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  

Septemeber & October Wrap Up:

Wrap Up:
# of books in September/October:  5
Read in 2014: 32

Challenges:
Books over 400 pages in September/October: 1
Books over 400 pages in 2014: 8
Classics: 0
Diverse Authors in September/October: 1
Diverse Authors in 2014: 3

September:

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

The Murder Complex takes place in a world where the death rate is higher than the birth rate. Meadow is trained by her father to protect her family in this cruel world. All of the training pays off because Meadow has to literally fight to get a job to help support her siblings. In town, Meadow runs into a boy named Zephyr and things start to get crazy. Zephyr is programmed by the government to assassinate whoever they need to get rid of. I am a fool for dystopian, so of course I LOVED this book. I read it really fast because I had to figure out what was going to happen next. It is a bloody, action packed dystopian that I would highly recommend.

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

I enjoyed this book. All the catty drama was extremely over the top and unrealistic, but for some reason I loved it. Burn for Burn is told in three different perspectives. All three of the girls pick a person that have wronged them in the past and decide a revenge plan for each one. I will say it was predictable, but I still read it super fast. Overall, I would describe Burn for Burn as Mean Girls meets the O.C. & Mean Girls with a tad bit of Carrie mixed in.  

October:

The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Diviners is about a young girl, Evie, who moves to her uncle's house in New York in 1920, and while she is there a series of murders occur. Evie's uncle is recruited by the police to help with the murders, and Evie tags along. I don't want to spoil anything, so I don't want to give away too much. The 5 words I would use to describe this book are spooky, paranormal, mysterious, long (578 pages), dark.

 A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

A Little Something Different is unique because it is told from 14 different viewpoints and none of them are from the couple. A few of the viewpoints are from Maxine, the waitress at the dinner Gabe and Lea always eat at, the bench they always sit on, a squirrel that sees them together all the time, a few of their close friends, the lost goes on.  I enjoyed the different perspectives in this book, but I wished we would have gotten more of Gabe and Lea together. It just seemed like the book was building to something awesome, and we did not get enough of the "awesomeness" that we had been waiting on. Overall, it was a cute, fluffy read. I recommend it if you are looking for something light and entertaining. 

Nightmares! by Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller

Nightmares! is a middle grade adventure story that will have you wishing you had more. It is about a young boy whose mother passed away and his father remarries. Charlie has a reoccurring nightmare that this witch is going to take his family from him, and he is certain the witch from his nightmares is his step mom. I loved Charlie. He was a great male lead that you couldn't help but root for. I also loved all the nightmares, but felt a few might be a little too creepy for middle grade readers. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves spooky adventure stories with an awesome male lead.

I am currently reading Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White. I know this month I will be reading Fangirl and Mockingjay. What will you guys read in November? What did you read in October? How are your reading goals going? 

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

 

Book Review:

The Program by Suzanne Young

Published in 2013

 By Simon and Schuster  

Pages 405

Goodreads Rating: 4.06

My Rating:

"When suicide becomes a worldwide epidemic, the only known cure is The Program, a treatment in which painful memories are erased, a fate worse than death to seventeen-year-old Sloane, who knows that The Program will steal memories of her dead brother and boyfriend."

The Program is a dystopian novel that has a heavy focus on love. I was surprised with the amount of character focus and the lack of world-building. With that being said, I did enjoy this book. I enjoyed Sloane as a narrator because she is strong. A lot of things have happened to her, but she keeps going. Her boyfriend, James, is always there for her. When she is upset, she confines in him. In their world, teenagers have to suppress almost all of their emotions. If they are sad or act depressed, their parents can call The Program to have them taken away to be treated. The Program wipes away all of their memories, so they will no longer be depressed. This sounds all fine and dandy, but they can erase eveything. The doctors at The Program drug the teenagers and get them to tell them anything. This is necessary for the second set of pills they force them to take because these pills attack the memories that cause the patient any pain. I enjoyed the characters and the plot of The Program. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I believe that people who don't normally like dystopian would still enjoy it.

SPOLIERS:

If you haven't read The Program then STOP and come back after you read it. 

There were quite a few predictable moments in the story. For example, Miller's death. I knew it was coming, but it was still so sad. Young did a great job making us love Miller, and then replacing our love for Miller with hate for The Program. Another example, Realm being a part of The Program. He was just too good to be true. I enjoyed reading his parts of the story. I still shipped James and Sloane, but I enjoyed Realm. He was the only person in the story was did not seem confused. He was just a fresh breathe of air. 

            Did anyone else want to punch Sloane's parents in the face? Her mom was so annoying. I understand that she was terrified to lose her daughter, but damn. Let Sloane morn. She has to put on this big fake front at school, so let her come home and let it out. People are killing themselves left and right. How else is she supposed to act? Sloane's dad was just bleh. I was he would have stood up to his wife. 

                  It really bothered me how James started talking to Sloane right off the bat after The Program. Out of all the people in the school, he is automatically interested in her. Of course I wanted it to happen but it seemed too unrealistic for me. It also seemed weird to me how they could skip class so easily. If they were just labeled as a serious threat to themselves and they have to go to a special school to be monitored, I would think they would be watched more closely. 

I'm excited to start The Treatment. I need to know what happens to everyone. With that ending, I need book two ASAP. What did you think about the book? 

Until next time,

Bre