Thursday 31 December 2015

December Wrap Up

Last day of 2015! 

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And it is the last day of 2015!
And so, as today is also the last day in December, it is also time to do my December Wrap Up!
So, let's go!

December Wrap Up
So, I the month of December, I read a total of 6 books if you count the re-reads. If not, then I read four books. These books were:
1. Scarlet
2. Cress
3. Winter, all by Marissa Meyer
4. Let it Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle.
5. Love Ya Babe, by Chris Higgins (Re-read)
6. The Stuff of Nightmares, by Malorie Blackman (Re-read)
I was hoping to read a bit more than that, considering that I finished College on the 18th, but when I'm at home I get distracted and end up not reading a whole lot (hey look a squirrel! Jokes haha, I'm currently in my room)
But those are the books that I read in the month of December!
There are reviews for every single one of the books that I read this month on my blog, and do if you want to go into more detail about these books, you can.
Have a good New Years, and I will be posting my January TBR tomorrow, and then that will be the end of my Christmas Blog-a-thon! See you soon!
Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Wednesday 30 December 2015

Stuff of Nightmares, by Malorie Blackman (Re-read)

2016 is literally two days away!

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And today I am going to be reviewing a book by one of my favourite authors (Malorie Blackman), and that is Stuff of Nightmares!
So, let's go!

Stuff of Nightmares, by Malorie Blackman (Re-read)
Title: Stuff of Nightmares
Author: Malorie Blackman (yay!!!!!)
Genre: YA (Young Adult), Horror, Fantasy
Release date: 4th October, 2007
Pages: 342
Blurb: "It begins with a ride on a train.
But where it ends is on a precipice of horror-dangling on the border between life and death. It's a moment with Kyle discovers that he's not the only one in his class who knows about fear. Not the only one who has nightmares. And now, as Death stalks the carriages, it's a moment when nightmares become real. Nightmares of wars, and a world devastated by chemical weapons. Of a body being slowly stolen, bit by bit. Of monstrous actions and monstrous creatures from old myths. Of jealousy, obsession and a stalker outside your window. Nightmares of everything imaginable.
What will it take for Kyle to face his greatest fear?"

My thoughts 
Okay, re-reading one of Malorie Blackman's books just felt right, like something I can come back to, and a book that I know I will be able to read because I have already done so. And nothing has changed with Malorie Blackman, I still love her books as much as I always have, I am pleased to report. 

Now this book is about Kyle, and who can go into the Nightmares of his friends when the train that they are on crashes and is almost flipped over. 
But death is coming for him. What can he do?
The plot was incredible, despite there not being much of it, ( I say that in a good way, really). There was basically the main storyline, the one on the train, and 13 little ones (the nightmares of his classmates and teacher), and it was really good, as usual!

The writing was really simple, yet it pulled you in from the first sentence. And the way she wrote it left you with no questions, because it felt like nothing was rushed, and you always feel intrigued and interested brought enough to want to read more, which I really love. 

The characters I love every single time I read this book. I never feel starved for information about the characters when I read this, because even if you get different amounts of information about each of the characters, it always feels different. Like, I found a bit of myself in each of them really easily.

I gave this book a sold four/five stars. 

So, that was my review for Stuff of Nightmares! Hope you enjoyed it! I'll be seeing you soon!
Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx 

Tuesday 29 December 2015

2016 Reading Goal & 2016 TBR Jar Challenge

2016 is only a few days away!

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And since 2016 is just around the corner, I am going to be telling you guys what my reading goals for 2016 are, along with a bit of information about the 2016 TBR jar challenge!
So, let's get to it!

My 2016 Reading Goal
My 2016 Reading Goal is to read 50 books that I have not previously read yet. I would also like to finish the Throne of Glass series, (by Sarah J Maas)
and read the Mortal Instruments series (by Cassandra Clare). I read City of Bones in I think Year 7 or 8 (aged 12 to 13) and I didn't particularly like them, but everyone else seems to love them, so I am going to grudgingly give them another try.

I am also considering re-reading Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, because i read those books as a child and i would love to revisit them.
They are also really dark and mysterious.

So, that is my Reading Goal for 2016! I decided to start kind of small so that over the years I could build it up!


And next, on to my TBR Jar Challenge!
2016 TBR Jar Challenge
I will be doing the challenges set up by Spines and Covers, and these include:
1. Read a book with 500+ pages
2. Re-read a favourite book
3. Read a popular YA book
4. Read a book that someone else picks
5. Read a book published in the last 3 years
6. Read a book with magic
7. Read a new-to-you author
8. Read a book that was made into a film
9. Read a series finale
10. Read a book you own and haven't read yet
11. Read a graphic novel
12. Read a sequel
13. Read a book published in 2016
14. Read a book guaranteed to bring you joy
15. Read a non-fiction book
16. Read a book based on a fairytale

So, they are my challenges in my TBR Jar Challenge of 2016, and I am very happy to be participating in my first TBR Jar Challenge!

Are you doing a TBR Jar Challenge? If so, what challenges are you doing? Comment below...

Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx


Monday 28 December 2015

The Genre Awards

2016 is ever closer!

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And if you are confused as to what I mean by the Genre Wards, I am going to be naming my favourite book that I have read so far from each genre! And this may not be a book that I only read this year, this is from all time, and let's begin!

The Genre Awards
1. Science Fiction 
Now, I have mentioned this book in A LOT of posts, but I feel like I have to award this book the best Science Fiction book that I have ever read (so far), because the world is incredible and unique and just described so well, as is the characters and the plotline too. And that book is Mind Games, by Teri Terry!
This book is just so incredibly well thought out and original, there is no book like it, plus it is also a standalone science fiction book, so you don't have to worry about it being a big commitment, because it really isn't, and I highly recommend this one. HIGHLY. 

2. Fantasy
The entire Harry Potter series.

3. Romance
I'm just going to go with Eclipse, by Stephanie Meyer, (also is it just me, or do all the Stephanie's write about romances?)
But because this one brings Jacob into the romance side of the story, after we found out a lot more about him in New Moon, Eclipse is the time that we see Bella imagine a life where she chose Jacob over Edward, and with that we see more suffering, which I hate to see, but Eclipse is where it all gets serious, which I really like in this series.

4. Contemporary
Now, for this one, I am just going to write about the first contemporary that pops into my head, okay, let's go!
Before I Die, by Jenny Downham! Not really surprised, because this book is one that I do promote a lot on this blog...
This book is about a 16 year old girl called Tessa who has just been told that she is closer to the line of dying of cancer, after struggling with it for four years. And so she has a list of ten things that she wants to do before she dies. This book us really very beautiful and tragic, and the characters... And the feels... OMG the feels...

5. Young Adult fiction
Yes, I know that Young Adult fiction us not necessarily a normal genre, but I decided to include this genre (yes, it is a genre), so I could include this series because I just love it that much, and that series is: The Noughts and Crosses series!
This series is four books, Noughts and Crosses, Knife-edge, Checkmate, and Double Cross, and this series is about racism, and I love Love LOVE this series because you can just run with it, and I kid you not, I read this series when i was 14, and these books are:
Noughts and Crosses- 441 pages
Knife-edge- 479 pages
Checkmark- 511 pages
Double Cross- 434 pages
I kid you not, me at 14 read these massive books in 2 weeks, because they were that incredible! So go read 'em!

So, they were the Genre Awards, and I hope you enjoyed it! I will be seeing you guys tomorrow, Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx




Sunday 27 December 2015

December Book Haul

2016 is getting closer...

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And despite the fact that I did not get a whole lot of books or Waterstones vouchers (or any) for Christmas, I am still going to be doing a book haul, because I bought a fair amount of books in the month of December.
(So basically all the books that I bought since I did my last book haul)
So, let's get to it!

1. All the Lunar Chronicles books excluding Fairest (so Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter)

Okay, I'm only going to talk about this series a tiny bit because I have full reviews for every single one of these books. But these books are retellings of fairytales, and they are frickin' awesome. Cinder is Cinderella, Scarlet is Little Red Riding Hood, Cress is Rapunzel, and Winter is Snow White. And they all come together to defeat Queen Levana, and it's just awesome.


2. Ritual and Legacy (2 Vampire Beach novels), by Alex Duval
Yeah, I'm not crazy about the cover either...
But this is the 3rd and 4th book in the Vampire Beach series by Alex Duval. And I have read all the stories, apart from the 3rd one (Ritual), and I have not read it yet, only because I like to marathon series', but from what I've read of this series, I really enjoyed it, because it's a quick read, and they're interesting, and they put a different perspective on being a vampire, and I really like them.
Here's me just babbling...
(Got this from my local Air Ambulance shop)


3. Let it Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Okay, this is another book that I have already reviewed, so again, I am only going to saying a tiny bit about. This book is about three separate stories that take place around Christmas Eve- Christmas Day, and they all intertwine in different ways. Plus there are a couple of romances thrown in there, and together, this book is incredible (most of it, and if you've seen my review, you know what I'm talking about).


4. Snow Like Ashes
I bought this because of the beautiful cover, and you know what I mean right? I mean, look at that cover!
But when I bought it, I read the back, and it looked really interesting. And yet, I still don't know why I haven't read this book yet!
But this book has four kingdoms, and Spring has taken over Winter, and some people that have escaped from the overthrown kingdom are trying to yet again take control of their season.
I read about 50 pages before giving up on it, and I will definitely read it in January!

5. Demon Road, by Derek Landy
Okay, you guys knew that this one was going to be in this post, literally because 1) I bought this one yesterday and 2) I posted an introduction to this book yesterday. Now, i don't really have anything to add apart from what I posted yesterday, so I'm just going to wrap up this intro.


So, that was my December Book Haul, and I will see you guys tomorrow, Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Saturday 26 December 2015

Introducing... Demon Road

2016 is coming!


Hey guys, this is Abi here!
And as you can see, 2016 is coming!
So, today I thought I'd talk about a book that I have so badly wanted to read since it came out in August 2015, and omg, has it really been that long?
So, as you can see from the title, that book is Demon Road, by Derek Landy!
And if you didn't know, Derek Landy is the author of the bestselling series called Skulduggery Pleasant!
And if you follow this blog at all, you should know that I am a huge Skulduggery Pleasant fan, because I mention this series in practically every post...
So this is the cover for Demon Road:
Demon Road is about Demons, in case you couldn't tell, but it isn't just demons. It has funny moments and epic moments, and OMG WHAT IS HAPPENING moments. I mean, I'm not even 20 pages in yet and I have already experienced all these moments. (I'm 19 pages in). If this book contains 500 pages, who's to say what is going to happen next? I'm certainly captivated. 

So, if this trilogy/series (I'm not quite sure yet) is anything as good as Skulduggery Pleasant was, this is sure to be a trilogy to watch for.

So, that is my post for today guys, I apologise for them being so late (they seem to be getting gradually later), and I will see you soon, Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Friday 25 December 2015

The Running Book Tag

It's Christmas!
(Cue "We wish it could be Christmas Everyday" by Wizzard)
And although I did not gets ANY books or vouchers, I am still happy with what I did get receive.

But today I was a whole bunch of crazy and decided to run 5k, and so today I will be doing the Running Book Tag, which is created by ME!

The Running Book Tag
1. Sprinting- A book that you flew through.
There were several contenders that I could have put for this category, but I tend to mention those books in every single post, and I didn't want to do that, so the book that I am going to put in this category is Sister's Red, by Jackson Pearce.
The first time that I read this, I flew through it, because I loved the characters, the storyline, I just loved it, really. 
In case you didn't know, Sister's Red is a retelling of, I think Little Red Riding Hood, because they have hoods, but with a twist: it contains werewolves. Scarlet and Rosie March are Fenris hunters after one took Scarlet's eye when she was a child. But Rosie wants a normal life. You won't regret reading this book, seriously. 

2. Jogging- A book that you read at a steady pace. 
This one was fairly easy, and this one was One Day, by David Nicholls. This book is about two people, Dexter and Emily, and on the same day every year, you get to see what has happened in the previous year, and how they're relationship has changed. It's seriously a really interesting read.

3. Walking- A book that you felt could have had a faster pace.
Ok, yes I did really enjoy this book, but I feel like the only major thing that happened was at the very end, and then it went crazily fast, but I feel like I could have had a bit more than what actually happened during the middle of it, really. 


4. Collapse- A book that you refuse to read another word of.
Okay, for this one I am going to have to go with Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L James. Do I really need to explain this choice?

5. Stopping at the end- A book that just ends...
I don't know why, but I found it really hard to find a book that fits this category. But I finally found one: Hell's Heroes (Demonata #10), by Darren Shan. And a ten book series, your gonna want a book that has an epic ending, and this one just seemed to fizzle out. Not that the series isn't kick-ass and awesome, it is. But I feel like something big should have happened, but it kind of didn't...

6. The aftermath- A book that drained you (emotionally).
Winter, by Marissa Meyer, because so much happened, with the couples, and the lead up to overthrowing the Queen, oh my god I was on the edge of my seat the entire time because it was intense, and then it was so fast, and oh god, oh, it just drained me.

7. Adrenaline rush- A book that makes you feel like you can read the biggest book in the world and FINISH IT. 
I don't know what it is about this book that makes me think that I could take on a massive book (War and Peace, for instance,) and finish it, but it just does. Maybe because it's set in the time of Christmas...


8. Training- A book you feel you have to feel that you have to work up to before attempting to read it.
This is a book that i need to work up to before reading, and that book is this one:
Queen of Shadows, by Sarah J Maas. This is the fourth instalment of the Throne of Glass series, and the first series that I am going to continue in 2016. Really looking forward to reading this, especially there is an event at the end of Heir of Fire.


So, that was my Running Book Tag, and I hope you enjoyed it! See you guys tomorrow, Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Thursday 24 December 2015

My Most Interesting Families that I Have Experienced In My Reading Life

Less than 24 hours!
It's so close!


Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And it is only a handful of hours until Christmas is here!
I am so excited!
And since Christmas is all about family, I am going to be listing my (what I think) most interesting families that I am experienced in my reading life! So, let's begin!

My Most Interesting Families That I Have Experienced In My Reading Life
1. The Weasley Family (Harry Potter)
Of course, this family kind of goes without saying. Witty, entertaining, and warm-hearted, whose couldn't love these guys? 


2. The Everdeen Family (Hunger Games)
Okay, this family is VERY different to the Weasley Family. They are suffering throughout the entire Hunger Games trilogy. But the thing is, they are strong as hell. They survived the man of the house dying, starvation, the torturous hell of the Hunger Games, and so on. 
They are all completely different, but they survive.


3. The Baudelaire Family (Series of Unfortunate Events)
Oh my god, the skills of these children! Violet is a genius inventor; Klaus is the reader (I relate to him so much), and Sunny is the biter/ chef later on, and they are also brave and intelligent, as well as kind. They're literally amazing, and I NEED to re-read this series. 


4. The Edgley Family (Skulduggery Pleasant series)
This family is just so epic. Stephanie Edgley-apprentice detective/elemental/Necromancer (read the books and you will understand)
Parents- funny to the point where other people would think them to be kind of odd, but they are both legends.


5. Cassie's family-do not know the surname (The 5th Wave)
I mean, when Cassie and her little brother get separated, she travels through the entire country to find him. That makes a statement about what kind of a family they are.



And that was my post for today! I hope you enjoyed it! Have a lovely Christmas day, and I will post something tomorrow! Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Top Books of 2015

2 days!
I can almost see it!

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And it is 2 days until Christmas, and then not long after that, it is 2016!
That thought inspired this post today, my top books in 2015!
So, let's get on with the post!


Top Books of 2015
(Please bear in mind that these books may not have been released this year, I just read them this year. Having said that, the majority of these books were released this year)

1. Mind Games, by Teri Terry
If you like Sci-fi books, I highly recommend this book. This book is set in a time when technology is everything, to the point where everyone has a chip embeddded in them so they can communicate with everyone whilst being online. Seriously, this world is like being a character on a website, but you are actually there. You as a person are physically there, and consious and everything. (But you don't actually know that you are in a virtual world)
The way the world is described is incredible. Now, the protagonist, Luna, is a Refuser, (that means she refuses to live the same way as the rest of this world), but she is able to know when she is the virtual world and when she is in the normal world, and this is what she must keep a secret. But when she is singled out for testing, she can no longer hide.
Now, this book is one of my most favourite ever, and I started it without even doing that much research, just because Teri Terry wrote it, and I was totally right.


2. All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven 
Now, I was fairly interested in this book for a long time before I picked it up, and I am so glad that I did. This book is about two people called Violet and Finch. Violet's sister has just died, and she is devastated. Meanwhile, Finch is fascinated by death and is  constantly thinking of ways to kill himself. When these two meet, it starts a whole bunch of fun and awesome stuff.
This book is just beautiful and addictive and tragic and a book that you can learn a lesson from, plus it has an interesting viewpoint: This books jumps from both perspectives, and as the story progresses, you get to see the effect the other person has on the current person (they grow really close, and begin to rely on each-other quite a bit)
Just read it. I highly recommend it.

3. Salvage, by Keren David 
This book really surprised me. I wasn't really expecting much from this book, and so I was very pleasantly surprised with how good it is. It's about adoption, and these two characters that try tp find each-other (they're siblings), but they're from very completely diffferent backgrounds. and I... I just love it, because I loved that the characters just wanted to meet their sibling from a different backgrounds, despite what the people from their own families might think. I... I just love it...







4. The 5th Wave, by Rick Yansey
Everyone who has read YA should have heard about this book by now, because it is being released as a movie in January 2016, and that is the reason that I read it, and I am so happy I did. This book is about a girl called Cassie, who's planet gets overtaken by what they call "The Others", and it is set in waves, like the first wave, they took the power. And her brother gets taken away on a bus to a camp on like the other side of the country, and this book is basically Cassie trying to get to him. Along the way, she falls in love.
So, this book has got all of it. An unwavering goal. Action. Suspence. And romance. I loved this book from start to finish, and I am thurrely looking forward to the film.

5. Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell 
Rainbow Rowell created a book called Fangirl, and that book is about a character that writes fanfiction for a series that features characters called Simon & Baz, and that is the characters that are also in this book. This book is what Rainbow Rowell did with those characters.
This book is about two characters called Simon & Baz, and they are trying to defeat the Insidious Humdrum, and it involves action and romance, and i just love it, because although this book is completely different to her other works (Fangirl and Eleanor and Park), you can still feel her in the writing, and I just love that.
Also, it is very much like Harry Potter.



6. The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder & Winter, by Marissa Meyer
Now, I'm not going to say much because I have done full reviews for all the books in the series, but Cinder and Winter are my favourites out of all four.
Cinder is based on Cinderella, and she is a cyborg, which people don't tend to like, and she is also a mechanic, also this book is set in China. And it is incredible.
Winter is based off of the story of Snow White, and this book is the concluding book in the Lunar Chronicles series, where all four of the protagonists come together to defeat Queen Levana. Best book ever, seriously.


7. Skulduggery Pleasant: The Dying of the Light, by Derek Landy  
This is the concluding book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series (number 9), and it seems more like two years rather than 9 months ago that I read this! But it was still one of my most favourite books of this year, especially as it was by Derek Landy.
And it follows the battle between Valkyrie, Stephanie and Darquesse, with a team of misfits, and it is a book for all action lovers.
(Don't worry, you'll get it when I review them, because I am definitely going be re-reading the entire series over the course of the next year). Definitely.






And that was my Favourite Books of the Year for 2015! If you have any comments on any of the books that I mentioned, please feel free to comment! And if not, I will see you tomorrow! 2 days to go until Christmas! Yay! Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx


Tuesday 22 December 2015

Love Ya Babe, by Chris Higgins (Re-read)

3 days!
Not long now!

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And Christmas is 3 days away, OMG!

And I was going to be reading Snow Like Ashes from that trilogy, but I had just finished the Lunar Chronicles, and I was also in the I-just-finished-a-long-series-and-am-not-ready-to-commit-to-another-long-series mood. (And yes, I know I have just read Let it Snow, but that wasn't really enough), so I decided to get out of this reading slump (ish) and read a book by one of my favourite authors.
And, I kid you not, I sat at my bookshelves for like half an hour last night, and I decided to read this book: Love Ya Babe, by Chris Higgins.
And, so my review begins!

Love Ya Babe, by Chris Higgins review (Re-read)
Title: Love Ya Babe
Author: Chris Higgins
Genre: Contemporary 
Release date: 8th January, 2009
Pages: 291
Blurb: Caught between family life and school, Gabby's trials never seem to end ...If she's not dealing with her outrageously embarrassing mother Posy, or helping out with her troubled brothers at home, she's pursuing school hearthrob, Si, and making enemies of friends. Life seems tough enough ...but then her older-than-average mother announces that she's pregnant and Gabby's world turns upside down. At first Gabby is determined to have nothing to do with the unexpected arrival. But when the baby arrives it brings with it chaos and Gabby's family start unravelling around her ...Can Gabby's strength and will pull her through her hardest challenge yet? 

My Thoughts
Chris Higgins is one of the authors that I consider reading to get out of a reading slump, or slump (ish). This one isn't my favourite, but I HAD TO READ SOMETHING.  
Ok, this book isn't my favourite out of all of Chris Higgins', because the storylines seem to be a bit more pronounced than this one was, but this one still was, even though, I enjoy the other ones.
Love Ya Babe is about a girl called Gabby, who is a teenager experiencing these things: REALLY embarrassing parents, mean girls that seem nice but are actually awful, a guy that is interested in both her and her best friend, and school.
And then her older-than-average mother becomes pregnant, and everything goes haywire. 
I like the characters well enough, particularly Gabby's younger brother Felix, who is so gentle and honest, and I just love this character. 
But I feel like the way it was written could have been better. I mean, the rest if her books: 32c That's Me, Pride and Penalties, Perfect Ten and The Day I Met Suzie, I just enjoyed more. I don't know why, it just seemed like nothing really happens, that is out of what everything teenager goes through.
But I still read it in a day, so it's not that bad, really. But I just needed a book that would be a stepping stone to Snow Like Ashes, which is what I will be reading next.

So, that was my review for Love Ya Babe, by Chris Higgins. I hope you enjoyed! Again, if you have any thoughts on this book that you want to share, please feel free to comment, Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Monday 21 December 2015

Let it Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

4 days!

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And I finished Let it Snow! So, let's not dawdle, let's get on with the review!

Let It Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

Title: Let It Snow
Author/Authors: John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle
Genre: YA (Young Adult), Romance & Conteemporary
Release date: 2nd October, 2008
Pages: 354
Blurb: "Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today’s bestselling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses."


My Review
Since there are three different sections in this story that all intertwine, I will be reviewing each individual section based on what I thought about them. 

Maureen Johnson- It's was Maureen's section that I enjoyed the most, which really surprised me, since I hadn't read anything by her before. But what I really wanted out of this story was a cute romance, and that's exactly what I got. Jubilee is a shy, smart lovable character that gets more guts as the story goes on and she meets Stuart. This story is my favourite because I love the way that the story is told, and the characters just melt your heart, plus the presence of the snow, just completes it all.  

John Green- I was expecting this part to be my favourite, as I had read TFIOS (The Fault In Our Stars) and Looking for Alaska previously, but this one just wasn't have the quality for me (mainly because I didn't like the plot). I liked the characters well enough though. And I feel the need to give recognition to the ending, when I was feeling the pull, and I was just like just kiss her! I really enjoyed that bit (and I don't think that that part really qualifies as being a spoiler, because this story is a romance). But I just didn't like the characters all that much. 

Lauren Myracle- This one wasn't really that much of a love story as much as the others. It was a girl changing from being one being to the other, and then, someone showing up, and that's the end. The characters were ok, but the whole story seemed kind of pointless, really. (I feel really bad for saying really bad things about this section, it really wasn't that bad, these are just the things that I thought)

So, that is my review on Let it Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle, I hope you enjoyed it! If you have any thoughts on this book yourself, please don't hesitate to comment! I'll see you guys tomorrow, byeeee!

-Abi xxxxx  

Sunday 20 December 2015

My Top Protagonists Ever!

5 days!
Officially getting excited!

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And there are 5 days until Christmas because it is on Friday!
And today I am going to be a top 5 list of my favourite protagonists ever!
(I couldn't think of anything else)
Now, let's get to it!

My Top 5 List of Protagonists Ever!

1. Valkyrie Cain, from the "Skulduggery Pleasant" series,  by Derek Landy
This protagonist is really interesting. She goes from being introduced to the world of magic and unreal powers, to stopping bad-guys, and defeating the Faceless Ones, going to different worlds, and just doing a ton of awesome things and meeting a ton of awesome people.
Valkyrie Cain is feisty and kick-ass, yet a protector to those that she loves and looks up to. Yet their's something dark about this character, that becomes more prominent as the series goes on. Just go read about this character in this series. Top class protagonist!


2. Kyla Davis/Rain/Lucy from the "Slated" trilogy, by Teri Terry
Ok, this protagonist is really, very intriguing, and I just love this character so much, because she is literally a breath of fresh air. She starts off as a girl who has lost her memory, and so curious about everything, and that is what I really like about her: she is curious. She likes to find out stuff, no matter how dangerous it might be, which drags her into the situation that it does. She is also really kind and fiercely protective of vulnerable people, but can also be tough, which is another thing that I love about her. Just read this trilogy, guys!







3. Cath, from "Fangirl", by Rainbow Rowell 
I can relate from this protagonist so much. Anxious at first to go to the canteen, but slowly gaining confidence as she gains new experiences at University, like Levi, I don't even need to say anything else apart from Levi, to her mum, to standing up to Nick. It just feels like me, and I understand why she does everything she does. Just, shy yet strong when she needs to stand by a decision, and fiercely sweet and understanding. Top class character.







4. Grubbs from the "Demonata" series, by Darren Shan
This protagonist is the main protagonist out of the three protagonists in the 10 book (10 book!!!!!) Demonata series, and I am so grateful for that. He is reckless, he rushes into decisions before he fully thinks them though (though saying that, he thinks, well the alternative is this, and normally that alternative is much worse than the situation he's about to run into), and this is mainly what I like about him: He makes a decision. And he is so very clever about his comebacks, I just love this protagonist.
P.S.: Also part werewolf/magician.


5. Celeana from the "Throne of Glass" series, by Sarah J Maas
Okay, I know that I have only read Throne of Glass (and Assassin's Blade, but who's counting that), but I just love this protagonist, mainly because she is nothing like I expected her to be, and I am eternally grateful to Sarah J Maas for that. I thought she would be ruthless and cold. I thought that this would be a protagonist that I would hate, but I was completely wrong.
There is the assassin's side of her: poised, careful, strong fast, intelligent and lethal, she never misses an opportunity to get a little closer to the truth of whatever situation she finds herself in. But there's also the humanitarian side to her: warm and friendly, loyal, loving and again intelligent, and they have a little bit of eachother, no matter what.
I just love this character, and everything about her.



And, so that was my top 5 favourite protagonists ever, I'll probably change my mind a dozen times after I post this, and I apologise for posting this so late, but I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you guys soon! And I bid you goodnight...
Byeeeeee!

-Abi xxxx

Saturday 19 December 2015

The Christmas Carol Book Tag

7 days!
One week!
OMG!


Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And it is exactly 1 week until Christmas!
So today, I will be doing the Christmas Carol Book Tag!
So, let's get to it!

The Christmas Book Tag
1. You're a mean one, Mr Grinch- Name a character that you love to hate
Ben, from the Slated trilogy. I picked this character because you spend so much time loving him at first, but then...

2. All I Want For Christmas Is You- What Book Do you most want to find under your Christmas tree this year
Well, as I've said before, I don't really ask people for books, they just buy me book vouchers and let me choose for myself. But if I had to choose one, it would be this:
Demon Road, by Derek Landy.

3. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer- Name a favourite character that had to overcome a major obstacle. Why are they your favourite?
I chose the character Oakley from the Silence duology? I wanna say. She gets over her fear of not talking. This is due to an unexpected event, and she becomes more afraid of keeping quiet, than talking, and I love this character for this, because it would have been so easy not to.

4. Santa Claus is coming to town- Which characters do you think are at the top of Santa's "nice" and "naughty" list?
Although nice isn't the same as good, I'm choosing to take this question as good, and that character is gone the "nice" list, and that is Simon, from Carry On. This character deserves the best presents ever.
And the "naughty" list, would have to be Queen Levana, from the Lunar Chronicles. Definitely. Although she is more evil than "naughty".

5. Frosty the Snowman- What book just melts your heart?
I'm gonna be completely cliche' and say The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green.

6. Feliz Navidad- Your favourite book that takes place in a country other than your own?
Since I live in the UK, I'm going to pick something that is written in the United States of America. So my favourite book that is written in the USA has got to be The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.

7. It's the most wonderful time of the year- What book do you read that gets you in the Christmas spirit?
Well the book that I am reading now really- Let it Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. This book is just the perfect cutesy Christmas book that I needed to get me in the Christmas mood.

8. Sleigh ride- What character would you most like to spend the holiday with?
Oh, the Weasley's without a shadow of a doubt! I just love the atmosphere that the books create. Really, there's nothing like spending a Christmas with the Weasley's (before the end book)

9.  Baby it's cold outside- What book do you hate so much you'd throw it into the fire to keep yourself warm?
My first reaction to this question was "how can you be so mean as to throw a book in the fire? Even if that book was horrible, I still wouldn't waste the paper", but if I had to choose, it would have to be *sigh* well, using guess this one is kind of obvious, but Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L James.

10. Do you hear what I hear?- What book would you recommend to everyone?
The Skulduggery Pleasant series, by Derek Landy!


And that is my blog post for today guys, I'll see you tomorrow!

-Abi xxxxx


Friday 18 December 2015

My Opinion: Books that Should Be Made Into Films

7 days!
Just one week left!

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And I can't believe there's only one week left until Christmas!
Also, sorry this post is really late in the day, I've just been REALLY busy.
But I'm here now, and today I will be doing a list of five books that I wish would be made into films!
I can't remember if I have already done this, but I really hope not because I am going to be repeating myself an awful lot if I have!

1. The Slated trilogy, by Teri Terry
This trilogy is a Sci-fi trilogy, and it is about a girl called Kyla who is being given a second chance because the Government claim that she was a terrorist. She has had her memory wiped blank, which is called Slating. To make sure she does go back to her terrorist ways, she has been given a Levo, which is something on her wrist that stops her making actions in anger towards herself or others. But she remembers things from the past, and it is a really REALLY good trilogy, and they NEED to make a film out of this trilogy.

2. The Skulduggery Pleasant series, by Derek Landy
This series has a skeleton detective, and a girl that can run up the walls and on to the ceiling, plus it's got magic and wars and epicly funny bad guys, and again they need to make a film series out of this.

3. The Lunar Chronicles series, by Marissa Meyer
This series is so popular at the minute, because Winter just came out, but for all the noobs, I'm going to explain it anyway. This series is a bunch of retellings of Fairytales, but with a bit of a Sci-fi twist. Cinder is based off of Cinderella, Scarlet is based off Little Red Riding Hood, Cress is based off of Rapunzel, and Winter off of Snow White. They all try to come together to defeat the evil Queen Levana. Really great series.

4. Throne of Glass series, by Sarah J Maas
Now, I've only read Assassin's Blade and Throne of Glass, but even though I've only read those two, I can tell that this series is something special. With the characters that are completely different to what I thought that they were going to be in the start, and the twists and turns that I didn't anticipate were going to happen, they have to make a movie out of this series before I do. I'm serious.

5. The Demonata series, by Darren Shan
Now, there are 10 books in this series, and I understand that that is a huge commitment in terms of budget and cast and crew and everything, but this series is incredible. It's the perfect series for Rick Riordan lovers, and this series has demons and werewolves, mixed in with the magical realm that demons live in and time travel, and a bunch of awesomely cool things, and they need to make this book series into films so the world can witness them.

Now, that is my blog for today, I hope you enjoyed it. Again, if you have any comments on any of the books that I talked about in this post, please free to comment on this post. Okay, I'm going to get some sleep now, as it is 22:36 right now in the UK, and I'll see you in the next 24 hours, if not less, Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Thursday 17 December 2015

Top Ten Standalones I Can't Believe I Haven't Read Yet

8 days!
It's getting closer!

Hey guys, this is Abi here!
And Christmas is coming, again!
My friend (Abi, funny enough) is going to London for the 31st December, I'm so jealous! Specifically... Winter Wonderland, so lucky!
But no matter, no matter, I still have my book blog, and you guys!

So today's post, is going to be Standalones I can't believe I haven't read yet!
I don't want to dawdle, so let's get on with the post!
These are the standalones  can't believe I haven't read yet!
1. We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart
2. I'll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson
3. The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusak
4. Some Girls Are, by Courtney Summers
5. Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult
6. Don't Even Think About It, by Sara Mlynowski
7. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, by Holly Black
8. The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
9. Unbecoming, by Jenny Downham
10. Finding Audrey, by Sophie Kinsella

So, that is my post for today guys! Sorry it was so short, but it was short and sweet, plus I kind of needed a short post to balance out the mountain long post of yesterday!

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4), by Marissa Meyer

9 days!



Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And I finished Winter in 5 days! That's the entire Lunar Chronicles!
To be honest it was bittersweet, because now the series is over...
But (and I'm going to be quoting J. K Rowling here), "I'm not going to cry because it's over, I'm going to smile because it happened"!
Well, I don't really have anything else to say, so I'm going to start my review!
Let's go!

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4), by Marissa Meyer 
Title: Winter
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: YA (Young Adult), Retelling and Sci-fi
Release date: 10th November 2015
Pages: 823
Blurb: "Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.
Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend- the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years.Together with the cybord mechanic, Cinder, and her alias, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?"


My Review
The perfect ending to the Lunar Chronicles! The characters, the writing, that PLOTLINE! OMG, that plotline...
This is the book where all four come together. Cinder. Scarlett. Cress, and Winter. All completely different, yet the way they come together as a team to try and defeat a common goal (Queen Levana) is just absolutely phenomenal.
Everything is just incredible. The characters, the writing, the plotline. All of it.
Go and read it if you haven't.

SPOILERS COMMENCE PAST THIS POINT. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ WINTER DO NOT READ PAST THIS POINT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

OMG, this book. (And I know that I have said that for all of these, but with this one I mean it)
These are the points that I was all over the place for, and my thought processs when these events happened:


  • The conversation between Kai and Thorne- about where each of the team will end up after all of it is over- I wanted to cry, it was so cute (but I really couldn't because I was on the bus at this point)
  • Cress sacrifying herself to save the others shows how much she has changed from "damsel in distress" (that honestly annoyed me that she thought of herself as a "damsel in distress" in Cress) that she used to be. It shows how much she has changed, which I loved. 
  • Oh. My. God. Queen Levana is so ruthless and merciless (to tell Jacin to kill Winter). If these characters don't kill this one by the end of the film, I will kill her myself. 
  • OMG, Cinder being put in a cell with Adri and Pearl- laughing SO HARD. Seriously hand to face laughing (my reaction to Cinder's reaction to her sharing a cell with them)
  • Queen Levana just gave letumosis to Winter, and again, this woman had better die, because I hate this character. So. Frickin. Much. 
  • Well. Emperor Kai has a backbone, or he's suicidal, but I don't think that is it (my reaction to Kai saying he is going to blow himself and Luna up) OMG, please do not do that! 
  • Awww! Cress and Thorne kiss! Wow... passionate and intense, but stroking her back, which is Thorne saying that he will always be protecting her. So cute!
  • And then... Thorne... will everything just keep getting in the way of Cress and Thorne? *Sobs*
  • HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA Winter is being healed with the antidote for letumosis! Just the author sticking two fingers up at Queen Levana :)
  • Iko's and Cinder's relationship is so cute! ("Broken is not unfixable") also when Cinder is trying to get to Kai and Queen Levana, and Iko wants to come too, like if the same thing was happening at the beginning of the series, Iko would want to go to meet Kai, because she really fancied him, but now she wants to go because she wants to support Cinder, awwwww... 
  • WINTER MANIPULATING SCARLET AND THE AFTERMATH OF THIS
  • OMG- Levana manipulating Thorne to jump off that massive jump that Cinder and Thorne previously fell from, and then Cinder jumping in after him. AND THEN Thorne almost killing Cinder under the manipulation of Queen Levana.
  • The ending. OMG
Also, the idea of people not kneeling when talking to royalty, but high-fiving them instead, I would fully support that. 
So, that was my thought process whilst reading this book, and now I am emotionally drained, as you can probably tell...
Yeah, so as you can also probably tell, I completely loved this book. I mean, the characters were incredibly incredible (doesn't make sense, I know, but... yeah)
Winter, was incredibly wise, and she reminds me of a Hufflepuff, you know, because any type of lose of life is unacceptable, which I absolutely loved. Her relationship with Jacin is just magic, she has grace, and sympathy, and heart, and is the complete opposite of Queen Levana, with I also loved. 
The writing, again, just swallowed me whole, again. 
The plotline... My thoughts on the plotline, is above!

So, that was my review on Winter, and it saddens me to think that this series is over, but I am completely satisfied by how it did end, and I absolutely loved it, again!
and with that I bid you, goodbye! Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxxx

 

Tuesday 15 December 2015

Christmas Films

10 days!
The countdown begins!


Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And it is 10 days to Christmas Day! Christmas is coming!
I'm in the Christmas mood, which begins now, and ends on like the 5th of next year!
So, today I thought that I would continue the theme of my top Christmas thing, and that one is my Top Christmas Films!
So, let's begin!


1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas 
This film is basically one of the most classic and iconic film out of the entire pile of my favourite Christmas films. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a film about the Grinch who absolutely detests Christmas, and the people in the town below where he lives (in this really high mountain). He hates the town because he was continuously ridiculed by them when he was a child. There is also this (really surprisingly) brave little girl called Cindy Lou, and some things happen (can't really remember what happens because it has been a year since I have seen this film. Okay... maybe a bit longer... more like three/four years)
Jim Carrey is absolutely genius playing the Grinch (though I sometimes feel like he isn't that great an actor because he just tends to do the same roles over and over again). I do still love Jim Carrey! He just seems to do the same roles again and again...



 2. The Holiday 
Now, I feel like a lot of people have not seen this film which is such a shame because it is such a good film with such wonderful actors in it, and it is such a heart-warming story, and I love it so much! It is about two women, Amanda (I think that's her name- she is played by Cameron Diaz) and Iris (again, I think that's her name- played by Kate Winslet) and they are both at awful times in their life, and they switch houses, and meet people that the other people that the other one spend the day with a lot. The characters are just heart-warming and funny, and I just love the feeling that this film gives me.
Also, Jack Black and Jude Law are in this film as well.




3. Elf
OMG, this film just makes me want to laugh out loud! It's so funny and heart-warming and Elf is just... there are no words to describe how I feel about this film. Elf is a film about a very naive man who was raised with elves, but he is told that he is not an Elf, and so he travels to New York City to find his real father. And there, he falls in love. This film is so wonderful and funny and cute and just makes me want to cry (in a good way, I promise) and laugh out loud! I just... love this film so much. Looks like there were words to describe how I feel about this film after all...





4. Scrooge
Scrooge. Now, this again is one of the Christmas classics that everyone just needs to watch. It comes from the book Scrooge by- I have no idea- but it is actually from a book. Now there's this man- Scrooge- who is a horrible old man, and he is so horrible. He is told from this from his deceased friend. He is also told him that he was to be visited by three ghosts. These ghosts are: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future (who is freaky as hell). And he learns, as he is visited by these three ghosts, what will happen if he does not change his ways. It is a really good film, I promise.
Jim Carrey is also in this film too.



So, that was my Favourite Christmas Films post, I hope you enjoyed it! Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx





Monday 14 December 2015

Christmas Books

11 days!


Hey guys, this is Abi here!
And if there's one thing that I love to read at Christmas is a heart-warming Christmas story that is just... really cute!
So, today I am going to be listing some of my favourite books to read at Christmas!
Some of these are going to be some that I like to read over and over at Christmas time, some I really want to read that seem to have something to do with Christmas and others I have only recently purchased! (By that I mean literally, hours ago).
So, let's  not dawdle like a Christmas bauble (I'm sorry, I had a Chocolate Frappucino today)
So, let's get to it!

1. The Harry Potter series, by J K Rowling
I mean, this series aren't a Christmas series, but the Christmas parts just make me warm up from the inside because they are just so beautiful, (and they make what else happens that much more tragic), but I just love the Christmassy parts of this series. If you've read Harry Potter, you know what I'm talking about. And if you haven't WHAT ARE YOU DOING IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS SERIES (the Illustrated Version of "Philosopher's Stone" has just come out and its BEAUTIFUL, so if you haven't read Harry Potter, go and read it)


(Isn't it gorgeous?)


2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S Lewis
This book just screams winter, with well, you know, even if you have only seen the film (and I slowly raise my hand...) 
Now, it's all icy, and beautiful (at least it is in the movie)
This one is about four siblings (Lucy I think, Susan, Edmund and the other that I cannot for the life of me remember PETER, I think, it just came to me) that are trying to stop the Ice Queen (it's been like 4 years since I saw the film, please cut me some slack)
(Really need to read this series)

(This cover looked the prettiest)





3. Snow Like Ashes, by Sara Raasch
Now, the only connection that I'm guessing that this book has to Christmas is, you guessed it: It has Snow in the title. (I say "I'm guessing" because I literally bought this book a matter of hours ago, and I have not researched this book a whole lot), but the cover is gorgeous and wonderful, and I hope that that is the kind of reaction that I am going to have to the actual words. 
Also, I just read the back, and there is a Kingdom of Winter, so yes there is a connection to Winter, and therefore, Christmas. 
This book actually really looks frosty, and (it looks like) it has a struggle, and hope and an incredible protagonist, and I can't actually wait to read it (even though I didn't even know what it was about like a minute ago), but yeah!




4. Let It Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle 
Now, this is the book that I created this post for. This is the cute book to read at Christmas, and if I know John Green, it will be cute and funny, but not all cutesy either. I don't really know much about the other authors, but I am really anticipating this story, as I am really in the mood for a cutesie Christmas book at the moment. This book is about three different stories that intertwine and it's surrounding Christmas, and that is all I really need to know, to read it really! 
(Also bought hours ago)






And that was my Christmas Books post! I really hope you enjoyed it! If you have any thoughts on the books listed please feel free to comment what you thought of about these books, or anything else!

Also, I am now on Bloglovin! Just thought you should know! And I am now officially signing off! Byeeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx 
   




Sunday 13 December 2015

Read This Blog And Find Out About What This Post Is About

12 Days

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And it is 12 days until Christmas! (That is what the 12 days is at the top of the post) and with that I am pleased to announce that I will be posting daily in the lead up to Christmas! (And probably for the 6 days after that until the end of the year).

So today, I am going to be... I have no idea what I'm doing (great way to start the 12 days of Christmas...)
So today I am going to be listing some things that you can do if you have a book blog posting slump.
So, let's get to it!

1. Reviews
Now, this is primarily what book bloggers start book blogs for. To share their thoughts about their favourite or least favourite books with the WORLD, and I put this at the top of the list because looking for reviews is what attracts me to a new book blog (mainly because I want to see the thoughts of other people to see whether I should read the book myself), so yeah, reviews.


2. Tags
Now tags are really fun to do, and I really love to do them. There are tags for every occasion, Christmas. Halloween. And there are other ones, too. Like the Nintendo Book Tag, the Book Life Tag, the Social Media Book Tag, etc. They're just really fun to do, really.

3. Lists/ Top tens
I say lists/Top tens because I just put them in my random other cool stuff that I have posted section on my post pandemonium and I really need to separate them sometime soon...
And lists and top tens are something I have to do when I have bloggers slump, and I can't think of something to post. (That happens a lot).

4. Tutorials
Now, it depends on what the audience if your book blog is, and whether you enjoy tutorials. I generally don't really enjoy doing tutorials, and I don't really tend to need tutorials much, and so I don't post them. But it does tend to be who your audience is because some blogs love to do tutorials. Some tutorials include: How to go from Blogger to WordPress, or how to get out of a reading slump, etc.

5. Monthly Wrap Ups and Monthly TBR
I put these together because they are kind of in the same section. They come one after the other, and it lets people know what you have read in the past month and what you plan to read next. When I see Monthly Wrap Ups and TBRs on Booktube, and I see a book that I am currently reading, or own, I just want to grab that book and hug it to my chest. It just makes me feel great to know that I am reading g or own the same book.


6. Book Hauls
I love to see and post book hauls when I have recently bought tonnes of books that I just want to share with you guys.

And that is my post for today! I'm sure the minute that one post this, I will think of some more things, but they are the only ones that one can think of today! So, Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Friday 11 December 2015

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles Book 3), by Marissa Meyer

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And I'm hungry! I'm sorry, that's not relevant...
Today I am going to be my Cress review!
So, let's get to it!

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles Book 3), by Marissa Meyer
Title: Cress
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: YA (Yound Adult), Retelling and Sci-Fi
Release Date: February 4th 2014
Pages: 550
Blurb: In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoner on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had a netscreens as company. All the screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is seperated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

My Review
This series just get better and better! I absolutely loved Cinder, the introduction to the world, bit less enthusiastic for Scarlet, but also really enjoyed that and now Cress is THE BEST ONE YET. I'm serious. Now, the protagonist is Cress, and she is a hacker. I'm going to be honest here, but I wasn't really that crazy about Cress at the beginning, because part of the reason that I read series like this is so I can read about the characters that are strong and go through things, not to see a protagonist thinking about herself as being a damsel in distress, but as the book went on, and I saw her struggle, I grew to love her. 

Now, the writing was just as good as the other two, and I don't really know what I can say about the writing that compares to the other two. There was no change from how the writing flowed in Cress. That's not a bad thing, really, it's great, the writing. 

The plot was absolutely incredible! I really loved it, it was just one thing after another, and the plot was just really really incredibly graphic and wonderful and fast paced, and I... I just loved it! 

THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK, DO NOT GO PAST THIS POINT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED


OMG, this book. I mean, that last hundred pages I just flew through!
It all just came at once, just one.thing.after.another. The confusion of kidnapping Kai. The kiss. The fight. The death of Dr Erland. The suspense of Wolf and Cinder and what's-her-name (I cannot remember her name for the life of me- Sybil something). 
All these emotions just came one after another, just like the end parts of the book. It was so tragic when Cress finally realised that Dr Erland was her father (Star Wars reference, haha), and it was so sad, like how it could have been, because he has found her daughter, and now he's dying. 
But that kiss though! It was what I like to call a movie star kiss. Where you can just picture it in like a movie, like the camera is circling them, and OMG, I can just picture it. 
Now, the introduction to Snow White, this one I kind of had a problem with. I was like, where's the challenge? Like it takes the entire book for Cinder and Scarlet to find each-other, and then Scarlet and Snow-White are just thrown together just like that? But despite that, I still think that Winter is going to a very intriguing character and I honestly can't wait to see what she brings to the group. 

But, despite that, I still really loved the book, and it is still my favourite in the series so far, and after finishing Cress, I can't wait to see the concluding book (but I'm also really sad that it is the end of this series that I love so much). 


So, that was my Cress book review, and I hoe you enjoyed it! I'll be back with my Winter review before too long! Byeeeee! 
-Abi xxxxx 

Wednesday 9 December 2015

Top 10 Series and Trilogies I Can't Believe I Haven't Read Yet

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And today I am going to be listing my top ten series and trilogies that I can't believe I haven't read yet, and you guys are seriously going to hate me when you see what is on this list!
But let's just get to it!

Top 10 Series and Trilogies I Can't Believe I Haven't Read Yet
1. The Mortal Instruments series, by Cassandra Clare
2. Delirium trilogy, by Lauren Oliver
3. The Darkest Minds trilogy, by Alexandra Bracken
4. Legend trilogy, by Marie Lu
5. Mara Dyer trilogy, by Mychelle Hodkin
6. Shatter Me trilogy, by Tahereh Mafi
7. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children trilogy, by Ransom Riggs
8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, by Laini Taylor
9. The Selection trilogy, by Kiera Cass
10.  The Chemical Garden trilogy, by Lauren DeStefano

So, those are the ten series that I can't believe I haven't read yet, and I will definitely be reading some of these series' and trilogies in 2016.
Also, I apologize for not putting the picture of Scarlet in my Scarlet review.
And that is my post for the day, I hope you enjoyed it. Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Monday 7 December 2015

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2), by Marissa Meyer

Hey guys, this is Abi here,
I apologise in advance that I didn't manage to post anything yesterday, I was busy with work, and I went on the Big Wheel in Leicester, and went to TGI Fridays for the first time!
I still apologise though...
But I'm here now, so hooray!

And as you can see the title, I am just going to get on with my review!
Let's go!

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2), by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: YA (Young Adult), Retellings and Sci-fi 
Release Date: February 5th, 2013. 
Pages: 451 
Blurb: Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling instalment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison- even though if she succseeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.
Halfway across the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When scarlet encounters Wolf, a streetfighter that may have information to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her King, her prisoner. 

WARNING: SPOILERS, DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE FINISHED THE BOOK

I fell back in to this world as easily as I fell into it the first time with Cinder, but this time with completely new characters and a new plotline, and this book was as fantastic as the first one. 

Scarlet is set in France, and she is this hot-headed feisty girl who doesn't appear to be afraid to do anything to get her grandmother back from where she has been taken from, but, and I don't knowif this is just me, but I wanted more from this chharacter. Like, her feistyness (yes, I am saying feistyness), I waned that to be a part of why she made the decisions that she did. But as the story went on, she grew to be not just a person finding her grandmother, she became a protector and she learnt to love, which I thought was really sweet. 

But this book doesn't just focus on Scarlet, oh no. It goes back to Cinder as well, and the transition is really smooth, but I'll get to that soon. 
Cinder is in a ship, and also trying to find Scarlet's grandmother, but for a different reason (which is the same reason, but you find that out later),   

The writing was as good as the first book, and the way Meyer just jumps from character to character is just incredible. When she jumped to a different character, I was like "Yay!", because I just loved seeing all these different scenarios that impact the plot so much. 

And that brings me to the plot. The plot was pretty good, but I preferred Cinder's plot to this one, though, as I said before, the writing just made the plot seem so much better since, although I feel like I could see most of the plot twists coming from a mile away, mostly. There were a couple of things that took me by surprise, but not completely like the one in Cinder. 

So overall, I really enjoyed this book, just not as much as Cinder, but I am really anticipating what happens in Cress, which is the next book, and apparently the best out of the best three, so I am really excited to be reading it. 

So, that is my review for Scarlet, I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to comment below what you think. whether you agree with my opinion, I love to hear from you! Will post something else, on Wednesday, see you then! Byeeee!

-Abi xxxx