Friday 30 January 2015

The Cortlandt Boys by Laura Vanderkam

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
A small town high school basketball team wins the Pennsylvania state championship with an improbable last second three point shot. The Cortlandt Cavaliers celebrate their unlikely victory, but good fortune changes the boys’ worlds in unpredictable ways. This story revisits the characters 10 and 20 years later as the ramifications of their youthful success play out over the course of their lives, forever linking them and the people around them to this little town that has its ways of not quite letting you go.








My Review
***I received the eBook free as a review copy from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review***

Wow, I really didn't expect this book to be this awesome.
OK, so the basic plot of the book: in a very small town, where everybody knows each other. During winter time, the basketball championship was going on.  The Cortlandt basketball team called the Cortlandt Cavaliers made it into the finals and had to play against the Harrison Warriors. It was a close game and the Warriors were in the lead. Then, miraculously, the Cavaliers made a last second three-point shot and they won by one point. Then all the boys in the team were known as the Cortlandt Boys. The story is talking about how the boys evolved after having wonn the basketball championship.
The book is divided into four different parts. The first part is the prologue told by Max, in 1993-1994. The next part is ten years later in 2003-2004 again told by Max. Part three is told by Janie in year 2013-2014. The epilogue is told in Janie's perspective in year 2014.
I really liked Max's perspective. I don't know why, but I felt a kind of connection to Max, which I didn't feel towards Janie. I think this is because I liked the plot more during the first half of the book because there was more mystery and you kept on wondering what the meaning of the actions of the characters were. I also liked Max's personality. She is very curious, active, ready to help, cheerful and generally has a positive attitude. She looks towards the future, wanting to do something with her life, in comparison with the Cortlandt Boys, KC, Lawrence, James, Mickey and Leroy. They seemed to be stuck in the moment of their victory and they didn't really seem to care what they do with their lives. When Max came back to Cortlandt, I felt sorry for the boys and also a bit nostalgic when Max described Cortlandt as timeless.
The writing style also somehow made me want to continue tearing through the book. You instantly had a connection to the characters and the book.
I was a bit confused at the beginning though because there were so many characters introduced at once because there wasn't any world building needed, that I had to check many times to refresh my mind who was who but I got to know all of them well enough later on. I also didn't know any basketball terminology, but I slowly got the hang of it.
I really loved this book, it is definitely worth reading. I give it 4 out of 5 stars!
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Friday 23 January 2015

Cracked (Soul Eaters #1) by Eliza Crewe

17345314Meet Meda. She eats people.
Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she totally promises to only go for people who deserve it. She’s special. It’s not her fault she enjoys it. She can’t help being a bad guy. Besides, what else can she do? Her mother was killed and it’s not like there are any other “soul-eaters” around to show her how to be different. That is, until the three men in suits show up.

They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally have a chance to figure out what she is. The problem? They kind of want to kill her. Before they get the chance Meda is rescued by crusaders, members of an elite group dedicated to wiping out Meda’s kind. This is her chance! Play along with the “good guys” and she’ll finally figure out what, exactly, her ‘kind’ is.

Be careful what you wish for. Playing capture the flag with her mortal enemies, babysitting a teenage boy with a hero complex, and trying to keep one step ahead of a too-clever girl are bad enough. But the Hunger is gaining on her.

The more she learns, the worse it gets. And when Meda uncovers a shocking secret about her mother, her past, and her destiny… she may finally give into it.
 


My review: 
I remember buying this book because of the first sentence of the blurb. Book blurb: Meet Meda. She eats people. Me: Good to know! 
The plot of this book was intense. There was so much action in the first 120 pages that when it met the 150 page mark (or around there) I had to put the book down, all I could think was: What direction is this book going in?? At that time I could not see what else could go wrong, and then 2 chapters later everything starts up again. It was fast paced, as you can tell, and start to finish action packed. The action was exciting and exhilarating and I just want more of it. 
Meda's point of view was just so funny and humorous. She could be in the worst case scenario where everyone is going to die and still crack jokes and make the scene funny. She is the only character in a long time which I have 'met' which actually happens to have her head screwed on right. She realizes a bad situation and she knows to get the hell out ASAP. She had her fair share of character development as well, at the beginning she was so hard and tough not caring about anyone or anything around her, and at the end it is like you are reading from the perspective of a completely different person. She is still tough and humorous but you can see that she is starting to let herself feel things properly. I am just going to skip over Chi and Uri because they were kind of like your typical, underestimate the 'helpless' girl and be the hero type of guys. Jo on the other had was...well... not stupid like them. She had lost everything from her family to her freaking leg (well she didn't lose it, it is just damaged and she can't fight like she used to). She had some pretty major trust issues, I don't even think that at times she trusts herself. She was so angry and sarcastic. I understand why Meda liked her, their personalities mash together so well and I really just want to see them be the best of friends. 
All in all I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.


My favourite paragraph which you just need to read: 
A daring death-defying quest to retrieve the Holy Spreadsheet from a battlefield of Good versus Evil, this sound like a job for... 
  Someone else. 

Valley - Tal der Wächter by Jonathan Stroud

Book Blurb (from Goodreads)
Halli Sveinsson has grown up in the House of Svein, listening to the legends of the heroes as all his forefathers did. His is a peaceful society where the violence of the past has been outlawed and disputes are settled by the Council. But young Halli has never quite seemed to fit in with the others. For starters, he was not at all handsome or tall, like his attractive blond siblings. He's stumpy and swarthy, with a quick mind and aptitude for getting in trouble. Bored with the everyday chores and sheep herding, he can't help himself from playing practical jokes on everyone, from Eyjolf the old servant, to his brother and sister. But when he plays a trick on Ragnor of the House of Hakonsson, he goes too far, setting in motion a chain of events that will forever alter his destiny. Because of it, Halli will have to leave home and go on a hero's quest. Along the way, he will encounter highway robbers, terrifying monsters, and a girl who may finally be his match. In the end, he will discover the truth about the legends, his family, and himself. Jonathan Stroud's new novel is a hero's saga and coming-of-age--as well as a surprising look at what bravery really means.

My Review
OK, gather around children. It's story time with grandma. This is the story about beer. Well, technically it isn't about beer. It is about a boy with extremely bad luck (but the story still wouldn't have happened if some people didn't get drunk from beer).
The book was originally in English and called "Heroes of the Valley" and it literally started with story time with some elder talking about the history of the valley. I will quickly rehash it: there are 12 heroes, some of them are Sven, Aren, Hakon and others. They died fighting monsters called Trolde. And now these heroes have Houses names after them. Hal comes from Sven's House. Every chapter starts with a page about Sven's heroic deeds. Then we get to read about Hal growing up until he is 14 years old. Then he gets in trouble because his family just hates him. Then he finally meets Aud after 100 pages in. Then we don't meet Aud again after halfway through the book. I really liked the story though.
The writing style was mysterious though and there were a lot of arguments. When there was a plan, the writer didn't immediately reveal it, we had to guess it until the action came.
You couldn't rush this book. Every time I read it, I felt like I was in the story. When the book came to an end, I was really sad because the book ended with story time again, talking about how Hal lived in your grandmother's time.
The beginning was a bit confusing with all the Houses and everything, that's why I can't give this book 5 stars, but it definitely made it to 4 stars!

Wednesday 21 January 2015

Very, very, very exciting news!!!

This is very exciting news, part 2!
So, (*deep breath*) we received an e-mail a couple of days ago from a publishing agent asking us to review one of their clients books. The book is called The Cortlandt Boys and the agent send us the e-book copy of it so we will be reviewing it soon.
Then, on the same day we received another email from an author asking us if we could participate in a blog tour for her book Treasure Darkly. It will be released on February 16th.

Rick Yancey - "The 5th Wave"

Rick Yancey
This time we managed to get an interview with Rick Yancey! Just for your information, the paperback of The 5th Wave is coming out on February 10th.

1)  What inspired you to write your book "The 5th Wave”?
Fear. Fear of aliens. Fear of artistic irrelevance. Fear of financial and creative bankruptcy. Also, ALIENS.

2)    What do you normally do when you finish writing a book or get it published?
I wonder what I’m going to do next. I’m a forwarding-looking person.

3)    What would be your reaction be if you would be the last human on Earth?

I would probably spend the rest of my life trying to prove that belief wrong.

Don't forget to check out The 5th wave and our reviews on his books! The 5th Wave, The Infinite Sea 


16101128

Opposition (Lux #5) by Jenifer L.Armentrout

13644055Book Blurb (from Goodreads) 
Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She
 can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.


My review: 
Reading this book was like going on the largest emotional roller coaster. I was a complete train wreck after finishing it. No joke. I was crying so hard when I finished, but there was no one their to comfort me because I was reading this until midnight (I was reading it on new years eve so I had a good reason). I still can't believe that it is over. There will be no more Daemon or Katy, or any more awesome alien action. It's all over..... *sobbing in the corner*. 
The plot in this book was completely, Kiss-your-social-life-goodbye-and-go-read, AWESOME! It was so fast paced that it made you feel like you were running a marathon when you read it. There was not one dull moment, because when Daemon and Katy were not saving the world in some kind of awesome battle they were doing, um...well...ah...I can't really talk about it... 
The characters in this book where so sassy, as always. Their snidy remarks had me laughing all throughout the book. Lets start with Daemon shall we? Daemon had me panicking at the beginning of this book. He was in some kind of Luxen mind controlled which was REALLY freaking me out! I didn't now what would happen. Then everything calms down, and you see from his point of view and you feel a flood of relief knowing that everything was going to be okay, or as close to okay as humanly (and alienly) possible. I know that Daemon is always a funny character but this time he was OMG. There was this one part in the book where the Arum leader (which I can't remember the name of) goes, What? No sarcastic comment? and he says Give me a minute I'll come up with something. Also, this book was finally the book were he took a step away from Katy and let her fight her own battles. Although he still needs to learn what is appropriate to say on a battle field and what is not. Katy, two words: Character. Development. Throughout the books you could see her turning into this seriously bad-ass character (not that she wasn't already at the beginning of obsidian) and in this book their was some kind of bad-assery explosion. She was so funny in this book but you could also see that she has collected her fair share of scares which makes her vulnerable and so much more relatable (it also helps that she is a book blogger...). Daemon and Katy are defiantly one of my biggest OTPs. 
In case that you can't tell yet, this book gets 5 stars. It truly was a epic conclusion. 

Saturday 17 January 2015

Exciting News

Hi!

This is purely just exciting for people in Singapore. If you have read Endgame and loved it like I did the author, James Frey, is coming to Singapore on February 7th which is a Saturday in Kinokuniya. So if you are interested I recommend that you come! Maybe I will see you there.....


Check out my review one of his books Endgame HERE

The 100 (the 100 #1) by Kass Morgan


Book blurb (from Goodreads) 
In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.

Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again.






My review
I saw the trailer for the TV series based of off this book whilst I was looking for another book to read, and I looked up the book on goodreads and decided that it sounded like a cool sci-fi read and got it on my Kindle because on holiday I read a lot of e-books. I ended up liking this book but not loving it. 
The plot of this book was slow paced, throughout the book. It was only at the end I realized how little had actually happened in this book. I really was not until the last 3 chapters where the really interesting stuff happened. The most action happened in the memories which each character had in almost every chapter. These memories were where we got most of our information about the characters from which was a smart way of doing this. Kass Morgan would make a vague statement of something that had happened in the past and then gave us the memory of it. There was one main plot in this book, but then there was also a sub plot which I have to admit I found more interesting. Glass was one of the prisoners being sent to earth but she managed to escape, and her story is about her trying to survive on the ship. Her story was filled with a lot more mystery, romance and suspense which I think there should of been more off in the main story about the people who had actually gone to earth. I would of happily read an entire book about Glass rather than the other characters. 
We followed 4 of the hundred sent to earth. To start of I am going to talk about Clark. I do not know why but I felt like she was more of the main character in this book, because I think that she had the largest presence. Her point of view was not shown anymore than the others but I just don't know. She was the most down to earth of the characters and that made her more relatable. She was also one of the only ones in this book with romance troubles. Whilst this book could do just fine without any romance on Earth I think that it did add a nice little touch to it and made Clark's life a lot more complicated. Wells was my least favourite character. Not for any real reason, I just did not like him. I didn't like how he treated Clark sometimes by just thinking that she was his, only because he came down to earth with her. Having said that though, he was also a very selfless character and made a good 'leader' for the 100. Bellamy was a strong but sweet character who was also very selfless. All characters in this book had weaknesses
 and Bellamy's was protecting his sister. He fought to get on that ship to earth to protect her and whilst it was very stupid was also selfless and protective. I just hope that his sister survives so everything that he did was not for nothing. Finally there was Glass. Glass as you can probably tell from the first paragraph was my favourite. She managed to get of the ship in the commotion that Bellamy had made and went to her 'boyfriend' Luke which she hasn't seen in nine months because she was confined and has not a clue how he will react. I am not sure if it was a smart move or not. Anyway her story just continuously gets more complicated and whilst she all to often acts like the damsel in distress, you can also see how strong her time in confinement has made her and that she will never give up. 

All in all I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus #5) by Rick Riordan

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them, and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake. The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps. The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.

My Review
What do you do when Percy's and Annabeth's perspectives aren't in this book? You add other awesome characters' perspectives.
In this last book of the series, the demigods have to stop the Earth Mother from awakening and also prevent a war between the Roman and the Greek camps. Meanwhile a certain goddess of victory is foreseeing the death of one of the seven demigods...
Let's start with the dedication again. This time it was a kind of apology for the apology in the last book. Yeah, he better be!
The story is told out of two more new perspectives. One of them is Nico di Angelo! He is always acting so mysterious, now we can finally find out what he is thinking and while the story is progressing, you can see character development happening. Nico is finally becoming more confident. Another new perspective is Reyna's. This is interesting because you don't know anything about her past. The other perspectives are Jason's, Piper's and Leo's. We are also meeting a lot of different gods. especially when you meet an Olympian, you can see how they have suffered from the dispute between the Romans and the Greeks.
In the last few chapters, you grow more and more frustrated, because the perspectives always changed in the most critical moments (Rick Riordan!!!!). Also, the ending of the second last chapter was so depressing! And then the final ending. You can't end a book like that! There are still so many other stuff that needs to be solved! So much still needed to happen! I need another book! Another prophecy!
This was an awesome book, and I really recommend reading the whole series. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Thursday 15 January 2015

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
Tired of their servitude to man, a group of farm animals revolt and establish their own society, only to be betrayed into worse servitude by their leaders, the pigs, whose slogan becomes: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Published in 1945, this powerful satire of the Russian Revolution under Stalin remains as vivid and relevant today as it was on its first publication.









My Review
We originally needed to study this book for English class as an example for an allegory (a kind of extended metaphor). To understand this book better, we also had to read about the history of the writer. George Orwell wrote this book during the Second World War and in that time, Russia had a change of leaders and Stalin was one of them. Orwell wrote this book as a parallel to the Russian Revolution. A series of events that happened in Animal Farm also happened similarly in Russia and certain attributes from people in the Russian Revolution were given to the animals. Like, pigs were the leaders (Stalin and Trotsky) and the rest of the animals were the followers. 
The overall plot of this book is that the animals wanted to overthrow the humans and the animals wanted to run their own farm independently. The pigs founded the rules of Animalism and that every animal is equal. While reading this book I started getting more and more annoyed at the pigs. I especially disliked Squealer because he was always bringing the news to the animals and fooling them, telling lies. While he was talking I was always thinking that the pigs could always find some kind of excuse for doing something forbidden. I liked Boxer and Clover though because they are so innocent and only want the best to happen.
The writing style was easy to read. It was mostly straightforward expect for when the writer didn't want to say that someone did something wrong in the book. As an example, Napoleon was left behind with the milk and all the Orwell wrote, was that when the animals came back, the milk was gone. Also the wording in the last paragraph of this book was kind of sad.
Somehow the writing style improved my final rating because I just couldn't put the book down and finished it in a day. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Tuesday 13 January 2015

The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus #4) by Rick Riordan

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy's instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through Gaea's forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors from both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape? They have no choice. If the demigods don't succeed, Gaea's armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.



My Review
This book just about sums up epic. It continues right where it left off, when Percy and Annabeth just happened to be incredibly unlucky in the last book (again, that was a huge cliffhanger). I imagined Rick Riordan sitting there at his desk, smiling creepily while watching the readers suffer, reading that cliffhanger. I thought: "Authors are cruel. They create cliffhangers just to see us suffer. They live off our pain." I was absolutely convinced about that when I read the dedication. It was for the readers and Rick Riordan says he apologizes, not really. Evil laugh. BEST DEDICATION EVER!!!!!
This time, the story is about closing the Doors of Death (which is nearly impossible, but that's why these crazy demigods are doing it in the first place) and saving Percy and Annabeth. There were some major character developments in this book, as an example Hazel and Frank. I really liked Frank in this book. Before the character development came, that was mostly due to the hilarious arguments of Ares and Mars in Frank's head. After Frank became ore confident and more of a leader, I liked him because of his personality. Hazel also was important for the quest, which I found pretty cool because she is an interesting character. Otherwise the story is also told out of Annabeth's, Percy's, Leo's, Jason's and once out of Piper's perspective.
I loved everything about this book (yes, also the writing style) and near the end I was thinking that so much still had to happen and that there were too little pages. And then I think "Calm down, there is another book, just relax."
I loved this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars!


Saturday 10 January 2015

The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter #1) by Megan Shepherd

12291438Book blurb (from goodreads)
Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.
 


My Review: 
I love retellings of old books but I usually read retellings of fairy tales, such as books like the lunar chronicles which are retellings of Cinderella, red riding hood ect. When I saw this book, I had no idea what The Island of Dr. Moreau was so I did some research and found out that it was an old science fiction book published in 1896. It follows a young man that was ship wrecked and saved by a man called Montgomery. He aids him back to health and leads him back to his island where he meets the professor and Montgomery's master, Dr Moreau who's vivisection experiments have made him an outcast and these experiments have terrifying results... 
The plot of this book is very clearly related to The Island of Dr. Moreau. The only thing missing would be Juliet and then we would practically almost have a identical book! Even though this book was so closely related to something else, the book was still it's own. Megan Shepherd had taken an idea from another book from long ago and twisted it slightly to make it a more modern and exciting plot whilst still playing around with the same concept than the original, power corrupts, no one should play the part of god, ect. Adding Juliet to the story rather than keeping her out to keep it closer to the original was a good idea. It added a lot of depth and conflict in the story between all of the characters. With every piece of new information that we collected along the way the plot continued to thicken and at parts become more confusing. Sometimes we were even given information that didn't seem big at the time such as descriptions of people and later on in the book it came back as something huge.
The characters in these books felt real. Juliet was having problems dealing with her fathers death so like any main character would have done went of with her childhood friend which she hasn't seen in something like ten years, Montgomery, to her fathers island. A man she thought to have been dead who has broken of all contact with her and everyone says is crazy and dangerous... *sigh*.  And people wonder why characters always die in books? Apart from Juliet's obvious problems with smart decision making she was actually a sincere character. She always wanted what was best for everyone. However I think that the part of her that made her the most relatable was the fact that she was a little bit mad. Everyone is a little bit mad, I do not care how sane you think that you are. Someone out there is going to say that you are a little mad. I think that I think that Megan Shepherd portrayed Juliet's madness well, because even though she knew that her father was completely around the bend crazy, she was still proud of him and fascinated at what he had achieved. Montgomery was like a puzzle all throughout this book. He made it clear that he had feelings for Juliet at the beginning of the book but then he never acted out on them, which made me wonder how far Juliet's father's control went with him. We never really found that out in the book but I have a sneaky feeling that it has something to do with black mail. I always felt like when Montgomery was present in the book he was always distant, now if this had something to do with what he saw in the lab or something to do with Juliet, I do not know, but it made it harder to understand his character since it limited long conversations between him and others which is something that I would of like to see more of in this book. That was the only thing left that I needed to see before the book ended, but it never did happen. At least, not on the level that I was hoping for. I think that I just thought that I understood Edward but never really did. Especially not with what happened at the end with him... Like Montgomery he was distant as well in this book but we did get to see more of him since Juliet's father kept on trying to match them up together so he could send her away. We also found out that he had feelings for Juliet, so we get a love triangle which I am less than thrilled about. 
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars: 

Favourite books of 2014

Hi!
I still do not know where this year has gone, but we are now in 2015 and I am starting a whole new year of reading! I do have 2 big reading goals this year which are:
1. read 100 books (I was so close last year coming at a close 96, I am sure I can fit in 4 more books)
2. Read more of different genres (I realized that this year I read A LOT of dystopians and fantasy, I am going to see if I can branch out a little bit more)

Now on to what this post is really about: My Favourite books that I have read this year!
For some reason I seem to be very behind on my reading so most of these books were not recently published but I don't think that it really matters.

5.  
  Coming in at fifth place is Uninvited by Sophie Jordan, this was such a good read, the characters were really relatable and it felt like something that could actually happen to someone one day.
Check my review HERE
















4. 
In fourth place is the Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey.This just had to be on the list, it was everything that I had hoped it would be and more, funny and action packed I could not have asked for a better sci-fi read this year.
Check my review HERE















3. 
 In third place is All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry. I loved this book from start to finish, it had a touching story and the characters felt so real. When they were happy I was happy, when they were sad I was sad. I adore it when a book can do that to a person.
Check my review HERE














2. 
In second place is We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. If I remember correctly this is the first book that I have ever thrown against a wall out of frustration and anger. It is so heart braking at the end! The descriptions and metaphors worked beautifully throughout the book to describe what the characters where going through.
Review to eventually come!














1. 
Finally at number 1 is Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass. This book was so good that I was shivering from excitement and adrenaline. I would put the all of the books that have been released already on this list but then I wouldn't be able to put the others on so let this book be a representative for the whole of the Throne of Glass series.
Check my review HERE

Thursday 8 January 2015

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):
ONE FATAL PROPHECY

SEVEN BRAVE DEMIGODS

A QUEST TO FIND - AND CLOSE - THE DOORS OF DEATH.

Annabeth felt as if someone had draped a cold washcloth across her neck. She heard that whispering laughter again, as if the presence had followed her from the ship.

She looked up at the Argo II. Its massive bronze hull glittered in the sunlight.Part of her wanted to kidnap Percy right now, get on board and get out of here while they still could.

She couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong. She couldn't risk losing Percy again.


My Review
What do you expect from a book that is written by Rick Riordan? That it is freaking awesome! The writing style, the plot, the characters and everything combined is just amazing! Okay, general plot of the book:
It is basically about Athena's ego getting insulted by Romans. Because of that she is now mentally confused and insults her daughter, Annabeth, in return. Athena then sends Annabeth on a quest that no one has ever survived and says that Annabeth has already failed and isn't her daughter. How nice... The good part for Annabeth is that she gets reunited with Percy! And her first thought is: Seaweed Brain. Now, finally, all the seven demigods are gathered...
This book is now also told out of Annabeth's perspective, enabling us to understand her personality and hear her thoughts. The story is also told by Percy (of course), Leo and Piper. While reading this book I also realized that I didn't like Frank that much, probably because he was very timid and (for me at least) not interesting.
I will always keep talking about the writing style, because every time I read a book by Rick Riordan it hits me again and again how hilarious it is. In the book, when the characters are in great danger, they just mention things so obvious or make observations that it are really funny and once you think about them you think "That's so true!"
And then last but not least, that cliffhanger at the end. When I read the last page I was like: "NOOOOOO, there must be more!! Need the next book!!"
This book was really amazing and I give it 5 out of 5 stars!