avid fans. The plot however was painfully slow and the characters are largely unappealing. Personally I found Ruby's story was told so well. It is shame her character is so repetitive, while it draws out understanding and connection in the beginning, that quickly fades into whining and frustration on the readers behalf. Liam I thought very little of, I believe he is overly sensitive and naive. An alright character but a poor love interest in this case.

I struggled to finish this novel but did want to continue the series.

Beware SPOILERS!

Book Review - Darkest Minds

The Darkest Minds
Alexandra Bracken

6 stars
Ya / Dystopia / Action / Mystery

This is the first novel in this trilogy, and I had heard amazing things about these novels.

Welcome to the USA, you cannot enter or leave the country. It has become a dictatorship instead of a democracy and the adults live in fear of the children.
All the children in the new generation where born with a mysterious x gene, there are five different classifications ordered least to most dangerous : Green, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Red. All of the children were put into government established camps, which are more like prisons.
Ruby lives at Thurmond camp from the day she turns 10 and while she has been classified a Green, she has a secret. Ruby is an Orange and she is terrified of her own powers. Escaping camp with the help of the government militia group known as the Children's League, is the beginning of her long journey of discovery.

I have just not been in a YA kind of headspace lately, so my opinion of this novel might flex a little with time. Overall I enjoyed this read, it had a few YA cliche pitfalls and hangups but the writing was good. I really liked the setting, how they explained the characters, the concept. The reason why the writing was just good and not great is : there are just too many unanswered questions. What caused the mutation? was it a gene? why the sudden onset, where did "it" come from? When exactly is all this taking place? Unfortunately not being given all the information and slowly finding out about the Colours piece by piece made the novel more confusing than mysterious.

Looking forward to seeing where this trilogy goes but not in a rush to get through them.

Book Review - Darkest Minds

The Darkest Minds
Alexandra Bracken

6 stars
Ya / Dystopia / Action / Mystery

This is the first novel in this trilogy, and I had heard amazing things about these novels.

Welcome to the USA, you cannot enter or leave the country. It has become a dictatorship instead of a democracy and the adults live in fear of the children.
All the children in the new generation where born with a mysterious x gene, there are five different classifications ordered least to most dangerous : Green, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Red. All of the children were put into government established camps, which are more like prisons.
Ruby lives at Thurmond camp from the day she turns 10 and while she has been classified a Green, she has a secret. Ruby is an Orange and she is terrified of her own powers. Escaping camp with the help of the government militia group known as the Children's League, is the beginning of her long journey of discovery.

I have just not been in a YA kind of headspace lately, so my opinion of this novel might flex a little with time. Overall I enjoyed this read, it had a few YA cliche pitfalls and hangups but the writing was good. I really liked the setting, how they explained the characters, the concept. The reason why the writing was just good and not great is : there are just too many unanswered questions. What caused the mutation? was it a gene? why the sudden onset, where did "it" come from? When exactly is all this taking place? Unfortunately not being given all the information and slowly finding out about the Colours piece by piece made the novel more confusing than mysterious.

Looking forward to seeing where this trilogy goes but not in a rush to get through them.

Series Review - Divergent

The bookworms archenemy ; the popular books you HAVE to read, that you know are SO over hyped and media inflated (especially when there are movies involved), that you want to read but don't at the same time. Then you read the darn thing and its only OK. It's the OK that I really have a problem with, I am very rarely in the "grey area" with novels, I am a love it or hate it kind of person. All of the YA trilogies lately have been falling in the grey area and its driving me crazy.

Divergent Trilogy

Veronica Roth

Dystopian/ YA
Easy Read

Divergent
5 stars

Introducing our setting, five factions based on the five evils that cause war. Abegnation that believe it is selfishness, Erudite that believe it is ignorance, Dauntless that believe it is cowardice, ect. Amity and Candor are the other two factions. Four factions live together in a  city, Amity the fifth lives just outside the fence. The factions do not interact with each other on base levels, they do not work together, go to school together, or get married outside of their own faction. When the teens of the city turn 16 they take an aptitude test and then there is a choosing ceremony, each person is born into a faction, the choosing ceremony is the only time when a person can decide to change factions. Hence the name during the choosing ceremony each person will choose what Faction they want to devote their lives to *the Factionless also live within the city, they are essentially the homeless. To be Factionless is considered a fate worse than death.
Tris is our main character, she was born Abegnation but her aptitude test is inconclusive which makes her Divergent (she could join Dauntless, Erudite or Abegnation equally). Divergence is dangerous, although the majority people don't know of its existence and those who do don't know why it is dangerous. Tris becomes Dauntless where she meets Four who has secrets of his own... and suddenly the world as they know it begins to unravel at the seams.

I don't have much to say about this book, its a good read, its not original, there are movies. Its a dystopian YA.

BEWARE SPOILERS!!!

Book Review - The Nightmare Affair

The Nightmare Affair
Mindee Arnett

5 Stars
YA/ Supernatural

I picked up this book for a couple of reasons, Id never heard of the book or the author but the cover was pretty cool and it has a Marissa Meyer (Cinder/Lunar Chronicles) recommendation printed on the front cover of my copy.

All in all, I was pretty disappointed with this book. The concept behind nightmares as a supernatural creature was great so much potential. Unfortunately the author over used so many of the YA writer crutches that it wasn't an enjoyable read for me. I am glad I finished the book (I was really close to putting it down) but I will not be continuing with this trilogy.

Book Review - The Coldest Girl in Coldtown (Spoilers)

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
by Holly Black

I liked this cover but it isn't really anything special. Doesn't really have anything to do with the novel. 

419 Pages
Easy Read

Vampire/ Paranormal / Post Apocalyptic/
Ya novel
7.5 Stars

So I picked this book up from the library on a whim, I was just looking for books that I thought I would be able to finish in one maybe two sittings (three at the most). I hadn't picked up anything paranormal in a long time and the cover caught my eye.  I have never read anything by Holly Black, I knew the name but it didn't thing to me so I didn't have any expectations. This was a good read, took me two sittings and I enjoyed it. It was more complex and in-depth than what I expected. There wasn't a love triangle or too many overwhelming little irritating things that seem to be in most YA nowadays. Holly Black really didn't throw in tons of unnecessary things that I find authors have been putting in their books just to crowd please. Overall something I would but on my TBR if your a paranormal fan, vampire fan its  good summer read, read-a-thon read. But its not a MUST read.

SPOILERS BELOW BEWARE! +  character list, general story overview, random notes, extra stuff more something for memory or school (not that i'm in school but...)

Seven Deadly Sins Book Tag

GREED—What is your most inexpensive book? What is your most expensive book?
What Author Have You Read the most books from? Tamora Pierce 34 books

WRATH—What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?
EDIT*What is your biggest bookish problem?

Over Hyping, series that I wish had been stand alones.

GLUTTONY—What book have you deliciously devoured over and over with no shame whatsoever?
Harry Potter, JK Rowling

SLOTH—What book have you neglected reading due to laziness

Classics - Watership Down, Frankienstein

PRIDE—What book do you most talk about in order to sound like a very intellectual reader?

A Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Also when you get the reference to a or a quote from another novel

LUST—What attributes do you find most attractive in male or female characters?

Edgy, Bad boy, lethal, sarcastic Strong,
Mary JaniceDavidson
Sherrilyn Kennyon
Yasime Galnorm

ENVY—What books would you most like to receive as a gift?

The Lord of the Rings + The hobbit omnibus hardcover
Stephen King matching novel set 

Taylor Swift Book Tag

1. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - pick a book or series that you were pretty sure you were in love with, but then wanted to break up with.

Janie Johnson, Caroline B Cooney

2. Red - pick a book with a RED cover.

The Battle of the Labyrinth, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan
You Slay Me, Aisling Grey Guardian,  Katie McAlister

3. The Best Day - pick a book that makes you feel nostalgic.

Redwall, Brain Jaques 

4. Love Story - pick a book with forbidden love.

Blood and Chocolate, Vivian and Aiden, Anette Curtis Klause

5. I Knew You Were Trouble - pick a book with a bad character you couldn’t help but love.

Hannibal Lecter, Thomas Harris

6. Innocent (written b/c of Kanye West!) - pick a book that someone ruined the ending for.

Twilight, Sephanie Meyer

7. Everything Has Changed - pick a character from a book who goes through extensive character development.

Susie and John, The Nightside Series, Simon R Green

8. You Belong With Me - pick your most anticipated book release. 
EDIT --> Most anticipated series to begin, 

The Lunar Chronicles, Marissa Meyer

9. Forever and Always - pick your favorite book couple.

Suzie and John, The Nightside Series
Mia and Adam, If I Stay, Gayle Forman

10. Come Back, Be Here - pick the book you would least like to lend out, for fear of missing it 
too much.

Journeys Through Bookland

BONUS QUESTIONS:11. Teardrops On My Guitar - pick a book that made you cry a lot.

My Sisters Keeper, Jodi Picoult 
Not Without My Sister, Kristina Jones

12. Shake It Off - pick a book that you love so much, you just shake off the haters.

Wintergirls, Laurie Halse Anderson

The Horror Readers Evolution

It all begins with Halloween... Scooby Doo. Mysteries. The transformation scene in Pinocchio.

Picture Books

• The Big Pumpkin, Erica Silverman
• Too Many Pumpkins, Linda White
• Spooky Hour, Tony Mitton
• Boo! Robert Munsch 

Children's Horror

• Goosebumps, RL Stine
• Fear Street R L Stine
• Shivers, MD Spenser
• Spine Tinglers, MT Coffin
• Scary Stories, Alvin Schwarts 
• Bone Chillers, Betsy Haynes

YA Horror

• Coraline, Neil Gaiman
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs

Classics

• Frankenstein, Mary Shelly
• Dracula, Bram Stoker
• Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson
• Edgar Allen Poe, Collection

Adult Authors

• Richard Laymon
• Stephen King
• Richard Matheson
• Dean Koonze
• Jack Ketchum
• Clive Barker

Famous Movies That Are Books

• The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty
• The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson
• Rosemary's Baby, Ira Levin
• Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris
• Jaws, Peter Benchley
• 30 Days of Night, Tim Lebbon
• Cabin in the Woods, Tim Lebbon

There are lots of things here that I left out so please leave a comment if you have a must read horror novel that comes to mind right away.

Childhood and TBR Series. Comics

Series I loved as a child

The Secrets of Droon
Shivers
Goosebumps
Dragon Slayers Academy
Captain Underpants

Do Comic Books Count as Series?

Garfield
Tintin
Asterix

TBR Series

The Lord of the Rings, J R R Tolkien

The Maze Runner, James Dasher

Sookie Stackhouse, Charlaine Harris

The Lunar Chronicles, Marissa Meyer

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge Intro.

I have never watched Gilmore Girls so I am not in a huge rush to finish this list by any means. I found this list on Pintrest, discovered I have already read quite a few and have some others on my TBR list.

There are 338 Books on the List, the Link to the list is here

Read

1. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
2. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
3. Carrie, Stephen King
4. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
5. Christine, Stephen King
6. The Crucible, Arthur Miller
7. Cujo, Stephen King
8. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon *I remember Loving this book and thinking it was something everyone should read in school but I need to reread it
9. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
10. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson
11. The Great Gatsby F Scott Fitzgerlad
12. Hamlet, Shakespear
13. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
14. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, JK Rowling
15. How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr Seuss
16. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
17. The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe, CS Lewis
18. The Little Match Girl, Hans Christian Anderson
19. The Lottery, Shirley Jackson
20. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
21. My Sisters Keeper, Jodi Picoult
22. The Raven, Edger Allen Poe
23. Romeo and Juliet, Shakespear
24. A Room of Ones Own, Virginia Woolf
25. The Shinning, Stephen King

Started But Never Finished

When I was taking english classes in school many of these where on reading lists for final projects or some of the bigger essays, I would start to read one of these books and if I couldn't figure out how I was going to write the essay from the book, to go with whatever our topic question was I would put the book down after about 100 pages and try again... Some of these I will finish some I might not they are at the bottom of my TBR more or less

1984, George Orwell
Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carrol
Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
Beowulf
Canterbury Tales, Chaucer
Charlottes Web, EB White
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
Edgar Allen Poe, Complete Tales
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S Thompson

My Rory Gilmore TBR List

The Dirt : Confessions of the Worlds Most Notorious Rock Band, Motely Crue
Fat Land : How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World, Greg Critser
Lord of the Rings, J R R Tolkein
Frankenstein, Mary Shelly

2015 January to May Wrap up + Mini Reviews

This is me playing catch up for the year

Wrap Up

1. Dirty Rocker Boys, Bobbie Brown
2. Skinny, Donna Cooner
3. The Fault in our Stars, John Green 
4. Prince of the Icemark, Stuart Hill
5. Gerald's Game, Stephen King
6. The TommyKnockers, Stephen King
7. It, Stephen King
8. The Bourne Supremacy, Robert Ludlum
9. The Bourne Identity, Robert Ludlum
10. Clash of Kings, George R Martin
11. A Game of Thrones, George R Martin
12. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Robert Louise Stevenson
13. The Lost Hero, Rick Riordan
14. The Son of Neptune, Rick Riordan

Mini Reviews

Loved - It

Hated - The Tommyknockers, I hated this book, the only thing that got me through was my promise to read all the Stephen Kings and the references to other books, this is the first Stephen King I have despised.

Classic - Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Series's

1. A Song of Ice and Fire
2. Lost Heroes of Olympus
3. Bourne

Disappointed - A Game of Thrones and Fault in our Stars, both for the same reason. I was told I absolutely HAD to read them, they where amazing, that I had never read anything quite like them, on and on and on. After much harassment I did read them, they are good but they are not great or overly original. I would classify The Fault in our Stars as average writing a YA version of My Sisters Keeper with a less than original plot that left me thinking a wanna be JD Salinger.

Non Fiction - Dirty Rocker Boys