Stories Are Perfect

City of Ashes...
More like City of he's not my warlock!

My Rating: ✮✮✮✮☆ 4/5

 “I don't want to be a man," said Jace. "I want to be an angst-ridden teenager who can't confront his own inner demons and takes it out verbally on other people instead."
"Well," said Luke, "you're doing a fantastic job.”
- City of Ashes; Cassandra Clare page 45

&

 “We came to see Jace. Is he alright?"
"I don't know," Magnus said. "Does he normally just lie on the floor like that without moving?”
-City of Ashes; Cassandra Clare page 135

&

 “Alec looked at her and shook his head. "How do you manage never to get mud on your clothes?"
Isabelle shrugged philosophically. "I'm pure at heart. It repels the dirt.”
-City of Ashes; Cassandra Clare page 10

 
& the last one which I'd say is a word of advice from Jocelyn Fray regarding book-to-movie adaptations, jk jk, but really...

“If you really love something, you never try to keep it the way it is forever. You have to let it be free to change.”
-City of ashes; Cassandra Clare page 441

 

July 2015 # of Books Read: 5

“I’ve been waiting for you a long time, Alina,” he said. “You and I are going to change the world."

My Rating:✮✮✮✮☆ 4/5

Ravka Map

Click for Original Post

Click for Original Post

Click for Original Post

Hello you guys! I just wanted to let you all know that I plan on participating in the #TBRTakeDown 2.0 read-a-thon, which is hosted by the lovely Shannon from LeaningLights on YouTube. This is a week long read-a-thon that runs from the 25th to the 31st! For more information, check out Shannon's announcement video on her channel!

It started well, and it was a good idea but overall too many plot holes and too much over-hype.

My Rating:✮✮✮☆☆ 3/5

 Non-Spoiler Review
From the gorgeous cover to the semi great reviews I was expecting a sci-fi adventure that would blow my mind, and sadly I was disappointed.

Fantasy and Sci-Fi are one of my top favorite genres and this book while it had fantasy and Sci-Fi aspects it was mostly romance and it was quite boring at times. I felt like I was being forced to finish it and I didn't have much fun reading it. There were a bunch of questions that were left unanswered and the characters were quite frustrating to read about.
Lilac was really annoying and I know we get a bit of sympathy for her toward the end but I didn't care for her character much.
Tarver was an okay character I guess.
But I didn't have an emotional attachment to either of the characters so the only reason I kept read was to just get it over with and finish the book.

So after they are stuck so long and the FINALLY admit to their feelings the story goes a little flat and predictable. I mean come on people you're stuck on an unknown planet with things called the whispers tracking your every move could you get this over with already?

The whole reason for the planet being there and where everyone went wasn't ever answered and I was very confused by the fact that they never told us, they didn't get information from the dad and HOW DID A WHOLE FREAKING PLANET GO UNNOTICED by everyone?

Overall I think this book was just too over hyped and it frankly isn't one of my favorite books. It left me with a Mara Dyer ending and I definitely wasn't a big fan of that ending.








***Spoilers ahead***
There were many things I had problems with in this book, the fact that Lilac was really whiny and that they were both stupid at the end.

“All of it—for this. Leading us to a door we can't open, a password we don't have.”
― Meagan Spooner, These Broken Stars

Are you serious? As soon as I read that there was a keypad my automatic reaction was 'The password is Lilac'. I mean what else could it be, but his only daughter that he's completely obsessed with. But I mean it's like you want to pick a password someone from a rival company could guess and break in right?

 “Lilac won’t talk to me again. There’s a tremor. Lilac won’t kiss me again. I won’t hear her laugh. My lungs constrict. Why am I doing this to myself ?”
― Amie Kaufman, These Broken Stars

I don't know, is it just me or is it creepy that he slept next to Lilac's dead body? Dude, you have some issues. 




I started this thinking I could make a decent review but actually I'm going to stop here because if I have to think about the many plot holes and stupidity of the characters I too might start hearing voices and going insane! Much disappointment in this review but I tried. On to the next book!







 

  Here is my completely spoiler-free review of Virals by Kathy Reichs! My grandmother purchased this book, and all opinions are 100% my own! Enjoy!



  Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.
  As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent.
  Fortunately, they are now more than friends. They're a pack. They are Virals.
                                            https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/7800188-virals                                                                                                                    


       "Virals" was an interesting book to say the least. It's plot contained a murder mystery, scientific mutations, and even a hint of high school romance. At times, it was a little confusing with all the information, but eventually you get a better grasp of the story.

On the Instagram for this blog, we were tagged to the #bookishboyfriends tag by the wonderful @jordz_the_bibliophile.  I decided to turn it into an entire blog post instead of an extremely long Instagram caption!



Percy Jackson is most definitely my ultimate book boyfriend! I have loved Percy since I was in about 3rd grade, and I can't see myself ever not loving him! He's everything that I could possibility want in a guy. Funny, loyal, loveable, and, if I'm being completely honest, extremely attractive. As you'll probably notice after you hear my other 4 bookish boyfriends, I have a thing for light eyes and dark hair! Although I want Percy all to myself, I couldn't possibly take him away from Annabeth. It's hard, but deep down, I know he has to be with her.

Since You've Been Gone


 “In a well-ordered universe...”

Since You've Been Gone on Goodreads!

Click for my July TBR

The best thing to do in summer is sit around by the pool (or in it!) and read. But the thing is you never know what to read so, here are my top eight summer must reads!

Since I didn't read many books in June I'll spare you the wimpy wrap up and go straight to the good stuff and by good stuff I mean my July TBR. Again since I didn't read many books in June, I'm going to try and make it up in July and try to read *Drumroll* eight books! So without further ado here are the books in my TBR.

I've heard that if you haven't read a Morgan Matson book then you might as well not read! So when I was recently in need of a summery book, I thought of this book and all of it's good reviews but it wasn't until I chose my challenge from my TBR jar that I started reading it. My challenge was; 'Read a book someone else picks" (Tyler read my mind when picking this!) And that book is...

1. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson.

Since You've Been Gone on Goodreads!

It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 
 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the
 most epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. All she leaves 
behind is a to-do list.
On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally
 never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?

Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a stranger? Um... 

Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter
 (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane's list. Who knows what she’ll find?
Go skinny-dipping? Wait...what?

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The second book I'm going to read is for the Tmireadathon and July is City of Ashes so keep watch for my re-review and if you haven't already, click here to check out my re-review of City of Bones!

2. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes on Goodreads!

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

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This next one is a book I had been searching for for a while and now finally have my hands on, and that is...

3. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Attachments on Goodreads!

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ? 


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I've avoided this book for a while now, not only will it bring back a lot of feels, but also it will be the last of the Selection until the next short story bind up and of course the second book to The Heir.

4. The Selection Short Stories: The Prince & The Guard.

The Prince & The Guard on Goodreads!

Two novellas set in the world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Timesbestselling Selection series are now available in print for the first time. The Prince and The Guard both offer captivating views into the hearts and minds of the two men fighting to win America Singer's love. This collection also features exclusive bonus content, including a sneak peek at The One, the eagerly anticipated third novel in the Selection series.

Before America arrived at the palace to compete in the Selection, there was another girl in Prince Maxon's life. The Prince opens the week before the Selection begins and follows Maxon through the first day of the competition.

Raised as a Six, Aspen Leger never dreamed that he would find himself living in the palace as a member of the royal guard. In The Guard, readers get an inside look at Aspen's life within the palace walls—and the truth about a guard's world that America will never know. 


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Shadow and Bone on Goodreads!

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I picked this book up a while ago when it came out and never got to it, but because I loved Jenny Han's Summer Trilogy I know this one is going to be good!

6. To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All The Boys I've Loved Before on Goodreads!

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.









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This is one that I have not been able to finish because I'm not a big fan of the series, but hope to finish it this month because Veronica Roth is going to be at Y'all Fest again this year...

7. Insurgent by Veronica Roth 

Insurgent on Goodreads

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.



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This book is one I have been wanted to read for so long! I actually borrowed it from the library in January but didn't finish it before it was due back and ain't nobody got time for library fees! But to my luck Tyler sent me her old copy so I hope I'll get to it this month!

8. I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You The Sun on Goodreads!

 A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell 

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

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I can't wait to see how many of these books I actually get too, I have already started and am half-way through with Since You've Been Gone and I can't believe I hadn't read it sooner! If I don't get to all of these I will probably carry the ones I don't onto my August TBR! -Makayla ♥