My Little Infinity of Books: August 2015

Saturday, August 29, 2015

September TBR

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo Review

General Info

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Published June 2014 By Henry Holt & Co.

(SPOILERS)

422 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

My Personal Favorites

This book is an epic conclusion to one of my all time favorite series. So the story begins with Alina and her crew underground basically being held captive by the Apparat. Alina is getting weaker and weaker by the second and her power is basically gone since she isn't in reach of the sun. She is also separated from Mal and the rest of her friends but not for long. They come up with a plan and it goes right. They quickly leave and now have to search for the firebird, but instead have a slight setback. While settling in the middle of the forest they are attacked by a militia. But our favorite guy Nikolai comes to the rescue. I love Nikolai so much btw. Anyway I'm going to stop telling the whole story and just state the main plot points. The attack at the Spinning Wheel took a detrimental toll on the good side. We lost Sergei, Banghra, Adrik's arm, and Nikolai is turned into a monster. This is one of my favorite scenes from the trilogy. It was so action packed.

In this book the Darkling showed us that he needed someone like him and it broke my heart to see him die at the end. He was just too powerful and burdened with a life that would last for an eternity. I actually really enjoyed the way Alina could visit the Darkling without actually being there. We also saw him break after Banghra died and I am glad that Alina had a proper burial for him even though he was the bad guy. Honestly the Darkling is my favorite antagonist up to date.

In this book we definitely get to know Genya, David, Nadia, Tamar, Tolya, Zoya, Adrik, and our newest additions Misha and Harshaw. At first I didn't really think twice about these characters but I definitely grew to love them in this last book. I can't even choose a favorite because they are all just that great.

When we found out that Mal was the third amplifier, I knew that we were going to have to kill him. But before that we got the Mal and Alina sex scene and I really enjoyed it, It wasn't too graphic but it wasn't kid friendly either. I cried so hard when Alina stabbed him during the big battle at the end because I could have sworn that he was gone for good. But I am glad that he isn't.

People say they don't like the ending but I think that it was a great ending for this series. I was kind of sad that Alina lost her power and didn't get the destiny she deserved but she lived a happy life with Mal and Misha. Nikolai is alive so that's a plus too. Honestly I was Team Nikolai since book two so I was a little disappointed when Alina ended up marrying Mal but at least Nikolai will be in Six of Crows.

There are a lot more favorites but this post is way too long.

My Personal Dislikes

The only thing that I can say is that I missed the Darkling a lot in this book.

Rating

5/ 5 Stars

My Final Thoughts

I love this trilogy so much and it is bittersweet to see it end. I can't wait to read more from Leigh Bardugo in the future so I'll definitely be buying Six of Crows next month.

See you in the next post.

~Naya J.

Friday, August 21, 2015

The Amulet Series Books 1-3 Review! SPOILER FREE!

Alright so this is going to be a quick review because I don't have much to say about this series as a whole. I don't even know if I want to continue on with it. My sister recently got these books as a gift and she apparently really enjoyed the first one, so I wanted to see if they were any good since I did hear a ton about it on Booktube. When I finished the first book, I was greatly disappointed. The characters were pretty flat and the plot was very generic. But yet I continued with the series so I could get more books towards my 2015 goal. The second book was again pretty dull but it did interest me more for some reason. And my favorite character is introduced in this book so that was a plus. Then the third book happened and I actually really liked this one. It was a definite game changer for this graphic novel series. It was action packed, the characters went through some minor character development, and this book was just way more enjoyable than the previous two. I don't know if I'll continue with this series. I probably will if my sister gets them so I can read her copies, but I definitely won't buy them on my own. So it might be a while until I read the fourth book.

Ratings

The Stonekeeper - 3 Stars

The Stonekeeper's Curse - 3.5 Stars

The Cloud Searchers - 4 Stars (My Favorite)

Buy the Box Set - http://www.amazon.com/Amulet-Boxset-Books-Kazu-Kibuishi/dp/0545643791/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1440198601&sr=1-8&keywords=amulet

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Every Last Word by Tamera Ireland Stone Review

General Info

Every Last Word by Tamera Ireland Stone

Published June 2015 by Disney Hyperion

(SPOILERS)

368 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

Personal Favorites

It took me quite a while to finish this book but I absolutely loved it. First of all I loved all of the characters but my absolute favorite was definitely AJ. He was just so deep and we really got to know him throughout the story. I also enjoyed Sam starting to take control of her life when she decided to drop the Crazy Eights because they weren't good for her. Poet's Corner was so fun as well and the actual poems in the book added such a great element to the story. Near the end if this book, I was in tears. Like I totally didn't know that Caroline was just a coping mechanism to help Sam come into her true self. I loved Caroline so when we found out that she committed seven years prior, I was devastated.

Personal Dislikes

Nothing to say in this section which is a good thing.

Rating

5/5 Stars

My Final Thoughts

This was my first book with a character who had OCD and I loved it. Everyone should read it, anyways see you in the next post.

~Naya J.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Pretty Little Liars Last Minute Theories (Not Book Related)

SPOILERS AWAIT

Today, August 11th the Pretty Little Liars Season 6 summer finale will premiere and we'll finally come face to face with the one and only A! This isn't about books at all but I want to put my last minute theories out there just to see if I'm right. I have been a fan of this show for two years after binge watching it all last summer on Netflix and I love it so much. It is an addiction if I must admit it to myself. So today I would like to show you my top suspects for red coat, black widow, and Charles.

My Charles Suspects

1) Caleb Rivers - Marlene King says that the A reveal is heartbreaking and honestly Caleb being the best boyfriend ever betraying the girls and being A this whole time would break my heart. We have also seen him in a black hoodie before. Lastly, he has all of the A skills like hacking and sneaking in.

2) Ezra Fitz - I still just can't trust him after that whole thing with writing a book about the liars and Ali. It was weird and creepy, I mean this is a grown man stalking teenagers for a story. Also A stuff started when Ezra started teaching at Rosewood. This kind of ties into my overall arching theory.

3) Lucas Gottesman - He is very suspicious and creepy. Ever since we found out that he trashed Alison's memorial, I didn't trust him any more. Even if he is my least favorite suspect, he does happen to have a big motive. Alison has called him a hermaphrodite and basically made his high school life a living hell.

My Red Coat Suspects

1) Aria Montgomery - She has been shady since day one and how convenient that the A messages started as soon as Aria came back Iceland. I think that she has some type of personality disorder and can't remember that she actually is on the A team. This would go with my theory on Ezra being Charles. They could be a team working together to bring the girls down kind of like the infamous couple Bonnie and Clyde.

2) Maya St. Germain - Even though she is supposed to dead, I think that she is actually alive and hiding because she was faking the relationship with Emily at first but then gradually caught feelings. Maya couldn't bear playing Emily like that so she decide to fake her death. Besides we never seen her face or her funeral, so therefore she still has a chance to be alive.

3) Jenna Marshall - If Red Coat is indeed the leader of the whole A team, Jenna seems like a great choice for this part. She has one of the biggest motives since the girls did blind her. Being blinded is enough to hold a grudge against the ones who caused it. I absolutely loved Jenna's character and I really want her to come back. Hopefully she does.

My Black Widow Suspects

1) Melissa Hastings - This is my only suspect for this category. Since Melissa did bury Bethany, it would make perfect sense for her to got her funeral. Maybe she felt guilt but didn't want anyone to know she went, so she disguised herself. A widow is someone who lost their husband and remember when Ian died. Ian was her husband, he's dead now. That is probably how she decided the costume.

I hope you enjoyed these theories. If you want me to post more about Pretty Little Liars, let me know because I love this show and I'll be glad to talk about it on this blog. See you in the next post.

~Naya J.

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews Review

General Info

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Published March 2012 by Amulet Books

(SPOILERS)

295 Pages

Paperback - Goodreads

Plot Summary

Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

My Personal Favorites

Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this book thoroughly. It was hilarious and had me laughing all the way through. My favorite character was Earl because he didn't care what people thought about him while Greg's life basically depended on it. This book isn't my absolute favorite but it was still pretty dang good.
My Personal Dislikes
Alright so let's get started. I know that I just said that I enjoyed this book but I still had some problems with it. So to start it off, I didn't feel connected to ANY of the characters. Like when Rachel died, I felt no remorse. It didn't make me feel sad or any types of emotions towards her. I also felt like the use of profanity was a little too much. Last thing is that all of characters felt static to me. They didn't change over the course of the story like I thought they would.
Rating
4/5 Stars
My Final Thoughts
Although this book was enjoyable, I still had problems with it. Anyways see you in the next post.
~Naya J.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart Book Review

General Info

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Published May 2014 by Delacorte Press

(NO SPOILERS)

227 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

My Personal Favorites

The plot summary is quite vague but that is really all you need to know. This book grabs you from the beginning because you're constantly trying to figure out what happened to our main character Cadence and when you find out you're going to need some tissues. Yes, this book indeed made me cry. I really enjoyed this book and I am glad to call it one of my new time favorites.

My Personal Dislikes

I don't have anything to say in this section because I loved this book so much!

My Rating

5/5 Stars

My Final Thoughts

Everyone just read this and give it a chance. And please don't spoil yourself, you'll regret it. I know that this review is short but it's Booktubeathon week and i have to get back to reading. See you later.

~Naya J.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson Review

General Info

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Published July 2014 by Henry Holt

(SPOILERS)

492 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.
She flees on her wedding day.
She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.
She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.
She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.
The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.
Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

~ Summary from Goodreads

My Personal Favorites

I had very high expectations for this book since everyone loves it so much but sadly this book fell flat for me. But lets talk about the things I actually liked. I really liked the boys especially Kaden. He was just so mysterious and I already knew he was the assassin. I liked the world but the second half of the book was way better than the first half.

My Personal Dislikes

I found the plot twist quite predictable. I could easily tell who the assassin and the prince really were. This part annoyed me because I thought the plot twist would spin my head around but in actuality the plot twist fell flat for me. The first half of the book bored me and now I have super low expectations for book 2.
Rating
3/5 Stars
My Final Thoughts
As I said before, I went into the story with high expectations and I honestly think that it affected my reading experience. I liked the story so I will continue the series but I hope that it gets better. Anyways see you in the next post.
~Naya J.

Monday, August 3, 2015

Papertowns Movie Review

General Info

Paper Towns

Released July 24th (USA)

Budget Estimated to be 12,000,000

Directed by Jake Schreier

Adaptation of Paper Towns by John Green

Written by 20th Century Fox

Storyline

Adapted from the bestselling novel by author John Green, PAPER TOWNS is a coming-of-age story centering on Quentin and his enigmatic neighbor Margo, who loved mysteries so much she became one. After taking him on an all-night adventure through their hometown, Margo suddenly disappears - leaving behind cryptic clues for Quentin to decipher. The search leads Quentin and his quick-witted friends on an exhilarating adventure that is equal parts hilarious and moving. Ultimately, to track down Margo, Quentin must find a deeper understanding of true friendship - and true love.

My Personal Favorites

I thought that this movie was a decent adaptation of the book by John Green. Honestly, I didn't enjoy the book as much as the movie but the book wasn't bad. Now let's talk about the actual movie. I really liked it but I didn't love it as much as The Fault In Our Stars. My favorite part of the movie was definitely the road trip and the revenge plot in the beginning. I loved all the characters especially Ben and Radar. The movie is hilarious and I think everyone should see it.

My Personal Dislikes

Although I liked this movie, I did have minor problems with it. I think that the middle was kind of a little boring, but it wasn't super bad. I also didn't like that they didn't add the part about the possibility of Margo committing suicide. That's pretty much it.

Rating

4/5 Stars

My Final Thoughts

I think that everyone should at least give this movie a chance because it is honestly a great movie. It does have a few imperfections but if you look past them this movie is a blast.

See you in the next post.

~Naya J.