Beach Book

What is the magic book of this summer to me?

You might have guessed it right. It is summer. I am a teenager after all, and the last but not the least, the summer mood is on!

The Summer I turned Pretty!

Everyone talks about it. So, I found the perfect time to squeeze in a little book like that.

A weekend at the beach, with the perfect book in hand. What makes suntanning better?

What sets the mood, if you're not at the beach. This is basically the definition of summer.

The Selection (#1, by Kiera Cass) Review

Blurb

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Review:

There's a reason for why I had to almost  remove a star and make it a 4/5. 

But it's a 5/5 book. 

This was a difficult book to read. Not in that sense, I finished it in under 24 hours, I was hooked and I liked it. I was curious and the end killed it. I hate the ending. Like really hate the ending. 

It was a short book, which is why it felt like I didn't have time to form general opinion. I feel like the ending was the kind I could stop to,  because it's frustrating. She loves one guy, yet she stays for the other. No love mentioned for the other. She just stays and it seems to me like she's putting her life at risk and I don't like that. 

According to the rules, 'cheating' on the prince is punishable by death. If this ends with her dying I will burn the book, I don't care if it's my brother's book. I.Will.Burn.It. 

I'm team Maxon, personally because I hate guys, or men, that act like cowards, Aspen led her into this Selection, ready to give up on her because he cares about her. 

What?

He's an idiot, and I don't like idiots, so if she ends up with him, I won't be happy. 

And he's only 'more' attractive because someone injected some weird stuff that made him bigger, stronger. No. Maxon seems like he has real beauty.  Born perfect, raised perfect. 

Aspen is just... 

Maybe I find pessimistic guys extremely unattractive.

Okay, okay. Putting all this negativity aside, I liked the book. It's definitely worth reading and with some girls leaving and staying, I'll admit I was surprised, and I like surprises, sometimes. 

I like how each relationship is going slow. Only two kisses in an entire book. Call me crazy but I think it's pretty awesome. 

I have this fear that Aspen and America will take things to the next level and it'll just make me hate her. I deeply do not wish that. I'm hoping for the best, praying the worst will not happen.

America is such a difficult character to get, one moment she's jealous at the other girls with Maxon, next moment she's making out with Aspen. 

Why? Decide woman.

I guess I'm glad she's going to try to win, despite the events going on with Aspen and Maxon. I hope her decision is wise.This might not seem like a review for a 5/5 book, but I enjoyed reading it, and it sure as hell got me hooked. I'm curious to see what happens.

I really am.

Onyx (Lux series, #2 by Jennifer L. Armentrout) Review

Blurb

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Review

There are so many reasons to love this book. 

This is the type of story way out of my comfort zone. It's about Aliens, and suggesting I read a book about Aliens two weeks from today, I would have most probably thrown the book at you and laughed it off. I used to love sci-fi so much that I began to hate it. Now I'm open to all kinds of books.

Katy has changed so much since the beginning of the book, most characters do, however her change was drastic, it sort of became more visible towards the end of the book. Of course, her feelings towards Daemon might've been a huge part of her change considering how now, she feels responsible, and is willing to do whatever it takes to protects those she loves. I love that about her because not many characters, especially girls, tend to work towards wanting to fight and be equal to their 'other half' I suppose. 

Daemon is adorable, I think him wanting to be the one to take all the responsibility ads to his attractiveness, his humor is over the top in a good way, I honestly feel like I can't get enough of him, much like Katy. 

There was so much suspense in the story, so much that my heart lied all the way in my gut, I may have stopped breathing several times, the curiosity I was filled with was just amazing, no book has ever made me feel that way, especially towards the end. I was reading and reading and there was so much description that made time feel like a ticking bomb was placed in my head. And then it stopped when dissappointment took over, the end completely blew me away and took my breath. 

This is a full description of how a good book should always make me feel, that's why it deserved *****! 

Despite the fact that it annoyed me a bit that there were deaths, and that, as inhuman as this sounds, Katy felt guilty and responsible for the deaths, I think it may have just added to the irony of how human-like 'aliens' can be compared to actual humans. If that makes sense... 

The gooey romance stuff going on were, surprisngly, one of my favorite parts of the books. 

"Say it."

"Say what?" I asked.

"Tell me what you told me earlier."

My heart leaped into my throat. I'd told him a lot of things, but I knew what he wanted to hear.

And when she expresses how she feels, about how turned upside down she is. 

"And I never felt this way with anyone else. Like I'm falling every time I'm around you, like I can't catch my breath, and I feel alive-..." 

"..we just make crazy together..." 

THIS IS PERFECT! 

I used to hate Romance, the idea, the image, the everything, it was just so not me, some books however, make it worth the wait. The first book showed no signs of gooey stuff, it was just them two fighting and arguing and when it finally got to this, I was relieved, and happy and it's definitely worth the wait, if I had to wait one more book for those, I would. 

Obsidian (Lux, #1 by Jennifer L.Armentrout) Review

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don't kill him first, that is. 

Review: 

Maybe the reason as to why I fall for books like these is because I have recently started reading any kind of Romances, so I'm just like awww... at every small, tiny moment. 

This book completely blew me away. I started reading and ended up sleeping at 5 a.m. 

I've been into book characters with the annoying-type of attitude for as long as I remember and this book had everything I wanted. It had the no-gooey-romance stuff with perfect proms or dances or whatever you call them, and it also didn't have the "I magically love you right now" but the "I'm extremely attracted to you, let's not call it love" kind of thing. I'm extremely pleased with the ending and despite the fact that I'm still having a hard time picturing how the true alien (Luxen) form looks like, I think picturing an-almost-human-shaped-sun would do. 

There's a lot of humour, all very successful, I think I couldn't finish a chapter without a smile on my face and the awkwardness is just, I can't find the right english word, or any word in any language for that matter to describe how I felt towards those moments. 

Any changes I would've liked: 

I would have liked Ash to be more 'bitchy', I think it would have added to the humour.

What I loved: 

EVERYTHING! 

Daemon sounds like a real bad-ass, compared to the previous main-guy-character, he's a good twist, a change I might've needed. He's basically everything a girl wants in a guy, and green eyes, again, I'm in love with green eyes, so that was a bonus I very much loved. 

I'm hoping the book covers are based on the characters. He fits well with the description in the book and it's definitely the type of guy i'd see in his place. 

He is perfect. 

This is perfect. 

As for Katy, I love the name, definitely fits the character, duh, I think her use of 'inappropriate' language adds to the fun of the situations she occasionally gets in. It's funny, and I admire each and every attempt of making everything awkward, it really makes me feel uncomfortable when Daemon tends to put her into this awkward position where she can't do anything but shrug it off as if nothing happened because it would be too painful to think about it. Painful in the sort of hilarious way. 

Dee is simply cute, I picture this super vulnerable, naive, cute girl with curls and big green eyes, like those expensive dolls you find in an antique shop. I think she's great, and maybe I was a little frustrated with Daemon being so overprotective, but as the reasoning developed, I started to understand. 

Currently Reading: Obsidian (Lux Series #1 by Jennifer L. Armentrout)

So far, I can't say much, I've read up to eight chapters and I'm not complaining. It's extremely fun and entertaining. The humour is just what keeps me going.

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3, by Richelle Mead) Review

Blurb

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Review time.. 

I'll admit, seeing, whom I'm assuming is, Markus on the cover of the book gave me a number of doubts. I thought Adrian would be completely exterminated from the story and it had me worried, A LOT. 

This book was different. I mean, it was different from the two previous books. It's the characters have changed completely. It's great don't get me wrong, it's exactly what I wanted and expected, it's cute and really romance-y, and I believed  the previous books didn't have much of that, so this book definitely makes up for it. 

I like all three books equally so far, but this book had the best ending. My brain started creating all those awkward scenarios with Sydney hiding from her sister and trying to act colder towards Eddie, Angeline and Jill and especially Adrian. I think, and I hope the next book will be full of humorous situations, because honestly that's pretty much all I can picture at the moment. 

I don't have a lot to say about this specific book, except that it involved a lot of problems at once, I felt like my head would explode along with Sydney's as I read every responsibility she had under her nose, it tends to be overwhelming when trying to keep up with everything. 

There was little mention of the gang, which wasn't as fun, despite Angeline being the real issue, I would have liked a bit of Jill moments, even though I might have had enough of her in the first book. 

Oh, Richelle Mead, excuse me if I ask but what's with obsessing over blue eyes. If I'm not mistaken, all guys introduced in the book have blue eyes, except Adrian, but still, I have barely imagined different faces with the same eye color. And coffee and sweet stuff. I found myself craving pies and other desserts while reading this book. I, just like Sydney, obsess over calories consumed and pies and other desserts are just no fun to keep away from. 

I like how Sydney wants to be who she wants to be and not what people expect her to be, so I admire her, and her courage for going against everything she was taught just because it felt right, yet wrong at times. 

I've grown very fond of the characters, the past 3 days have been all about the Bloodlines series, I'm taking a break because I have one last book to read before buying the last one.  

Much appreciation, I adore these books, I've become a huge fan of Richelle Mead's works and hope to read more from her. 

Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2, by Richelle Mead) Review

Blurb

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

Review

No, no, no. The book was not supposed to finish like that, I wanted to put a stop to my obsession, it seems like I failed. 

So first things first, what is up with Brayden? I'm sure as hell that Sydney is way smarter than I am, so it should have been easy to spot what an idiot he is. And if Brayden was that smart, he should have done a brief check on what girls like: COMPLIMENTS (I think they tend to just make situations more awkward, but whatever.) But still, Sydney's the best he'll ever strike. 

Second: If I were to take a sip at every mention on Sydney's car 'Latte', I think I would have drowned in a dozen gallons of LATTE. I couldn't bear to keep myself away from coffee while reading. Unluckily for me, when I was reading the first book, I was fasting (No food, no water) and occasionally found myself craving a cup of coffee. 

Third:  I was so, so, so happy at the fact that Adrian's character came floating on the surface compared to the other characters. I got to know him better, Sydney got to know him better, and well I might've gotten more attached to him than she did, but I believe it's what made the book so great. No Adrian, no goody goody stuff. 

Fourth: I absolutely liked the fact that Sydney was so confused as to what she was supposed to feel when she got kissed, when she went on a date, what was appropriate, and I just might've related to her in so many ways at that point, which is very rare because all characters in the books I read seem to magically have a past of boyfriends and whatnot. 

Speaking of magic... I KNEW IT! I knew she was going to use the blind spell, hell, I guessed it from the moment it was mentioned, also I knew about the tattoo and it's significance on Trey's back, I knew he was evil, I think the author intentionally made sure the readers wouldn't get too attached to him, just enough so they would not be disappointed by revealing the sad truth about Trey. 

I like the twist involving Eddie, Angeline and Jill, that love triangle, thankfully it's two girls against a guy instead of the typical stuff with two guys, one girl, despite the fact that, that might have also been there with Mikah and Eddie, however it didn't exactly get to the point of it being annoying, Eddie's decisions were reasonable and I came to appreciate his loyalty and admiration towards Jill, overall I found it cute. 

Vampire hunters?! What- 

That was a bit surprising, not completely, after the way the last book ended, I actually believed this whole idea of a vampire-hunters group would just fade away, clearly it played a major part, and it was different however I wanted more action, maybe Adrian should learn how to throw some punches and start defending Sydney for a change, she's got magic on her side, what's he got? Art skills, which as an artist myself, have come to appreciate that I share so many things in common with him. So yeah, I expected that to be an excuse for the both of them to start learning how to fight, but the sign up classes with Wolfe was a good bonus to their abilities. 

OVERALL: Don't be surprised but I LOVED IT! 

The humor, the characters, story, and as some things may have come off as mysteries, either I'm a genius or they were too obvious. I could be taking into account every little detail, so that could be it.

Insurgent (Divergent series #2, by Veronica Roth) Review

Blurb

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

Review time!

I'll admit to one thing, it took me a while to finish the book, if anything, I think I partially found it boring. It felt like it was all about TRIS FEELING BAD. It basically revolves around the idea of trust but all Tris tends to do is lie and lie and lie to the ones she loves and it's just so overwhelming. She hides how she feels, she hides what she knows and most of all she hides what she feels, and then when Four or Christina find out what she's been hiding, she feels bad. IT'S ALL ABOUT TRIS FEELING BAD. I don't know what to say about the book, I liked it, I was able to finish it, so it was THAT boring, I've read worse, definitely worse, but I would have liked more of "Happy Tris" and that would be very unrealistic if she would have been happier, due to the world falling apart and all those hidden mysteries, but it was in the last 100 pages that I started enjoying the book, which is why I gave it 4 stars. 

It was a book I liked, however was a bit disappointed when Tris seemed to just throw herself out there for the sake of others, despite Four point on that, I had gotten to the point of disrespecting her because she no longer valued her existence. 

I was beyond happy to find out that Christina made peace with Tris and everything was good between the friends, also that she later on started confiding in her by telling her what she knew, so much appreciation on that. 

Overall, it was a good book, I hoped it'd meet my expectations though, which were a lot higher.

Bloodlines (Bloodlines series #1 by Richelle Mead) Review

Blurb

Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and surf to bridge the world of humans and vampires. But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of moroi Queen Lisa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one. 

Closer review on Bloodlines Series' first book

23 Hours, sleep not included, so that makes it... 14 hours of reading, possibly constant reading, small gaps in between, perhaps no more than 3 hours. That's how long it took me to finish the book. I'd say it was a record, I can't remember finishing a book so fast before.
Meaning... I liked it, perhaps exactly just about how much I wanted to like it.
Despite the boring introduction and everything, it seemed to me like the story progressed quite slowly, but that was just the beginning of it, and then as she had finally moved to Palm Springs, it felt like the story had finally begun.

I loved Adrian's remarks throughout the whole story, the beginning when he opened their door to that mansion, that moment was just AMAZING!

"They're waiting for you. Go on in." Adrian leaned close to Keith's ear and spoke in an ominous voice. 

"If. You. Dare." He poked Keith's shoulder and gave a "Muhahaha" kind of monster laugh. Keith nearly leapt ten feet in the air.

I would ruin it for you if you haven't read the book, so maybe I'll keep those "moments" to myself and laugh out loud at just how hilarious they are so I won't list any of them, just that first one that got me super attached to the rest of the book.

So the story's told from Sydney's point of view, which was something I did NOT expect, I actually thought it would be from Adrian's point of view, and by the time I finished the 'Last Sacrifice', the last book from the Vampire Academy series, I was worried that Adrian would go on and on and on about how sorry he felt for himself that Rose chose -SPOILER- Dimitri over him, that's hardly a spoiler alert because we all expected that-DUH! But what got me super furious was that it kinda seemed like the world revolved around Jill. WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE TO FREAKING FALL FOR HER?! Okay, so if I'm going to be a professional reviewer, perhaps capitalizing how furious I was with Jill's character would be a bad move. She is exactly the perfect description of the most difficult and infuriating teenager I will ever read about. I was fifteen once. like two years ago, and I do not remember being so desperate to be out there, much less be all over this whole idea of wanting to get a boyfriend, or be involved in all this romance-y-stuff. So maybe that kinda almost got me to throw the book out the window, if Adrian would have fallen for her as well, I might've as well burnt the book to ashes, Adrian is for Sydney and that's that. I hope.

So, more infuriating characters... Well the twist at the end with Lee really got me surprised, shocked, all words to describe that emotion. It was crazy and it covered all the missing "climaxes" in the story, which I seemed to not have noticed.

Keith.. if there is any character I could not hate more, it would be Keith, I wanted to cry just as much as Sydney wanted to every time he pissed her-off-excuse my language- but how can he be so ANNOYING and MEAN and RUDE and how in the world could he get away with RAPE?! I would have pinned him near a very-awake-volcano on a stick and let him burn from the increased temperature-he deserves to BURN!

Sydney is the ideal character for this series, I kind of doubted I'd enjoy reading and well seeing everything from her perspective considering how I haven't given her much attention in the Vampire Academy series, to be honest, I hardly noticed the fact that she feared vampires so much. Anyways, the story was interesting BECAUSE she was so scared and despised them. This was no I-hate-them-because-it-is-a-cliche-to-love-them, loving them would be almost like a sin to herself. She was raised to hate them and because of that I came to appreciate her effort at getting closer to them, even though it was not in her job-description to do so, if anything, it was against everything The Alchemists did. Perhaps falling in love with one will be beyond complicated. I can't to find out.

I couldn't help but notice the excess mention of COFFEE. I craved coffee while reading the book, and since it's Ramadan, I could not drink ANYTHING. I kept dreaming of a cold Frappuccino, or a freaking Latte, because her car HAD to be named LATTE! Of course, after the eating hours I made myself a Latte, now, I can't sleep.

Overall the book was amazing and I'll be very likely to read it again, once I'm done with the Goodreads challenge, with reading 30 books in the rest remaining months of 2014.

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