Top 5 Wednesday: Series I Want to Start this Year

There are a lot of books I want to read. Here are the series I want to start this year.

Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas

"In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. He name is Celaena Sardothien. The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world." (via Goodreads)

I've been wanting to read the Throne of Glass series for a while now. It sounds really interesting and I have all the books so this series is going to be one of my top priorities this year.

Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson

"In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with colour once more?" (via Goodreads)

First of all, the covers. Holy cow, they're absolutely gorgeous. I would read it for the covers alone. The premise sounds very interesting and I've heard great things about this book. I hope to read this soon!

The Kingkiller Chronicles - Patrick Rothfuss

"Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. The intimate narrative of his childhood in a trouble of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story." (via Goodreads)

I'm seeing a theme of beautiful covers in this list. Again, I've heard great things about this book and I've been wanting to read some epic fantasy.

The Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater

Well, I haven't read these books yet (obviously) so I'm not completely sure how to summarize them and the Goodreads summary is crazy long. So, if you want to know what this series is about click here.

Hey, look. Pretty covers! The premise of this story is so mysterious and intriguing, I need to read it ASAP.

The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien

"Frodo Baggins knew the Ringwraiths were searching for him - and the Ring of Power he bore that would enable Sauron to destroy all that was good in Middle-earth. Now it was up to Frodo and his faithful servant Sam to carry the Ring to where it could be destroyed - in the very center of Sauron's dark kingdom." (via Goodreads)

I love the LotR movies, so I think it's time I finally read the books.

Thanks for reading!

Hana

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Most Anticipated 2015 Movie Releases

There are quite a few movies coming out this year. Here are the ones I'm most excited for.

Insurgent - March 20

Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side. (via IMDb)

The movie I am most excited is definitely Insurgent. I love the Divergent series and while I didn't think Divergent was the best movie, I still can't wait to see Shai and Theo in Insurgent. I'm really confused about the premise of the movie in relation to the book though.


Avengers: Age of Ultron - May 1

When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry at it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans. (via IMDb)

Avengers was so badass and awesome. I loved all the characters and action. It took a while for the 2nd movie to come but now it's finally here!


Pitch Perfect 2 - May 15

Collegiate a cappella group the Barden Bellas enter into an international competition that no American team has ever won. (via IMDb)

Pitch Perfect was an amazing movie; the perfect combination of sass and song. I wanted a sequel the moment I stepped out of the theater for the first movie and now I can't wait for it to come out.


Paper Towns - June 5

A young man, Quentin and his four friends, embark upon the road trip of their lives to find the missing girl next door. (via IMDb)

John Green is one of my favorite authors. The Fault in Our Stars was a great adaptation so hopefully Paper Towns will be as well. It wasn't my favorite book of his but I did really enjoy it.

Minions - July 10

Minions Stuart, Kevin, and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world. (via IMDb)

Minions are so cute! I loved the minions in the Despicable Me movies and I'm so excited to see everything they did before Gru.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials - September 18

The Gladers have escaped the Maze, but now they face a new set of challenges on the open roads of a world ravaged by solar flares and disease. (via IMDb)

I don't think The Maze Runner is a particularly great book adaptation, however, it was a pretty good movie. I have yet to read The Scorch Trials but I'm still excited to watch it.

Mockingjay Part 2 - November 20

After being symbolized as the 'Mockingjay' Katniss Everdeen and District 13 engage in an all-out revolution against the autocratic Capitol. (via IMDb)

I really enjoyed reading The Hunger Games and have been liking the movie adaptations. Mockingjay pt.1 was a bit slow and somewhat boring so can't wait to see all the action and badassery in part 2!


And those are my most anticipated movies of 2015.

Thanks for reading!
Hana

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Top 10 Books of 2014

Hello again!

Here are the top 10 books I read in 2014.

10. The Iron Trial - Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

The Iron Trial is the first book in the Magisterium series co-written by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. It follows the story of Callum, a boy who, for the entirety of his life, was told that magic was bad. What happens when he's accepted into the Magisterium, a school for magic? While clearly middle grade, this book is very fun and interesting. There isn't a whole lot of plot but it does a great job setting up for the rest of the series. I love both the authors and can't wait to read more from them! Full review here.

9. Saga, Vl. 1 - Brian K. Vaughan (writer) and Fiona Staples (artist)

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe (Goodreads). I fell in love with this book at first page. It was funny and different, certainly not what I was expecting (not that that's bad). I definitely want to continue reading.

8. To All the Boy's I've Loved Before - Jenny Han

Lara Jean Song writes love letters for every boy she's ever loved. When her secret letters are mailed, her life flips upside down. This was such a cute book! It was so sweet and fluffly and fun and a great read in general. I loved the family dynamic. In YA literature the family tends to be there only when it's needed but in this story, Lara Jean's family is a big part of her life. The cultural diversity was great.  It was really predictible and Lara Jean's decisions annoyed me at times. Overall, however, this was so much fun to read and I cannot wait for the next one! Full review here.

7. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown  - Holly Black

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns, in which quarantined vampires and humans live, exist. One morning, Tana wakes up after a party to find that all but three people in the house have been massacred by vampires: Tana, her ex-boyfriend, and a mysterious vampire boy on chains. Tana is determined to save them by going straight into the heart of a Cold town (Goodreads). I'm not one for paranormal books, every one I've read just wasn't a good experience, but this book was just amazing. Vampirism is such an overdone topic but this book gives it a fresh, new spin. Full review here.

6. The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han

Belly has spent every summer at Cousins with her mom, her brother, her mom's best friend and her two sons, Jeremiah and Conrad. Belly has been in love with Conrad since she was ten, but this summer things change. This was such a fun and quick read! I was expecting this to be a stereotypical, fluffy contemporary, but it was so much more. There are deeper undertones that lead toward a bigger picture. I was constantly thinking about this book weeks after I finished it. Definitely recommend. Full review here.

5. Ignite Me - Taherah Mafi

Ignite Me is the third and final installment of the Shatter Me series. I loved this book and series so so much! It was a ton of fun to read and I really loved the characters. It was a bit too romance-heavy for me thought, hence being only number 5 on this list. Nonetheless, it's a great book. I have 24 bookmarked pages that I reread every few weeks! If Mafi ever writes more for this series I'll definitely be picking them up.

4. Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess is the third and final installment of The Infernal Devices. I absolutely loved (I've used that word so many times in this post) The Infernal Devices, but the last book was definitely the best. It wrapped up the story so well and the ending was very satisfying.

3. Dreams of Gods & Monsters - Laini Taylor

Dreams of Gods & Monsters is the third and final installment of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series. What an epic ending to another brilliant series. The series got better with every book and I look forward to rereading it soon.

2. City of Heavenly Fire - Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire is the sixth and final installment of The Mortal Instruments series. I absolutely loved the entirety of this book. It made me laugh. It made me cry. If gave me all the feels. I was sobbing for the last 50 pages and I'm so sad it's over.

And the winner is...

1. In the Afterlight - Alexandra Bracken

In the Afterlight is the third and final installment of The Darkest Minds series. This was a stunning conclusion to one of my all-time favorite series. In the Afterlight is definitely the most dark and heavy book of the series, but it makes sense. The ending was incredibly satisfying. There were no loose ends, everything was concluded perfectly. If you haven't read The Darkest Minds series yet, what are you waiting for? (I cried five times during the reading of this book.)

Hope you liked this post! Until next time,

Hana

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Top 5 Wednesday: Anticipated 2015 Releases

Hey guys!

I have decided to start participating in the Top 5 Wednesday group. If you didn't know, Top 5 Wednesday is where you post a video or blog post covering your top 5 of the topic every Wednesday. For the goodreads group, click here. This week's topic is top 5 most anticipated 2015 releases.

5.  Miss Mayhem - Rachel Hawkins (to be released April 7th)

Miss Mayhem is the second installment of the Rebel Belle series. I'm so excited to read this! I loved Rebel Belle. It was really fun and exciting to read so hopefully Miss Mayhem will be the same.

4. The Sword of Summer - Rick Riordan (to be released October 7th) 

The Sword of Summer is the first book of the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. It follows Magnus Chase, a troubled kid who one day finds out he is the son of a Norse god. I love PJO and HOO so I have quite high expectations for this series. I cannot wait to read it! Hopefully Rick Riordan will amaze me once again.

3. Winter - Marissa Meyer (to be released November 24th, cover to be revealed)

Winter is the fourth and final installment of The Lunar Chronicles quartet. While I didn't think the first three books were amazing, I did enjoy them. I hope Winter will be better than the rest!

2. P.S. I Still Love You - Jenny Han (to be released June 2nd, cover to be revealed)

P.S. I Still Love You is the sequel to To All the Boys I've Loved Before. After reading To All the Boys I've Loved Before in November, I was thrilled to find out there was going to be a sequel. This first book was sweet, fluffy, and fun to read. There were a few loose ends I hope will be wrapped up in this book. Can't wait to read it!

Drum roll please!

1. Lady Midnight - Cassandra Clare (to be released September, cover to be revealed)

Lady Midnight is the first book of The Dark Artifices series. It follows Emma Carstairs, 5 years after the events in City of Heavenly Fire, when she lost her parents. In the book, Emma must race to stop a war between the Fair Folk and Nephilim by finding the murderer of several Downworlders and possibly her parents. I am so so so excited for this book! I absolutely love Cassandra Clare's other series. Her writing is amazing, as is her world building and her characters. I know this is going to be an amazing series. I'll be counting down the days! The release date got changed to March 2016 :(

I have a few more 2015 releases but these are my top 5. Thanks for reading. :)

Hana

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Half Bad | Book Review

Title: Half Bad 

Author: Sally Green

Series: The Half Bad Trilogy #1

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Pages: 394 (Hardcover)

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.82/5

My Rating: 3/5

Nathan is an abomination; he's half Black Witch and half White Witch. His father is the most dangerous and violent black witch, Marcus. His only hope for survival is to find Marcus and receive the three gifts necessary to become a full Witch.

The hype is strong with this one. I didn't dislike the book, but I didn't like it either. It was just "meh".

The writing was very off-putting. It was simple and childlike. It matches Nathan's simplistic and childlike nature, but it stopped me from really getting into the book. At some points of the novel, it switches to second-person which, again, threw me off.

The premise of the novel itself is very interesting. White witches versus black witches, Nathan being a Half Code, whether or not white witches really are good...It's all very intriguing, but it's the execution of the story where this book falls flat.

The world building wasn't the best. I felt a lot of information was left out. For example, why did the White and Black witches hate each other? There is a brief explanation of the origin of witches, however, the actual cause for this hatred is unknown. Are they just inherently racist towards each other? Did the witches do something to each other? Who knows.

The characters also lacked a lot of depth. They were all very flat, even the main character, Nathan. I wanted to feel bad for him, and at times I did, however I did not connect or relate with him at all. Obviously, he's being tortured and beaten so he shouldn't be super relatable, but there should be some sort of relatability. He completely failed to connect with me. The love story fell quite flat as well. It was very insta-love and didn't seem real. Nathan has a sort of obsession with Annalise and it doesn't play out well. It could have been an interesting "forbidden love" story, but Annalise is such a useless character with no personality whatsoever. Most of the characters just seemed there, adding nothing to the story and not progressing the plot at all. I would have liked for the villains to have some sort of personality, rather than just being evil for the heck of it.

I found the plot to be boring as well. Sure, the ideas are interesting, but nothing really happens. Nathan goes here, he goes there, shit happens, more shit happens. So interesting... It was pretty predictable and halfway through the novel I started skipping words and lines just so it would end faster.

On a related topic, the pacing wasn't great either. In the beginning it just dragged on and then towards the end it became rushed, as if the writer realized she had a deadline to meet and couldn't fit everything she wanted in it. The middle was so slow, I expected some sort of dramatic ending, however, it was incredibly anti-climactic...

So, what's good about this book? The only thing I can think of is Nathan's sarcastic sense of humour that made me chuckle at times. Other than that, nothing. It's not a bad book, it's just not good.

While I am still curious about what happens next, I do not plan to pick up the rest of the series.

Until next time,

Hana

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2015 Bookish Resolutions

Here are my bookish resolutions for this year!


I resolve to...
     Read 75 books total. Considering I read 148 books this year I don't think this
      will be a challenge.


I resolve to...
     Read 3 books over 500 pages. This might be a bit difficult since I get bored
      easily...


I resolve to...
     Re-read 5 books. I rarely reread books, but I don't think this will be too hard.


I resolve to...
     Read 3 classics outside of class. I've only ever read one classic outside of class,
      but I don't think three books will be a challenge.


I resolve to...
     Read at least 1 nonfiction books every 2 months. Nonfiction is not my thing
      so I figured I should push myself more.


I resolve to...
     Complete the 2015 reading challenge. Err, not sure about this one.

Hopefully I'll be able to check all of these off!

T-T-F-N,

Hana

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2014 End of Year Book Survey

This is a bit late but here are my answers for the 2014 book survey created by Jamie @theperpetualpageturner!

2014 Reading Stats:

Number of books read: 148

Number of re-reads: 5

Genre most read from: Young Adult Fantasy and Dystopian


Best In Books:

1. Best book you read in 2014?

My all time favorite book read in 2014 was probably Dreams of Gods & Monsters, the last book in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor. It was a stunning conclusion to an amazing trilogy. Each book got better and the ending was incredibly satisfying. I find myself constantly thinking back about how great this book was. Definitely recommend reading this series.

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn't?

Allegiant by Veronica Roth. This one's pretty self-explanatory. I didn't like the plot, I didn't like the ending, and the characters were annoying as hell.

3. Most surprising (in a good or bad way) book you read in 2014?

The Shatter Me trilogy by Taherah Mafi. I didn't expect to love it so much.

4. Book you "pushed" the most people to read (and they did) in 2014?

I don't really push books on anyone.

5a. Best series you started in 2014?

The Shatter Me trilogy by Taherah Mafi. It was so much fun to read. I loved the characters so much and even though it was a bit too romance-heavy for me, it's one of my all-time favorite series.

5b. Best sequel of 2014?

A lot of series ended this year instead of continuing so I'll go with Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken. It didn't come out this year but I read it for the first time this year. I have so much love for the characters and for this series.

5c. Best series ender of 2014?

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken. Holy cow that was an incredible ending to one of my favorite series. I cried so many times and the ending was very satisfying. Seriously love this series.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Jenny Han. I've only read two of her books so far but they were both wonderful contemporaries. I definitely plan on reading more of her books.

7. Best book from a genre you don't typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I rarely read contemporary but this year I read more than I normally would. My favorite was The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han. It was more than the average, stereotypical chick-lit. It made me laugh, it made cry, it made me feel all the feels. I loved this book and could not stop thinking about it for a week after I finished it.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Dreams of Gods & Monsters, who would've guessed. Once again, this book is the bomb-dot-com. So much happens, I couldn't put it down, I love this book.

9. Book you read in 2014 that you are most likely to re-read next year?

Hmm...what could it be? Definitely NOT In the Afterlight (jkjk).

10. Favorite cover a book you read in 2014?

It's so preeeetty.

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

Will Herondale <3

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Fifty Shades of Grey (lol jk). I can't think of anything.

13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2014?

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. I had to read it for school, but I really enjoyed it. It made re-think things about war.

14. Book you can't believe you waited until 2014 to finally read?

The Infernal Devices Trilogy. So. Good.

15. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2014?

"I spent my life folded between the pages of books.
 In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experience adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction."

- Taherah Mafi, Shatter Me

16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2014?

Shortest: not including novellas, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, 107 pages

Longest: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare, 725 pages

17. Book that shocked you the most?

I'm sure there are books that have shocked me, I just can't think of any right now.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Ruby and Liam from The Darkest Minds <3

19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year?

It's a tie between Kenji and Juliette from the Shatter Me trilogy and Karou and Zuzana from the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy.

20. Favorite book you read in 2014 from an author you've read previously?

The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. I've read from both authors and love their books.

21. Best book you read in 2014 that you read based SOLEY on a recommendation from somebody else/peer pressure?

I don't read anything based only on a recommendation, I always read the synopsis first.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

Kenji Kishimoto. Most people love Warner more but Kenji <3

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins. I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, action-packed, and fun.

24. Best world building/most vivid setting you read in 2014?

Dreams of Gods & Monsters. Laini's world building in on point.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most FUN to read?

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. It was so sweet and fluffy and fun and a great read in general.

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2014?

 I'm a very emotional person, meaning I cry very easily. Just assume I cry while reading most books.

27. Hidden Gem of the Year?

I haven't really read books that aren't very popular.

28. Book that crushed your soul?

If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman. Wow those books made me cry so many tears of sadness.

29. Most unique book you read in 2014?

There are too many to name just one.

30. Book that made you the most mad?

Fifty Shades of Grey. The glorification of misogyny, sexism, and verbal and physical abuse just pissed me off.


Your Blogging/Bookish Life:

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014?

The created of this survey, theperpetualpageturner.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014?

My Fangirl book review. I felt it was very thorough and written well.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

n/a

4. Best event that you participated in?

n/a

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?

n/a

6. Most popular post this year on your blog?

My book review on Just Listen.

7. Post you wished got a little more love?

My Fangirl book review since I thought it was my best review.

8. Best bookish discovery?

Just the online book community in general.

9. Did you complete any reading challenged or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I finished my Goodreads reading challenge to read 50 books.


Looking Ahead:

1. One book you didn't get to in 2014 but will be you number 1 priority in 2015?

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I've been wanting to read it for a while now and I've owned the whole series (so far) since September so I need to get on it.

2. Book you are most anticipation for 2015 (non-debut)?

Again, the Throne of Glass series.

3. 2015 debut you are most anticipating?

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. I am so freaking pumped for this book.

4. Series ending/a sequel you are more anticipating in 2015?

I'm really excited for Winter, the last book in The Lunar Chronicles.

5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2015?

For my reading life I want to read bigger books and check more books off my tbr pile. For my blogging life I want to blog more consistently and frequently and I want to gain more of a following.

6. A 2015 release you've read & recommend to everyone:

n/a

Thanks for reading!
Hana

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