Music Monday #15

I got this idea from the blog Trust in the Words. 

Just Like Fire  by P!nk

This song was written for the movie Alice through the Looking Glass and I just saw the movie (keep your eyes peeled for the movie review). I feel like this song works really well with the movie and the whole theme of Alice. I actually really like this song. It's really catchy and the music video is really entertaining. I recommend a listen. 

What's in your headphones?

Happy reading everybody! <3

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout [Lux #1]

This is a spoiler free review!

Obsidian

Written by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction/Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release Date: May 8, 2012

Pages: 335

Source: Library

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

Recommended Age: 12 and up!

Summary:

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Review:

I went into this book not knowing much but what bloggers, and youtubers had said about it. Then, when I read the back and discovered that the male in this book was actually an alien and not a vampire or a werewolf, I was immediately down to read it. Most books with aliens have them destroying things or wanting to kill humans but this book was different.  

COVER

I must admit, the guy on the cover kind of freaks me out. His eyes actually scare me. I also don’t think the cover really represents the story. Katy isn’t hanging onto Daemon for support the whole time. She has her own mind and can decide what she wants for herself.

WORLD-BUILDING

Since there isn’t a new fantasy world it is hard to describe actual world-building. But the way the author explains Daemon’s backstory and his planet and everything is rather unique. I really enjoyed learning about their backstory and how they weren’t just normal aliens.

Then there are the characters.

KATY

We first meet Katy when she has just moved to West Virginia and is writing on her blog or about to. I adore Katy. She sort of reminds me of me or Elena from The Vampire Diaries (granted I’ve only watched about two episodes so I don’t really know). She is a normal girl who’s life changes when her dad dies and has to move to a little town in the middle of nowhere. She is also a book blogger and fangirls over getting new books which is totally me. I loved everything about her.

She was also quite the heroine. I half expected her to be a whimpy teenage girl who needed someone (Daemon) to save her all the time but she managed to hold her own and did some crazy things to save those whom she cared about.

DAEMON

Daemon….Where do I begin? Daemon was hot, infuriating, swoony and arrogant. He was also an overprotective brother, always protecting Dee from everything even things she so obviously didn’t need to be protected from. Daemon did not like Katy at first and went out of his way to be rude. But when he revealed himself to be an alien, he had no choice but to spend time with her.

Let me admit something, I hated Daemon at first. I thought he was rude and arrogant and didn’t know why anyone liked him. But he sort of grows on you and I did like him by the last half of the book.

DEE

From the first page when we met her, I adored her. She was that bubbly best friend and she was the greatest friend to Katy. She had a lot of strength and stuck by her friend.

ROMANCE

The romance was by no means insta love. They hated each other. Daemon infuriated Katy to no end and Daemon did not get along with Katy. But after a while there was a lot of flirting and I could tell that they would either get together by the end or almost get together. By the way, it is practically impossible to hear anything romantic come out of Daemon’s mouth. I can not wait to see how their relationship progresses

WRITING

I really enjoyed the writing. It was easy to understand and I really flew through this book.

Final Thoughts:

I highly recommend this book, especially if you like contemporaries and anything sci-fi. I really enjoyed this book because of the characters and plot.

Quotes from the Book:

“Will you show me what you really look like? You don't sparkle, do you?”

“Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys.”

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Crowns

Weekly Update: 5/22-5/29

I have decided to start doing a weekly post called weekly recap where I update you on my life, reading and watching. Plus any posts I have done or will do. 

New Books

Purchased:

Library:

In Case You Missed It

Monday: Music Monday
Top 5 Wednesday: Characters I Defend

This Week I Read

  

Next Week I'm Reading

Upcoming Reviews

Weekly Posts Announcement!

Hello all. This is going to be a short post and I have a very important announcement that I had to get out right now.  I have decided to do a new feature on my blog called Weekly Posts. This is going to be a weekly post that will either have to do with recommendations, lifestyle or favorites of mine. I am so excited to be sharing this with all of you as I love posting on here. I am often really busy with school and now I have a reason to share things I know or bookish things I like with all of you.

I will try and tell you what I will post at the beginning of the week but sometimes I won't.

Here are the next few posts I will do:

May 29-Dystopian Recommendations

June 5-Top Ten OTPs

Top 5 Wednesday| Characters I Consistently Defend

  TOP FIVE WEDNESDAY

Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam. You basically get a new topic every Wednesday, and you list your Top 5 books related to that topic. Head over to the Goodreads group, and add your name to the list of Wednesday-ers if you’re interested in participating!

Today’s topic is “Characters I Will Defend,” and I adore this topic because I have so many characters that I love and others hate and I have to protect them from this cruel world. These are also in no particular order. 

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5. Prince Kai FROM THE LUNAR CHRONICLES 

I do not understand why people don't like him. People keep saying that Cinder shouldn't have ended up with him because they thought he was unloyal or blah blah blah.  I honestly love him so much. He's gone through a ton of stuff that is very hard hitting on him and he pulls through the best he can. Sure, he shuns Cinder a little at times but come on, they are OTP! 

---

 

 4. Regina Mills and Peter Pan from Once Upon a Time (TV)

Apparently people don't like Regina. (Moment of silence) 

I love her so so much. Regina went through a lot having Cora as her mother. I mean, she just wanted Regina to be Queen and didn't care at all about her childhood. Regina is such a strong character who doesn't break down no matter what happens to her. And let me tell you, this season has been hard on her.  

Now, Peter Pan, I can tell. He is ruthless and a total villain. But I love him to death. And yes it is partly because he is attractive but he is so ambitious and knows what he wants and I admire that. 

3. Cleo from Falling Kingdoms by Morgan rhodes

Why exactly does Cleo get hate? Cleo is such a cinnamon roll. I would protect her from the haters. *wraps my arms around her* She is loyal, kind and smart. She always helps others no matter what they look like or what class they are part of. She doesn't want to be involved in a war. She just wants to live her life. Granted, I have only read the first book but she is such a precious character and I really like her. 

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2. DRACO MALFOY FROM THE HARRY POTTER SERIES

Draco Malfoy is my favorite character in the Harry Potter series, after Hermione Granger. He is such a complex character who grew up in a home that had very prejudiced views. He knew he was taught to kill or die himself and yet on many an occasion he has lowered his wand. I believe he is a bully and a brat because of who his family is and not because of his own views. He is not an evil person, he just follows the examples of the adults in his family. He is a confused sixteen year old, who had a horrible, impossible task thrust upon him and he didn't know what to do. He knew it was wrong and yet he didn't want to die for not following the rules. In the last book, he saved the life of his arch-enemy in a war that was taking the life of both friend and foe. He didn't have anything to gain at all by doing this. He shows that he can defy his family and be his own person. And I love him so so much! I could write a five paragraph essay but I won't bore you. 

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1. Maven from Red queen by victoria aveyard

Yes, he's a villain. I get it. 

I love him though. He's another complex character who isn't quite sure what to do. With his father, ignoring him half the time and always being in his brother's shadow, he has reasons behind what he does. He doesn't want Mare to fall for Cal whom she will probably end up with because that's what always happens.  I love Maven and will protect him from this evil world. 

0. America singer from the selection series

Where do I begin? Ah yes, I did cheat but America is a precious character who is one of my all time favorites and I don't understand the hate geared towards her. People say that she is whiny and weak and she isn't. She shows her strength more than once. Sure, not with samurai swords but she's smart and knows exactly what to do. She doesn't give in to others who try to push her around like the King. She doesn't want to share Maxon with anyone else which is logical. No one wants the person they like or love to be fooling around with other woman. America Singer comes from a poor family and she is determined to make her family proud. She didn't even want to be part of the Selection but she ended up in it so she knew she had to help her family. She is smart and beautiful and I love her and I will not tolerate all this hate towards her. 

Music Monday #14

I got this idea from the blog Trust in the Words. 

Team  by Iggy Azalea

Iggy Azalea came out with a brilliant song. I love this song a lot. It is very catchy and I really like how she sings in this one. I highly recommend giving it a listen. 

Crave by Tove Lo

I saw this in a video featuring Theo and Malia. Don't ask how I got there but I did and now I adore this song. The chorus is stuck in my head all the time now. Please listen to it and see for yourself. 

Blood Like Gasoline by Against the Current

OMG! This song is my jam!  I love their new album. All the songs on it are brilliant and I am seriously thinking of giving this album a buy. This song has such a good beat and is very catchy. 

What's in your headphones?

Happy reading everybody! <3

Weekly Update: 5/16-5/22

I have decided to start doing a weekly post called weekly recap where I update you on my life, reading and watching. Plus any posts I have done or will do. 

I have just been a mess the past couple of weeks. I'm so stressed because school is over in the middle of June and I have tests, and stuff to do. I haven't blogged much and have missed out on weekly memes which I am sorry about. I have also not been reviewing books as much as I wanted to but once summer comes, I will be much better. [Except when I'm in Cali :( ]

I have also been a horrible reader because I don't have time and am just not motivated enough. I only read one book this week which is sad but I am going to make up for that next week. [I hope!]

I do plan on writing a review of The Huntsman: Winter's War and Captain America Civil War, they just won't be up for a week. And I plan on seeing The Fifth Wave and Alice Through the Looking Glass next weekend!

New Books

Purchased:

Library:

In Case You Missed It

Monday's Review of The Winner's Curse
Friday's Review of Landry Park 

This Week I Read

  

Next Week I'm Reading

Upcoming Reviews

 

Landry Park by Bethany Hagan Book Review [Landry Park #1]

This is a spoiler free review!

Landry Park

Written by Bethany Hagan

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopia/Romance

Publisher: Speak

Release Date: February 4, 2014

Pages: 400

Source: Bought

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

Recommended Age: 12 and up!

Summary:

“Downton Abbey” meets The Selection in this dystopian tale of love and betrayal

Sixteen-year-old Madeline Landry is practically Gentry royalty. Her ancestor developed the nuclear energy that has replaced electricity, and her parents exemplify the glamour of the upper class. As for Madeline, she would much rather read a book than attend yet another debutante ball. But when she learns about the devastating impact the Gentry lifestyle—her lifestyle—is having on those less fortunate, her whole world is turned upside down.  As Madeline begins to question everything she has been told, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana, who seems to be hiding secrets of his own. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty—her family and the estate she loves dearly—and desire.

Review:

My sister recommended this book to me and I had very high expectations for this book as I usually trust my sister’s opinions on books. I am very happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed. This had the right amount of everything and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I would say that this is a mix of Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice, The Selection and The Hunger Games. And I highly recommend it.

COVER

When I saw this book in the bookstore about two years ago, I couldn’t resist picking it up and ultimately buying it. Now, I have finally decided to read it. [I know, I am a terrible person and a terrible reader] I really like how they don’t show us the model’s face as that would skew our thoughts about the main character. Overall the cover is beautiful and so is the spine which looks gorgeous on my bookshelf.

WORLD-BUILDING

The world that the author managed to create was really interesting. It is set in the United States but years in the future. There are the gentry and the rootless. The gentry are the wealthy and the rootless are the poor and sick. The gentry are always waiting for something bad to happen in order to blame the rootless for it, thus starting a sort of war. I really like the world which was interesting and exciting like most dystopian worlds.

Then there are the characters.

MADELINE

We first meet Madeline when she wakes up after a long night of reading. I love Madeline so so much. She has quickly become one of my favorite characters. She’s intelligent, beautiful and strong. She knows what she wants and doesn’t stop until she gets it. She also loves King Arthur and Camelot which was a plus. Her relationships with other characters have a lot of depth. We get to know more about her interaction with other characters and why rather than just telling us, “Ah yes. He is my friend.”

DANIEL

I was very suspicious of David in the beginning, given that our female protagonist meets him in the dark where he is lurking. Yes, I just said lurking. He escaped from a party and seemed really sketchy. But I grew to like him and he eventually seemed like a really sweet guy who really cared about people.

JUDE

I am still very suspicious of this character. He basically swoops in and tries to get Madeline to like him which did not sit that well with me. I am so obviously a David and Madeline shipper. But I feel like Jude would work with a different character. He does seem like he has good intentions but I’m still a little unsure.

CARA

She seemed like she didn’t care about anyone. She was like a typical mean girl placed into a dystopian novel. But as the novel progressed, I noticed how different she was. She didn’t have evil intentions. She was having her own problems and that just changed her a lot. I actually really liked her by the end.

ROMANCE

The romance did not seem insta-lovey at all. Insta-love bothers me a lot as I have said before. The romance in this book was sweet and sort of slow-burning. Like at some point we knew they had feelings for each other but they never really did anything about until way later. The searing looks absolutely killed me. I love them so much! <3

WRITING

The writing was very smooth and easy to read. It is also in first person which I really enjoyed.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. The plot was wonderful, the characters were three dimensional and the writing was beautiful.  I am totally up for a re-read!

Quotes from the Book:

“I wanted to bathe myself in that burn, to let the radiation take my skin and flesh and bones until I was nothing but charged particles dancing in space.”

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Crowns

Weekly Update: 5/9-5/15

I have decided to start doing a weekly post called weekly recap where I update you on my life, reading and watching. Plus any posts I have done or will do. 

This week,  I finally saw Captain America Civil War which was amazing but the ending was really weird. I expected something better for that kick ass movie. Come on Marvel...  Review will be up this weekend!

I also ordered three books from Book Depository last week but none of them have come yet. Do any of you know how long it takes for books to arrive? I ordered Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas and The Crown by Kiera Cass and I want all of them right now!

New Books

Purchased:

Library:

 

In Case You Missed It

I was a horrible blogger this week and didn't post at all! 

This Week I Read

  

Next Week I'm Reading

Upcoming Reviews

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski Review [The Winner's Curse #1]

This is a spoiler free review! Was supposed to go up yesterday but it apparently didn't post...

The Winner’s Curse

Written by Marie Rutkoski

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/High Fantasy/Dystopian

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Release Date: March 4, 2014

Pages: 355

Source: Library

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

Recommended Age: 13 and up!

Summary:

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love...

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Review:

I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book because many people have said that there was a lot of politics and I am not that good with politics. But I ended up being blown away by this fantastic book. It did take me a week or so to read it but it was so worth it. I have never read a book by this author so I didn’t know anything about her writing or style or any of that jazz.

Let’s start with the cover!

The cover is gorgeous and needs an award. No, I am not kidding. Part of the reason I picked this book up was because the cover was gorgeous. At first I thought it was a fairytale retelling because the cover looks so much like one but it isn’t.

WORLD-BUILDING

This is a fantasy novel with no magic, mythical creatures or Game of Thrones things. That being said, the world building aspect of this book was done really well. The author introduced us to the way the characters lived and which sort of ‘castes’ each person belonged to. A lot of the world-building had to do with politics however because the main character was the daughter of a general.

Then there are the characters.

KESTREL:

We first meet Kestrel when she is visiting the marketplace where shortly after she buys a slave for an outrageous price. She’s strong and independent which are characteristics I adore in a female character. She proves her usefulness countless times and even rejects a man more than once. Kestrel also isn’t the type of person to back down when she really wants something and she knows what she wants.  I really liked her and can’t wait to see what happens to her in the next few books.

ARIN

We first meet him being sold in the marketplace. My first impression of him wasn’t that great. I didn’t like his attitude. He was cold and not kind which led me to question what Kestrel could possibly see in him. Later on, though I realized how much he cared about others and how he’s so loyal to people. Ugh and the ending just slightly killed me.

There are a lot of other characters but I’m not going to talk about any of the others.

PLOT

The plot was really unique and I really enjoyed it. I don’t normally go into a book without knowing at least a little bit about it and I didn’t know too much for this one but I knew enough to know I wouldn’t DNF the book. Okay, who doesn’t love a good conspiracy? Am I right? Everything slowly came together though and it was beautiful! I am so ready for the next book which I will be reading in the next couple of weeks.

ROMANCE

There was no love triangle. That alone made me so so happy! You have no idea.

The romance wasn’t insta love which made me so happy. If you know anything about me is that I don’t like books where the romance is insta love. *shudders* Like, sometimes the two characters meet and then suddenly they are in love or something. That isn’t how life works.  

Arin and Kestrel did not like each other from the beginning and it was made very clear.  Then slowly, they began to tolerate each other and it finally developed into something a little more than friendship. I really don’t think it is love however as they both betray each other.

WRITING

I really like her writing. Except for the part when she changes POVs. That gets a tiny bit confusing. There were some times when I wasn’t sure whose point of view it was in at the time.  

Final Thoughts:

Some of you might be confused at this point as to why I rated it five crowns. The answer to that is that I loved it a lot but there are always minor things I have problems with. If I was really picky, I might have rated it a four but I think this book deserves a five. This is a fantasy without magic or magical lands. I highly recommend it!

Quotes from the Book:

“Isn't that what stories do, make real things fake, and fake things real?”

“Happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.”

“The truth can deceive as well as a lie.”

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Crowns