Books I Wish Had A Sequel

This week I'm really working hard on bringing you guys a post each day of the week except the weekend. So that is five brand new content of work from me, all different and all relating to our favourite things in the world; books. So todays topic is books I would love a sequel to. Now all three books are standalones, however, I do sometimes feel that while the ending is nice there is still so much more I want from these books, or another POV I'd like to see. Now my list does only consist of three books but all the books on this list are some of my all time favourites.

I WAS HERE BY GAYLE FORMAN

In 'I Was Here' we know that Megan has committed suicide, we know she's battled with depression which may seem unusual as to why I'd love a story from her POV. Set before her ending in life and after she starts at her new school. I want to see what really factored into her suicide and what her final thoughts were. And while that may seem personal I really feel like there's a lesson to be learned from it.


ELEANOR AND PARK BY RAINBOW ROWELL

We've all mentioned how we'd love a sequel to this story, because the truth is Eleanor and Parks story is not over. Even Rainbow mentioned that herself when I went to a book signing of hers back in 2014 and she mentioned that Eleanor and Park always felt like a duology but the two combining books being set years apart. And it totally makes sense. Do Eleanor and Park finally reconnect? Are they happy with other people? This is the important stuff I want - and need - to know.


THE HATE U GIVE BY ANGIE THOMAS

THUG is one of my favourite books of this year and I know Angie has announced that there will be another book set in the same world, which I'm so excited about because Angie just delivers on a raw, fresh narrative that we don't see often in YA. Now for myself I'd really love to see a story about DeVante and how he copes with leaving the gang and what happens in the gang world, because normally their motto is "Once your in you can never leave". I also want to see what happens with his future as I believe he has some great things ahead of him.



So those are a few of the books I'd love to see a sequel to.
What books do you wish could have a sequel?
Let me know in the comments.

Review: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Title: All The Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven
Genre: YA Contemporary / Mental Health
Publisher: Penguin Books UK
Published: January 8th 2015
Page Number: 388
Rating: 1/5

Summary:

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the 'natural wonders' of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself - a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink.

REVIEW

All The Bright Places was described as 'Eleanor and Park' meets 'The Fault in Our Stars', which is problematic in itself. While I LOVE 'Eleanor and Park' I actually disliked 'The Fault in Our Stars' and saw so many problems with it, especially the romance. And to be compared to such huge, well known authors is a statement, a statement that I disagreed with.

I so badly wanted to enjoy this book, especially since it's about Mental Health but I couldn't help but feel disconnected from the characters and their offish personalities. I couldn't see Theodore and Violet as real people because they had no personality, instead they became their illness, walking zombies in the midst of life. And in some aspects I understand it, but I found myself hating them both.

Depression, self-harm and suicide is something I'm very well known with, in fact I'd say we were best friends at one point. I was so depressed back in 2013-2014 that I scarred my arms for life, tried to overdose on medication and also tried to hang myself. Twice. I was in a dark place with no hope of seeing light, and while I'm aware that no depression story is the same, I just felt like Jennifer created the characters for the sake of having a story with mentally ill characters.

And to be honest, All the Bright Places is just another over-hyped book that fails on anything original. Mental Illness is not a trend, it's a serious problem and I just wished Jennifer Niven could have given it a more realistic portrayal.

 

Buy the Book (Wordery) | Buy the Book (Book Depository)

 

 

 

🎧: 'We Won't by Jaymes Young & Phoebe Ryan

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: January 30th 2014
Page Number: 459
Rating: 4/5

 

Summary:

 

Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life. Without Wren Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words ...And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone. Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible ...

 

Review:

 

After reading Eleanor and Park - Which I absolutely loved by the way - I decided to wait until the paperback of Fangirl came out, so I could read it and enjoy all the extra comic pictures of the characters. And once again I was not disappointed by Rainbow Rowell. Is there nothing she can't do?

 

The story follows twins Cath and Wren who are about to start College and while Wren wants her own independence, it's clear that Cath doesn't. She want's her roommate to be Wren, she wants to write fan fiction with Wren, she wants to be joint at the hips with Wren like she always has been. On her first day of College we're introduced to both Levi and Reagan, who play a huge part of the story as well as Wren, Cath's father and Nick. It's instant that there's somewhat an attraction between Cath and Levi and it really is great to see an older, more mature character in a YA book. It's refreshing. Over the story we see a lot of ups and down, but also a lot of hot makeup scenes and I'm not talking about Levi and Cath. In fact there's more action happening between Simon and Baz then it is Levi and Cath.

 

Cath wasn't the best character to have as a main protagonist. I found her to be extremely immature for her age and the fact that she became a recluse because she was too scared wasn't very convincing. I think she was lost without her Twin, Wren who was an epic character and full of sass! Still Cath was extremely boring. Her days went like this:

 

1. Wake up

2. Have breakfast

3. Go to class

4. Stay in the library

5. Sleep

 

It became annoying, but after the incident that happened with her father she came out of her shell, which was great because we got to know her a bit more, but it would've worked better if she weren't so lonely, annoying and immature.

 

The other main protagonist in this book was Levi. He is definitely a great character: witty and full of charm and has a slight obsession with gay fan fiction - sorry, not sorry - His relationship with Cath was very confusing. It was borderline friendship/awkwardness and then after the whole he-kissed-another-girl-in-his-kitchen incident it felt like he realised that he liked Cath a lot more than he thought and decided to act like a jerk - a sweet jerk - and he still is one of my favourite book characters.

 

Overall, I really loved that Fangirl was set in College because there's no other YA book set in college. I loved that despite her annoying traits, Cath showed the awkwardness and nervousness of going to college for the first time and having a hard time settling in. But to be honest, its Rainbow Rowell, so it wasn't going to be bad.....Unless Levi was never in the story and then it would be bad. But I really enjoyed it and found myself to fly through it very quickly. 

My All Time Favourite Books

I'm quite a very fussy reader. Not every book I read I will like, especially if it's been over-hyped. But before I started booktubing (Don't do it anymore) and blogging, I found it so much easier to read a book without judging it on the hype because I never checked reviews for it. Out of the seven books/series (series counts as one) only one of them was actually read before I started blogging and booktubing, the rest I heard of because of my favourite booktubers. None of these have any rankings because, like I said, they're all my favourite books.

Don't forget that tomorrow is Top 5 Wednesday and the topic is Favourite Book Titles.





The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.

I absolutely love this series and unlike everyone else, I actually prefer this series to The Infernal Devices. This is a fast-paced, action-packed series with some of the best characters ever created. Clary and Jace are amazing, so are Maia and Jordan. Also this features a Gay relationship. And that conclusion to the series? ABSOLUTELY FREAKING EPIC! Every book was rated a 5/5 STARS!





Slated by Teri Terry.

I  have raved so much about this Trilogy. The first two books are fantastic, the third one was a let down, but aren't most? This is such a unique and futuristic world that appears to be a very realistic vision for our future. What I love most is that this is probably the most intense Dystopian I've ever read. The only negative is the new boy/love interests that comes in every book.





Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry.

This is a darker contemporary, but for me it is so realistic and very relatable. I suffer with severe depression and have self-harmed, so I understood exactly how Echo felt. Worthless and undeserving of love. But what I loved most was the fact that two broken souls came together and fixed each other. If you're not into Teen romance stories then I guess this wouldn't be for you, but if you do then go for it. Their story continues in the sequel being published in December.




A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

This is the book I was telling you about that I read before I started blogging. At that time I hardly ever read and this book just appealed to me, it became one of my favourite series. The series is a mix of Fantasy, Romance, History and Action. It has been compared to
Twilight, but it's definitely not like Twilight. These Vampires are dangerous and it has Witches in it. The characters are great and the historical context behind it all in amazing! I also met Deborah and she's super lovely.



Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.

I've also met Rainbow Rowell. In fact I met both Deb
orah and Rainbow in the same month, a few days after each other. Eleanor and Park is set in the 1980's and follows their story of falling in love for the first time. Eleanor is such a relatable and unique character; she's overweight, has unruly red, curly hair and stitches weird things on her clothes. Park is Asian. The way the story is written and how they connect through Comics and Mixed Tapes was beautiful. I will say in warning that the ending will cause you to cry.




The White Rabbit Chronicles by Gena Showalter.

This will be featured in my T5W for my Halloween Recommendations post, and so they should. This is one of my all time favourite trilogies because it focuses on the family as well as everything else that's going on. These books have some of the best characters and the whole fresh twist on the zombies was such a surprise. I would like a TV Show or Movie on these books, but I'm not sure if we'll ever get one.




Last but not least.....


Slammed by Colleen Hoover.

This is a recent read of mine and I could not get over how amazing this book was. Colleen Hoover has to be one of the best writers out there, she reminds me of a female Nicholas Sparks. Slammed focuses on the importance of life and how we kind of take it for granted. This is one of the only books (apart from Eleanor and Park, Where She Went and Allegiant) that made me cry. So much love.

My ratings are so unusual. I have an All Time Favourites Shelf and a Favourites Self. A book can be rated 5 stars and only make my Favourites Shelf. My All Time Favourites are ones that I can heavily relate too and I never want them to end.

 

So....What are your favourites?

Top 5 Wednesday: Books I thought I'd hate, but loved

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 5 Books you thought you'd hate, but ended up loving. There's not many books that I really thought I'd hate, but loved, so this week was easy. If anything it would've been harder if the topic was books you think you'd love, but hated. 

HERE ARE MY TOP 5:




FIFTH PLACE: Angelfall by Susan EE.

There's actually a reason as to why I thought I'd hate this book, and that's because I tried reading it twice before and could not get into it. I'd manage one chapter and would give up, so when I tried reading it for the third time I was surprised by how much I started to like the book. Once it was over I needed to get my hands on the next book, luckily for me World After was released about two weeks later.




FOURTH PLACE: The Selection by Kiera Cass.

I was judging the book by it's cover, which is very girly, but pretty. It's a girl in a dress and it looked more like a middle grade princess book, rather than a Young Adult Dystopian. However, the book was really good. I loved America Singer and the whole idea of a Dystopian that's a mix of The Bachelor and Big Brother. The best thing about the book is that it took me about three hours to read. I will admit that I've yet to read the sequel, The Elite. But I will do one day.





THIRD PLACE: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.

I had never read a Rainbow Rowell book at this point, but I had heard a lot about her. Every Booktube video I watched; Haul videos or tag videos included a Rainbow Rowell book, so when I started it I wasn't entirely sold on the idea. However, Eleanor and Park attached themselves to my heart and clung to it, never letting go. Their story is one that I recommend to everyone because it is one of the best pieces of Young Adult fiction. In fact I think it'll be a classic in a hundred years time.




SECOND PLACE: Divergent by Veronica Roth.

This book has been mentioned in a lot of my T5W posts, but this one has to be in it because I was that surprised by the book. I HATE The Hunger Games so much, so when my friend pitched this idea of Divergent to me I was bored. It seemed so similar and I knew I was going to hate it, but boy was I wrong. So wrong! The book had me hooked from page one and I stayed up until four am reading it, even though I had an exam that morning.






FIRST PLACE: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

I did not like Beautiful Creatures one bit. It was too dragged out and it took me about two weeks to finish, even though I know that a book that size can take me about three days. So when I decided to start Beautiful Darkness I thought it'd be the same, but once again I was so wrong. I read it in two days and couldn't stop flipping the pages. This book was and is the best one out of all four books.

 

I really liked this topic because it makes you realise that you really can't judge a book by it's cover or it's synopsis. You have to judge the book purely on what's on the inside and each and every one of these books have proved that. I told you guys my top 5, but what are yours?

 

Comment in the comment sections and lets discuss!

Top 5 Wednesday: Favourite Female Characters

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 5 Favourite Female Characters, which is a topic I'm having a struggle with because I love a lot of female characters, like most of anyone does. But I've tried my best to name my top five.

So without further ado......



FIFTH PLACE: Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments.

The reason why I like Clary so much is because she shows both sides of being weak and strong. She's not perfect and kick-ass in the first book, like some female characters are that it makes it realistic. Plus Clary is a character that everyone can relate too, she's a normal teenage girl who's got a somewhat hard life and struggling to make a choice between boys. (I also like Maia from this series, but she was only in the last few of them, not from the beginning.)





FOURTH PLACE: Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter Series.

Luna is one of those characters that would be my best friend if I was in those novels. She's weird, which I like, but she's mysterious and kind, and has a gentle soul. Plus she can be a different person with a wand. My only dislike to her is her father because he is all kinds of creepy, but she, herself is a pretty cool chick. I still hate that she ended up with Neville, I thought her and Ron would've made a cute couple.






THIRD PLACE: Kat from the Burn for Burn Trilogy.

In the first book I wasn't so fussed on Kat. I liked her, but not enough for her to be my favourite character. In the second book, Fire with Fire she's so much better. She's a loyal friend, who deserved a lot more chapters. Plus I liked the fact she was a tomboy who kind of flirted with everyone. But please the lord, can she get with Alex. They're super adorable together and her whining is kind of getting on my nerves. In a good way.





SECOND PLACE: Christina from the Divergent Trilogy.

Everyone knows that I never really connected with Tris and Four in the whole trilogy, but I did with Christina. She's another person I'd be friends with and not because she tells the truth, but because she's got attitude and sass, something Tris doesn't possess. She also shows herself to be a worthy friend and I like that. I still have a question for Veronica Roth though. What happened to Tris' personality?





FIRST PLACE: Eleanor from Eleanor and Park.

I connect with Eleanor in so many ways. She's a character that I want to see more of in Young Adult fiction because it's real life. Not every girl happens to be stick thin and perfect, some stick out in society and it should be celebrated. For me, Eleanor is the character you can relate to in some way, but she's also very lovable. You connect with her and her life and then.....BAM! She stabs you in the heart and kind of ruins the whole story (in a good way). I would like to know what Eleanor would look like as an Adult.

 

So who are some of your favourite female characters? Let me know in the comments, so we can discuss them!

October TBR

IT'S HALLOWEEN. WELL ON THE 31ST, BUT I'M EXCITED! PUMPKIN SCENTED CANDLES ARE THE BEST!

 

 

 

Now I'm not someone who really sticks to my TBR's, but I'm trying to get better as I'm trying to read one hundred books this year, so far I have read 82, which is great, but not good enough. So this TBR is split into two parts because I have my normal TBR and then my Halloween TBR. One of the books in the Halloween part is a Contemporary and that's because it's part of Carrie Hope Fletchers Booktober.

 

So let me show you what I'm hoping to read.

 

 

 

PART ONE

 

 

 

Wake by Amanda Hocking.

 

 

This book has been on my TBR list for a couple of months because my friends have enjoyed it a lot, so I wanted to read it. It's about a girl called Gemma who loves taking late-night swims and one morning wakes up on the beach with a weird feeling. She's faster, stronger, and more beautiful than ever. I know it doesn't sound epic, but I'm taking part of NaNoWriMo and I'm writing a novel about Sirens, it's called Sirena and is the first in The Sirena Legacy.

Goodreads




Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter.

This is the third and final book in The White Rabbit Chronicles and I'm both excited and sad about this book. I'm excited because I love the world that Gena has created, but I'm sad because it's ending. This series is about a girl called Alice Bell who loses her parents in a car accident and finds out that she's special. What's unique is that in this world you have to fight the zombies in the spirit realm. It's seriously addictive!

Goodreads




You Against Me by Jenny Downham.

I read Before I Die by Jenny Downham a while back and really enjoyed it, what Jenny writes about are quite heavy subjects and this one is no different. It focuses on a guy called Mickey who's sister has been raped. The guy gets sent down and Mickey's world starts to crumble when he falls in love with Ellie. Who's brother is the one who raped Mickey's sister. I'm hoping I'll like it, but I'm not one hundred percent sure I'll love it.

Goodreads




Lips Touch by Laini Taylor.

I received this to review from Hodder and it publishes on October 23rd. I'm so excited. This is three short stories published as a full book with illustrations done by Laini's husband Jim. The illustrations are beautiful and all three stories sound great! They're about Goblins and Demons, so perfect for the Halloween time. My review of Lips Touch will be uploaded on October 21st.

Goodreads





The Jewel by Amy Ewing.

This is a new release and one I am very excited about. In this Dystopian world, young girls are auctioned off to become surrogate for posh couples. Like most Young Adult books this one has a boy involved that crashes Juliet's world to the ground. My only hesitation is that I'm not sure this is a solid idea for a trilogy.

Goodreads






 PART TWO - HALLOWEEN EDITION

 

 

 

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.

 

This is a re-read for me, but this is the forth choice for Carrie's Booktober and I had to take part. I love Eleanor and Park so much. The story is both beauty

ful and heart-breaking, I cried so hard at this. If you haven't read this then it's about a girl called Eleanor who's overweight, ginger with wild curly hair who moves into this small village and instantly becomes the outcast. On her first day of school no one offers her a seat, until Park does. Park is Asian and loves comics and music. That first day is the start of Eleanor and Parks love story.

 

Goodreads

 

 

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa.

 

A Dystopian world where Vampires use human as their blood cattle. I read over 100 pages a while back and stopped because my fingers reacted to the covers, but what I did read was amazing. So fast paced. Plus this is the perfect read for Halloween. Blood. Death. And Vampires. What more could you want?

 

Goodreads

 

 

 

 

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake.

 

I can't really say much about this book since I don't know much about it myself. All I know is that Anna haunts this house and kills those that trespass the property, but Cas kills the dead and somehow they fall in love. This one is slightly creepy and has been warned that young readers should not read it, unless they are prepared for it. The cover is gorgeous though.

 

Goodreads

 

 

 

 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

 

This comes out as a movie on tomorrow and I am excited for it. I'll be reading the book first, of course, but I've heard so much good stuff about this novel. The book is about Nick Dunne who's wife Amy goes missing and he is the main suspect because of the journal that Amy kept. The way this is written looks amazing as it's told in days, so chapter one is in Nick's POV and it's on the day of Amy's disappearance. I may not get to this novel, but if I don't then I'll read it in November.

 

Goodreads

 

 

 

 

So.....yeah, those are what I plan to read. My main goal is to read just 6 of the books, but if I read all 8 then I would be very happy. All the books seem great and I'm super happy. What have you planned to read? Are you going to follow a list or are you just going to grab a book off your shelf? Let me know in the comments below.

 



 

 

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.

Book Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Attachments
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Adult Fiction
Publisher: Orion
Published: February 2012
Page Number: 357

Summary:
By day, two young women spend their hours emailing each other, discussing every aspect of their lives. By night, Lincoln, a lonely IT guy, spends his hours reading every exchange. Soon Lincoln is drawn into their lives, and finds himself falling for one of them. Lincoln decides it's time to muster the courage to follow his heart.

Review:

I've read two former books by Rainbow Rowell and those were Eleanor and Park, which I absolutely loved and would highly recommend, and Fangirl, which was a great story! However, on Sunday 13th July I met Rainbow Rowell and at the signing I bought Attachments, since I had heard such good things about it. It did not disappoint.

Adult Fiction is one of those genre's that I have a love/hate relationship with. I tend to find that the books follow the same plots, but with different characters and different twists. However, this book was beautiful. It was funny as hell and read so much like a movie.

I WANT IT TO BE A MOVIE!

The way Rainbow Rowell writes Jennifer and Beth is incredibly well done. Their friendship is real and sincere and they are hilarious. I cannot count how many times I burst out laughing while reading it. They are the type of girls you'd want to be friends with, because despite them being quite secretive they're also warm and welcoming.

And then you have Lincoln. Oh, Lincoln. He's a sweetheart. He's the guy every girl would dream to take home to their parents because they know they'd approve of him as soon as he had taken off his shoes. He's helpful, kind and it always made me smile when he ate food with Doris. What guy now-a-days would do that? Probably none.

However, there is always one thing I dislike about Rainbow Rowell's books. I never want them to end. They capture your attention from beginning to end and once you finish it's like opening a tub of ice cream and finding out that someone - probably your sisters or brothers - had eaten the last of it.

Just go out and buy this book. Read it. Live it. Review it and then hold on until Rainbow next publishes a book.

Quote:

 

'If you're after a book that reads like a movie, makes you smile and laugh, then this is it!' Bookbitchreviews.blogspot.co.uk

Top 5 Book Couples

So one of the aspects I enjoy in all my books are relationships. I'm not a lover of Insta-love, but once it is developed really well and I love the characters I can't help but feel like I'm watching two people fall in love. No matter their gender.


5th. Wanda and Ian from The Host by Stephanie Meyer -

I feel like I could always read the story of Wanda and Ian over and over. The DVD is good, but the book takes it's time to show how their trust and attraction changes. Ian tries to kill her at the beginning, but over time he begins to appreciate her seeing her for who she truly is. She's not a monster and we all know it, but seeing Ian's feelings change makes my heart flutter and together they are a perfect book couple. Their story always leaves me with tears in my eyes because Ian held her. Her parasite self and still thought she was beautiful. To be honest, who could not love Ian and Wanda?  


4th. Echo and Noah from Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry -

I must admit that at first I didn't like Echo. I thought she was a really annoying and selfish character, but over time I got to know her and why she felt like she did. But for me it was always better when she and Noah were together. They bounced off each other. They completed each other and I always loved their love/hate relationship. But what I loved most was their trust and friendship. Noah trusted her with his secret and so did she and for me I felt like that was when their relationship truly began. I also loved that they never gave up on each other and tackled every obstacle that came their way. They're one of my favourite couples.  


3rd. Eleanor and Park from Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell -

Eleanor and Park is my all time favourite contemporary book. Rainbow Rowell is the queen of contemporary, but the reason Eleanor and Park isn't higher on my list is because they didn't last. That is the premise of the book: First love never lasts and it does take you on an emotional roller coaster. What I loved about their relationship was how it came to be. They bonded over comics and music while traveling to and from school. No YA book has been developed like that. Did I think they were perfect together? No, I didn't. But that's what made me love them even more. They didn't match.  


2nd. John and Liv from The Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl -

The Caster Chronicles is not a very good series, but there are only a few characters I have a connection with and only four people who are couples that's I love and they are Link and Ridley and John and Liv. Of course, John and Liv are my favourite. John is a Hybrid. Part Caster, part Incubus, he's kind of dangerous in his own way. And Liv is kind, caring and British. Together they did not suit, but she changed him. The development of the friendship and romance changed them both and reading it was something special. I've even started to write John and Liv Fan Fiction because I want to see them in London. Maybe Kami and Margaret will write a series about them, who knows.

And taking the first spot for my all time favourite book couple is..... 


1st. Sophie and Gideon from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare -

When I was introduced to Sophie I immediately loved her. She was witty, sarcastic and stood up for herself which was shocking because she was a maid. Just seeing her love/hate relationship with Will really helped me understand her character because was may have hated him but deep down she loved him as a relative or a friend. For Gideon, when he was introduced I hated him. His father was a horrible guy, so was his younger brother and I expected him to be the same, but he was a bit different. Cassandra is probably my favourite for relationships. She develops them so nicely and this was no difference. Through out the second and third book we're given scenes where their connection builds and it irritates me because he wants to say 'I love you' but won't because he's seen as quite important and she's a maid. But the one sentence that completely got to me and made me smile was:  "I see it," Gideon said in a low voice. "I am not blind, and we are a people of many scars. I see it, but it is not ugly. It's just another beautiful part of the most beautiful girl I have ever seen." I mean, how can that not make you smile? I re-read it and I just think of how perfect they are for each other. They're like a very sweet dream and I'd never get tired of them. And that's why I cannot wait until 'The Last Hours' trilogy because they will hopefully be in it.   So that is the list of my Top 5 Book Couples. What did you think? Who are your top 5? Let me know. 

Top 13 Books of 2013

This is based on books I read this year and not ones that were published this year. Some of these books will be self-published as well. Also if a series got rated all the same then I count them as 1 book. If not then I'll just put my favourite book in the list.


13. Silence by Natasha Preston - 3.5/5

This book follows Oakley, who happens to be mute due to something that happened to her as a child. She's been best friends with Cole through-out her entire life and he knows what she's thinking just by looking at her expressions. The book 'Silence' dealt with some serious issues that not many authors would take on and the reason I gave it a 3.5 stars is because there were quite a few spelling mistakes and typos. This book is also self-published.


12. Broken Silence by Natasha Preston - 4/5

This book follows on with Silence, but this time it's fast forward four years. Oakley left for Australia and now she's back for the trial. However, she's not sure how to deal with Cole and the whole 'I still love him' phase. However, this book really closed the book up and made you think just how blessed you are. I only knocked it down because of the spelling mistakes and typo's. Natasha will also be having a book published next year, 'The Cellar' which will be published by Source Books.


11. The Selection by Kiera Cass - 4/5

At first I thought this book would've been terrible. However, it was written beautifully and the characters with brilliant. But the one character that I absolutely could not stand was Aspen. He couldn't decide if he wanted America or not and it happened on more than one occasion
through out the book. I wanted to give it a 5, but I felt like there was something missing.







10. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by J.K. Rowling - 4/5

I first read Harry Potter when I was 11 years old. And I loved it. I thought it was full of action, but now as an 18 year old boy, I felt differently about the book. In some parts it was slow and boring, but nearer to the end it got better. However, the character and world development had me hooked. I couldn't believe how brilliant it was.


9. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - 4/5

I can see why everybody loved this book. But I have read a lot of cliché and predictable books in the past years and this is included with them. Yes, the characters were great and the descriptions or Paris were amazing. But the book lacked something for me. I wanted more from the characters and the premise. However, it was still a great quick read.






8. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - 5/5

This book was amazing and at the beginning of the year I would've said that it was my absolute favourite. But then all the other books took over. Yes, this book made me laugh, smile and shed a few tears and it wasn't because it was just about cancer and love. The way it was written was beautiful and I loved John Greens take on Cancer. Overall an outstanding book!




7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - 5/5

For me this book was brilliant. Not only that, but it was full of action and had some amazing new characters. I also loved the development of both characters and world because we could see that Harry, Ron and Hermione had matured a bit. We also got to know about the chamber and the girls toilet which, even though isn't relevant, it kind of is. Best book in the series so far! (Only on the 4th book.)



6. Before I Die by Jenny Downham - 5/5

This book is about cancer, love and a girl so desperate to make her last few months left the best and trust me this book was amazing. There were parts where I hated it, but I think that was because I had watched the film (without knowing) before I read the book. The characters we ok and the premise was cliché. I did shed a tear though. One tear that is.





5. Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices) by Cassandra Clare - 5/5

Best book in the trilogy. I liked Clockwork Angel and I enjoyed Clockwork Princess, but for me this one was the best out of the lot. There was loads of action that kept me wanting to read more and through out this book we got to know the characters a lot more as well as the new ones. My favourite couple out of the series was Gideon and Sophie they're perfect for each other and seeing them develop was the right thing for Miss Clare to do.

4. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - 4.5/5


If you're wondering why this has a rating of 4.5 but is 4th on my list then it is because the book was amazing. However, I knocked it down by .5 because of the insta-love. Insta-love is my bookish pet peeve and as soon as I saw him say "I love you" after like 3 days I knew I had to knock it down. If this book didn't have the insta-love then it would've been 2nd or 3rd on my list.







3. Slated and Fractured by Teri Terry - 5/5

Both of these books were incredible. Not a lot of action happens, but where there is no action (Fighting, etc.) there is a lot of tense scenes which just made the book so much better. Also with the way it was written I felt like I was in Kyla's dreams. I was in the book. One thing that shocked me thought that in 40 years 'Slating' could happen.


2. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare - 5/5


Yes, this one is every single book of the series. I started it thinking I'd hate it, but came out of it obsessed with the series. The world. The characters. It's just mind blowing and I really want to be a shadow-hunter and one day I will. For me, Cassandra Clare is my favourite author of 2013. If you haven't read the series then I suggest you do because once you enter it you won't come back out!





1. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - 5/5 (If I could give it 10, I would.)

My original list had The Mortal Instruments as No.1. But I read Eleanor and Park and it was clear that this one had to had the first spot. It was quirky, cute and just amazing written. But what I loved most was the fact that Rainbow took us on a journey of high school, love and the Eighties. This book will probably be my all time favourite book without a doubt!

Book Review: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

                                                                                               


         Book Name: Eleanor and Park.
         Author: Rainbow Rowell
         UK Release Date: Been out since 2012
         UK Publishers: Orion
         Summary:

Eleanor is the new girl in town, and with a chaotic family life, her mismatched clothes and unruly red hair, she couldn't stick out more if she tried.

Park is the boy at the back of the bus. Black t-shirts, headphones, head in a book - he thinks he's made himself invisible. But not to Eleanor... never to Eleanor.

Slowly, steadily, through late-night conversations and an ever-growing stack of mix tapes, Eleanor and Park fall for each other. They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you're young, and you feel as if you have nothing to lose.

                                                          Praise for Rainbow Rowell:

'Heart-warming, romantic and great fun.' Closer.

'Hilarious.' Daily Record.

'An enjoyable read.' Star Magazine.

                                                          Review:

For an eighteen year old boy, I am not, entirely fussed on contemporary/romantic books because I find them really unrealistic and, to be honest, all the same. None of them never stand out because they either follow the bad boy, good girl cliché or the love is always insta
-love, which doesn't really happen in real life. Like, can you really fall in love within two days? My answer, of course would be No!

However, Eleanor and Park was completely different for me. Once I first started it I was taken in with the Eighties and experienced everything Eleanor and Park had. From that awkward first day on the school bus, to the never ending swapping of the comics and mix tapes. But most of all I felt like Rainbow Rowell had taken me on a journey of high school; a realistic journey.

Now most books set in high school follow the cliques where you have your typical Jocks, Cheerleaders, Goths, Theatre Nerds, Etc. But Rainbow Rowell did not. She created her school to be a realistic school where there are no cliques. Yes. You have your typical groups, but they weren't over taking the story. It developed it to become more real and that's why I couldn't put it down.

From the very first page we are taken to the future where you learn that their love didn't last. But if made the book even more better because I was eager to learn how Eleanor and Park came to meet. And how they began to fall for each other.

For me, their journey never got boring. In fact it got better and better and I couldn't help buy smile while reading every page. The book even had me laugh in a few places as well, which only made me fall in love even more. But even though it made me laugh there was also a part where I had tears in my eyes and that was the end.

It was sad to learn that Eleanor had to leave because of her step-father, but it was so great to learn that her life had become so much better after it all. And, if I'm honest I do believe that Eleanor and Park would meet each other again one day. 5 years. 10 years. 20 years. 50 years. No matter how many years would go by they would some how meet again and for that I am sure.

And because of Rainbow's amazing writing style and the journey she took me through I gave this an amazing FIVE STARS. There were no faults for me. Everything was realistic and it felt real, not fake and that made me even more happier.

Rainbow Rowell deserves every success she gets because she is a REAL author.

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