Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I Would Switch Places With

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where you post the 'top ten' for each week.

This week, the top ten is: books for people who like x book. For the book this was: most vivid worlds and settings. I don't pay TOO much attention to the settings in the books I read, but I know of some really good ones!

1. Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments

I wouldn't mind having to kill a few demons in order to have Clary's life!

2. Hazel Grace Lancaster in The Fault In Our Stars

This one may come as a surprise, but I'd like to see what it would be like to walk in her shoes. Hazel is just so strong and wonderful. Oh, and I'd like to be her during the first portion of the book, rather than the last...

3. Katsa in Graceling

You have to admit, it would be pretty cool to be able to survive practically anything! And Katsa and Po's relationship is super cute!

4. Anna Oliphant in Anna and the French Kiss

Being in Paris with an awesome group of friends and an even more awesome boyfriend...? WIN!

5. Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Me and my cousin play PJO at my grandma's house. Yes, we are nerds. So I'd love to be any character at Camp Half-Blood, but particularly Annabeth because of how awesome she is!

6. Belly in The Summer Series
Belly kind of has it rough, particularly in the second book, but she still surprises me. I like how her relationship grows with Jeremiah, and I have to admit that my relationship with my boyfriend is kind of like theirs!

7. Hermione in Harry Potter

Just being at Hogwarts would be a dream come true - honestly! Plus, Hermione is just awesome and intelligent, but I'd prefer if she were in Ravenclaw!

8. Amy Pond in Doctor Who

Okay, so this isn't a book character, but she is still a character of sorts! I would love to time travel with the Eleventh Doctor and Rory - and her story is just so intriguing!


9. Sydney Sage in Bloodlines
I'm in love with Sydney's intelligence- she is one of my favorite characters lately! Everything about her screams so cool, plus she's got a thing with Adrian! :)

10. Spencer Hastings in Pretty Little Liars
I so totally WOULD NOT enjoy getting the creepy text messages, or making out with Wren and whatnot, but Spencer's achievements are so great that I would love to be her. Honestly, I love Spencer's style and study habits and worrying about school. She's a good idol when it comes to THAT stuff!

What I Want Is Smart, Yet Bad-Ass, Female Protagonists

WARNING: The words 'bad-ass' and synonyms of 'smart' are going to be used many times in this post. Also, there's many capitalizations in this post. I am not trying to yell at you, or anything like that. Simply making a point. As a last point, these are just my opinions. The ending may get a little prejudice, but just go with it! :)

Over the past few weeks, I've noticed that I've changed some of favorite types of characters have changed. Typically, I enjoy reading from the perspective of female characters that are full of bad-assery, quick-thinking, and their official language is sarcasm.

These may seem like legitimate characters, but I WANT MORE THAN THAT.

What I want, is smart characters. Characters that have intellectual appeal, rather than physical strength. I want them to know how to handle a situation to clear most consequences, rather with going with their gut feeling. I want characters that are easy for me to relate with, rather than characters that I try and act like.

When most people get asked who their favorite character is, the say things like Katniss Everdeen, Clary Fray, or June Iparis.

What about characters like Hermione Granger, Sydney Sage, or Haven Terra?

The first three characters are awesome. There's no doubt about that. Why are they awesome? They've go power, and stealth, and wonderful other physical strengths. Katniss is awesome with a bow in the Hunger Games, Clary kills demons (sometimes by chance) throughout the Mortal Instrument series, and June is super stealthy in Legend. The common word to describe these characters is 'bad-ass.'

What is bad-ass? It's the ability to kick someone's butt with ease, and look good while doing it. They don't care too much about what others think about themselves, and they never give up fighting. They don't know they are bad-ass, and will never admit that they are bad-ass. They just simply are.

What people DON'T know about bad-ass characters, is that they sometimes fall short. Sometimes bad-ass characters have no other personality traits besides being this awesome 'bad-ass.' The three that I picked, thankfully have other characteristics that make them more appealing, but the first word that usually comes to mind when thinking of Katniss, Clary, and June is BAD-ASS.

Certainly, I don't mind these characters. Most of the time, I LOVE THEM. They're known for their rash decisions, and love triangles, and all that other good stuff. Last year, I used to try and be cool and act like I'm tough. There's no doubt that I'm tough (I can beat my boyfriend at wrestling!), but I don't try and be coy and stealthy anymore. These characters are awesome, nonetheless, but here's my problem:

I don't want JUST bad-ass.

I want smart. I want a character that's intellectual, wise, and analytical. I want a character that's more like ME, rather than a character that I have to try and BE like.

Hermione rocks at spells and potions and uses awesome words when she talks in Harry Potter. Sydney Sage rules the text books and can hold intellectual conversations in Bloodlines. Haven Terra is simply genius and smart in Illuminate.

I want more characters like THAT. They don't need to be completely Einstein-like, but I would prefer if they had a little more common sense and their conversations with their best friends wouldn't ALWAYS revolve around the hot new boy next door. Next time, try a conversation about books, or a geeky TV show.

Don't get my wrong - these characters ca still be bad-ass! It may just not be the same definition of bad-ass as the previous one I gave. When describing Sydney Sage I love to say that she's bad-ass. Not because she's an awesome fighter (trust me, she's NOT!) or because she holds herself as a higher power. I say she's bad-ass because she uses her WORDS to fight, rather than her FISTS.

She doesn't have to be completely geeky either. The character does not have to be completely incapable of dressing herself nicely, or the only thing she doesn't know is how to apply the right kind of make-up. She can look like all the other pretty girls in YA fiction, but she should be SMARTER than them.

You may be complaining: BUT LEXI. This character is SMART, and she's pretty and capable of all that stuff you stated above.

Um, no. Of all the books I've read, I've never seen a character that's strong, actually smart, and looks good. Hermione had frizzy hair. Sydney had bad style. Haven was TOTALLY awkward all the time.

But ya know, prove me wrong. In the comments, leave me some recommendations of books where the character is known for her intelligence; not her fighting abilities. Make sure she can look good while having a debate too.

Series Selection #3

Hey guys! This is a new feature called Series Selection, where I take books that are sequels or parts of a series, and I write mini-reviews for them! When I write sequel reviews, I always feel I have spoilers or something, so by doing these, I limit the amount of spoilers! I'll make these posts every few weeks when I read a couple books that are a part of a series.

Taken By Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
(Raised By Wolves #3)

Bryn is still a human in this one, and functioning as alpha isn't very easy because of it. I really liked the plot behind this one, with the rogue wolf on the loose. Lots of different things factor into this novel, which made it really exciting! Be prepared to get very emotional at the end of this novel!

4 STARS

Torn by Amanda Hocking
(Trylle Trilogy #2)

This book had so many 'WHAT?!' moments to it, but that's what made it good! Some of the 'WHAT?!' moments include: Tove, Elora, Willa, Matt, and HOLY CRAP THE VITTRA. Wendy was as awesome as ever, and Finn became really stupid at times. Loki was just amazing. I kind of actually like him, but at the same time I really like Finn! Anyways, Ascend should be REALLY good!

5 STARS

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
(Starcrossed #2)

LUCAS. I missed reading about him, but he definitely changed in this novel. In some ways it was good, other ways it was bad. As the novel progressed, things were resolved between Helen, Lucas, and the other characters, such as Orion and Hector! There was lot of exciting action, intense romance, and funny moments - you won't be let down!

4 STARS

Until I Die by Amy Plum

(Revenants #2)

BUM BUM BUM. Evil numa alert! But that doesn't stop this novel from being super cool! I love how Kate still manages to be semi-normal with all these undead people, like worrying about brushing her teeth, and understanding that she needs normal friends back home too. Some of the characters are awesome in this - others seem awesome but turn out to be not-so-awesome. :\ Also, read page 259, and YOU MUST LAUGH. I fricken read that passage like 5 times and had a laughing fit each time! 

4 STARS

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

(Summer #2)

This Summer series is the best one yet. The first book, I BAWLED through, and in this one I wanted to cry so much but for some reasons I couldn't cry. Stupid me. Anyways, I'm all for Jeremiah now, but I still feel really bad or Conrad. This book was just so fricken good, but it wasn't as good as the first one, I'd say!

4 STARS

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Edition: hardcover

Series: The Grisha Trilogy #1

Released Date: June 5th, 2012

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Goodreads / Amazon 

Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, the one thing she could rely on was her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’re sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.

When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. Ripped from everything she knows, she is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the one person with the power to destroy the Fold.

Swept up in a world of luxury and illusion, envied as the Darkling’s favorite, Alina struggles to fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But as the threat to the kingdom mounts, Alina uncovers a secret that sets her on a collision course with the most powerful forces in the kingdom. Now only her past can save her . . . and only she can save the future.

Well it's no doubt that I absolutely loved this book. It was impossible to hate it, and as it seems, it's impossible to eve semi-dislike parts of it! There's no doubt that Leigh Bardugo created an intriguing world in the first novel of the Grisha Trilogy.

Personally, I used to hate high fantasy, but after reading some books, I've slowly started to enjoy it. In Shadow ad Bone, it made me even start to the love high fantasy novels! From the castles, to the rankings in the kingdom, to riding horseback - I really truly enjoyed the high fantasy aspect of this novel! That's quite surprising for me to enjoy this type of genre as much as I did! It's just that the world she created was so inspiring and alive, that it was impossible to hate it.

Part of the reason I was so appealed by the high fantasy aspects was because of the writing. Leigh Bardugo's writing is simply enchanting. It's the only word that I can use to describe it. There were certain moments when reading it that I just stopped and said 'WOW' because of how she strung the words together. One day, I wish I had the potential to write like her!

When it comes down to it, characters are usually the MAJOR factor I use when it comes to rating a book. Alina's character shone throughout this novel, and she had a great impact on the wonderful rating I'm giving this book. Orphaned early on in her life, she joined up with Mal, and he became her best friend. In the flashbacks, she seemed like a normal, mischievous child. If you dug a little deeper, you could tell that the events that happened to her as a child, impacted her young adult years. It was nice to see how Alina had grown between her child years to her present years, and then from the present years to the end of the book.  Even between a few chapters, she grew greatly, but in a serious way. When she first learned she was a Grisha and a Sun Summoner, she didn't believe it. Even when she used her own powers, she didn't jump right on the bandwagon. She thought quite a bit about it, before giving into the idea. Pretty much, Alina becomes a pretty kick-ass character as the novel progresses and she learns how to fight and control her own powers. Awesome heroine, for the win!

The romance in this book really charmed me. Alina silently falls for the Darkling, one of the most powerful Grisha in the novel. He's mysterious, dark, and he seems pretty sweet. There's no doubt from when we first meet him that he has ulterior motives. That doesn't stop Alina for falling for him, much like every other girl in the Grisha kingdom. But then there's Mal, her best friend who she had to leave behind when she found out she was a Grisha. Their relationship is much more innocent, but still had passion, like the Darkling's relationship. For the first half of the novel, I was hoping that the Darkling and Alina would be together, but about halfway into the novel, my mind switched and I fell for Mal.

It's clear to see that I thought this novel was simply flawless. I mean, there were some downfalls, but Leigh Bardugo picked them up in a few chapters. I would have to suggest this book to anyone who enjoys high fantasy, or even to people that don't like it - maybe this is the book that will change your mind about high fantasy! Nonetheless, I dare you to pick up Shadow and Bone, because you'll fall in love with the words, the characters, and the world that Leigh Bardugo created just for us readers.

(PS. - I really hope I'm able to go to the signing on Aug. 31st at Anderson's! She's gonna be there!)

Waiting on Wednesday #27

Waiting on Wednesday is a feature used to tell everyone about the books you're waiting to be released! This feature is hosted by Breaking the Spine. Every week I choose three different novels that I'm anxiously waiting to read and be released! Leave your link in the comments and I'll check yours out as well!

UNREMEMBERED by Jessica Brody
Released Date: March 3rd, 2013

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux

The only thing worse than forgetting her past... is remembering it.

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

From popular young adult author, Jessica Brody comes a mesmerizing and suspenseful new series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

 THE PROGRAM by Suzanne Young
Released Date: April 30th, 2012

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone.

With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in.

And The Program is coming for them.

DANCE OF SHADOWS by Yelena Black

Released Date: December 24th, 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Curtains up on a deliciously dark new YA trilogy from the creators of Lauren Kate’s Fallen.

Vanessa Adler isn’t so sure she really belongs at the School of American Ballet. But dance runs in her family. It’s been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. Her grandmother and mother were prima ballerinas, and her older sister Margaret was, too. That is, until Margaret mysteriously disappeared from school three years ago. Vanessa is heir to the family’s gift and the only person who can fulfill her sister’s destiny. She has no choice.

But she never could have guessed how dangerous the school is. The infamous choreographer, Josef, isn’t just ruthless with his pupils, he guards a sinister secret, one in which the school’s dancers—prized for their beauty, grace, and discipline—become pawns in a world of dark, deadly demons.

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Vivid Worlds/Settings

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where you post the 'top ten' for each week.

This week, the top ten is: books for people who like x book. For the book this was: most vivid worlds and settings. I don't pay TOO much attention to the settings in the books I read, but I know of some really good ones!

1. Hogwarts in Harry Potter

It's no doubt that this one is going to be on here! What person DOESN'T want to go to Hogwarts?

2. Panem in The Hunger Games

This one may not be as appealing as Hogwarts, but the world that Suzanne Collins created is very alive and not confusing at all!

3. Illea in The Selection

I may be one of the only people that thinks this, but I REALLY liked the world that America Singer lives in. It's very intriguing with the caste system and the Bachelor inspired theme.

4. Paris in Anna and the French Kiss

I JUST read this one the other day, and I have to say it was awesome! I've never been very interested in Paris, but after this one, I did a bunch of research on all the places Anna went to in Paris!

5. Camp Half Blood in Percy Jackson

You know you're obsessed with a setting, when you take your grandma's yard and turn it into Camp Half Blood with your cousin. I totally wish I could practice with the demi-gods at this camp!

6. New York in The Mortal Instruments
The setting may not be a big part of this book, but I still absolutely love it!

7. Victorian England in The Infernal Devices

Compared to the Mortal Instruments, England plays a bigger part in the Infernal Devices than NY does in TMI. Everything about these novels screams England and makes me want to go live with them and their big poofy dresses!

8. Chicago in Divergent

Besides the awesome characters, it was the setting that really drew me in on this novel! I really really liked it!


9. Cousins Beach in the Summer Series
In Belly's story, Cousins Beach is so vividly described and well written. I've never been to a beach that I absolutely love, but Cousins Beach may be that one after reading the series - even if I have never been there!

10. California in Bloodlines
This one may seem REALLY weird, but I really loved the setting of this one. From the school, to Sonya's place, to LA, everything about California really draws me in through this book!

Review: Revived by Cat Patrick

Title: Revived

Author: Cat Patrick

Edition: hardcover

Series: none

Released Date: May 8th, 2012

Publisher: Little, Brown

Goodreads / Amazon 

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.

Daisy's whole life has revolved around keeping Revive a secret. In her fifteen years, Daisy has died a total of five times, and each time she is revived using a special medicine of sorts. After each death, Daisy has to move to a new town, in order to keep suspicions as low as possible. When Daisy moves and meets Matt and Audrey McKean, she finally finds people she calls her friends. Daisy's journey with the McKean siblings brings out feelings she'd never thought she would experience: sorrow, happiness, and even love. When things take a turn of events, Daisy gets down to business.

Honestly, I'm not sure if Daisy had much of a personality. Usually when I'm reviewing a novel, I think of a couple of words to describe the main character. There weren't many that I could think of to describe her besides the word REVIVE. Daisy's whole life is revolved around this medicine, that it doesn't give her much room to have a unique and an easy-to-relate-with personality. There wasn't anything extremely interesting to her, besides the fact that each time she moved she liked to go all out with her bedroom when she redecorated.

The other thing that bothered me about Daisy was the insta-love she felt for Matt. Her and Matt had barely talked and she was decided that she was in love with him. Clearly, I don't believe in love and first sight, so it kind of ticked me off. She was always wondering about him, when she had MUCH more important things to worry about! I don't really know if Matt had much interesting things about him. I mean, he was caring and all, but he didn't have anything that would strike my interest if I had started to talk to him. Maybe he was just that cute....

Matt's sister, Audrey, was MUCH more interesting in my opinion. I was curious why she clearly the 'popular' girl, but none of her friends would talk to her, and her old boyfriend looked at her super sadly. I'm trying to keep spoilers out of this, so this part is really hard to write about. The scenes with Audrey at the end get super emotional, and that's probably the most I've cried in a book. Even if I didn't connect with Daisy or Matt, I still connected with the relationship that Daisy, Matt, and Audrey had.

The reason why I'm giving this book three stars, is because of all the plot twists that held me on tight through the novel, and because of the emotional scenes with Audrey. Also, it's rare that there's a good epilogue, but I think this one was awesome! It was short, but it still wrapped up the novel and it showed that Daisy had grown throughout the course of the novel. I kind of wished there was a sequel, because I'm sure I would rather read about Daisy now that she has a personality. 

 

Otherwise the rest of the novel fell a little short for me. I was planning on giving the novel a four stars, just because of the emotional scenes and then the awesome plot line, but the characters have to be strong enough for me to like the book a lot. These characters fell short for me, and I was contemplating if I was going to mark this book DNF, until about midpoint when the plot got REALLY interesting!

Review: Starters by Lissa Price

Title: Starters

Author: Lissa Price

Edition: hardcover

Series: Starters and Enders #1

Released Date: March 13th, 2012

Publisher: Delacorte

Goodreads / Amazon 

HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .

Callie's parents died in the Spore Wars, and since then she's been stealing water from nearby houses and scavenging the streets with her seven-year-old brother Tyler, and her best friend Michael.A new program, Prime Destinations, is offering teens big bucks to rent out their bodies to Enders - the old people that are usually over 100 years old. Things are getting tougher, and Tyler is getting sick, so Callie's only option is to rent out her body. Little does she know, the person she's renting her body out to has plans for murder.

By the summary, I figured that this was going to take a bit more to get into the action, as they had to explain the Spore Wars and what squatting was - that type of stuff! Actually, this jumped right into the action, which wasn't generally a bad thing, but it made her choices seem to have less significance until later in the novel.

When Callie becomes a renter, it all seems pretty good deal. Prime Destination seems like a decent company, and Callie gets to be beautiful for once. Once her third appointment takes place, and a woman named Helena rents her body, and things start to go downhill for Callie and Prime Destination. The signal between Helena and Callie is corrupt, and Callie is able to control her body and Helena is able to talk to her in her head. Pretty much, that's not supposed to happen. Callie keeps this a secret, and around others she pretends she's an Ender in a teen's body. With Helena in her head, and randomly coming back to into Callie's body, Callie has to figure out what Helena is trying to do, and who she is determined to kill.

Callie's character was strong - that's for sure. There were some things that popped up along the line that didn't seem very Callie-like. It made her seem like a less consistent character. I mean, I still liked her - but slowly for the reason that she was a quick-thinker and was a pretty darn good actress! She went with the flow whenever something bad happened, but in her mind she was determined to fix it. Helena's character pissed me off in the beginning. She was trying to ruin Callie's life, and she knew it. Helena still managed to grow as a character though, even if she was just a voice in the novel and we never got to see her true actions. Towards the end, I started to like Helena and truly felt bad for how it turned out for her and what her mission was.

Surprisingly, there was some romance in this novel! To be honest, I didn't expect very much and I was glad that the romance didn't overpower everything that was going on. Before leaving for Prime Destinations, Callie and her best friend Michael kind of have a thing, but it never really goes anywhere. As a pretty girl, with Helena in her mind, Callie falls for Blake - the senator's grandson. Their romance is super cute, and I love how she's a bit reluctant to fall for him. Soon she submits to the pressure and lets herself be carefree around Blake. The ending with Blake is kind of sad, but then it picks back up again! Hopefully their relationship will be even better in the sequel! As you can tell, I think I like Blake over Michael. (Even if my boyfriend is named Michael! ;) haha!)

The ending was just WOW. It got extremely intense and there were some things that were super surprising! I think the reason I loved this novel as much as I did was because of the super unique plot, and then the way it ended. I wish I had a copy of Enders right next to me so I could pick it up and start reading it! I really need to know what happens next!

Stacking the Shelves #8

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves was inspired by the In My Mailbox posts over at the Story Siren. Due to current issues, I've decided to switch over to Stacking the Shelves! Here's the books and swag that I've recently received!

Library
Catching Jordan by Morgan Kenneally
Eve by Anna Carey

Finished Copies
The Best Night of your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrand
- thank you Jessirae, from Words, Pages, and Books!

Swag
Reunited magnet
Velveteen bookmark
Reunited bookmark
My Life Next Door bookmark
Time Between Us sticker
The Vicious Deep sticker
If I Lie SIGNED bookmark
Touching the Surface origami bird
- thank you The Fake Steph!

How to Convert Non-Readers Into Readers

Everyone knows of those people who absolutely despise reading. Anything having to do with reading, they hate it. Book lovers like us, tend to stay away from people like that. But say for example, that you're really good friends with a person who hates books and reading. So what do you do? You convert them.

By saying 'convert' them, it sounds like you're telling them to join a cult. All I mean, is trying to get people to read more books! I have a two examples of my friends. One who used to hate books, and only liked one series but is now broadening his horizons and one friend who never had much interest in reading but now loves it!

Example 1: Michael, my boyfriend.
My boyfriend and I have been dating for seven months, and he just graduated this year. All throughout high school, he's HATED reading, except he did like the Eragon series. In my Spanish class, our teacher requires two days out of the year where we just spend the class reading. My friends always request that I bring books for them to read, and I usually bring extras for other classmates in case they forgot. Michael saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower and grabbed it. He didn't like it, mostly due to the fact of how naive Charlie is, because Michael is very athletic and outgoing. So of course, he didn't like that one. He knew books were a big part of my life, so now he's trying to get into them a bit. I haven't read the Eragon series, so he's going to give me all the copies of the books (4 of them) in exchange for him reading the Hunger Games and the first Percy Jackson book. We went and saw the Hunger Games movie together, and he really enjoyed it and wanted to read them, so this is our little deal! I'm hoping that he will get a little more interested in books. He's going into the Air Force in a few weeks, so he's not going to have much time to read over the next few months, but hopefully he'll find a little down time to read!

Example 2: Amanda, one of my best friends.
Amanda is smart - let's just say that. It surprises me that she never reads! The last time she read was about 3 years ago, when she read the Twilight series but only got halfway through Eclipse. Her reading story is a fun one! One day she was at my house and saw my copy of Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen on my bookshelf and she asked if she could borrow it. I was so surprised! She devoured the book, and I then made a list of all the Sarah Dessen books for her! Over the past few weeks, she's read most of the Sarah Dessen books, and now she's moving on to other young adult contemporary like Elizabeth Scott books, Anna and the French Kiss, Sarah Ockler books, and If I Stay! Every time she finishes a book, she sends me a message with a short little review of her thoughts! She's obsessed with our local library as well, and she's going to be making a Goodreads account too!

Most of my friends now read, which I'm super happy about. Everyone comes to me for book recommendations and I'm known as the walking library. As I think about it, most of my friends read now - some more than others - but it's the thought that counts right?!

There are many ways to get your friends to convert to reading more. My basic way, is to always have a book on hand. During school, I have a new book every day, and I like to read during free time in class. My friends get interested by the cover or title and they ask me what it's about. It's also nice that we have a very large library at my school with a lot of new young adult fiction. Most students have study hall in there, and I like to get my friends to look at the books with me when we're bored!

The easiest way for me to get people to like books is to talk about them. I'll make a reference to something, or say a funny quote, and people will ask me what it's from. I'll say the book and then give a short little summary and that's when people get interested!

Also, you have to appeal to their hobbies and likes. You wouldn't want to give a bubbly girl a dark paranormal novel. With my friend Amanda, I'm starting her out with cutesy contemporary books, like Sarah Dessen. In a few weeks, I'm going to ween her over to a little more heavier contemporaries like John Green. After that, I may throw in some really light paranormal with a lot of romance, or a good dystopian!

The last factor is figuring out timing. One of my friends really likes to read, but she babysits a lot, does horse shows, and a bunch of other things that she doesn't get much time to read. She would love if she could just sit down and read, but she never has the time. If you want to convert a friend that is total anti-books, and they're super busy, you have to be really careful. It could possibly make them hate books even more!

Take it slow - everyone loves to read, honestly. Most people are just afraid to admit it, or they say they have better things to do. Who wouldn't want to get lost in a good book though?

Hopefully after these tips, you'll be able to successfully convert some of your friends to reading! If you've got some friends that you've been able to start reading, let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear any stories about how you got your friends to read!

Review: Illuminate by Aimee Agresti

Title: Illuminate

Author: Aimee Agrest

Edition: hardcover

Series: Gilded Wings #1

Released Date: March 6th, 2012

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Goodreads / Amazon 

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?

Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

Growing up, Haven's idea of fun was researching colleges and studying. Sometimes that included her best friend, Dante. A change of a lifetime appears before Haven, and she heads off to an internship at Lexington Hotel along with Dante and their classmate Lance.

Haven is the type of character that I love to read about, but there isn't enough about in young adult literature. She's not overly bad-ass, but relies more on her intelligence than her strength. She's super smart, and prefers to be independent than having a big group around her. To be honest, she's kind of awkward in social situations! When her and Lance team up, they become quite the duo, and my favorite chapters always revolved around these two! Their relationship is pretty darn cute, if I say so myself!

Aurelia and Lucian are weird. I didn't really like them, and I couldn't find that the pull between Haven and Lucian was very realistic. Well, maybe it was kind of realistic - I mean, he's fricken gorgeous. I guess I just didn't WANT it to be realistic. He just seemed too charming to me. In all honesty, he reminded me of Adrian from Vampire Academy, but 100x worse in the player department. Meanwhile, Aurelia had that aura that screamed power, and I respected her for that. I'm not saying I liked her, but I did respect how she was always confident and held herself highly. I kind of wish I had the ability to have a high self-esteem! I was always suspicious of Aurelia, but it was nearly impossible not to! She was just, creepy I guess.

There was a lot of good versus evil in this book. Good, being Haven, Lance, and some others; bad being The Outfit, the group that Lucian and Aurelia took part in. This made the book extremely interesting, and I actually found myself swaying between the good and the bad. Like Haven, I found the 'bad' side very intriguing, but not enough to want to be like them!

Illuminate was an awesome read, and definitely included the type of story and characters that I love best! Stunning novel overall, and I truly cannot wait for the sequel, Infatuate! I'm curious to see what will happen!

Waiting on Wednesday #26

Waiting on Wednesday is a feature used to tell everyone about the books you're waiting to be released! This feature is hosted by Breaking the Spine. Every week I choose three different novels that I'm anxiously waiting to read and be released! Leave your link in the comments and I'll check yours out as well!

LET THE SKY FALL by Shannon Messenger
Released Date: March 5th, 2013

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Vane Weston should have died in the category five tornado that killed his parents. Instead, he woke up in a pile of rubble with no memories of his past—except one: a beautiful, dark-haired girl standing in the winds. She's swept through his dreams ever since, and he clings to the hope that she's real.

Audra is real, but she isn't human. She's a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on the wind, translate its alluring songs, even twist it into a weapon. She's also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra has just days to help Vane unlock his memories. And as the storm winds gather, they start to realize the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance growing between them.

Set amongst the desert airstreams of Coachella Valley in California, LET THE SKY FALL is about two teenagers broken by their pasts, divided by their futures, and bound by love.

 PIVOT POINT by Kasie West
Released Date: February 12th, 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Reminiscent of the movie Sliding Doors, Pivot Point is about a girl who has the power to Search alternate futures. When faced with a life changing decision, she lives out six weeks of two different lives (in alternating chapters), both holding the potential for love and loss, and must ultimately choose which path she is willing to live through.

ALTERED by Jennifer Rush

Released Date: January 2nd, 2012

Publisher: Little, Brown

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books For People Who Like Bloodlines

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where you post the 'top ten' for each week.

This week, the top ten is: books for people who like x book. For the book this week, I picked Bloodlines, since I just finished reading The Golden Lily and I loved it!

1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Well clearly this is going to be on there, since Bloodlines is a spin-off of The Vampire Academy series!

2. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Sydney and Calla seem kind of similar, where they're very leader-like. The only difference is that Calla can put up a fight, while Sydney can only fight with her words.

3. Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Bryn reminds me a bit like Sydney, except Bryn is a little more sensitive and emotional when it comes to her friends and lifestyle. The books are really interesting though!

4. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

The whole thing with the mystery, and Aura and Sydney being extremely smart makes these two novels VERY similar!


5. Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

The whole thing with the girl trying to figure out the mystery of a species she's not a part of, matches with Sydney and the vampires, as well as Mac with the werewolves!

6.  The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
You know those really good books with fighting in them? Imagine an old person doing that. Yeah, not so interesting! Young adult characters are the only ones that can pull of the cool tricks!

7. Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake
This book is on this list simply because it's awesome and you'll love it if you like supernatural stuff.

8. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Ellie is what I picture Sydney to look like if she was a little more girly and was able to fight!


9. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Like Anna Dressed In Blood, this book is awesome and you'll love it. Adrian and Kai are like twins!

10. Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
Haven and Sydney are super smart characters that get caught up in some vampires - pretty good book as well!

Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Title:The Golden Lily

Author: Richelle Mead

Edition: hardcover

Series: Bloodlines #2

Released Date: June 12th, 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Goodreads / Amazon 

The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

The main reason I love these books is because of Sydney. Her intelligence just soars above everyone else, and she is simply perfect when it comes to her academics. When she speaks, it's always grammatically correct with no slang whatsoever, and I loved the conversations she had with the boy, Brayden, later on in the book. I'm truly glad we got to see more of that part of her, because when she's talking to people like Jill and Adrian, she tends to dumb it down for them. Also, Syndey's internal struggle was a bit part of the novel. Sydney is constantly contemplating whether or not what she's doing is considered 'being to friendly' with the Moroi, or if it's actually work. Throughout The Golden Lily, there's a constant push and pull between Sydney and the Moroi. One minute she'll be having the best time with them, and the next she has to push herself away in fear she's doing something wrong.

Honestly, Adrian really grew as a character in this one. Yes, I did say that: Adrian grew up. He becomes better, but not to impress Sydney or any of the other characters. He's doing it because he WANTS to get better. I really felt for him all throughout this novel, but he still had his usual wit and charm. Constantly, Adrian is getting torn down in this novel, especially by his father. The scene between Adrian, Nathan, and Sydney is very intense and interesting!

I was a bit afraid for this novel in the beginning. There wasn't much going on besides trying to train and becoming better friends with the Moroi, dhamphirs and other humans. I think the purpose was to show that Sydney was actually trying for a real life. There were certain parts where you could tell she forgot she was with vampires, and that's when Sydney really opened up. The action didn't start until over halfway into the novel, but when it did happen it was AMAZING. There wasn't fighting scenes, per say, but there was a lot of intense scenes where a fight COULD have broke out.

This novel actually has many subplots, and hidden romances, much to my surprise. Between Micah, Jill, Eddie, Angeline, and Trey - everything gets jumbled up! Don't worry, it's in a good way! They all get tied to each other in one way or another, which definitely makes it interesting!

The ending is going to hit you hard. There are so many things that pop up, but I'll keep those things to myself in fear of sharing spoilers! Refreshing the book in my head, there's so many unresolved things which is going to make The Indigo Spell simply amazing. I'm sure the action will jump in right away with this one, and I can't wait to read it! Richelle Mead managed to pull out another great novel, and I actually loved the Bloodline series more than I did the Vampire Academy series!

Review: Bad Taste In Boys by Carrie Harris

Title: Bad Taste In Boys

Author: Carrie Harris

Edition: hardcover

Series: Kate Grable #1

Released Date: July 12th, 2011

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Goodreads / Amazon 

Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steriods are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate! She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town  . . . and stay hormonally human.

There's only a couple of words to describe this book, and here's two for you: fricken hilarious. This book made me laugh quite a bit, and I was surprised by that! The cover looks so enticing, and the summary gives you a hint that it's gonna be funny - but holy cow! It was a super fun read, that went by really quick, which I'm sad/happy about!

Kate's a super-smart, sleuthing, hilarious character that I could not get enough of! I loved seeing a smart character! I've been quite obsessed with them lately! Makes me feel like I'm not the only girl out there who cares about weird science things! To be honest, she was kind of bad-ass too. She was able to take down those zombies with quick thinking and a bit of power! KATE FOR PRESIDENT. KATE FOR PRESIDENT. Well maybe not president, but maybe a super cool doctor...? Yeah?

The other characters in this were super hilarious - from all the football players, Rocky, Jonah and Aaron! All the relationships in this are super funny to read about as well! Especially Rocky, I loved her!

Also, it was pretty darn cool because this was the first book I've read that has used my boyfriend's last name! It's not a very popular last name, and it was a football player's name that's only mentioned once. But hey! - I still thought it was pretty darn cool!

I definitely can't wait for Bad Hair Day! I'm excited to see where this one is headed between Kate and Aaron, and then the super weird creatures!  I know that Bad Hair Day will be the same length, which is kind of a disappointment, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it just as much!

Stacking the Shelves #7

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves was inspired by the In My Mailbox posts over at the Story Siren. Due to current issues, I've decided to switch over to Stacking the Shelves! Here's the books and swag that I've recently received!

Finished Copies
Railsea by China Mieville

Library
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sara Rees Brennan
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo