My Favourite Book Stores

This post is to bring awareness of Books Are My Bag.

 

 

I'm unlucky than most people when it comes to a local bookstore. Most people have a local bookstore that is only a couple of minutes away, but my local bookstore is over forty minutes away by train. And that bookstore is Waterstones in Cardiff.

 

 

Now I don't shop there that often since I hardly leave my house, but when I do travel to Cardiff then I will pop in there, but the first time I went there I was in utter awe. As soon as you walk in you are surrounded by beautiful books trying to grab your attention and all sorted out into genre's and authors. However, I never really stay too long to look at them because I always go straight towards the Young Adult section.

 

All the books are organised perfectly, all of the books gaining some attention. But what I love most is that some of the employees give recommendations that are printed in front of the book (not in the book, but in a card form, like a price tag in most clothes shops.) and that's great to see because you get to see what other people are enjoying. As well as that the staff are all very lovely and one of the best things I've seen is that one of the employees is a self-published author and they sell his book there and advertise it. Talk about support like nothing else.

 

The only slight negative is that they don't get many known known

Young Adult authors to have signings, the best they've had in the past two years is Rainbow Rowell, author of Eleanor and Park. She was there in July and it was a great experience!

 

 

Another one of my favourite book store is in London. FOYLES. Foyles is probably the most beautiful book store in the UK. I know it's been recently re-designed, which I've yet to see, but when I was there in December 2013 I had the best experience ever! All the books were organised properly and the prices were decent. But what's so good about Foyles is that they stock books that are published in America as well. Also you can come across some signed books that most book shops never have. I got a copy of The Dream Thieves by Maggie Steifvater signed and I never even knew about it until I got to the check out.

 

 

When I next go to London, I know that Foyles will be the shop I will visit first because it is so beautiful, plus it's not crowded like most shops. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Review: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Title: The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2)
Author: Rick Yancey
Genre: Sci-Fi/Post Apocalypse
Publisher: Penguin Publishing
Published: September 16th 20124
Page Number: 300

Summary:

For Cassie Sullivan and the rest of Earth’s remaining human survivors, the situation was already desperate when the 5th Wave hit. It’s about to get worse.

No one yet knows the depths to which Earth’s conquerors—the Others—will sink in order to rid the Earth of the human infestation, nor have they guessed the heights to which the human spirit can reach. Characters introduced in Book One will come to the fore—and others will face the ultimate test.

 

 

Review:

 

So I just finished this book and I had to immediately come and write up this review because I have so much to say. First off is that I absolutely disliked this book, it was no way near as good as The 5th Wave. Second is that I doubt I will be reading the third book because this book has made me lose interest. How can it go from being one of your favourite series to one you hate? And if I was doing to Taylor Swift Book Tag then this series would be the one to match the song: We are never ever getting back together and I'm in no way sorry because this was terrible!

 

The first one hundred pages dragged on and on and on and on. I felt like it was taking me ages to read and that's not normally a case for me. Some books drag on in place and last for a few pages, but this never seemed to end. Plus nothing happened, like seriously, nothing. I was expecting some sort of tense build up and then something to happen and BAM! That something never came and if I'm being honest, it never came in the entire book.

 

Also Rick Yancey turned this series from Cassie's story to Ringers, who is a new character that I hate. Actually I should take that back because I didn't like any of the new characters a part from Razor, who if I may say is a little too like Evan (We saw hardly any Evan. BOOOOO!).

 

While reading the book all I could think was:

 

Kill Ringer

Kill Ben

Kill Poundcake (He'll never beat Lil' Miss Poundcake from RuPauls Drag Race)

Kill Teacup (WORST. NICK NAME. EVER!)

Just kill them all because they all seemed to be a copycat of the original characters (Cassie, Evan, etc.)

 

While I was reading this short book (which I'm glad was so short because I would've shot myself in the eye if it was any longer) I saw a bunch of reviews from my friends who had enjoyed it and that was because they liked The 5th Wave, but never loved it.

 

There were a few good points about this book and those were Evan and Cassie. I love them so much and they make the story. If this book didn't even have any Evan or Cassie then it would've been a zero starred book because lets be honest, Cassie and Evan are a lot of our favourite couple.

 

However, we saw Cassie and Evan for like fifty pages and then it ended with them, which I'm still annoyed at because like I said: THIS IS CASSIE'S STORY!!

 

Overall, I rated this book a 2.75 out of 5 stars, but my star review may be changed when I have a few moments to calm down.




Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Title: Where She Went (If I Stay #2)
Author: Gayle Forman
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Definitions (Random House)
Published: April 26th 2012
Page Number: 288

Summary:
It's been three years since Adam's love saved Mia after the accident that annihilated life as she knew it ...and three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever. Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other. Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, powerful prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Review:

 

I must say that I am pretty nervous reviewing this, because this book was amazing and my words will not give it justice, so just pretend I'm a younger, Welsh version of William Shakespeare who uses modern language and we will all be okay.

 

 

Where She Went isn't a sequel as such, it's a companion. It takes place three years after the events of If I Stay, where Mia had to decide where she wanted to live or die. She chose to live. Adam Wilde is a huge celebrity after Shooting Star's first album Collateral Damage went to number one. However, things aren't as they seem, because Shooting Star are no longer friends, well the other three are just not Adam.

 

Adam is completely different from If I Stay, which is what I loved most because in If I Stay he was a little creepy. Look at the scene where he stares at Mia when she's clearly in a world of her own. And damn, those eyes are giving me the chills, not good ones.

 

 

As well as being a bit of a stalker, Adam was also very gentle. I don't even think he flirted with her and that was weird. He likes her, thinks she's cute, but doesn't flirt with her. Why? With Adam though I think that's what makes him likable. Both Mia and Adam have this passion for music that everyone can relate too.

 

In Where She Went there is a clear growth in Adam. He's a man in this one and not because he's older by three years. He acts like he is gods gift and everyone should bow down to him, while wishing that he never had fame in the first place. He's also very depressive, which once again, I related too since I suffer with severe depression.

 

Mia and Adams love story is definitely an unusual one.

 

“And then Adam Wilde shows up at Carnegie Hall on the biggest night of my career, and it felt like more than a coincidence. It felt like a gift. From them. For my first recital ever, they gave me a cello. And for this one, they gave me you.”   

 

I think we all knew that Adam and Mia would meet up again, I agree with what Mia has said. It's like her parents did give her Adam three years later after everything had changed. From this moment where Adam goes into her performance and they see each other, everything changes. The awkwardness between them both is very raw and real. You feel it and kind of feel sorry for them both. You just want to push them into each other. KISS AND MAKE UP PLEASE!

 

 

One of the weird things about Mia is that she hated Adam. We argue with the ones we love most, so does that mean we hate them without reason as well? My answer would be, yes. Mia had no one left and Adam changed around her. What he wanted to say, he couldn't and Mia saw that. She needed some normalcy and she had none, even from her Grandparents.

 

“I needed to hate someone and you’re the one I love the most, so it fell on you.”  

 

 

One of my favourite thing in Where She Went was....actually I'm lying. There wasn't just one thing I loved because I loved everything about this book. From the depression that is Adam to the shit life of the music industry. I even loved the side characters that you never met *Cough* Ernesto *Cough*. Everything was perfect. The songs, the relationship, the feels. I will definitely say that I babbled like a baby. Mia hits you hard with her words and next thing you know you're needing a box of the Feels. Here are some Feels that will hit you hard.

 

 

I mean, who didn't had tears in their eyes at this part. Her life came crashing down around her.

 

 

Too cute. He wrote her a song and begged her to stay, which is kind of the reason why she hated him. She had no one and he made her stay. Adam can you write me a song please? Thanks.

 

If you want to read this book then make sure you're comfortable. Have a cup of tea or coffee, a blanket and a box of tissues because this book will make you laugh, smile and cry. Okay I'm lying. It'll make you cry, cry, cry.

 

Like I said, this is an amazing book. In fact it's my favourite read of 2014 so far and I'm hoping no book can top it. I would compare this book to Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowel (who happened to love both If I Stay and Where She Went). Both books are heartbreakingly beautiful, but at least this one had a happy ending.

 

A MILLION OUT OF FIVE STARS!

 

 

 

Ps, don't forget that If I Stay is in all Cinemas, starring Chloe Grace Moretz.

 

 



 

 

 

Most Anticipated 2015 Releases

Books. BOOKS. BOOKS!

Wow! It's nearly the end of September and before long 2015 will be with us, and for us book-ish people we are all probably making lists of our most anticipated releases. I know I sure have been. Favourite authors are bringing out books and we all want them immediately, some of which we know we have to wait so long for that we confuse ourselves on whether we should read their most recent one.

So I've jotted down a few releases that I am very excited for. There's about fifteen overall, but I've pulled the list down to five for this blog post. Ps, don't forget to comment what books you're excited for!


BOOK ONE: Lady Midnight (Book 1, The Dark Artifices) by Cassandra Clare.

There's no surprise that this is my most anticipated release. Cassandra Clare is without a doubt one of the best Young Adult authors out there. Her books are addictive and filled with action, but what I love more is that Cassandra Clare includes diverse characters into her books. In fact, Cassandra has stated that she plans to write a transgendered character in one of her series, which I am super happy for. Lady Midnight is planned to be released in September 2015. (There is no cover. Yet.)

Click here for Goodreads page: Lady Midnight



BOOK TWO: I Was Here by Gayle Forman.

Gayle Forman has easily become one of my favourite authors, especially after Where She Went (My review will be up on Wednesday, watch this space!). I was here is another Young Adult contemporary based on a girl, Cody who realises that she never knew her best friend, Meg as well as she thought. It's due to be released on January 27th, so not long to wait.

Click here for Goodreads page: I Was Here




BOOK THREE: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black.

This is really surprising for me, because I didn't really enjoy The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. I ended up giving up after fifty pages because it was slow paced and Tana didn't really connect to me. However, The Darkest Part of the Forest sounds brilliant. Two teenagers who believe they can stop faeries. There's also a glass coffin in the forest. A GLASS COFFIN! This book is due out in Janurary of 2015.

Click here for Goodreads page: The Darkest Part of the Forest



BOOK FOUR: Confess by Colleen Hoover.

Colleen Hoover should be on everyone's list for anticipated releases. Everyone of her books that I've read (Ugly Love and Maybe Someday) have been amazing, so much feels in everyone. Plus she writes some lovable characters. Ridge and Sydney were perfect, so was Maggie. Tate was such a relatable character with flaws as was Miles. Now I'm excited to read about Owen and Auburn. Plus it's about art, something I've loved since I was a child. Confess is planned to be released in March 2015. (No cover yet.)

Click here for Goodreads page: Confess



BOOK FIVE: Mind Games by Teri Terry.

YES! YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES! Teri Terry has another Dystopian/Thriller coming out, like it could get anymore perfect. Slated is one of my all time favourite Dystopia trilogies (Shattered wasn't near as good, but I enjoyed it). And this one had different worlds in there, both the real and virtual. Mind Games will follow a girl called Luna (LOVE THIS NAME!) and is due out in March (Why is everything coming out in March? Insurgent movie, new Colleen Hoover, everything else.)

Click here for Goodreads page: Mind Games

 

Honorary Mentions

 

 

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows.

 

I've never read anything by Jodi Meadows, but this book has me excited. A high fantasy novel with a female spy and magic. It publishes on March 10th 2015.

 

 

Angelfall (Book 3) by Susan EE.

 

I've been waiting for ages to get my hands on this book (even though there is no title yet.). Angelfall and World After were brilliant and I need this in my life. A post-apocalyptic novel surrounding Angels. Evil angels.

 

 

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

 

Once again, I've never read a book by Melissa Grey, but I have wanted too. It's been described as Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, which excites me! It's published in April 2015 by ATOM.

Depression: My Story

1 in 8 teens suffer from depression

Now I've never spoken about my life really. But being only eighteen you may all think that I've had it all easy, because that's what it's supposed to be when you're young; you should live your life, having fun, going out with your friends, getting drunk, etc. I am not like that and never have been.

One of the biggest things of my life is my depression. It changed me.

My story of depression started when I was fifteen years old, I came out as gay. Many people would say that it was a brave move coming out as having an attraction to boys when they go to an all boys school, I'm sure it was to some people, but to me it was all about being happy. I felt like I was in constant pain because I wasn't being myself, so when I let it out I felt like I could finally be myself and be happy at the same time.

At first the boys in my school appeared to be fine, but they weren't. It took them all three weeks before they started name calling me and it became very clear that they wanted to make my life hell. Every day, all day for months on end, they could call me Faggot, Bender, Freak, Gay Boy and those don't even seem bad, but for a fifteen year old who was like a new born baby and soaked up everything, it hurt. A lot.

After a few months of life torment, the verbal abuse became physical. I was never punched, kicked and assaulted, but they did start pushing me into walls, tripping me over when I walked past and threw food and cans of pop at me. There's only so much you can take before you explode, and when I did and told the teachers nothing was done about it because I didn't know the names of the boys. I could've pointed them out to them, but they wasn't interested.

At one point during this, I, myself had started to change.

Not on the outside, but inside. I was feeling hate towards myself, wanted plastic surgery to change everything; my nose mainly. But it wasn't just that. I started to snap at people, they could be nice to me and I'd want to punch them in the face. My concentration had suffered and I started to isolate myself from everyone. My life diary was wake up, go to school, come home and go to bed and I'd come out when everyone was in bed. I was a complete recluse, I didn't know who I was. 

Everything took a complete one-eighty when a boy in my year at school threatened to slit my throat open. He was known for taking drugs and for being very violent, so when I told my school and they did nothing, I felt like I was in no way safe there. I lost all respect for the teachers and I never felt safe there, in fact when I was doing my A Levels I was so scared to go in there that I sometimes faked I was ill and couldn't go.

The second time my depression came (mine comes in stages) it was when I came out as my alter-ego: FiFi La Femme (Now Azalea-Lee). People didn't understand it and if I am being honest, I don't think I truly understood it. I wasn't questioning my sexuality, I was also questioning for gender. I tell no lie when I say this, I did love wearing female clothes, makeup and wigs. I felt beautiful and confident. I had never felt that.



During this stage of depression my life really did change. I began to self-harm. I couldn't control the pain I was feeling, so taking a knife to my wrist made me feel in control. When they stopped working I went and started taking medication. I was already on them because of a ear infection, but two pills every four hours went to me taking, on average twenty - twenty five pills. I was faking I had a ear ache, toothache or stomach bug and my family believed me. However, I was never thinking of what I was doing to myself. (I'll tell that part later).

I'm not ashamed to admit that I have tried to take my own life. Your mind just goes around and round and then when you have a chance you take it. I wrapped a rope around my neck and started to suffocate myself. I did stop, I always did, but the option was always there. Always in the back of my mind.

When I went to the doctor, she diagnosed me with Severe Depression and I was made to go and have a blood test due to over-medicating. It turned out that I had damaged my liver. I was on the edge of a mental breakdown. I could've cried because I had did this to myself. I was to blame, no one but me.

Everything ended in December of 2013. It's September 2014 now and I still have urges to cut. I'm not happy with myself, but I am learning to control that. In fact I have started to think about applying for NYU to study Journalism. I already have a place in University for next year, but I want more out of life and moving to New York feels right for me. I'm also planning on getting a nose job when I turn twenty-one.

I've not over medicated since everything happened, I take them responsibly now, although the temptation is there. I am very proud that I have suffered with depression because it's made me into who I am today. I'm a strong minded person who wants better out of life. I'm also confident in knowing who I am and there is not one thing that people can say that will put me down.

Cover Reveal: Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry

Title: Breaking the Rules

Author: Katie McGarry

Publishers: MiraInk (HarlequinTeen)

Format: E-book

Date: 30th December

Summary:

A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.

My views:

I love this cover and I am so excited for the release later this year. Pushing the Limits is one of my all time favourite Contemporary books, so now that their story is continuing I am very happy. My only hatred is that it doesn't come out as a physical book.

Want to read a preview of Chapter 1? Read it here

Preorder Links:

 

Amazon | Book Depo

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J Maas
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: August 2nd 2012
Page Number: 406

Summary:

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

Review:

 

I got on the Throne of Glass wagon really really late. Everyone on Booktube was hyping it up to be this incredible fantasy book and I needed to read it. I got it in December and read it last month. My views are mixed.

 

The first 180 pages were very slow and not at all interesting. Chaol was dragging her around and around in the castle so that she couldn't find her way out if she were to escape, while the Prince, Dorian wanted to have a word with her. With it being slow it does take away from the experience of reading the book, but Celaena is a character that's very kick-ass.

 

After the 180 pages everything picked up. The story started to develop and we were introduced to new mysteries and characters. With this being a Fantasy I never expected there to be a mystery element involved and I only wished that Sarah J Maas mastered the mystery arts. She did not. I'm known for being a bit of a murder/mystery TV show addict and I can predict the murders being one hundred percent correct. And I was right with this book. I guessed everything from the manipulation to the actual murderer.

 

Another element that annoyed me was that we never saw everything. Maas would say someone had been eliminated or had died, but we never knew. It was like she had these few side characters names and kept them alive. But I couldn't really fault it, too much. But don't stop reading here because the book did get better.

 

The love triangle wasn't polished enough for me, but it was still very enjoyable. I loved all three characters of Celaena, Dorian - MY ULTIMATE CRUSH - and Chaol. I'm still team Delaena and I think I always will be because despite him being a prince he never saw Celaena as someone who is beneath himself. I do wish he'd stand up for himself because a pushover is never a good trait. Celaena is great and Chaol is still a little mysterious for me and I hope I get a better understanding of him in Crown of Midnight (Book 2). My favourite character is Nehemia Ytger. She's a princess with class but also full of secrecy. I really enjoyed seeing her and Celaena's friendship develop and I'm expecting a lot more from her in the next few books.

 

Wrapping it up will be easy enough for me. I enjoyed it. This is a fantasy series that has promise, I can see it becoming better and better with each and every book. Hopefully I can start Crown of Midnight and work onto Heir of Fire - which was recently released - and wrap them up until the fourth book in the series. But I really did enjoy it, despite the few problems. 3/5 STARS!

The Ultimate Book Tag

I saw this tag over at libertyfallsdown. I've been meaning to do a few blog book tags and I thought this one was almost perfect. It'll be fun and simple. Plus I can still sip away at my tea while typing out my answers. I'm drinking PGTips if anyone was wondering. Without further a do....here are the questions.

Questions:

1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
 All the time. I'm one of those weird teenagers who feel sick in a car anyway after being in there for more than thirty minutes. The only thing I can do without feeling sick is either fall asleep or sing my heart out, which annoys my family, which is also why I love doing it. But if there was a tablet that could allow me to read without being sick in a car then I would take it.

2. Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?
 I have two authors come to mind: Teri Terry and Susan EE. Teri Terry writes specifically towards a Dystopian world. Her pro's are beautiful, but weird and her characters almost speak like they're prone to feelings. Susan EE has a short sentenced structure to her books. Each sentence could be three words long and you'd still love it. I tend to think it adds more personality to the book.

3. Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer.
You will all hate me, but I've not read the Twilight Saga and I'm only four books in on Harry Potter. As a child I would've loved Harry Potter, but I'm nearing nineteen now and the books aren't really fun. They're very slow. However I also think that I would've loved Twilight back when I was a pre-teen. Vampires are something I've always loved. I'll have to read them one day.

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is in it (besides books…)?
Nope. I never had time to spare in school, so what would be the point. Plus I'm OCD when it comes to my books. If a book gets damaged I have a rant and then buy a new copy.

5. Do you smell your books?
One hundred percent. But not before spraying my Lady Gaga perfume on them.

6. Books with or without little illustrations?
 I'm not bothered about it. A little illustrations can be cute, but I prefer books to only have illustrations on the beginning chapters. I don't want to be distracted from reading by a few drawn pictures.

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?
 I don't actually know. I only got into reading a little over a year ago, but if I find that book then I'll let y'all know.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!
 I remember smacking someone in the face at a school book fair because they were about to get the last book on the shelf that I wanted. But it turned out that they had more in their cart. I was shouted at, but I wasn't bothered. I got the book!

9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf?
Probably Blood Brothers or Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo. I always thought Private Peaceful was quite a big book when I was twelve. When I saw it after five years I was merely shocked.

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?

City of Heavenly Fire. It's 733 pages long. But I do have A Game of Thrones in my wardrobe because it makes my bookshelf look a mess.

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?
Yes and it is my dream. I write New Adult fiction with characters set in College or University. But I'm also hoping to start writing some Dystopian very soon. You can follow my writing on my Wattpad account: FabulousDoll

12. When did you get into reading?
 I loved reading as a child, but gave up when I was about eleven. I started back reading last year and I've been addicted ever since. I'm annoyed that I gave something up that is now quite a big part of my life.

13. What is your favorite classic book?
 I've only read a few, but Of Mice and Men. I also love Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I hope to one day get a tattoo inspired by it. The 2010 remake of the film is also very good.

14. In school was your best subject Language Arts/English?
 Not at first. I was always told that my story writing sucked, but I kept at it. When I was in year 10 my writing started to improve and I passed my GCSE's with flying colours. I was predicted an E, I had a B. I also enjoyed Art in school as well as Welsh and History.

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated…what would you do?
 If they gave me the receipt then I'd take it back, but if not then I'd donate it to charity or my local library.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?
 I'm not really sure. Most Dystopia get published saying that they'll be the next Hunger Games and it annoys me, but my favourite Dystopian would have to be Divergent, which is very similar. I'd also go with Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. As for Harry potter? I have none. But just check out anything by Cassandra Clare, she's amazing!

17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while blogging?
 I don't think I have any apart from lip syncing when I'm out walking.

18. What is your favorite word?
 LUSH (It's a Welsh thing.)

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?
I'm not any of them. I'm more of a sassy confident bitch. I do have a nerdy side when it comes to writing books, reading and quiz shows though.

20. Vampires or Fairies? Why?
I'm undecided. I've only read a few books with vampires in and I enjoyed them, but I've never read a book with Fairies (Faes). I think I'll like both though.

21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?
 If they're human killing Angels then absolutely yes!

22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?
 DARN! I love Ghosts. Its my dream to go on a Ghost Tour and I've had experiences with the dead. But I like Werewolves too.

23. Zombies or Vampires?
If they're the Zombies from Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter then one hundred percent yes. If not then, no.

24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love
 It depends. If they can pull off a love triangle like Cassandra Clare then continue with it, but if not then I'd prefer them to stop writing them. However, I love a good forbidden love story.

25. AND FINALLY: Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
Once again it depends. If it's a Dystopian or Epic Fantasy then I want action-packed/romance. If it's a contemporary or New Adult then romance.

Feel free to have a go at this tag. I thought it was a fun one to do and I am definitely going to be doing another tag soon. Maybe I'll make it a once every two weeks thing. But...yeah. I had fun.

Top 5 Wednesday: Author Blurbs

Top 5 Wednesday was set up by Lainey over at GingerReadsLainey. Every week you have a new topic and you pick your top 5 choices for each topic. This is done in Vlogs, but I think it will be great for Bloggers to do as well. Today's topic is Top Author Blurbs. I have a great selection ranging from Dystopia and Contemporary.

So here are my top 5 picks for Author Blurbs.



FIFTH PLACE: Irish Independent for If I Stay by Gayle Forman

"Sometimes painful, other times funny but always touching, If I Stay is a remarkably fresh and compelling piece of work. It's a book with a real heart, a book that makes you feel truly grateful to be alive."  I chose this one because I agreed with everything that was said. If I Stay is a book that makes you feel grateful to be alive, but not only that, it makes you cherish everything you have.



FOURTH PLACE: James Dashner for Divergent by Veronica Roth

"Divergent is a captivating, fascinating book that kept me in constant suspense and was never short on surprises. It will be long time before I quit thinking about this haunting vision of the future." James Dashner wraps everything I would've said in two sentences. It's been six months since I first read it and it's always on my mind. The world building. The characters. The fact that being separated after a war. It's very realistic. Ps, if it does happen let me be in Dauntless.



THIRD PLACE: Jennifer Echols for Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

"McGarry details the sexy highs, the devastating lows and the real work it takes to build true love." Love is something that needs to be worked on every day. There is always something that challenges you and in this book Echo and Noah defied the odds and showed everyone what a real relationship is. It's not about popularity or sex. It's about overcoming each and every challenge together.




SECOND PLACE: John Green for Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

"Reminded me not just what it's like to be young and in love with a girl, but what it's like to be young and in love with a book." Everything is perfect with this blurb apart from the girl part - it'd be boy for me - Eleanor and Park is a book you can fall in love over and over again with. It's beautifully written with flawed, diverse characters. It's exactly what the YA community needed. Two people are aren't afraid to stand out.




FIRST PLACE: Lindsay Cummings for Slated by Teri Terry

"Everything I have been looking for in a book: suspense, mind-bending mystery, romance and just the right amount of Science-Fiction." We all know that Lindsay Cummings likes the darker side of books. But I have to completely agree with her on this one. This book had me on the edge of my seat. I was turning the pages faster than I would eating a bar of chocolate. I was addicted.





I'm always asked what my favourite quote is from Divergent and I always reply with that I have too many because the book is so addictive. But I do have a favourite from it and I'm going to show you it in the form of a GIF. A Theo James shirtless GIF. Enjoy!

 

 

Now let me know down below in the comment section what your favourite author blurbs are. They can be blurbs your blog friends have done, one a newspaper have done or ones that an author has done. Any blurb is more or less a good blurb.

Cover Reveal: Wicked by Jennifer L Armentrout

Holy cow, y'all! We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for Jennifer L. Armentrout's WICKED! WICKED is a New Adult Paranormal Romance and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Wicked Trilogy. It is being released on December 8^th, 2014. So make sure you pre-order it today!!

 

Amazon

WICKED Synopsis: Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans. Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart. Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her. But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

 

About Jennifer L. Armentrout: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.  

 

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Review: Onyx by Jennifer L Armentrout

Title: Onyx (The Lux Series, Book 2)
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Genre: Paranormal/Romance
Publisher: Entangled Teen (Soon to be Hodder and Stoughton in UK)
Published: August 14th 2012
Page Number: 366

Summary:

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Review:

 

"Everything starts to change in this sequel. Just as good as Obsidian, if not better!"

 

Writing a review for a sequel is very hard. I can't give you guys any spoilers, so this will go more about my feelings about the book and if I think the characters developed from Obsidian.

 

Jennifer L Armentrout does get bonus points for this book. There's a character that appears once in page 29, who none of you probably remember, but for me he was the only one I will one hundred percent remember. His name is Billy Crump. Now the reason why this character will stay with me is not because his surname is unusual. It's because we share the same surname. Yep, my surname is Crump. So you can imagine my reaction when I saw it, if you cant then just know I busted out laughing and hid my face with my book because I was bright read.

 

Moving on, I definitely felt like this book was both better and worse than Obsidian. Not much action went down and I really wished it had, because Obsidian ended so great that I one hundred percent thought there was going to be a lot of secrets revealed. I was also expecting a scene between Ash and Katy where they at least try and get on. The good thing was that we had good action scenes when they came and a lot of predictable suspects who somehow made me love them.

 

The characters in Onyx definitely went through some sort of change. Katy found something big out and it changed her as a person. She also had to get used to the idea of her mother having a new boyfriend even though her father had died. No one wants a replacement. Ever.

 

In Onyx my favourite character was definitely Dee. We get to really understand her in this book and her relationship with Adam is just...perfect. As a "Teenager" Dee is trying to figure things out and I felt like she handled them maturely. The only note I would say is that PDA in the school cafeteria is a big "no no".

 

Overall, I felt like this was a good sequel. The only criticism is that I wished that there was something more. Everything else was good though. 4/5 Stars!