The Book GIF Tag

K so I found this tag while just browsing the internet, as one does, and I thought it would be super fun.  So basically someone gives you a list of 10 books and you match them with a GIF that represents the books and your feelings towards them.  I asked Cody to come up with a list (with some guidance from me), so let's do this thing.  Not sure who the creator of this tag is but creds to them!



1. And I Darken by Kiersten White

Me every time Lada enters the scene



Lada



And after she fucks said shit up





2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Me throughout the entire book


And then that ending...






3. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Still haven't read it yet sooo...


But I have listened to the first chapter on audio and...





4. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas






5.  Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge






6.  Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Victor Vale be like


I be like



That ending be like





7. Dreamology by Lucy Keating



And Oliver....






8. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab





9. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz






10. The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Adelina



Me




Tbh this tag was actually pretty therapeutic, and half way through compiling all my GIFs it occurred to me how great it would've been if I used only Louise Belcher GIFs, because lets face it that girl is adorable, a role model for women everywhere, conniving, and completely terrifying all at the same time.  She's my hero.

If anyone wants to give this tag a go I will leave a list of books down below for y'all to get your feels on with

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
2. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
3. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
4. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
5. Champion by Marie Lu
6. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adhieh
7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
8. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
9. The Outsiders by by S.E. Hinton
10. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Series Review: The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Curse (Book 1), The Winner's Crime (2), and The Winner's Kiss (3)
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Overall Series Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

The Winner's Curse Goodreads synopsis: 
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love... 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart. 

Review:
This post was originally going to be just a review on The Winner's Curse, the first book in The Winner's Trilogy, but because of the chaos that senior year brings a well as the laziness that my ass brings, I have waited so long to write my original review that I have been able to read the whole trilogy, so I have now decided to do an overall series review instead.  Let's see how this goes.

Throughout the series we follow a Valorian girl named Kestrel, and a Herrani boy named Arin.  The Valorian's are those who have conquered the Herrani and their country, Herran.  The books follow Kestrel and Arin through their budding, but forbidden, romance and how their relationship causes turmoil for both of their countries.  Their allegiances to each other and their countries will be put to the test, major swooning and heartbreak are guaranteed to ensue. 

One thing I can confidently say about this trilogy, it gets better with each book.  The characters get more complex and fleshed out as the books continue and you really get immersed into Arin and Kestrel's world.  These books are categorized as fantasy and have no magic in them.  This might be a turn-off for some fantasy readers, but for me it was intriguing and refreshing.  The books may lack a magic system, but the political intrigue more than fills the void.  Honestly, the politics in these books is off the charts.  There is some action and fighting in the series, mostly in the last book, but most of the battling between characters is done through mind games and psychological warfare.

Main Characters-
Kestrel is one of the most intelligent and perceptive main characters I have ever read about.  In the first book I was conflicted because I thought she lacked depth, but as I mentioned before, as the trilogy continues her character becomes much more nuanced and fleshed out.  Something I did like about her from the very beginning was that she never gets caught up in the pettiness of Valorian society and treats the Herrani, who are enslaved, as equals, unlike many of her peers.  I absolutely loved reading about the relationship between Kestrel and her father.  It was complex to begin with and gets even more nuanced and heartbreaking as the books progress.  All she wants is her fathers approval and love, but because he is so traditional and set in his own ways, their relationship is strained and they cannot see eye to eye on how Kestrel should live her life.  I also liked the fact that Kestrel isn't very good at combat.  A lot of times in YA, a female character's strength is defined by her physical strength and fighting skills. There are many other qualities in a character that reveal strength.

Arin , our other main character, is a fighter.  He is fiercely loyal to his country and Kestrel.  This is an admirable trait, but it gets him into a into of trouble as well.  I believe you don't learn about his backstory until the second or third book, but it's absolutely heartbreaking.  I really came to care for Arin in the second book.  He was so self doubting and mistrusting of others, he was like a lost puppy in the rain that I wanted to take inside and put in front of a warm fire.  Kestrel's and Arin's relationship becomes very complex throughout the series, especially during the second book.  They are so loyal to each other that they result to the classic "lie to the one I love to protect them" tactic.   It can be quite frustrating at times, but it's the kind of frustration that keeps you wanting more and seeing if they can ever work things out. There are many things that tie them together but equally as many things threaten to tear them apart. It's honestly hard not to root for them.

Plot-
All of the books in the trilogy aren't very fast paced, they aren't slow by any means, but due to the methodical nature and the political intrigue of the books, there isn't much action.  But when there is action, the scenes are crafted with such detail that I occasionally had to pause reading and shudder from the gruesome images of war.  The last book especially could be very gruesome, there were a lot of war scene painted in pretty graphic imagery.  Rutkoski's writing is beautiful and again improves even more as the series progresses.  I gave the first book 3/5 stars, being that it wasn't an amazing book, but a very strong first in a series, and it was obviously the book to lay out the groundwork for the books to come.  My love for this trilogy really began to blossom in the second book, and the last two books overall are the reason why I give praise to the series.  I cannot stress how much the trilogy improves after the first book.  Honestly the second book took me on such a whirlwind of emotions that I had to set it down a few times to calm myself.

I really did not realize how invested I was into these characters and the world they live in until I finished the last book.  I actually became teary eyed and experienced a little bit of a book hangover.   I think what really got me was how much the main characters care for each other.  It really reminded me of how Tessa, Jem, and Will care for each other in The Infernal Device's trilogy by Cassandra Clare.  And honestly, anything that reminds me of TID will bring tears to my eyes.  Anyways, The Winner's Trilogy is full of political intrigue, complex and heartbreaking relationships, and very loyal and intelligent characters.  Highly highly recommend.  

Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Coming of age
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Goodreads synopsis: 
A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Review:
This book had me smiling like a lunatic.  It was so freakin cute.  This was my first Rainbow Rowell book and definitely not my last.  I have a feeling all her other books will be just as cute if not more so.

Cath.  Cather.  Cather Avery.  She is such a great main character and by the end of the book you can just see she has gone through amazing character development.  She is an introvert just like I am, and I really understood her nervousness when met with the truly intimidating task of socializing with other human beings.  Although, she is so introverted at times I just wanted to yell at her and tell her to get out of her dorm once in a while.  I feel like Rowell did this on purpose though, so that we could really root for Cath to break out of her shell.  It worked, I rooted for her all the way.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate Levi for a sec?  Why can't every guy be like him?!!!  He's not the swoon worthy, tall, dark and handsome, mysterious boy that has plagued the world of YA.  He's cute, dorkey, and incredibly approachable.  Him and Cath, although opposites, were glorious together.  Every single interaction between them had my cheeks burning from smiling for so long.  He's an extrovert, and she's an introvert.  I absolutely adore pairings like this.  I also really loved Reagan.  She is very blunt and quite a badass.  At first, her and Cath mostly ignore each other, despite being roommates.  But as the story progresses, their relationship really blossomes and is very fun and entertaining to read about.   I thought Wren's story arc was very predictable, (mild spoiler) becoming the twin that sort of loses it and parties too much, as well as her and Cath drifting away from one another and being brought back together near the end of the book.

The plot was mainly just watching Cath come out of her shell throughout her first year of college.    A 400 page contemporary is a little bit too long for me, so it did drag in a few places.  I thought the family dynamic was very interesting and I loved seeing Cath take care of her father.  She very much took charge in the moments of her father's mental elusiveness.  I also liked how her problems with her mother were never really resolved within the book.   It shows that some relationships may never be salvaged and that's OK.  I never really connected with the fanfiction within the book, but I absolutely loved Cath's passion behind it.  The ending was a little abrupt and pretty anticlimactic.  But to be honest, most contemporaries are like that for me. Overall I really liked this book and will definitely be picking up some more Rainbow Rowell books.

Book Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Goodreads synopsis: 
Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle—a shifting maze of magical rooms—enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Review:
Seductive, addicting, dark, and utterly genius.  I really really enjoyed this book.  There's just something about these angsty hate/love stories, such as this beautiful gem and The Wrath and the Dawn, that I find delightfully enthralling. 

The main character, Nyx, is not perfect and never acts likes she is.  She knows she's flawed and accepts it.  She is so full of hate due to the lack of love from her father, the innocence of her sister, and the situation that she is born into.  I loved Nyx so much, she is witty, defiant, and very passionate.  She has this burning hatred for her sister, yet at the same time loves her very dearly.  Nyx is such a complex character and very real.  I absolutely love morally questionable characters and she definitely is one.  My favorite part of this book is Nyx and watching her inner struggles and how she plays them out.

I enjoyed Ignifex as well.  I found him odd at times and was hesitant about him in the beginning, but he really grew on me.  He is very witty and charismatic, and who doesn't love a villain with a sense of humor?   He has done some terrible things in his life, and so has Nyx.  This is why I think their relationship played out so well.  Both of them are flawed and scarred and they never try to fix each other.  They lean on each other for support, recognizing and accepting their flaws.

The plot, I found to be near genius. There is a mystery trying to be solved throughout the book and it really puts you on the edge of your seat, making you wonder what will happen next. The ending was a little ambiguous but wrapped up the story well.  I absolutely loved the ancient Greek aspects of the book.  I didn't know it had any when I picked it up, but I was pleasantly surprised.  It really adds to the story and makes the world feel rich with history.  I only had a few quarrels with this book, the biggest being the love triangle.  I could see how it was needed for the plot but it still annoyed me.  One half of it was very underdeveloped and rushed and Nyx was saying she was in love only after a few interaction with one of the love interests.  The rest of the book far makes up for this annoyance.  Overall, the plot was very strong and everything really tied together in the end.

I had hoped I would enjoy this book but I didn't realize how much I would.  Every single character we meet is complex and nuanced.  The plot is intriguing and brilliant.  And Ignifex and Nyx's romance develops beautifully and will make you swoon.  I highly recommend this book for those who love retellings, and those who like a good angsty love story and morally questionable characters.

February Wrap Up

I read some incredible books in February and overall I really felt like it was a strong reading month. All the books I read were first books to a series and all but one I thoroughly enjoyed!

1. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

5/5 SHINING BEAUTIFUL STARS

You can find a synopsis for this book here

This book absolutely blew me away.  I had high expectations for this one, especially after reading Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I didn't think there would be a book to be able to top SoC for a long time.  But ADSOM far exceeded my expectations.  The world building is phenomenal and Schwab really brings all the Londons to life. The characters are so fleshed out and intricate.  Delilah Bard is just plain badass and so strong and witty.  Kell is very real and humble and the dynamic he has with the royal family is so interesting and nuanced.  The antagonists are amazing as well. In fact, they were one of my favorite parts of the book.  The Dane twins and Holland are all so deliciously ruthless, and some of the scenes with them chilled me to the bone.  I loved it.  I loved everything about this book and highly highly highly recommend it.

2. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

4.5/5 Stars

You can find a synopsis for this book here

This book was very addicting.  I was a little nervous going into it after coming off of a ADSOM high.  I really didn't want to get into a reading slump.  Turns out, I didn't have to worry.  Ahdieh's writing style is so beautiful and sooooo addicting.  I read 2/3 of this book in one sitting and stayed up until 1am doing so, whilst I had to wake up at 4am to catch a flight.  The first 100 pages or so were a little slow, but when it picked up it reaaaally picked up.  Although the romance may have been a little insta-lovey, I really didn't care.  I loved every ounce of sexual tension and angst and lust in this book.  The world building and descriptions were all so lush and imaginative.  Ahdieh really has a gift for writing descriptions.   Sharzad, the main character, is very strong headed and I enjoyed her as a main character.  I didn't feel 100% connected to her, but the plot more than made up for what lacked in her character. Overall, an amazing read and SUPERB writing.


3. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

2/5 Stars

You can find a synopsis for this book here

This book was very confusing to me as well as underwhelming.  I felt like the plot was everywhere and I rarely found moments that piqued my interest.  The world building was non-existent and it was hard for me to try and visualize where the characters were.  None of the characters interested me or really felt real to me, and the romance.... -_- pls. stahp.  The romance made me want to bang my head against a brick wall. It felt very tropey and insta-lovey. The scenes between Safiya, one of the main charcters, and Merik, the love interest, felt very forced and cheeeeeeeeesy.  I could see no connection between them whatsoever.  My favorite part of the book, which I realized days after I finished it, was Iseult's threadwitch power.  I found myself thinking about how cool it would be to have that power.  Other than that, the book was a struggle for me to read.

4. Angelfall by Susan Ee

 4/5 Stars

You can find a synopsis for this book here

Very fast paced and enjoyable!  The thing I loved most about this book was the main character Penryn.  She is HELLA smart and independent.  I found myself in awe of her character.  I like how she is strong without being prideful.  She can be stubborn at times, VERY stubborn, but only out of the loyalty she has for those she cares about.  She's different from other YA female characters in that she doesn't let some boy determine her actions.  She's an independent woman who don't need no man. The romance was just a very small part of the book and doesn't really show itself until the end.  Its the slow burn kind of romance that I luuuuuuurve.  I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to continue the series.

Blogger Introduction: Annelise Loveless

A lil late to the party but what up blogger world

I'll be using questions from the Love-a-Thon questionnaire to introduce myself

1. What’s your name?

Annelise

2. Where in the world are you blogging from?

Oregon, USA  (the hippie rainy state)

3. How did you get into blogging in the first place?

Lol Cody told me to do it, so if I suck at blogging blame him

5. What genre do you read the most? 

Fantasyyyyyyyayayay

9. Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2016!

1. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab, KELL ME NOW
2. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare, I swear if any characters from TID are in this book I will throw myself off a cliff
3. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, CANNOT wait to see my 6 favorite criminals again
4. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdeih, the love story in this series just melts my cold cold heart
5. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
6. Adding a 6th, The Midnight Star by Marie Lu.  I NEED to know what happens to mi Adelinetta.  

10. Name the 5 books you want to read this 2016 that you didn’t get to in

previous years!

1. I still need to read the last 3 books in the TMI series so I will definitely be finishing that
2. Basically all of V.E. Schwab’s books. I am just itching to get started on Vicious
3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, I hope to see what all the hype is about with Ms. Rowell
4. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes, this sounds like such an EPIC high fantasy series and I cannot wait to get started on it
5. Cinder by Marissa Meyers, literally everyone's read this series and I just need to hop on the bandwagon already

11. What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read?

This is def for the younger crowd, but Avalon: Web of Magic by Rachel Roberts was my shit back in the day.  Such a great beginner fantasy series full of friendship, magic, and talking ferrets.

12. Which book boy or girl would be your book BFF?  

Tessa Gray from TID series because she is honestly one of my favorite heroines of all time, she’s so smart and witty and caring, ily Tessa

13. Which book boy or girl would be your book boyfriend/girlfriend?

Imma go with an oldie and say Peeta from THG by Suzanne Collins.  I’m totally a Gale girl but Peeta is def more boyfriend material

14. Who would you recruit for your apocalypse squad (5 characters max)

1. Celaena Sardothien from the ToG series by Sarah J. Maas (if she is not in your squad then good luck)
2. The Wraith (aka Inej) from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
3. Wren from the Reboot Duology by Amy Tintera

Girl power yeeeee

15. Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests?

Listening to music (Glass Animals is where it’s at), playing soccer, Netflix (minus the chill), and obsessively stalking V.E. Schwab on literally every social media platform available.

16. Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for?

CLOTHESSSS

17. At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song – and it’s your song. What song

would be playing?

Nobody’s Perfect by Hannah Montana …. lol no jk, in all seriousness probs Take Me Up by Coleman Hell cause Coleman Hell is bae and this song just gets me in a party mood

18. Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book.

Legend by Marie Lu would be really cool to see in film, but it would have to be HELLA good for it to even be half as good as the book

19. What would your dream library look like?

A small room on the second story of a house that's circular shaped with white shelves that line the walls and a window looking out at the ocean with one of those window seats.

20. Author you want to meet and sit down to tea with?

V.E. Schwab bc I’m on a Schwab high rn