Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 388
Type: #1 in The Wrath and the Dawn duology
Published: May 2015
My Rating: 5/5 
Synopsis: Khorasan is ruled by an 18 year old boy-King Khalid who marries a girl every night only to murder her the very next day. When 16 year old Shahrzad's closest friend falls to prey to the brutal King, she volunteers to be his next wife with a thirst for revenge. Each dawn may very well be her last. 

Review: 

Va-va-voom! This book was everything that I had been aching for. It was pure bliss. 

To further explain: The Wrath and the Dawn is a very unique tale following two very interesting and entertaining characters. Ahdieh has really made this truly amazing. With a world set in an imagined Arabia, the setting itself proves to be phenomenal not to mention the want to know why Khalid kills girls for no reason at all. The entire idea is one to hook the reader and reel them in. I know I was. ;)

Shahrzad proved to be a very sarcastic, witty and clever character. She is strong, bold and not afraid to do the most daring of tasks. This makes her a very fun character. Someone you want to continue reading about. 

Khalid, on the other hand, is much more mysterious and confusing. His feelings aren't translated well because of the stony mask that is constantly his face. He makes a good opposite to Shahrzad's personality. Khalid is menacing, with a hard demeanor. He has been through a lot at a very young age and that makes him very vulnerable on the inside. By the way, my father's name is Khalid too and it was SO WEIRD reading a book splattered with his name all over. 

The book has a very fascinating element of magic that is as of now very unclear but I trust that it will be playing a major role in the development of the story. 

Many witty side characters doubled the fun of reading the story. Jalal was truly a fond character. He cares much for the King and his witty sense of humor never grows old. Apart from him, Despina, Shahrzad's hand-maiden is endearing too. She is the only feminine support that Shahrzad receives and it is extremely refreshing to see the two of them together. 

The ending ended at a major cliff hanger so I really can't wait for the next installment to come out.

Overall: 
Shift all of the books that you wanna read next aside and pick this one up. You will not regret it. With a story this alluring and the characters this witty, you will have no trouble enjoying this book to smithereens. 

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

One Lovely Blog Award

Guuuuuyyyys! Long time, no see. It's my fault, I understand that fully. I've just not been in a mood to sit and type down all the things I want to say. You could say I've been in a bit of a blogging slump. So yeah, sorry. But I'm sorrier for not having done this post for a very long long time. Sania @ GrapeFruitBooks nominated me to do this, unfortunately, I failed to do it. So I'm extremely apologetic. Forgive me.

Rules:
  • You must thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.
  • You must list the rules and display the award.
  • You must add 7 facts about yourself. 
  • You must nominate 15 other bloggers and comment on one of their posts to let them know they have been nominated.
7 Facts About Moi: 

1. There was a point in my life when I used to hate Harry Potter and Hunger Games. Don't ask me why. But I of course, love them now. 

2. I hate insects and reptiles. 

3. I am a big time procrastinator. I'm procrastinating right now. I need to study. Shit. 

4. I am a very out of sight, out of mind kind of person. 

5. I LOVE bitter orange juice. 

6. I also love dark chocolate. A lot. 

7. I love arguing and arguments. They're my favorite things. 

So there you have it! 7 facts about me. Comment down a fact about YOU and let me know if you share a fact with me. Also, I'm so sorry, but I won't be nominating anyone for this award. But. If you'd like to do it, go ahead. 

Friday, October 9, 2015

Finding Audrey by Sohphie Kinsella

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Anxiety Disorder, Family
Pages: 288
Type: Standalone
Published: June 2015
My Rating: 3.5
Synopsis: An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.
My Review: 

This was the first ever book I read for my goodreads book club so I think this book will always have a special place in my heart. We read this book for September and I had a lot of fun!

Anyways, for the book itself.

I had a good time reading it. I was fairly unsure about what to expect since Sophie Kinsella has only ever written adult novels. I love those, no doubt, but what about YA? With these thoughts I went in and I have to say I wasn't very disappointed.

Kinsella used the same humor that she has always used. Fun and quirky. I liked the characters that she created since they were all unique in their own way. You can distinguish between them quite easily.

For example, you'd think that two gamers would be pretty much the same character wise. Like, Frank and Linus but no, they were poles apart. They were very different; Frank is kinda harsh while Linus is softer. Frank seems kinda immature but Linus seems very mature.

I did like who Audrey was in the story. She definitely grew a lot in the whole duration of the novel and I really appreciate that. I did think she was kinda annoying at times though. She seemed very selfish but she knew that she was selfish and she tried to correct it and that's awesome. I think that self-realization is very important in a person's growth and it played an overall major role not just in Audrey's life, but in her entire family's.

Now, for the things that I didn't particularly enjoy:

The overall idea that I think radiates from the book is confusion. I don't think Kinsella really knew what she was going to write about. The story was quite poorly developed because while reading I really didn't think that Kinsella knew the back story herself.

It seems like she had a big bomb planned and she was progressing towards it but she didn't really know what the bomb was yet. And then when the time came to reveal the big secret, she just didn't know what could fit and be dramatic enough for the story.

So the ending was obviously very unsatisfying. I was very meh about it.

Apart from this, I also felt that Kinsella really didn't have a lot to add to Audrey's situation so she kept throwing in Frank and the situation he and their mom were in. This topic I'm pretty sure went on for at least a quarter of the book. The story started with Frank and his problem and it ended with Frank to some extent.

It is extremely annoying as I'm here to read about Audrey, not about how Frank's computer is going to be thrown out of the window. Like, I get that he is comic relief, but the situation never really needed all that comic relief.


So yeah, overall, I did enjoy the book but these problems definitely stood out to me. I liked it, but I definitely don't think that this is Kinsella's best work. Read it if you would like a novel that is fluffy, but is potentially a sad story.


Sunday, October 4, 2015

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Laveder by Leslye Walton

Genre: A Fiction
Pages: 301
Type: Standalone
Published: March 2014
My Rating: 5/5
Synopsis: To many, I was myth incarnate, the embodiment of a most superb legend, a fairy tale. Some considered me a monster, a mutation. To my great misfortune, I was once mistaken for an angel. To my mother, I was everything. To my father, nothing at all. To my grandmother, I was a daily reminder of loves long lost. But I knew the truth — deep down, I always did.

I was just a girl.

Review: 

Going into this particular novel, I think I can confidently say that my expectations were like, pretty high. I'd heard people talk about how much they loved it, but I honestly had never watched or read any reviews on it and so I just didn't know what the book was all about. It's kind of funny how I had high expectations for a book that I knew nil about.

So... Were my expectations fulfilled? Yes, they were. Was I beyond satisfied in the end? Yes, I was. Did I devour it wholly and completely? Yes! I did.

This novel will tear you apart from page one. I promise you. It will suck you in and never want to let you go. Once you start, you have to reach the end. There is no way out. It is a one-way road, people.

I fell in love with just about everything in Ava Lavender's life. But. What stood out most prominently to me in this story was the writing style. It is extremely poetic. What could be written in five simple words, is stretched out to seven flowing words. The words and sentences and paragraphs just weave into each other and there they sit.

What someone would usually write:
A carpenter walked into the room.
What Walton would write:
The smell of wood and strength indicated the entrance of a carpenter.

By the way, that example is not from this book. It's just my interpretation. But you see what I'm trying to get across? Exactly.

Walton is a genius, if you ask me. I can't believe that this book is her debut! Also, before I forget, I L-O-V-E the title of this book. It's so nice and I don't know, I like long titles. Also, the cover is gorgeous!

I'm diverting now.

OK, talking about the story line. It's definitely very vague, not to mention, unique. What's been told to you is extremely minimal and puzzling. But as you go along with the story the puzzle pieces start fitting together and everything makes so much more sense! It was very unusual and just plain awesome. :)

I enjoyed the characters a lot. They had so much depth and definition to them, it kinda fried my brain. In a good way, though. :P

The book didn't just focus on Ava Lavender, it talked a lot about Ava' mother, Vivane and before that, Emilienne, her grandmother. I loved how it wasn't just your typical story. I also found the way the romance played out to be very interesting and realistic. Since the book didn't focus on romance heavily, and there isn't just one love interest, it proved to be quite a surprise at times. What is unexpected just happens and you don't know if it'll be alright.

Overall, I think that the book is phenomenal, I wish I'd picked it up earlier! If unusual, out-of-the-box books are your type, then definitely check this one out.






Thursday, October 1, 2015

Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters

Genre: YA LGBTQIA
Pages: 250
Type: Standalone
First Published: 2003
My Rating: 4/5
Synopsis: With a steady boyfriend, the position of Student Council President, and a chance to go to an Ivy League college, high school life is just fine for Holland Jaeger. At least it seems to be. But when Cece Goddard comes to school, everything changes. Cece and Holland have undeniable feelings for each other, but how will others react to their developing relationship?

Review: 

Alright. So I have no clue why it's taken me so long to put this post up, but it has. And ok, maybe I know why I haven't. Maybe just a little. ;)

Anyways, so I actually happened to listen to this book. I was in the mood for something LGBT and this seemed to pass the mark. I read it over the span of a couple weeks, and I have to say, I was quite the fan.

I enjoyed it very much! The story line was decent with a usual boy meets girl story, except the 'boy' was replaced by 'girl'. I enjoyed all the characters in the book; they were all unique in their own way. I loved who Holland was as a person and I understood her need to be who she really is and not someone who is a lie. I thought that Holland's character came out very strong and empowering yet at the same time she wasn't dominating.

I absolutely loved the devotion she had towards Cece. I think that love of any kind; be it straight or homosexual, is still love. And I 100% am never going to discriminate between homosexual people and straight people. I just think that humans are humans, no matter if you're poor or rich, if you're black or white, if you're gay or straight. To me what matters is the personality. The characteristics of the person. As they, don't judge a book by it cover. That saying is to live by. Seriously. It's amazing.

Anyway, I loved the writing style of Julie and how everything came together. Unfortunately, since this book was written, back when there was no number besides 0 in the tens section of 2000, I couldn't relate as much. I would give the book 5 on 5 for its content but since I'm reading it now, when being gay is much more accepted and in the open and legal, I can't relate as much.


Overall, I loved the book. It was a good read and I recommend it to anyone interested in reading some LGBT that isn't too heavy and nor is too light.


Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella










Genre: Adult Chick-Lit/ Fiction
Pages: 400
Type: Standalone
Goodreads Rating: 3.80
My Rating: 4.5/5
Synopsis: 

Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership.

Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer–and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the #@%# ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope–and finds love–is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake.

But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?
 

My Thoughts: 

I have always kinda shirked away from this book. I have no clue why. I just... don't know. I didn't even know what the book was about! I call myself myself fool now for not having read this book earlier on. 

But I finally picked it, not knowin what to expect from it at all. This book was everything I needed. It was absolutely perfect. It had that quirky feeling that all of Kinella's books have; it was light and just a fun, quick read. I will admit though, I started the book and put it on hold for some days, before reading it again. The entire process took me a week. And then I went back to my reading slump, which seems eternally prevalent in my life at the moment. 

If my life was a movie, then right now suspense and mysterious music would be playing in the background with a guy saying, "Will she ever get out of her reading slump?" 

Anyways, got diverted a bit over there. Moving on, I didn't have a problem with the book on its own at all. What I did have a problem with was the fact that Kinsella has no fresh plot. 

Kinsella pretty much has the same base for all her main female protagonists, at least as far as I've seen. All of them always have different problems in life, are internally a wreck, but externally collected collected. They are all the same clumsy types of people; with barely any variation. 

It's like saying that I bought a donut with a chocolate coating; then I went and bought another donut, but this time with a vanilla coating. Which means, you eat donuts only but with the glaze different. But at the end of the day, the main part of the donut, is the donut. 

Overall, personally I enjoyed this book immensely for a single book. It was hilarious, and quirky, had that bit of romance and suspense. Most importantly though, was the chracter development. There are so many changes within Samantha, that you're kind of starstruck. 

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good laugh, and just wants a light and fluffy and quick and oh, did I mention HILARIOUS, book.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Hello! I'm drowning in posts that need to be done but I don't have enough time since school started. But. Aside from dreary issues like those we have nice, exciting and FUN affairs to talk about. Like this one! I was tagged to do this by two people: Theepika @ ItsTheepika and by Tasya @The Literary Huntress

Rules:
  • Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.
  • Put the award logo on your blog.
  • Answer the ten questions sent to you.
  • Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.
  • Nominate ten blogs.

So because I was nominated by two people, I've decided to divide my questions into half. So half my questions will be of Theepika's and the other half, Tasya's. 

1. What type of characters are you more inclined to like?
A. Badass characters who stand up for themselves, and have a good sense of humor and can be intimidating on a whole new level when they want to. 

2. If you wrote a novel what would it be called?
A. The Bookshop Bookshop. Yes. Two bookshops. 

3. Who is your favorite author?
A. I have a few: Cassandra Clare, Meg Cabot, Sophie Kinsella, Richelle Mead, Sarah J. Maas, Roald Dahl and Rainbow Rowell.

4. Vampires or werewolves or both or neither?
A. Both but I tend to gravitate a tiny bit more towards vampires.

5. Do you like a book that everyone else hates?
A. After a lot of brain wrecking I came up with Twilight. I didn't LOVE it, I just liked it. It was pretty entertaining and ridiculous. A lot of people definitely hate that book.

6. Your favorite book ever?
A. I gonna cheat here because I just can't choose. I love Clockwork Princess and Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. Man, do I love these books. And man, was I a wreck when I was done with both. READ THEM IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. *stares like no other's business*

7. Overhyped book that other people love but you hate. 
A. I just can't stand the Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. I didn't like this one at all. It was so overhyped that it just completely lacked when I finally read it. Maybe if there wasn't all that hype surrounding it I would've enjoyed a bajillion times more.

8. Do you think beautiful book covers are important?
A. Definitely. I mean, they're not as important as the content is, but they definitely are a huge part of why people may read them. Humans are attracted to pretty things; if a book if pretty it automatically gets noticed.

9. Who is your favorite booktuber? 
A. Regan from PeruseProject.

10. Do you prefer your favorite books turned into a movie or TV show? Why?
A. TV show; they're just more in depth and are likelier to have your favorite parts of the book in it. Plus, why wouldn't you want hours and hours of your favorite book?!

I'm not nominating anyone. Do this if you want; say I nominated you. For questions do the ones I answered.

Bye!









Friday, August 28, 2015

Mad about the Hatter by Dakota Chase

Finally! I'm here with a review of Mad about the Hatter by Dakota Chase. Yes! I know! A review! First off, I was given this book for free by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Genre: LGBTQIA, Fantasy, YA
Pages: 237
Type: Standalone
Publication Date: August 20th, 2015
My Rating: 3/5
Synopsis: This isn’t his sister’s Wonderland…. Henry never believed his older sister, Alice’s, fantastic tales about the world down the rabbit hole. When he’s whisked away to the bizarre land, his best chance for escape is to ally himself with the person called the Mad Hatter. Hatter—an odd but strangely attractive fellow—just wants to avoid execution. If that means delivering “Boy Alice” to the Queen of Hearts at her Red Castle, Hatter will do what he has to do to stay alive. It doesn’t matter if Henry and Hatter find each other intolerable. They’re stuck with each other. Along their journey, Henry and Hatter must confront what they’ve always accepted as truth. As dislike grows into tolerance and something like friendship, the young men see the chance for a closer relationship. But Wonderland is a dangerous place, and first they have to get away with their lives.
Review:

   I was intrigued by the book in the very beginning. I mean, the cover is gorgeous and the concept was cool; what more did I need?

Turns out I did need more.

This book took off to an amazing start with me. It was wonderful and magical and Hatter was sarcastic and hilarious! Everyone was so interesting because hey, it IS Wonderland! It was most definitely interesting!

While I loved Hatter from the very beginning, I had doubts about Henry, Alice's brother. He just seemed stuck up and not wanting to believe in anything! I mean, I get it. He doesn't know where he is and he's finding that what he thought his sister had been lying about (wonderland) for ages actually is true! But he was so rude about it! He did redeem himself a couple chapters later so all is well there.

Hatter was mad and awesome, though. And THAT reminds me of a song called Mad Hatter by Melanie Martinez. It literally reminds me of this book. The world was very developed and detailed. Everything was extremely vivid. Unfortunately, I felt that the book was too short and descriptions too long. In fact, that was a problem I had with the book. It was very short and there was no wow factor in the story. I felt like everything in the book was like, "Hey, this happened. OK. This happened and then this. Great."

There wasn't any suspense or major twists. It was like a lazy river when it really could've been a wild, untamed sea. I think that if Chase had lengthened the book, we would've enjoyed it much much more.

The ending wasn't very satisfying. There was no intrigue, no 'what if?'. It was all just THERE. No stopping, no puzzles, no gripping my chair. I do think that the ending could've been better.

The book was pretty cool about the whole LGBTQIA element. I expected more from that side, but what I got was pretty negligible. Chase didn't emphasize much on the fact that both her characters are bisexual. Instead, she emphasized on the task at hand. I loved that Wonderland people didn't make a big deal out of Henry and Hatter. I loved their relationship. The romance was slow and steady. In the start, I felt that it was a bit fast. But soon, it was going super slow. And this is a short novel. So that's something to say! The relationship was very realistic.

In the end, I feel that Dakota Chase's strong points are characters, and descriptions. Her weak points are plots, pace, and twists. I think Chase would be able to write much better contemporaries than fantasies.

All in all, I recommend reading but keeping in mind all these things I just talked about. It's worth a read.










Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Cover Guessing Challenge

Hello! Today I'm going to be doing the book cover guessing challenge! As the title suggests, you need to guess what the book is all about just by the cover. Then you go back and see what the book is REALLY about. I was challenged (that word feels so weird!) to do this by Sania over at GRAPEFRUITBOOKS. So thanks, my friend! I decided to do this with Sania. So she has picked out some books for me and I have no idea what they're about. I'm gonna guess and then she's gonna rate me. I'm gonna give you guys exactly what I said to her in our emails when she rated me.

BOOK 1: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kate. 
My guess: Cheerleader dies because of a goth guy. So now she hates all goth guys but then this one comes along and she just can't hate him. She's slowly starting to fall for him. But there are complications since he is human and she is ghost.

Goodreads says:
Alona Dare–Senior in high school, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, Homecoming Queen three years in a row, voted most likely to marry a movie star… and newly dead.

I’m the girl you hated in high school. Is it my fault I was born with it all-good looks, silky blond hair, a hot body, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing? But my life isn’t perfect, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks—is there anything more humiliating? As it turns out, yes—watching your boyfriend and friends move on with life, only days after your funeral. And you wouldn’t believe what they’re saying about me now that they think I can’t hear them. To top it off, I’m starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. I don’t know where I go when I’m gone, but it’s not good. Where is that freaking white light already?

Will Killian–Senior in high school, outcast, dubbed “Will Kill” by the popular crowd for the unearthly aura around him, voted most likely to rob a bank…and a ghost-talker.

I can see, hear, and touch the dead. Unfortunately, they can also see, hear and touch me. Yeah, because surviving high school isn’t hard enough already. I’ve done my best to hide my “gift.” After all, my dad, who shared my ability, killed himself because of it when I was fifteen. But lately, pretending to be normal has gotten a lot harder. A new ghost—an anonymous, seething cloud of negative energy with the capacity to throw me around—is pursuing me with a vengeance. My mom, who knows nothing about what I can do, is worrying about the increase in odd incidents, my shrink is tossing around terms like “temporary confinement for psychiatric evaluation,” and my principal, who thinks I’m a disruption and a faker, is searching for every way possible to get rid of me. How many weeks until graduation?

My Results: So I got a 90 per cent. It was very close except the girl wasn't killed by goths. 

Book 2: The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross. 
My Guess: A girl with a mission who needs to wear red dresses and attend balls she doesn't really want to go to and wear steel corsets because she's just that badass. Over this time she falls in love with either the enemy or her partner in crime.

Goodreads says:
In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one... except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch...

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on even if it seems no one believes her.

My Results: 79 per cent. There's more to it but she is on a mission and she does fall in love with her enemy. 

Book 3: Splintered by A. G. Howard.

My Guess: A retelling of Alice in Wonderland where Wonderland isn't what everyone thinks of it as. It's a dark, twisted place and no one is safe. Everyone hates her but she falls in love with a Wonderlander. (Is that what they call people who live in Wonderland? :P)

Goodreads says:

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence.

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.
 

Results: A solid 95%. It's really about Alice's descendant. There's a love triangle. 

Book 4: Naked by Stacey Trombley. 

My guess: About a girl who was either sexually assaulted or was sent into sex trafficking and everything went downhill. She's now dealing with consequences of something that drastic.

Goodreads says:

I could never fit in to the life my parents demanded. By the time I was thirteen, it was too much. I ran away to New York City…and found a nightmare that lasted three years. A nightmare that began and ended with a pimp named Luis. Now I am Dirty Anna. Broken, like everything inside me has gone bad.

Except that for the first time, I have a chance to start over. Not just with my parents but at school. Still, the rumors follow me everywhere. Down the hall. In classes. And the only hope I can see is in the wide, brightly lit smile of Jackson, the boy next door. So I lie to him. I lie to protect him from my past. I lie so that I don’t have to be The Girl Who Went Bad.

The only problem is that someone in my school knows about New York.

Someone knows who I really am.

And it’s just a matter of time before the real Anna is exposed…
 

Results: 89 per cent. There is some sex trafficking and stuff. 

Book 5: Paper Weight by Meg Haston
My Guess: About freedom, puppets or a girl who loves paper weights.

Goodreads says:
Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped. In her life. In her body. And now in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert.

Life in the center is regimented and intrusive, a nightmare come true. Nurses and therapists watch Stevie at mealtime, accompany her to the bathroom, and challenge her to eat the foods she’s worked so hard to avoid.

Her dad has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn't plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death—the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she too will end her life.

In this emotionally haunting and beautifully written young adult debut, Meg Haston delves into the devastating impact of trauma and loss, while posing the question: Why are some consumed by their illness while others embark on a path toward recovery?

Result: 0 per cent. I was waayyy off! 

That's all! I challenge you since I don't know who to! 









Monday, August 24, 2015

The 90s Tag!

Hey, I haven't posted a review and I know that! I'm sorry! I had these reviews planned out; but I'm in a sort of reading slump. I need to finish those books! But anywho, I was tagged to do this by the ever-so-fab Theepika @ ItsTheepika. Thanks buddy! (That was so pretentious!) And just like Theepika, I wasn't really born in the 90s. I was born in the 21st century. To be exact, 25th Feb 2001.

1. She's All That: A book couple that are an odd pairing, but fit together perfectly. 
Eleanor and Park. They are opposite but still fit so well! Well, opposites do attract after all.

2. 10 Things I Hate About You: A book/series with which you have a love/hate relationship. 
I'm gonna go with Fifty Shades of Grey. Yes, I have read that book. Only the first one. And I did sort of enjoy it but I also kinda didn't. So...

3. Clueless: A character that is completely clueless but you love them anyway. 
I'm going with Tessa from the After series by Anna Todd. Tessa is just so innocent and clueless, it's kinda hilarious!

4. Titanic: A book that made you cry.  
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. Man, I couldn't read more than half of this book properly, because my eyes were bleary. This book is the death of me. I love it soooo much!

5. American Pie: A book that made you laugh. 
The book I'm currently reading, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. It's hilarious!

6. Can't Hardly Wait: A book with a crazy party. 
Ok. I don't really understand what this question means. A crazy party?! I don't know, can't think of any crazy party. Maybe one in Delirium by Lauren Oliver. That was pretty crazy and not in a good way!

7. Cruel Intentions: A character you can't fully trust. 
Definitely Snape!

8. Drive Me Crazy: Favorite boy-next-door couple. 
Lola and Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins.

9. Scream: A book with a memorable villian. 
Sebastian Morgenstern from The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare.

10. The Craft: A book with witches. 
Harry Potter, Heir of Fire and The Witches.

That is all for this tag, I'm not going to be tagging anyone. You can do this if you want.

Monday, August 17, 2015

The Bookfangirling Award!

So... I'm sorry! I was supposed to do this ages ago. No excuse. Sorry! But, I was nominated for this award by the awesome Denise @ TheBibliolater. Thanks a bunch! :D


Rules
1) Create a post to accept your award.
2) Add the blog award button into your post and put it on the side of your blog as a widget.
3) Answer the questions I have below.
4) Nominate between 5-10 book bloggers who you think also deserve this award.
5) Come up with your own 5 questions for your nominees.

1. Why did you start blogging?
A. Obvious. Because I love books. And blogging means talking (rather, writing) about books with OTHER people. So.

2. What is your favorite book of 2015 so far and why?
A. So, I have a few. Wonder, ACOTAR, Sold, The Night Circus, The Bone Season. I loved all of them. I'm not going to specifically say WHY for each and everyone of them. That would take forever. They were all just awesome. I either had fun reading them or I learnt something super important from them. But I think that Wonder should get this title. :)

3. Have you ever done anything embarrassing while fangirling?
A. Nothing super embarrassing but, there was this one time where I was fangirling with my friends at class. And suddenly, behind me someone cleared their throat. Looking around, it was my teacher. And I think she heard me talking. So. Yeah. That was sorta embarrassing. But more embarrassing things have happened to me. So this was nothing.

4. What was the book that got you into reading?
A. There wasn't any specific book that got me into reading, but two authors really triggered my reading spirit. Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl.

5. Who are your book boyfriends?
A. Will Herondale - Duh.
Warner - Also, duh.
Damon Salvatore - Triple duh.

So that was all for the questions. I nominate:

Laura @ BlueEyeBooks
Sania @ GRAPEFRUITBOOKS

Alright. I can't think of anyone else to nominate sooo...

My Qs:

1. The third question that I answered above. 
2. 1 all time favorite book. Only one. 
3. How many books do you read on an average in a month?
4. Have you ever fangirled to your parents?
5. When was the last time you fangirled and why?

Saturday, August 15, 2015

The Reading Habits Tag

Hey! So today I'm gonna do "The Reading Habits" tag. And I've been wanting to this tag for a while now, but I just haven't gotten around to doing it. So when Sania from GrapeFruitBooks tagged me, I was like, yes please, bring it on!

1. A certain place you read at. 
A. My room. At day, on my carpet or my desk. At night, my bed.

2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?
A. I have this heart paper clip bookmark I use a lot. And because I'm an obsessed bookmark collector, bookmarks. Unless I don't have a bookmark at hand.

3. Just stop reading/ stop after a chapter/ stop after a few pages?
A. Depends. I'm not very particular about it.

4. Eating and drinking while the reading is happening?
A. YAASS! I do that all the time. I'm not someone who just sits and eats. No. I will have to do something while eating. Like reading, TV, or yes, talking. :)

5. Multitasking: TV or music while reading?
A. None. I might do things while eating. But reading and anything else? Big fat no-no.

6. One book at a time or several at once?
A. Depends. But I would most definitely prefer one at a time.

7. Reading at home or everywhere?
A. Everywhere. I read books during spare time at school, when at a restaurant, I'd even take it to a party. But my parents wouldn't let THAT fantasy become a reality.

8. Reading out loud or in your head?
A. Both. I know this is weird but I sometimes act like I'm a narrator of an audiobook. And then I read it like audiobook are read. Weird, yes. Embarrassing, yes. Fun, yes.

9. Read ahead or skip pages?
A. I don't do either, per say. But sometimes, my eyes just kinda skim through the next couple paragraphs. Bad, I know!

10. Breaking the spine or keeping it new?
A. Honestly, don't care. But a new spine sure is nice. :P

11. Do you write in your books?
A. Never felt the need to.

People I tag:

Theepika @ ItsTheepika
Laura @ BlueEyeBooks
Denise @ TheBibliolater

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: YA High-Fantasy 
Pages: 562
Type: #3 in Throne of Glass Series
My Rating: 5/5 
Synopsis: She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth...a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

Review: 

*This review may or may not be spoilery if you haven't read the first two books in the series. If you haven't read THIS book yet, continue reading*

O. M. G. 

Yeah, yeah, by god this book was fantabulous. The book pretty much started where it had left off in crown of midnight. We find her in Wendlyn. The story had a couple different perspectives. There was Celaena in Wendlyn, the Ironteeth witches (!), and the palace people. And all the perspectives were awesome, but I love Celaena way too much, so I was always waiting impatiently for her part to come. 

The story was building up once more. The tensions between various lands was obvious. The games played were woah! Maas incorporated new characters in the story very well. They didn't feel left out or anything and I have to say, I loved all of them. They were each unique and different. The character building in this novel went beyond the roof. A lot of character building happened. By the end of the novel, Celaena had changed a lot, she was determined and she had finally accepted that she was Aelin. We see Dorian and his magical powers. We see parts of what the king has been conspiring. 

The plot line, I feel in this book was like the first one. We're back to the point where Maas needs to build a base before moving on. Throughout this book, we saw everybody as more or less dormant. Plans and whatnot. I feel that the next book will hold many surprises as Aelin and the King come face to face. I can sense a lot of excitement from the next book and I can't wait to read it!

Overall, when you read this book, I think you should go with that thought in mind that this is a novel creating a war. This is just the start. With that in mind, I take leave. Hope you pick this book up! 

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Blogger Recognition Award!

Omigod! Can you believe it? Cuz I most certainly can't! Thank you so much Theepika @ Just That Girl for tagging me!


RULES:

  • Select 15 other blogs you want to give the award to. Do some digging if you must! Find those blogs. You cannot nominate yourself or the person who has nominated you.
  • Write a post to show off your award! Give a brief story of how your blog got started, and give a piece or two of advice to new bloggers. Thank whoever nominated you, and provide a link to their blog. List who you’ve nominated in the post. Make sure to also attach the award itself! (You can do this by right-clicking, saving, and uploading the image above).
  • Comment on each blog and let them know you’ve nominated them. Provide a link to the award post you created.
My Story: 

Books are something that my family doesn't see much of. As a kid, I don't remembered either of my parents reading a fiction novel. I am the eldest child, so no exposure from a sibling either. But when I was in the 3rd grade, I had changed schools, and the new school had a library period once a week. At my school, there were 2 libraries. One for junior kids and one for senior kids. I slowly fell in love    with books at that junior library. Unfortunately, students never got to pick a book. A random book would be given to you by the librarian. I remember itching to get up and pick a book of my own once I was done with the one in my hand. I waited impatiently for 5th grade to come around so that I could go the senior library where you were allowed to choose your own books, had 3 membership cards (on which your signature was necessary, I loved signing since I never got an opportunity to!), and were allowed to borrow 3 books for a week! Of course, as a book worm child I was over the moon. I started out with Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, then branched out to Meg Cabot and Sophie Kinsella. Then I found booktube, and it changed my entire reading world. I started reading Cassandra Clare, and what not. Along the way, I decided to start blogging! And here I am, with you currently reading my words. 

Advice:

When you're in such a massive community and you see all these people doing all these things, it's hard to not be influenced and feel like you have to do what everyone is doing. Don't feel that way. You own your blog, you own you, and nobody should be able to change that. You aren't blogging to get people to love you, but you're blogging to let people in on your thoughts, to share the love of books. So if you love something but aren't going to show it, there is no use of starting a blog. Everyone is unique, they say, but if you aren't ready to accept it, no one will. Stand out amongst the crowd, not blend in. 

People I nominate: 
      
Sania @ grapefruitbooks
Chioma @ bluebooksandbutterflies.         
Laura @ blueeyebooks
Vlora @ reviewsandcake

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Genre: YA/ Middle Grade Contemporary 
Pages: 315
Type: Standalone 
Rating: 5/5 
Synopsis: You can't blend in when you were born to stand out.

My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August Pullman wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things. He eats ice cream. He plays on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside.

But Auggie is far from ordinary. Ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids don't get stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life, in an attempt to protect him from the cruelty of the outside world. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

Review:

I had seen the book around the book world. Occasionally, people would talk about it. But I really didn't know it was about a kid with a facial abnormality. I don't really know what age group to put this book under. But I guess I'm going to go with Middle Grade. The book is told in a lot of people's perspectives. August's sister, her boyfriend, August's friends and August himself. I didn't like that in the beginning. But slowly I found out that I wanted to know what other people thought. And in the end, I loved the different perspectives. 

The book really got to me. I was very invested in it. It taught me so, so much. I had made a little fun of some kids. I've never been proud of it, but after reading this book, I felt so awful I broke down and started crying. It wasn't big things. Just small ones, like trying to get out of the person's way. Not talking. Ignoring. That sort of thing. I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to be shunned and know that you're being made fun of. 😭😓😔😞😢 It must be terrible. 

The book was so simple. Yet. It was very heart-breaking. Seeing this 10 year old kid going through things that no 10 year old should go through. Scratch that, not even an adult should go through it. August had a lot than what met the eye. He was funny and interesting! And anyone could see that if they became friends with him. At one point in the story, my heart smashed into pieces. He had just come home from school. And when he rushed to his room and his mom came after him, he asked his mom, "Mom, why am I so ugly?" I couldn't bear it! Even now, as I type, tears are springing into my eyes and I'm getting chills all across my body. 

Everything seems so real. And I know that this boy got his happy ending, but a lot of kids like him out there don't. They don't get their chance at living a normal life. Even if they get accepted here, they'll never get accepted there. It sucks! 

Anyway, since this is a book review... The book without doubt is one of my favorite books of all time. The story was beautiful and everything was woven together beautifully. There was loads of character development not just from Auggie as his school year progresses, but even from his friends and sister. 

If you want to read something important, something that will leave you heart broken in the best way possible, then PICK THIS BOOK UP. In fact, you should read it even if you don't want something of that sort. This book means a lot to me, and I hope that it will to you too. 

Sunday, August 2, 2015

I Mustache You Some Questions Tag

I don't remember the last time I did a tag. Today, we are going to rectify that. I was tagged by my awesome friend Theepika. Go and follow her! 

1. 4 jobs you would like to have
Never had a job. So I'm going to give you 2 jobs I want right now, and 2 jobs when I grow up. 
- Bookshop person
- Library person
- English Prof
- Publisher 

2. 4 movies I have watched more than once
Don't really watch a lot of movies. 
- Little Mermaid
- Jurassic Park (all of them!)
- P.K. ( Hindi movie)
- Matilda

3. 4 books I would recommend 
- Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
- Sold by Patrica McCormen
- Wander by R.J. Palacio
- Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

4. 4 places I have visited
- Melbourne, Australia
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Sydney, Australia 
- Muscat, Oman

5. 4 things I don't eat
- Fish
- Kidneys
- Brain
- Bitter Gourd

6. 4 of my favorite foods
- KFC chicken 
- Fried Cauliflower 
- Lady Fingers
- Papa Johns Pizza 

7. 4 TV shows I watch
- The Originals 
- The 100
- The Vampire Diaries 
- Reporters (Indian Soap)

8. 4 things I'm looking forward to this year
- Reading
- November
- Baby sister's skills
- More reading

9. 4 people I tag
I don't really have anyone specific to tag. So if you want to do it, go ahead, and do it. Say that I, Aisha, tagged you. And send me a link if you do it. So that I know that you did.