Delirium (Delirium #1)

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this book, love is a disease that scientists have developed a cure for. There are the occasional revolters, but this society tries to eradicate them as much as possible.

Lena Halloway is just a normal teenage girl living in the walls of this society, cared for by her aunt and very obedient. After her mother (view spoiler)[ supposedly (hide spoiler)] died years and years ago, Lena has been a strict adherent to the path set out for her.

All is well and good for little Lena, till she meets a boy.

And like in all YA fiction, it's downhill from there.

Is it possible to love a book even if you dislike the protagonist? I'm here to say, yes , it is incredibly possible, and this book is my proof.

Let's start with the negative, and then redeem the book at the end.

Lena is...
INFURIATING.

I am an advocate for strong female characters that fight for what they believe in, kick ass when they have to, and never give up.

How many of you agree?

*Counts hands*

All of you! Wonderful, we're on the same page.

But Lena, Lena...

is just so weak .

I suppose Oliver was simply trying for a new female protagonist personality, because all of them are so cliché,

But honestly, the damsel-in-distress DOES NOT WORK WITH DYSTOPIA.

Lena is content just to sit back and watch the events in front of her unfold, trying not to get her hands dirty. Until she gets some completely illogical, suicidal notion that almost kills everyone and ruins everything.

How the hell did Alex fall for her?

Alex seems like the type of guy that would go for a kick-ass, steel corset, dagger-taped-to-inner-thigh kind of girl (at least to me, he does), but Lena has none of these attributes!

I don't want to leave this review off on a bad note. I actually really liked the book.

The concept of love being a disease is a new, fresh take on the basic love story that we all are oh so familiar with, and have grown to relatively despise. In the world of dystopia, with everyone scrambling to grab the newest "corrupt-society idea", this one definitely has earned it's place.

The characters I like:

Hana
Alex
Lena's Mother

Characters I dislike:

(view spoiler)[ everyone else (hide spoiler)]

I absolutely love Hana. In my opinion, she should of been the heroine, she should've gotten the guy, she (view spoiler)[ should've escaped the society (hide spoiler)].

But that didn't happen. If you read her short story, (cleverly names "Hana") you'd know what really happened to her. (view spoiler)[ she got cured. (hide spoiler)]

Hana is headstrong and passionate; she doesn't need a boy to show her the joys of life and tell her how to enjoy herself. This is how the main character should've been.

Hana aside, I love how Oliver continuously calls "love" the deliria throughout the book, keeping the concept of it being forbidden but yet, overcome.

Don't even get me started on Pandemonium.

READ THIS BOOK. You'll love it. Ignore the negatives; focus on the positives. I'm just being picky. It's my thing.

This review is also on Goodreads.

2 Days

A Poem:

The paper turns beneath a finger—

Thin and flimsy,

Unaware of it's affect on your being.

The words run across the page—

Ice eyes melted by them,

And they end with the smallest of dots.

Frantically the search for more words—

The page yields nothing,

It's pale gaze unwavering.

All at once—

The story is ripped away,

And left is an empty hole the shape of its finality.

Frantically the search for a supplement—

And with it comes a price near unbearable to pay,

The cost of patience.

Quietly emotions fade—

In the background,

As if they never wracked your body.

The fruit of your patience—

Comes sudden, unexpected,

Yet gladly received.

And in it, you revel.

~

I KNOW IT'S CRAP.

IT'S LATE NIGHT AND I'M TRYING TO WRITE SOMETHING PROFOUND.

IT'S NOT WORKING.

I haven't posted in FOREVER. Since the beginning of September!

And guess what?

My dreams are coming true!

REACHED by Ally Condie comes out in TWO DAYS

TWO

TO 

TOO

2.

*Enough twos for you?*

I think it's enough for me.

Lately I've been immersing myself into classics, and boy, are they awesome. No wonder people call them awesome!

Like someone said once, "Those who think Shakespeare is boring, don't understand him." 

Les Miserables, The Odyssey, Dante's Inferno, and The Iliad serve to prove this person ^ right.

God, so many reviews to write.

So little will to do so.

Reached (Matched #3)

Reached by Ally Condie


Time flys by. When I first finished Crossed, November 12th seemed so, incredibly, riDONKulously far in the future.

And now it's only 66 days away!





asjl;rklergjkrjgierinjkgnjkfn

I CAN'T EVEN

i'll shut up now.


This review is also on Goodreads.

Pet Names, Life, and Update

Why hello my little owlets! Is it okay if I call you owlets? My favorite animals are owls and all different types of birds of prey.... hence the name, BirdsAndPoetry. So, my new pet name for you all is "owlets."

I'm writing this post to assure you that I'm still alive. :) I know I haven't been posting lately.... actually, I haven't posted at all! But with all the obstructions that prevent me from humoring you all (mainly, life), this [blog] is not incredibly high on my to-do list. But I haven't quit reading! I'm actually quite the opposite. I have 5 book reviews to write, but frankly, I'm a bit too lazy to do so. Well, lazy is a bad replacement. I'd say... a severe case of procrastination.

For future reference, and for your benefit, I'll tell you what books I have yet to review.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar
Arise
The Burning Bridge
The Illiad
Sapphique
Night of the Soul Stealer

And I think that's it. Books that I'm planning to read, in the near future:

Divergent
The Hobbit (and the rest of the LoTR series...and the Silmarillion)
The Hunter's Moon
Rapture
Cinder


Books that I'm currently reading:

The Tempest
The Illiad
Witch and Wizard
Attack of the Fiend
The Icebound Land

So this is really more of an update. One thing that downs me is the fact that my crazy life yields me no relief. Many a sleepless night I have spent searching for a comfortable position to read in. And I end up reading 10 pages.

*Sigh*. And then there's the perpetual issue of the apocalypse.

Songs I'm Currently Obsessed With:

"Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons
"Divenire" - Ludovico Einauldi (I recently discovered this classical composer...BEST DISCOVERY EVER)
All Types of Flamenco
"Stairway to Heaven" - Led Zepplin

If you're worldly and observant, you would recognize that both Radioactive and Divenire are from their respective Olympic commercials. I guess the Olympics really are good for something.

Thought of the Day: Why aren't there Intellectual Olympics?

Pondering of the Day: "To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." ~Oscar Wilde

Following

Hedgehogs

I want. A. Hedgehog.

Just look at these pictures and try to tell me that you don't want one too.

I've looked up having hedgehogs as a pet on Hedgies and they seem relatively easy to care for, even if you have to make sure they don't get lost or not hold them if their quills are raised. I don't know when I even started thinking about hedgehogs. I just randomly typed in "porcupine," but after learning that porcupines are dangerous, and hedgehogs are cuter, I settled on a hedgie.

So, yeah. Go hedgehogs!

LOL!

This post'll be sorta short, but it's so hilarious I just have to share it. Now.

My little brother said that he used to think that Barack Obama's name was Baracko Bama.

I'm still laughing my head off.

Rain

Nothing, nothing, nothing tastes better than pure rainwater straight from the clouds. Fallen from hundreds or dozens or thousands of feet (however high cumulonimbus clouds are), it's like a gift straight from heaven.

Where I am, when ever I am, it was (is) raining pretty hard, so I took a plastic cup, strapped it to my head, and stood in the rain for 20 minutes. I only got about [not even] a millimeter, but when I drank it...like I said—liquid drops of heaven.

Next time it rains, go outside, get soaked to your skin, and you better enjoy it.

Good day to you all.

Quote of the Day

Love is trembling happiness. ~Khalil Gibran

Appreciation

People everywhere, every when, don't appreciate people who bother with them. (You can quote that; it's a BirdsAndPoetry original. [For some odd reason, I was tempted to type BirdsAndPetriDishes there instead. Please, don't ask questions.])

Anyway, I do appreciate you! All of you! If you're reading this, I appreciate you!

(The part where the changeling does Pinkie Pie is what emotion I'm attempting to convey in this gif.)

Thank you for bothering with me. It makes me euphoric. No, not euphoric. Just happy. :D

Most Abused Quote

I think that the most abused quote is "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." It's really a clever, beautiful quote, but so many people use it and in the wrong way that it's just cliché now. Gr! Why do people ruin brilliance in this way?

The Hobbit Movie Trailer

Lemme get this straight; this is not a book review. It's merely a fangirl rant about the new movie that's coming out on December 14.

Egad! They're making The Hobbit into a movie—finally! I really, really, really, really wanna go see the midnight premiere, but after the Colorado shooting I'm slightly hesitant.

Anyway, I'm making do with what I have now; the book itself, the trailer, and of course the song "Misty Mountains Cold."

I'm so in love with the song "Misty Mountains Cold." It's so...I dunno, epic, listening to them singing it.

Omigod. Nerd chills all over my body.

As quoted by a commenter of the song, although it sparked major controversy among Youtube users; somehow, it led to an argument over which country (Serbia or America) was better. ANYWAY! Uber-happy!

Quote of the Day

You never run out of things to look at, therefore you never run out of things to photograph, therefore you never run out of things to paint, therefore you never run out of things to write about, therefore you never run out of things to sing about, therefore life's beautiful.


~Unknown


I know this isn't Twitter but I've just gotta do it: #neverrunningout

Quote of the Day

"Whatever you are, be a good one." -Abraham Lincoln

Contacts

So, contacts.

I'm having mixed feelings about them.

Besides the fact that I've had glasses for, uh, I dunno, forever.

There's something very odd about a thin, moist little lens that you apply directly to your eye that enables you to see perfectly clear. Am I the only one who thinks this?

I can't help but think of the million things that could go wrong with them: What if it somehow gets behind my eye? What if my eyes turn yellow if I don't clean them? What if they get scratched? What if I accidentally turn them inside out? What if? What if? What if?

That's why I'm trying to do everything exactly the way the doctor prescribed, to ensure that weird stuff doesn't happen. Paranoid? Yes. OCD? Definitely.

Do you have contacts? What was your worst mistake using contacts? Tell me. Tell me everything. :)

Boundless (Unearthly #3)

January. 2013.

Excuse me while I die.

Hallowed (Unearthly #2)

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of the books that you read all at once. I don't want to say one sitting, because I wasn't sitting the whole time. I was sitting, lying down, standing in line, cooking, and a bunch of other stuff while reading this book. I could not put it down!

This builds on the story flawlessly. It adds more depth to Clara's brother Jeffrey, and now he's a lot more important in this book than in the last book. We see Christian as more than just the pretty boy-he's way, way more. You see that Clara's mom is hiding way more than she knows. And while Clara struggles to stay loyal to Tucker, we see that she is extremely willed, rejecting her destiny for love.

I, honestly, ship Clara/Christian. There's nothing wrong with Tucker, but Christian is just so much more right for her. How can she ignore that?

Okay, fangirly-ness is about to kick in.

SPOILER!

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG Christian kisses Clara! Best moment of the series! But of course she has to run away before she can fall in love with him! GRRR I always ship the wrong couple!!!!!!!!!!!!

Verdict: In my favorites list.

This review is also on Goodreads.

Today's Funny

Quote of the Day

"Paint the flying spirit of a bird rather than it's feathers." -Robert Henri

Today's Funny

Quote of the Day

"All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Today's Funny

Quote of the Day

"Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them." -A.A Milne

Facepalm!

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Today's Funny

Quote of the Day

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." ~Steve Martin

Beautiful Chaos

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was a great addition to the series, building on the story beautifully. In this book, we see Sarafine and John's side of the story, the consequences of Lena bringing Ethan back to life, and how Liv's actions in the previous book affect Marian in this one. Also, we see just how dark Amma will go to protect her boy.

Although the beginning was a little slow for me, the rest of the book was fast-paced and captivating. Instead of Lena being the center of attention, you realize that Ethan is even more important than you thought.

I don't know whether to say it had the best or worst cliffhanger ever. I guess it's both. But this was my face after I finished:



This review is also on Goodreads.

Unearthly (Unearthly #1)

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was amazing! When I first started it, I thought that it would be just another angel book, as are so prevalent in YA these days. But this was totally different.

Clara is so relatable. She's not perfect. She has a definite personality and how she handles the world and other people is awesome. I see a lot of myself in her.

The angels in this book are different, too, for they're sent to do one purpose on Earth, the whole reason that they're there. Clara is supposed to save one boy from a forest fire, but she ends up falling for another. This book has plot and a great and un-forced love triangle. It forces Clara to ask the question: Can I choose between love and destiny?

Verdict: Loved it!

This review is also on Goodreads.

Today's Funny

Quote of the Day

The "Earth" without "art" would just be "eh."

Today's Funny

Quote of the Day

It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept.

The Book of Lost Fragrances

What can I say about this book?

Wow.

No, that doesn't work.

Um.

That neither.

Perhaps,

Um, wow.

Better.

I got a lot of mixed feelings about this books. Let me be the first to say that this is not YA, it definitely leans toward Adult. If that's your thing, read it, by all means! But if controversial political issues, adult characters, and, um *clears throat* *shifts collar*, more iffy scenarios, this book is not for you.

The book is nothing like what the title, cover, and blurb portray. The book is oddly complex, with many different elements playing into it. Subjects such as reincarnation, China's censorship, *ahem* iffy subjects, and even some Chinese Mafia in there. And of course, the fragrances. They're kind of a big deal.

This book is not only about mysterious lost fragrances. That's only half the book. But you see how the two relate; ancient Egyptian fragrances, lost for millennia, and reincarnation.

This book was obviously well researched, the fact just as relevant as the fiction.

I guess I should probably explain what this book is about. I'll try to do better than the cursory blurbs you usually see for this book.

Jac L'Etoile comes from a long line of perfumers, and she has her extra-sensitive nose and scarred childhood to show for it. Her father was obsessed with finding the perfect fragrance, the one that would allow you to remember you're past lives (this is a gigantic part of the book). At the same time, her mother, a poet, was fighting her own inner demons. Since they were both struggling with their own lives, they grew apart, eventually leading to her mother's suicide. Jac is forever scarred by finding her mother's body under the perfume organ, surrounded by mystical scents and the fear that whoever killed her mother would come for her.

Since then, Jac had voices and visions and delusions in her head, almost driving her insane. Finally, she found a doctor who could help her overcome this through mythological therapy, which leads her to, quote, "a wildly successful career as a mythologist." She's a total realist, and throughout the whole book she reminds you. Her life is as normal as it could be, until her brother ties her back up into the perfuming industry.

Meanwhile, a young man in China, named Xie Ping, is struggling not to give into the attempts to brainwash him and try to break out of China. He is the thought-to-be-dead reincarnated Panchen Lama, who was kidnapped by Chinese authorities when he was 6. This was one China's attempt to stop Tibetan Buddhism and reincarnation.

The story picks up when Jac's brother, Robbie, disappears, quote "leaving a dead body in his wake." Jac goes crazy trying to find him, all the while trying to sort her feelings for Griffin, her ex-boyfriend, and accepting her "destiny."

Also, there's a whole lot of people trying to find the scent that Robbie almost found and that the entire L'Etoile family had thrown their lives away for: the scent of souls (as mentioned above).

So, yeah. That's the book in a nutshell.

I liked most of the characters in this book - that is, except for Jac. She's not relatable to me. And it's kind of annoying that in every single physical experience, she just focuses on what's going through her mind and the spiritual meaning of everything. And she has some sort of scarring flashback on every other page.

Verdict: Complex and not age-appropriate, but if I was older I would love it. Please don't get me wrong; this book was was amazing. Just not my type.

One quote I did like from the book:

"Anything worth living for is worth dying for."

This review is also on Goodreads.

Smart Girls

Smart girls are the overthinkers, the insecure ones, the different ones. They know what the real world is like. They analyze every little thing in life. Why? To avoid getting hurt. To find happiness. They stay up at night trying to think about every possible situation to get through all the problems. They think too much. They trust fewer people. Their insecurity proves their respect toward themselves. Of course they try to live away from a drama-filled life. Smart girls know their worth. Now those are the ones worth keeping by your side.

Quote of the Day

"I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I'm saying." ~Oscar Wilde

Check Out This Blog

Check out my friend KotaWolf's blog, Random Reflections of a Deranged Dreamer here. It's great!

FUUUUUUUnny :)

Quote of the Day

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
~Albert Einstein


Like this quote? Don't worry, theirs a TON more where that came from!

Popularity

Wow! It seems like I've been getting a ton of page views, and now my blog shows up in search engines! Thank you!

Crimson Crown Ch. 1

Today is the day! It's finally here!

Hoy es la dia! Al fin es aqui!

(I speak Spanish.)

Today is the day that the first chapter of the 4th book of the Seven Realms, The Crimson Crown, comes out!


The book itself comes out on Oct. 23, but for now, this chapter is the only thing I have. See it here.

If you want to see my, well, I can't exactly call it a review, find it here.

Lol So True!

New Blog

Hey guys! New blog alert! Check out my green blog, A Greenie With a Dream. I am an environmental activist, and there, I will post my latest green obsessions. Check it out!

Forest Born

Forest Born is about Razo's little sister, Rin, who lives in the Forest with her mother, brothers, and other villagers. Since she was little, she turned to trees for comfort, being comforted by their acceptance. Until the day when the trees began to shun her, and she felt more alone than ever. She decides to join her brother Razo at the Palace and work for the Queen. When an unknown enemy threatens Bayern, Rin finds herself the part of a group of gifted girls; Queen Isi, the Wind-Speaker; Enna, the Fire-Speaker; and Dasha, the Water-Speaker. On the trip, Rin finds out who she is and finds her peace with the Forest.

This book is lovely. It sates your thirst to know more about the Bayern girls, while introducing a new and becoming character. Rin's struggle to find herself can be related to by many teens.

This review is also on Goodreads.

New Song Obsession!

Dark Paradise by Lana Del Ray! I've never heard her music before, but I heard it at the store the other day, and I'm hooked! This totally describes half the romance in YA these days!

Peaches (Peaches #1)

I picked this book up on my Nook because it was free (I know, STEAL!). Because of the price, I thought that it would be a short, dumb story with no real plot.

I couldn't have been more wrong!

This book was amazing. The plot, the characters, the message behind it all...everything is captivating. I finished it in one morning.

Peaches is about 3 girls, growing up in Georgia; mischievous player Murphy (who's deeper than people think), perfect, rich Leeda (who's life isn't so perfect), and shy, hard-working Birdie (who is actually a very good friend). During a fateful summer on Birdie's peach orchard, these girls become an unlikely group of close friends. Together, they go through all the up's and down's of friendships, love, and families.

The thing I really loved about this book were the characters; all of them were deep, each had their own stories, and each were not what they seemed. The three girls' friendship divulges their deepest secrets, desires, and emotions. It shows you what it truly means to be a "best friend."

5 out of 5 stars!

This review is also on Goodreads.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

This book was very sweet. The way that time, chance, and fate play out in this book are done fluently and flawlessly. The romance between Hadley and Oliver was cute. I can't say I like Hadley that much though. Oliver, now Oliver is a different story. He has a personality and a story and quirks. To me, Hadley seemed like just another blonde. *Shrugs* Ah, well.

If you are a sucker for romance and are looking for a quick 200-ish page read, this book is for you.


This review is also on Goodreads.

The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms #4)

OMG Cinda Williams Chima is torturing me. Literally. KILLING ME. 






I NEED this book as much as I need oxygen. Please, move the release date up! OCTOBER 2012. That's 6 months away!
I need more Raisa. I need (a lot) of Han. I need more Fells. I need more "cutthroat blueblood politics." When I finished The Gray Wolf Throne, I immediately checked when the next book would be out. And when I saw that it was going to come out in a year, I fainted dead away.

That's how much I need this book!


PS I think I'll just give it 5 stars now. I know it'll be awesome. Hear that, Cinda Chima? 5 stars pleez :)


This review is also on Goodreads.

Date A Girl Who Reads

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent.  Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.


~Rosemarie Urquico

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2)

This book butchered my heart. Literally. There are pieces all over the floor. 
There are so many twists to this book! It's unbelievable how many times I've almost broke down to my knees and cried. There were parts that I read, then re-read, and re-read 4 more times, to assure myself that that really happened. 
I wrote a review on Clockwork Princess that includes the full, all-out fangirl ranting, if you so choose to see it here.
But I will try to be serious about this. 
The dialogue in this book was great. Clare portrays the character's emotions while they are speaking beautifully. The way they all interact is perfect.
The characters: a super-hot bad-boy sort with a secret + super-sweet, dying boy + pretty girl with a love for books = BEST LOVE TRIANGLE IN HISTORY.
HONESTLY. :)



READ THIS BOOK! READ THE SERIES! DEVOUR EVERY WORD! If you love the Mortal Instruments, this book is for you.


This review is also on Goodreads.

Rapture (Fallen Series #4)

OMG I absolutely cannot wait until this comes out! The cover is beautiful. I love how on the other covers, she's wearing black, but on this one, she wearing white. Purity. :)


This review is also on Goodreads.

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3 [available March 2013])

WARNING: This review is quite a rant, as the book hasn't exactly come out yet. It does contain multiple spoilers for Clockwork Prince, though.

Isn't it odd that books always have a way of doing the exact opposite of what you want? Like shipping the wrong couple together? That *ALWAYS* happens to me. When I have to wait this long for a book, I can bet that the author is doing a something incredibly devious. Like killing off both the love interests so that Tess dies of loneliness or marries someone else. Or shipping the wrong couple together. 
See, in the first book, when Tessa was all googely-eyes for Will and totally ignoring Jem, I shipped Jem. I thought Will was a complete jerk. An idiot. But then, in the second, after I discovered Will's curse, I was SOOOOO in love with him!!!! But of course, she fell for Jem. Will's story just broke my heart. He had to make everyone hate him for the sake of a curse that wasn't even REAL this entire time. And then Jem proposed. Right when Will was going to proclaim his eternal love for her!!!!! OMG!!! And then he asked Tessa if she loved him too, AND SHE DIDN'T SAY YES!!!!!!! SHE SHATTERED HIS HEART!!!!! WHY, TESSA? I mean, I know she's engaged to Jem, but she could at least have said yes! 
I know some people are saying that she's going to end up with Will, because the romance is similar to Jace and Clary, but that's just it! Clare might want to try a different romance, possibly one with *Jem*????????? But I know how YA works, so I will prepare to have my heart broken when she doesn't end up with Will.


This review is also on Goodreads.

Invincible (Chronicles of Nick #2)

Amazing! I love this series. I read the manga version of the first Dark-Hunter that I borrowed from a friend, and loved it. And when I started reading the first book of this series, Infinity, I had no inkling of a thought that it was related to that Dark-Hunter book. When I saw the name "Kyrian" it all fell into place! So, anyways, I love Nick's sarcastic outlook on everything and his quick wit. I kinda wish he would open his eyes to Kody, though, [as she is trying to kill him] but they would be ADORABLE together if it weren't for that one minor detail. Overall, waiting to read Infamous! Need to get my hands on it. 


This review is also on Goodreads.

Seeds of Rebellion (Beyonders #2)

Lemme say, I love Beyonders. Ever since I was supposed to meet Brandon Mull once - and got SICK on that day - I've been intrigued by the rest of Mull's work. I read Fablehaven roughly 2 years ago, and it's stayed near the top of my "Favorite Books" list. So, I read the first book, A World Without Heroes, and the end drove me CRAZY!!!! Needless to say, I needed this book.

I love the world of Lyrian - once again, Mull does an amazing job of world-building. Jason is a very relatable character, and witty with the way he deals with Lyrian, too.

I was a bit disappointed with the romance in this book, because I'm a soft-hearted geek, and I ship Rachel/Jason. Corinne is sweet and all, but of course she has to be model gorgeous and makes Jason fall head-over-heels for her. Hopefully, Chasing the Prophecy includes Jason realizing Rachel is amazing, and they go back to the Beyond together. Or something along those lines.

Lyrian is very believable, and Maldor, I admit, is one of my favorite villains. His tactics are so much different than what I've seen before in other books. I kinda wish that Mull would add a chapter from Maldor's point of view, just to see his mindset.

Overall, Mull has done an excellent job of stepping out of the Fablehaven shell with the Beyonders. Read it, by all means!


This review is also on Goodreads.

Incarceron (Incarceron #1)

Okay, so, when I first picked up this book, the thing that grabbed me was the title. "Incarceron". How cool is that? I was really hoping for some good ol' fantasy.
Nope. Just another dystopia.
If your someone like me who can get freaked out by books and then go to bed thinking about them and have nightmares and then wake up in the morning with a fever, DON'T READ THIS BOOK.
Of course, if your not this type of person, go ahead.
The first chapter grabbed me, but I guess that for some reason I couldn't go in the book like I do with most. It was a little too bland. Fisher didn't really develop on the setting and she wasn't very descriptive. Plus, the switch in points of view from Finn fighting for his life in Incarceron to Claudia and her life in the Court don't really fit. 
I would've liked the book more if they just cut out Claudia all together. Finn, I have to admit, is awesome. But going from a high-tech, cold-hearted prison like Incarceron to a pampered Court of cutthroats? Nope. They just don't work.
Claudia is bratty, to me. She's just not very likable. Finn, too, seems a little helpless. The overall plot of the book was a little rushed, and I couldn't really "get" it. But, the romantic junkie I am, I'm really shipping Finn and Claudia.

SPOILER

The thing that freaked me out about the book was how Incarceron is teeny weeny tiny, and its literally just a key chain. All the prisoners are shrunk down, infinitesimal. Not to mention that Incarceron is alive. It talks.

The different elements of the book just don't really "fit". 


This review is also on Goodreads.

The Gray Wolf Throne (The Seven Realms #3)

OMG! This book was amazing. I got it the day it came out. I absolutely loved it. 
Now, with stories about cutthroat courts, you have to be careful. Extremely careful. You don't want the whole book to sound bland and strained. I can't even tell you how many books I've read that have attempted to create this whole back-stabbing royalty atmosphere - and have utterly failed. With most of them, it's just not very believable. There's not much description. It seems forced.

But Cinda Williams Chima creates the court atmosphere with flying colors.

I'm going to have a little fangirl moment here...

OMG I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! BETTER THAN THE LAST TWO AND THAT'S SAYING A LOOTTTTT!!!!!!!! OMG HAN AND RAISA!!!!!

Okay, fangirl moment over. But I love, love, love the blueblood court in this book. She's descriptive, very, very believable, and intense. And it has history behind it. She builds this world perfectly. Who doesn't love a complete fantasy world? 

I adore Han! Honestly, I like him more than Raisa. He's fighting against so many stereotypes, he's powerful, he's deep, he's a heartthrob, totally swoon-worthy, he's from the streets, and he has swag. Not to mention that his real emotions are 100% true and trustworthy. He'd never tell someone he loves them without meaning it with all his heart. That's why I admire him.

Not to mention my sympathy for him when he gets tossed aside from Raisa!

Normally, I like a great show of girl power, where the girl does something totally epic or deep and it just puts the guy in awe. Here, I want the opposite to happen. Han loves Raisa, but Raisa isn't all for him yet. She's a little disloyal and selfish. I want Han to do something awesome that'll show Raisa that he's the one for her!!!! I hope that The Crimson Crown meets that expectation...

Overall, don't get the idea that I don't like this book. I LOVE IT. One of my favorite series. But it's just that I love it soooo much that I'm able to get so lost in it! 

I LOVE THESE BOOKS!

GO CINDA WILLIAMS CHIMA!!!!

I've <3'd her since the Warrior Heir. I <3 her even more (not in a weird way, in a fangirl way, don't worry LOL). 


READ THE SERIES!!!!!


This review can also be seen on Goodreads.

Crossed (Matched Trilogy #2)

I love Matched, and love this book, but if you want me to answer the eternal question of "to read, or not to read," this is all I'm giving you:

READ!

Anyways, I'm really here to rant.

I am Team Xander, all the way. But I know it's not going to happen. The author never chooses the guy I like (Team Gale, and look at where it's gotten me?), so I've learned to not get too attached to a shipping, because it always gets thrown in my face later (Meggie/Farid, anyone?). Although, Xander might have a better chance because he is ((spoiler-part of the Rising)) but Cassia and Ky seem hopelessly infatuated. Cassia has definetly considered Xander, but Ky was just SO much more appealing because he's forbidden. Shippings that might happen:

Cassia/Ky
Cassia/Xander
Ky dead, so she has to choose Xander
Xander dead, so she has to choose Ky (more likely)
Indie/Ky
Indie/Xander
Indie dead (more likely)

Cassia kinda annoys me when she finds out that ((spoiler-Indie loves Xander)) because she's suddenly all jealous, even when she hasn't cared about him this whole time.

So yeah, Team Xander! 


This review can also be seen on Goodreads.