Book Review: The Golden Heart and The Gray Blade by M N M Abbott

Books: The Golden Heart and The Gray Blade
Author: M N M Abbott
Page Count: 508 and 384
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Ratings: 3.5 (the longer it goes since I read it the more I lower it) and 4.5 (Hopefully it stays this way IT WAS SO GOOD)


SPOILER FREE GUSHING/ REVIEW TYPE THINGS.

The sequel is not as good as the first, but after 70 pages, it becomes just as good as the first. The action, the villains, the humor, it's all great. I really appreciate her writing.

The characters are really my favorite part, they are so intricate and complex. I always find myself loving their faults.

The third book improves upon the faults of the second. I loved it. The introduction of  the final warrior and the battles that took place after were spectacular in so many ways.

I can't say too much about it, except I will let everyone know that EVERY WARRIOR IS MENTIONED IN THE FIRST BOOK AND IT IS SO COOL.

SERIOUSLY LOOK FOR IT. KEEP TRACK. ITS AWESOME.

AND LOOK AT THESE COVERS



AND THIS ONE IS EVEN BETTER.



I truly appreciate that she has titled each chapter, because not often do we find this in books these days.

I highly recommend these books. They are self-published, so be-warned for occasional misspellings and grammatical errors, but they are still amazing.

READ THESE BOOKS. PLEASE.

DNF eARC Review: Reawakened by Colleen Houck (Out August 2015)

I received an e ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Reawakened
Author: Colleen Houck
Page Count:
Genre: Young Adult, Mythology, Egyptian
Rating: DNF When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification. 
And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe.
 
But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world. 
 
From New York Timesbestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself.


Review: I have only read Tigers Curse by Colleen Houck, but never continued with the series despite my love for the novel. The concept of this book was intriguing to me because I absolutely love mythology. Egyptian mythology is especially interesting and starting this I was very very excited.

As I begin, I am noticing the drastic switch between the cool, interesting mythology, to the modern day society. This reminds me a lot of Tigers Curse and what the prologue entails for the rest of the novel. I like the way Houck did this in her last piece I read by her, but really? You could be a little more original than that.

This character is immediately kinda likable (but really not at all), because she seems to be given everything she wants, but at a price. She isn't perfect, and she already seems to have her own problems, right from the beginning. This should be very interesting.

This mummy is crazy! He's a prince too? WHAT? So, Lilliana will probably end up falling in love with him. I'm calling it when I have barely started the story because it's Colleen Houck and it makes sense, I mean have you read Tigers Curse?

I'm interested to see how Houck combines these two world and if they collide well or not.

Update: 8/15
This book has taken me FOREVER to read. I keep trying, and getting bored and switching to another book because I am desperately trying to avoid a reading slump. I have lots I have to read for school (which I am almost done with! WOOT WOOT) and a slump would be horrendous.

Update: 9/1
I keep updating this because I really want to read this but every time I begin I put it down for something better. Will I ever finish this? Time shall tell, it is on my TBR for September but so are a LOT of ARCs. I'm publishing this now, because I don't know if I'll ever finish it....

STAY TUNED MAYBE I'LL FINALLY READ THIS ONE!

Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Page Count: 350
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

~

The last of my required reads, for now, except for some poetry! I am so incredibly stoked to be finished with these so I can get back to reading things I want to!

This is less of a review and more of just spouting information:

Consensus: There is very little I can say, without spoiling everything, because this book is very easy to spoil. But, Zusak wrote a masterpiece, that really opens our eyes to what living in Nazi Germany was truly like. He gave us a glimpse into the lives of everyday people, that broke the mold that was set for that time.

Liesel Meminger, is deep, and meaningful and I grew to love and care for her as she stole books, and read to others.

Hans Hubberman is like a lovable giant, who you cannot help but adore.

Rosa, despite her faults is beautiful in her quirky sort of way.

Rudy holds a special place in my heart, rock on Jesse Owens.

Max, sweet sweet Max, is a joy, and a light in the dreary world, which is strange to think considering he is a Jew.

This book was dark, and had so much depth. The writing was superb and the characters were so real. I see why this book has received so much hype, because it is deserved.

The narration by Death was probably my favorite thing ever. It is incredibly unique, and it shows that Death isn't cruel.

Please, EVERYONE READ THIS BOOK. It has become one of my favorite books ever.

Mini Review: How to Read Literature Like A Professor by Thomas C. Foster

Title: How to Read Literature Like a Professor
Author: Thomas C. Foster
Page Count: 314
Genre: Nonfiction, education
Rating: 3/5 Stars

Short Review below:

Foster has a comedic voice in his descriptions, and pulls from a wide variety of literature that spans across time proving he is well-versed as a professor. That being said, I felt very often that he was shoving his opinion of different poets down my throat. For the most part, I enjoyed reading this, and what he had to say, It made me laugh, and kept me entertained through a good 75% of this.

 Then, He had us read 'The Garden Party' and I was bored for the rest of this book... It's sad. There is so much that goes into this, and then it falls flat.

I like the addition of the list of novels, plays, short stories, poems, movies etc in the back because it gives us a cohesive,challenging literature list which I will read from eventually!

Thank you, Thomas Foster for showing me new things, and helping me learn. I forgive you for being a little forceful at times.

For once, not a completely horrid required read. I learned something, and it didn't take the entire book to get there!

Book Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas (Throne of Glass Book 2)

Title: Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah J Maas
Page Count: 418
Genre:Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Consensus: Celaena's badass nature is back, and better than ever in this thrilling sequel to the beloved Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas. Maas weaves complex Fae lore into a kingdom in complete disarray reminiscent of a dictatorship. The love "triangle" is actually well written and the boys are someone you legitimately care about in the end. Maas wrote a sequel that improves upon the world building set forth in the first. Maas is the arising queen of YA fantasy, and is definitely one to watch.

AS THIS IS BOOK TWO I WILL WARN OF SPOILERS!!!!!!! Plus, It's hard to talk about this one without spoiling something.......

I have heard that Sarah J Maas' books get better as they go, so I'm expecting more for this than I did for Throne of Glass. Which I really really enjoyed. I'm excited to see how Celaena will fare with being the King's Champion.

This book begins after Celaena has begun her bidding for the King as his Champion. She must basically murder anyone he asks her too. Little does he know, she is not actually killing them. She is setting them free, allowing them that choice, be killed or change your name and be free. She learns as much information about each of them so she can use this to trick the king and learn more about plans to overthrow/rebel against the king.

Celaena returns in this book with more heart, already, I can see her love for Chaol and respect of his friendship growing. I admire her friendship with Nehemia who is incredibly intelligent and a great chat partner for Celaena. Chaol is as strong-witted and protective as ever. Dorian continues to overthink things and become jealous of Chaol as he gets closer to Celaena. Kaltain is in this (in the beginning as I'm writing this) story, which means she still has a role to be played. I'm predicting that she is being used, still, as the king's puppet.

I like the mystery of what Wyrdmarks mean, however, they freak me out every single time they are mentioned. I just feel icky when they are around because I sense great power from them and feel as if they can destroy everyone and everything.

Something I am questioning: Will Sarah J Maas always incorporate Fae lore into her stories? I'm intrigued to see if this will be a theme of all her novels or not. Time shall tell. So far, Throne of Glass series plus ACOTAR series. Two of them, both have Fae, but one has more. (Not that I don't like Fae but with such a great author, I would love to see her branch out. I would even love a contemporary for her, because I think it would be interesting.)

Crown of Midnight is fantastic at this point, and as the backstories form cohesively, I am enjoying it more and more.

The more I read the more I love this book and half way through, I AM SO ANGRY AND SAD AND FILLED WITH SO MANY EMOTIONS. WHY SARAH J MAAS WHY.

She (Being Sarah J Maas) killed someone, and I am angry, but I see why it had to happen. My emotions are going haywire with this one.

The book is getting continuously more intense, and my enjoyment is growing. The Wyrdmarks, Wyrdgates and everything related to the Wyrd both intrigue and frighten me, because they hold immense power.

The introduction of the Iron Witches was very well done and I appreciate the thought put into it.

The fighting between certain characters pain me, and I want it to stop.

By the end of this story, I loved it. Almost every minute of it. 

I cannot wait until I can buy Heir of Fire, because I don't ever want to stop living in this world.

Book Review: Winger by Andrew Smith (Winger Book 1)

Title: Winger

Author: Andrew Smith

Page Count: 439

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Rating: 5/5

Winger hooked me immediately, from the minute Ryan Dean spoke, I was ready for the ride of a lifetime. Little did I know how this ride would affect me.

Winger follows Ryan Dean West, a fourteen year old, who is also a junior in high school and is the starting winger for Pine Mountain's rugby team. PM is a private school for 'troubled youth' and rich kids. Ryan Dean stays in O-Hall (Opportunity Hall) with the delinquents for something he did the school year before.

Ryan Dean has to room with Chas Becker, only the biggest asshole in all of the rugby team.

Everything goes off into a roller coaster ride of mistakes Ryan Dean makes, and the consequences he must face to overcome them.

Ryan Dean is someone who I wouldn't be able to be around for too long. He is perverted, and almost egotistical, but not at the same time. He says how every girl is 'smoking hot' and is in love with his best friend Annie Altman.

Throughout the course of this book he makes mistake after mistake, tarnishing friendships of his own and of others. He flat out ruins a lot of lives. Despite all this, you cannot help but love the perverted sicko. Because he is a great friend, he has his moments as we all do, but he is wonderful.


Ryan Dean cares infinitely more than he will ever let on, and that is one of his greatest strengths in my opinion.

The other characters are wonderful. You have Joey, the captain of the rugby team, and he's gay. Which is mentioned a bazillion times. You love Joey. It's impossible not to love Joey. Joey is the level-headed guy in every situation, speaking up for everyone no matter the circumstances.

Seanie is a demented creepy stalker dude who likes to say perverted things so often that you  cannot help but cringe, but his heart is in the right place.

J.P, you cannot help but feeling bad for,

Annie is sweet as can be, and has a heart made of pure gold.

Megan is way more than she ever lets on, and Chas is as well.

All of these characters have multiple layers to them, and it is admirable.

THE STORYLINE. I laughed, I got uncomfortable, I pitied, I laughed some more, I cringed, I cried. I felt so many emotions on this ride, that I want everyone to read this.

It is more than just a typical high school story about finding love, finding yourself, and a coming-of-age story. Everyone needs to read this so they can experience what a good story is going to do, change your life, and your way of thinking.

If I say too much more, I will be spoiling it all... Except THE COMIC STRIPS. Were amazing! They were well executed and hilarious and perfect for Ryan Dean's character!

Winger is a masterpiece, and it is one of my favorite reads of this year. This book killed me in all the best ways. READ IT.

Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass Book 1)

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Page Count: 404
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating: 4.5
Blurb: After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Review/Thoughts:

While Reading:
I've wanted to read Throne of Glass for a LONG time. I finally started it when Booknerd Babes decided to do a read-along. I am SO glad I did. This world is immediately intriguing and the characters are multi-dimensional from the get go!

This is going to quickly become one of my favorite series of all time, I can already see it in the near future. I already want the other books in the series, and I am only 40 pages in. Call me crazy, but this book. Sarah J Maas everybody, is a wonderful genius who we all should love with all of our hearts.

Where do I even start with this book?

I have been trying to formulate my thoughts for quite a few days now, because there is a lot to think about.

Celaena Sardothien is a badass. She is arrogant, but also deeply self-concious and the fact that she has both, is interesting and different and I truly appreciate it.

Her backstory is deeply tragic and it adds an extra layer of depth to her character and her emotions.

After Finishing:
Now that I am done reading it, everything below will be filled with a hopefully more organized version of my thoughts as I was reading.

Throne of Glass follows Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan's Assassin, as she fights for her chance to become the King's Champion, allowing her access to freedom in the near future. She has spent the last year of her life in Endovier slaving away in the Salt Mines with other slaves from places such as Ellywe.

I love Celaena and how headstrong she is. She doesn't sacrifice her own beliefs for anything. She is in complete control of her decisions. (Well, most the time.) I like that she isn't just a badass, and that she has feelings as well. It is very easy to take someone and make them so powerful that they lose the human quality of imperfection. She has a heart, and a strong one at that, and despite all the hardships she has faced in her life she still finds room to be kind to others.

She formed a strong bond with Nehemia, Chaol, and Dorian. And I loved all of them. Her doubts of them were natural and warranted, and although I knew that she was overthinking things, it made perfect sense to me.

I absolutely adored Nehemia, literally the entire time. She is intelligent and cunning and willing to do whatever it takes to save her country from the King of Adarlan. Her kindness outshines everyone else, and she has an edge of mystery that I am enamored by.

Chaol was strong, and had his weak spots for those he cares about. He continually grow on me. His compassion for others, in the end, is something I admire greatly in him.

Dorian is just as sarcastic and arrogant as Celaena and how can I not like that? He is wonderful, and the Yulemas Ball was the sweetest freaking thing ever, just saying. I see in the future, him finally standing up to his father and I am excited for that.

The other characters I didn't develop a strong opinion about, good or bad, except for Kaltain Rompier. Who the entire time I wanted to punch in the face because she was annoying and selfish and I just really hated her. No more explanation than that,

The plotline dragged a little in places for me. I wanted more of a storyline about the different Tests because I find that aspect incredibly intriguing and when I didn't get that I was upset.

OH. I really like Pelor and Nox. Yeah.

Anyways, This book was great! The few problems I had were very uncommon and probably because this is a first book in a series, and more will be explained later. I had a problem with the fact we were advertised one thing and got just a little of that, with a whole lot of other things that weren't. (I totally loved most of the other stuff, I'm just saying.)

This book was very close to being a five-star book for me, but wasn't quite there. I am super excited to read Crown of Midnight though! :)