Friday, January 31, 2014

The Fault in Our Stars Movie Trailer

I just wanna give a shout-out to The Fault in Our Stars movie trailer that was released today! If you don't know the Fault in Our Stars is a book by John Green (review here) that is being made into a movie starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. The movie is set to premiere on June 6th, and I can not wait to see it! Without further ado, here's the trailer...


I hope you all enjoy this trailer as much as I did, because the feels are reals. This movie looks so good, and I'm really excited especially with all of the vlogbrothers videos that were on set. If you missed any of them here they are for your enjoyment:











Okay, that's all I have to say. I will have another post up soon, leave a comment below if you liked these videos or want more posts like this in the future. Happy Reading!

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Book Review: Sun and Moon by Elizabeth Paradise

I received this book through NetGalley, but it was released December 8th of 2013. 
















Imagine having your world turned upside down. You realize that nothing is what it seems. Emily and Ashe were born without magic in a land that ranks you on how powerful your talents are. Suddenly the source of that magic is destroyed. Emily and Ashe are forced to fight their way through obstacle after obstacle to find the truth about who they are, and how they can save the lives of people in not only their own world, but other dying worlds.

I thought this was a decent book, the summary and cover immediately grabbed my attention. The blurb sounds very promising, but as I read it I found that I was disappointed. The characterization and romance fell flat, as well as some of the world building. Emily and Ashe fell in love the second they laid eyes on one another, and they had no problems with that. They barely know each other, in fact the only thing they know about each other is that they were born without magic.

Emily and Ashe are constantly complaining about how inadequate they are, even after they've acquired the most powerful magic in Alasia. Emily is indecisive about whether she wants to have powers or not, claiming in the beginning of the book that she doesn't want magic but later in the book she is seduced by the promise of unlocking her magical potential. Emily often feels that she can't accomplish anything so she doesn't even really try, she just gets frustrated and gives up. 

There are also some parts of the book that are repetitive, or unnecessary. As a character, Raelyn didn't really do anything. She was sort of a love interest for Ashe but he never really showed an interest in her, and most of the time she was just scared or she was trying more powers. Even her betrayal to gain power didn't affect the overall story much. 

Overall, this book was okay. It did have some redeeming qualities, the magic for one. The author did a great job of hooking me in and making me want to keep reading, because all of the worlds intrigued me. I wish we could've seen more of the different worlds, and what they're like rather than just a basic description of it. I decided to give this book two-and-a-half stars because it has lots of potential, but it could use some improvement.



"It was as if Predilon pulled his worst fear right out of his dream, and brought it here to face him once again"

"Emily's hair shimmered with the power of the sun, appearing like a flame dancing about in a breeze. A wind flowed through the depths of the root grove, catching at the skirt of her yellow dress. Her skin ignited in a current of shimmering power. For a moment it captivated him. He had never seen her so beautiful before, but he knew it couldn't be a good thing"


Daily Distractions - Music

You may not know this but I have a huge obsession with music.  There's nothing like a good song to get lost in while you read, but sometimes that very song can be what distracts you from reading.  Sometimes when I really like a song, I can't help but sing and dance along and then I get completely distracted from what I'm reading.  Music is one of the many joys of life and I don't know what I would do without it.  I spend lots of my time listening to music and am constantly open to learning about new bands.  Comment with any suggestions! This is my favorite bands and songs in no particular order (because I'm indecisive).

Bands/Singers:

One Direction- World famous British boy band, and I must say I'm a fan. They're adorable, and their music is upbeat and fun to listen to.
















Little Mix- A British girl band! Their songs are really empowering, especially for girls and women, and their voices are amazing.






Bastille- What to say about Bastille? Bastille could easily be my favorite band; ever. Their music is absolutely amazing, and its so meaningful. I feel like every single one s their songs has an underlying meaning, and that makes me love each song even more. If you've never heard of them, go check them out now. I recommend "Of the Night", "Pompeii", "The Weight of Living, Pt. II" (or Pt. I), "What Would You Do", and any other song of theirs. 


















Ed Sheeran- Ed Sheeran also has really meaningful music, but his songs aren't as fast paced. They're really great and you should definitely check him out if you haven't already.












Selena Gomez- I'm pretty sure everyone has heard of Selena Gomez, she's a great singer and actress. I've loved her ever since she was Alex on Wizards of Waverley Place, and I own every single one of her albums. I feel like I've grown up with her, even though I'm still in high school! She's really great, and her music is really upbeat.















Coldplay- Coldplay has great music, my whole family loves Coldplay. Some of my favorites are "Yellow", "Christmas Lights", and "Viva La Vida".















Imagine Dragons- I found out about Imagine Dragons last year through one of my dance teachers, and I fell in love with their music. The first song of theirs I listened to was "Demons" and I was hooked, that night I looked up the rest of their album and downloaded it immediately.












Marina and the Diamonds- Marina and the Diamonds is an alternative singer, and she has a really great sound to all of her music. I really like listening to her songs, and her voice is amazing!











Songs:

Black & Gold - Sam Sparro




Counting Stars - OneRepublic




Oh Darling - Plug In Stereo




Dancing With Tears In My Eyes - Ke$ha 




Good Morning Sunshine - Alex Day





Dirty Night Clowns - Chris Garneau




Gold Forever - The Wanted




Coming Back Down - Hollywood Undead




Honey, Let Me Sing You A Song - Matt Hires




I'll Make A Man Out of You - Mulan




Love is on the Radio - Carrie Hope Fletcher (This isn't one of her original songs, but I really like this version of the song she performs with her brother)




In addition to the songs I specifically selected, I love any and every song from the artists above. I just wanted to single out some other songs that I enjoy listening to.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Book Blogger Hop: January 24th-30th




I'm back to the Book Blogger Hop scene! I was checking my e-mails and this post came up and I really liked the question. I really hope to start doing this hop more regularly because it's a lot of fun. Without further ado, here's this weeks question:

Do you think you will ever read every book in your TBR stack? 

My answer:

I like to think that I'll read every book in my TBR stack, and I really hope I do. I honestly think I will read all the books that I actually own, maybe not all of the ones I find on GoodReads and don't buy for years. There are just so many good books out there, and I tend to buy lots of them. I have quite a few from elementary school book fairs that I have yet to read... maybe I'll get to those soon.

What books do you guys have on your TBR shelf that you think you'll never get to but really want to? Do you guys have TBR shelves, or are your books just scattered everywhere like me? Ah, Bookish thoughts.

Book Review: Scintillate by Tracy Clark

I received this book as an eARC on NetGalley. This is the first book in Tracy Clark's The Light Key trilogy, and it comes out February 4th.











Scintillate is about Cora, a girl who's in love with Ireland, her birthplace and the place her mom went missing 12 years ago. The book starts off and Cora is sent to the hospital because of a high fever, and when she wakes up she can see auras. In the hospital, Cora meets the Irish exchange student Finn, and there seems to be an instant connection. Finn's aura shines all colors of the rainbow except for one ball of dark yellow curled up in his stomach at all times. When Cora sees her aura for the first time she is surprised to find that unlike everyone else, her aura is a single color: silver. And then there's the man with a pure white aura, and death seems to follow him wherever he goes. Cora goes on a quest to find her mother, and her answers about her mysterious aura, but will she like everything she finds?

I thought this book was very interesting, the premise definitely intrigued me. A girl who can see auras, when is that not cool? I really liked that her parents play a role in the book, they're a constant thought in Cora's mind, not just forgotten about half-way through so the plot can continue. 

One thing that did fall flat for me was Cora and Finn's romance, it was pretty much intsa-love. And in a way that's what it's supposed to be, but I'm not sure how that might play into future books in the series. 

The descriptive language in the book is beautiful, and the way Tracy Clark describes Ireland is truly magical. This was a great book, I'll definitely be looking for it in stores, and I plan to continue this series. I recommend this book to all YA lovers, and I gave it four stars for enjoyment level. Comment below if you think you'll get this book in February.



One of my favorite quotes from this book is the opening line, because it's so descriptive and haunting. "I was kindling for the fire raging in my body. Whole one moment, but soon reduced to ash. And the world would forget I had ever existed when the wind scattered me to the stars."

"When the final chord of the last song reverberated through the coffeehouse, the audience jumped to its feet and applauded wildly. The force of the energy from the crowd knocked the breath out of me, making me dizzy. I dared a look at the people in the room. The colors were unbelievable! Such power. It rolled toward Finn in a wave, a tsunami in slow motion. I had the impulse to leap in front of him, to protect him from it."

"A mighty flame follows a tiny spark"

"His words came out like a puff of black smoke. The gray-black hovered over his mouth a moment, curled around his lips and throat, then slowly dissipated. His lie lie was a cannon shot in the mist. It struck me in the gut. A condensed ball of yellow rolled from him floating like a polyp, an enormous cystic secret. He was lying to protect that secret."

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Winter Wonderland Tag

This is the Winter Wonderland Tag. I know Christmas is over but it's still winter, and right now everything is covered in snow. I was inspired to do this tag by TheReadables, PeruseProject, padfootandprongs07, Bookables, ArielBisset, and WhittyNovels.


LES QUESTIONS:

1. What book is so happy and sweet that it warms your heart? - Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Not only does this book take place in Paris, but it's got all the feels. Anna and Étienne are so cute, and it just makes me so happy.

2. What is your favorite book with a white cover? - Wow I have zero books with a white cover. The closest I could find is Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell which is a yellowish-white. This book is absolutely adorable, the characters and the story is just amazing.

3. You're sitting in a nice comfy chair, wearing a onesie, with a lovely warm hot chocolate but what MONSTER read are you reading? - The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. This book is 500 pages and change but there are lots of pictures and it's a really quick read. The story is so heartwarming and it's one of my favorites. It's perfect for onesie time.

4. It started snowing so you decided to have a snowball fight! What fictional character would you love to have the snowball fight with? - I would have a snowball fight with Elsa and Anna from Frozen,so it can be during the summer! If it had to be during the winter I would have a snowball fight with Leo because he could melt the snow and keep me warm. I don't like being cold. In all serious-ness the snowball fight would be with Four because Four.

5. Sadly, your fire is beginning to go out. So what book would you tear the last few chapters out to throw into the fire? - Allegiant by Veronica Roth. The end of this book made me really sad, but as more time goes by I start to dislike it less and less. I really wish I hadn't read the end though, because I'm a happy ending kind of girl.

6. What book is so close to your heart that you would gift to someone this Christmas who hasn't read before but wants to get into reading? - The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. I read these books a while ago, and they are really good. They are about a group of gifted children who are chosen for an adventure at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (LIVE). Very cool series, highly recommended.

That is the end of the tag, all of these books are great and I hope you've found some new books to check out!

Monday, January 20, 2014

2014 Bookish Resolutions

These are my Bookish Goals for 2104, and I now they're a little late but better late than never. 

Goal 1: Number of books. I plan to read 100 books this year, but might lower this number due to some other goals I am setting for myself this year, like watching more movies and writing more posts.


Goal 2: Reduce T.B.R. Pile. I want to read more books that I already own. I currently own 104 books that I have not read, and I really want to read all of these books!


Goal 3: Read more adult books. This year I want to read at least 5 adult books.


Goal 4: Read more classics. I would like to read at least 3 classics this year.


Goal 5: Read "big books".  I want to read more longer books(500+ pages).  My goal is to read at least 2 "big books" this year.


Goal 6: Complete series. I want to complete 6 series (serieses?) this year.


Goal 7: Read middle grade books. I want to read at least 5 middle grade/children's books this year.


Goal 8: Watch more movies. I want to watch 50 movies this year; book-adaptations or otherwise.

Goal 9: Post stories. This year I want to post little snipits of stories I write, or ideas that come to me and see where it goes from there.

Ok, so those are my goals for this year. I'm really excited for them, so wish me luck!

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Mini Book Review - Anthem & Allegiant

Since I read these books within the same time frame, and since they are really similar, I decided to do a combined book review!  I don't recommend reading this if you haven't read Anthem or Allegiant, Allegiant in particular just because that book is much more popular currently.  The non-spoiler section first though:













Anthem by Ayn Rand is a dystopian book, that takes place in a world where everyone is equal. There is no 'I', only the universal 'we'. In this society we meet Equality 7-2521, someone who does not fit into the social constraints of his society. At a young age, he is intelligent and curious, rebelling against his society but still trying to fit in. He commits some of the greatest sins of his community, namely being alone and doing things for himself. One day Equality discovers something that causes him to risk everything he knows, but will it be for the better?

This was a really great book, I enjoyed how I could compare it to modern day dystopian novels. I liked the characters, even though the names were a mouthful. For some people, the fact that the narrator refers to himself in first person plural (we/our instead of I/my) is confusing but I think it really added to the world of the book.  This book was really different from other books I've read in school, and I highly recommend it to fans of dystopian in particular. Oh, and I'm doing star ratings now, I gave this book 5 stars, and it will probably be one of my favorites from 2014.
















Allegiant by Veronica Roth is the third and final book in the Divergent trilogy. There isn't much I can say without spoiling the book, but I'll try. It follows Tris and Four as they leave the city, heading out into the unknown. What they find is a world much like their own, riddled with conspiracy, rebellions, and corruption. It's a good book, I give it 3 to 3.5 stars. I'm not sure if I recommend it or not, because it's a great series but I just didn't like the end. This book was not as fast-paced as the first two books in the trilogy, but a lot did happen. You learn more about Tris and her family, and meet a few new characters along the way.





Now for the spoiler-y section so if you haven't read the books I suggest you leave.

SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK! SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK! SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK! SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK! SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK! SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK! SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK! SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK! SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK! SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK! SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK! SPOILERS! CONTINUE SCROLLING IF YOU READ THE BOOK!

First, I want to talk about the end of Allegiant. I did not like that Tris died, I understand that she cares too much for Caleb to let him sacrifice himself but I'm not okay with that. As soon as I read that part of the book, I felt a shift in my brain, the point of no return, the moment Tris died. I was devastated; I loved Tris. Honestly, I didn't see her death coming. I thought something would happen with the memory serum, like Four didn't protect himself aganst it and he forgot Tris. I would have been more okay with that, but not Tris's death. I was really hoping that someone had come and saved her, but once Four found out that she died I lost all hope.

Other than that, I thought this book was okay. It was really slow-paced, it took me about six days to read while Divergent and Insurgent each only took me about one or two. I don't know if this was because I was really busy or if I just had no desire to pick up the book. There were some points I liked, most of the fluffy moments between Tris and Four. There were also some moments I didn't like. For example, when Four refused to listen to Tris throughout the entire beginning of the book! Four, GET A GRIP ON YOURSELF!




Another thing I didn't really like was the dual-POV, because it was confusing. There were a few times that I forgot I was reading from Four's point of view and I had to go back and double-check.
I didn't like that but I understand why it was necessary, with the ending. Another thing, Uriah's death, for me, was completely unnecessary. Why?!?!

Moving on to Anthem now. Did I mention that I loved this book? Well, I loved it. I thought it was interesting and thought-provoking. This book and Divergent are actually similar, what with the conformity in the factions and the conformity in the society of Anthem. That really intrigued me, how you could see Anthem in other dystopian novels. And maybe those novels weren't based on or inspired by Anthem (they probably weren't) but you can see the evolution of dystopias, which I thought was really cool. I really thought the forbidden word was going to be 'I', but it wasn't. It was 'ego'.
ego /ˈēgō/ n: A person's sense of self-esteem or self-    importance.
This definitely made sense as the forbidden word, because this society is all about conformity, forgetting yourself, and working for the good of the whole. There is no self-esteem or self-importance, none of them even know what they look like.

Another parallel in Anthem and the Divergent series is the changing of names. In Anthem the main character goes from being Equality 7-2521 to the Unconquerable to Prometheus, and his love interest goes from Liberty 5-3000 to the Golden One to Gaea. In Divergent Beatrice becomes Tris at the Dauntless compound and Four even calls her Six once or twice. Four's real name is Tobias, but it changed to Four so he could forget his past. The concept of changing names is really interesting, especially since there is a meaning behind each of these names, and the changes are significant.

Overall these were really great books, and I recommend them (mostly Anthem). I look forward to the Divergent movie in March, even though the only thing I'll be able to think about is Tris's death. I feel like a different person now that Tris has died, and I'll never be the same. Okay, I finally posted another book review! Now I will go forth and conquer more books! Lol no. Happy Reading!

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Top 13 Most Expected Books of 2014

Next up is my list of 13 books I wish came out in 2013 so I don't have to wait for them until later this year!  Only a handful of these books have covers and or release dates and if they have them I will definitely share.


Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan.  This is the fifth and final book in the Heroes of Olympus series, so I can't tell you much without spoiling.  Highly recommend this series.  Releases October 7th.


Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.  The third and final book in the Anna and the French Kiss companion series.  These books are so heartwarming and I can't wait to see what Stephanie does in the last book.  Releases March 13th.

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey.  The sequel to the 5th Wave, which I read in 2013.  This series is about an alien invasion, and the survivors of this invasion.  Releases September 16th.


Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor.  The third and I believe final book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series.  I really liked the world in the first books, and  I want to see where it goes next.  Releases April 8th.



City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare.  The sixth and final book in the Mortal Instruments series, and the cover just dropped!  I can't wait to finish this series, although I still have to read the fourth and fifth books. Releases May 27th.


Clockwork Princess (paperback) by Cassandra Clare.  I recently bought the first two books in this series (The Infernal Devices series) but they were in paperback.  Now I'm waiting for this one to come out in paperback so I can just marathon them. Releases I don't know.


The One by Kiera Cass.  The third and final book in the Selection series.  The premise of this series intrigues me, but I didn't enjoy the second book very much.  Nonetheless, this series has lots of potential and I hope the third book doesn't disappoint.  Releases May 6th.

Age of the Fifth by Leigh Fallon.  The third and final book in the Carrier of the Mark series, about a girl who moves to Ireland and discovers that she has elemental powers.  Release date is I don't know.


Landline by Rainbow Rowell.  A new standalone novel that has to do with time travel.  It seems really cool, and I love Rainbow Rowell and can't wait to read more of her books.  Releases July 8th.

Alex Day's untitled book about the London Underground.  This book is by the YouTuber Alex Day, and basically he wrote a book about trains.  I really like Alex's videos and I imagine I would like his book.  The first chapter has been scheduled to publish digitally January 27th.  Can't wait for that! (P.S. There's a cover for each chapter I just can't find it online anywhere.)


#scandal by Sarah Ockler.  A new book about social media and how it can interfere and affect your life.  I really like other Sarah Ockler books I read and I'm patiently *cough* not *cough* waiting for this one.  Releases June 17th.


Between the Spark and the Burn by April Genevieve Tucholke.  The second and final book in the Between series.  The first book really intrigued me, especially with all the talk about who in the book is really the devil.  That was interesting, but some of the characters annoyed me.  I want this one to come out so I can just read it already.  This book, I thought, was also pretty good with the scare factor, if you like books like that.  Releases August 14th.

The Young Elite by Marie Lu.  A new series, that I'm so excited for because I love Marie Lu.  I have only read Legend but Prodigy and Champion are sitting on my shelves waiting to be read.  It takes place in a Renaissance-like world with rival clans.  It seems very interesting.  Releases in 2014.

Those are the books I'm most excited for, I'll be back soon with more Bookish things!