October Wrap-Up and November TBR

If there's one thing you can count on, is that I'll always post my Wrap-Ups and TBRs. Here we are again, another month has passed and I only read two books this month, which is okay I guess... Here they are:

1- The Glass Castle (4.5/5)
     I loved this book. It made me happy and sad just like the movie did. I cried and had very strong feelings about the characters, particularly since they are actual real people. I don't usually autobiographies, but this one is so good and I really recommend it. I recommend the movie too. It is fantastic. 

2- The Death Cure (3.5/5)
     Finally read the third book in the Maze Runner series. Since the movie is coming out soon, I just had too. I definitely enjoyed this one more than the Scorch Trials. But it still wasn't as good as The Maze Runner... It was an interesting ending, but not really what I wanted. Also no spoilers, but if you've read the book you know there's a part that I really hate and that I wish hadn't happened. But I was spoiled for it so I wasn't really surprised when it happened...

NOVEMBER TBR

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

I know I know, the title is kinda weird... But I really wanted to read a Halloweeny book and this ebook was free on Amazon and it really got my attention. I am halfway through it and I low key am loving it. The characters are great and there are werewolves and I love werewolves packs so much. 

17 year old Ember Denning has made an art of isolating herself. She prefers the dead. She spends her days skipping school in old cemeteries and her nights hiding from her alcoholic father at the funeral home where she works. When her own father dies, Ember learns her whole life is a lie. Standing in the cemetery that’s been her sanctuary, she’s threatened by the most beautiful boy she’s ever seen and rescued by two people who claim to be her family. They say she’s special, that she has a supernatural gift like them…they just don’t know exactly what it is. 

They take her to a small Florida town, where Ember’s life takes a turn for the weird. She’s living with her reaper cousins, an orphaned werewolf pack, a faery and a human genius. Ember’s powers are growing stronger, morphing into something bigger than anything anybody anticipated. Ember has questions but nobody has answers. Nobody knows what she is. They only know her mysterious magical gift is trying to kill them and that beautiful dangerous boy from the cemetery may be the only thing standing between her and death. 

As Ember’s talents are revealed so are the secrets her father hid and those in power who would seek to destroy her. What’s worse, saving Ember has put her cousins in danger and turned her friend’s lives upside down. Ember must learn to embrace her magic or risk losing the family she’s pieced together.

I'm definitely reading at least another books this month, but I have no idea which one yet. I'm gonna see what I'll feel like reading after finishing this one...

December Wrap Up & January TBR

        Hi guys! Well, as you can see, I only read two books in December (even though I was planning to read four books), but that was because I was kinda busy during the break (aka binge watching Jane the Virgin, omg that show is a-m-a-z-i-n-g). But that's okay.

1- Prodigy (4.5/5)
         I really liked this book! It was my favourite of the trilogy. I was kinda iffy about Legend, but this book definitely picked up the pace and made me more into the world building, the characters, and the plot. Definitely recommend continuing with the series if you have read the first book.

This book was on my December TBR so √ 

2- Champion (4/5)
         Quite an interesting final book for a trilogy. Lots of stuff happened and after reading it I was finally certain that I really like Marie Lu's writing style. I wasn't sure at first, but now I can't wait to read her other books!

This book was on my December TBR so √ 

JANUARY TBR

Night
     Finally reading this book. Can't wait to be able to compare it to the other Holocaust book that I read in October. 

Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie's wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author's original intent. And in a substantive new preface, Elie reflects on the enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forgets man's capacity for inhumanity to man.


Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Original Screenplay
         I can't wait to finally read this! I loved the movie and I feel like reading the screenplay is going to be so interesting!

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…




The Hammer of Thor
        After getting this book  signed by Rick Riordan himself, I can't wait much longer to finally read the second book on the Magnus Chase series!


Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon--the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki--and the price he wants is very high.

Favourite Books of 2016

         2016 was a good year in terms of reading for me. I read 53 books and that is the most I've read in a year ever! My Goodreads challenge was to read 50 books so I'm glad I surpassed my goal. I, again, set my goal for 50 books in 2017 because I don't want to overwhelm myself and I feel like 50 books is a reasonable goal for me to achieve. I've made a favourites post for 2014 and 2015 and I can't believe I've had my blog for this long! In March, my blog will be celebrating three years! A reminder that these are my favourite books that I read this year, they were no necessarily published in 2016. This list is also not in any particular order. Some books represent the whole series (if I read all of them this year, like: Shatter Me, The Knife of Never Letting Go, Legend, and The Elite).

November Wrap Up and December TBR

1- Nation (4/5)
         This was my Book Club book of the month for November. At first I thought it was very slow paced and kinda boring, but it got better and better and by the end I thought it was very entertaining. I really liked Terry Pratchett's writing style and the characters and the story that he created were truly awesome.
        This book was in my November TBR so √

2- Of Mice and Men (3/5)
         At school my English class read 1984 for our novel unit, but some of the other English classes read Of Mice and Men. Some of my friends had really liked it and when I saw that the book was super short I thought "Why not?" and then I read it to see what all the fuss was about. I definitely thought it was entertaining and well written, but it didn't spark much emotion in me so then I didn't really love it or anything. It's okay, but I don't think I would ever read it again. 

                           3- Legend (4/5)
         This is my book club's pick for December. Although it did remind me a lot of other dystopian novels that I have already read, I think that the plot was well done and the characters were quite interesting. I personally thought that Marie Lu's writing style was quite similar to my own, so it was kinda weird to read it. The romance in it felt a bit too instant for me, but I just started reading Prodigy and I can see that things are taking a different turn than the first book. 


DECEMBER TBR

Prodigy
       
    After reading Legend I can't wait to read the rest of the series!


Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?


Champion


June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position. 

But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything. 

Night

     This is a non fiction book about a Holocaust survivor. I read one last month, and this other one was recommended by my History teacher and apparently it is way better than the one that I read, so I am excited to read it. 


Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie's wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author's original intent. And in a substantive new preface, Elie reflects on the enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forgets man's capacity for inhumanity to man.


Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay

         After watching the movie I just had to buy this!


When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…

October Wrap Up and November TBR

                

    

         1- Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - The Sword of Summer (3.5/5)
          You can check my review of this book by clicking the link. 
                This book was in my October TBR so √

         2- Looking for Alaska (3.5/5)
         Read my review of Looking for Alaska here.
 
         3- 1984 (4/5)
         Read this book for English class and actually quite enjoyed it. I know some people don't like the ending, but personally I really liked it because it was different and unexpected. It was definitely a hard book to read since it was written so long ago. I liked the world building and the plot. Definitely recommend it because of its Totalitarian aspect relatable to past dictators.

     4- Survival in Auschwitz 
         Kinda feel bad about rating this book so I won't do it. It was definitely a hard read, not only because it tells the tale of Primo Levi's awful time in the Aushwitz concentration camp during WWII, but also because Levi's writing style reminds me more of a textbook type of thing. I had to read this for my History class. It was very slow paced but I learned a lot about how the camps worked.
         
November TBR

Nation
         This is my book club's pick for this month. I haven't read anything by Terry Pratchett but apparently he is good, so I am excited to read this book.

Alone on a desert island—everything and everyone he knows and loves has been washed away in a storm—Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He’s completely alone—or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird, and gives him a stick that can make fire.

Daphne, sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, almost immediately regrets trying to shoot the native boy. Thank goodness the powder was wet and the gun only produced a spark. She’s certain her father, distant cousin of the Royal family, will come and rescue her but it seems, for now, that all she has for company is the boy and the foul-mouthed ship’s parrot, until other survivors arrive to take refuge on the island. Together, Mau and Daphne discover some remarkable things (including how to milk a pig, and why spitting in beer is a good thing), and start to forge a new nation.
        
 I don't have anything else planned for this month, but I'll definitely read other books as I go. I am currently participation in NaNoWriMo so I have less reading time than usual, but hopefully that won't affect me too much!
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September Wrap-Up & October TBR

          School came back in September but even with all the homework, I still had time to read 4 book which was pretty awesome! 

1- Graceling (5/5)

          I reread Graceling because this is my book club's book of the month! I have a review on it if you wanna check it out! (I also have a review of Fire, the second book in the trilogy). 

          This book was on my September TBR so √

2- Clockwise (4/5)

         You can check my review of Clockwise by Elle Strauss by clicking here.

3- The Ask and the Answer (4/5)

         I have a review of The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness that you can read by clicking here.

4- Monsters of Men (4/5)

         I also have a review of Monsters of Men, by Patrick Ness. Click on this link to check it out.

OCTOBER TBR

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - The Sword of Summer 

       

          I'm finally reading this book because I'm going to one of Rick Riordan's book tour event of The Hammer of Thor (the second book in the series) and I am so excited! (I actually already read half of the book last month but I guess it will be featured on the October Wrap-Up post)

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

         I don't know what else I'll be reading but I am feeling like reading a contemporary after this so... And I'm also definitely reading the next book that my book club chooses!

          I know this was a pretty quick post but if you guys have any recommendations of post please feel free to tell me on the comments! Any books /movies that you want me to review or any tags that you would like me to do! 

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Book Review: Monsters of Men

As a world-ending war surges around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people. Ruthless human leaders prepare to defend their factions at all costs, even as a convoy of new settlers approaches. And as the ceaseless Noise lays all thoughts bare, the projected will of the few threatens to overwhelm the desperate desire of the many. The consequences of each action, each word, are unspeakably vast: To follow a tyrant or a terrorist? To save the life of the one you love most, or thousands of strangers? To believe in redemption, or assume it is lost? Becoming adults amid the turmoil, Todd and Viola question all they have known, racing through horror and outrage toward a shocking finale. 

Rating: ★★★★

             Monsters of Men is the third and final book on the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness, following The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer. This review will have spoilers from the previous two books, and I’ll warn you if I’m about to mention a Monsters of Men major spoiler. 

     So if you’ve read the other two books, you know that the war is still going on. We thought that things would start to get better after Todd and Viola captured the mayor, but we were wrong. Now the Spackle have joined the party, and there’s a three-sided war going on. And a scout ship has just landed, bringing another problem to deal with. 

     I really enjoyed this book but I still had one problem with it, the same one that I did with the other books. It never has a moment of peace. A moment where nothing is happening and the characters don’t have to worry about anything at all. Something bad always happens right when we think things are starting to get better. Particularly in this novel. I’ve never seen a peace treaty be so hard to get. There were so many ups and downs, and when everything was good, someone came to destroy the happiness. (And most of the time it was either Mistress Coyle or Mayor Prentiss, I mean what’s wrong with those two??). So I wish Patrick Ness had given some slack to Todd and Viola, because man their lives suck! 

     Although this bothered me, it also always surprised me and made me frustrated (even though I should’ve been expecting it most of the time). And it’s always good for an author to make the reader feel something. And because I care so much for Todd and Viola, I was 100% hopping for the best to happen to them. It took me slightly more time to read this one than it did to read The Ask and the Answer, but I guess it’s because this book was too much to handle at times, just too much war. (And also because I didn’t want the trilogy to end!). 

     This book was indeed very entertaining and I loved it just like I loved the two first books in the trilogy. The characters were great and (even though I hated some of them) they were super interesting and I loved getting to know each and everyone of them.

     Anyways, Patrick Ness is a great author and I can’t wait to read his other books! I super recommend the Chaos Walking trilogy and let me know what you thought of them if you’ve read it already!

QUICK SPOILER ABOUT MoM

     Remember on my The Ask and the Answer review when I  said:

      Well, it kinda happened with Todd. So okay, it wasn’t Viola but I liked this parallel with the other novels. Also I was totally not expecting that! I was reading the book in class and I almost had a heart attack! Good thing that Todd didn’t actually die! 

June Wrap Up and July TBR

1- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass (4/5)

     After I watched the new movie I really wanted to reread this classic. It's a really insane story but fun and entertaining all the same. I had forgotten how annoying Alice was though. Her constant curiosity fits her character but unfortunately doesn't make her a very likeable one. I do think everyone should read this book. I love how weird and wonderful it is. 

    This book was on my June TBR so √

2- The City of Ember (3.5/5)

      I remember really liking the movie as a child, and my cousin gave me this book a few months ago so I decided to read it since it wouldn't take me too long to finish it. It wasn't bad, I like the whole idea but I found the story boring at times. It is a middle grade book so that might be why it wasn't that interesting to me. The characters were okay. I really liked the setting and I'll probably read the sequel someday. 

3- The Selection (5/5)

     I have two reviews of The Selection if you wanna check them out. (#1) (#2)

4- The Elite (4/5)

     Check my review of The Elite here.

5- The One (4.5/5)

    Check my review of The One here.

JULY TBR

Remember

     I wanted to read a contemporary and since I really liked Eileen Cook's writing style in Year of Mistaken Discoveries I decided to give this one a try.

Harper is used to her family being hounded by protesters. Her father runs the company that trademarked the "Memtex" procedure to wipe away sad memories, and plenty of people think it shouldn't be legal. Then a new demonstrator crosses her path, Neil, who’s as persistent as he is hot. Not that Harper’s noticing, since she already has a boyfriend.

When Harper suffers a loss, she’s shocked her father won’t allow her to get the treatment, so she finds a way to get it without his approval. Soon afterward, she’s plagued with strange symptoms, including hallucinations of a woman who is somehow both a stranger, yet incredibly familiar. Harper begins to wonder if she is delusional, or if these are somehow memories.

Together with Neil, who insists he has his own reasons for needing answers about the real dangers of Memtex, Harper begins her search for the truth. What she finds could uproot all she’s ever believed about her life…

     I really don't have anything else planned. I will have to choose my next books soon because I'm gonna go on a trip and I'm planning on taking a few books and buying a few books there. I hope y'all are having a great summer! How many books are you planning on reading during this school break? I wanna read at least 10 books!

Book Review: The Selection Series

     I was at Chapters a few days ago and I saw The Elite. I had already read The Selection almost a year ago and I loved it, and I felt like I was taking too long to continue the series. So I bought the book. But I couldn't remember much of the first book, I mean, I remembered what happened but I wasn't immersed in that universe anymore. I needed to reread the first one so that I could be ready to read the second. I love this series and I super recommend it if this is your style of book. This will be a spoiler review so don't read the reviews if you haven't read the books or else you'll probably be spoiled. I don't plan on reading The Heir anytime soon because I just don't feel ready to read them. I don't wanna leave the Selection time period just yet. 

SPOILERS BELOW!

The Selection

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

     I already wrote a review on The Selection that is more detailed than this one, so if you click here you will be redirected to the post. But anyways, I love this trilogy. I know some people don't because I read this book in my book club and some people didn't like it. I can see the flaws that it has but honestly I just like the story. I love the characters even though America can be super frustrating and I love the setting and the whole competition. The book covers are absolutely gorgeous. It is a very fast paced book that you can read in just one sitting. I love all the Maxon and America moments and I love their relationship in this book the most because there's a lot less drama and arguing than the other two books. 

The Elite

The Selection began with thirty-five girls.
Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.

I think this book is my least favourite of all the trilogy. America makes so many stupid decisions in this novel it's ridiculous. The Halloween party was so nice and I was completely shocked with the whole Marlee thing even though I kinda saw something coming with that guard because he was being mentioned just too many times. I liked the whole thing with the rebels and knowing more about Gregory Illea. America is just taking too long to make a decision. She had to choose between Maxon and Aspen even though the answer is obvious. I do see why she is torn apart tho, because I thought Aspen would end up being annoying and jealous like Gale in The Hunger Games series but he was actually super sweet and understanding. He was always there for America and I really admire that on him. There were a lot of rebel attacks in this book and only guards died or got hurt. Not that I wanted someone to die but I wanted a bit more action, it was looking just too easy and not as scary as the first ones. I absolutely hate King Clarkson. I was not expecting that of him! I thought he was nice, since the queen loves him and all and she is great. But when we find out about what he does to Maxon... I was shocked. Maxon is the sweetest, I'm not gonna lie tho, he did annoy me in this book sometimes. I understand that he is supposed to hang out with the other girls and all and that America wasn't giving him an answer but still. The whole thing with Kriss and Celeste was kinda low. I did really enjoy this book though and I flew through it. 

The One

The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants. 

I already knew that America would be the chosen one, it was kinda obvious. But I didn't know how it would happen and I actually really enjoyed the whole thing. I was getting sick of all the conflicts between Maxon and America though. Just tell that you love each other and be done with it! I was super glad that Aspen fell in love with Sophie, I saw it coming but I honestly can't picture the two of them together, and I'm glad that he and America parted off as friends. The competitiveness between the Elites was also getting annoying but after they all talked and became friends it became better. I actually started to like Celeste and I absolutely hate the fact that she was killed at the end! I was super sad that America's dad died, remember that time when America said that the only thing that she really wanted to happen in her wedding was for her father to give her away? Well, that didn't happen and it made me really sad. Maxon and her were super cute and the end and that night that they spent together was adorable. I hated that she didn't tell him about Aspen and that he found out like that (even though he was over exaggerating and he didn't even let America explain herself). The ending scene with the rebels and Maxon getting shot was really stressful and although I am glad that the king died, I hated that the queen did as well. I really liked her. The wedding at the ending was cute and all but I wanted more. I didn't want it to skip straight to the wedding, I wanted to see all the preparation and how America and Maxon were feeling and stuff. I also wanted to see their married life right after the wedding. I know that we'll get to see it on the next books but it's not gonna be the same. They're gonna be older and the story won't be about them. I don't want to leave them just yet and I need more Maxon and America cute moments!

Anyways, I really liked this series and it has become one of my favourites. It's cute and although it can be frustrating at times, it gives us a lot to think about and discuss. (I really recommend polandbananasbooks reviews! Christine is hilarious and she basically says everything that I think so yeah). Have you read these books? Comment what you think about them below!