November Wrap Up:

Wrap Up:
# of books in November:  4
Read in 2014: 36

Challenges:
Books over 400 pages in November: 1
Books over 400 pages in 2014: 9
Classics: 0
Diverse Authors in November: 1
Diverse Authors in 2014: 4

 Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White 

This novel is hard to summarize, so here is the Goodreads' synopsis: Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.
Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray.

I did enjoy this book, but I felt like I got lost in some of its politics. I would sometimes catch myself skimming, and I would have to force myself to reread. Flinn and Jessamin are awesome together. Eleanor is Jessamin's friend in the novel, and she is awesome. I would love to be her friend. The magic system was interesting. I do wish we got more of it. I guess the "twist" early on in the book, so that also might be a reason I didn't enjoy it as much. Overall, this book was just ok for me.

 

(more like a 3.5 stars)

Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling by Lucy Frank

Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling is about Chess and Shannon's friendship told in verse. Chess and Shannon are both diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Shannon has had it for a while, but Chess just found out she has it. Chess is freaking out and completely in denial, and then Shannon becomes here roommate. They are opposites  in every way. The story follows their struggle with the disease, and how they learn to cope with it together. This story was good, nothing spectacular.

 

(once again a 3.5 stars)

Fables Volume 1 by Bill Willingham & Lan Medina 

Fables is a graphic novel where Snow White's sister, Rose Red, goes missing. Snow White enlists the help of Bigby Wolf to help find her sister. I loved this fairytale world. I am really starting to enjoy retellings. The art in Fables was awesome. It matched the story perfectly. I will definitely continue with this series. 

 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 

Rainbow Rowell is becoming one of my favorite contemporary authors. She sure knows how to craft a beautiful love story. Cath and Wren are twin sister that are huge Simon Snow fans. Simon Snow is like Harry Potter in their world. They both decide to go to the same college, but Wren needs some space. The story follows Cath and her journey through her first year of college. Regan and Levi are the best friends a girl could ask for. I LOVED this. One of my favorite things about this book is Cath and Wren's relationship with their dad. It reminds me a lot of my my dad, my sister, and I. After having just an average reading month, this was just what I needed. I wanted to give this book a 5 stars, but the Simon Snow excerpts knocked it down. I found myself skimming and skipping over them because I needed to know what was happening with Cath and Levi. The ending was just ok for me. Rainbow's endings to Fangirl and Eleanor & Park left me NEEDING more. I can't wait to read Landline.

 

 I have already read one book this month. I'm currently reading A Thousand Pieces of You. I will also be reading My True Love Gave to Me and Dash and Lily's Book Dares for my book club. I would love to know what books you read this month. How are you doing with your Goodreads goal? 

Until next time,

Bre  

July & August Wrap Up:

I'm sorry guys! I have been absent from my blog for about a month because of computer problems (mostly). I'm back and ready to dive in. Even though I was away from my blog, I was still reading. I read 8 books between the two months. Let's get started with the wrap up.

Wrap Up:
# of books in July/August: 8
Read in 2014: 27

Challenges:
Books over 400 pages in July/August: 1
Books over 400 pages in 2014: 7
Classics: 0
Diverse Authors in July/August: 0
Diverse Authors in 2014: 2

July

 

Saga Volume 1 By Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples 

Saga is the first book in a series of graphic novels. I loved this novel. I was blown away at the artwork.The art is pretty graphic at some parts, so I wouldn't recommend the series to a younger audience.  It was such a fast paced read that I read it in one day. The story follows a guy and a girl who are from different planets who fall in love. Alana ends up breaking Marco out of prison and

the craziness begins.

 

Saga Volume 2 By Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
 Volume 2 was epic! I LOVE this series so much. If a kick ass science fiction fantasy graphic novel sounds like something you might like, then I suggest you pick these up.

 

Point of Retreat By Colleen Hoover (Slammed, Book #2) 

I read Slammed in June, and I fell in love with the story. The characters are awesome, and they are extremely realistic. I love everything about these books. They made me feel all the feels. They are classified as New Adult, but don't let that deter you. They are amazing. 

If I Stay By Gayle Forman

I already posted a review on this book. CLICK HERE to check it out : )

The Beginning of Everything By Robyn Schneider

The Beginning of Everything is about a boy named Ezra who was a high school tennis player. Ezra got into an accident and shattered his knee, so he will never be able to play sports again. The story describes how Ezra handles his "new" life outside of tennis. One thing that I really enjoyed about is that the story is told from a male POV. With that being said, I had quite a few problems with this book. Ezra and the main girl character, Cassidy, really annoyed me. I think this book was trying too hard to be hipster and that took away from the story. 

Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham 

I LOVE VERONICA MARS!! I watched the TV show religiously, so when I heard about this book I freaked out. I listened to the audiobook because Kristen Bell narrates it. I loved it. It made the experience sooooo much better. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of this. The story itself was great. Veronica got into trouble while trying to solve a mystery, imagine that. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to get my hands on book 2. 

Throne of Glass By Sarah J. Maas

  I enjoyed this book, but I do feel like the hype made my expectations too high. Don't get me wrong I love all the characters and the plot, I wish there was more action. Celaena Sardothein is a kick ass female protagonist. I wish we could see her in action more frequently. WARNING: there is a love triangle. As of right now, I don't have a definite team. I really enjoyed reading Dorian's parts. Chaol is pretty awesome, but a little too dry for me. I do have a new "favorite to hate" character, Kaltain. Ugh she is extremely annoying. I can't wait to see what book 2 has in store.

How to Love By Katie Cotugno 

Reena falls in love with Sawyer. It is a messy complicated relationship because Sawyer is battling some of his own demons. Sawyer ends up packing up and leaving town, and Reena has no idea where he is going. When Sawyer left, Reena found out she was pregnant. The story is told from two different timelines. It flashes back and forth between before Reena got pregnant and two years after the baby is born. At first the rotating between before and after was a little hard to follow, but you pick up on it fast. Honestly, the alternating timelines made the book for me. I loved it, and I highly recommend it.

I don't have any planned books for the month of September except for Burn for Burn by Jenny Han. I am reading that for my book club. Other than that I will just read whatever I feel like reading. What did you read this month? Have you read any of the books I read? 

Until next time,

Bre

June Wrap Up & July TBR:

I can't believe June is already over. I set myself a goal to read 6 books this month, but I only read 5. I'm still happy with what I read. So let's get started : )

Wrap Up:
# of books in April/May: 5
 Read in 2014: 19

Challenges:
Books over 400 pages in June: 2
Books over 400 pages in 2014: 6
Classics: 0
Diverse Authors in June: 0
Diverse Authors in 2014: 2

The Sound of Us 

By Ashley Poston

Published December 2013

Goodreads Rating: 3.96

Pages 202 (ebook)

I decided to buy this on my Kindle because I was craving some contemporary, and it was only $1.99. The Sound of Us follows the story of a young girl named Junie who is a rocker chick. Her best friend is obsessed with Roman Holiday, a popular pop band. Junie hates Roman Holiday because it is constantly played on the radio and she feels like there is no meaning to their songs. I bet you can guess what happens. That's right she meets the lead singer (in a very embarrassing way btw) and she starts dating him.  There is a side story going on with Junie's family. Junie's father passed away, and he owned a bar that she has now taken over. I really loved this side of the story because it added a lot to Junie's character. I did not have any expectations for this book, but I really liked it. Overall, I gave The Sound of Us...

 

 Kissing Doorknobs 

By Terry Spencer Hesser

Published March 1998

Goodreads Rating: 3.84

149 pages

My friend at work gave me this book to read, and I'm so glad she did. I loved it. I have read a few books that deal with realistic issues like some of Ellen Hopkins books, but I have never read one about OCD. I like that Terry Spencer Hesser took a chance and wrote about a sensitive topic. Tara Sullivan struggled all throughout childhood, but something triggered her OCD when she was eleven. One day she heard the saying "If you step on a crack, you'll break your mama's back." From that day on, she couldn't go anywhere with out counting the cracks in the sidewalk to make sure she never stepped on a crack. Her rituals got out of control. Tara would pray constantly, she had to walk up the stairs backwards, separate her meals on her plate, and she had to kiss her fingers then put them on the doorknob over and over again before she could answer/go out the door. This book really opens your eyes to the real struggle of OCD. I rated Kissing Doorknobs....

 

 The Fear Trials

By Lindsay Cummings

Published in May 2014

Goodreads Rating: 4.37

100 pages (ebook)

The Fear Trials is a prequel novella to a new YA series called The Murder Complex. I really enjoyed this novella. It is about a girl named Meadow who is training to compete in The Fear Trials, which if she wins she will be able to leave her houseboat without her parents by her side. In this world, the birth rate is lower than the death rate. At night tons of people die and no one knows why. This novella was awesome. I need The Murder Complex right now. I rated this novella

 

The Program 

By Suzanne Young

Published April 2013

Goodreads Rating: 4.06

pages 405

I already posted a review on this book. CLICK HERE to check it out. I gave The Program....

 

Dorothy Must Die 

By Danielle Paige

Published in April 2014

Goodreads Rating: 3.84

Pages 464

UUUGGHHHH!! I was very disappointed with this book. First of all, it took me forever to read. I put it down so many times because it was too slow. I think I just had my expectations too high. My main problem with the book is that the back of the dust jacket says "Your Mission: Remove the Tin Woodman's heart. Steal the Scarecrow's brain. Take the Lion's Courage. And then Dorothy must die. Only you can make Oz a free land again." Please tell me why NONE of this happens in this book. I understand it is going to be a series, but dang. Paige could have at least made Amy (the main character) do one of those things. I liked the last 100 pages of the book the most. I will continue this series just to find out what happens, but it was a let down. I gave Dorothy Must Die a ...

 July TBR:

I am currently Reading Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover. It is book 2 in the Slammed Trilogy. I am in love with Will and Layken. I will probably finish it tomorrow.

I want to try to read at least six books again this month. I want to get a little ahead of my reading challenge. I have currently completed 19 out of 40 books. 

I will be reading The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider for my book club. 

I also want to read: 

 What did you read in June? What are you planning on reading in July?

Until next time,

Bre