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Showing posts from 2015

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard: Book review

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Publisher/Year: February 12th 2015 Orion Genre: YA Fantasy Series: Red Queen #1 Pages: 383 Source/Format: Paperback | Bought Rating: 5 stars out of 5 *This review may contain spoilers!* Synopsis This is a world divided by blood – red or silver. The poverty-stricken Reds are commoners, living in the shadow of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers. To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from the Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change. Then Mare finds herself working at the Silver palace, in the midst of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control. My review I trust my best friend's book recommendations, so when she started screaming about how good this book was, and how it was her favourite book of the year so far, I knew I had to read it. Before that, I had heard of it and was interested myself so the two combined l

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The First Half of 2016

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Hi everyone! Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted over at  The Broke and The Bookish . This week's topic is Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The First Half of 2016. 1.  A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry This just sounds so unique, and the main character is called Isabel, so that helps too. 2.  Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard I loved Red Queen SO MUCH that I can't wait until February, and I might just push this to the top of my TBR when it comes out. 3.  Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye I read Jane Eyre very recently, and this just sounds like such a funny retelling. 4.  And I Darken by Kiersten White I've heard good things about all of White's books, and this might have to be the first one of hers I pick up. 5.  The Haters by Jesse Andrews I loved Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and I just hope this is as good as that was. 6.  My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand I love both Historical Fiction and funny books,

Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff: Book review

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Publisher/Year: January 27th 2015 HarperTeen Genre: YA Contemporary Series: No Pages: 288 Source/Format: Hardback | Gifted Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 *This review may contain spoilers!* Synopsis Here's what Sam knows: There was a party. There was a fight. The next morning, his best friend, Hayden, was dead. And all he left Sam was a playlist of songs, and a suicide note: For Sam—listen and you'll understand. As he listens to song after song, Sam tries to face up to what happened the night Hayden killed himself. But it's only by taking out his earbuds and opening his eyes to the people around him that he will finally be able to piece together his best friend’s story. And maybe have a chance to change his own. My review This book was one of my highly-anticipated books of 2015, so when I received it as a birthday present I was so happy! I knew the general premise prior to going in but I hadn't really read any reviews for it, so I didn't

Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year

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Hi everyone! Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted over at  The Broke and The Bookish . This week's topic is Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year. 1.  Landline by Rainbow Rowell I loved Fangirl so much when I read it earlier this year that I want to own all of her books. 2.  Invisibility by David Levithan and Andrea Cremer I took this book out of the library a couple of years ago but I didn't finish it in time, and I've thought about it ever since. 3.  Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins This just sounds hilarious and I have heard nothing but good things about this book. 4.  Nimona by Noelle Stevenson I've really been enjoying graphic novels and this one has had lots of praise. 5.  American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang I received Boxers & Saints by Yang last Christmas, and ADORED them, so it would be nice to make a tradition out of his books and get this one this year. 6.  The Puffin

Series review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before duology by Jenny Han

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I read this duology back-to-back in the middle of August, so I decided to group the 2 reviews together into one big one. Hope you enjoy! Book title/Author: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han Publisher/Year: August 7th 2014 Scholastic Genre: YA Contemporary Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1 Pages: 420 Source/Format: Paperback | Bought Rating: 5 stars out of 5 *This review may contain spoilers!* Synopsis Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. One for every boy she's ever loved. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control... My review I bought this book a year ago without having any idea what it was about simply because I thought the cover was stunning, and that w

Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015

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Hi everyone! Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted over at  The Broke and The Bookish . This week's topic is Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015. 1.  A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman I did not expect to love this book as much as I did by any means, but this has become a book I long to reread and think about often. 2.  The Dream Thieves/Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater Obviously these books have a place on this list! These sequels did not disappoint at all. 3.  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell I am so glad that I finally overcame the hype this book has and decided to read it, because it was PERFECT. 4.  Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang 2015 was the year I started reading graphic novels and I honestly think it was one of the best decisions I made all year. 5.  The Walled City by Ryan Graudin This is another book I wasn't expecting to really enjoy that much, let alone love it. 6.  The Manifesto on How to be Interesting b

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: Book review

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Publisher/Year: January 30th 2014 Pan Macmillan Genre: YA Contemporary Series: No Pages: 461 Source/Format: Paperback | Bought Rating: 5 stars out of 5 *This review may contain spoilers!* Synopsis Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life. Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible ... My review I put off reading this book for so so lon

Top Ten New-To-Me Favourite Authors I Read For The First Time In 2015

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Hi everyone! Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted over at  The Broke and The Bookish . This week's topic is Top Ten New-To-Me Favourite Authors I Read For The First Time In 2015. 1. Holly Black It actually surprises me that I only read a Holly Black book for the first time this year, but I'm glad that I have at all. 2. Holly Bourne I enjoy supporting British YA authors, and Holly is a perfect example of that, especially because her book was so great. 3. Eva Rice Although I'd never heard of her before, Eva Rice is quite a big deal in the world of books, considering she's published a good few novels, and I can see why. 4. Becky Albertalli I'm so glad that I read her debut novel from this year so soon after it came out, because I am a devout supporter of her now. 5. David Arnold The same goes for David too, even though their writing is quite different, and I'm so happy I jumped onto the bandwagon for him and his b

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black: Book review

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Publisher/Year:  February 5th 2015 Indigo Genre: YA Fantasy Series: No Pages: 328 Source/Format: Hardback | Bought Rating: 4 stars out of 5 *This review may contain spoilers!* Synopsis Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once. At the centre of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking. Until one day, he does… My review This is my first book by Holly where she isn't writing with someone else, and hopefully it won't be my last. I had heard a lot of mixed reviews about this book before I bought and read it, but I decided t

Top Ten 2016 Debuts I Am Looking Forward To

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Hi everyone! Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted over at  The Broke and The Bookish . This week's topic is Top Ten 2016 Debuts I Am Looking Forward To. 1.  Underwater by Marisa Reichardt I requested this book on NetGalley without really knowing what it was about, but when I looked into it I was so glad that I decided to ask for it because it sounds so heartbreaking, and the ratings on Goodreads at the moment are amazing. 2.  Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Bernard This is another one I got from NetGalley, and it just looks like a great book about friendship, which is something I always like to read. 3.  Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate I saw this featured on a Waiting on Wednesday post, and straight after that I just happened to see it on NetGalley, and I knew I had to request it because it looked so good. 4.  This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp This book just sounds so harrowing and important that I can't wait until it comes ou

Mini Reviews #3

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This post is going to be more mini reviews for you, because I've been enjoying doing them so much recently. Hope you enjoy! The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot Publisher/Year: June 25th 2015 Macmillan Children's Series: The Princess Diaries #1 Source/Format: e-arc | NetGalley (Thanks NetGalley/Macmillan Children's!) Rating: 3 stars out of 5 I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion. I'd been wanting to read this book for years and years, because it's a classic in YA, but I found myself to be quite disappointed with it. The book is quite old, and it just felt really dated, which I guess it can't help but because of that I couldn't really connect to the story or the characters. I also found most of the main characters to be quite childish, even though they're meant to be in high school. I don't think I'm going to continue with the series, sadly. Lying Out Loud