Raven Reads: Rebecca's Book Blog!

Hello everyone and Happy New Year! Here's hoping that 2018 is better then 2017 for everyone! 

 

What reading goals do I have for 2018? Well, last year I challanged myself to read 65 books and that was an unrealistic goal. I didn't even read half of my goal. So, this year I'm setting my reading goal at 30 books. 

 

What's my other goal? To read every. single. day. I don't want to fall into a reading slump again like I have the past two years. So, even if it is just one page of anything I want to read that one pay at least every day. 

 

What are your goals for 2018? Let me know below! 

Here we are everyone, on the final day of 2017. It's been a long year, for a lot of reasons. 2018 comes for me in less than nine hours. For many reason, I can't wait to put this year behind me and look forward to a new one. Here's hoping everyone has a wonderful New Year and 2018. Without further ado here's my Year in Review for 2017! 

 

Books: 

 

As this is a book blog I decided it would be best to start off with books of course. I read 30 books this year and even though I did not even get halfway through my reading goal of 65 books I'm still proud of myself. Below I'll talk about my two favorites, one least favorite, a special mention, and a recommendation. 

 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen clocks in at my second favorite read of 2017. It has taken me years to read this novel but now that I finally have I love it so much. This is probably my favorite classic of all time and I love the timeless love story between Elizabeth and Darcy. (Love P&P? Check out Lose Me by M.C. Frank!) 

 

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas has to be my favorite book of 2017, considering it may be my favorite book of all time. The series A Court of Thorns and Roses is a true masterpiece and the second book did not disappoint. It built upon everything from the first book beautifully, gave me all the feels and a new few new ships. 

 

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan makes the list as my least favorite of 2017. Being my least favorite does not make it bad considering I enjoyed every book I read this year. However, as a Riordan book, I expected this book to be so much more. I was just expecting it to happen the entire time and I felt like something was missing when I finished the novel. That being said, I still gave this book a four star review. 

 

No Ordinary Star by M.C. Frank is my special mention of the year. This series is lovely and beautiful and will remain to be one of my favorite trilogies of all time. I was on the street team for this series and let me just tell you they're a magical group of people. Frank is one of the most wonderful person I have ever met. If you haven't picked up this series yet...well...you should. 

 

Emotions by Arnie Cantarero earns the recommendation slot. Arnie contacted me earlier this year and as he was the first author to contact me directly about reviewing a book I felt honored. Emotions is a science fiction novel unlike any other where an extraterrestrial named Jason has no emotions. The story follows his quest to gain emotions, something his society has lost. It's an amazing story; I also had the pleasure of reading the sequel and that book was just as awesome. If you're looking for a new indie book to read this is it! 

 

TV Shows: 

 

When I'm not reading I'm usually watching television. Thankfully, that gives me much material to create this list. As with the books I will be mentioning my two favorites, my least favorite, a special mention and a recommendation. These will include shows that I watched in 2017 whether they were new or binge-worthy on Netflix. 

 

Heartland is a show that I fell in love with years ago and continue to love to this very day. It is a Canadian show about a horse ranch named Heartland. But it is so much more as well. The relationships on the show are some of my very favorite and I eagerly wait each Sunday night until the episode is uploaded online. If you haven't checked out this show yet I suggest that you do. 

 

The Office deserves the top place in my favorites of 2017. I finally finished this series early in the year and I laughed, died, and cried along the way. I can finally say I understand that reference now when I see *stares into the camera like I'm on the office.* Jim and Pam were prefect, the humor was hilarious, and how I wished it could have gone on for seasons longer. 

 

Pretty Little Liars takes the spot for my least favorite. I fell in love with this show years ago, however in recent seasons it fell further and further down in my list. The show just didn't seem the same. And, actually, I hated the finale. I had my own opinions of how the show should have ended and how it did...well that just wasn't that. It's a shame because of how much I loved this show years ago, and all the memories associated with that. 

 

Stitchers is my special mention. I was truly surprised by this show. I had seen trailers for it when it first came out and really didn't think that it would be my cup of tea. But after pursuing Hulu I came across it again. And this time I loved it. I loved every second of it. And I got caught up...only for it to be cancelled. I feel like this show had so much more to give and I will grieve it along with the dozens of other shows that went before their time.

 

I have to recommend the entire Arrowverse. This includes the Flash, Arrow, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow (and any other show CW will release).  I am proud to say I have been on this bandwagon since Arrow started all those years ago and I am just immensely impressed with that the CW has done with it since. The crossovers are honestly just the best thing ever. If you have not watched any of these shows I will ask you a simple question...why? 

 

 

That's it for my Year in Review! What did you watch or read in 2017? Let me know in the comments below! 

 

 

Months ago, I embarked on a journey to finally read the ACOTAR series. Earlier this week I finally finished that adventure and let me tell you: I was not disappointed. 

 

I began reading ACOTAR because everybody on the internet was obsessed with them, everyone was obsessed with Rhysand. I held out, however, for a very long time. Why? Because I was very disappointed with the Throne of Glass series that I DNFed after a 100 pages of Empire of Storms. That being said, I did not want to get so invested into a Sarah J Maas series only to have my heart crushed by characters being ruined, plot events I did not agree with, and the like (I apologize if you like TOG, this is my personal opinion). But, reading ACOTAR was stepping into a whole other world. 

 

I'll say it now, I believe that ACOTAR is my favorite series, a seat that has been held by the Mortal Instruments for over five years. At the very least, they are tied. 

 

Staring with the first book, A Court of Thornes and Roses, I had some prejudices going into it. If you have a social media account and follow anything Sarah J Maas related I'm sure you've seen Rhysand. So, I believed that Rhysand would make an appearance in the first chapter or so. But no, reading the summary its clear to see that this is a story between Tamlin and Feyre. 

 

That being said, I never truly hopped onto the Tamlin and Feyre train. I was always looking at Tamlin, wondering what he would do to make people not talk about him. By the end of the novel, I knew. I also knew why everybody was talking about Rhysand. And why yes, I did guess about a couple things in the novel and I'm still pretty proud of myself because I never see anything coming, ever. 

 

The plot? It was epic and amazing. I loved the aspects of Beauty and the Beast thrown into fey myths. It was familiar yet mysterious and exciting at every turn.

 

As a series starter? For me, this book was not as strong as other first in a series I have read. That being the case, I only gave this book a four star review. Yes, I compared it to Throne of Glass, probably one of my favorite firsts in a series of all time (right behind City of Bones, of course). ACOTAR just didn't start off the series in the same way, not that it was bad. It was wonderful. It was a necessary start to the series.  

 

I would like to say something...the next book, A Court of Mist and Fury, may possibly be one of my favorite books of all time, ever. With that, let's carry on. 

 

There's not a lot I can say about this book without giving away spoilers from the first novel. Just the fact that its based upon Hades and Persephone, which is common knowledge. 

 

I can say, however, that I loved everything about this book. I loved the plot, I loved the characters, I loved the ships, I loved the Night Court. I think most of the fandom will agree when me when I say that I also hate the one person most people hate. I hate them with a passion. 

 

The ending on this novel tore my heart into pieces. It was so beautiful and epic, the one statement that was said, I nearly cried. And then SJM goes crushing my heart. 

 

The final book, the epic conclusion to the Feyre-centered novels was as epic as I expected. I rated this book five stars. Why didn't I love this novel as much as its predecessor? I'm not entirely sure. I got all the feels from this novel but something about ACOMAF just made me love it so much more, not that ACOWAR wasn't amazing, because it was. 

 

The events at the end of the second book play out in the third and I was so frustrated for the first part of it. I just kept reading and flipping the pages because I had to know what would happen next. I needed that certain thing to happen. Probably as much two characters needed each other. 

 

As I got further into the novel I kept wondering what would happen next, kept being surprised, kept being impressed, kept being attacked by feels. And then, I stopped and stared at page 600 of the book and wondered how everything would be tied up in 99 pages. 

 

Let's just say that SJM created a masterpiece. It was truly wonderful and I couldn't expect a better end to the main series of books. 

 

Have you read ACOTAR? Keep watch for my next review which will contain spoilers of the series! 

2018 is just around the corner and I have some bookish goals I want to tick off the list before 2017 is finished! 

 

1. Restart my Blog! Done! I've been wanting to do this one for a while but my hectic schedule hadn't allowed me to. I'm glad going into 2018 that I will have an active blog once again! 

 

2. Finish Emotions #2 Done! Earlier this year Arnie Canterero sent me a paperback copy of his sci-fi novel, Emotions to read and review. I LOVED it! And graciously, he also sent me the second book - which hasn't been released yet. I LOVED it as well! I finish the sequel last night! 

 

3. Finish ACOWAR To be completed...I started this book months ago when I finished ACOMAF. Nothing is wrong with the book, it was amazing, I was just so busy that I could never find the time to read a 699 page book. But I've got nothing but time now so I'm so excited to finally finish this book (and series?). 

 

4. Finish Lord of Shadows To be completed...The last time I read a page from this novel was five months ago. What's wrong with me? I don't know. Since I've been caught up I've ready every Cassandra Clare book within the first week is has been released (er...let's not talk about the Bane Chronicles). But, when LOD came out I was busy I believe finals were around the corner for me. And then...I'm not sure what happened. I just never read it. I love Shadowhunters, I love Jules and Emma, I love Carstairs, I just couldn't finish reading. Somehow, I haven't been spoiled completely. So, before the end of 2017 I am forcing myself to finish this book. 

 

5. Reread My True Love Gave to Me To be completed...I read this book when it came out two(?) years ago and loved it. In fact, if you scroll back through my posts I did a review of it. It's the perfect holiday novel so I would love to reread it, or at least reread the stories I enjoyed the most. 

 

 

Aaaaaand that's it! What goals do you have for the end of the year? Let me know below in the comments and good luck! 

White scouring the net I found this fun booktag! Time to get into the festive mood~ 

 

“All I Want For Christmas Is You…” | What book do you want to see under the Christmas Tree?

 

Well...maybe this is a bibliophile sin but I'm not actually asking for any books for Christmas. While I love my family, they're a bit clueless as to the books I like (my grandpa got me a gossip girl graphic novel when I asked for the maximum manga once). So right now I'm just hoping for a Barnes and Nobel or Target giftcard so I can go buy the books I want :) 

 

“Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time…” | What book that you have read this year have you enjoyed the most?

 

Can I go wrong with saying Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen? As this was required reading for my English class I was finally able to pick up this read this year and I can say without a doubt it was probably one of my favorites books of all time. It's just a classic and don't even get me started on Darcy and Elizabeth. 

 

“It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” | Which book has the most festive look to it?

 

The most festive book on my shelves is probably My True Love Gave to Me which is a collection of holiday stories edited my Stephanie Perkins. I think its actually the only book on my shelf that looks like a Christmas book. 

 

Elf | What book unleashes your inner child?

 

Warriors by Erin Hunter. Whenever I think about this series I remember reading it years ago in middle school for the first time. I haven't picked up a Warriors book in forever (although I mean to because some amazing new books have been released) but I still stare at their beautiful covers on my shelf. 

 

The Grinch | Your favorite villain

 

Sebastian from the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. I'm not exactly sure when I fell so much in love with him, but over the years it is a thing that has happened. To be honest I want to reread the series with my newfound love for him. (Fun Fact: In my fanfiction series Sebastian isn't evil and its very fun to write him as a good guy). 

 

The Holiday | Name your favorite TWO couples

 

How could I ever just pick my two favorite couples? All my ships are my favorite ships. But, for the sake of this tag, I will have to pick two. The first is probably the easiest and my OTPs of OTPs, Jace and Clary from the Mortal Instruments. My second favorite ship, today anyway, would probably have to be Percy and Annabeth from Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. 

 

What book would you like to give as a present to your followers?

 

*rubs hands together* What book shall I give you to kill your feels and send you away in a fanbulance? I could give you the No Ordinary Star series by M.C Frank, or Emotions by Arnie Cantatero, or A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Or how about you all just read all three of them? 

It's been over a year since I've posted on here but I've made a decision to return to book blogging! In the next few days I will be posting all my recent reviews along with new content! So glad to be back! 

No Vain Loss is the epic conclusion to the No Ordinary Star trilogy by M.C. Frank. Oh and epic it was. This book deserves every single star in the five star review I have given it and then some. I’ll let the fact that I received this book less than 12 hours ago and I’ve finished it speak for itself. No Vain Loss kept me on the edge of my seat the entire novel and as soon as I had begun I couldn’t put it down.



This novel picks up on the cliffhanger left at the end of the previous book in the series, No Plain Rebel. I had no doubt that Frank would deliver another fantastic tale and I wasn’t disappointed. This book hit the ground running. It didn’t even take me twenty pages to get engrossed in it and another twenty I knew I had to complete the novel in one sitting.



I had multiple heart attacks while reading this book and what would a good book be if it didn’t give you a jolt of pain or fear every few pages? I cried, I gasped, I turned the pages eagerly. I had to get through the book, I had to know what happened next.



Our tin soldier and match girl, how far they’ve come. Our fiery red-headed heroine, and our caring blue-eyed hero. Watching them grow through these three novels is the most gratifying part of reading these books. And No Vain Loss holds no disappointment to their character development further. Oh...and the ship. Don't even get me started because I will be here all day fangirling.



‘I should have seen this coming’ I told myself no less than four times while reading this. I don’t why it surprised me so much every time I was astonished with every revelation, every action each character took. I should have known not to underestimate this book. It kept me on my toes.



No Vain Loss did more than provide me with an amazing read that I’ll be crying about for months, it gave me an outlook on life, as all good writing should. It said something more than a story about a boy and a girl. It showed human nature, what loved ones do for those they love, and how sacrifices shouldn’t be in vain.

I am sad to see the end to this great series but No Vain Loss was an amazing novel, worthy of all its praise.

Did you fall in love with No Ordinary Star? Was it amazing and wonderful? Well multiply that times a hundred and you get its sequel, No Plain Rebel.

I usually do not enjoy sequels more than the first book but NPR has made that short list for me. If I could get it ten stars out of five I would it was so great.

While I'm still reeling from that ending I'm going to start at the beginning on the novel for this review.

Astra and Felix, our match girl and tin solider, discover more about the lies and secrets around them. I was left shocked by the mysteries that were revealed in NPR. Literally, my jaw hit the floor. It's those types of revelations that either make or break a book. Either the mystery is revealed and the book becomes boring or the truth of the mystery propels the story further. I'm happy to say it was the latter win this novel.

Going back to our two main characters...be still my beating heart. Oh, this book just gave me all the feels. And then my heart was thrown in a blender.



I love Astra and Felix so throughly. They're so pure and innocent and adorable. I could use all the words to describe them but for purposes of keeping this review on the short side I'll leave it at that.

For me there was one big OMG moment in this book and if you read it you know what it is. If not, let's just say this was the moment my jaw hit the floor. I just stared at the page after it was revealed. With that, there were other moments where I just sat there, mind-blown as well.

The world is also more built up in this novel. I think all the questions I ever had about how the world go so screwed up were answered. The Library is built upon; the Colonies are explained more; and more relationships are added.

And...that ending. But you know it's a good book when the cliffhanger makes you want to dive off that cliff in search of the answer.

A fairy in the Arctic, a tin solider in the future, and a mysterious clock that keeps the world balanced; what exactly is this story about? That's what I ventured to find out as I began my read of No Ordinary Star - or NOS - by M.C. Frank.

Five stars is the review I give this novel and there are five reasons why (or maybe six).

First off, the style of writing. The words look so inviting on the page and reading through them I never felt overwhelmed by vocabulary, imagery or pages and pages of dialogue which could do in the best books for me. The pacing of the novel is set at a perfect pace. Rarely do I actually finish a novel in one sitting but that's exactly what happened when I picked up this novel.

Secondly, the mystery of the novel is what drew me in in the first place. The summary of NOS left me wanting to read about where in the world this story could even go. I was intrigued from the start. I wanted to find out more about our characters, about the year they lived in, about the mysteriously Clockmaster, and about how the world go so screwed up in the first place. I'll just say, which the answers I was provided with in this book I was not disappointed.

Third and fourth, our dashing and daring lead guy and gal. Oh, how I've already fallen in love with our two main characters, tin solider and match girl. It's no secret that I have a weakness for dashing male protagonists such as our leading man himself. But female characters? It takes me a little bit longer to form a connection. Match girl is the exception. I don't know what it is about this fiery red-head but I loved her immediately. And, may I get a boarding pass for this ship please?

Lastly, the genre. Science fiction is a subject that I know and love; I'll reach for anything with the tag! Unfortunately, sometimes this genre causes stories to become too jammed packed, too out-there. Did NOS ever feel like this while I was reading it? Never. It's 2525 and let me tell you the world is a lot different. But the aspects of this futuristic time don't seem too far fetched. It's easy to believe.

But, hold the presses. I cannot end this review without talking about how gorgeous of a cover this book has. I mean, I could stare at it all day. As someone who is guilty of cover-buying books this cover certainly meets my standards.

All in all, No Ordinary Star is a truly amazing and unique read. It captivated me from the beginning till the end and I cannot wait to see where the sequel leads.

(I was provided with an ebook of No Ordinary Star in exchange for an honest review)

An extraterrestrial posing as a human who's only goal is to have human emotions? The concept of this novel is a little on weird side but that what I love so much about the science fiction genre and Arnulfo Cantarero captures it wonderfully in Emotions.

Starting with a glimpse into the present events and then a journey through the life of Jason Ariaz the story had me hooked from the very beginning. I wanted to know how things had gotten so dire in the prologue. What events propelled the story that way? I loved the journey Jason went through attempting to figure out humans as well as himself and his AI, Computer. When it comes down to it, Emotions is a story about finding one's self, about realizing those important to you and the lengths you will go to in order to protect them from harm.

Jason's love story with Ariel was truly destined by the stars even if Jason couldn't feel any emotion. Watching him make a fool out of himself for years around Ariel because he lacked emotions was hilarious and quite sad. My heart broke when Ariel attempted to move on with her douche boyfriend and then again when she had the brain tumor, for a moment I forgot the beginning of the novel and thought she really was going to die. I couldn't contain my joy when Ariel and Jason kissed for the first time, causing him to have an emotional episode. I loved when Jason realized his own love for Ariel causing him to have his final, and permanent emotional episode in order to save her, himself and his friends.

This book threw two major curve-balls my way that I didn't see coming and I was thoroughly impressed when they happened. The first of which was Rick being the son of the Commander. I knew Rick was horrible and frankly a dick but I never imagined his father was the Commander, the one who had been trying to kill Jason's parents. After that was revealed surely there wasn't anything bigger, right? I was wrong. Stephanie, the girl that Jason met, his first real friend was an extraterrestrial like him with her own AI, Susan. To be completely honest, I knew Stephanie was the same as Jason after their encounters together. But I never would have guessed she was his sister! I was mind-blown by that fact and really happy with the turn of events.

The end of the novel left me satisfied. All of Jason's friends found out who he really was and instead of rejecting him, as I had been so afraid for, accepted him and continued being his friend. Jason kept his memories, his love for Ariel among them, my OTP endgame. Jason realized even more of his powers, which truly make him an invincible force. The ending also leaves room open for imagination which is important: Who exactly is the other alien? What is he like? Is it possible for Stephanie to gain emotions as well? Having proven that it is possible for one of their kind to gain emotions like humans what will the alien race do?

In the end I thought of giving this novel 4.5/5 stars but through writing this review I realized that it is indeed a 5 star novel because it contained all the things I love in reading: an amazing plot, well developed characters, relationships, and a complex but well-explained plot. Arnulfo Cantareo truly crafted a piece of wonder with his novel, Emotions.

Whoops it's been a long time and I haven't posted. Life has taken over. Oops. Well I really need to vent about Lady Midnight and get my feelings out before I see other reviews and they influence my ideas so here we go! SPOILERS AHEAD. 

 

Rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

 

Primary Feelings: This novel. It was so amazing and I cried reading the last 200+ pages straight through last night (of course nothing can beat when I read the last 400 pages of COHF until the wee hours of the morning). Last night I sat down and decided to finish this book and that I did. Cassandra Clare did it again, she wrote another novel that I love so, so much and cannot wait for the next installment (April 2017)! 

Characters: I love the characters so much in this story. Emma and Julian are so great and I've loved them ever since Cassie first announced them years ago. I loved seeing the two of them grow so much in the years since COHF and how much they have grown in this story. Emma is my spirit animal, I love her. Julian is another bae to add to my collection. And the others! Mark! Oh Mark, I'm so glad he had such a big part in this novel. I loved Ty as well the rest of the Blackthorns were meh. Christina was also just kinda there for me. And Kit (*cough*ChristopherHerondale*cough*)! I love him already. And I really love how she integrated all the other characters into it...Oh Jem! And Church! And everybody else oh my gawd. 

Ships: Ugh my heart was killed so many times in this novel. Emma and Julian were killing me the entire time and then they kissed and slept together and omg I thought they were going to be together, but not and ugh, can't they stop being so stupid! And at the end oh my god Emma stop, just tell him! He's going to find out anyway, ugh I need my Blackstairs, or Jemma, or whatever you call it. To throw it out there I still ship Kierran and Mark and refuse to ship Mark and Christina. I do feel bad for him though. And KITTY omg I love that ship and I can't wait for the next book to see where it goes! And Sizzy and the Malec and the Clace, someone help me. 

Plot Discussion: I don't even know what I'm writing here, I'm just going to talk about points that jumped out to me. In the beginning I caught it! That was Jem and Tessa walking in the Shadow Market! Emma's strained relationship with Julian hurt me so much in the beginning. They just needed to be together. I didn't really like Diana, I thought something was fishy with her...and it was. I loved Mark coming back and helping them investigate the murders, like yay! Maybe now they can get Helen back too. Thanks Cassie for trolling us with no Alec in the book until the very end (like seriously she mentioned him so much but he was never around). I really enjoyed the overall plotline, I love a good mystery and I still always thought that the Guardian was going to be some unknown not Malcolm! I never suspected him, I suspected Diana more than him! I was so astonished! And then, when he stole Tavvy no like please no. I don't care how bad of person you are you don't kidnap and murder children (I know Sebby did but he didn't mean to kill Max, it was an accident, he was just trying to knock him out). I'm actually really surprised no one died or anything in the end cause I totally thought someone would or something bad would happen. Except for the whole Emma trying to break Julian's heart thing everything was okay. I love how Jem and Tessa were led to Kit in the very end, he was a herondale! I never, never, suspected that! I just thought he had the sight, nonetheless be a Herondale! Another one! I remember that line from Shadowhunter Academy about all the Herondales. And Mark is staying! Yay! I'm so glad that he did. 

Predictions and Unanswered Questions: My main prediction is...does Julian have cancer? We all know his mother died of bone cancer and what I'm wondering is does Julian have that too? Because in the beginning Malcolm asks how Julian's feeling and if he has told Emma yet. Of course he hadn't and yeah, some people might thing that was about his feelings for her or about him running the institute (which wasn't really a surprise to me tbh) but something still seems off and I can totally see this turning into a Jem thing all over again. 

Second prediction: Will Jules turn evil? Obviously, he wants Emma and Emma wants him. Their bond is so strong their runes are like magic. I don't think he's ever going to stop loving Emma and Emma isn't going to stop loving him. I feel like he's going to go mad with power and become evil...could be completely wrong but hey, its a prediction. 

A Long Conversation: I could honestly probably write an entire review on this short story but I'll add it in here because it was inside Lady Midnight. This story! I've been so excited to read it since I found out it was in the back of the book! And when I finished LM at 2am in the morning I read this. Oh my feels this entire story...everyone got their happy ending! Malec is happy with two kids, Sizzy is getting married and Clace is happy living together and running the Institute....the only thing...Clace isn't engaged, you'd think they would be the first ones (after Malec of course) wouldn't you? What I'm thinking....Clary doesn't want to get married. Every time marriage was discussed to her in that story or something about her and Jace getting engaged she seemed odd about it. Wouldn't you want to marry the person you love most in your life? She says "She dreads" telling Jace her answer about if she'll marry him...probably a no then. She even mentioned earlier when Izzy asked her about when they were gonna get married Clary couldn't hide her feelings and Izzy was puzzled about the look on her face, obviously not the look that someone who wants to marry the love of their life should have. Why doesn't Clary want to get married? I can't believe that she doesn't want to because she doesn't love Jace because I know she does with everything she has. I don't even understand why she wouldn't want to. But I'm afraid she'll tell Jace no and he'll take it the wrong way and something bad will happen. I'm so scared that Cassie is going to murder Clace in the series they are only it in ten pages a book. 

 

Thanks for reading my review! What are your thoughts? Comment blow! 

 

Even though I should be reading and working on book reviews, I'm gonna do this tag. In the spirit of Lady Midnight's release on Tuesday (and also the release party I'm going to!) I wanted to do something Shadowhunters related...and this is it! The original video can be found here.

 

1. Favourite main character: Clary or Tessa?

In all honesty, I think it would have to be Clary. Since I started with TMI first I fell in love with Clary first and she'll always be my favourite. There was actually a time in TDI that I didn't like Tessa but I love her now.
2. Favourite Herondale: Jace or Will?

Do I even need to think about this? Jace. Jace is my bae. I love him so much. He was one of the first fictional characters that I fell completely in love with. I love him so much. Don't get me wrong, I love Will as well but Jace <3
3. Favourite love triangle: Simon/Clary/Jace or Will/Tessa/Jem?

Will/Tessa/Jem. Cause I really hated the Simon/Clary/Jace one because Clace was otp and Climon was, and always will be, notp so I really felt nothing during Climon scenes except frustration. The Wessa/Jessa (JESSA FTW) triangle gave me so many feels. I couldn't even choose who I wanted her to be with for like the first book. And then I chose Jem and just so many feels! 
4. Better Villain: Sebastian or the Magister?

Sebastian, obviously. I love Sebby's build up and the Magister...I barely even remember him. 
5. Better army: The Dark Army or The Clockwork Army?

The Dark Army, basically for the same reason as the question above. I barely even remember the Clockwork Army.  And Sebby is leading the Dark Army. That too. I just think that TID didn't stick with my as much as TMI did. 
6. Better First Book: City of Bones or Clockwork Angel?

City of Bones, obviously. TMI is one of my favorite series of all time. I loved the first book so much I think I read it it only a couple of days. It was a rollercoaster of feels the entire time. Clockwork Angel, yeah I enjoyed it immensely, but I enjoyed CoB a lot more. 
7. Better Female Sidekick: Isabelle Lightwood or Cecily Herondale?

Isabelle Lightwood because no one can beat Izzy. She's kickass and amazing and I love her so much. And Cecily...she's in it for like two seconds compared to everyone else and I don't know. I don't dislike her, I like Cecily but I can't even compare her to Izzy. 
8. Better Setting: The New York Institute or The London Institute?

I think I actually have to say the London Institute just because I love London and England so much and NY seems so boring in comparison. 
9. Better Last Book: City of Heavenly Fire or Clockwork Princess?

City of Heavenly Fire. Just...it was one of the most amazing books I have ever read in the world. I loved CP2, so, so much but it doesn't even compare to COHF. 
10. Better Final Epilogue: City of Heavenly Fire or Clockwork Princess?

Before COHF came out, CP2's epilogue was my favorite thing in the world because JESSA. I just...it was so perfect and I was screaming. Then COHF happened (and 500 pages in one night. Oops.) And the wedding. And Jem was there. Jace is a Herondale. He plays the piano. Tessa and Clary talk. Jem steals Church. It was the greatest ending to anything I could ever imagine. It will always be my favorite. 

 

That's the end of this tag! Thanks for reading! But I'm not done talking! The Lady Midnight release party is happening at the Grove in LA. And I'm going! I didn't realize how big of thing it was going to be! Cassie is going to be there, signing books. And like everybody from the tv show except Alberto and Matt (sadly). It's going to be amazing and I'm so excited. And I'll definitely blog about it here! 

This is a new series of blog posts I'm going to do called Characters. Each week (hopefully) I'll upload something having to do with characters so let's begin!
We all have those characters that we fall helplessly in love with. Then, something happens and you just want to murder them, you hate them. I have too many characters like this. And it really makes me sad because of how much I used to love them; but I can never forgive them for the things that they have done.

WARNING. This blog post will contain spoilers for the following series: Maximum Ride, Divergent, and the Maze Runner. You have been warned.

 

Angel from Maximum Ride by James Patterson
Let's begin with the character who always come to mind when I think of those I want to throw in a hole to die: Angel. Oh this little seven year old used to be my favorite in the flock except for Max and Fang, of course. When me and my friends picked characters for myself I was even Angel. I loved her so much. And then FANG happened and everything changed.
This was the novel when that devious little seven year old took control of the flock. She basically ran Max and Fang out of the flock and took control. And then she was basically the reason Fang left in the end by telling him Max couldn't focus on protecting the flock with him around. In the end, I didn't hate Angel yet but my love for her was gone. I hated what she had done to Max and Fang and the flock.
I don't even remember what she did in ANGEL but my dislike of her continued. However, I was a bit sad when she "died." And then Nevermore happened and I hated her. Once again I can't remember what happened except one fact (it's been too long okay? A reread of the series is in order). She's the freaking Voice. Or wait...she's who's James Patterson wants you to believe is the Voice. I honestly do not believe it at all. How would Angel know half the stuff the Voice did? And when the a Voice came to be Angel didn't even have the full extent of her powers yet. Honestly I feel like Patterson set up the Voice to be someone else but the plan fell through and he just said Angel was it. Anyway after it was revealed she was the Voice she became a know it all for me. She always thought what she said was best for the flock. C'mon Angel, Max was the one who's been protecting you your entire life.
Then..Forever happened. I didn't even want to mention this book but I will. Once again Angel opened her big mouth and breaks and flock up and drives Fang away too. Stop Angel, just stop it. And at the end...she's leading the flock when they're flying? Like what the hell? Max is the leader, Max has always been the leader. The series is called Maximum Ride for pete's sake not Angel. She had basically became the leader and I hate it so much.

 

Theresa from The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Now, before I begin, my knowledge of Theresa only comes from the first novel and second movie. I stopped reading after the first book because honestly the series just didn't interest me anymore.
Theresa, oh Theresa. Oh course I loved her in the beginning. She was the only girl character and being a girl I was glad to see my gender represented. She was cool and I sort of shipped Theresa and Thomas a bit (now I hate that ship). I don't really know when my hate for her begin. Maybe it was when I began to ship Newtmas or Thominewt and she was in the way. Maybe it was when I realized how flat of a character she was. I don't know. But I sure as heck know I hated her when she betrayed everyone at the end of the Scorch Trials. And the worse part was: I knew she had done something. I knew something was off with her; for almost the entire movie I knew. Oh Theresa, you could have been so much better. Why did you have to do those things.

 

Tris from Divergent by Veronica Roth
It's not even that I hate Tris, because I don't...I just don't like her at all anymore. (The same goes for Katniss but I'm going to talk about Tris). When I first read the trilogy I loved her. Six and Four was my otp. I cried when she died. It was really bad and I was so depressed. I couldn't believe Veronica Roth would do something like that to us.
But...now whenever I think of Tris I have nothing but dislike. I wonder where did all this go wrong? And then I figured it out: the movies. Don't get me wrong Shailene Woodley is an amazing actress...but she's just not right for Tris for me. She wasn't what I imagined. And the movie Tris started to cloud my view of book Tris. And now she's completely clouded it. I can't see Tris in any other way then the movie and I hate that. I hate it that I hate Tris because I used to love her so much. Maybe I need to reread the trilogy. And maybe one day I will and fall in love with Tris all over again, but for now she's included in this list.

 

And in interest of not making you read this all night...I'm done! Those are the characters I loved but now hate. Do you have any characters like this? Let me know below! Thanks for reading!

 

So this is just something I'd thought I'd blog about because I've been thinking about it a lot lately. 

Everyone has that one book, or that one series, or maybe dozens of books that stand out to them. Maybe it's because that's what got you into reading, maybe you connect with it on some level. Whatever it is, we all have them. And I just thought I'd talk about a few of mine today. 

 

Warriors by Erin Hunter

Yes, this is the series about the cats that live in the wild. Honestly, it seems a bit childish now and if I hadn't started reading the series eight years ago I wouldn't have just bought one of the books on Thriftbooks two days ago. I want to say that Warriors sparked my reading. Sure, I read a book here and there before that. I enjoyed reading but I didn't do it avidly. Then, my friend was reading these books and she showed me the website but I wasn't really that into it. That was until I went to the school library and checked out the fourth book of the first series one day (it was all they had okay?). Anyway, I started reading them after that. I read them so fast. I was ready for the final book of the third series when it came out in 2009. 

After reading all the Warriors I could I started with the authors' second series: Seekers. I loved that as well. I think after that I flew through any book I could get my hands on. 

 

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Yeah, I talk about this series all the time and I'm sorry. It's just a really big part of my life. I started reading this series 7 years ago in 8th grade. I read it because my teacher had a few of the books in his library. And also because my friends all got into reading them. I actually started with the fourth book The Final Warning. Because that was all that was available when I wanted to read it. My friend had the actual first book. Max Ride became such a big part of my life, so much more then Warriors. This was mainly because a group of four friends and I all read the series. We all picked characters that were ourselves (I was Angel, a choice I regret so much now). We talked about the series nonstop. We let each other borrow the manga editions. I drew wolverine on steroids in art class (it was actually Ari but it was so bad). 

Even after I moved away from my friends Max Ride remained to be a central series that I read. I eagerly awaited a new book or a new manga. I reread. I supported the movie campaign (which failed...horribly). I wrote fanfiction. I had so many feels when the series finally ended with Nevermore (And then Forever happened but I'm trying to erase that from my mind). Max Ride is a series that I loved, and a series that I will always love (even though Forever is an abomination). 

 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

For me this series was another stepping stone towards the hoard of books that I call a library. I started reading the series after the saw the first movie (I know, I know it suckedm but I enjoyed it at the time). I read the entire series over the summer before my 2nd year in high school. When the school year started I was actually jealous of someone in my English class reading the Lost Hero because I wanted to read it but I didn't have any money to buy it. That person later on became my best friend. Not because I was jealous, because we were in other classes together and our other friend pulled us together. 

Anyway, she let me read the first two Heores of Olympus books (which was all that was out at the time). I loved them so much. Mark of Athena was one of the first books that I bought on release day I believe. Percy Jackson to me is a huge part of my life. With this series I really got involved in the fandom. I had a facebook page about it and then I followed social media. I loved this series. 

 

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

This series almost goes hand in hand with Percy Jackson for me because I started reading them both around the same time. This series however had a first for me: my first OTP or the first time I really even knew what the heck that even was. It was Clace, Clary and Jace. My OTPs of OTPs (and the show is breaking my heart because I do not like their relationship in it). I believe I really started hardcore shipping with this series. I had in the past but I didn't really know what it was. TMI is an important series to me. Like I said, it's were shipping really began for me. And to a fangirl, shipping is almost everything. 

 

Panic by Lauren Oliver

This is an odd one and one most people probably wouldn't even put on this list, but it's important to me. Panic was the first, or one of the very first, contemporary novels I ever read. People were raving about it so I had to pick it up. And I read it within a couple days. It was great and amazing and I loved every second of it. I don't really know why, but Panic sparked my need to read more contemporary novels. I verged away from just fantasy and science fiction and started to get into the core of YA (my bank account regrets this). 

 

And...that's it. Yeah. There's more books that have had an impact on me as a reader but none as much as these. When people ask "what's your favorite series?" or "What got you into reading?" these always pop into my mind.

As always, thank you for reading and listening to me ramble! Comment below or post your own blog! I would love to hear what you have to say! 

Hello all! This post will be about amazing books/series that I have read that are so, so amazing but have like no fanbase! We need to change that pronto! 

 

Under the Never Sky Trilogy by Veronica Rossi

This trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies of all time and I'll tell you why. I found this first book after looking at iBooks after I got my first iPhone two years ago. Here was the first book for like $2.99 and the cover was gorgeous. So, I bought it. This book has everything anybody could want. Dystopian world? Check. A kickass heroine? Check. Hot guy with family issues? Check. Amazing writing? Check. Fast-moving plot? Check. THE OTP OF ALL OTPS. Check. Seriously, this book had one of my first big book OTPs. I think that's why it hold such a special place in my heart. Perry (the main guy character) is one of my baes and will forever remain so. 

A Shade of Vampire Series by Bella Forrest

This series is the best. It's a very long series. I think we're up to like book 21 now. That being said, I haven't read all of it only up to like 11 or 12. But that doesn't make it any less amazing! Want a story with a sexy vampire? Yeah its a lot cliche but it's worth it. Yeah it's a love story between the girl and the main vampire like every vampire story ever. But...I don't know, it's hard to explain. It's almost a new take on things. There so, so many characters but you get to fall in love with (or hate) all of them! The POVs tends to switch at time but it gives you a well-rounded view of the story. Too long of a series for you? The first seven books tell the story of the two main characters. The next like 9 tell the story of two other characters, and so on. Love spin offs? Well there's A Shade of Kiev which is a direct spin off of like the sixth or seventh book. And then there's Shade of Dragon which I thought had nothing to do with the series but apprentlty I've heard it's going to tie in. It's a long series to read but a fun one at that. 

It all Started With an Apple by Ashley Winters

What happens when your best friend convinces you to throw an apple across the cafeteria to find out who you'll fall in love with? An amazing book that's what. This book started out as a story on Wattpad and it was one of the first things I ever read on there, I think that's why it has such a special place in my heart. This book is a great story about two kids falling in love (or do they?) and then there's a shocking plot twist that made my throw my phone across the room. The best part is this story is FREE on wattpad! However if you enjoy I would suggest buying it from the author! That's why I have a copy sitting on my shelf! (EDIT: apparently it's not being sold any longer :/) https://www.wattpad.com/story/2598009-it-all-started-with-an-apple

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

I've seen about zero hype about this series and it's kinda sad. I started reading this in 8th grade because my teacher made us read the first book for an assignment (he wasn't a very good teacher by school standards). It was amazing. I loved it and read the second on straight away. And then I went out and bought the rest of the series, or what was out at the moment. I haven't actually finished the series because I lot interest in it (not because it wasn't amazing, just because I started reading teen ya romance and like fantasy stuff). But if you want a story about a teenage spy then this novel is for you! Don't like romance? That's fine! This series has next to none! 

Sanctum by Sarah Fine

If you've been following my blog for forever and have read every post then you'll know I got the second and third book of this trilogy from a giveaway on Goodreads. Sadly I didn't win the first book and had to tract down a copy. This series really surprised me. I thought it wasn't going to be that great but it was really really good! I fell in love with the main guy character! The main chick got on my nerves at time but she was okay. And the side characters were life! Basically this series is about a girl ending up in Hell and working her way through it to find her friend who she doesn't think belongs there. Okay, it's a lot better then it seems and I recommend a try at least. It is (or was when I read it) available on Kindle Unlimited so try that! 

 

 

 

 

 

So apparently I want to read seven books this month! I had five and then I started two new books so those got added to the list. Not sure if I'm gonna get through all these but I can try! Let's jump right into this! Also, tell me what's on your TBR below!

 

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor 

So I wrote some long paragraph about this book....then it deleted and I don't know how and it's not undoing so...Anyhow I bought this book a long time ago and I haven't read it yet! I've finally finished the first two so I'm game for this one after I finish the three books that I'm currently reading. But seriously, I'll probably start this half-way through Winter or something. Anyway! If you haven't read this series yet and you really enjoy fantasy ya give it a try! Chances are you've had like 50 people telling to read it (that's what happened to me) so pick it up and read it! You won't regret it! I fell in love with Karou, the main character, after like the first page. 

Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes 

This was on my TBR for last month but I didn't get a chance to finish it. I had a bit of a reading slump at the end of the month and stuff happened in life so it didn't happen. Anyway I really want to finish this novel and get to the next book. And the spin off series thing (I don't even know what it is I just saw it in Barnes and Noble). Once again, if you enjoy fantasy YA with like kingdoms you need to read this series! It's so good! I've heard its like Game of Thrones for teens (but it's so much more for me).

The Siren by Kiera Cass

I wasn't actually planning on reading this book until I finished her Selection Series. Heck, I didn't even think it was coming out until after the last book of that. But then, there it was at Walmart and it was cheap so I bought it. It's so pretty so I really want to get to it. Cass is an amazing author and I can't wait to read this story of hers. I actually don't know what's it about. I presume like a mermaid or something but I'm sure it'll be amazing this is Kiera Cass we're talking about. She's the amazing author who gave us Maxon. Come on. 

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Oh this series. The first book blew my mind by what the heck even happened. And I completely blame my friend because she was complaining about the last book (without giving me spoilers) so I went and got an ebook of the first one. It was super good! But my mind was blown and my feels. I can't wait to read the second one, and the third because I have that one too! Hopefully I can get to this novel and then read the last one next month. This series is fantasy. Dark fantasy? I don't know. It's teen. It's good. You should read it!

Maximum Ride Manga Vol. 9 by James Patterson

I think I wanted to read this last month but I can't remember if I actually put it in my TBR or not. Chances are if you've been into teen books long enough you've at least heard of Maximum Ride. Now the series is over and done (maybe but I'll seriosuly kill Patterson if he writes another one. Forever was so bad). Anyway! The manga is still ungoing and it's great! I love how the artist depicts the characters! I love the fax, the fax is great. Fang is hot and amazing. Anyway I don't even remember what's going on in this manga anymore because its been like over a year since the last one came out (and the date got pushed back like three times). This'll probably be a quick 30 min read for me, so I should be able to get to this. 

Link by Summer Wier

This one was the latest edition to my TBR. I recently signed up for NetGalley and this is the first book I got approved for so I'm reading it! I'm already 41% through it and it's really good! It's an odd science fiction/fantasy type thing but I don't know. It's really intriguing and I enjoy it. Like I read 41% in one sitting. I'll have more thoughts on it when I finish and post the review. 

Winter by Marissa Meyer

I'm finally getting around to reading this book! I read Cress I think around when it came out so I've been waiting for quite a while. But here I am again and I can't finish a series. But I will! I've already been spoiled for something thanks to instagram and people not spoiler tagging stuff. So I think I'm gonna read it before I get spoiled again. If you don't know about this series it's a retelling of fairy tails but it's so much more! It's amazing and the ships are just the greatest thing in the world and the heroines are so great. Marissa Meyer's word she creates is truly a great place.