Saturday, October 29, 2011

Book Review #7 [Divergent by Veronica Roth]



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Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.


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'Ello all. How are you? I, come bearing another book review for you! Today it's no other than Divergent by Veronica Roth!

Now, I'm sure you guys have heard of this book. I mean if you haven't..I think someone's been living under a rock. Hmm?



We begin with our female protagonist, Beatrice who lives in dystopia Chicago. In here, everything is separated by valued morals or factions. We have the Cantor- which hold honesty above all. Abnegation - selflessness. Amity- kindness. Erudite- knowledge. And, Dauntless- courage. Beatrice has lived in the Abnegation faction her entire life, but there comes a time in a child's life where they get the choice to stay where they are, or move to another faction. Now, this is a big deal because your choosing to move to another location all on your own at a young age or to stay in your hometown; where your safe and comfortable.

Surprisingly, Beatrice chooses to leave, and goes to Dauntless. She's not alone in leaving as her brother Caleb chooses to leave as well, but goes to Erudite instead. Now, let me briefly explain Dauntless. It is vicious. And, I'm not just saying that. The initiation stage Beatrice (or Tris- she changes her name with her leave) goes through is crazy!  Hand to Hand combat, facing your ultimate fear until you can't no more- just to name a few. 


What I like about Tris (which reminds me of Katniss from "Hunger Games") is that she's nothing special. She's a normal young woman trying to find her path in life. There are moments were she's weak, and there are moments were she is the bravest of them all. She's not easily swayed or taken advantage of.

Love Interest, you say? OF COURSE. His name is Four. Four is similar to what I think of Tris, he's nothing special either. But, when they find each other you begin to see that they start to fill the empty spots in each other, trust each other, and eventually fall for one another. In the faction they live in it's basically you above everyone else. It's hard to trust anyone....you might end up getting a fork in your eye while your sleeping. 


I like Tris and Four, but I'm not sure where I can put them in my "butt-kicking heroine/hero" list. /shrug.  But, their there...somewhere. 

Now, obviously we have the conspiracy plot in the story, and it's up to Tris and Four to save everyone. I can't say anymore than that, without giving away the whole damn plot, u know?

Divergent is a fun read, esp. if your a huge of Hunger Games (like I am), I believe you'll enjoy this book very much. Another reason I think this book is enjoyable is that we don't get some loveline shoved down our throats; that irks me sooo much. Doesn't it irk you? It has love in it, but it focuses more on a transformation of a young girl living a difficult world.


Rating: 4.8/5


Thursday, October 27, 2011

New Arrival!

Hey guys! I'm writing this post from my nook color and is damn difficult. lol. Anyway, I got a new book today, fresh off the shelves! It's Maggie Stiefvater newest book, The Scorpio Races! I have heard so many good reviews about it, but I was still iffy on whether I should get it. But, i got anyway. Haha. I can't wait to get into, so you can be sure to expect a review of it soon!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Book Review #6 [Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep]







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My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.
But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .
--
Enter a new book review! I will be reviewing an ongoing series by paranormal author Jennifer Estep. This is something new for Estep, as this will mark her actual first YA novel. Let's start shall we? 
We are introduced to our main girl Gwen Frost. She attends the mystical Mythos Academy. A boarding school for those who descend from ancient mystical beings. Yes, you heard me. There are Valkyries, Amazons, Spartans, etc. Gwen has a power of her own, she's a Gypsy. She has the ability to know a person and/or objects history just by touching it. Can you imagine her life? 
We are with Gwen has she deals with sudden lost in her family. New school, death in the family, not so special power compared to the other students. I'd be a negative Nancy too. But, good enough we don't get a full on teen angst from Gwen. She's strong and she works through it one step at a time.
Along, with Gwen we are introduced to Logan Quinn and Daphne. Logan (lovee him) is a Spartan, while Daphne is a Valkyrie. Even a "special" little guy named Vic, who I have to say even though he has a short appearance he's already my favorite character. Despite, the.....uh bloodthirsty problem he has....yeah.
Anyway, they all become valuable help in solving the mysterious death of a popular student at Mythos. Secrets get exposed, Revenge is sought after and so on and so forth.
Touch of Frost is a good book to read, esp. if your interested in the Greek Myth. I can't wait for the second book Kiss Of Frost!

Quote excerpt: "...this gypsy girl happens to have a grandma who can curse you so bad that your dick will fall off, so watch your step."

Rating: 5/5

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Book Review #5 [Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter]



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Cammie Morgan is back, and it's clear that her life hasn't calmed down since the events of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. At first, giddy anticipation is in the air. Gallagher Academy, Cammie's elite spy school, is hosting a visit from the Ethan Frome Academy, a covert training center for boys. Soon after the boys' arrival, though, everything goes dangerously awry when a series of security breaches are discovered at the academy. Worse yet, teenage agent-in-training Cammie is being blamed for the penetration. With the school's top-secret status at risk, the Gallagher Girls have to work quickly to save their beloved school. Girl sleuths with nice asides on youthful crushes.


--

And, were back with another installment of the Gallagher Girl series book #2! 

We return back to Cammie's life after her not so satisfying ending with dear old Josh. But, that doesn't mean the obstacles stop there! A new secret is revealed in book number 2~ Blackthorn Academy! What? What is this school? Is it similar to Cammie's school? Well, the answer is yes....and no. But don't worry! I'm not revealing anything serious, because the secret of this school won't be revealed until later in the series. 


Similar, to the first book Cammie has to deal with boy problems again. I assure you though this guy is WAYYYYY better, trust me. His name is Zach. He's your typical annoying, over confident, arrogant yet charming I-can't-stop-thinking-about-you-and-it-drives-me-crazy type of guy. We find out he's similar to Cammie in more than one ways ;)
Zach drives Cammie up the walls, which drives them closer together. Along with their respective friends, they work together to deal with problems happening in Gallagher Academy. Questions get answered by more questions, which gets Cammie and us as readers questioning certain people's motives.

I mentioned in the review for the first book that the series gets better once you get to the second book, and it's true! Though I have to admit most of that is because of Zach (lol)





Rating: 5/5

Where have I been?!

Hey guys! Oy, it's been awhile since I've written anything here. I've been real busy with papers for school..(you know =_=). But, anyway I will be posting a lot of entries over the weekend just to catch up. And, omg the read-a-thon started so I have to start on that too! Wish me luck!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Wanna enter an YA e-pub giveaway?

Well, one of my favorite and first follow blogs (Book, Biscuits, & Tea) is hosting an awesome giveaway! For anyone with an e-reader or a computer (haha). It's a special treat for hitting her 100 follower mark (jealoussss =_=). There's 10 books up for grabs. Want more info? Well just click here and it will send you straight to her page; followed by instructions on how to enter. Good Luck!


Show & Tell: Where do you grab a book and get lost in it? Show us your favorite spot you like to read at.

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Well, when I have a good book or even my NOOK Color, the two places I relax and read them are my bedroom and my living room couch. But, to be really honest I don't really have a steady place. When I read I like quiet or just little nosy; as much as possible, you know? Because then I feel like I can't get into the book, if someone is watching TV while I'm reading. Wait...that's weird. I can have the TV on while I'm reading; it just has to be on mute and I have to be the only one in the room. (lol). 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

W...W...W... Wednesdays



hosted by shouldbereading@wordpress




---• What are you currently reading? 
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. It's really good so far, loving the main character Yelena and her other half Valek. Along with the trials, Yelena has to go through.


---• What did you recently finish reading?
Well, since money has been tight I haven't had a new book in awhile. But, the last book I've read was Never Have I ever by Sara Shepard.


---• What do you think you’ll read next?
I want to read Sweetly by Jackson Pierce. I've heard some good reviews on it.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Book Review #4 [Moon Called by Patricia Briggs]


Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too. 

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself ... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.



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Okay, let me start off by saying , you will see these types of books on my blog.

What an amazing addition to the Urban Fantansy Genre! Patricia Briggs has officially become one of those authors I'll look out for. She's created an interesting world filled with werewolves, faes, vampires, etc.

Moon Called is about a young skinwalker/shapeshifter named Mercedes Thompson, Mercy for short. Mercy has the ablilty from birth to turn into a coyote at will. Mercy is a strong-willed and independent young woman living on her own, doing her own thing fixing cars. I really like her because it's rare for a YA/UNF female character to be so level-minded, not making stupid decisions left and right all the time. Mercy's not perfect, far from it. But, that just makes me love her even more.

Now, for the boys. Our main guy for this series and Mercy's companion/mate is Adam Hauptman. Adam. ADAM! OMG. He's the alpha of the local werepack. Man, is just...I don't even know. But, I LOVE HIM. Now, of course when it comes to anything Alpha, you have the typical domineering, overprotective, slightly crazy aspect but I mean what else do you expect from a guy who turns into a wolf and also has to look after other homicidal werewolves while controlling yourself. I'd be damn crazy myself! I adore his relationship with Mercy, how we get to see his subtle possessiveness over Mercy when another but familiar wolf comes into the picture.

Other important characters introduced that will show up again in the series is :

Stefan (Mercy's vamp friend) Warren (Adam's third in command) Bran (the head of all weres in America)Samuel (Mercy's old love interest/friend).

What I really liked about what Briggs did is that this book is not over the top. imo of course. We don't have all these unnecessary situations popping everywhere. This was a great start to the series and Mercy/Adam's relationship. It's pretty consistent. And, we also dive into the structures and dynamics of a were-pack, courtesy of Mercy. (she was raised by wolves..literally. XP) This isn't the only book, there are 3 or 4 books already released with more to come.

I totally recommend this book for any of you fellow urban fantasy/shapeshifter/werewolf lovers. I'll leave you with my a quote:

“A werewolf tossed me against a giant packing crate while I was trying to rescue a frightened young girl who'd been kidnapped by an evil witch and a drug lord.” ― Patricia BriggsMoon Called

Rating: 5/5


Monday, October 10, 2011

Non-Book Post

Hey Guys :) This is something new, a "non-book post" where I just discuss something interesting that happened to me.

So, today I went down to Times Square to the MTV studios for a mini-concert. It was of foreign artists from South Korea, more mostly know as KPOP. It's rare for them to come here, and since I'm really into them I HAD to go see them. Overall, I won't make this a long post. So here's the rundown:

- Got on line waited for hours. Feet and Back hurt
- MTV needs to be more organized..

-Was unable to get in studio EVEN THOUGH my name was on the list...(eyeing you MTV..>.>)
-Watched the show from outside on the big screen

-the groups that came were great and VERY adorable. esp. the boys

Highlight of the whole day? I MET HUGH JACKMAN AND HE GAVE A HIGH FIVE. yup, that was good.

p.s  if your intrested in why I like KPOP check this video out: GD&TOP - Knock Out
there are MANY MANY groups, these two are unit duo from one of my favs.
don't knock until you try it! Tell me if you like or not!

Friday, October 7, 2011



To-Be-Read's: How big is your pile? Which book keeps getting pushed down the stack, but you keep meaning to read it?


(my first TGIF post. yay!)
-- To be quite honest, my pile isn't as big as I would like it to be. I have a bookshelf, but my mom takes over the first two shelves; while I have the next two. I have one shelf filled, the other is slowly but surely getting there. The problem is space, I don't have as much as I want in my room. =_= But, I don't know hopefully I'll get there soon. haha.

Joining a Read-a-thon!

So, yea just as the title says. I've decided to join a read-a-thon. I've never done one before so I think it'll be fun.
I got the idea from Vicky @books,biscuits& tea.

It's called the "Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon" created by Hosts: Bex @ Kindle Fever, Amanda @ Letters Inside Out, April @ My Shelf Confessions.   Going from October 21st-Oct23rd


The theme is Halloween of course, and as luck would have it. It's not restricted to just Halloween-themed books. For more info click here. I'm hoping I stick with this well.

Book Review #3 [I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter]

Hey, guys. I'm back and this time with a new book review!


Today I will be reviewing the first book of the Gallagher Girl Series by Ally Carter.






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The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women lives up to its name. Not only does this exclusive boarding school teach advanced language skills and correct deportment; its students also master the arts of tapping phones, hacking into computers, and spying in public places. At school, second-generation Gallagher Girl Cammie Morgan has impeccable credentials: She is fluent in 14 languages and able to kill an assailant in seven different ways. But recently life has dealt Cammie a card that she never anticipated: She has fallen in love with an ordinary boy who knows nothing about her exotic double life. A truly covert romance.






"I'd Tell You I Love You But..." by Ally Carter is the first book in this action-packed series. It follows the life of Cammie Morgan, a spy in training. Along with her close friends -- kick-ass Bex, genius Liz, and outcast Macey; these four girls are trouble waiting to happen. We are first introduced to the girls and the Gallagher Academy itself. We find out that it's a boarding school for girls in disguise (as it should be..) headed by Rachel Morgan; who happens to be Cammie's mom. We get introduced to interesting teacher characters in the story as well. My favorite, which I'm sure will be yours to if you checked out the book, is Joe Solomon. *swoon* Anytime Joe shows up I fall in love with him even more. Albeit, he is older than the girls (and myself..lol) he still manages to swoon even the toughest. Now, of course I won't go into the actual plot and premise of the story. But, we see our star girl Cammie face on of her toughest challenges as a female spy..her first boyfriend. Josh. He's a sweet and caring boy, but just how will Cammie pull this off without revealing her biggest secret? Trust me, when I say she does a lot. It's quite funny how she goes about this as well. [hint: going through someone's trash can definitely tell you a lot about them] Now, you can just imagine the ups and downs Cammie and her friends go through to make this a successful, shall I say..mission?


This first book is just the stepping stone in the series, and intro as it should be. If your looking for a good feel book with easy going characters, this is the book. I will say this, though as the story goes on and an actual plot comes along IT GETS EVEN BETTER. But....that's a review for another day. XD




Rating: 3/5

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

I've been gone, I know =_=

I promised reviews from my previous post, and I promise they will come. But, as you know life is busy-busy. School started since my last post on this blog and I've been dealing with the new classes. Also, with other life issue things. I've also been trying to come up with a few things to upgrade or spice up my blog a little. They won't be put into effect just yet, but gradually. Anyhoo, a review is coming your way...very soon. :) Until then!

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