Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas Book Review

General Info

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Published September 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

(SPOILERS)

648 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

The queen has returned.
Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…
She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.
She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.
The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

My Personal Favorites

I absolutely loved this fourth installment in the series. It took me about a month to get through this book because it's extremely huge. So let's just get right into all of the good stuff. The story starts off with Dorian's POV now that he has been possessed by the Valg Prince. My heart couldn't take it.

Dorian is my baby and I hated seeing him like that. Next thing I would like to talk about is the whole rescue sequence to get Aedion back. It was amazing how Aelin acted like a dancer and the whole black roses were actuallysmoke bombs. It was so epic and when Aelin and Aedion finally reunited my heart dropped. Then when Aelin almost killed Dorian, I was just sitting there like if you kill Dorian off I'm not reading the next book. I was glad when Nesryn swooped in and saved the day. Now let' talk about

Rowan. Yes ROWAN IS BACK. This ship has sailed and it won't sink......HOPEFULLY. Rowan is the sweetest guy ever and when Aelin put on that golden dress, he was basically drooling all over the place. I love them together. I basically loved everything in this book.

My Personal Dislikes

Even though I loved everything about this book, I did have a couple minor problems. First off, I didn't like that ever since Celaena became Aelin, her whole personality changed and it wasn't for the better. She suddenly turned mean. I also didn't like that Sarah basically tried to make everyone hate Chaol. I loved Chaol since the beginning but I hated that this book depicted him to be the bad guy. This made it pretty obvious that the Chaolaena ship has finally sunk and it sucks because I was Team Chaol for like ever. 

Rating

4.9/5 Stars

My Final Thoughts

This book was really good and I can't wait to read the next one. I will be having a theories post coming soon because I want to put them out there so I can be first. Anyways see you in the next post.

~Naya J.

FICTIONAL BOYFRIENDS!!!! Part 1

Fiction is like the best when it comes to the boys. I mean fictional boyfriends are everything, and they are so much better than boys in real life. I have a ton of fictional boyfriends so let's just get started. This list isn't in any particular order.

1) Gansey from The Raven Cycle Quartet by Maggie Stiefvater - I love Gansey so much! He is my love. First off, he is smart, witty, and obviously very caring when it comes to his friends. I have my fingers crossed that he lives through the last book.

2) Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - Rhysand is to die for. He has the right amount of bad boy in his blood and he is so attractive at least that is how I picture him. I like Tamlin too but Rhysand is endgame.

3) Peter and Johnathan Ambrose McClaren from the To All the Boys I've Loved Before Dualogy by Jenny Han - The love triangle in this book is so good that it was too hard for me to choose one of the two boys. Peter is always there and funny. Johnathan is sweet and lovable. Like I said, too hard to choose.

4) Nikolai from the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo - Nikolai is basically boyfriend goals. He's funny, cute, and not to be a gold digger but he's rich too.



5) Simon from the Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare - Everyone on this blog should know that Simon is the number one bae. I love him so much and I don't think anyone can top Simon in my book.

There will definitely be a part 2 because I have so many book boyfriends I need to share.

~Naya J.

August Wrap Up

This month I read 5 books and three graphic novels which is a lot since I did fall into a reading slump towards the middle of the month. Overall I read some pretty good books that I am excited to share with you so let's just get right into it.
1) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - 5/5 Stars
This was my very first read of the month and it was soooooooo good. It definitely threw me when the plot twist came because I totally didn't expect it.
2) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews - 4/5 Stars
I laughed so hard during this one and I liked it way more than I thought I would. I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 stars because I felt no connection with any of the characters.
3) Every Last Word by Tamera Ireland Stone - 5/5 Stars
This is definitely one of my new favorite books of all time. I loved the poetry aspect of the book and the characters.
4) Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo - 5/5 Stars
Favorite read of the month hands down! I can't wait for Six of Crows coming out this month.
5) The Rent Collector by Cameron Wright - 4/5 Stars
For a book assigned for summer reading, this was pretty good.
6) The Amulet Series (Books 1-3) - I really didn't like this that much.

Reviews
1) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/08/we-were-liars-by-e-lockhart-book-review.html
2) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews - http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/08/me-and-earl-and-dying-girl-by-jesse.html
3) Every Last Word by Tamera Ireland Stone - http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/08/every-last-word-by-tamera-ireland-stone.html
4) Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo - http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/08/ruin-and-rising-by-leigh-bardugo-review.html
5) The Amulet Series (Books 1-3) - http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-amulet-series-books-1-3-review.html

September TBR

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.

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

 



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.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

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.



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.

 

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.

August TBR



July Wrap Up

Last month I only read 4 books which isn't a lot but I hope to read way more this month.

1) Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo - 5/5 Stars

This was definitely my favorite read of the month!

 2) Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo - 4/ 5 Stars

I really liked this one but it didn't blow my mind like the first one.

3) None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio - 5/5 Stars

Everyone needs to read this!

4) The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson - 3/ 5 Stars

I really expected it to be better since most people like it so much but I didn't like it a lot. It was good but it didn't amaze me.

 

Links to my Reviews

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo - http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/07/shadow-and-bone-by-leigh-bardugo-review.html

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo - http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/07/siege-and-storm-by-leigh-bardugo-review.html

None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio - http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/07/none-of-above-by-iw-gregorio-review.html

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson - http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-kiss-of-deception-by-mary-e-pearson.html

 

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag ( Originally Created by ReadLikeWildFire and Ely Jayne )

This is my very first time doing a tag on my blog and since the year is pretty much more than halfway through, I wanted to do the Mid- Year Book Freak Out Tag originally created by ReadLikeWildFire and Ely Jayne on Youtube. So lets just get started.

 

1) Best book you've read so far in 2015.

The best book I've read so far in 2015 is a tie between three books which are I'll Give You the Sun, An Ember in the Ashes, and A Court of Thorns and Roses. Sorry! I couldn't just pick one. 

2) Best sequel you've read so far in 2015.

The best sequel I read this year was definitely Cress by Marissa Meyer. It was just so amazing with tons of action. Way better than the first two installments.

3) New release you haven't read yet, but want to.

I still haven't got around to The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh and hopefully I'll be buying it very soon.

4)  Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

I literally cannot wait for Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas! I know that it's going to be amazing.

5) Biggest disappointment.

The Kiss of Deception, I liked it but I didn't love it as much as everyone else did.

6) Biggest surprise.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Keneally was way better than I thought it would be.

7) Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)

Sarah J. Maas ALL THE WAY!!!!

8) Newest fictional crush.

The Darkling from the Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo.

9) Newest favourite character.

Cress from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.

10) Book that made you cry.

I cried a lot but cried the hardest during The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas.

11) Book that made you happy.

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

12) Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year.

PAPERTOWNS!!!!!

13) Favorite review you've written this year.

An Ember in the Ashes. http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/06/an-ember-in-ashes-by-sabaa-tahir.html

14) Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year.

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy for sure. They're all equally stunning.

15)  What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
Well I really want to read The Fallen Kingdoms series, Shatter Me trilogy, and the Legend trilogy.

 

Hope that you guys liked this tag and I apologize for not posting regularly and I will try my best to blog more often. See you in the next post.

~ Naya J.



 

 

 



None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio Review

General Info

None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

Published April 2015 by Blazer + Bray

(NO SPOILERS)

352 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant?

When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him.

But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned—something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts."

Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?

My Personal Favorites

I had my eye on this book before it even came out mainly because it was about intersex. I never heard of that term before so I wanted to learn more about it. Before I started this book, I did research on the topic just to get a better understanding of it and I think this enhanced my reading experience. The book explains the topic well so you don't have to do this but it helped me a lot. This story was very sad and nearly made me cry😢. I can't believe that people can be so inconsiderate and rude when it comes to things that they don't understand. One thing that I really enjoyed was Kristin's character growing to accept herself throughout the novel. I also liked the father daughter relationship.

My Personal Dislikes

I just wished that it was longer but all good things must come to an end.

Rating

5/5 Stars

My Final Thoughts

Everyone must read this book because it was amazing and it's definitely in my top 15 books of 2015! I hope you love it as much as I do.

See you in the next post.

- Naya J.

 

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo Review

General Info

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Published June 2013 by Henry Colt & Co.

(SPOILERS)

435 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

After escaping from the Darkling, Alina has to figure out how to make a normal life for her and Mal in an unfamiliar land while being haunted by the lives she took on the Fold. But it turns out that she can't continue to outrun her power and destiny for long because the Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a new power and he is looking for her. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina Sinks deeper into the Darkling's forbidden game of magic. During this she slips farther and farther away from Mal. In the end she has a decision to make: she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her, or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

My Personal Favorites

This book had a lot of things that I loved about it. The betrayal was real though like " I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU! WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU! HOW DARE YOU!" If you got that joke then you are AWESOME! In the first book I was shipping the Darkling and Alina but he is just crazy. So now I am team Mal. I really like the new shadow creatures the Darkling has but they are freaking scary as ever. I also liked that Stormhond was actually Prince Nikolai, he is the funniest character ever! I enjoyed Alina leading the second army but that battle at the end almost had me in tears. I couldn't believe that Marie died and the way that Sergei was just carrying her body. But my favorite part of the book was the plot twist with Genya. I couldn't believe that the Darkling basically had her face mangled with. That was such a surprise to me because she is supposed to be outright beautiful and the Darkling just took her beauty away from her. I admit that I did cry a little. I don't know why this series makes me cry in every single book.

My Personal Dislikes

I really liked this book but I didn't love it like the first one. The reason why is because it was kind of anticlimactic in a way because I expected so much more to happen.

Rating

4.5/5 stars

My Final Thoughts

I am excited to read the last book and I cannot wait to get around to it. This trilogy is so good that it might become one of my new favorites. See you in the next post.

~Naya J. 

 

 

Young Adult Stereotypes Part 2!!

As you can see from the title, I am doing a second part for my Young Adult Stereotypes post. This is my most popular post on my blog so I wanted to do a second part since I do have more stereotypes to share. So let's hurry up and get into it.

1) Main Characters Do the NASTY In the Last Book In the Series
- This is so predictable because it happens in almost every book series. Throughout the series, the main characters have a TON of sexual tension between each other. This happens in countless last books like City of Heavenly Fire, Clockwork Princess, and I'm sure that it is going to happen in Ruin and Rising. I like those books, but it was incredibly predictable. But some books don't fall into this book trope like the Throne of Glass series and Daughter of Smoke and Bone series.
2) The Main Character Discovers That He/ She Has A Power That Can Save the World
- In almost every fantasy series, the main character discovers that they have a power that can save their people, land, or the whole world. I don't hate this one, but it is pretty annoying. Can you at least give me a weak main character that is defeated in the end? That actually leads me into my next point.
3) The Main Character ALWAYS Wins In the End
- I know this sounds mean but sometimes I want to see the character fail their mission/ quest and lose for once.
4) The Female Protagonist In the Story Has No Sexual Experience
- I don't know why authors want to make every female protagonist a virgin. Tell me why like please tell me why.
5) Guys Are Head Over Heels For the Main Character
- In almost every book the female protagonist has everyone trying to get with her. Like everyone!

Alright so that is it for this post and I hope you enjoyed it. I am also thinking of doing a SEX IN YA discussion in the future. Maybe this month or next month, I don't know. Anyways, see you in the next post.
                                                                                                                                      ~Naya J.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo Review

General Info

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Published June 2012 by Henry Holt & Co.

(NO SPOILERS)

368 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

- Synopsis from Goodreads

My Personal Favorites

Surprisingly I loved this book A LOT!! It felt very original. I liked everything about it. And that betrayal towards the end had my heart in knots. Not gonna say too much about it because I don't want to spoil you. Just Read It!

My Personal Dislikes

I don't have anything to say in this section, which is a good thing.

Rating

5/5 Stars

My Final Thoughts

This book was amazing and I loved everything about it. I am actually very excited to continue with the series. I think that everyone should read and I promise that you won't be disappointed.

See you in the next post.

~Naya J.

 

JULY TBR

Last month I read a whopping 7 books, which was amazing. And not to mention all of the books I read, I thoroughly enjoyed. But this month I lowered my TBR because I don't want to put too much pressure on myself as a reader. These books do not count to my BOOKTUBEATHON TBR, but I will be doing a separate post to explain that so let's just get started. I have a TBR jar and I picked two which came out to say start a new series and read a book someone else picked out for you. I chose Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo for start a new series and my sisters want me to read None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio and The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. I am so excited to read these books and hopefully I like them all.

 

P.S. I am approaching my Goodreads reading goal of 35 books fast and I'm thinking if I should raise the bar higher. I don't know, tell me what you guys think about it.

 

QOTP: What are you reading this month and are you participating in Booktubeathon?

June Wrap Up

Last month, I literally read like no books at all. But this month, I actually read a grand total of 7 books. I am so proud of myself and I hope to continue this reading streak until the end of summer.

1) P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

I gave this five stars because I absolutely enjoyed it. It was a very satisfying sequel to the previous novel.

Rating: 5 stars

Review: http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/06/ps-i-still-love-you-by-jenny-han-review.html?m=1

2) An Ember In the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

This book was amaze balls! It was definitely my favorite of the month and that's all I have to say.

Rating: 5 stars

Review: http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/06/an-ember-in-ashes-by-sabaa-tahir.html?m=1

3) Shredderman: Secret Identity by Wendelin Van Draanen 

This is one of my favorite books from my childhood so I decided to give it a reread. It is still wonderful and funny in my opinion.

Rating: 4.3 stars 

4)  Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor 

Let's just say that this was way better than the first one but I am not eager to read Dreams of Gods and Monsters just yet.

Rating: 4.4 stars 

Review: http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/06/general-info-days-of-blood-and.html?m=1

5) Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

This was hilarious. I loved Oliver and I can't wait to reread this in the future!

Rating: 4.8 stars

Review: http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/06/between-lines-by-jodi-picoult-and.html?m=1

6) Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

So sad. This book was just so sad! If you read this then you should know why.

Rating: 5 stars 

Review: http://mylittleinfinityofbookss.blogspot.com/2015/06/off-page-by-jodi-picoult-and-samantha.html?m=1

7) Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I suddenly had the urge to reread this baby so i did. And I loved it just as much as I did the first time.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review will be coming very soon.

Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer Review

General Info

Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer
Published May 2015 by Delacorte Press
(SPOILERS!!)
384 Pages
Hardcover - Goodreads
Plot Summary
In the companion to Between the Lines, sixteen year old Delilah is finally united with her dream guy Oliver who happens to be an actual prince from a children's fairytale book. In order for Oliver to come to the real world, someone had to take his place in the book world. That is where Edgar comes in. Now that Edgar is in the book, Delilah has to help Oliver adapt to the human world. But when Edgar wants to come back, what will happen to Oliver?
My Personal Favorites
I loved this book way more than the first one. I loved all of the POVs but my definite favorite was Oliver. To be honest, Oliver is a better student in school than I am. He gets a perfect test score, tons of friends, and is all around great considering that he is out of a fairytale. When Seraphima and Jules switched spots, I couldn't stop laughing. Seraphima was so funny in the whole mall scene how she ran out the dressing room and showed everyone how her bra looked. Seraphima was just hilarious period. I also liked how everyone dealt with Frump's death. Being characters in a book, Oliver and Seraphima never even knew that death meant no coming back. That part had me in tears because Frump was Oliver's best friend and then he was just gone in the blink of an eye, and it kind of symbolized Oliver growing up mentally. I liked that this book took an emotional turn because it made me feel more attached to the characters. Like when Edgar's mom Jessamyn was diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor, I cried like a baby. I was glad when they solved that by taking her to the book world because I couldn't see another person I cared about die.
My Personal Dislikes
Wow! I don't think that I have anything to say in this section.
Rating
5/5 stars
My Final Thoughts
This will definitely be in my top books of 2015.I really recommend that you read Between the Lines first because you probably won't experience all the feels. That is all I have to say. See you in the next post.
~Naya J.



Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer Review



General Info

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Published June 2012 by Simon Pulse Simon Schuster

(NO SPOILERS)

353 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

15 year old Delilah loves to read but one day in her school library she comes across a children's fairytale Between the Lines and becomes obsessed. After rereading it over and over again, she discovers that one of the pictures have changed. And then the main character, Oliver starts talking to her. It turns out that he wants to get out of the book. Together Delilah and Oliver attempt to get him out of the book while falling in love with each other at the same time.

My Personal Favorites

I absolutely loved this book. It had a great storyline that I never read before and I loved the characters. I liked the whole idea of what happens once a book is closed. It was kind of like how kids thought that their toys would move while they were asleep or not there. And the pictures and color font were amazing. I thought that added a great touch to the story. If you're looking for a book that would have you laughing your heart out, this is definitely the book for you.

My Personal Dislikes

The only thing that I had problem with was the ending. It wasn't a major problem but I thought it was a little unrealistic. I looked pass this because the book for me was just for entertainment.

My Rating

4.8/5 stars

My Final Thoughts

Overall this book was a fun light read that I can see myself rereading in the future. Oh how I wish that Simon Lewis(aka Robert Sheehan version) would talk to me through the pages of The Mortal Instruments. I would do anything to get him out. If you plan on reading the companion novel Off the Page, I do recommend that you read this one first because I am currently reading it and Oliver just seems outright dumb without knowing his back story.

See you in the next post.

~Naya J.

 

 

Young Adult Stereotypes

So I admit that I LOVE LOVE the Young Adult category when it comes to books but over the past two years, I came to a realization that most books have similar elements. Like a lot of similar elements. It's almost like reading the same thing over and over again. I am not losing an interest in YA, I'm just making an observation. So to back this up, I'm going to tell you most of the stereotypes I've encountered in YA literature.
1. The Main Character Is Almost ALWAYS A Female.
-This annoys the crap out of me. I am a girl so sometimes I want to experience being in the mind of a  male. Come on authors give me some more male protagonists!
2. Girl Hates the Love Interest For the First Half Of the Book.
-  Okay I get that the author doesn't want to make the romance insta-love but does the boy and girl
   have to hate each other every single time. This happens in The Infernal Devices trilogy by  
   Cassandra Clare, The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, and many more. I love both of those
   series but it's kind of getting old. But I'll still read books like that because I really love the
    tension.
3. In a Love Triangle, The Girl Never Picks the Friend.
- This is with almost all love triangle when the choices are the main character's friend and
     someone they just met, they always pick the new guy. This happened in Twilight and The Mortal
     Instruments, but I'm sure that it happened many more times in literature. JUST PICK THE
     FRIEND ESPECIALLY IF IT WAS SIMON LEWIS!
This was my YA Stereotypes. I hope you enjoyed it because I might do a part since there are so many more that I didn't put in this post. Anyways see you later, I'm assuming in the next post :)
                                                                                                                         ~Naya J. 

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

General Info

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Published November 2012 by Little, Brown for Young Readers

(SPOILERS)

513 Pages

Hardcover - Goodreads

Plot Summary

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it. While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope. But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

*This summary is provided by Goodreads*

My Personal Favorites
This book was such a step up from the first book. I liked almost everything but my favorite element of the book was definitely Zuzana's and Mik's relationship. They are just super hilarious. I loved the part when Zuzana tells Karou that she became a woman- if you know what I mean:). I also liked the whole humans interacting with the chimaera. But when Thiago tried to rape Karou, I was near to tears. Like no, she has to preserve herself for one man and that man is Akiva.

My Personal Dislikes

Honestly the only thing that I didn't like about this second installment is the slow start. Like it took forever to get juicy. But besides that this book was great.

My Rating

4.4/5

My Final Thoughts

After reading the first book back in April, I wasn't amazed. But this book was so close to doing that. I am super excited to read the next book now. I am actually going to pick it up right now. BYEEEE!!!

See you in the next post.

~Naya J.

 

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.