10 Books I'm Excited to Read

Hey guys!

I've been away from the book world for a while. I started my freshman year of college in early August, and I've been so busy that I haven't had time to read, let alone film videos or write blog posts. I want to get back into the swing of things, so here are ten books on my to-read list that make me excited about reading again!

1. Just One Year by Gayle Forman

I made a video on my book channel earlier this year expressing my love for Just One Day. Just One Year is a continuation of this story, told from Willem's point of view. The first book was all about love, relationships, and finding yourself (AND part of it takes place in Paris!). I cannot wait to find out how Allyson and Willem's story finishes up. This one comes out today!

2. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

The ending to the Divergent trilogy is nearly here! I've been following Tris's story since Divergent first came out, and I can hardly contain my excitement to see where her story ends.

3. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

The sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children doesn't come out until January 2014, but look at that cover!

4. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity was such a raw, real, emotional book. I don't normally read historical fiction, but I will if Elizabeth Wein wrote it, and this one sounds absolutely fantastic.

5. Once We Were by Kat Zhang

The premise of What's Left of Me took me by complete surprise, and it was easily one of my favorite books I read last year.

6. Renegade by Debra Driza

I read Mila 2.0 earlier this year, and even though its sequel doesn't come out until next May, the recently-released cover is enough to remind me of why I'm so excited to read this book. Androids, crazy-intense chase sequences, and so much more!

7. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

This one just looks so good.

8. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I have yet to read a book by Rainbow Rowell, but I have only heard good things about her writing. This one sounds incredibly cute, is set in college, and started as a NaNoWriMo novel!

9. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Go and read the synopsis for this book. This one is at the top of my to-read list!

10. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

This is another one involving college, but with superpowers!

Have you been in a reading slump lately? What books are you excited to read?

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The Grisha #1

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Published June 5, 2012

Hardcover, 356 pages

Overview:

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha… and the secrets of her heart.

Review:

Shadow and Bone is set in the Russian-inspired fictional world of Ravka, where people with magic have political power and deadly monsters run amok in the Shadow Fold. The entire world Leigh Bardugo has created is so unique--I can definitely say that I've never read anything like this before. I sat in awe through the whole book, constantly amazed with each new event that happened.

It's impossible for me to be able to put into words just how much I love Shadow and Bone. In addition to the fantastic world-building, the characters are incredibly complex--just like Alina, the audience is never sure just who we should trust. I adore the protagonist, Alina, who remains clever despite the terrible situations she has to face; and Mal, Alina's best friend from childhood. I'm particularly intrigued by the Darkling, the mysterious leader of the Grisha who appears to have Alina's best interests in mind--at first.

I was amazed by how much I enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel to find out what happens next. Overall, Shadow and Bone is an enchanting read, and one of the best books that I've read so far this year. I would recommend this one to fantasy lovers or anyone looking to escape into a completely new, magical world.

Overall rating: 5 of 5 stars.

Review: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books
Published February 12, 2013
Hardcover, 346 pages

Overview: 

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

Review:

I don't read much historical fiction, but I loved Ruta Sepetys's first novel, Between Shades of Gray, and that was reason enough to for me to read Out of the Easy. One thing that made Out of the Easy stand out for me was the 1950s New Orleans setting: Ruta Sepetys's writing is vivid and full of life, and I could perfectly imagine just how Josie's world is laid out. The characterization is fantastic as well: all the characters have depth, flaws, and real problems; they could easily be real people instead of just fictional ones.

One of my favorite things about Out of the Easy is how realistic it really is: the "bad guys" aren't all bad, and the "good guys" aren't all good. The story emulates reality in that not everything gets solved, and wrongdoers don't always get the punishments they deserve for their crimes. The end is left open, looking hopefully towards the future, just like real life.

Overall rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Summer TBR List!

This week for Top Ten Tuesday over at The Broke and the Bookish, the theme is books on your summer to-be-read list. Here are some books I'm planning on reading this summer!

1. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

I have to read this one before school starts in the fall, so it's #1 on my list! A lot of people (John Green, for example) have said some great things about this one, so I'm looking forward to it.

2. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

I read Throne of Glass last summer and have been dying to read this one ever since. I adore all the characters in this series, and I can't wait to be back in their world again. Crown of Midnight comes out at the end of the summer, so I'm hoping I'll be able to read this one before school really starts up again.

3. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

I just finished Shadow and Bone and I literally cannot wait to start reading this one.

4. Deception by C.J. Redwine

Another sequel coming out at the end of the summer. 

I can't wait to see where this story goes next.

5. Prodigy by Marie Lu

I loved all the action and suspense in Legend, 

and I'm sure this one will have much of that and more!

6. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

I have heard so many good this about this book lately! 

Aliens + the apocalypse? Count me in!

7. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

I feel like summer is never really complete without reading something by Sarah Dessen. Her books always seem to capture the true essence of summer: sandy beaches, 

late nights, and teen romance.

8. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

I was intrigued by the original title (Severed Heads, Broken Hearts), 

so I'm interested to see what this debut is like!

9. 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

A horror story set on the moon? Bring it on!

10. Days of Starlight and Blood by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of my favorite books, but for some reason,

I haven't gotten around to reading the sequel yet.

What books do you want to read this summer?

Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Giver #1
Publisher: Ember
First published April 26, 1993
Paperback, 192 pages

Overview:

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

Review:

I had been in the middle of studying for final exams when I picked up The Giver, hoping it would be a nice, easy break from all the work I was trying to finish. The Giver is a middle-grade novel that has been sitting on my shelf for years, unread; overall, I enjoyed the book, despite some reservations.

The Giver focuses on life in the Community, a utopian society that exists in perfect harmony. Every life choice--from naming babies to deciding what career someone will have--is carefully decided by a review board. When the main character, Jonas, is selected to become the next Receiver of Memory, he quickly learns that a world with no choices is more complicated than it seems. Other than the current Receiver of Memory, the Giver, Jonas is the only person in the Community who has access to past memories from a "before" time when people saw in color and felt emotions. With these newfound abilities, Jonas begins seeing many of the flaws present in his community, unquestioned by others.

One of my favorite things about The Giver is how unique its concept is, but while the idea of a world without colors and emotions is explored, I was left with more questions than answers. I would have loved to see more about the history of the Community--how did it come to be? Why would people want to give up the abilities to see colors and feel emotions? And especially, how exactly would they be able to give up these experiences? The world of the Community is intriguing and fascinating, but the world-building is vague.

The Giver is written as a middle-level book, and I felt like this confined the story and prevented further discussions from happening. The one thing that soured the whole reading experience for me was the oversimplified explanations given for the questions brought up. We're told (quite explicitly) who the "good guys" and the "bad guys" are, in very simple black-and-white terms, without any discussions of why these people might act the way they do. There are many complex social problems presented in The Giver that could have been explored in a multitude of different ways, but their overly-basic explanations left me feeling dissatisfied.

As a middle-grade novel, I think The Giver could serve as a good introduction to the many dystopian and utopian books that have cropped up since The Hunger Games. However, where books like The Hunger Games are aimed at an older, YA audience and are able to explore complicated, controversial issues more in-depth, The Giver sticks with simpler, basic explanations of good-versus-evil.

Overall rating: 3 of 5 stars.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Covers of Books I've Read

One of the blogs I follow, The Broke and the Bookish, hosts a weekly feature called Top Ten Tuesday with a different prompt for book-related discussion. This week, the topic is favorite covers of books you've read. Here are some of my favorite covers!

1. The Selection by Kiera Cass

The gorgeous gown, the frosty glass in the background, 

and the crown above the title? Count me in!

  2. Divergent series by Veronica Roth

The color schemes for these books are fantastic, and I absolutely adore the scenes of Chicago at the bottoms of the covers. I'm throwing in the cover for Allegiant as well, even though I haven't read it, because it's my favorite of the three.

3. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

I don't know what it is about this cover, but I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. The art is gorgeous, and I love the title font.

4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I was ecstatic when the copies we read of Gatsby in English class used this cover, 

because it's an absolute work of art.

5. Origin by Jessica Khoury

6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

7. Ingo by Helen Dunmore

One of my favorite books from my childhood, I still think Ingo has one of the best covers I've ever seen.

8. What's Left of Me and Once We Were by Kat Zhang

I love the simplicity in these covers, and the whole two-faces-in one idea. I'm really glad they kept the same cover theme for Once We Were because it's so unique!

9. Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Those colors!

10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I adore this book so much, and even though I liked the old one, I think the new cover suits it much better. The city of Paris is such an important part of Anna, and I'm so happy the new cover does it justice.

What are some of your favorite covers?

Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Mind Games by Kiersten White
Minds Games #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published February 19, 2013
Hardcover, 237 pages

Overview:

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

Review:

I read one of Kiersten White's other books, Paranormalcy, a few years ago and didn't really like it, but I was feeling optimistic and decided to give Mind Games a try. Mind Games is very different from Paranormalcy, but I had some of the same problems with Mind Games as I did with her other book, and was left feeling disappointed by the end.

My biggest problem with Mind Games was the characters. Fia and Annie are twin sisters with amazing abilities who are supposedly willing to do anything for each other, not matter what... but I could never understand why! It seemed to me that the sisters were more of a burden to the other more than anything. Throughout the book, the audience is constantly told that the sisters are willing to risk everything for each other, but never shown why. Fia and Annie's relationship seemed empty and lifeless, more of an unwelcome obligation than a choice for either of them.

I felt the same way about Fia's relationship with the "bad-boy" James. Even though Fia repeatedly told herself to keep away from James, she continuously let him push her around, never learning from her mistakes. Fia becomes increasingly whiny and annoying as the story moves along, but never actually develops as a character.

I finished the book because I thought it might pick up towards the end; it never did. I was never able to care about any of the characters, and despite all the high-action/suspense events that were happening throughout the entire book, I felt bored and uninterested. Mind Games was a huge disappointment for me, and I will not be reading the sequel.

Overall rating: 1.5 of 5 stars.