Friday 28 November 2014

Forgotten Friday Two

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 



I read and reviewed this book in the summer, but never actually posted it, so here is my second Forgotten Friday post:


Review:

I loved this!  I swear when I first picked this up, I had no idea how much I would love.  It was another one of those books that I brought purely for a light, easy summer read but I cannot express how wrong I was. 
Without giving too much away (I think it’s a book to go into without knowing a thing beforehand) it tells the story of Cadence Sinclair and her family; I don’t think I should say anymore without ruining anything.
I think all I say is don’t be deceived as I was!  Although I did enjoy reading it over the summer, I wouldn’t read it if you are not open to reading a smart book with a tragic centre to its story.  That said, I did love this book, particularly the writing which reminded me of a lyrical or poetic style at times.  I adored the journey I went on with it as you do learn more and more as the book continues.  Finally, no matter how well you think you know the story, be prepared for a shocker of an ending as it truly is one that I don’t think anyone could guess.  It leaves a final blow that left me both confused and surprised. 

Quotes: 

They took the matches from her and they struck them.  The witch watched their beauty burn, their bounce, their intelligence, their wit, their open hearts, their charm, their dreams for the future.She watched it all disappear in smoke.”Tragedy is ugly and tangled, stupid and confusing.That is what the children know.And they know that the storiesAbout their familyAre both true and untrue.There are endless variations.And people will continue to tell them.”"He was contemplation and enthusiasm. Ambition and strong coffee. I could have looked at him forever.”

Songs:

White Teeth Teens - Lorde This Love - Taylor Swift Skeletons - Nina Nesbitt 

Other Books: 

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson- another story about friendship, but with a much lighter story lineYou Against Me by Jenny Downham (older read)The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – I feel as though this is a similar book, likely down to the friendship element and darker background…          

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Top Ten Tuesday Four


Top Ten books on my winter TBR list


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme/ feature created by The Broke and the Bookish.  This weeks topic is top ten books on my winter TBR list.  I know that this contains many books that are not new releases or particularly wintery, but i wanted to add them in anyway as they are still the ones i will hoping to read this winter:


1) My True Love Gave to Me (Twelve holiday stories) by Various Authors - This book has so many of my favourite authors in it, so i can't wait to read this!


2) How They Met by David Levithan - I love this book and think it's great for Christmas where you may not have time to read a whole book, so I will definitely be reading some of these short stories this winter!

3) Where She Went by Gayle Forman - After reading If I Stay in the summer, I don't know why or if it was just me, but i felt as though it was a wintery book, so i would love to read this soon.

4) Let it Snow by Various Authors  - I actually read this one last year, but loved it so much that I will definitely be picking it up again this year.

5) Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn - I know this is neither Christmasy or wintery, but i still really want to read this one soon, so i figured i'd still add it in

6)Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan - This book is written by two of my favourite authors, and has been on my shelf for soo loong, so i think it's about time I read this one.

7) Boyfriend Shopping by Various authors  - Again, another Christmas read, but i love getting in the spirit with books, so why not?

8)The Iron King by Julie Kagawa - I have this whole series on my book shelf, but have never even read one, so i think the new year/ Christmas would be a good time to do so.

Friday 21 November 2014

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Review:

I have been wanting to read this for so long, after reading Anna and the French Kiss in the summer, but have only just got round to reading it.  But now I'm so glad i decided to!  I loved Anna and the French Kiss, so it was inevitable that I would have the same reaction to this; in fact, i may have loved this even more!  I like the way it's written, the story- line and adore all of the characters, and i now can't wait to read Isla and the happily ever after.

Firstly, for some reason i loved the realistic setting of this book.  Paris was such a beautiful place for the first book to be set, and i think it really helped the romance, but the typical and very everyday atmosphere here allowed this to be so much more realistic and show romance in a very normal setting.   Plus I think the next door neighbour window thing kind of created a romantic setting in itself!

I also loved the story-line.  I liked the simplicity of it and the lack of life-changing events.  I think it fitted well with the setting, and allowed everyday problems and romance to be shown well.  I liked how what might be seen as a small fight in this book affects the whole story-line in this book - it makes everything a whole lot more realistic.  I also liked the falling for a friend thing again, as i found this relatable in Anna and the French Kiss, so liked this coming back.


And the characters - i loved them!  I fell in love with Lola's originality and loved how individual she was.  I also found myself liking Lindsey as well, as she balanced Lola's boldness quite well and was always the voice of reason when it came to Max (the only character i didn't like).  I liked how involved Anna and St Clair were in the story  and thought it was clever how they fitted into this story as well.  Finally, Cricket.  As you could probably guess, i loved him.  His individual and intelligent nature worked so well with Lola's personality, and his shyness definitely helped!  I even liked how he stood up for his sister and supported her.


Overall, I just love this book!  It's such a beautiful romance, yet still realistic, and i can't wait to finish off the series!


Quotes:

(Due to the number of quotes i loved, i had to put more than three in, so sorry there's so many!)"When two people are in love, it's supposed to work.  It has to work.  No matter how difficult the circumstances are... We'll both be a success, and it'll be because of each other.                       Our love should make us a success.""Need. What a powerful, frightening word. It represented my feelings towards him but every night, my dreams placed it inside his mouth.""Our hearts beat the same wild rhythm.  They're playing the same song.""Life isn't about what you get.  It's about what you DO with what you get.""Just because something isn't practical doesn't mean it's not worth creating.  Sometimes beauty and real-life magic are enough.""I'm a child playing dress-up who can't even recognize herself under her own costume.""I know you aren't perfect.  But it's a person's imperfections that make them perfect for someone else."

Songs: 

She Will Stay Beneath the Moon - Adam Barnes How You Get the Girl  - Taylor SwiftTalking to the Moon (acoustic piano version) - Bruno Mars 

Other Books:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith - Another romantic one that i feel relates to Stephanie Perkins books, as it centers around travel.Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - A story about two teenage with very unique personalities so i feel it relates well to this.Forgotten by Cat Patrick  - I'm afraid I can't say why i recommend this, as I would give away major spoilers - but trust me it's romantic, mysterious and just overall amazing!


Tuesday 18 November 2014

Top Ten Tuesday Three

Top ten Sequels I can't wait to get 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme/ feature created by The Broke and the Bookish.  This weeks topic is Top Ten sequels I can't wait to get.  As most of the series I am reading are finished or am not the whole way through yet, a lot of these books are already out/ mid way through a series, but i thought I'd still share my choices anyway:

1) Swear by Amanda Hocking  - As I have said so many times before, I love Amanda Hocking and her books.  I only recently discovered that there was going to be a another book in the My Blood Approves series, so I'm really excited for this one when it get's published!

2) Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins - I just finished Lola and the Boy Next Door , so I am actually planning on waiting before getting this, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited about it!

3) Numbers 3 by Rachel Ward - I love this series (particularly the second one) and again never realized that there was another book, so this is definitely one I will be picking up soon.

4) The Scorch Trials by James Dashner - Although I didn't love The Maze Runner (review here), I would still like to see where the story goes and give this series another shot.

5) The Mortal Instruments : City of Glass by Cassandra Clare  - I have read the first two of this series and desperately need to read this one!

6) Percy Jackson  and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan - Again, I have read the first two, but feel as though I am late to this series, so I need to continue making my way through it.

Friday 14 November 2014

Forgotten Friday One

Revived by Cat Patrick 



Hey, so I was actually planning on reviewing the book I am currently reading today, but I haven't finished it yet, so i thought I'd try something else instead.  I got the idea for this recently after finding book reviews that I never posted, and so decided to try something new - Forgotten Friday.  This is just an idea I thought of to allow all those books I either forgot to review or that I read before blogging, be reviewed, as it not only lets me post even when I haven't finished a book, but also allows me to go back and relive some of my favourite books.  I hoping it will also be a bit of a break from usual reviews, as I will be looking back on what I remember, not talking about a book I just read.

So here is my first (and hopefully not my last!) Forgotten Friday post:

Review:

Revived is one of my all time favourite books; it is one that I constantly reread and every time I fall in love with it even more.  I love the story-line, characters and somehow, every single time I read it, the ending still gives me chills.

First off, I love the concept of the book.  Even this questions human nature and death, topics which are dealt with throughout the book.  Every plot twist makes the reader more aware of their mortality, a clever trick which wells in Patrick's favour.  I think that the concept of being brought back to life is one that can either be written very badly, or written very well, and this is one book which definitely plays it particularly well.
But what is a good story-line without good characters - something this book has a ton of.  I recently said in a top ten tuesday post that I would love to see Audrey get her own book (Top Ten Tuesday link here), and this just reflects how much I love both her and Daisy.  I like how their friendship evolves and love Audrey's carefree attitude.
Finally, I have to say that I loved the secretive atmosphere which loomed throughout the whole book.  I enjoy books where you are constantly discovering new things with the character, and with Revived this is certainly the case.  I never expected or saw any of the plot twists coming and ,despite it not being a scary book, sometimes found myself a little frightened due to some later creepy discoveries...
Overall (as i keep saying!) I adore this book and never get old of reliving it's characters, even if some scenes still give me chills!

Quotes:

Somehow I know that eventually we'll fall back into step, so the pain is the low hum of detachment rather than the screaming stab of the end.” 
"But I've found a way to be happy with this new version of myself, the version with a missing piece but also with a better understanding of the value of friendship.
Of the value of life."
"Anger is manageable; sadness is heart-breaking."

Songs:

Fix You - Coldplay 
A World Alone - Lorde 
Worth Wondering - Bronze Radio Return


Other Books:


Forgotten by Cat Patrick - Another one I love, and it's also by Cat Patrick!
Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman  - Also deals with secrets and conspiracy (review here)
By Any Other Name by Laura Jarrat - Another book that deals with a witness protection agency 

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Top Ten Tuesday Two

Top Ten Characters you wish would get their own book

Top ten tuesday is a original feature/meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.  This weeks topic is Top ten characters you wish would get there own book.  I found this quite an interesting topic to create a list for, as I found myself looking back at characters I loved and wanted to hear more from, so here is my list:  

1) Loki from The Trylle trilogy by Amanda Hocking - I'd love to be able to read a book from his point of view, as well as being able to explore the Trylle world more!

2) Rudy from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - I think it would just be nice to see his side of things as I feel like he also goes through a lot in the book, and being able to delve into his character more would be fun.

3) Caleb from Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth - I know most people really hate Caleb, but for some reason I don't actually mind him, and I may even go as far as to say that I like him, so I'd quite like to learn about the reasons behind his actions to perhaps show that he is still good at heart.

4) Audrey from Revived by Cat Patrick - I love this book, but we never truly get to look too far into Audrey's back-story, so i think that it would be really good to look back on her life before she met Daisy, as this would also allow us to see more of Matt as well. 

5) Milo from My Blood Approves series by Amanda Hocking - Being Alice's brother, i'd quite like to see his view of her life and her choices, as I think it would be interesting to see his side of things rather than just hers. 

6) Alice from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - I feel as though Alice is perhaps a forgotten character, as she doesn't have a huge role in the book (if I remember correctly), so I think that her character could, and maybe even should, be explored so much more than it is.

7) Tyson from Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan  - Honestly, this is just because he is my favourite character from what I've read of the series so far (I've only read the first two!) and so would definitely like to see more of him.

8) Effie from the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - Being from the capitol, Effie's view would be a very interesting one to read.  I don't believe that through the books her opinions are heard as much, so a book from her POV would be one i would be eager to pick up.

9) Alec from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare - Again, so far (I've only read the first two books), Alec seems to be a very quiet characters, whose emotions aren't shared often, so it would be unusual to be able to get inside his head and delve deeper into his thoughts and feelings.

Friday 7 November 2014

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Review: 

I’ll be honest - I didn't love this book.  Maybe I had high expectations (after hearing good reviews and it being made into a film and all) but it didn't hook me as I would have hoped and it took me far longer than I thought to read it.  Overall I really liked, but unfortunately not enough to say i loved it (if that makes any sense..)
Firstly, i loved the characters.  I loved the contrast and range of personalities, and the names really stay in your head.  I have to admit that, as i think most people will have, i really felt for Chuck and liked seeing him throughout the book, and learning more and more about him.
I also loved the atmosphere of the book, as i feel it really added to the overall experience of reading it, particularly at the beginning.  I liked how both Thomas and us as readers were in similar situations, not knowing anything and having to learn lots of information quickly.  Although i think it was well-written like this, it did get confusing at times, even towards the end; I think this is one of the reasons why this is probably better read over a short amount of time.
Unfortunately though, i did find that i wasn't always eager to read on.  I think that at at points the writing was so detailed and the story line so complex that as the reader i wasn't as hooked as i would have liked to have been.  I sometimes found myself confused and so didn't want to pick it up and have to figure it out, but i think if i continued with the series, or hadn't taken so long to read it, it may be a different story.
So, i would say this was definitely another technical book, and so at times can be confusing, but I'd say it worth a go!

Quotes: 

"If you ain't scared," Alby said, "You ain't human.""If your going to decipher a hidden code from a complex set of different mazes, I'm pretty sure you need a girl's brain running the show.""You're the shuckiest shuck-faced shuck there ever was."

Songs: 

The Great Escape - Boys like Girls Further On  - Bronze Radio Return Laura Palmer - Bastille 

Other Books: 

Gone by Michael Grant  - I know i suggested this last time as well, but it just shows how much i love this series!  Also this has similar elements, such as no adults, a problem to solve and can be technical and confusing. Revived by Cat Patrick - although this is quite a different style of book, i do think they are similar, but i can't say anymore without ruining either book!How I Live Now by Meg Rosof  - Another one that is quite different, but with similar ideas such as survival, and escape, but in completely different circumstances.

Tuesday 4 November 2014

Top Ten Tuesday One

Top ten books I want to reread

Top ten tuesday is a original feature/meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.  This weeks topic is ten books I want to reread.  This was a topic I didn't find very hard to make a list for, so here it is:


1) The Originals by Cat Patrick -  I love Cat Patrick books, and have read both Revived and Forgotten several times, so this is a story I would like to remember and love as much as I do with the other two.

2) Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman - This was the book that really made me love reading, so it's only natural that I'd love to revisit the characters and the story once more.
3) Switched by Amanda Hocking - Amanda Hocking is one of my favourite authors; I love the supernatural aspect that she puts in each of her books and adore the characters she creates.  This is the first book in the Trylle trilogy, the first series I ever read of hers and I would love to go back and reread the whole trilogy again.
4)Gone by Michael Grant - I adore this series and this is honestly my favourite book out of all them; it would be nice to go back to the start and live in the world all over again.
5)Ruby Red by Linzi Glass - I read this whilst on holiday a couple of years ago.  I don't remember much about the book and it would be nice to reread and refresh my memory of this ,as I only remember really enjoying it!
6) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins -  I read this before any of the movies came out, so I would like to go back and picture my version of it again.
7) The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - This is honestly one of my all time favourite books,so rereading is a must for me.  I need to pick this up again and fall in love with the story all over again.
8) The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne - I only really remember the film adaptation of this, so I would love to reread it and follow the story through words instead of pictures.
9) Looking for Alaska by John Green - Like anyone else, I love John Green and this is my favourite of his, so I would like to go back and revisit it.
10) Numbers by Rachel Ward-  The concept of this book is like nothing I've ever read before and since I have just read the sequel it would be nice to remember the original story.