Hey everyone! It's May and I'm a little late but here's favorite reads for April/ May!
Mera's Favorites of April!
So, April was a slow month for me as I was constsantly finishing up assignments for my last few weeks of the semester at school. But I did manage to read an adequate amount of books (probably 5), and I'll tell you which I liked most.
I was super stressed with school so I seemed to gravitate towards light YA reads during April. One of them was Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby. It was a cute fun fast read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It definitely made me smile. Shooting Stars is one of those books that you'd turn to when you don't feel like reading paranormal, or when you just want something sweet. Though it's a normal YA romance, Rushby managed to spice it up, which is something I really appreciated. The plot makes turns one wouldn't expect, and come on. Before this book, I have NEVER read a book about a teen paparazzo, which is what really drew me to Rushby's novel. (Check the Reviews page for my review. )
At the end of the month I began reading Reclaiming Ter Chadain by C.S. Yelle. This book is great! It's one of those books that many girls might be hesitant to pick up, but it's definitely worth the read. I loved this so much more than I hoped to. Reclaiming Ter Chadain tells the story of twin siblings, one girl and one boy, who go on an adventure to reclaim their rightful throne. This book literally had me yearning for the next in the series. I'm hoping to read it soon.
Lastly, I think I have to pick Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga. I really liked this book, though I didn't love it. Lyga, however, is an amazing author. His first in this series "The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, is what drew me to his writing. It's frank and there are sometimes when a male author writes a book in an alternative tone, and it just shocks you. That's how Lyga is. This book was the continuation of Fanboy and Goth Girl's relationship and lives separately, this time told from Goth Girl's perspective. I had to give this book a nod, but Lyga is more suited to writing books written in the perspective of a male character. When he does this they are phenomenal. He does deserve a round of applause for writing Goth Girl Rising, which is a good point. It shows that he stretched his limits to create something worthy in a different form than he usually does. Challenging yourself is one of the major tasks of a good author.
Kristi's Favorite!
Hey everyone! This is my favorite book that I've read in May; sorry this review is a little late, I've had some pretty wicked homework assignments lately. Okay, anyways, my favorite book of May ISSSSSS *dot dot dot* INSURGENT by Veronica Roth!!
So I'm pretty sure everyone and their brothers have heard about "Divergent," but if not, I'll give you the run-down: America=5 factions. Each faction= particular moral trait that is abided strictly. Beatrice=Tris. Tris=Abnegation (selflessness) turned Dauntless (bravery.) It's a pretty confusing concept, but Tris leaves her old faction and becomes a Dauntless trainee, fighting to stay in the initiation competition. She meets Four, whose real name I won't post to avoid any spoilers. It's a semi-romance, but mostly an action-packed slab of awesomeness.
INSURGENT is book 2 in the trilogy. It picks right up where Divergent left off, and I mean RIGHT UP, as in like five minutes later. This book seemed to drag a little bit, with about 500pages of action-stuffed WOWness, but I absolutely LOVED it!!!! I honestly cannot say very much, due to some major spoilers, but I definitely and totally recommend Divergent and Insurgent. It's worth the money to buy them because they are just fantastic! The next Hunger Games, definitely.
Nadege's Favorite Reads of April
I am an Indie author lover--always have been, always will be. This past month, actually, that is ALL I read. I feel like some Indies don't get the credit they deserve, but when I come across some who MUST be appraised, I'm going to preach it to the choir. But...I'm human, and I have my weaknesses, so I do indulge in un-Indie reads every now and then.
H.M. Ward. Is that enough? No? Let me elaborate--I LOVE HER! I just finished reading Satan's Stone (Demon Kissed #4) and she has yet to disappoint me. And it just gets better with every new installment! She keeps you excited, all while leaving you on the bridge between sane and completely crazy. As I wait to get my hands on 13th Prophecy, I may just go nuts!
Hm. If I had to pick another favorite, I'd pick Angel Fire. I LOVED it, but not more than the first. There was too much...background and drama, not enough...Alex. I liked that the love triangle came into play here, but it was a little too intense for me, if that makes sense. It wasn't fair. Anyway, it was still a GREAT read and L.A. Weatherly will always reserve a special spot in my heart.
R.K. Ryals--Indie author with sass! I love her writing, it's so...SPICY! Does that make sense? When her MC in Redemption is scared, so are you! And she has a way of just completely capturing a reader it's terrifying. But I love her scheming mind and the way she allows her story to unravel is AMAZING! She's an awesome person on top of that!
Read these three books and we could be friends for life. Happy reading, Listers!
Adeeb's Favorite Reads of the Month
So I'm pretty sure everyone and their brothers have heard about "Divergent," but if not, I'll give you the run-down: America=5 factions. Each faction= particular moral trait that is abided strictly. Beatrice=Tris. Tris=Abnegation (selflessness) turned Dauntless (bravery.) It's a pretty confusing concept, but Tris leaves her old faction and becomes a Dauntless trainee, fighting to stay in the initiation competition. She meets Four, whose real name I won't post to avoid any spoilers. It's a semi-romance, but mostly an action-packed slab of awesomeness.
INSURGENT is book 2 in the trilogy. It picks right up where Divergent left off, and I mean RIGHT UP, as in like five minutes later. This book seemed to drag a little bit, with about 500pages of action-stuffed WOWness, but I absolutely LOVED it!!!! I honestly cannot say very much, due to some major spoilers, but I definitely and totally recommend Divergent and Insurgent. It's worth the money to buy them because they are just fantastic! The next Hunger Games, definitely.
Nadege's Favorite Reads of April
I am an Indie author lover--always have been, always will be. This past month, actually, that is ALL I read. I feel like some Indies don't get the credit they deserve, but when I come across some who MUST be appraised, I'm going to preach it to the choir. But...I'm human, and I have my weaknesses, so I do indulge in un-Indie reads every now and then.
H.M. Ward. Is that enough? No? Let me elaborate--I LOVE HER! I just finished reading Satan's Stone (Demon Kissed #4) and she has yet to disappoint me. And it just gets better with every new installment! She keeps you excited, all while leaving you on the bridge between sane and completely crazy. As I wait to get my hands on 13th Prophecy, I may just go nuts!
Hm. If I had to pick another favorite, I'd pick Angel Fire. I LOVED it, but not more than the first. There was too much...background and drama, not enough...Alex. I liked that the love triangle came into play here, but it was a little too intense for me, if that makes sense. It wasn't fair. Anyway, it was still a GREAT read and L.A. Weatherly will always reserve a special spot in my heart.
R.K. Ryals--Indie author with sass! I love her writing, it's so...SPICY! Does that make sense? When her MC in Redemption is scared, so are you! And she has a way of just completely capturing a reader it's terrifying. But I love her scheming mind and the way she allows her story to unravel is AMAZING! She's an awesome person on top of that!
Read these three books and we could be friends for life. Happy reading, Listers!
Adeeb's Favorite Reads of the Month
I'm giving you guys my top 3...I'm only copying my reviews that are on my blog up here because I really don't wanna restate my opinions on them...so this might be long...
I had a really amazing reading month in April.
book 1 of April:(Legend by Marie Lu)
Another dystopian. AHHHHHH. The new trend. I must say, I'm in LOVE with dystopians. SO good. Yes, they are getting similar. I might get sick of this soon, but while it lasts, I am devouring dystopians and being addicted.
Let's get on with this review:
First of all, I adore the cover for this, but I don't understand why the girl looks Asian. I mean, she isn't described so in the book. Maybe it is the fact that the author, Marie Lu, is originally Chinese? Could it be?
Let's talk in details:
Pros:
Characters:
1-June:
I loved June. She was an amazing female protagonist. She was smart, witty, and skillful. She wasn't all powerful, nor was she all weak. She wasn't the typical female dystopian character.
2-Day:
Best way to describe Day is: BADASS. Yes, he was so freaking awesome. That's one helluva boy character. Women authors, learn from Miss Marie Lu. I'm not saying you're characters are bad, but they can be much better.
Plot:
The plot was mind-blowing. Yes, the world is a bit cliche. We've all seen people controlled by the government, but this book was just different. I loved it so much. I was on fire. Was reading so fast. It was full of twists and turns. I cared about the characters too much I wanted to know what will happen to them, so flipping the pages was on for hours, mainly because of the magnificent writing style.
I had a really amazing reading month in April.
book 1 of April:(Legend by Marie Lu)
Another dystopian. AHHHHHH. The new trend. I must say, I'm in LOVE with dystopians. SO good. Yes, they are getting similar. I might get sick of this soon, but while it lasts, I am devouring dystopians and being addicted.
Let's get on with this review:
First of all, I adore the cover for this, but I don't understand why the girl looks Asian. I mean, she isn't described so in the book. Maybe it is the fact that the author, Marie Lu, is originally Chinese? Could it be?
Let's talk in details:
Pros:
Characters:
1-June:
I loved June. She was an amazing female protagonist. She was smart, witty, and skillful. She wasn't all powerful, nor was she all weak. She wasn't the typical female dystopian character.
2-Day:
Best way to describe Day is: BADASS. Yes, he was so freaking awesome. That's one helluva boy character. Women authors, learn from Miss Marie Lu. I'm not saying you're characters are bad, but they can be much better.
Plot:
The plot was mind-blowing. Yes, the world is a bit cliche. We've all seen people controlled by the government, but this book was just different. I loved it so much. I was on fire. Was reading so fast. It was full of twists and turns. I cared about the characters too much I wanted to know what will happen to them, so flipping the pages was on for hours, mainly because of the magnificent writing style.
Cons:
There wasn't much I disliked about this book.
1-In the beginning of the book, everything was going on way too fast. It was like BAM BAM BAM BAM and I was like NOOOOOOOO that's too early to happen.
2-Hormones: You don't even know her name and you're kissing her? Seriously? Why is it in most YA books whenever a guy/girl meet, they suddenly have the urge to kiss each other. SHEESH. I know you're teens, but no teen has this strong of an urge.
Overall, I deeply enjoyed this book. It was a thrilling book. I was riding a roller coaster reading this book.
I cannot wait to read book 2
book 2 of April:(Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare)
I have book 1 and 2 already reviewed in one post so(BUT MY TOP FAVORITE IS CLOCKWORK PRINCE):
Look at those covers. They are BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL. Clockwork Angel features Will, and Clockwork Prince features Jem.
I'm gonna review these two books together. First I'm going to talk about this series in general, then I'm going to talk in details about each book.
The Infernal Devices series. That title is just powerful for some reason. It just gets to me. I don't know why. I think it's a very creative title. So this series is the prequel series to The Mortal Instrument series. Everything going on here is before Clary and Jace's story.
The titles of the books, even more haunting. Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince. Those titles alone make you start wondering what the books will be about.
I cherished the setting in this book. Its set in the early 1800s, I don't remember the actual date, but it was mentioned in the book. The setting was a great escape from books set in everyday life era. Cassandra Clare managed to vividly describe the culture and everyday activities of that time. You can't help yourself, you fall in love with the women's fluffy dresses, the men's hats. You fall in love with the places, the carriages, EVERYTHING.
The writing style is breathtaking as always. These are the fifth and sixth books of Cassandra Clare I'm reading. So yes, I know a good writing style of hers when I see it.
The characters. AHHHHHHHHHH the characters. I was extremely attached to the characters. Each and every one of them. Especially the main three: Tessa, Will, and Jem. Yes, some characters will drive you crazy. You will hate them. But they are supremely developed. You care for them. If they are sad, you are said. If they are happy, you want to laugh for them.
1-Tessa: Tessa is our protagonist. She is on a mission to find her missing brother. I personally liked Tessa. She had very ladylike qualities and was a thoughtful character.
2-Jem: Jem. Jem. Jem. The boy with white hair. The gentleman. Jem was amazing. He's how every man should be. He is kind. He is brave. He respects ladies.
3-Will: Will is the rude bad boy. The one we see a lot in lots of young adult books. The boy that girls suddenly fall for.
I think that some of the other notable characters are: Henry, Charlotte, and Magnus.
What I liked about this series is that I got to see the back stories of certain characters that appeared in The Mortal Instruments.
I think one of the best things Cassandra Clare did, was introducing us to the Shadowhunter world again. It was really great experiencing how the main character gets introduced. So, if you want to start reading a Cassandra Clare book, it doesn't matter if you start with this series or The Mortal Instruments. Do not hesitate buying this just because you haven't read The Mortal Instruments.
Clockwork Angel:
At first, it took me time to get into the setting of this book. It was weird. Not only the setting, but I don't know, it just felt like WEIRD WEIRD. If you feel this way, DO NOT put this book down. As I progressed, it got better and better. I reached a point where I thought, this SERIOUSLY cannot get any better, but it did. There were moments I was literally jaw-dropped. You have to learn one thing about Cassandra Clare's books. You don't know who will survive and who will not.
Clockwork Prince:
This is the best Cassandra Clare book published so far. EVER. I was sucked in right through the first page. I was addicted to the third person narration (I usually prefer third person). I loved the reference to classics in this book. I love how Tessa loves books. Will as well. Reminds me a lot of myself. The book is huge, but I couldn't feel it at all. I kept turning pages. Adrenaline was rushing through me. I was way too excited. Reminded me of the days I was reading Harry Potter. Near the end of the book I felt SOOOOOO shocked. I couldn't believe what was happening. My words cannot describe how great this book was. The ending killed me. It was a cliffhanger.
ClockworkPrincess comes out in March next year. I am waiting eagerly.
book 3 of April:(Pandemonium by Lauren OLIVER):
NOTE: THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ DELIRIUM
Female authors are just variant. They think differently. On another level. Look at some my favorite author names EVER: J.K. Rowling, Cassandra Clare, Suzanne Collins, etc..
Lauren Oliver is NO exception. She's officially topped my list of favorite authors. And no, I am not being sexist. There are many male authors who have breathtaking books, but books by female authors have a different touch. Their minds go on a completely different path that men can never go there. Don't get me wrong, men go different places. EPIC places, but right now, I'm just sucked into the women's imagination. I don't think this spell will leave me anytime soon.
Let me start talking this review by saying that this book feels ABSOLUTELY different from Delirium in many ways.
First of all, the setting was completely different.
This time, Lena is in the Wilds. She's living elsewhere, with a completely new life. She's in what we call "nature". She's facing problems from the freezing weather. I really loved how in this book, we got to see different types of conflicts; not only problems caused by the "perfect" society.
Second of all, the writing style stood out.
In Pandemonium, Lauren Oliver has entirely changed her writing style. She divides her chapters in a "Now" and "Then" format. Each chapter shifts accordingly. "Then" is where Delirium ended, and "Now" is a certain time in the future. This technique was pretty confusing for me in the beginning to figure out what was really going on. However, that's nothing to be worried about. Everything is perfectly explained.
Oh, and be prepared for a KILLER cliffhanger. I was annoyed because of the ONE-WORD sentence at the last page, which was the HUGEST cliffhanger, so I knew about the OMG moment. But, it doesn't matter, I was still looking forward to how the cliffhanger would come up in the story.
Thirdly, it was wonderful to get to see new characters.
I think it was well-thought out that there were bunch of new characters. New life=new characters.
Some characters bugged me. Some, I fell in love with. This made it all so realistic. The relationship between the characters were so real as if the scene were happening right in front of you.
Notable characters: Blue and Raven.
I was generally on a roller coaster while I was reading this book. I read this book in 24 hours (maybe less). I couldn't put it down. I carried it with me everywhere I went. Yes Lauren Oliver, you managed to get me break records. I haven't ever read a book that fast.
That's everything positive I have to say.
However, there were a few extra things I was expecting, but I never found them in the story.
A chapter where the time shift wraps up. Where we see what happened "Then" that "Now" is going on. Maybe we will find some of that in Requiem.
Characters from Delirium had no appearance in this book. I kept thinking, perhaps Hana will suddenly appear somewhere in this story. But no, there never was an appearance. Again, maybe, and most probably, we will get to see the characters in Requiem.
These are very minor issues, and they did not affect my reading experience. I loved this book TOO MUCH
There wasn't much I disliked about this book.
1-In the beginning of the book, everything was going on way too fast. It was like BAM BAM BAM BAM and I was like NOOOOOOOO that's too early to happen.
2-Hormones: You don't even know her name and you're kissing her? Seriously? Why is it in most YA books whenever a guy/girl meet, they suddenly have the urge to kiss each other. SHEESH. I know you're teens, but no teen has this strong of an urge.
Overall, I deeply enjoyed this book. It was a thrilling book. I was riding a roller coaster reading this book.
I cannot wait to read book 2
book 2 of April:(Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare)
I have book 1 and 2 already reviewed in one post so(BUT MY TOP FAVORITE IS CLOCKWORK PRINCE):
Look at those covers. They are BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL. Clockwork Angel features Will, and Clockwork Prince features Jem.
I'm gonna review these two books together. First I'm going to talk about this series in general, then I'm going to talk in details about each book.
The Infernal Devices series. That title is just powerful for some reason. It just gets to me. I don't know why. I think it's a very creative title. So this series is the prequel series to The Mortal Instrument series. Everything going on here is before Clary and Jace's story.
The titles of the books, even more haunting. Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince. Those titles alone make you start wondering what the books will be about.
I cherished the setting in this book. Its set in the early 1800s, I don't remember the actual date, but it was mentioned in the book. The setting was a great escape from books set in everyday life era. Cassandra Clare managed to vividly describe the culture and everyday activities of that time. You can't help yourself, you fall in love with the women's fluffy dresses, the men's hats. You fall in love with the places, the carriages, EVERYTHING.
The writing style is breathtaking as always. These are the fifth and sixth books of Cassandra Clare I'm reading. So yes, I know a good writing style of hers when I see it.
The characters. AHHHHHHHHHH the characters. I was extremely attached to the characters. Each and every one of them. Especially the main three: Tessa, Will, and Jem. Yes, some characters will drive you crazy. You will hate them. But they are supremely developed. You care for them. If they are sad, you are said. If they are happy, you want to laugh for them.
1-Tessa: Tessa is our protagonist. She is on a mission to find her missing brother. I personally liked Tessa. She had very ladylike qualities and was a thoughtful character.
2-Jem: Jem. Jem. Jem. The boy with white hair. The gentleman. Jem was amazing. He's how every man should be. He is kind. He is brave. He respects ladies.
3-Will: Will is the rude bad boy. The one we see a lot in lots of young adult books. The boy that girls suddenly fall for.
I think that some of the other notable characters are: Henry, Charlotte, and Magnus.
What I liked about this series is that I got to see the back stories of certain characters that appeared in The Mortal Instruments.
I think one of the best things Cassandra Clare did, was introducing us to the Shadowhunter world again. It was really great experiencing how the main character gets introduced. So, if you want to start reading a Cassandra Clare book, it doesn't matter if you start with this series or The Mortal Instruments. Do not hesitate buying this just because you haven't read The Mortal Instruments.
Clockwork Angel:
At first, it took me time to get into the setting of this book. It was weird. Not only the setting, but I don't know, it just felt like WEIRD WEIRD. If you feel this way, DO NOT put this book down. As I progressed, it got better and better. I reached a point where I thought, this SERIOUSLY cannot get any better, but it did. There were moments I was literally jaw-dropped. You have to learn one thing about Cassandra Clare's books. You don't know who will survive and who will not.
Clockwork Prince:
This is the best Cassandra Clare book published so far. EVER. I was sucked in right through the first page. I was addicted to the third person narration (I usually prefer third person). I loved the reference to classics in this book. I love how Tessa loves books. Will as well. Reminds me a lot of myself. The book is huge, but I couldn't feel it at all. I kept turning pages. Adrenaline was rushing through me. I was way too excited. Reminded me of the days I was reading Harry Potter. Near the end of the book I felt SOOOOOO shocked. I couldn't believe what was happening. My words cannot describe how great this book was. The ending killed me. It was a cliffhanger.
ClockworkPrincess comes out in March next year. I am waiting eagerly.
book 3 of April:(Pandemonium by Lauren OLIVER):
NOTE: THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ DELIRIUM
Female authors are just variant. They think differently. On another level. Look at some my favorite author names EVER: J.K. Rowling, Cassandra Clare, Suzanne Collins, etc..
Lauren Oliver is NO exception. She's officially topped my list of favorite authors. And no, I am not being sexist. There are many male authors who have breathtaking books, but books by female authors have a different touch. Their minds go on a completely different path that men can never go there. Don't get me wrong, men go different places. EPIC places, but right now, I'm just sucked into the women's imagination. I don't think this spell will leave me anytime soon.
Let me start talking this review by saying that this book feels ABSOLUTELY different from Delirium in many ways.
First of all, the setting was completely different.
This time, Lena is in the Wilds. She's living elsewhere, with a completely new life. She's in what we call "nature". She's facing problems from the freezing weather. I really loved how in this book, we got to see different types of conflicts; not only problems caused by the "perfect" society.
Second of all, the writing style stood out.
In Pandemonium, Lauren Oliver has entirely changed her writing style. She divides her chapters in a "Now" and "Then" format. Each chapter shifts accordingly. "Then" is where Delirium ended, and "Now" is a certain time in the future. This technique was pretty confusing for me in the beginning to figure out what was really going on. However, that's nothing to be worried about. Everything is perfectly explained.
Oh, and be prepared for a KILLER cliffhanger. I was annoyed because of the ONE-WORD sentence at the last page, which was the HUGEST cliffhanger, so I knew about the OMG moment. But, it doesn't matter, I was still looking forward to how the cliffhanger would come up in the story.
Thirdly, it was wonderful to get to see new characters.
I think it was well-thought out that there were bunch of new characters. New life=new characters.
Some characters bugged me. Some, I fell in love with. This made it all so realistic. The relationship between the characters were so real as if the scene were happening right in front of you.
Notable characters: Blue and Raven.
I was generally on a roller coaster while I was reading this book. I read this book in 24 hours (maybe less). I couldn't put it down. I carried it with me everywhere I went. Yes Lauren Oliver, you managed to get me break records. I haven't ever read a book that fast.
That's everything positive I have to say.
However, there were a few extra things I was expecting, but I never found them in the story.
A chapter where the time shift wraps up. Where we see what happened "Then" that "Now" is going on. Maybe we will find some of that in Requiem.
Characters from Delirium had no appearance in this book. I kept thinking, perhaps Hana will suddenly appear somewhere in this story. But no, there never was an appearance. Again, maybe, and most probably, we will get to see the characters in Requiem.
These are very minor issues, and they did not affect my reading experience. I loved this book TOO MUCH
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