Thursday, April 28, 2016

Let's Talk: First Kiss

Title: First Kiss
Author: C.L. Stone
Series: "The Ghost Bird" #10
Genre: YA Contemporary/Conspiracy?
Page Length: 377 pages
Publication Date: April 25, 2016
Date Started: April 26, 2016
Date Finished: April 26, 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars

*Semi-spoiler free review...there's a few if you haven't read previous novels*

I LOVED IT! I have been waiting so long for this book, and it did not disappoint. I was thrilled going into it, because there were things that could possibly happen that I really wanted to happen. THEY HAPPENED!

It was Kota's book, and I love Kota. Things didn't happen with him as much as I had hoped, but they were still great. I love Kota to death, even if he's not my favorite.

First of all, it's Winter Break in this novel. Which means Christmas! Sang's past Christmases have never been that great, coming from the family she's in, so it was fantastic getting to see her involved in the boys' Christmas. I loved it. And the snowball fights were hilarious!

They also went to Academy camp. Things didn't happen how I expected them to there, but I did enjoy meeting new characters. I don't know if any of them are going to show up in future books, but I do hope so. 

SPOILER UNTIL **** APPEAR!


The shower thing happened! I heard a rumor/fan prediction that the boys were going to find out about Sang's phobia in this book. I was waiting the whole book for it, and it set itself up nicely. She would only go to the far latrines with Lake to get ready for bed. She would make the boys check for spiders, or so they thought, before she entered. She had multiple thoughts about showers. It was great!

I liked how it happened, too. Even though it painted Kota as the bad guy when he forced her into the shower, not knowing her phobia, and she fainted--causing Victor to yell at him numerous times. I enjoyed it.

Plus, all the boys got all worried and immediately went to Victor's mansion, after he brought her there, and demanded to see her and make sure she was okay. While I knew they all loved her, that scene just fully cemented in me the fact that they ALL love her. And I think it's bloody fantastic.

I'm so excited to see how they handle that phobia in future books, seeing as they got cut off from talking about it due to an unforseen visitor. 


**** SPOILER OVER

I am so excited for the next book, entitled Black and Green. Or maybe it was the other way around? Either way, I'm thinking that it's going to be about Dr. Green and Mr. Blackbourne. I really want it to be about them. 

The only problem I had was the fact that there was a lot of typos. They weren't too bad, but they were slightly distracting from the story because I'd be engrossed and then my brain would go "Ooo, typo! Lookie!" I think that if there'd been a little bit more editing, they would have been caught. But I'm okay with them because the book was fantastic.

This book was such a great follow up to the 9th. To be honest, the 7th and 8th were kind of slow for me, but these books are picking back up again and I'm very excited for the next. Things are happening, guys!

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Let's Talk: The Dark Days Club

Title: The Dark Days Club
Author: Alison Goodman
Series: "Lady Helen" #1
Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Paranormal/A bunch of other stuff
Page Length: 472 pages
Publication Date: January 26, 2016
Date Started: April 20, 2016
Date Finished: April 24, 2016
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

*Semi-spoiler free review*

I was excited going into this book--I had high hopes for it. But it started out slow. This story is built upon this girl finding out that she's a Reclaimer, sort of a demon slayer, and it was a good 200 pages before she finally found out. I appreciate a good world building, but I was having to force myself to read in the beginning.

However, then I got really into the book. Everything, while slow, set itself up nicely for all the events that happened. Things were woven together and surprised me multiple times. I ended up really enjoying how the plot played out.

That being said, the novel was not as action packed as I thought it would be. I expected a lot of fight scenes, like in "The Infernal Devices" by Cassandra Clare, but there were only a few intense scenes.

Adding onto the action, I thought there would be more romance. I got that much from the blurb, but the romance was very very small. The main character is of age to be looking for a husband, and there is one potential suitor who shows up quite often--that I rather like. However, things don't really turn out that way. There is a bit of a love-triangle, but one that I did not expect. Events are starting to happen where the romance is coming into play a little bit more. I'm excited to see where it goes.

The ending was bloody fantastic. I loved it, even if things didn't turn out so well for the main character. I loved the action scene at the end, and all of the events happening after that. Suffice to say, I am hooked and very excited for the sequel.

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren


Saturday, April 23, 2016

Let's Talk: Cress

Title: Cress
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: "The Lunar Chronicles" #3
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fairytale Retelling
Page Length: 550 pages
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Date Started: April 18, 2016
Date Finished: April 19, 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars

*Semi-spoiler free review-might contain spoilers for previous novels*

I freaking loved this book! Cress was, by far, my favorite of the series. I loved all the different perspectives and I loved every moment of these characters.

So much that I wanted to happen, happened. What I wanted to happen with Kai-it happened. What I wanted to happen with Cress-it happened. What I wanted to happen with Cinder-it happened. So much happened!

CINDER: There was such amazing character development in this novel. I loved Cinder so much more this time around. She went through so much in this novel and I really enjoyed seeing her developing her Lunar abilities.

CAPTAIN THORNE: Guys, I love Thorne. I wish there was a whole novel just about him. I would absolutely love that! So much happened to Thorne in this novel, and I really really hope things turn out (better) for him in Winter.

KAITO: Reading from Kai's perspective and getting to see how he felt through all of the trials and tribulations that were going on was such fun. It was very interesting seeing how he was trying to figure everything out and protecting Earth to the best of his abilities. I am excited to read the next book and see what happens with Kai because of what happened to him at the end of this novel.

CRESS: We actually met Cress in the first novel, but didn't hear from her again until this one. It was a wild ride from start to finish. I feel that if I were a character from the Lunar Chronicles, I would be Cress. She's been locked up in this satellite for many many years and finally gets out in this novel, but at a cost. I was fascinated by her story and character arc.

SCARLET: I was completely blindsided by Marissa Meyer when it came to Scarlet. If you've read Cress then you know what I mean. We didn't get to see a lot of this character because of what happened to her, but reading from her perspective was very interesting. (spoiler) It offered some insight onto what happens exactly when a person is under Lunar control (end spoiler). I really really want to know what happens with her in the next book.

WOLF: Wolf was interesting, to say the least. Because of what happened with Scarlet, he was a bit of a debbie-downer the whole time, but I understand it because of what happened at the end in the second book with them professing their love and yada yada. Seriously, he needs to be okay in the next book after he and Scarlet reconcile.

We met Winter! We'd heard of Winter in the first novel, and in this one we met her. It was only a brief meeting at the very end of the book, but I'm very excited to read from her perspective. From what I've gathered, she's been trying not to use her lunar powers (she's the Lunar princess), and this is driving her crazy. Actual crazy--hallucinations and the works. I'm so excited to read from the perspective of someone who not only knows Queen Levana and lives with her, but also is somewhat loco.

This novel was everything I needed. I'm so glad I randomly read this series, as it just sucked me in so quickly. I'm absolutely in love with these characters and this world. This is one of my favorite series and I'm not surprised if it ends up in my top 5 series of all time.

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren


Sunday, April 17, 2016

Let's Talk: Scarlet

Title: Scarlet
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: "The Lunar Chronicles" #2
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fairytale Retelling
Page Length: 452 pages
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Date Started: April 16, 2016
Date Finished: April 17, 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars

*Semi-spoiler free review*

I can't decide which book I like more, Cinder or Scarlet. I honestly can't chose. We meet such amazing characters in this novel that aren't in the first and we go more places. There's more world-building and amazing character development.

First off, we met Scarlet, Wolf, and Thorne in this book. I kind of expected to meet Thorne in the next book, and I feel a little spoiled knowing about the upcoming ship of Cress and Thorne (because it's everywhere). I am very excited to see how everything with these characters plays out in upcoming books.

I think I like Cinder's character more than Scarlet's at the time being. It could be because we have 2 books of Cinder's development and only one of Scarlet's. I do enjoy both characters immensely, however.

One of the things that I really really loved was the multiple perspectives. Sometimes with multiple POVs in books I get bored with a certain POV. I find myself dragging through the couple chapters of that POV and rejoicing when we get back to a different character. That was not the case with this book. I loved reading from every single perspective we read from. Not only did it help with connecting with all the characters, but it also provided a glimpse into what was happening all over the world (as all the characters were all over the world). I enjoyed the multiple POVs very much, and I can't wait to add more of them in the next novel!

Honestly, I'm so excited for Cress. I don't know whether to start it now and plow through it, or read another book before it to prolong the series. All I really know is that Scarlet was a fantastic second installment that has only added fuel to the flames of my Lunar Chronicles obsession.

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Let's Talk: Chosen at Nightfall


Title: Chosen at Nightfall
Author: C.C. Hunter
Series: "Shadowfalls" #5
Genre: YA Paranormal
Page Length: 399 pages
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Date Started: April 16, 2016
Date Finished: April 16, 2016
Rating: Infinity

*Semi-spoiler free review*

This was such a perfect ending to a great series. Major sh*t went down, and it was flipping fantastic! I did have some small qualms with this book, but in the end the good outweighed the bad and I was blown away.

For starters, Kylie ended up with the person I wanted her to be with. Ironically, when I first started reading this series, I shipped her with a different character. Secondly, everything just happened so perfectly.

One thing that I hated (but also loved) was that everyone was talking about how sad Lucas was and how hard he was taking things. They were telling Kylie to just forgive him already and forget about it because HE was miserable. No offense to Lucas, because I'm sure he was miserable, but she should not forgive him that easily. People were guilt-tripping her, even her own best friends, into trying to forgive Lucas. And it annoyed the crap out of me because it was pinning a lot of blame on her. He was the one in the wrong, not her. She even started to feel guilty because of what everyone was telling her. It made me so mad, but it also made me love the story even more!

I did think there were some things that happened to easily compared to all of the stress and talk about the upcoming events, but at the same time I really enjoyed how things happened. I feel so conflicted on that regard.

I can't really say much else without spoiling the series (as this is the last book), but I'm very excited to jump into the spin-off series told from Della's perspective. I love Della's character and I can't wait to see more of my favorites and of Shadow Falls.

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Friday, April 15, 2016

Let's Talk: Cinder


Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: "The Lunar Chronicles" #1
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fairytale Retelling
Page Length: 387 pages
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Date Started: April 15, 2016
Date Finished: April 15, 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars

*Semi-spoiler free review*

OHMYGOD why did it take me this long to read this book! I flew through this book, and today at work, all I could think about was THIS BOOK! I had to leave for work right at the climax of the novel, and I was only thinking about what happened next. I got home and I said "If anyone interrupts me before I finish this book I'll knock you out with it."

So, for starters, I had high expectations for this book...and it blew those expectations away, left them in the dust, etc etc. I remember when this book first came out and I didn't want to read it because it had a robot leg on the cover, and I didn't understand that cyborgs were humans with mechanical parts (like Luke Skywalker after the 5th movie). I wish I had read this a long time ago. And I regret not buying the second book when I purchased this one. I had said I wasn't going to be buying books for a while, but I had to buy the next two...they're coming in two days and I don't know if I can wait that long!

But onto the actual book...

I loved Cinder. I loved Iko. I loved Kai. I hated Queen Levana. It was a big huge washing machine of feels up in this book.

This is a fairytale retelling where Cinder is Cinderella, but it was not a strict retelling. There were parallels to the original story, but this was still it's own unique plot. I really enjoyed reading and noticing a parallel because I'd feel so proud of myself...I'm a bit lame. There were some things that I saw coming, or at least suspected, that would have been big huge things if I hadn't figured it out earlier.

Just the Cinder and Prince Kai ship in general is giving me all the feels, because I'm not satisfied with how it was left at the end of this book. Of course, that just ups my rating for it due to my need to rate books based on the feels they give me. I just need them to get together and bang and just escape from everyone and everything around them.

There's not really much I can say without giving a lot away (that I don't want to give away) so I'm gonna leave it at this book was fabulous!

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Let's Talk: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: "ACOTAR" trilogy #1
Genre: YA High-Fantasy
Page Length: 416 pages
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Date Started: April 13, 2016
Date Finished: April 14, 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars

*Semi-spoiler free review*

I love this book. I reread it this month to prepare for A Court of Mist and Fury that comes out next month, and I loved it even more than the first time I read it. I find that when I reread books, I notice things I didn't see before or forgot about, which is absolutely great.

Rereading this book has gotten me so hyped for the second one, and I'm very excited to see where the story goes. I'm really looking forward to seeing more courts outside of the Spring Court, the one Tamlin is High Lord of.

Tamlin is just...wow. He's sexy and his character development is so on point. I do kind of blame him for some events that happen because he's so damn stupid at times, but I also do see where he was coming from. But seriously...sacrificing the future of your entire court because of the girl you love? It wouldn't even have been that bad. Three more days and everything would have been fine. Urgh.

Lucien is honestly one of my favorite characters out there. He's a real douche-canoe in the beginning, but his character development is amazing. He's funny and witty and caring and I love him. I really dig the friendship he and Feyre have going on. I friendSHIP it...get it?

I'm excited to see more of Rhysand in the next book. He's an interesting character and kind of a jerk, but I really am looking forward to seeing more of him and his character development.

I'm so pumped for the second installment, and I am bursting at the seams with it being so close.

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Book Buying Problems

Let's talk about that pesky little thing called a book buying problem. I am not ashamed to admit that I just spent $90 on books, because some of them were used and brought what I was spending down a lot, but I am ashamed that I just bought more books when I filmed a book haul three days ago.

I buy books so fast. Usually, I buy them off of Book Outlet because of super cheap prices. That was not the case this time. I bought a bunch of books I've been wanting off of Amazon and I couldn't be happier. I love bargain book shopping.

The thing with Amazon is that after $25 you get free shipping whether or not you have Prime, so I always have free shipping on my books. And preorders have free two-day shipping as well, so I don't even need to have Prime. I can keep piggy-backing off my mom's Amazon music and such while getting free shipping myself.

They're prices are also pretty good. They're not super low, but they aren't full price. I got $10 off a hardback today, and I also bought 2 used books through Amazon that even with shipping had my total under what it would have been with just one of those books at full price in my cart.

However, I am not going to be buying books in this big of a bulk for a long time. It's been a while since I've made a big order off of Amazon or Barnes & Noble. In my defense of buying this, I was planning on ordering back at the beginning of March, but then a bunch of financial shit happened and it kept getting pushed back until, well, today.

I am going to be budgeting what I buy next. I'm sure I'll buy a couple books when I'm at Target or something, but I'm not going to binge-buy books like this for a few months. Probably July will be my next binge-buy.

But I have my friend's birthday coming up, so I'm saving up to make it her best birthday yet. After than I'm keeping my money for BookCon (okay maybe May will be my next binge-buy depending on if books are free or not). Then a month after BookCon I'm in France. And during my France trip is father's day, so I've gotta budget there. And then my sister's birthday is right after that.

All in all, I've got a few trying months ahead. Plus, if I want to continue my Owlcrate subscription I'll need to budget for that every month.

I think right now I'm going to finally do what I've been putting off...

Book-buying ban. 

Here are my terms for buying books, because I cannot go cold turkey.

BUYING ONLINE:
-Must be the next book in a series I have started reading, not just own
-Exceptions are new releases/preorders
-Any other book will be put through a questionnaire to see if I really need this book at this time and must be under a) $14 if hardcover, or b) $10 if paperback
-Almost out of stock on BookOutlet

BUYING IN STORE:
-Must not be full price (Target has books 20% off, nice)
-Must decide if it's necessary at that time
-Exceptions are new releases/signed copies


Now, this might not last very long. It might very last only a week. But I figure with people being able to see this post and hearing about my ban, I am somewhat held responsible for what I've said I'm going to do.

But I am still very excited for my books to come in the mail. Two days till the first 7, and a few days later for the 2 used ones! I can't wait to show you guys!

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Let's Talk: Every Last Breath

Title: Every Last Breath
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: "Dark Elements" #3
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Page Length: 378 pages
Publication Date: July 28, 2015
Date Started: April 11, 2016
Date Finished: April 11, 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars

I was very worried going into this book. Mostly because I expected a lot of feels, and maybe even a loss of characters/OTPs I liked. I'm very happy to say that it all ended up the way I wanted it to. 

There were a couple parts that surprised me and others that shocked me to the core, and I loved that. Jennifer L. Armentrout has a way with words and her writings that just fill me with warmth and keep me guessing at the same time. She's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors (already on that auto-buy list). 

I'm glad that in this book we didn't really have as much of a love triangle. I'm glad that instead of at the end of the book, Layla made her decision in the first couple chapters. That was different than what a lot of YA novels do with their love triangles. And I'm very happy with who she picked, and I don't believe it could have been any other way. 

I had an epiphany when something happened with Bambi: I'm crying over a freaking demon snake. That surprised me but at the same time I wasn't surprised. If that makes sense. 

Honestly, this was a big huge whirlwind of emotions and I'm so glad I didn't out this novel off for later. I love this series and these characters and can't wait to fall in love with more Jennifer L. Armentrout.

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Monday, April 11, 2016

Let's Talk: Taken at Dusk

Title: Taken at Dusk
Author: C.C. Hunter
Series: "Shadowfalls" #3
Genre: YA Paranormal
Page Length: 380 pages
Publication Date: April 10, 2012
Date Started: April 7, 2016
Date Finished: April 10, 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars

*semi-spoiler free review*

I love this series. There's not really much I can say other than I absolutely love it. 

The feels were running really high in this one. Derek came back and there was all this territorial jazz with him and Lucas. It was fabulous but also angsty.

There was a death. And it killed me. I saw it coming but then I also didn't see it coming. I wish I hadn't formed this emotional of a connection to the character that died. 

I loved this installment. This series gets better and better with each novel and I'm so exited to see where it goes next. 

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Let's Talk: Whispers at Moonrise

Title: Whispers at Moonrise
Author: C.C. Hunter
Series: "Shadowfalls" #4
Genre: YA Paranormal
Page Length: 383 pages
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Date Started: April 10, 2016
Date Finished: April 10, 2016
Rating: Infinity stars

*Semi-spoiler free review*

Ah, the feels! They burn!!!!

Honestly this was the best Shadow Falls Novel by far. I've been officially obsessed for a while now, and this book was just fabulous. 

The feels were even stronger in this book, and the REVEALS just knocked me off my bed. So much was explained and revealed that it was a little hard to wrap my head around. 

We finally know what Kylie is, and that she's not alone. And I'm honestly so ready to find out more in the next book. 

The romance was so angsty. Because there was one boy who was keeping secrets from her (the one she was with) and then there was the one trying to win her over. I really don't know how I feel about who I ship with Kylie.

The next book is going to be so freaking epic it's hard to contain my excitement. This is definitely a series I recommend and can't wait to continue with.

INFINITY STARS

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Let's Talk: Jurassic World

Title: Jurassic World
Author: David Lewman (adapted from movie)
Series: N/A
Genre: Middle-Grade Action/Adventure
Page Length: 128 pages
Publication Date: June 16, 2015
Date Started: April 9, 2016
Date Finished: April 9, 2016
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This book was a short, fun read. It followed the movie pretty well and in the end did just what I wanted it to do--connect me even more with the story.

Now, if I want supreme detail or Owen charm, I'm definitely going to have to watch the movie. But this book is for kids, so it's not going to have big words or Owen charm or vivid Indominus scenes like the movie. That being said, it played its part well.

There were a couple things that somewhat annoyed me. First, they italicized every dinosaur name or species every time. I was able to look past that eventually. Next, they changed small things in the book that were way different. Owen jumping down from the catwalk to save the new kid or Owen running in through the cage door? I'm pretty sure he would have injured himself or angered the raptors even more if he jumped down from the catwalk. I didn't really like those small changes. Or when they had Claire and the boys driving away with the team? No. That's dangerous and would never be done.

And I missed the Owen charm. Some of his classic, funny lines were gone. Because, again, this is a junior novelization. I can only hope that someone will write an adult adaption, because I would love that.

I will probably end up reading this book again and again simply because I'm obsessed with Jurassic World.

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren



Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Let's Talk: Heir of Fire

Title: Heir of Fire
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: "Throne of Glass" #3
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 562 pages
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
Date Started: April 5, 2016
Date Finished: April 5, 2016
Rating: INFINITY

*Semi-spoiler free review*

So I decided to pick this up and reread it because sneak peeks from the coloring book were released, and one of those was the scene where Rowan meets Celaena.

MY POOR HEART!!!!!

I did only read the parts with Celaena in it because I was having a lot of feels, so it wasn't a full reread or else there would be my thoughts and feels on Dorian and Chaol and Aedion and Sorscha and Manon.

I knew everything that was going to happen, but a lot of the smaller self-deprecating things that were thrown in SO much were so painful for me. In the first two books, we see Celaena's confidence and her swagger, but this one just shows all her pain and self-hate. And while I loved getting to know her better, my heart was constantly breaking. Especially with Rowan.

Rowan is my number one all time book boyfriend, and Rowaelin is my number one all time OTP, but at the beginning of this book, he's an ass. He puts Celaena down and he insults her. He's her trainer, but he also beats the crap out of her when they're sparring. It's interesting, though, to see his character development. I've always loved that development.

But in the end, when he's the only one who knows her whole past and still accepts her, that's what makes him my favorite book boyfriend, and one of my favorite book characters of all time. He's hands down the best pick for Celaena, now Aelin, so far. I really hope he and her stay together. But with two more books (and already being on the fourth book with 3 different love interests), it could change. And that terrifies me.

I'm so excited to see how Empire of Storms goes, but right now, I am either going to be rereading Queen of Shadows or A Court of Thorns and Roses (in honor of ACOMAF coming out in May).

There's not much I can say about this book other than it dragged my heart through every pothole and ripped me apart. We got to see so much of Celaena's past, and that was fabulous. I absolutely love this book with all my heart.

If I could give this book more than infinite stars, I would, but I can't. So Infinite stars will have to do.

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

#Rowaelin

Let's Talk: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Series: "Twilight" #3.5
Genre: YA Paranormal
Page Length: 178 pages
Publication Date: June 5, 2010
Date Started: April 4, 2016
Date Finished: April 4, 2016
Rating: 4/5 stars

*Semi-spoiler free review*

Even being the die-hard Twilight fan I am, it still took me a while to read this novella. Why, you ask? I have a sneaking suspicion that it is because it doesn't involve Bella or Edward or Jacob. I always enjoyed Bree's character, however, and wished that Eclipse had ended slightly different.

That being said, going into this book I was nervous. It was a short book--hence being a novella--but I still got kicked in the stomach by all of the feels. I knew what was going to be happen, and I knew I would get attached. I knew that I would be feeling sad at the end.

I wasn't too sad at the end, though, because Bree's death was a lot more serene and accepted by her than I thought it was when I read Eclipse. She'd suffered so much pain in the days leading up to it that it was hard for me to cry at her death when it seemed like such a release for her. 

Let's talk about the fact that Bree was fifteen, maybe sixteen, when she was turned into a vampire. Fifteen. Why, Riley? Why? But it was also hilarious and really connectable that she read books behind a couch instead of fighting with the other newborns. I liked that little bit about her quite a lot.

But DIEGO! The moment we were introduced to him I knew I was screwed. I started shipping them almost immediately. And then when he didn't come back with Riley--only halfway through the novella, mind you--I knew what had happened. And my heart broke for Bree. Diego was one of the reasons she didn't fear dying as much, I believe.

Fred was pretty cool. Not gonna say much on him, other than I did enjoy his character and what his ability was. 

All in all, I don't feel like I gained a lot to the Bella/Edward storyline, but I do love Bree's character a lot more. And I did very much like reading from the perspective of newborn vampires (that aren't Bella, because, really, she doesn't act like them). 

I feel like Bree will stick with me for a very long time.

~

Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Sunday, April 3, 2016

#TBRTakedown Readathon TBR

Hey guys, so this readathon is going to be taking place April 8-10 over the course of 3 days and a weekend, and I'm excited. This was time pretty perfectly considering I'm gonna be at a lock-in overnight (8th-9th) and won't be sleeping. I'm hoping to read a book in that time.

It's being hosted by leaninglights (Shannon) on YouTube (#TBRTakedown 3.5 Announcement) and it's a mini-readathon. There are 4 challenges.

Challenge 1: Read a Stand Alone
       The book I have picked for this is Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
I've had my eye on this one for a while, and it's a Peter Pan retelling so I'm super excited to dive right into this one!

Challenge 2: Read a book from your Most Recent Haul
       The book I have for this one is Jurassic World: Junior Novelization by David Lewman.
Jurassic World is my current obsession so I had to get the novelization (obviously) and I'm pumped to read this. It'll be really short, but I'm excited! 

Challenge 3: Read a book that has been on your shelf for Over a Year (or the Longest)
       The book for this challenge is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
That's right, I still haven't read this. I tried over a year ago, put it down to do something, and for some reason just never picked it up again. But I need to finish it because of how hyped it is and it's the oldest book on my TBR shelf that I plan to read.

Challenge 4: Catch Up On A Series
       And the book for this one is Taken at Dusk by C.C. Hunter

I recently read the first two books in this series and fell in love! I'm super excited to read this next one because the feels were running high at the end of the second one and I'm excited to see how this series continues on!

That is my TBR for this readathon. These books aren't too long but they are ones that I am excited about. Three out of the four are actually from a book order that just came in...so I'm pumped.

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Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Let's Talk: Etiquette and Espionage

Title: Etiquette and Espionage
Author: Gail Carriger
Series: "Finishing School" #1
Genre: YA Steampunk
Page Length: 307 pages
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Date Started: March 17, 2016
Date Finished: April 3, 2016
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

*Semi-spoiler free review*

I finally finished this book!

Holy cow, it took me forever to finish this novel, and it's pretty short. I just didn't get sucked in immediately, and did not get sucked in until the last 15 pages when the real action happened.

This is in no way a bad book, but it just didn't do it for me as much as I thought it would. It started off a little slow, and was only slightly faster throughout the rest of the novel. I felt as though there was more time spent talking about mean-girls and what they were going to do (and never did) about other things; and less about what was actually going on. Because what the final action scene was about had barely anything to do with what a lot of the book was going on about.

I did enjoy this book, to an extent. I enjoy these characters and this idea, but I wish it had been a little more action-y. I do have the second book, so I'll be continuing on with the series and hoping things are faster in the next book.

I do hope there is a romantic connection in the second book, because there are two characters who I would absolutely love to see together. Even so, I'd also enjoy if someone from the other school could possibly be in it as well, making it, yes, a love triangle. But I'm always looking for unique love triangles, and while this wouldn't be the most unique one, it would still be better than some.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I thought I would.

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Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Let's Talk: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Illustrated Edition)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Illustrator: Jim Kay
Series: "Harry Potter" #1
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy
Page Length: 246 pages
Publication Date: 
            Original Story: June 26, 1997
            Illustrated: October 6, 2015
Date Started: April 2, 2016
Date Finished: April 3, 2016
Rating: Infinity

*Semi-spoiler free review*

I loved re-reading this novel. I was drawn back in so quickly and found myself realizing I missed the Wizarding World and Hogwarts more than I thought I did.

Harry Potter was the first 'real' book series I can remember reading. I felt like a kid again, but also I felt like I got something more out of it while reading it at this age. I understood subtle jokes that my 8-year old self didn't get. I had forgotten a lot from when I last re-read the series a couple years ago, so it was amazing because there were parts that were, essentially, completely new to me.

I love this world. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are fabulous. I absolutely love J.K. Rowling's writing style. It's simplistic and above-par, yet still gets all the details in.

The adventures that these characters get into just get better and better as the years go on, and I'm very much looking forward to re-reading the rest of the series. I've been sucked back in and am now required to continue, haha.

Infinity stars, of course!

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Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren

Friday, April 1, 2016

March 2016 Wrap-Up

So I didn't read as many books this month as I did in February, but I read some longer books. Once again, I've got all the info on the books I read and I'll tell you my top books at the end! Enjoy!

Number 1...
Title: The Love That Split The World
Author: Emily Henry
Publication Date: January 20, 2016
Days Spent Reading: 5 days
Rating: 3/5 stars
Book Talk: http://laurensboookshelf.blogspot.com/2016/03/lets-talk-love-that-split-world.html

Number 2...
Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Publication Date: February 11, 2014
Days Spent Reading: 2 days
Rating: 4/5 stars
Book Talk: http://laurensboookshelf.blogspot.com/2016/03/lets-talk-martian.html

Number 3...
Title: Lady Midnight
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Days Spent Reading: 3 days
Rating: Infinity
Book Talk: http://laurensboookshelf.blogspot.com/2016/03/lets-talk-lady-midnight.html

Number 4...
Title: Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
Author: Brandon Mull
Publication Date: March 8, 2009
Days Spent Reading: 5 days
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Book Talk: http://laurensboookshelf.blogspot.com/2016/03/lets-talk-fablehaven-secrets-of-dragon.html

Number 5...
Title: Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison
Author: Brandon Mull
Publication Date: March 23, 2010
Days Spent Reading: 4 days
Rating: 5/5 stars
Book Talk: http://laurensboookshelf.blogspot.com/2016/03/lets-talk-fablehaven-keys-to-demon.html

Number 6...
Title: Born at Midnight
Author: C.C. Hunter
Publication Date: March 11, 2011
Days Spent Reading: 1 day
Rating: 5/5 stars
Book Talk: http://laurensboookshelf.blogspot.com/2016/03/lets-talk-born-at-midnight.html

Number 7...
Title: Awake at Dawn
Author: C.C. Hunter
Publication Date: October 11, 2011
Days Spent Reading: 3 days
Rating: 5/5 stars
Book Talk: http://laurensboookshelf.blogspot.com/2016/03/lets-talk-awake-at-dawn.html

Number 8...
Title: This Is Where It Ends
Author: Marieke Nijkamp
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Days Spent Reading: 2 days
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Book Talk: http://laurensboookshelf.blogspot.com/2016/03/lets-talk-this-is-where-it-ends.html

I enjoyed most of the books I read this month, but a couple were disappointing for me. I go into depth on all my thoughts on each book in book talks, so feel free to head over and read those!

My favorites of books I read for the first time were definitely Lady Midnight, Born at Midnight, and Awake at Dawn

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Thanks for reading
xoxo
Lauren