Tis the Season Book Tag

1. Do you have a favorite Winter read?

Yes, I feel like Harry Potter is a Winter read. Especially the first one as it sort of makes me feel all warm and cozy inside and it even has scenes that take place during the holiday season.

2. Find a book with blue on the cover!

I found two books for this question. The first book is The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan. This book has a lot of blue on the cover and it is also all about the joy of Christmas. I really enjoy this book!  And the second book is Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger. This book is one of my favorite books even though it is a Middle Grade Novel. This book has blue on the cover and sort of seems like it will also be a good Christmas read.

3. Find a book you’d use as the star on a Christmas tree?

I think I would like to use either Winter by Marissa Meyer or The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan. These two books have really pretty covers and I think they would look nice on top of a Christmas tree!

4. Pick one fictional place that would be perfect for a Winter vacation!

The Wizarding World or Hogwarts. This seems like it would be the most perfect place to vacation during Winter. The Wizarding World has always struck me as cheery and warm during the holiday season and I think that it would be a fun place to visit during the holiday season!

5. Pick one fictional character you’d take with you on your Winter vacation!

Oooh! This is a rather hard question to answer.  I would probably bring Keefe from Keeper of the Lost Cities because he just seems like he would be a lot of fun to hang out with and we would get into weird trouble and a lot of it.

6. Name one book on your Wishlist this year!

Magnus Chase and The Gods of Asgard The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan. Yes, I have not gotten the chance to pick this book up yet. I know I know. But I thought that it would be good to just receive as a gift this Christmas so I put it on my list and I really hope I get this book. It was one of my most anticipated books and I need to read it now!

7. Favorite Holiday drink, treat, & movie?

This one is an easy question. My favorite drink is most definitely hot chocolate. I love to drink this during the holidays as it makes me feel all warm and content. And it’s good to drink while snuggling up in a blanket and watching a movie. Doesn’t have to be a Christmas movie.

My favorite Holiday treat is probably cookies. I don’t care which type of cookie as long as it is a cookie. I love shortbread, sugar, chocolate chip and many more.

I feel like I should say something more grown-up for my favorite christmas movie except I haven’t really seen any of those. So, I am going to say Frozen. Yes, I love Frozen and I feel like this is a good movie to watch in the winter time and during the holiday season.

Well, that concludes this blogpost. I have not done a book tag yet on this blog so here it is! :)

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Book Review

Another Book Review!!

This is a spoiler free review!

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Written by April Genevieve Tuckolke

Genre: Mystery, Horror, Gothic, and Young Adult

Publisher: Dial

Release Date: August 15, 2013

Pages: 360

Source: Library

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble  Book Depository

Recommended Age: 13 and up!

Summary:

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Review:

This was totally NOT my type of book but I liked it anyways. I never really go for the gothic, horror type books but this one intrigued me for some weird reason.

I found the plot pretty interesting and unique. The plot was actually kind of creepy and scared me most of the time.

The main character however seems a little naive and predictable. Like of course she would fall for one of the baddest boys on the freaking planet. (Until he isn’t….Don’t worry it’ll make sense when you read it) And she isn’t really a heroine though she does save herself and another at the end.  

I found the love part of this book not very real and it seems that it happened way to fast. Almost as if he was manipulating her into thinking she loved him. It was so obvious that you can’t fall in love that fast.

Overall Review: I thought the plot was interesting, creepy and kept me on my toes. I did feel a variety of emotions while reading this book. However, I did not think that the characters were the best. Yes, I did care about the main character but I didn’t really care about anybody else. The love aspect wasn’t real and I felt should not have been rushed into as it had been.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Crowns

Defy by Sara B. Larson Book Review!

I finished a book on my TBR!

This is a spoiler free review!

Defy

Written by Sara B. Larson

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release Date: January 7, 2014

Pages: 336

Source: Library

Places to Get this Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 12 and up!

Summary:

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

Review:

So, this book was a great read and I feel like it shouldn’t have taken me as long as it did to read it. (procrastination strikes again!)

This book seems like it’s sort of a Mulan retelling. Except it’s not. It’s an original book all in its own. Sure, it does have some elements of novels written before but doesn’t every book?  

The world building for this book was done pretty well. Some of the conditions the people are in are awful. Such as there is a breeding house for young girls in order to get more soldiers. Yes, that grossed and terrified me.

I loved most of the characters. Alexa was a good kickass heroine though she could have done a little more fighting rather than having one of the men do things.  Damien was the prince and he seemed pretty rude at the beginning but he turns his whole act around. Rylan was Alexa’s best friend and I really liked him. And then there were other characters…

The plot was good except at times a little predictable. I like being surprised by what is going to happen and that only happened a couple times when I was reading this book.

And yes, there was a freaking love triangle but honestly I’m not sure which books don’t have one now. It’s really hard to escape them. Even my own book has one of these. (Yep, following the crowd. *silent slow clap*)  It was pretty obvious who would get the girl but I wasn’t very happy with it. I just hope things improve within the next few books, love triangle wise of course.

Overall I thought this book was pretty good, the world building was done well, the characters were good, and the plot was okay.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Crowns.

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron Book Review

Yay! Another book review!

This is a spoiler free review so anyone is welcome to read this!

The Dark Unwinding

Written by Sharon Cameron

Genre: Historical Fiction, Gothic, Young Adult, Steampunk

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release Date: August 27, 2012

Pages: 318

Source: Library

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble  Book Depository

Recommended Age: 12 and up!

Summary:

When Katharine Tulman’s inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle’s world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it.

Review:

So, this was a different type of book for me. I’m not usually into the darker gothic type stories but I thought I’d try a new genre! Yes, life is all about trying new things.  

I really thought this book was written well but at the beginning I felt that it was a little slow going so I had to keep putting the book down in order not to be bored to death.

Overall though the plot was unique and it interested me (once I got past the boring beginning). I love how it is a gothic type historical fiction novel which I don’t usually find now days.

The romance was sweet and there (luckily or unlikely) wasn’t much of it.

The characters. Okay, the characters were amazing.  Katherine was a good main character and she had her moments when she was a lovely and strong heroine. Lane was her ‘love interest’ though there wasn’t much of that. He was a strong male character who looked out for Katherine and some of her friends. Then Davy was a sweet little boy character...yeah still upset by some things that happened. And then there was Katherine’s uncle. Her uncle wasn’t mentally stable as it states in the summary, however he was kind and a very good inventor. There’s also Mrs. Jeffery’s who seemed like she had a plot to do in our main character for awhile.  Then there was Ben. Ben was a whole different story. He was very sweet and I actually liked him but some good things must come to an end.

My thoughts over all: I enjoyed this book. The plot could have moved a little faster at the beginning in order to pull me in faster. The characters were amazing and I thought it was generally a good book.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Crowns

My Very Ambitious December TBR!

TBR:

So, today I am going to be sharing my December TBR with you! It is a very ambitious one so prepare yourself. (Yeah. I have to do a few breathing exercises to calm myself down)

The first book I have on my TBR is Defy by Sara B. Larsson. I am halfway through this book so far so I shall try and finish it soon!

The second book I have on my TBR is Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I have been wanting to read this for awhile so I shall try this month!

The third book I have on my TBR is The Death Cure by James Dashner. I seriously want to finish this series even though I think I will be an emotional mess.

The fourth book I have on my TBR is Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood. I wouldn’t normally read this book but I saw it at the library and decided to try it.

The fifth book I have on my TBR is The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross. This seems like a darker book and I think I shall enjoy it.

The sixth book I have is A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. This looks like a good book which I really really want to read.

The seventh book I have is Rook by Sharon Cameron. This looks like such a good book and I have heard good things about it so I thought I’d try it for myself.

The eighth book I have is The Chess Queen Enigma by Colleen Gleason. I had this on my last TBR so I decided to put it on this one as well.  

The ninth book I have is The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan. Since Christmas is coming up, I thought I’d like to read a christmas-y book.

The tenth book I have is Keeper of the Lost Cities by Sharon Messenger. This is the first book to a series that I have been reading. I decided to re-read it due to the new book that just came out!

The eleventh book I have is The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer. I have wanted to read this book so what better time to do it?

The twelfth book I have is Cress by Marissa Meyer. I am going to re-read this before I actually start the last book.

And last but not least I have The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson. I really need to finish this book before the last one comes out!

So, that’s my TBR! See you all next time! :)

November 2015 Wrap-Up!

November 2015 Wrap-Up

Hello lovelies,

So the month of November has come to an end and with that comes another wrap-up post.

I feel like I managed to get through a good amount of books this month. More than I expected due to my ambitious TBR.

The first book I read was Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Yes, I have read this book before but I was re-reading it and I actually liked it way better the second time.

The second book I read was The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron. This was a different type of book than I would normally read but I loved it immensely and am planning on reading the next book soon.

The third book I read was In the Time of Dragon Moon by Janet Lee Carey. This was a really good fantasy story and I loved it a lot. Check it out!

The fourth book I read was Fairest by Marissa Meyer. This is a shorter book in the series The Lunar Chronicles and it was amazing. It gave me all kinds of emotions and considering I finished it in school, well I was kind of a mess by the end.

The fifth book I read was Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke. If you asked me even last year if I’d ever want to read this book, I would have said no. But here I am telling about reading this book. I am going to be doing a review on this because it was awesome and gave me many chills, scares and tears.  Whew! That was one hell of a book.

The sixth book I read was Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen.  I love this series a lot and I loved this book as well. I love how the main character has progressed a lot since the first book. In good and bad ways. I recommend this series to anyone and I will soon be re-reading the series.

I am also almost halfway through The Death Cure by James Dashner and I am halfway through Defy by Sara B. Larson.  

See you all for my TBR!

Cinder Review

Another Book Review. Sorry, it has been so long. I have been mega busy with school, grades, tv and writing!

This review will not contain spoilers as I am trying to keep those to a minimum. However, if there are spoilers I will be sure to warn you all.

Cinder

Written by Marissa Meyer

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Release Date: January 3, 2012

Pages: 390

Source: Bought

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 12 and up!

Summary:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future

Review:

Cinder is a fairytale retelling of Cinderella in case you didn’t already infer that from the title and the description. But yes, it is a retelling set in a future world and it is a beautiful retelling.

First of all, I love retellings and I’m just going to put that out there. And I also love hot princes, sci-fi dystopian worlds and other things that featured in this book.

And this is the third time I have read this book so yes, it is that amazing!

Many of the elements from the original Cinderella fairytale appear in this story. I thought Marissa Meyer did a wonderful job at depicting everything from the ball, to her stepmother and stepsisters. Everything was perfectly perfect. Yes, there is nothing I would change.

And the little romance that this book had was beautiful. I love what Prince Kai and Cinder have and I hope it continues.

The characters are amazing and beautifully created. There’s our lead, Cinder. She’s a cyborg girl who has to live with her stepmother and stepsisters. Then there is Prince Kai. He’s kind, generous and handsome, and he’s thrust into a position of power too soon so that changes everything. There is also Queen Levana, ruler of Luna. Yeah, she’s a real you-know-what. Then there is Iko who is Cinder’s android. She is anything but a useless piece of scrap metal. She has real feelings, a huge crush on the Prince and loves fashion. There’s also her stepsisters. One is kind and the other isn’t.

Please please please go pick this book up if you haven’t already. It is a wonderful read and makes you feel all sorts of emotions. From joy and happiness to anger and sorrow. Pick It Up!

My Rating:

5 out of 5 Crowns!