Saturday, May 31, 2014

Short & Simple Reviews: Insignia & Black City

This is a place for books that I didn't fully review.
Maybe I listed my likes and dislikes, had a little short paragraph, or a few sentences to convey my feelings on the book, but whatever the "review" is, all of them are short and simple. (hence the clever name)

Insignia (Insignia, #1)
"Insignia expertly combines humor with a disarming and highly realistic view of the future. The characters are real, funny, and memorable. You won't be able to put this book down."—Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divergent and Insurgent
The earth is in the middle of WWIII in Insignia, the first entry in S. J. Kincaid's fast-paced sci-fi adventure trilogy perfect for fans of Ender's Game.
The planet's natural resources are almost gone, and war is being fought to control the assets of the solar system. The enemy is winning. The salvation may be Tom Raines. Tom doesn't seem like a hero. He's a short fourteen-year-old with bad skin. But he has the virtual-reality gaming skills that make him a phenom behind the controls of the battle drones.
As a new member of the Intrasolar Forces, Tom's life completely changes. Suddenly, he's someone important. He has new opportunities, friends, and a shot at having a girlfriend. But there's a price to pay. . . .
Goodreads


Review 
 When I first read the synopsis I got confused...

I honestly didn't understand what it was talking about.
But it was at the library so I decided that it was worth a try!

Apparently, this book is about a 14 year old boy named Tom who has a special talent of...
playing video games!
When a government agency discovers his talent, they decide to take him in to help fight in the war.
You might be wondering, How does playing video games help fight in a war?
Well, this book takes place in the future and they found out that having a war on Earth is dangerous for the people so the wars are fought in space.
But then there's the fact that people die in wars! So they also made it so the wars are video game controlled instead of actual people fighting.
Make sense? (I hope it made sense)

Anyway, this was an AMAZING book and I’m so glad that I picked it up!
I absolutely LOVED the technology!
And believe me there was A LOT of technology!
Anyway, before I start rambling...
You should really read this book!

I hereby give this book
4 Wheels!
Meaning: It was amazing!



Black City (Black City, #1)
A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.
In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-old Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.
When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

Review 

I've been hearing so so many good things about this book!
But when I finally got my hands on a copy...
I was disappointed.
I'm not saying it was terrible (because it wasn't!) it just disappointed me...

There was only one thing in the book that bothered me.
Everything else I liked! But I didn't like THE ROMANCE!!
This became a problem because...
That romance? Yeah, it plays a major part in the book!!!
I found the romance fake and absolutely could not understand what they saw in each other!

When the books started out, I loved it! I thought I was walking into a new favorite!
But then...
the romance came in.
It started out slowly...
I disliked the romance but I could look around it, I was fine with it.
But that romance blurred everything else. It practically forced me to look into its face! "Look at me! You despise me! I shall torture you and make you dislike this book!"

Okay, okay...
I'm making less and less sense as I’m going along.
My point: I didn't like the romance.

I hereby give this book
2 Wheels
Meaning: It was okay.

Stacking the Shelves (May 31st 2014)

A meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where all the book nerds can post about the lovely (or not so lovely) books that they've got this week.

P.S. Click on the book cover to go to the book's Goodreads page!

Books I've Read in the Last Week
        
     



From the Library
               
     


Freebies!
     
Both of these were free on Amazon!

Kind of a small haul this week, especially compared to last week, but I did get a few library books.

What books did you get/read this week?




Friday, May 30, 2014

Cover Lust: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Cover Lust is something that I do every week where I feature a book cover that I absolutely love!
Ignite Me (Shatter Me, #3)
The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, called “a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love.”
With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.
The Shatter Me series is perfect for fans who crave action-packed young adult novels with tantalizing romance like Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu. Tahereh Mafi has created a captivating and original story that combines the best of dystopian and paranormal, and was praised by Publishers Weekly as “a gripping read from an author who’s not afraid to take risks.” Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and satisfying end.
           Goodreads

 Why did I pick this cover? 

This is such a beautiful cover! To be honest, I love all of the covers in this series, but this one is my favorite! I just love the flowers, which remind me of my favorite season, spring!



What are your thoughts? Tell me in the comments!

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Cover vs. Cover: Shiver by Maggie Steifvater

This week's pick is...


Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1)VS.   Shiver
Original                             Redesign
I'm more partial towards the original, mostly since I own that cover, but looking at this I think I might prefer the redesign. I don't know. It's a hard decision and I would honestly be fine with either one. I'm sorry, but I can't decide!
Final Verdict: Either Way

Do you agree? Give me your thoughts on which cover is the best!

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where you talk about whatever book you are IMPATIENTLY WAITING for!

Of Metal and Wishes
There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.
Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.
As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it.
Goodreads  Release Date: August 5th 2014


 Why am I waiting?

I LOVED Sanctum (Which is by the same author and if you haven't read it yet GO READ IT NOW!!!) and I really want to read more from this author! 

What book are you waiting for this week?

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Top EIGHT Books That I Want to Give a Second Chance

Hosted each week by The Broke and the Bookish, it's a meme for listing the top ten for everything bookish.

Oftentimes, when I reread a book I have a different opinion than the first time around.
Sometimes I like it more, sometimes less.
This list is for the books that I was not a big fan of when I first read them, but the books have such high ratings that I might give them a second chance and reread them.

If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)
I always hear wonderful things about this book, which makes me sad that I didn't enjoy it.
I believe that the issue I had with the book was that I didn't fully understand what was happening and was constantly irritated by the random flashbacks. Now I hope that I will understand the meaning behind this book.

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1)
EVERYONE loves this book. Except me. I found it boring and I found Rose to be irritating. I don't hate the book though (Unlike Sweet Evil) which makes me more inclined to possibly reread it to see what I missed.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)
I'm not really sure as to what I disliked about this book. I think I read a negative review of the book before reading the actual book, which caused me to have negative feelings toward the book (I have learned my lesson from this). So I might reread this to get my actual opinion on the book.

Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy, #1)
I'll probably never reread this book, since there were SO MANY things that I couldn't stand about it.
But I seem to be the only one who does not like this book (Everyone LOVES IT, I DESPISE IT!) that I'm actually considering giving it a second chance.

Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)
I didn't dislike this book, I gave it three stars and I liked it, but everyone seems to adore this book!
There's also the fact that I've been really into fantasy lately, so I'll probably like it better now!

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls, #1)
The first time I read this book, I gave it two stars, but the rest of the books in the series got three or four stars. This makes me want to give the first book another go.

Croak (Croak, #1)
Again, I actually liked this book when I read it. But I keep hearing about how funny this book is and I don't remember laughing! So, I want to reread just because of that. (And I will have to reread too. Since I forgot what happened and I need to continue the series)

Eleanor & Park
Another three-starred read. I was okay with this book, but there is so much hype surrounding it that I wonder if I missed something...

THAT'S IT! I'm sorry, but I can't come up with anymore.
Anyway, are there any books that you would like to give a second chance?

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Short & Simple Reviews: Level 2 (The Memory of After) & Glow

This is a place for books that I didn't fully review.

Maybe I listed my likes and dislikes, had a little short paragraph, or a few sentences to convey my feelings on the book, but whatever the "review" is, all of them are short and simple. 

Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles, #1)
In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.
Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost-family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.
Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian-a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life-comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.
Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.



Review 
What I Liked
I loved the idea of the afterlife!
I always find ideas about the afterlife interesting and this was no exception!
Another part I liked were the memories.
I loved how memories played such a large role and how you occasionally get a look at Felicia's memories.

What I Didn't Like
I had trouble with the ending...

About 30 pages from the end so much happens.
But things go way too fast in those few pages, so much that you basically have no idea what's going on.
There are also some reveals in the end that I honestly don't think they were needed and just seemed random.


While the ending was obviously a very very very small portion of the book, endings are important to me so it does bother me.

I hereby give this book
3 Wheels
Meaning: I liked it.



Glow (Sky Chasers, #1)
What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?
Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...
Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.
But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.
Goodreads


 Review 
This book kicks off with a bang right away.
While this usually could be considered a good thing, after the bang, we get nothing.
Not a thing.
After that I got the feeling that I was waiting for something to happen, and that waiting took up most of the book.
In short, I got really bored with the book.
It doesn't matter that I love the idea of space travel and space in general, if nothing's happening, I'll get bored.


Due to the fact that I was bored, I couldn't feel very well for the characters. Sure, there were moments that I felt sorry or wanted to slap the "evil villains", but most of the time they fell flat.

I hereby give this book
2 Wheels
Meaning: It was okay...

Friday, May 23, 2014

Stacking the Shelves (RT Edition!)

A meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where all the book nerds can post about the lovely (or not so lovely) books that they've got this week.

So, RT was last weekend! And not only did I bring a whole bunch of my own books to the convention to get signed, but I got to take home A TON of books!!!!! I had an amazing time and cannot wait until next year!

P.S. Click on the book cover to go to the book's Goodreads page!

Books I've Read in the Last Week
                 
               
     


From the Library
          

Books Bought
Physical copies:
From RT Convention
I bought these two books at the convention, both signed.
    
From Half Price Books
We stopped in Dallas on the way home from RT and found my new favorite bookstore! I had to limit myself from buying the whole teen section!
               
               
          

From Lucky Dog Books
Another used book store in Dallas, but much smaller.



RT HAUL!!!!
Now we're into the big stuff! So big that I took photos of my stacks of books rather than posting the individual covers! (Which means no Goodreads links, sorry! That would just be too much work!)
*Some books are hard to see in the pictures, so I added dome notes to say what those books are.
From The Teen Party
 *Note* The Jeanette Battista book is Long Black Veil. Tiger's Promise is also hiding under The Jewel.
 *Note* Above Landry Park is Waterfell
The Teen Party was amazing! You were practically handed books at every turn! You were given a bag full of books, you got to choose off of a table full of books, you were given another bag of books, you got to look at the table again, you got to pick off books from yet another table, and MORE BAGS!
Also, authors were wandering around the room signing the books, helping people find other authors, and just plain chatting!
In fact...
I was basically able to go around and get my BRAND NEW Book Shimmy bag signed!

Swag!
I know this is a messy picture, but here's all the swag that I got! And, as seen in the picture, there's more in that black bag.

Books I Brought to Get Signed
*Note* My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century & A Tale of Two Centuries are under Tiger's Quest.
 
*Note* Under The Elite are the first two Gallagher Girls books
I already owned all of these books, but I brought them with me to get signed at the fair!
And I got ALL OF THEM signed!



So, what books did you get this week?