I have a habit of reading the same type of books over and over. There's something a bit comforting for me in the predictability, in knowing t2.5 stars
I have a habit of reading the same type of books over and over. There's something a bit comforting for me in the predictability, in knowing that everything is going to end nicely and happily. I read the same type of books because I know what I like. And despite knowing how everything will end, I still enjoy the journeys immensely. This time, that didn't happen. There was something missing in this book. I didn't connect with any of the characters. The story arc was not very exciting (or hilarious). The romance didn't make my heart throb. I appreciated the message of environmental conservation - sadly, not a lot of YA books focus on stuff like that. But that doesn't make up for a book that borders on boring. Decent for a debut novel, but average on the whole....more
1. This book kept me up reading all night so it probably deserves 5 stars.
2. I almost DNFed A Court of Thorns and Roses, because God, the beginning wa1. This book kept me up reading all night so it probably deserves 5 stars.
2. I almost DNFed A Court of Thorns and Roses, because God, the beginning was so SO boring. And Feyre was just SO annoying. But I'm glad I stuck it out. So very glad.
3. To everyone who finished this book within hours of its release: how? HOW?
4. I'm not a SJM groupie (or a Rhys groupie for that matter). I won't read her work if I find I don't like it one day. And it won't even be very hard for me to stop. (Seriously, Celaena is trying my patience.)
5. This series is infinitely better than her Throne of Glass series (though I'm still stuck somewhere at the beginning of Heir of Fire, so maybe that gets better too). I can see how far she's come as a writer.
6. I never liked Feyre much, and that didn't change. Rhys was my favourite character in book 1, but after I met Tarquin (worst name ever, btw), there was no turning back. I mostly just loved him and the quiet Azriel. Rhysand and Lucien were tolerable. The rest, I didn't care much for. So this isn't a book I liked for its characters. But the overall plot still made it so hard for me to put the book down. The story, though long, was the perfect length. SJM described all the right things in detail, and skipped through all the right things too. The meeting of all the High Lords was my favourite part.
7. If there's one thing I could change in this book: I'd make Feyre apologise to Tarquin. He deserved that much. And I'd probably make her apologise to Tamlin too. But mostly Tarquin. Also, I'd want more scenes with him. Like, a lot more.
8. I'll be honest, when I first read about the seasonal and solar courts in book 1, I thought 'Wow, that sounds super ridiculous'. But the way SJM described the courts and their High Lords' powers has made me think again. I want to visit Prythian. It sounds like a stunning place. I'm glad she's writing another story arc set there, because we still have more courts to explore.
9. I think the next arc is going to be about [spoilers wrt who survives -->](view spoiler)[Lucien. She's set enough of a backstory for him now, having him as a main character will allow her to continue to tell the stories of all the usual suspects, and he's now also tied to most courts. I don't mind this really, Lucien's nice enough, but I really hope I'm wrong and this arc will be about Tarquin, because Tarquin <3 <3 <3 (yes, I'm obsessed with him). Or maybe sweet quiet Az. Though I'd probably get bored if there were three books about Az. Or actually Eris would be pretty interesting to read about as well. I really want to hear his story too. (hide spoiler)]
10. A lot of people are giving this book and other books in this series a bad rating just because of the they don't believe the book deserves to be in the YA category. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. But a rating should reflect your thoughts on the book and not on whether it's been put in the correct section in a book store. Despite everything I disliked about this series (and there are quite a few things, let me tell you), I still think it's kinda brilliant and worth reading. You may not think that. But read it before rating it, and rate the story - not its genre....more
Permy definitely deserved to be gracing this cover! But this volume was a lot more serious than the previous ones (and exciting and dangerous too!) anPermy definitely deserved to be gracing this cover! But this volume was a lot more serious than the previous ones (and exciting and dangerous too!) and so I can understand why Hotaru's here. I thought this manga would be all light fun, but it's turning out to have darker undertones too, and I think I like it better this way. For my thoughts on this series: click here.
This manga is so addictive! Chapter 10 was so sweet; Narumi-sensei made my heart melt <3 The dodgeball chapter (9) was slightly boring, but o4.5 stars
This manga is so addictive! Chapter 10 was so sweet; Narumi-sensei made my heart melt <3 The dodgeball chapter (9) was slightly boring, but otherwise my thoughts remain the same as for Vol. 1.
Alice Academy is one of my all time favourite animes. I watched the anime ages ago, but it didn't give all the answers about Mikan's background, so I'Alice Academy is one of my all time favourite animes. I watched the anime ages ago, but it didn't give all the answers about Mikan's background, so I'm reading the manga too (for the first time ever). And I LOVE it. The story is sweet and ingenious and humorous and the illustrations are spectacular. I think I'm going to be reading a lot more manga now; I'm hooked.
Love isn't a choice. You fall for the person, not their chromosomes.
This is such an important book that everyone must read. I truly believe that w
Love isn't a choice. You fall for the person, not their chromosomes.
This is such an important book that everyone must read. I truly believe that we as a society shun what we don't understand; which is why books like None of the Above need to be written.
Gender is a social construct. The biggest difference between boys and girls is how people treat them - what color parents think their kids should wear, and what kind of activities they sign their kids up for.
Everything about this book was perfect. A must read.
I adore love before first sight novels. I mean Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and P.S. I Like You are two of my all time favourite books. I need this to be a separate genre so I can find more books like them.
Tell Me Three Things was fun and cute and adorable. For the most part anyway; grief formed a big part of this book too.
But Tell Me Three Things isn't only about grief. It's about friendship and family and starting afresh. And love too. I totally guessed who SN was right at the start and thought it was so ridiculous that Jessie couldn't see it. I also liked him better as SN than as his real self. And I would have loved more IMs with SN because I'm greedy that way. But on the whole a very entertaining book that I couldn't stop reading. Recommended!...more
It's not up to you to help other people fit you into a box.
2.5 stars
This book takes place entirely in a single day. Which means that Natasha and D
It's not up to you to help other people fit you into a box.
2.5 stars
This book takes place entirely in a single day. Which means that Natasha and Daniel meet and fall in love in a day. I couldn't even take the book seriously, because I really don't believe that you can fall in love in a day. Nicola Yoon tries to justify it (at least in the beginning):
There’s a Japanese phrase that I like: koi no yokan. It doesn’t mean love at first sight. It’s closer to love at second sight. It’s the feeling when you meet someone that you’re going to fall in love with them. Maybe you don’t love them right away, but it’s inevitable that you will. I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m experiencing right now.
Yeah, no. I'm not buying it. It's insta-love, is what it is. A book full of it.
There were some redeeming aspects to this book. I liked how differently Daniel and Natasha saw the world, and I liked the alternating points of view (though the repetition got annoying at times), especially when she showed us the ripple effects of the characters' decisions. And it helped that the book was quite small. But that was about it. My favourite thing about this book is its cover....more
For all the cop shows that I watch on TV (which is a LOT), I've never actually read a murder mystery from a cop's POV until now. Which is weird, rightFor all the cop shows that I watch on TV (which is a LOT), I've never actually read a murder mystery from a cop's POV until now. Which is weird, right?
From the moment I saw The Girl In The Ice's cover, I knew I had to read it. Its cover drew me in. The blurb sealed the deal. The Girl In The Ice is very well written and seemed way more authentic to me than all the cop shows I've watched. I was quite surprised to know that this was Robert Bryndza's first attempt at writing crime, because it certainly didn't seem that way. The characters were decent and real. The story was interesting and kinda unpredictable, though not extremely captivating. (view spoiler)[All the scenes where Erica's life was threatened (which I suppose should have been nail biting) didn't really serve their purpose because Erica's got a whole series ahead of her. (hide spoiler)] There were a lot of topics covered in this book from trafficking to politics. But while the book was interesting, I wasn't glued to it the way I tend to be if I really love a book. I can't pinpoint exactly what was missing, but something was, and I'm not sure I'll be reading the rest of the series. This isn't a genre I read a lot to begin with, and I wasn't blown away. But if you enjoy a good crime thriller, you may enjoy this book more than I did....more
Children are unafraid. It's other people who teach them their limits.
My feelings for this book are exactly the same as for Six of Crows (you can read that review here) with one exception. I think that ending was cruel and unnecessary and I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive Leigh Bardugo for it. It made me feel like everything until that moment was just pointless.
I also think that though the book ended really well (except for that one major thing), I would have loved an epilogue set a few years later to see where everyone was. But I can't complain. This was a fantastic series and which everyone should read.
[Buddy read with Pragya, thanks to whom I've found a new favourite author.]
I finished reading this duology weeks ago and have been putting of4.8 stars
[Buddy read with Pragya, thanks to whom I've found a new favourite author.]
I finished reading this duology weeks ago and have been putting off my reviews because I don't know what to say. How do I put into words how much I love these characters?
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This is a very character driven duology. I LOVE Inej. She was strong and so absolutely badass. But the rest were not far behind. Their backstories were brilliant! I didn't think I'd ever love a band of teenage criminals so much.
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I also loved how many important topics Leigh Bardugo touched upon despite this being a fantasy series. This book made me stop and think about human trafficking and racism and prejudices. It made me want to do something about it. The best books are ones that leave a mark on you, and this duology definitely did.
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If I had to pick an issue, it would be with the plot. While the story was amazing and exciting, I felt that it got a bit far fetched at times. It was hard to remember sometimes that this was a group of 6 teenagers outsmarting everyone else all the time. It got a little too unbelievable at times. That said, it is a fantastic duology, and the Grishaverse is definitely a place I want to visit again. Highly recommended!
This book was .... weird. There were times when I was really impressed by its depth, and then there were other times when I wanted to barf (view spoilThis book was .... weird. There were times when I was really impressed by its depth, and then there were other times when I wanted to barf (view spoiler)[(Like the whole thing with Toby? I didn't like it, I didn't get it, and I thought it was 100% unnecessary.) (hide spoiler)]. I found the poems really annoying in the beginning, but I came to appreciate them more as the story progressed. I did like the end which is the only reason this book got 3 stars instead of 2. This was my first Jandy Nelson book, and I can't say that the whimsical writing style impressed me. But since the whole world has nothing but good stuff to say about I'll Give You the Sun, I'll probably read it. Maybe. Someday.
My Favourite Poem:
There once was a girl who found herself dead. She peered over the ledge of heaven and saw that back on earth her sister missed her too much, was way too sad, so she crossed some paths that would not have crossed, took some moments in her hand shook them up and spilled them like dice over the living world. It worked. The boy with the guitar collided with her sister. "There you go, Len," she whispered. "The rest is up to you.”
My favourite Stephanie Perkins book till date. Unlike the first two books in this trilogy, I did not feel that this book was unnecessarily pr4.5 stars
My favourite Stephanie Perkins book till date. Unlike the first two books in this trilogy, I did not feel that this book was unnecessarily prolonged. (view spoiler)[I loved how Isla and Josh didn't wait until the end of the book to get together, so we could see them dating as well. (hide spoiler)] Isla and Josh were by far my favourite couple of this trilogy - individually and together (though Isla really annoyed me at times). There was something very relatable about their relationship. It's not a must read book, but if you've read the other books in the trilogy, you won't want to miss this. ...more
Who'd have thought that a pierced teenager, the sort I'd normally cross the road to avoid, would save my life?
As thrillers go, The Sister wasn't the scariest thing I've ever read - not by a long shot. It wasn't very twisted either, and sometimes, even bordered on predictable. But it was still really interesting and well written, and, unlike a lot of other thrillers I've read, believable. I especially loved how well Louise Jensen wrote about interpersonal relationships between the characters - Louise clearly has a very good grasp on such dynamics. I also loved Grace, the protagonist - she was strong and smart and someone I could completely relate to. I love discovering new authors, especially debut novels, and this one blew me away.
Strangers become friends, become lovers, become everything - and then become nothing. A full circle.
I was excited to read this book, because how often do you find "chicklit" written by men? The Rosie Project is the story of Don Tillman, a ge3.5 stars
I was excited to read this book, because how often do you find "chicklit" written by men? The Rosie Project is the story of Don Tillman, a genetics professor with a high aptitude for logic and difficulty in comprehending social situations. His behavioral traits reminded me a lot of Sheldon's from The Big Bang Theory. What I really liked was that he wasn't diagnosed with any specific illness, that he didn't fit into any specific box, because there are so many people who don't fit into traditional boxes. Don decides to embark upon "The Wife Project" - he writes out a questionnaire to weed out unsuitable candidates and to find his perfect match.
He meets Rosie, a smart opinionated feminist whom I loved. She was down to earth and kind and hilarious and real and relatable. She and Don had an amazing dynamic. I think my only issue was that I felt uncomfortable laughing at some of what I assumed was supposed to be humourous. There were times when I couldn't quite understand whether Don was trying to make a joke or whether he was being serious and I was stuck between wanting to laugh and feeling terrible for wanting to. Having never personally known anyone quite like Don, I didn't know how to react. I didn't know whether the humour was funny or offensive. I'm sure that it was never the author's intention to make light of Autism or any other disorder (why would anyone want to intentionally do that?), but I can understand why people may have seen it that way.
I did like the book on the whole. I think it's something you should take at face value and not try to read too much between the lines and not expect it to shed any light on Autism or any related disorders....more
Just like Anna and the French Kiss, this was another light contemporary romance that dragged on a little too long. I mean, it was not even a case of tJust like Anna and the French Kiss, this was another light contemporary romance that dragged on a little too long. I mean, it was not even a case of them not knowing they liked each other - they just weren't doing anything about it. It was still enjoyable and had random bursts of hilarity, but Anna and the French Kiss was better.
Noteworthy mention: Andy and Nathan. Really, who wouldn't want parents like that??...more
When I heard that Kasie West, one of my all time favourite contemporary authors, was writing a book about two people locked in a library, I thought thWhen I heard that Kasie West, one of my all time favourite contemporary authors, was writing a book about two people locked in a library, I thought that it was a genius idea to get all of us bibliophiles to read it. I mean, who wouldn't want an entire library all to themselves? Autumn, that's who. The girl is locked in a library and it doesn't even occur to her to read a book. Granted, the story might have been a little less interesting if we had to read about her reading, but still. When you're in a library, you read.
That was my biggest problem with the book. My other problem was that there were a lot of secondary characters that didn't have enough of a role to play. I really wanted to see more of Owen (best-est big brother ever), but he was practically a guest appearance. Also, I could do without the love triangle and Autumn's indecisiveness.
Apart from this, the story was good, cute, hilarious, the characters sweet. Not my favourite Kasie West book to date, but I don't regret reading it....more
People don't have soul mates. People make their soul mates.
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It's one of those things that could either be
People don't have soul mates. People make their soul mates.
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It's one of those things that could either be brilliant or just really weird, and I'm stuck somewhere in the middle (though leaning strongly towards weird). It's a book about grief and about love, and you'd think that that would mean that the love part would help the grieving character overcome the sadness and give life new meaning or whatever, but that doesn't happen. Instead, the grief and the love are woven together to make a novel that's sad and realistic and heartbreaking and philosophical with bursts of humour. But on the whole, the book was just mildly depressing. Case in point:
Death is the reward for living.
Stories with happy ending are just stories that haven't finished yet.
People are perfect when all that's left of them is memory.
I had my doubts when I heard that this series would be in the form of graphic novels and would focus on Iko. But I was really wrong One word: AWESOME.
I had my doubts when I heard that this series would be in the form of graphic novels and would focus on Iko. But I was really wrong to worry, because it was absolutely perfect. If you have read The Lunar Chronicles series at all, then you NEED this graphic novel ASAP. If you haven't, then what in the world are you waiting for?...more
It took me nearly a month to finish this book. Granted, I was going through something of a slump, but this book didn't really help either. Here's whatIt took me nearly a month to finish this book. Granted, I was going through something of a slump, but this book didn't really help either. Here's what I thought:
1. Celaena seemed more badass in this book compared to the last, but for 'Adarlan's Assassin', I thought it wasn't enough. My main problem with Celaena is that she's too immature and selfish and petty. She may possess skills, but isn't cunning. And I personally found her no less annoying in this book than in Throne of Glass.
2. Dorian really surprised me in Crown of Midnight. I spent a lot of Throne of Glass sure that he was hiding something, that he was really loyal to the King. But while Celaena was stupid, Dorian was smart and perceptive and I thought his character grew from what it was in Throne of Glass. For now, I think I like him more than Chaol.
3. The plot was not as exciting as it could have been. There were parts where the story was really interesting, and then at other times I found it to get dull. I still love Sarah J. Maas's writing style, but she seems to like adding dark sinister twisted evil beings into her stories which I don't care much for. I also think that she adds some of the plot twists just for the sake of it, because I didn't get the point to them. Maybe I'll understand later. I still think this book was worth reading, and I will continue the series, but I just know Sarah J. Maas could do better....more