Queen of Books

Friday, 27 May 2016

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.

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.

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.

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.

Monday, 23 May 2016

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

Sunday, 22 May 2016

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:

Friday, 20 May 2016

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

Monday, 16 May 2016

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:

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

Sunday, 8 May 2016

Weekly Recap: 5/1-5/7

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, Captain America Civil War came out but I sadly did not see it because I'm going with a friend next weekend. I will be trying so hard not to get spoilers, so we shall see how that turns out.

More Exciting News: So many books that I have been anticipating came out this week. I ordered The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan and received it yesterday. I am putting off reading it until I finish the three books I have to read by next week. But then I am free to delve in. I have to order some other books such as A Court of Mist and Fury which I am so excited about!

New Books

Purchased: