Whenever I'm in a funk, I return home. This book -- and yes, I swear to the gods it's a book because it is without a doubt one of the best pieces of wWhenever I'm in a funk, I return home. This book -- and yes, I swear to the gods it's a book because it is without a doubt one of the best pieces of writing I have ever read -- is my home.
It's perfect. And I don't say that lightly <3 ...more
My lack of access to the real world has been replaced completely by books, and it can’t be healthy
***FIVE MILLION BAJILLION KAJILLION STARS***
My lack of access to the real world has been replaced completely by books, and it can’t be healthy to live in a land of happily ever afters.
(That is Sky. See why I love her?)
This has probably been the most difficult year of my life. So much has been going on, and there are times when it's so damn hard to see the other side -- a side where things get better and the worst thing I have to worry about is which university I'm going to, how I'll connect with my friends, and how to keep that crush I'm crushing on. I needed something but couldn't find it.
Until this.
With Hopeless, Colleen Hoover has -- in a way -- saved me.
I can't even begin to tell you how much I anchored my life on this book and its equally amazing companion (Losing Hope) during the past year of my life. It has been my saving grace, my heart, and my favourite book of all time. I can't even begin to tell you... but I'm going to damn try. ♥
Hopeless kicks off when our heroine, Sky Davis -- a snarky homeschooled girl who loves to run and loves to read -- goes to public school for the first time. Needless to say, it doesn't go well since her best and only friend, Six (who is also her neighbor whose window is directly opposite hers), is known as the school slut... and Sky's reputation has not remained clean either, despite her refusal to participate. Sky has more of a reason to hate public school than the majority of us...
Then she meets Dean Holder.
If you think that this is going to be your classic new adult book where a good girl meets a bad boy and fixes him -- or whatever -- then you couldn't be more wrong. Because Sky is far from a perfect girl, and Holder is about as far from a bad boy as I can express. He may be badass and moody and rumoured to have been to juvie, but his heart is the purest form of gold there is. And his affection for Sky? His support? His sly-sly teasing and heart-damn-melting and sweet-hot words?
I laugh and rush to him, throwing my arms around his neck. "You’re the best, most understanding boyfriend in the whole wide world."
He sighs and returns my hug. "No, I’m not," he says, pressing his lips to the side of my head. "I’m the most whipped boyfriend in the whole wide world."
God. They meet by chance and connect by coincidences and have a connection that surpasses anything I've ever read in ANY book in my entire life. The HUGE-ass plot twist thrown in made my heart nearly explode in my chest because it was so sudden, so fierce, and connects everything (both in the book and with me) in a way that totally blew me away. Sky and Holder are so imperfect yet so perfect at the same time, and they are my new forever-favourites as both individuals and a couple.
Not only that, but Colleen's writing? Holy haystacks, she's a miracle worker with a language I thought I loved before but never knew could be so perfect! Her sentences flow and her emotions are palpable and her descriptions are never, ever boring but they also never, ever feel too undescriptive like I find a lot of books being now. I guess some authors are trying to appeal to more to new/fast readers who don't want too difficult language, but I REALLY hope they take a page book and follow this piece of advice:
Readers are smarter than people give them credit for.
Long, boring descriptions may be a bore to read -- but really, it doesn't matter how long a paragraph is as long as its written right. The words need each need to carry a factor that connects with the reader in some way. It's so hard to describe, but it's like how the kind of paint can severely affect how much people pay attention to a work of art. Because that's what Hopeless is: a work of art.
(With a really, really hot guy in it.)
To sum up my ramblings: When I was reading Hopeless, I was Sky and I was Holder and I was there and I felt everything they were feeling and I broke when they did and I never wanted imperfection more than I ever have before this. This and the sequel (OH GOOD LORD, it was told from Holder's POV!!!) made me realize things; feel things; understand things. Please, please, please oh please give this a chance! I promise you won't regret it... or if you by some mysterious fluke do, then I give you permission to come attack me. Because it won't happen. ;) ♥
"The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you've never felt anything when someone's kissed you, then no one's ever really kissed you. Not the way I plan on kissing you." -Dean Holder
BUY or BORROW?: Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Please see above. Like, anywhere above. I actually have two copies of this book: One to look perfect and beautiful on my shelf, and another to carry everywhere with me when I'm looking for inspiration. :)
(I'm getting pickier with buying books under budget but THIS is a million times worth it.)
**Mini interview and international giveaway (for 2 SIGNED copies!) on my blog! You can check it out HERE! ♥**
Rating: 4.5 hilarious stars out of 5!
Oh w**Mini interview and international giveaway (for 2 SIGNED copies!) on my blog! You can check it out HERE! ♥**
Rating: 4.5 hilarious stars out of 5!
Oh wow, I have a HUGE and absolute crush on this book! It had me smiling and aching and wishing it could be turned into a movie. I just couldn't get enough!
Mostly taking place over the span of three days, From What I Remember is told through 5 different POVs — which normally wouldn't be my cup of tea, but totally works here! Each of the characters are distinctive and fun and have their own personalities that make it so easy to tell them apart and even easier to connect with them.
The romance between Kylie and Max starts out rocky but progresses beautifully through whacky events like being kidnapped and taken to Mexico. It's more than your average serious-smart girl and heartthrob jock love story. They compliment and bring out the best in each other, and everything was realistic and sweet and SO genuine! ♥ The pacing — both with their relationship and the storyline — was perfect, and I was never, ever bored!
But the rest of the characters also stand out and make From What I Remember even stronger than it already is! There's Will, the gay best friend who is literally the funniest guy ever. His love for Kylie and their habit of quoting movie lines to each other made me smile. Somehow I even found myself empathizing with Lily, the resident mean girl.
Another thing I loved was the amount of self-discovery and growing up in this book. So close to graduation, each of them go through their own epiphanies and growth. I think that this would be the perfect book to read especially if you're a teen who doesn't know where you're going. I was inspired by these characters and I feel everyone will be too! :)
With an amazing cast, a perfect pace, and an absolutely sweet romance, From What I Remember was an entertaining story about self-discovery and unexpected romance. I was captivated for all near-500 pages and I almost wished I could've had more!
BUY or BORROW?: I love owning this book not just for the big amazing things, but the little amazing things too — like the fact that each chapter starts with a quote from a well-known movie. Buy buy BUY! :)
In my thesaurus for this book, The Sweetest Dark is synonymous to beautiful. Ordinary is not-a-fat-chance. And Shana Abe is something of a genius for In my thesaurus for this book, The Sweetest Dark is synonymous to beautiful. Ordinary is not-a-fat-chance. And Shana Abe is something of a genius for creating a story so lush, so beautiful, and so different from your classic paranormal book! I just HAVE to break it down! :')
The world: Taking place in England during World War I, The Sweetest Dark is also set in the world of Shana Abe's adult Drakon series. Even though it may not be a big secret, I don't want to give away the type of creature that lurks around in this enchantingly bleak world (like Lora). But I can tell you that this isn't a vamp/were/witch/fey story like usual!
The heroine: At first, Lora comes off distant. She's hardened by her awful past, slow to trust and quick to reply with snark. But beneath her hard shell is a fragile girl made of so many layers, and I loved that part of her. I ended up loving ALL of her. She has a silent strength that's unmistakable, and my heart clicked with hers like that.
The boys: Don't worry; you'll find that this isn't really your traditional love triangle! Jesse a musical genius who doesn't care what other people think of him. Many think he's mute because he refuses to speak — except to Lora, and it's SO sweet when he does. ♥ Then there's Armand, the arrogant aristocrat who Lora distrusts immediately. Both boys play a huge part in Lora discovering her heritage, and both unravel in different ways.
The awesome: I spent much of this book in a daze, confused almost, but the last fraction completely blew me away! I cried like a baby. To be honest, even though there are still so many things I don't understand (so many things I hope will be explored in a sequel *hint hint*), this is simply one of the most beautiful books I've ever read and it gets my heart for that!
The epic conclusion: Written with some of the most gorgeous prose I've ever read and told with the essence of a heartbreaking Grimm fairytale, The Sweetest Dark is a captivatingly original story that takes the phrase "hauntingly beautiful" to extremes. My chest is still aching!
BUY or BORROW?: I'm borrowing this ARC from Candace [insert showering of hearts!!], so of course I need to get a gorgeous finished copy for my shelf! :')
WOWZAPALOOZA. Oh my goodness. I don't even have words for a mini-review right now, this was SO AMAZINGLY GOOD!! I will return when I can form a cohereWOWZAPALOOZA. Oh my goodness. I don't even have words for a mini-review right now, this was SO AMAZINGLY GOOD!! I will return when I can form a coherent thought beyond my intense (intense intense) love for Haven and Carmine! <3 :')...more
It's hard to imagine how a serial killer's mind works. But Barry Lyga must have some sort of shady part time job or at leastRating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
It's hard to imagine how a serial killer's mind works. But Barry Lyga must have some sort of shady part time job or at least serial killer mind-reading powers, because this book is BRILLIANT.
Jazz — son of the most notorious serial killer, snarky teenager, and overall charmer — takes the phrase dark hero to extremes! Being brought up by his psychotic father, he has How To Be A Good Serial Killer lessons ingrained on his brain. Sometimes they help him figure out other cases, and sometimes they make him seem more twisted than he is. But his dark assessments are what make him so uniquely awesome, and loving Jazz is guaranteed! ♥
The rest of the cast is a riot too! Jazz's best friend Howie is a type-A hemophiliac and a quirky chatterbomb, which makes him the perfect sidekick to Jazz's dark-minded hero. His girlfriend Connie is a complete badass. And we can't forget Gramma Dent, whose hilarious incoherent ramblings prove that maybe being out-of-whack runs in the family.
I Hunt Killers is dark. There are mentions of bodies being nailed to ceilings and eyeballs being fed to cats. But it's also surprisingly funny, with witty lines that catch you off guard. I didn't expect to be that enamoured by this book, but the serial killer logistics and chilling details had me reading into the early hours of the morning!
Part compelling murder mystery, part intense psychological thriller, and 100 % brilliantly original story, I Hunt Killers is a deliciously dark novel that I would recommend to people of all sanity levels! Jasper Dent, I can't wait to learn more about you in book two! ;)
BUY or BORROW?: Not only is the cover under the dust jacket bloodily gorgeous, but the story is SO wow-worthy! If you've ever been interested in how the son of a serial killer thinks, then you need to buy this book ASAP!
After not really loving Glow earlier this year, I went into the sequel with zero expectations. I started it tRating: 4.5 otherworldly stars out of 5!
After not really loving Glow earlier this year, I went into the sequel with zero expectations. I started it thinking I'd be able to fit in a few chapters here and there, that I could put it down if I wanted to. But I was completely wrong!
Spark was amazing from beginning to heart-stopping end! It picks up right where Glow left off, with all of the kids stuck on the spaceship alone, trying to reunite with their parents who were captive on another ship.There's a little bit of deception, a lot of secrets, and enough mistrust to last a lifetime. It all makes everything on the Empyrean even more intense.
I was so invested in this story that I found myself yelling out loud. When bad things happened, I curled up in a ball and prayed for the best. And when Kieran did something ridiculous, I imagined hitting him over the head with a stick. Repeatedly.
(Seth was my favourite character, so everything Kieran did to him just made me so angry!)
My heart ached for Waverly. Everyone wrongly blamed her for abandoning their parents, even though none of them would've made it out alive if she hadn't done what she did. She had to live with everyone's hatred and guilt everyday, but she still stayed strong and more clear-minded.. She was fifteen like I am, but I could never imagine being as strong as her!
Actually, the whole cast continued to blow my mind. Over and over again, I reminded myself that they were just kids — that the oldest on the space ship was sixteen years old, and yet somehow they were surviving. They were intelligent and sneaky when they need to be, yet despite their brilliance, it was easy to see how real they were as kids. It was all believable.
With an intensely unpredictable storyline and characters I couldn't stop rooting for, Spark was an amazing installment to the series that sure sets the bar high for the next! :)
BUY or BORROW?: I would recommend this book whether you liked Glow or not! It was absolutely worth the sleepless night I got from wrongly believing it wouldn't be that addicting! ;)
This book defines the word adorable, brings a new definition to the word contemporary, and manages to mix hilarious and heartwarming scenes with the pThis book defines the word adorable, brings a new definition to the word contemporary, and manages to mix hilarious and heartwarming scenes with the perfect degree of effectiveness! In other words, Preloved stole my heart and I'm not demanding it back anytime soon.
Preloved revolves around Amy, your classic sidekick girl. She's in love with The Princess Bride, has an amusingly superstitious Chinese mother, and has best friend that she believes will be the heroine of a story someday. Except instead — by some fluke chance — Amy is the one who ends up with the ghost-inhabited locket. Thus beginning her hilarious journey!
I couldn't have loved Amy more than I already did if you paid me to! She was quirky, and funny, and strange, and absolutely the kind of girl I'd admire in school. When she meets Logan (the swoon-worthy ghost from the 80s from the locket ♥) her world is turned upside down. Yet she deals with it exactly how any girl would! First she questions her sanity. Then she tries to help him out, because who wouldn't try to aid the sweet albeit slightly infuriating ghost?
Shirley said, "It's more a bad romance, less of a love story." And that's so true! When the boy is a ghost and the girl isn't, you can't expect a happily ever after — although I was craving one anyways because of how attached I became to the characters. But HEA or not, the ending is bittersweet and perfect in its own way. I turned the last page with a smile with my tears.
Adorably sweet, funny, and heartwarming all the same, Preloved is a book I loved with all my heart! I loved all the characters, from Amy to her best friend to Logan and more; I loved the way it dealt with family as well as the difficulty of being friends with a diva.
This book is a contemporary read with a touch of ghostly romance. Would I recommend it? Absolutely and completely and totally, I would! :)
BUY or BORROW?: Do yourself a favour and buy this book ASAP! It will definitely bring a smile to your face, and it will give all sidekick girls hope that they'll be the main character of their own story soon as well! :)
There's "bizarre" and "different," and then there's this book... which is probably the best of both! I loooooooooooooooooooooved it so much!
UnspokenThere's "bizarre" and "different," and then there's this book... which is probably the best of both! I loooooooooooooooooooooved it so much!
Unspoken is one of those books that make you slap your forehead and wonder why you hadn't read it earlier. I couldn't stop grinning, yet at the same time, I couldn't breathe when it got intense. It kind of has the feel to it of Beautiful Creatures — small town, fantastic cast, feared magical family, and rich gothic mystery — except I liked this much, much more!
Kami and Jared make up a totally unorthodox pair that I seriously LOVE! ♥ They've never met before (they used to believe that the other was imaginary), but they've been able to talk into each other's minds since birth. People look at them strangely for stopping randomly to laugh at inner conversations, but Kami and Jared don't care. They've been best friends since forever, and they're like two halves of the same whole.
And when they do finally meet, it's so realistic! They don't know what to be at first (Friends? Girlfriend/boyfriend? Enemies?), but I promise your heart will go for a wild ride.
It's not just the romance that's so different from what I'm used to, but the characters themselves. Kami (witty teenage journalist extraordinaire) is strange and she knows it. But there's no angsty outcast drama here! She still has wonderful friends and a wonderful family despite her strangeness. And Jared... Jared is a leather-jacket-wearing bad boy who'd move heaven and Earth for Kami. My heart broke for him, ached for him, shone for him.
The wit is off the charts! Kami has such a smart mouth and the kind of reckless brain all reporters are born with; the banter had me cracking up constantly. Sarah Rees Brennan is a mastermind at creating a dynamic story filled with wonderfully unique characters, NONE of that hair-pulling cliche drama, and ALL of the intenseness of a great mystery.
Brilliantly witty and fantastically strange, Unspoken is an amazing novel that brings everything we've been looking for in YA without even knowing it! With a hilarious cast, smile-inducing dialogue, and a mystery that turns pages on its own, this book is sure to be a stunner! :)
BUY or BORROW?: This book was buy-worthy the moment Kami cracked her first joke! I want to own this for all of its hilarious one-liners and originality, and you should too! ;)
Rating: 4.95 brilliant, beautiful, breathtaking stars out of 5!
FACT #1: I'm not a contemporary girl. I love paranormal books way more than my realistiRating: 4.95 brilliant, beautiful, breathtaking stars out of 5!
FACT #1: I'm not a contemporary girl. I love paranormal books way more than my realistic ones; worlds that don't really exist enthrall me way more than real ones do. Because those supernatural books are usually more badass, intense, and fun than everyday romances.
FACT #2:My Life Next Door totally voids the first fact!!
Where can I even start with how much I loved this book? How much it took me surprise, grabbed my heart, and wouldn't let go? This is NOTHING like your average contemporary read! It's still sweet and romantic and funny and brilliant. But I thought I had a good guess to what the huge plot twist would be, and boy was I wrong! I didn't expect it at all, which doesn't happen with me and contemporaries very often.
And the cast — I loved every single character! They were all so perfectly, brilliantly, wonderfully written. There's Sam, who I ached for, because she grows up with the pressure to be perfect from a mother who doesn't know the definition of fun. Then there's Jase, and God, I loved him so much! ♥ He wears a leather jacket, drives a motorcycle, and is the boy next door... but he is undoubtedly the SWEETEST book boy I've ever met. Ever. I'm not even kidding!
(I already have our wedding colours picked out. He's seriously WONDERFUL!)
But I can't forget mentioning the entire Garrett family! Made up of eight totally individual children and two adoring parents, the Garretts are my dream family. Loud, fun, hilarious, affectionate. Obviously Jase is my favourite, but George — Jase's adorable 4-year-old brother who watches too much Discovery Channel for his own good — was a close favourite! :')
The humor! The wit! The complexity! This book was funny like I didn't expect, and heartwarming in ways I never imagined. The only reason (and I mean ONLY) that this book gets a 4.95 instead of a full 5 stars is because I felt like the ending didn't wrap up enough.
With one of the funnest contemporary casts of all time, an extremely sweet and beautiful romance, and a twist that will be a surprise, My Life Next Door is undoubtedly one of the best contemporaries of all time — and one of my all-time favourites as well!
BUY or BORROW?: Why are you even thinking about this question?? I bought this book on a whim and it became a favourite. Start saving up your change because this is WAY worth the buy — I'm actually a little tempted to buy two copies!
-Mimi
P.S. My older sister read this book in two days... and she hasn't read another book in six months! Now try and TELL ME that the amazingness of this book is just in my head! x)
Absolutely 5 SHINY (like this cover) STARS! Sometimes I think I read so many books that finding an original and captivating gem in the bunch gets hardAbsolutely 5 SHINY (like this cover) STARS! Sometimes I think I read so many books that finding an original and captivating gem in the bunch gets harder by the day, but Croak reminds me why I love to read. It's knee-slappingly fun but still dark at the same time!
As a huge Soul Screamers fan, I already have a weakness for reapers but Gina Damico still brings something new to the table! These reapers carry actual scythes and only have the job of carting souls off to the Afterlife, where quirky ghosts like Elvis and Edgar Allan Poe can wallow in peace.
Lex has to be one of the most spunky, temperamental, and stubborn heroines I've ever met — but she's also one of my favourites! She doesn't take crap from anyone, not even her twin sister Cordy, but her fair heart still makes her wince when she has to reap the soul of a murdered victim. Along with her swoon-worthy partner Driggs and a whole group of misfit apprentice reapers, they will make you want to move to Croak ASAP! ♥
But it's not just all fun and games. The mysterious murders in the novel add a serious undertone, along with how Lex is wholeheartedly against unfair deaths. And that twist at the end... Break my heart, why don't you, Gina?? Intense is only the beginning of this amazing debut!
With a hilarious cast, a mysterious plot, and creativity packed to the max, it's safe to say that I love Croak to death! Like Adam Rex said, there are so many books with worlds that I would love to live in, but dying in this one doesn't sound like such a bad idea. ;)
BUY or BORROW?: If my five stars aren't enough to convince you, maybe me adding this to my favourites shelf will? I usually don't pre-order books this far in advance, but I'm already planning on buying the sequel, Scorch! :)