roselaina
To quote my text to Racquel immediately after finishing, “This book broke me. In two. I think I just cried my bodyweight in tears.”
Not sure if I'll be able to fully review this one. It is as beautiful and tragic as the cover implies and moreso. If you have tissues nearby and are ready to have your heart kicked repeatedly, I would highly recommend it.
(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)
As you may have seen in our review yesterday, Racquel and I were both fans of Shadow and Bone. However, Siege and Storm is really where it's at for me! A large part of my love of Shadow and Bone was for the world and the characters it introduced. It was so intriguing and flat-out awesome! But now that I already knew the world, I wasn't sure what was in store.
I'll start out with a confession: I almost didn't read Siege and Storm. I renewed it until it hit the limit at the library, and I was a few days from having to return it. I think it was for a combination of reasons. A large part was that I simply wasn't sure I wanted to read it! Sure, I did, hypothetically. If I would've had it on hand when I read Shadow and Bone, I would have picked it up immediately! But I didn't. Over the course of a month, I lost a bit of interest. I got into a historical mood, then a contemporary YA mood. I just wasn't feeling the fantasy. I looked at it, even picked it up a couple times, but never opened it. As I didn't support either of the potential relationships, I didn't have that pulling me toward it. And while a compelling concept and world was enough to enjoy one book, I was unsure if it would hold as much appeal for the (rather large looking) entirety of Siege and Storm. Then I stumbled across The Catch Up Book Club at The Yasmine Public Library. A bunch of people were going to be reading Siege and Storm instead of Shadow and Bone for this session, so she invited me to join in.
So I decided I would give it a chance. I would read the first few pages, at least, and see if they caught my interest. I am SO GLAD I did this! I would have kicked myself for waiting so long if I could have somehow known about the awesomeness that hid behind the incredibly lovely and awesome cover.
Immediately, I was drawn into this world again! I don't know if it's the Russian inspiration, the unique Grisha magic, or just the fact that I adore high fantasy settings, but I just love the Grisha world. I can see and feel it perfectly in my head, and it's so interesting! I enjoyed being back there again.
Now, let's get to it: I'll admit it. There was one huge reason I enjoyed Siege and Storm more than Shadow and Bone, and his name was Sturmhond. Here's a note I wrote myself while reading: “I am more invested in Alina/Sturmhond after 3 pages than in Mal/Alina after entirety of Shadow and Bone.” And my love only grew throughout the book, as secrets were revealed and plots began thickening. Seriously, though. I just loved him as a character. He was so brilliant and fun and fascinating! There was, without a doubt, more to his character than met the eye, and I'm crossing my fingers that we get to know more in the future. I never wanted scenes with him to end. And I thought he and Alina had potential to be a great couple. So, I am, without a doubt, finally declaring a team for the Grisha series!
Another thing about this book that I enjoyed was how character-driven it was. We got further inside Alina's head. It was interesting to see the Darkling, Mal, and Sturmhond and how she was being pulled in three separate directions at once, in different combinations what she felt like what was supposed to do versus what she wanted to do. I also really liked Tolya and Tamar!
On a slightly random note, there was one thing that bothered me. I have no idea why anyone would choose to name their character Tamar, especially one who is really close to her brother. This just seems odd to me. But I guess it doesn't seem to bother anyone else, so it must just be me! And it is really only a small, nonsensical thing that I got past fairly quickly.
There's a lot I can't talk about, to avoid spoilers, because the story is complex and fantastic, and I don't want to give anything away that would steal a gasp-worthy moment (of which I had quite a few!). It was addicting and did not at all feel like a 430 page book! I positively flew through Siege and Storm! It was a fantastic blend of adventure, intrigue, and romance. I have high hopes for Ruin and Rising and am anxiously awaiting 2014 and what it brings for Alina and everyone in the world of the Grisha!
(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)
I was pleasantly surprised by The Boyfriend App! I went in expecting a fun pool-side read. And it was definitely that! Even if it wound up causing me to spend way too much time indoors for a short period of time after said pool adventure. But it was actually so much more than fluff!
The Boyfriend App totally drew me into the story! I felt like I was living right alongside Audrey. And honestly, I don't even have any reasons to explain how or why. I guess I just related to Audrey that much, especially in the first half. I never wanted to put it down. It was so refreshing to have a smart and nerdy main character who was unashamed of who she was, who was so attached to her computer (which she built herself) that she named it Hector. I want more of those! I loved reading about all her fellow “trogs” (her group of fellow, talented computer-loving friends), especially Aidan.
You guys, Aidan gave me ALL THE SWOONS. He was just so. freaking. adorable. I can't even stand it. He was so normal and geeky and sweet, and I was rooting for Audrey and him so hard. There were a couple moments in their interactions where I was just like YES. Because Katie Sise captured all the awkward passion that comes along with a huge teenage crush, and the freaking out that commences when you think your feelings are actually returned. Because friends, being a teenager with a crush is dramatic, okay! I could totally relate to Audrey in those moments.
Another thing I really enjoyed about The Boyfriend App was Audrey's cousin, Lindsay. I liked her vibrancy as a character. She was also a very successful fashion blogger, and it was so great to read about followers and Twitter, dealt with in a realistic manner! She mentioned things we bloggers deal with every day (though obviously to a much larger scale than most of us are used to). I loved that element! I think that was another thing that helped me connect to the book more.
I did have some problems with Audrey's behavior later in the book. She did some things I did not quite understand, and her reasons were never really fully explained. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just leave it at that. Regardless, she did redeem herself to an extent, so that was good. There were also some crazypants happenings and a few dramatics. But in the end, the positives far outweighed the negatives.
Basically, even though there were a couple small issues, I loved this book. Trogs for the win!
(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)
So, the other day this thing happened. It was called a #LitLush Twitter chat. It came up that Magan, Cass, Sana, and I had never read Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. And that was, apparently, entirely unacceptable. Thus, an impromptu readalong was promptly set up.
I was always scared this was going to be one of those overly-hyped books. You know, the one you see EVERYWHERE, and everyone loves it. So your expectations are a little higher than they would be for a book you just picked up randomly off a shelf because it looked good. Then you read it...and you don't get it. It's fine, but nothing special. Thankfully, this was NOT the case with Amy & Roger. It is beloved for good reason.
I'm completely in love with the typography. Just LOOK AT IT. ♥
I harbor a lot of adoration for this book. It took me a while to fall in love. While I really liked it in the beginning, it grew more and more magnificent as the story progressed. I finally got a chance to sit down and devour it after a couple days, and I was so grateful! Because by then, I was completely immersed in the the story.
It's been a while since I've been on a road trip, and this book majorly renewed my desire to do it again. There are only three things that are absolutely mandatory for a great road trip: good music, good company, and good snacks. And this book had them all. I LOVED how much music there was in this book. I knew a bit of Roger's music, but I'm a huge musical fan. So if we were to compare our iTunes, I probably would have had a lot more in common with Amy.
I loved both Roger and Amy. They both had their issues to work through. They were in a potentially rather awkward situation, driving cross-country with a near stranger. But they found a way to make the most of it, visiting places they wanted to see, accidentally taking deserted roads, finding unexpected friends, and confronting pieces of their past. My only complaint is that I would have liked a little more resolution with Amy's best friend. There was an issue mentioned several times, but it was never really resolved.
The way the book was written was very appealing. Though I know some people aren't a fan, I love the jumping back-and-forth in time approach to books. It keeps you on your toes, and it reveals things as they need to be known. And I much prefer flashbacks to infodumping. You really get to know the characters better that way, too. Matson used the flashbacks very wisely in this book. There were enough to know the story and the characters, but not enough to feel superfluous.
I happened to be obsessing over the new Jillette Johnson album at the time I was reading this. As a rule (although there are exceptions), I don't listen to music with words while I'm reading. I love the music too much and get pulled out of the story because I want to sing along. But there was a really obnoxious bird right outside while I was reading, so I put on this album while I was reading to drown it out. Around the second time around, it hit me that one of the songs was perfect for the book! “True North” wound up sort of becoming my Amy & Roger theme song.
Overall, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was a thoroughly charming read. If you've yet to read this one, a few words of advice: be prepared to cry a little, swoon quite a bit more, and be bitten by the road trip bug. And if you're like me, you'll enjoy every second! Now, I just need to read Second Chance Summer. After I've restocked all the Kleenaxes in the apartment. I have a feeling I'll be needing them.
*2.5 STARS. Barely. The music aspect bumped it up from 2 stars.
Mini-review: Sam basically ruined this book for me. I'm not a fan of selfish, manipulative liars, even if they “wear their heart on their sleeve.” There were some redeeming qualities (Bailey's grandfather! A cute secondary love story! Super awesome music jam sessions!), but not enough. The cover is still adorable, though.
Find full review here at The Book Barbies.
*4.5 STARS.
(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)
Julie Anne Long has done it again. She had my expectations all tied up in knots for this one. Her last two books in this series were AMAZING, thus I wanted this one to be just as fabulous. However, I wasn't crazy about the gypsy prophesy element, and foremost, I logically knew that hitting it out of the park three times in a row was extraordinarily unlikely. But she did it. Boy, did she.
It Happened One Midnight was a story unlike any I'd read before. At first, I thought it was going to be more in the vein of the first one in the series. A little more of a suspense-adventure plot than I usually prefer in my books. But it wasn't! Nor did the gypsy prophesy really have much to do with anything. I can't talk about the subplot specifically, due to spoilers. But it was interesting and totally fit with Tommy's character. It added a unique element and driving force to the book without taking over and stealing the show from the characters, which is a difficult feat to accomplish.
I really liked both the hero and heroine. Tommy was honest and forthright in many ways, but mysterious and secretive in others. She was slow to open up, but understandably so. I loved learning more about her as the story progressed. She was so strong and tenacious, but never obnoxiously so, and she was never so secretive as to incite frustration. Jonathan was a man with natural instincts and talent as a businessman. He was confident in his abilities, but he also struggled with desire to prove himself to his father, who was unable to respect Jonathan or take him as anything more than a joke.
While both the plot and characters were good, the thing that made this book magic was the dynamic between Tommy and Jonathan. I cannot fully explain it. They had an almost instant kinship despite appearing so different, but the early foundation of that kinship was that they did not care about each other. Which sounds odd, but it worked for them. They were both intelligent and stubborn and witty and hilarious, and it made for some of the best banter I've ever read.
“Dear God, tell me you didn't just say that again. No. I've no interest in the affairs of complicated, circumspect, ginger-haired women. No.”
“And you know very well I've no interest in the affairs of currently penniless rakes.”
Well.
“I ought to say ‘ouch,'” he said gingerly.
“You would, but you don't care what I think any more than I care what you think. Since we share a particular interest, I do however think you'll be interested in a business proposition I'd like to share with you.”
“And every grain of sense I possess tells me I'd be wise to pretend I never heard you say that.”
“How many grains of sense do you possess?”
“Let me see...three grains, at last count. I used to have four, but I forfeited one when I agreed to accompany Argosy to this salon. Again.”
“That's such a shame! Three grains is one fewer than you need to prevent you from a trip to the Half Moon Theater at midnight.”
no
Between the Devil and Ian Eversea
(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)
My foremost thought about this book is that it was certainly unlike anything I've read before. Marina's story was interesting, and more than a little creepy. But there were definitely funny moments. Marina and Fitz had one of the most original and hilarious meetings ever.
Like Marina, I'm not a fan of modern art. I just don't get it. So it was especially enjoyable to read about Fitz's world from Marina's point of view. Having grown up very sheltered from the outside world, due to the extreme possessiveness and protectiveness of her abusive father, Marina was not accustomed to any of the things to which she was exposed. She was naïve in a lot of ways, though never annoyingly so. It would have been easy to overdo her character, but I think Whitney captured a very realistic combination of strength, vulnerability, and hesitancy. Her development as a character was believable (even if her mysterious weight loss and lack of concern about it was not).
A big part of Fitz's world was comprised of his best friends, who were vivid and very involved in the story, as well as being my favorite thing about the book. There was Derek, the self-described stereotypically gay man and drag queen, as well as Viridian, the secretive but friendly painter. Each of them helped bring out something in Marina. I especially enjoyed her interactions with Viridian.
Unfortunately, not everything in this book did it for me. I never quite connected with the story like I wanted to, and the romantic aspect never clicked. This was partially because I never fully liked Fitz. He was a very nice and creative guy, but some aspects of his character and behavior rubbed me the wrong way. I thought Marina deserved better. I did enjoy the writing style, although there were quite a few typos and grammar mistakes. These will probably be resolved in the finished copy.
The Art of Love was unique and edgy, as well as entertaining. If you're looking for a New Adult book unlike any of the others, this one would definitely fit the bill.
(Full audio review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)
Worth the second chance! Never Seduce a Scot featured a likable hero and heroine and a really sweet romance! Despite a few unrealistic elements, it actually dealt with the heroine's deafness a lot more realistically than some I've read before. It also had one of the best love confession scenes I've read in a long time. Overall, it was very enjoyable, and I definitely plan to look out for the next books in the series. I really hope Banks writes Graeme's sister's book, because I liked her a lot.
(Read FULL, combined review with Racquel here at The Book Barbies.)
A brief summary of my thoughts:
The art and style of this book is phenomenal! I think half of the experience is just looking at the pretty. Anyway, I was excited to read Shadow and Bone on one hand, but my best friend had just abandoned it halfway through because she couldn't get into it. I picked it up anyway, though, and was immediately sucked in! I had been in a bit of a reading slump, and this book effectively cured it.
Despite the fact that I wound up not supporting either of the guys in The Triangle, I did wind up loving Shadow and Bone! Which is a testament so what an interesting tale it really was. I was a little less than impressed by the end, but I also read the last 50 pages standing in line at the DMV in a crowd that a) wouldn't shut up, and b) was not so fond of deodorant. So that may have played a factor. Still, reading Shadow and Bone was a great experience! Some of my expectations matched the reality (it was so addicting!) and some did not (no Darkling-induced swooning here!), and overall, this book was thoroughly enjoyable. And sneak preview? I loved Siege and Storm even more!
(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)
Oh, where to even start with this book?
If I read past the first 5 pages of a book, it is extremely unlikely that I will DNF it. I am eternally hopeful that things will improve. But I can 100% guarantee that I would have set this one down 80 pages in. I came this close to doing so, and the only thing that kept me going was that I was reading it for the Spring into Summer readalong. So I pushed through.
It didn't get better. In fact, it just kept getting worse. The writing was stilted and repetitive through the entire book. There was very little chemistry between the leads. I did not like a single one of the characters, even the minor ones.
First, there's Ashton. Ashton used to be a secret Bad Girl. She would sneak out at night and do bad things like stuffing frogs into mailboxes with Beau. But then Sawyer asked her out, and she became a Good Girl, squishing those Bad Girl urges down, down, down. Somehow, this means that Beau is the only one who knows that side of her (even though Sawyer used to be the one who bailed them out of trouble, which implies that both Sawyer and all the people who had ever caught her knew she had a Bad Side). Ashton is an idiot, basically. She wallows in her misery and vacillates and whines until she finally makes a the inevitable choice.
And then we have Beau, the Bad Boy with anger issues. Beau has “loved” (or obsessively fixated on, take your pick) Ashton for years, which is apparently his only redeeming quality. Beau is, somehow, the object of many girl's swoonage, and swoon away, if that's your taste. I just don't get it. I like Alphas. I do. I love it when fictional men are big and strong and have sexy, possessive growls and don't like the heroines hanging out with their attractive exes. But there's a line, and Beau was WAY on the other side of it.
I want to rip his damn arms off his body, Ash. Sawyer, who I'd do anything for. I want to hurt him. If he touches you again in front of me, I'm going to crack. I can't take this. ... Just try not to let him touch you. When he touches you, I see red. I can't take it. I don't want to see him or anyone else touch you. ... Staying with him. Letting him touch you, hold you, God. It's eating me alive.
Spirit girls were girls the cheerleaders added to their numbers so every football player would have a girl to make him goodies on game day. Off the record, spirit girls also happened to help their players with their homework, order pizzas to be delivered to the school for their lunches, and do some unofficial things like back massages and other “hands-on” activities. The starters always picked their spirit girl first, then the rest of the players' names went into a hat and the spirit girls drew them.
messed up
*3.5 STARS.
(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)
I read This Is What Happy Looks Like for the Spring into Summer Readalong. Thankfully, I enjoyed it a lot more than The Vincent Boys. I love how Jennifer E. Smith gets such unique titles, yet they match the book completely. This book had me smiling so much! And it had some fabulously quotable lines:
“How can you know it makes you happy if you've never experienced it?” – “There are different kinds of happy,” she said. “Some kinds don't need any proof.”
This Is What Happy Looks Like
Priceless
This Is What Happy Looks Like
*3.5 STARS.
(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)
You guys! I did it! I read a book that wasn't young adult OR romance! Not that either of those things are bad, obviously, but it's always good to expand my boundaries every now and again. And what a book to expand with! Deb Caletti is one of my favorite YA authors, and this is her first venture into adult fiction. While it wasn't perfect, I am very glad I read it.
Deb Caletti's writing continues to astound me. She can use the most beautiful words that flow into each other in just the right fashion, but she can use them to say something so shockingly true and accurate. I took longer to read this book than I may have normally, because I found myself going back and re-reading sentences or passages that I particularly loved. And there were quite a few. I saved so many quotes from this book. Unfortunately, some were spoilery, so I won't be sharing them here. But if you read it, you can see them!
He's Gone was a little different than I was expecting. Yes, it's a mystery, but it is much more a look into Dani's head with a very stream-of-consciousness feel. You get to experience her thoughts and perceptions of everything going on around her, but it is broken up with clips of her history. You travel back in time in her memory to see how her relationship with Ian began and progressed. All through this, there is no sugarcoating. Caletti is straightforward about human failings, and I love her for it.
Unfortunately, there were a few things about this book that made it less than perfect. The main problem was that, due to the way it was written, the story got a little boring after a while. At certain points especially toward the end, I was ready for things to move forward, whether it be in Dani's memories or in the present, but they took a long time to do so. Also, the resolution was a little rushed and underwhelming, but I was also jarringly interrupted right at the climax of the book. So there is a possibility that this impacted my enjoyment of it.
Overall, He's Gone was definitely worth reading! Caletti was at the top of her writing game, there was excellent tension building regarding the mystery aspect, and it made me think. Being inside Dani's head was fascinating, especially toward the end of the book when doubt began circling around and she began to reach conclusions about herself, Ian, and the possibilities surrounding his disappearance.
3.5 STARS.
(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)
Okay, first thing's first. If you ever stumble across the following summary (which you will if you go to this book on Edelweiss), DISREGARD IT.
What can a girl do when her brand new husband, a handsome, rich but slightly spoiled Laird, turns out to be much more than she bargained for? Tell him that he's boring and tiresome and lock herself in a tower until he mends his ways, of course!
The granddaughter of a duke but the daughter of an Oxford don, she has been raised with a very simple lifestyle, the dead opposite of the wildly rich laird. After running from her marriage, she spends 5 years living in a tower, doing important scientific work. What can a Laird do when, after years of searching, he finally finds his gorgeous young wife locked in a tower with only women allowed in? Why, discover the password and gain entrance to the tower dressed as a woman...
What could possibly go wrong?
maybe
It was a disagreeable but inescapable fact of life – or of his life, at any rate – that fishing for a bride had taken precedence over fishing for salmon.
Englishwoman
thought
actually
(Find my thoughts on this book and the entire Fever series here at The Book Barbies.)
You know how we say “ALL THE FEELS” about books all the time? This book makes that look like an understatement. I elated, crushed, enthralled, repulsed, confused, amused, and surprised. I cried both sad and happy tears. Quite the emotional roller coaster, but hands down, my favorite book of the series.
Side note: NEVER in my life have I been so tempted to look to the back for spoilers. And speaking as the world's biggest spoiler-phobe, that's saying something.
(Find my thoughts on this book and the entire Fever series here at The Book Barbies.)
It's very difficult to talk about this book without being spoilery. Suffice it to say, it was addicting. I loved it. I grew to like characters I wasn't crazy about before. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT finish this book without Shadowfever sitting next to you, ready to be opened. I have no idea how the people who read this series live did not go completely insane in the wait between these two books.
(Find my thoughts on this book and the entire Fever series here at The Book Barbies.)
This was my first non-YA Fae book, and it was such an interesting take! I really liked it. With perspective of reading the series, though, even though it was fantastic and addicting and things actually happened, it was totally like Fever Series 101. Here are the characters (be intrigued, be very intrigued), here is the world (Dublin!), now prepare for me to blow your mind in future books (it will happen).