Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme held over at TheBrokeandtheBookish.

This week's topic is: top ten eight books i've read so far in 2015.

8. Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard

I really ejoyed this book! It was gripping and fun to read through. I really liked the characters and the plot. I enjoyed how the love triangle wasn't the main focus of the novel. The hype was a bit too strong, there were quite a few flaws, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. My review here.

7. The Blood of Olympus - Rick Riordan

I was somewhat disappointed in BoO because it was the finale to one of my favorite series but I still loved this book so much. It was fun and entertaining and I cried so much. My review here.

6. Slammed - Colleen Hoover

I love slam poetry so I really enjoyed this book. I didn't really get into it until the last 100 pages but ohmygosh I cried so much in those pages. Definitely recommend!

5. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

I had to read this for school and I wish I had read it sooner! It's a wonderful classic romance.

4. Hopeless - Colleen Hoover

Hopeless was so intense and amazing, I couldn't put it down. My review here.

3. It's Not Summer Without You - Jenny Han

It's Not Summer Without You is the second and my favorite of the Summer trilogy. It hit me real hard with the feels and I cried throughout the entire novel (which is always good).

2. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

Ready Player One blew me away. I've never been a huge fan of science fiction but wow this was amazing. It was action-packed, exciting, and unique. It was one of those books that I couldn't stop thinking about after I finished it. My review here.

1. These Broken Stars - Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

It's been 5 months since I've read These Broken Stars, and I still think about it. It's a wonderful blend of sci-fi and romance, though very romance-heavy. There is so much hype surrounding this novel, but it's hype well deserved. If you haven't read it, what are you doing? Go read it now. My review here.

What are your favorite reads of this year?

February Wrap Up

This month I read 5 books and 1 novella.

The first book I read last month was Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. This was my first Colleen Hoover book and I was very pleased. The story was incredibly intense and nothing like what I expected. My only problem was that I couldn't really connect with Sky so I gave it 4.75/5 stars.

Next I read This Night So Dark and This Shattered World, #1.5 and #2 of the Starbound series by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. I gave them both 4/5 stars. The novella was very interesting and provided a connection between the first and second books. This Shattered World wasn't as good as These Broken Stars but it was still enjoyable.

The next book I read was Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? I haven't read nonfiction in a very long time so this was a bit new to me. In the beginning I got a little bored but overall the book was interesting, well written, and comedic. 4/5 stars

I had to read Hamlet for school and I didn't really like it. It definitely wasn't horrible, but I found the plot to be boring at times and the characters annoyed me. 3/5 stars.

The last book I read in February was Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Technically I finished this March 1st but since I read the majority of it in February, I'm going to include it in this wrap up. Ready Player One is the first legitimate science fiction novel I've read and I loved it. It was fast-paced, action-packed, intriguing, and funny. The plot was and world building was incredibly and I loved the characters. 4.5/5 stars. Full review here.

Until Next Time,
Hana

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January Favorites!

Here are my favorites for the month of January :)


Books:

My first favorite is the book These Broken Stars. This was a beautifully written sci-fi romance. While reading, I became so attached and invested in the characters that even after I finished reading, I couldn't let go of them. I hope to soon actually own this. Full review here.


Movies:

My next favorite was the third and final installment of The Hobbit. I've loved The Lord of the Rings since Fellowship of the Ring came out (though I was only 4). I was so excited to see the prequels and I'm so sad it's all over. I actually started crying when I first heard/watched Billy Boyd's (Pippin!) song The Last Goodbye. Now to marathon all the extended versions...

TV:

At the beginning of this month, I started watching Gilmore Girls. It was simultaneously the best and worst decision of my life. I have become obsessed and I'm currently on season 3, episode 18 (I'm kind of slow, I know). I love the family dynamic and whole premise of the show. Only 4 more seasons to go!

Music:

This one is somewhat of a strange choice, especially if you know me. I'm usually not one for rap but this month I've been really into Eminem. I find his lyrics are really meaningful, unlike the stereotypical rapper who just writes about money, drugs, sex, and objectifying women. 

Hair:

At the beginning of this month I did something I've been wanting to do for a very long time: dye my hair. I got the ends of my hair dyed ombre blue. I really love how it turned out. Unfortunately, it faded really quickly and now I have gross greenish blonde hair so I need to get it redone soon.

My last two favorites are my John Frieda Moisture Barrier Firm Hold Hairspray and my Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Intensely Smooth Leave-In Conditioning Cream. I've used these products before but it's only this month that they really became a staple for me. With my hair bleached and dyed, it's really damaged so after I wash my hair, I put in the leave-in conditioner and it makes my hair so much healthier and shinier. My bangs have also grown out recently so to get them to stay in place when I put my hair up into a bun or a ponytail (which is a lot), I use the hairspray.

Until next time,

Hana 

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January Wrap Up

This month I read a total of 8 books.

The first book I read this month was Half Bad. There's a lot of hype surrounding this book that fell flat for me. It definitely wasn't the best book I read nor was it the worst. I gave it 3/5 stars. Full review here.

The next two books I read were It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer, the last two books in The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han. It's Not Summer Without You was great. I gave it 5/5 stars. I felt it was even better than the first book and the characters grew so much. However, I didn't feel the same about We'll Always Have Summer. I was constantly annoyed by the characters, the love triangle was infuriating, and the indecisiveness of Belly was almost as annoying as America in The Selection. I was somewhat satisfied by the ending, but I felt it didn't do the other two books justice. I gave it 3/5 stars. I do recommend the series, just don't get your hopes to high for the conclusion.

The next book I (re)read was The Bad Beginning, the first book in A Series of Unfortunate Events. I read it as a part of the Neverlanders read-a-long. A Series of Unfortunate Events for me was what Harry Potter was for most people. I'd always loved reading, but this series really inspired me to read more. It felt so nostalgic to reread the first book and I cannot wait to reread the next ones! 5/5 stars.

The next book I read was These Broken Stars, the first book in the Starbound trilogy. I loved this book so much. It was a wonderful sci-fi romance. I really need to get the second book. 5/5 stars. Full review here.

I had to read Pride and Prejudice for school and I have to say, this was one of the best classics I've read. It was a wonderful classic and I'm glad to have finally read it. I probably would have liked it a bit better if I wasn't under pressure to read it for school. 4.5/5 stars.

The next book I read was Identical by Ellen Hopkins. Hopkins is one of my favorite authors and I was so excited to read this book. While it wasn't my favorite, it was very interesting and unique. 4/5 stars. Full review here.

The last book I read this month was Fairest, the prequel to The Lunar Chronicles. I felt this book didn't add much to the story and it was somewhat of a disappointment. I was expecting to learn a lot about Levana and that she was just misunderstood or something of the sort, but instead I was really creeped out by her. 3/5 stars.

Until Next Time,

Hana

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These Broken Stars | Book Review

Title: These Broken Stars

Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Series: Starbound #1

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Romance

Pages: 374 (Paperback)

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.98/5

My Rating: 5/5

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver is a war hero. When their ship, the Icarus, is pushed out of hyperspace, they're thrown together and forced to survive on an unknown planet. They fall in love and begin to wonder if it's better off staying on the planet when they have no chance of a future in their own world. However, when they find out what happened on the planet before they arrived, everything changes and their dilemma becomes more complicated than they thought possible.

I'm not the biggest fan of sci-fi but this book blew me away. I went in wary because of the hype, but after reading These Broken Stars I completely undestand why it's so popular.

The premise and world building was fantastic. I was so intrigued with the happenings of the world and I wanted to learn more about it. Normally, sci-fi things like aliens and hyperspace throw me off but the way it was written pulled me in and refused to let me go.

The characterization and romance amazing. The writers expertly melded their two different writing styles and the writing itself was beautiful. What I like most in this book was the growth. The characters went through so much great character development. They started off as somewhat stereotypical, flat protagonists, but they grew in ways I never expected. I felt so connected with Tarver and Lilac, I want to read so much more about them. Tarver's military experience was written very well and was very interesting. And Lilac was an amazing female character! Half the time she was in a dress and heels but she still was a big part of their survival. I also loved that the characters didn't instantly fall in love. It took a while for the romance to get going, which is what made it so believable and cute.

I really enjoyed this book and I hope to read the next one soon! 

T-T-F-N,
Hana

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