An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Review

General Info

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Published April 2015 by Razorbill

(SPOILERS)

446 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. They both have one thing in common: they want to be free. In a world inspired by ancient Rome, Laia lives with her grandparents and her older brother. The Empire is powerful and as Scholars, Laia and her family wouldn't dare challenge them. But after her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes to the Resistance for help. In exchange for helping her brother, she must go undercover as a slave to spy within the Empire's greatest military academy, Blackcliff. While there Laia meets Elias, the school's finest soldier and surprisingly the most unwilling. When they realize that their destinies connect in a special way, they will change the fate of the Empire forever.

My Personal Favorites

Oh my god! This book was amazing! It is definitely going down as one of my top 15 books of this year. So let's get down to the nitty gritty. I really liked Elias, like I love him. He is just so caring, strong, and a great leader. I also liked Helene. She was just the definition of badass. There were some qualities I didn't like about her like how she was so loyal to the Empire but it is pretty understandable. Laia was also a great character and I totally ship her with Elias. #Elaia will happen you guys and they will be endgame. The antagonist is cool too because Marcus seems hard to conquer and now that he is Emperor it is going to be even more difficult. There are too many things that I absolutely loved in this book and I can't possibly list them all but I cannot forget about the escape at the end. That was SOOOOO crazy and props to Laia for being the hero in that scene.

My Personal Dislikes

There wasn't really anything I disliked about this book. It was just #FANTASTIC and #EMBERLICIOUS!

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Final Thoughts

I am so glad that there will be a sequel because I need one. This being Sabaa Tahir's debut novel, it was awesome and I cannot wait to read more by her as an author. What did you guys think about this book? Comment down below. See you guys in the next post.

~Naya J.

 

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han Review

General Info

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Published May 2015 by Simon & Schuster for Young Readers

Second Installment in the To All the Boys I've Loved Before series

(SPOILERS!)

337 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

In the long awaited sequel for To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky are going strong as a real couple after being fake for so long. But then the hot tub video from the ski trip is leaked. And then John Ambrose McClaren, Lara Jean's past crush comes into the picture. Who will Lara Jean choose: Peter or John? This book will have you flipping the pages so fast and leave you wanting another installment in the series.

My Personal Favorites

I literally loved this book so much. It was definitely a satisfying sequel for one of my favorite contemporary reads. So since I liked a ton of stuff I'm just going to list my favorite moments down below.

1) I loved the whole Assassin game and how Lara Jean took it so seriously.

2) The treehouse scene where Peter and Lara Jean talk about SEX. It had me rolling because it was so hilarious. My favorite scene in the whole entire book.

3) When Kitty got Peter to take her to school after Lara Jean and him broke up. I was just like "Wow. Your little sister stole your hot boyfriend.

4) I really liked the part when John and Lara Jean plays in the snow and the Frozen reference was just so perf.

5) The party at the old folks home

6) When John and Lara Jean shared their first kiss

8) I am Team Peter so when they ended up together at the end, I just screamed. Hashtag Team Peter for life!

My Personal Dislikes

To be honest, the only thing that I disliked was the ending. I really wanted to see Peter and Lara Jean after they got back together because it just ended so abruptly.

Rating

5/5 Stars

My Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't better than the first book but I still loved it. I really hope there is another book because I am in desperate need of one. Please Jenny Han, make it happen. I am begging you! I hope you guys liked this review and I might do one for the To All the Boys I've Loved Before.

See you guys in the next post.

~Naya J. 

 

 

Fantasy Recommendations

 

My favorite genre is definitely fantasy. It is what I mainly read on

a regular basis. Fantasy takes me to another world, so today I decided to list

 my top five fantasy books/series.I did this for contemporary books so let's 

just get started. This list is from my least favorite to my most favorite

 fantasy book.

 

1) The Raven Cycle (quartet) by Maggie Stiefvater - This series is so unique

and it has a great premise. It is a little hard to get into but after book

one, you are fully invested in the story.

 

2) The Infernal Devices (trilogy) by Cassandra Clare- I love this so much.

It has the best love triangle ever and you guys WILL HERONDALE!!

 

3) The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas- Sarah J. Maas is a great

writer and this series is just BOMB! Celaena Sardothien is just so kickass and

amazing. #TeamChaol

 

4) A Court of Thorns and Roses (trilogy) by Sarah J. Maas- Let me just say

Tamlin or Rhysand?

 

5) The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare- This is my all time

favorite series. It was the one that actually got me into reading.

You need to definitely read this one and a show is in the making.

 

I hope you enjoyed these recommendations. If you have any fantasy

books that you would like to recommend me, comment them down below.

QOTP: What is your favorite fantasy book?

See you in the next post.

~Naya J.

 

 

 

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven Review

 
General Info

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Published January 2015 by Knopf

388 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

This book follows our two main characters Theodore Finch and Violet Markey. Theodore Finch is fascinated with death and contemplates ways that he could kill himself. But with each attempt, something happens that holds him back from doing it. Violet Markey is anxious for the future and thinks that if she leaves her small Indiana town, she can escape the grief of her sister's recent death. When they both meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it is pretty unclear on who saved the other. And when they are paired to do a school project to find the 'natural wonders' of their state, they both make important discoveries about themselves. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

My Personal Favorites

Finch is the best character I have read in a while. He is relatable and so real. He wasn't the perfect boy who everyone falls in love with, he was actually the outcast. And I loved how he was a funny, nice guy but in reality he was hurting inside. It showed me that you don't really know what people are dealing with behind the smile on their face. My favorite element of the book is the romance between Violet and Finch. It made it seem like everything was okay, when clearly one of duo was going far downhill. This was the first book I read that revolved around the main topic of suicide and it opened my eyes on how severe that subject could be.

My Personal Dislikes

Initially I was in love with this book but then something happened towards the end that was kind of predictable. If you read it, then you might know what I am talking about. I also thought that it could have been prevented but no one took the situation seriously. Finch's family didn't even help him with his problem and it frustrated me because they just acted like the it didn't exist. Other than that the book was great.

Rating

4/5 stars

Final Thoughts

Overall this book was pretty good and I enjoyed it a lot. I did have minor problems with it, but I still recommend everyone to read it so you can get your own perspective on the book. Just try it out because you might like it way better than me. I also forgot to say that I love you Finch!

*This is probably how my reviews will look from now on and I hope you guys like it. See you in the next post.

~Naya J.

 

My TBR is Under 15 :)

The Wonderful TBR Stack

This might come as a surprise but my TBR is down to 11 books! I am dead serious like I really am under 15 books. But it will probably go right back up if I am successful during BookCon. (I actually hope that I am because I want more books for the shelf.) So before my TBR gets out of hand, I wanted to put it in list form so you know what I'll be reading in the near future.

1) Life After The Arising by Bryan Way
I really want to get to this before this year is over
because I haven't read any zombie books yet and
it sounds interesting enough. I didn't hear anything
about it but it's signed, so that's a plus.
Goodreads - Amazon

2) More Beautiful Than You Know By Jennifer Strickland
My mom bought this for me a while back and I read a little bit
every now and then but since it is a bible devotion book,
I probably won't read it in one sitting.
Goodreads - Amazon

3) The Light (1st Book in the Morpheus Road series) by D.J. MacHale
I got this book when I was in the 5th grade and I remember being scared
to death after reading a few chapters. This definitely had me sleeping with the lights on. I don't know when I'll get to this one.
Goodreads - Amazon

4) The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols
I found this at my cousin's school when they were giving away free
books and I just grabbed anything. I later gave away the ones
that I couldn't see myself reading anytime soon, but this one seems
really good. I'll probably read it this summer because it seems like a cute,
simple read.
Goodreads - Amazon

5 & 6) Messenger and Son by Lois Lowry
I just got this because it has red pages. I did read The Giver and Gathering Blue but I didn't think it was anything special. To be honest, I probably won't read this.
The Giver = Amazon - Goodreads
Gathering Blue = Amazon - Goodreads
Messenger = Amazon - Goodreads
Son = Amazon - Goodreads
The Series Bind Up = Amazon

7) Confessions: The Private School Murders by James Patterson
It's kind of a funny story with this one. So I was at BJ's and they always have this book section, so parents said they would treat my sisters and I to a book of our choice. I picked out this one and started reading it, but I was really confused so I put it down. A month later after searching on the internet, I found out that this is a sequel. So now I am spoiled for the first book, but I still want to read it. I just don't know when I will get around to buying it because I already have a long list on what to buy next.
Goodreads - Amazon




8) My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins (too many authors to list)
I really REALLY want to read this but I can't bring myself to because it isn't Christmas time anymore. I'll definitely get around to it this upcoming Christmas.
Goodreads - Amazon

9) All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
This book is really intimidating because it has 500+ pages and the font is extra tiny. It is also historical fiction and I don't read that genre very often.
I want to be done with this before 2016 comes. Hopefully I can achieve this goal.
Goodreads - Amazon

10) Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
I have an excuse for this book because I am currently reading it. So far it is okay but I kind of liked the first one a little better. I am hoping that it will get good soon.
Goodreads - Amazon

11) Dreams of Gods And Monsters by Laini Taylor
This book is an actual MONSTER. I mean its huge and I obviously haven't read it because I didn't finish Days of Blood and Starlight. But isn't this cover gorge.
Goodreads - Amazon







QOTP: How many books are in you TBR?
See you in the next post.
~Naya J.

A Court of Thorns and Roses Review

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Review

Star Rating: 5 stars

Genre: New Adult Fantasy

Page Count: 416 pages


This book revolves around main character nineteen year old Feyre who basically takes care of her crippled father and two older sisters. One day while hunting in the woods, she kills a wolf like fairy but it comes with a consequence. She has to live in the fairy realm with her captor Tamlin. Will she get back to her family? Will she escape alive? Are you team Rhysand or Tamlin?

SPOILERS!!!

 

 

     Oh my goodness, this book was so swoon-worthy and steamy and I just loved it! I can not wait for the second installment because the love triangle is killing me. I am so conflicted with who to choose: Tamlin or Rhysand? I can't choose because I love them both but if one is chosen, my heart will break for the other. Tamlin is just so nice and sweet, and Rhysand is a hot bad boy who is very enticing. Besides the love triangle, Feyre is a fairy now. How crazy? During that scene, I was literally imagining the Breaking Dawn scene when Bella turned into a vampire.

 

 

     This book was just amazing and I loved every piece of it. I liked it way better than Throne of Glass and I loved that too. Sarah J. Maas is just a great author. She is becoming one of my favorites. Just read it. Read it now. Now!

 

QOTP: Are you team Rhysand or Tamlin?

 

See you in the next post.

 

 

                                                                                                                                      ~Naya J.

 



Reading Slumps

     Have you been reading lately? Are you stuck on this one page and you just can't get past it? Are you picking up multiple books and none of them are grabbing your attention? You are probably in a reading slump. Cue the scary movie music. I think that I might be in a reading slump. I haven't read in a week or so which is pretty terrible for me. Right now I am currently reading Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor and I am not enjoying it. At the moment, I am on page 22 and I have been on that page for eternity. (Not literally, but it still feels like it.)

    

     I used to set a specific time for me to read each day but I have been a little busy playing the Sims 3. If you play this game then you know how addicting it can be at times. I am also wasting my time by watching way too many YouTube videos. Like seriously, YouTube is ruining my life. So as you can see the internet, electronics, and my pure laziness are delaying me from doing what I love to do which is reading. You might ask "How are you going to dig yourself out of your reading slump?". I actually don't know yet, but for now I am just going to at least try to push through my current read. If I don't succeed on that then I will probably pick up another book.

     Anyways, goodbye for now and see you in the next post.

QOTD: What do you do to dig yourself out of the EVIL reading slump?


                                                                                                                              ~Naya J.