holes In My brain

randomsauce May

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:28:00 +0000

You didn't think you'd be getting an entire month without one of my required updates, did you??

Some things:

-I'm going to Taiwan/Shanghai/Hong Kong for a month! That's kind of really all I wanted to share in this post, actually. I'm actually leaving tonight (packing progress: 0%) and coming back June 22. It's going to be a trip mostly to see family, but I'll be traveling Hong Kong any way I want to because that's my own thing I'm excited for. If you've been there, I'd LOVE to know anything about places to go, places to eat, etc :) Email me, last time I went to Shanghai a few of you were life-SAVERS and gave me the best tips (bring your own toilet paper!)

-I have quite a few reviews to write: This is Not A Test, Unspoken, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me, Pink.. hopefully I can get something written on the plane ride :)

-VERONICA MARS. I AM SO OBSESSED WITH THIS SHOW. Yes, there are flaws with the characters but I'm just too invested to care. It's not like the most amazing, epic show out there (and it's quite dated) but it is freaking awesome. I watched the entire season one in 2 days, and I'm about 7 episodes into season two. NO SPOILERS!

-On Sunday, Stacy at A Novel Source interviewed me for her "Sunday Serenade"!! Read it here :) there are pictures.

-Insurgent! I ordered it and it arrived yesterday.. I can't wait to see if the hype has been true. I haven't read too many reviews so I'm going into it without many expectations.

-I'm very much enjoying this schoolwork-free time. And a slightly early CONGRATS to the all the grads of 2012, it's exciting, eh? :)

-so yeah, expect some posts, some absence, and here's to summer weather!

audrey

BR: Code Name Verity

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:21:00 +0000

by Elizabeth Wein

I snatched up this book on netgalley after Steph Su's tweet about it, so yeah, thanks Steph. And I went into it not knowing anything (didn't even know it was historical fiction!)

Summary (goodreads)

I have two weeks. You'll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That's what you do to enemy agents. It's what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I'm going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

**
My Expectations: uhm.. what expectations? I'm not kidding when I say I went into this blind.
Delivery: duuuuude. DUUUUDE how did I not know of this book before?! Amazing!
Put-down-ability: there is quite a bit of technical talk (well, to me) but second half was un-put-down-able. 2/10
**

My Thoughts

This is the type of book that when I open a word doc to write my review, all that is running through my head is “how do I explain all the feelings I have? ALL THE FEELS.”

I really did love this book. Like, I fell hard for it maybe a third of the way in, we had a flirty little on-and-off affair throughout the middle chunk, and by the end of it I was completely committed and head over heels. Code Name Verity is a historical fiction YA that I hope will get much more buzz from here on out (I must have missed all those starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, PW, NY Times, etc…) because it deserves it completely.

It’s essentially a story of a friendship between two girls, 'Queenie' and Maddie, and it’s told in such a unique format where small anecdotes colour in a greater tapestry of their friendship and their story and sufferings are explained through written documents. I honestly didn’t know anything going in to this book, and I’m kind of glad I didn’t.

I initially didn’t like Queenie. Okay, I said it. I mean, she’s writing a confessional in which she’s doing a tell-all and I wasn’t really sure what was going on. Sure, I’m not the biggest fan of rats and betrayal, but then again, this girl’s life is ticking away, who’s to say she isn’t allowed to bargain for more time? I thought the beginning was kind of clipped, there were scenes jumping around between the present and the past so it was jarring when I was trying to get a feel of the book. However, Queenie really comes into her own and grows into a strong, vibrant, beautiful character.

Kiss me, Hardy.

You should read the book to see what I’m referencing.

Halfway through, something happens (and since I suck at predicting anything, I was completely surprised) and then everything I had originally thought came undone. My jaw-dropped multiple times as the full picture gradually became revealed, and I don’t really want to spoil anything else, just know that it was like boom boom boom no way dude tears whaaaa wait what noooo ahhh omg tears.

Yeah.

There are so many things that make this novel stand out, one is how authentic it felt. The author put a tremendous amount of research to making the novel as historically accurate as possible, and while I’m not familiar with most things RAF etc, I thought small details just added to the overall richness of the story. There is a ~~fair~~ large amount of talk about piloting and things related to it, and I’ll be first to admit I really zilch about this topic (apart from the Battle of Britain, but that’s for another time) but I’m kind of fascinated by it—which might be why I liked it more than others. I have read how other people didn’t care for these details but enjoyed the book nevertheless, so I guess it goes both ways.

There are beautiful themes in this book too: the tragedies of war, the strength of a friendship, the brutal truths of life, survival, hope, love. Give this book a shot, it may just leave your mind reeling.

Rating in HP Terms: Outstanding!!
Recommended for: all historical fiction fans (like seriously) and everyone else too, because I think everyone should read good books
Acknowledgements: actually a debriefing! 4.5/5

9.2/10 – because well, I did give this 5 stars on goodreads. I loved it. It caught me by surprise and it was the very best type of surprise, I actually feel it deserves a second, closer reading, or maybe just to savour the story another time. The characters are remarkable, the setting is superb, the whole tone of the novel gets under your skin. It’ll shock you, it’ll play with your heart, and it’ll be a helluva ride. They really are a sensational team.

source: netgalley
author website

weepy kids Books

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:50:00 +0000

Today's post is inspired by YA Highway's Road Trip Wednesday, the topic was "what book brings back memories" and I'm never one to skip a case of nostalgia, plus I had a super-rough draft of this post already...

I think I had a heart of stone as a kid, I pretty much never cried over things I probably should cry about, but instead wasted away my tears arguing with a typical older brother. And yeah, it's been done before countless times, but I'm in a list mode.

BOOKS THAT MADE ME CRY AS A KID (as in, before I was 12) which of course, brings back so much nostalgia and also brings back memories.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

I just want to go duuuuuude and shake this book in the air. Who hasn't read it? I was totally not expecting the ending and then the tears were falling. Good thing I was reading this at home, not sitting in my seventh grade classroom.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Seriously, does this need an explanation? It will always be the very first book that pops into my head when I think "tearjerker" and it's pretty much a childhood classic.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

*sniff* this is still one of my absolute favourite books, I read this when I was 12 but I still adore it and get sad when I remember certain things

.. And that's it. That's all I can think of, at the moment. I'd love to know what books made you cry as a kid :) And that's right, I actually didn't cry during Charlottes Web.

what I want to Read Right now

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:20:00 +0000

*It's odd to think that when I look back at this post, I'll be looking back at a certain frame of mind I had when I was 18, but anyway, here it goes.

At 14, I think I wanted the next Twilight. I wanted to read about the knight in shining armour and the boy who held doors open for the girls. I wanted to read about the Mary Sues whom I could pretend to take the place of, and I wanted to read about first love and kisses and butterflies.

At 16, I think I wanted more of what I didn't have in real life (2010 in my blog archives, if you're interested). I desperately wanted to be older, I wanted to read about older teens who weren't obsessed with freshman boys-- I wanted books with more intense relationships and family and something that felt more insightful and profound than the mundane routine of high school. I still wanted the swoony boy, but I wanted a complex, moody swoony boy. Oh how I look back fondly at those years, I feel a part of me is still 16.

At 18, which is how old I am now, I know want a different type of book. I've found a niche in contemporary YA fiction, but I'm looking more and more for upper YA books, for the New Adult titles I have yet to really immerse myself in. I'm looking for real relationships-- I'm admittedly getting sick of the "one true love" type thing, I want to read about break-ups and people's lives moving on and leaving people who were once important behind. I'm no longer the biggest fan of the protagonist finding the guy in high school. I want to read about how bad timing sometimes sucks and how sometimes you can't get the guy you want or the best things out of life. I want to read about the tougher, harder-to-swallow truths of life and the unfairness of our world and how sometimes you can be as optimistic and idealistic as you want but things won't go your way. I know, it sounds kind of morbid and depressing but it just feels as if it's been too long since I read a book that really got my frame of mind-- don't get me wrong, I'm reading fabulous books about very interesting topics, it's just that there hasn't been a book that's dug deep into my brain and felt like it was putting my thoughts onto paper. It's always something that I'm not too unfamiliar with-- the tragic past, the grief, the boy, the best friend.. give me something new. I'd like to read some of that.

And I guess we'll see what I want at 20.

-

And of course, I'd love to know the perfect 'you' type of book you'd like to read right now. Leave it in the comments!

*don't worry, I find it exceedingly bizarre that I'm writing a discussion post too. but it's late and I just posted it so whatevs.

All the Books

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

I originally saw this meme on Khy's blog, Frenetic Reader, and it's hosted by Jordyn at Ten Cent Notes! It's very bookish fun in general and I'll try and put some effort into formatting it nicely ;) Plus I really did want to put this picture here:

BOOKS READ THIS WEEK

(look at all the white space for those covers..)

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (oh god, you may drown in my gushing)

Pink by Lili Wilkinson (so much fun!)

Beautiful by Amy Read (not as fun)

WHAT I'M READING

I'm probably going to pick up Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg next :)

BOOKS I GOT RECENTLY IN VLOG FORMAT YAY!

Books mentioned:

The Starboard Sea - Amber Dermont
Changeling - Philappa Gregory
Take a Bow - Elizabeth Eulberg
The List - Siobhan Vivian
Girl Out Loud - Emily Gale
The Penguin Anthology of 20th Century American Poetry - edited by Rita Dove
Tomorrow, When the War Began - John Marsden
The Way We Fall - Megan Crewe

And to copy Khy, A SONG:

-yeah, I heard it on Grey's, sue me. AND THE FINALE FOR GREY'S LOOKS INSANE.

Happy reading, lovelies! What did you get this lovely week?

And Happy Mother's Day too :)

BR: Beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:56:00 +0000

by Amy Reed

I really only read it because Courtney Summers raved about it and I love Courtney Summers and think she’s insanely awesome.

***Also, I turned into a bit of a potty mouth in this review, so if you're easily offended, might as well skip it :p

Summary (goodreads)

When Cassie moves from the tiny town where she has always lived to a suburb of Seattle, she is determined to leave her boring, good-girl existence behind. This is Cassie’s chance to stop being invisible and become the kind of girl who’s worth noticing.

Stepping into her new identity turns out to be easier than Cassie could have ever imagined…one moment, one choice, changes everything.

Cassie’s new existence both thrills and terrifies her. Swept into a world of illicit parties and social landmines, she sheds her virginity, embraces the numbness she feels from the drugs, and floats through it all, knowing that she is now called beautiful. She ignores the dangers of her fast-paced life…but she can’t sidestep the secrets and the cruelty.

Cassie is trapped in a swift downward spiral tinged with violence and abuse, and no one—not even the one person she thought she could trust—can help her now.

**
My Expectations: pretty high, I was expecting Courtney Summers-esque brilliance
Delivery: big disappointment
Put-down-ability: 8/10
**

My Thoughts

My huge, glaring issue with this book is that I found it incredibly unrealistic. Sure, I must be the most sheltered girl out there but I think at age 13-- seventh grade, (SEVENTH!!) there aren’t girls smoking pot, having sex, taking pills… it just.. no. It’s my own personal opinion and it hurt my appreciation of this book because our main character, Cassie, is thirteen and she just goes through a whole shitload of shit, and I’m just sitting here going “why are you so stupid” every single page for the first 100 pages (because I gave up on her after 100 pages and just read about her doing stupid shit). I’m surprised I finished it but I would have been perfectly okay DNF-ing it.

Here’s the thing though: people are out there saying how dark and gritty and realistic this book is, and how you don’t have to like Cassie’s decisions if she’s just another ‘realistic character’ who experiences the pitfalls of peer pressure and bad choices. But here I’m sitting thinking, okay, you can keep saying she’s such a realistic character, but personally, I think she’s a stupid character. STUPID. I said it. And I think I am allowed to say I do not enjoy reading about stupid characters who make stupid decisions, regardless of how impressionable she might be. Like seriously. It actually pisses me off just thinking about it because I can barely even comprehend some of her shitty life decisions and maybe it’s my normal, safe childhood speaking but I just GAHHHHH *rips out hair*

And where the hell were her parents? I absolutely loathe her parents. TAKE CARE OF YOUR FRIGGIN KIDS.

And if I’m ignoring Cassie’s stupidity, I can comment on her character development, which I found highly unrealistic too. I thought she changed way too fast from her good girl image to the whatever-the-eff she became, the F-bombs just dropped in too quickly and it was like her whole attitude changed way too fast to be believable.

I can’t really think of a single redeeming character, I found the supporting cast to be one-dimensional and predictable. However, I want to add that if the age of the characters had been older, I probably would have liked this book, seriously. It was that big of an issue for me, too bad.

Rating in HP Terms: Poor
Recommended for: uhm.. not reccing this one, I’m allowed to dislike books once in a while.
Acknowledgements: 3.5/5

6.5/10 – because I just really didn’t like the main character and found the book wholly unrealistic. Compared to many other dark, gritty books, this one doesn’t compare. Or I just hate Cassie a lot. Because the writing isn’t that bad, but plot and characters just didn’t work for me at all. It did get better towards the end though.

BR: The List

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:42:00 +0000

by Siobhan Vivian

I was a huuuge fan of Siobhan Vivian’s Not That Kind of Girl (I even interviewed her! My first interview either!) and I was sooo excited when I heard about her latest book. I also wanted to add that despite my reluctance to like full-face pictures of girls on covers, I really love this one because her expression is perfect.

Summary (goodreads)

An intense look at the rules of high school attraction -- and the price that's paid for them. It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two

**
My Expectations: really high, NTKoG really surprised me by how good it was, and I wasn't about the make the same mistake twice
Delivery: really, really well done :)
Put-down-ability: despite 8 narrators, the plot still flowed very well, 3/10
**

My Thoughts

The List isn’t your typical multiple narrator story, I mean, stemming from the fact that it’s following eight different girls and spans about a week.. I felt that these two core components of the book did not work as well as I hoped. As with all books featuring different POVs, I greatly enjoyed seeing how the same incident (the reveal of the List) affected their lives. Even though I was intrigued by who came up with the list, I was more interested with the girls’ lives—which was a good thing. I found all the narrations to be compelling though I'll admit sometimes I had trouble juggling all the names.

If you ask me which author writes high school settings the best, my answer is Siobhan Vivian. She writes a high school with realistic dialogue and what feels like real people. Real people. It’s not made up of stereotypes and one dimensional characters, she has fleshed out, authentic people making up the school, from the groups of school friends to the various pitfalls and social make-up of the different grades and ages.

I had a problem with the short time frame though, I felt that given the novel takes place over a week, it felt like some of the larger, overall character arcs/development were less believable. That said, the story caught its rhythm early on as everything flowed without a hitch.

I really liked how the plot unfolded in the end, and I felt that served as a triumph for the novel because it reveals the complexities of people—there is no martyr or evil queen, there is no ending with a bow on it, there are no perfectly redeemed characters. I liked the plot reveal and how it showed that even though I wanted that one character to point to and say “she’s awesome, I want her to win at life!” life doesn’t work like that and people aren’t perfectly good or perfectly bad.

This isn’t really a book about high school, it’s a book about all sorts of dynamics between friends, families, and relationships. It's about beauty and perception, and what's beneath the surface. The List ambitiously approaches many different themes and I think using all the different voices, the author created a grander novel that encompasses many aspects of teenage life.

Rating in HP Terms: Exceeds Expectations
Recommended for: high school girls, all contemporary fans!
Acknowledgements: very nice, 3.5/5

8.4/10- because The List is a compelling, smart novel that paints a complex, contemporary high school setting. The characters' voices are believable and the plot is unpredictable, you’ll definitely want to know how the story ends. I had a few issues with character development over the time frame, but I loved how Vivian thoughtfully tackled the broad themes of young adulthood.

source: library (though I found out later the pub had sent me a copy)
author twitter / website

BR: Bitterblue

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:35:00 +0000

by Kristin Cashore
sequel to Graceling, companion to Fire, book III in Graceling Realm trilogy

Was it just me, or did the 3 years between the release of Fire and Bitterblue just stretch into an agonizingly long time in which I slowly and steadily fell into a Cashore-withdrawal and reread Graceling an absurd amount of times?

**This review is pretty much spoiler free**

Summary (Goodreads)

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

**
My Expectations: exceedingly high, I mean, I've only been lusting for this for like.. 3 years.
Delivery: oh my god, what a ride. I loved it.
Put-down-ability: so low! 1.5/10
**

My Thoughts

Kristin Cashore, in my honest opinion, is the reigning YA fantasy queen. THE. QUEEN.* And Bitterblue is so fracking good, it’s like I’m waving my hands as I’m trying to type this review trying to gesticulate my feelings and emotions after this 500+ page beast.

I loved it. I loved it and I loved reading it, and it’s a book in which I remember why I love reading. I haven’t had the chance to read too many YA books this year, but this book just swept me off my feet and easily stuck me into world Cashore created that’s vivid, treacherous and beautiful. It reminded me of the power of words and the impact and magic that words on a page and weave at the hands of a person who is a master of the craft.

I wanted to start with the plot, because I do feel that was the most conflicting part of the book for me. I liked its general concept but I did feel it was lacking at parts. To tell the truth, I felt the book was too long. And let me first say that I am not at all intimidated by a long book—it was just that the length caused the plot to drag as one too many subplots were developed. One thing I definitely noticed was that despite the page count, Cashore went for quality over quantity. This is important, I promise you, because it felt that each subplot, each character was deserved and earned. I was able to understand and come to love characters (some might surprise you). However, as each story ran its course, the story felt bogged down with too many details about too many things, and sometimes I was wishing the it would just move along. One example was The Council—no spoiler here, I just want to say I disliked its role in the story as more as a device than a subplot, yet so much time was put into it being a subplot.

I seriously loved the twists and turns in this installment, I knew from the beginning to expect some mind-bending turns of events, so I was kept guessing throughout the book. I wasn’t exactly mind-blown but I appreciated the fact that I was kept on my toes and second-guessing and even triple-guessing every character encountered. I really liked the somewhat surprising last 100 pages too!

I know a ton of people were excited to see the beloved Katsa and Po to return (I sure was) and I kind of liked the way Cashore described them. I’m not going to elaborate further, I’ll just said that I was slightly surprised but ultimately happy with the way their characters were handled—they were simultaneously true to their core characters yet allowed to develop off-screen over the years into wholesome people as well. But let’s face it, this story was Bitterblue’s and she was a hell of a character.

Put into a position of queen at the age of 10, Bitterblue is now 18 and surrounded by her most trusted advisors, yet somewhat shielded and oblivious to her country at the beginning. A few midnight escapades and eye-opening experiences later.. well.. the story starts rolling. She starts actively seeking for the truth and that really is what the story is about, the truth and the tragic history behind Monsea and the people. Her character growth was truly phenomenal. Comparing where she began the story and the person she was at the end was just a gift, and I thought that Cashore really put Bitterblue in so many different devastating or crazy situations that forced her to use her wits or prove her worth as opposed to being saved by a knight in shining armour. And Saf? Uhmm, he was okay. Not Po-esque, but decent. I really want to mention another character that I came to love, but I don’t want to spoil it! Starts with G.

And Leck. Damn, what a villain. I’m both repelled and impressed by the level of Creepy (capital C) and how evil and twisted he was. Despite his death, the stench of his rule lingers over the country and acts as a huge hurdle for Bitterblue.

And oh my friggen god, can I just fall over at the gorgeousness of the writing? I feel that Cashore has really matured as a writer and despite a more fast-paced Graceling debut, Bitterblue’s prose is luscious without being purple. It’s actually quite simplistic at times but somehow, in terms of ‘bigger picture’ it just works and I loved the third person POV. I felt the novel was also extremely visual in almost a subtle way, because despite no long trekking journeys, Cashore made the castle come to life with apt descriptions of both architecture and art.

Lastly, I’ll add that Bitterblue has a different feel to it compared to Graceling and Fire. It might be because well, Bitterblue is refreshingly human, but I’ll still say that the vibe in Bitterblue really does feel like the series, despite it having a different ‘tone’.

ASDLKFJLKJ I NEED TO STOP GUSHING.

Rating in HP Terms: Exceeds Expectations/Outstanding
Recommended for: ALL YA readers, I feel like Cashore is a must-read author for any voracious fan of YA
Acknowledgements: this lady understands that sometimes people read acknowledgements before the book, and kindly included a spoiler warning! Hahaha, seriously! So just for that, and for a lovely one in general, 5/5

9.1/10 – because it’s one of my favourite reads so far of the year. The writing is breathtaking, the world-building is downright magical and the whole essence and feel of the novel was amazing. I loved the returning and new characters, and I loved Bitterblue’s character growth. The only thing stopping me from giving it like, a 9.6, is the fact that despite a wonderfully direct and imaginative plot, the story dragged because of too many subplots that were developed maybe too thoroughly. However, this won’t stop me from declaring my love for this book and encouraging every single YA fantasy fan to pick this up. If you liked Graceling or Fire, you don’t’ want to miss this.

*because Melina Marchetta is pretty much my fave contemporary author, despite her ridiculous talent in the fantasy department, and that I actually never finished Megan Whalen Turner’s series..

source: borrowed from Rachel at Reading Timbits, thank you SO much!!!! :D
author blog / twitter
series website

BR: The Day Before

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

by Lisa Schroeder

Oh my gosh, how people have raved about this book. Ashley at Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing is pretty much the biggest advocate for The Day Before, and I think she has fabulous taste, so I’m so happy to finally read this.

Summary (goodreads)

Sixteen-year-old Amber, hoping to spend one perfect day alone at the beach before her world is turned upside down, meets and feels a strong connection to Cade, who is looking for his own escape, for a very different reason.

**
My expectations: I haven't read many verse books, but I had really high hopes for this one!
Delivery: My expectations were definitely met, but I wasn't blown awa
Put-down-ability: a quick read, 2.5/10
**

My Thoughts

I don’t have much experience with verse books, it’s not that I avoid them, it’s just that when faced with a decision whether or not to read them… I feel I have other, more pressing things to read. But I sat myself down and told myself to find what was magical about this book that seemed simultaneously haunting and mysterious, based on the cover and somewhat vague summary. The Day Before. The day before what?

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was like sinking in to a vast pool of beautiful prose, which will be the stand-out memory after finishing, because the words just lift off the page and into your mind. They’re light and effortlessly perfect in a way that’s simply indescribably and makes me wish I could have such a gift with manipulating letters on a page. I thought that Amber’s character was stunningly portrayed in this unfamiliar manner and I was rooting for our protagonist through whatever ordeal she was going through.

I thought the plot was another delicacy altogether, I mentioned this on twitter after finishing about how Schroeder has such a way with small details. She could coax soul out of sandcastles and memories out of lighthouses, the intensity of jellyfish and the simple beauties of the beach. All these little, almost insignificant details really add up into something else.

For some reason, I was expecting something to do with death/suicide based on the cover and summary, and it’s not about that. That’s all I’m going to mention about the plot specifics because I do feel the package kind of misrepresents the book—the book may not be about horrid events, but it deals with deep and emotional themes still. It’s a book that explores the thought of “what if”, not the “what if” itself. It explores the idea of fear and insecurities in a way that felt totally genuine yet foreign.

I liked the characters, I really did, but in the end, I wanted just a bit more. I could sympathize with their situations but my heart didn’t ache for them, I didn’t find myself as emotionally invested as I hoped to be. I think it just comes down to personal preference, but I found that while Amber and Cade’s interactions were written in a beautiful, simplistic way, it was slightly too… perfect. Each person always had the perfect, most insightful, thoughtful thing to say and it lacked authenticity because of it. I know that Cade has the tortured, mysterious thing going on but I also found him slightly too flawless in his interactions with Amber. I couldn’t get myself to believe in their relationship, which was the largest drawback of my reading experience.

I wanted to mention how much I completely loved Amber’s relationship with her mother, her sister, and her best friend; it was really well explored despite not being the focal point. There were letters (oh, how vague!) too that I thought were really well done and added to the suspense factor.

Rating in HP Terms: Exceeds Expectations
Recommended for: contemp YA fans, fans of verse novels
Acknowledgements: 3/5

8.7/10- because I really loved the writing (total fangirling here) and the small plot details, but I couldn’t connect as much with the characters as I would have hoped. The Day Before is such a beautifully written novel that explores themes and idea that makes the reader think, and calls for discussion. I’d highly recommend it.

author website / twitter / goodreads

BR: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

by Jennifer E. Smith

This might be a record-setting moment guys. Someone turn on the word-count-clicker… today’s magic word: cute. Will you look at that completely cute cover*!!

Summary (goodreads)

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

**
My Expectations: kind of in the middle, I've read both raving reviews and meh ones.
Delivery: I did like it, but I didn't really feel the spark.
Put-down-ability: I read it all in one sitting, but 4/10 because if there was a fire...
**

My Thoughts

The premise of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (whew! What a title. Imagine having to type that out five times over) is completely adorable, I mean.. can you think of a better meet-cute? I went into it expecting a fluffy, light-hearted yet lovely read because it’s been getting mostly favourable, even gushy reviews from most bloggers. What I got out of it was not what I was expecting, to say the least.

I had a few problems with it, and I’m breaking the trend and I’m going to talk about these negatives first. I really felt the balance between a cute, quirky love story and a serious, familial-redemption story was off. I thought the jumps between serious and cute moments were jarring, especially towards the end. It kind of felt as if the book set out to be cute, found itself in serious, then hastily steered its way back onto the “cute” road, making it an odd journey. In addition, I never really bought into the idea of twists of fate and all that, but I do admit to being totally cynical (true love? *retch*).

That said, the cute boy was cute, yet sadly forgettable (seeing I forgot his name almost immediately after reading the book.. it’s Oliver). I thought he was lovely enough, but someone in passing, like a cute boy I would talk to on the plane, yet say goodbye to (oh, how fitting…). I’m not going to lie; I do envision a different, more non-typical-YA ending for this book in my head. Hadley was a great protagonist as well, I connected a lot more with her character, and I got used to the odd choice of third person POV rather quickly, which speaks volumes about the writing (very smooth and great word choices makes it a quick read).

And now on to one of the things I really, really connected with and loved about this book. It was the serious stuff. Hadley’s flying to London to attend her father’s remarriage to some British woman, but she still harbours still deep, unresolved feelings regarding her parents’ divorce. I found this aspect of the story to be the most convincing, because my own parents divorced years ago and it felt like Smith really got it. YA takes a lot of different takes on parents (oh, they’re dead 50% of the time too, which is always fun… kidding) but it’s rare when I feel like the author gets it. I have such a similar relationship with my dad as Hadley does with hers, and sometimes there’s just small phrases or thoughts that capture exactly, almost to the tee, how I felt or feel about it. There’s the pain, the broken trust, the trying and the not trying, there was so much truth in it that it hurt. If there’s anything I’ll be taking away from this novel, it is the truth that Smith captured in Hadley’s parents’ divorce.

I know, bummer, eh?

And well, that aspect is the one I really appreciated about this novel, though in my opinion, it was resolved much too quickly for my tastes. Or maybe I’m just one to hold a grudge. I also adored (and was envious of) Hadley’s supportive relationship with her mother, so yeah, that’s always fun. Parents make fun times. Oh, and each chapter started off telling you the time (the book takes place in 24 hrs) which I thought was cool.

Rating in HP Terms: Acceptable
Recommended for: fans of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour :)

7.5/10 – because I didn’t really love it, but I thought it was kind of cute and liked the serious aspects. Personally, I felt the general story arc relied too heavily on the idea of the meet-cute, rather than fully exploring deeper themes of lingering emotions. I never felt anything for Oliver, much to my dismay, but I really did like Hadley’s character growth and her interactions with whomever she meets. The quick resolution bothered me, and it was a bit too perfect in the end, so ultimately, I’d recommend it if you want to pick up a fast, enjoyable read with some surprising depth.

author website / twitter

*odd note, while it's a cute cover, it was kind of embarrassing to hold up and show to the random Engineering PhD guy who struck up a conversation with you as you were reading. Just a thought. Damn my inability to stray from YA.

BR: Wanderlove

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 04:09:00 +0000

by Kirsten Hubbard

I first wrote half of this review around September of last year… I only just finished up the end/rating section (impossibly late) but I still agree with what I said :)

Summary (goodreads)

It all begins with a stupid question: Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

**
My Expectations: so ridiculously high, I absolutely loved Like Mandarin, and this one sounded so amazing.
Delivery: so many smiles.
Put-down-ability: 2.5/10
**

My Thoughts

It’s funny because I swear Wanderlove is pretty much my own personal vacation. I’ve been waiting and waiting to read it for ages. I was so stoked to start. I’m blown away by whatever amazing things are happening, whether these things are small, crazy, insightful, beautiful… Nearing the end I’m dreading the conclusion (like major-ly. I was getting upset that the story was ending at all.. why couldn’t it go on forever?). At the end, I’m sad that it’s over but happy that it happened.

That’s Wanderlove in a nutshell.

And yeah, it’s not the most eloquent way to say it but it seems lately that I’m stricken when it comes to being eloquent. This book is the epitome of contemporary YA in the sense that in embodies the truth and honesty behind being a teenager. It’s what draws me into this genre and hasn’t made me want to ever wander away.

Bria Sandoval is perhaps the most genuine and relatable YA characters in recent memory. It’s like Kirsten Hubbard could be inside my head and steal all my thoughts and plant them into Bria but still make her totally different from me. She’s her own person yet I could relate to her emotions and that’s just great character creation, I tell you. I read this over the summer following my high school graduation, so I felt such a stronger connection to Bria's character than if I had read it at any other time.

The plot of the book is gorgeous. Like beyond gorgeous, it’s ethereal and otherworldly and using Central America as a backdrop was genius. It’s different yet it felt so authentic, whether they were lying on a dock surrounded by the ocean or talking about the sweat between the backpack and their backs… I know Kirsten Hubbard is a travel writer and it might just be because I don’t really read many non-North-America books but it’s as if the author was partly telling her own adventures as well, if that makes sense. And yes, that’s a great thing.

And here’s the paragraph dedicated completely to the traveling: It makes me want to go to places where I won’t have hot showers and I’ll eat sketchy food and live in hostels that may or may not be infested with mosquitoes. That’s how convincing Wanderlove is. It really broadened my sense of travel and it inspired me to explore Toronto when I first got here, and I’m sure whenever I’m on my next adventure, I’ll be thinking of Bria.

Now moving on to the characters, it’s like Hubbard can do no wrong. Each and every character was beautifully drawn and had his or her own history to tease the reader. I loved each and every backstory as unique and interesting characters were introduced, but what I liked more was the character growth from Bria and Rowan.

Also, there are illustrations! That were so pretty. Oh you talented person, you.

Rating in HP Terms: Exceeds Expectations/Outstanding
Recommended for: All YA contemp fans, people who like traveling :)

9.1/10 – because well, haven’t you heard? This book is amazeballs. I think it’s not necessarily an acquired taste because it does have wonderful, universal themes of self and physical discovery; but it does cater to specific, wanderlust-infected audience as well, and I think this is the type of book that I remember when I think about traveling, the type of book that makes me brave in the face of exploring new ideas, and the type of book that sparks my curiosity about the world. So if it seems like your type of thing… what are you waiting for?

source: netgalley

author website / blog
Wanderlove website (I love it!!)

COMPLETEDNESS

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:46:00 +0000

GUYS!! My lovelies! I've finished my first year at university!

Oh gosh, the past week has been insanely crazy, my brain is fried, I desperately need a nap, I'm going to the Jay Asher signing tonight (woot!), and yeah. I'm DONE. Hasn't sunk in yet. It might take me a bit but I do plan on getting back into the whole blogging shin-dig.

Book of the Month (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 04:14:00 +0000

Originally I was too lazy and just kept adding my "books of the month" to my 2011 list, but it's time to have a 2012 list. These are the best books I read in that month, and it's books read, not books reviewed.

Year 2012

January: THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green

-smart, funny, heartbreaking, poignant, and thoughtful. A masterpiece.

February: SPLIT by Swati Avasthi

-that's right! This one was a reread that I greatly enjoyed. Also, I think I only read 3 books in February so this was my favourite :)

March: BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore

-an expansive, layered and complex fantasy novel with tremendous writing and beautiful characters. Kristin Cashore is my queen of YA fantasy.

April: THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers

-it's so grippingly in your face with complex characters and perfect writing. My favourite CS book so far, it's brilliant. Released June 19.

(un)obligatory April thoughts post

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 06:05:00 +0000

It seems like every month I'm just writing a random post that really has very little to do with books, but I guess that just goes to prove what an awful book blogger I am :) So, again, in a list, things on my mind:

1. I read This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers recently and let me tell you, that book if effing brilliant. And if that book is in your possession (via Netgalley, etc) and you're not really reading it for one reason or another... STOP. READ IT. I was completely swept up in it and it's haunting and painful and the writing hurts and everything is so brilliant.

2. I used to read Harry Potter fanfiction like.. oh gosh.. 5 years ago? I want to say beginning of high school, and funnily, I used to be totally repulsed by the idea of admitting it but now I'm just like "hey, it was 5 years ago *shrugs*" (one of the joys of growing up and 'maturing'). It's funny because I found myself on the site the other day and I realized one of those super popular stories I liked and was never really updated was finally completed, so I was treated to like 7 chapters and an actual ending to a fanfic from ages ago, which was nice and super nostalgic too (Still Delicate, if you're curious).

3. I'm SO excited for May! Biggest reasons: Bitterblue, Insurgent, and The Avengers movie! I've read Bitterblue and it is sooo fantastic, I'll definitely be buying a copy for myself. And internet, help me find friends who are as obsessive about the Avengers as I am.. I swear nobody understands why I've pretty much watched the trailer 20 times now (not even kidding).

4. I'm probably gonna get stoned for this, and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one, but despite my excitement for Insurgent, I'm getting wiped out by the hype. I'm just not feeling it anymore; I think the pre-release campaign is such a smart and unique idea with all those faction teams, but I keep seeing it everywhere (and pretty much 50% of my twitter feed these days) and it's getting a bit much. So yeah, this is an instance of overhyping that very slightly makes me not want to read the book as much.

5. Which also brings me to another point about hype, and that's you have to get the timing right. I was wayyy too excited for a book around November-ish, and there was so much hype going around (WoWs, early reviews, etc) about it, except it's released in June 2012... which is quite a ways away. And I feel like after my super-excited period is over, I'm entering the refractory period in which I really don't have much interest in the book anymore. Which kind of makes me sad.

6. I recently reread A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley, which was one of my fave reads last year, and cried, it's so good :) I've now reread 4 books this year and that makes me really happy. Currently rereading Just Listen by Sarah Dessen :)

7. I vlog-reviewed Black Heart by Holly Black for TotallyBooksessed (link here), so you should check it out. And I'll be hopefully writing an actual review-review of a book soon... #awfulblogger

8. How freaking good was The Hunger Games??? I know some people didn't really like it, but I thought it was fantastic, considering it's an adaption. Okay, you can't have every single tiny detail on point, but I thought the movie got the essence of the book pretty well, and Jennifer Lawrence was superb.

9. Finalsfinalsfinals are on my brain. I'm stressed and not excited, but it's the final stretch... light at the end of the tunnel! I promise there will be regular bookish content over the summer! PROMISE. But till then I'm just knee-deep in series, sequences, and stupid integrals, so bye bye for now :)

BR: Spellbound

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:53:00 +0000

by Rachel Hawkins
Hex Hall trilogy; book III

AAAAHH it's out! Yay! I love this series, legit! :)

Summary (goodreads):

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

**
My Expectations: high!...ish! I really loved the first two books, which took me by complete surprise, yet I’ll admit I kind of went into this one forgetting everything that happened in Demonglass..eek
Delivery: it was great :D
Put-down-ability: low! Even sitting in an uncomfy chair at the bookstore, I couldn’t put it down. 2.5/10
**

My Thoughts

Wow, it’s kind of been a long time I actually physically finished a series, huh? I’m the queen of starting and never finishing these stuff, so kudos to you, Ms Hawkins, for keeping my interest ;) So.. Spellbound. SO GOOD. We can just stop here now.

Spellbound starts off right where the last book ended but I actually didn’t remember much from the cliffhanger before— however, Hawkins really caught me up quickly and not in a non-intrusive/obvious way. Just small hints here and there referencing what had happened, which was awesome

Oh, Sophie Mercer, you magical awesome hilarious girl with a dysfunctional family, you. How I’ve missed you. As per expected, Sophie was the brilliant star of this finale as the stakes are raised and she finds herself in the middle of an all-out war with both sides trying to use her as a weapon (well, ish). Tough decisions and pushed-to-the-limit-esque situations occur, and all were done very well. I think one of my absolute favourite aspects about her is her humour (duh), and how she uses it whenever she’s nervous or something—it just adds an authentic feel to her genuinely hilarious commentary.

The characters of the series have been so good so far, but I did feel apart from Sophie, there was a lack of growth from the supporting cast. More specifically for her best friends, I never really thought they changed much; they were just always there for a funny quip or support. To be honest, I never really swooned for Archer, which I found concerning. I loved the twists with Sophie’s family at the beginning and the new characters introduced, but there were times where I thought they deserved a bit more screen time instead of launching the plot.

Which brings me to the plot, and what I did feel was lacking a bit. I loved the general gist of it, with the big bad villains (great villains, btw. Awesome with the motivation and complexity etc., I love villains like this) and what turned out to be lies, but I didn’t really like the… bits between the journey, if that’s what you’ll call it. Like the transitions between mini-story-arcs weren't my favourite.

SOME MINOR SPOILERS BELOW, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!! (highlight to read)

There’s a few parts when some really almost, random, event happens to move the plot along, such as when the group suddenly found themselves back together at the school, for some reason it just felt too convenient, especially with the preceding angst. Also, the trip to hell kind of fell flat for me. However, the ending for the love triangle is actually how I *almost* hoped the love triangle in Mockingjay would have ended… yeah.. :P

END SPOILERS

Don’t worry, spoilers were just odd plot points that bugged me, you didn’t miss much. If you don’t read this book though, you will be missing out on simultaneous genius and light-hearted writing that really was what made me fall in love with the series in the first place. It’s brilliant and I think our protagonist Sophie alone should warrant anybody to read this fun, thrilling, fast-paced, imaginative, and ultimately lovely series*.

Rating in HP Terms: Exceeds Expectations
Recommended for: pretty much anybody, despite the slight paranormal twist, it’s a fun book that has huge appeal.
Acknowledgements: lovely and funny! 4/5

8.6/10 – because as I think I’ve now mentioned like twenty times, Sophie was amazing. Her voice and the writing completely shined and made me laugh and giggle and care for her character. The plot itself as a general arc was superb with great twists and turns, though I did find transitions between settings to be jarring and some triumphs to be unearned. I’m on board with the ending, though some parts I absolutely loved and others I didn’t. Go read this series!

*enough adjectives already!

author twitter / blog
My reviews for book 1 (Hex Hall) and book 2 (Demonglass)

In My Mailbox (14)

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 17:51:00 +0000

Hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren!
**

Wow, first IMM of the year... I know, I'm a slacker :/

Anyways, I filmed a vlog, and if you're too lazy, I also listed the books at the bottom :)

Books mentioned:
The Disenchantments by Nina Lacour
Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Black Heart by Holly Black (trade with Chloe @ YA Booklover Blog, thank you!!)
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (borrowed from Rachel @ Reading Timbits, thank you soo much!)

And I know, IMM is supposed to be a Sunday thing, but who cares :p Have a great weekend, everybody! Leave IMM links and I'll try my best to drop by in between studying psych and... well.. studying psych :)

the Before I Die MOVIE trailer!

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:22:00 +0000

... but the movie's actually called "Now is Good" (IMDB) and stars Dakota Fanning and Jeremy Irvine. It's based on Before I Die by Jenny Dowham which was released a few years ago.

So for your enjoyment, here's the trailer! (direct link click here!)

My thoughts? It's not bad... but I'm apprehensive. It reminds me of A Walk to Remember but with the hip modern thing going on. I'm not sure how I feel about the casting of Dakota Fanning but it seems like it'll be alright. My worries (which are quite a few, mind you) are that they're going to change the ending from the book (which I thought was so powerful) or the acting is going to suck and if I'm distracted by bad acting (and cheesy lines! Oh god, I hate hate hate cheesy lines in teen movies that are meant to be 'romantic' but just make me roll my eyes) then I won't enjoy the movie. But I am tentatively optimistic!

So.. what did YOU think of the trailer?? Have you read the book? Excited for the movie?

Now is Good is released May 25 in the UK.

Before I Die (summary):

Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex. Released from the constraints of ‘normal’ life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, all are painfully crystallised in the precious weeks before Tessa’s time finally runs out

on my MIND

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:30:00 +0000

I feel like every few months I look back and do an update-like post that really isn’t that informative, but I still do it anyways. Too bad, huh :p So here we go, this is just some odd blogging/book/world related thoughts on my mind.

Firstly

The fabulous Linna from 21 Pages is a super-talented graphic designer, and I’m pretty sure ALL of you know about her gorgeous blog… but check out these designs she did for Chloe’s blog and Ezmirelda's blog! The designs are beautiful, that Linna girl is talented. So if you’re fed up with your layout… *shoves you towards her design blog*

Secondly

Another extremely talented and super lovely graphic designer (who, from my naïve assumptions, is pretty much the smartest person ever regarding codes, wordpress, websites, etc) Cialina also designs blogs (understatement, probably), along with helping you transition from blogger to self-hosted, if you want to jump on that bandwagon (all the cool kids are doing it!). And her blog.. it’s so pretty... so, so pretty.

Thirdly

What is with all the cover reveals?????
I mean, sure, it’s great publicity and that, but it just feels like it crept up on me and BOOM, one day all I see is cover reveals everywhere.

Fourthly

I need an awesome book to read. Any suggestions?
Requirements because I’m picky:
No love triangles, not a series, protagonist older than 15, no paranormal, preferably tears or laughter-inducing, must not have ugly cover (jk).

Fifthly

I want to venture into reading adult fiction, any suggestions? Realistic fiction, preferably. Not Nicholas Sparks.

Sixthly

I’m currently doing this "try something new for 30 days" project from this Ted Talk that I found on Stephanie Perkins’ blog. It’s basically a challenge for myself to take a picture every day for 30 days, and I decided to create a Tumblr to post my pictures, so you can check it out if you’re interested. I feel like 2012 will be a year of 30 day challenges, and I’m considering maybe collab-ing with someone who might be interested in doing something small/creative/writing-esque for 30 days with me, comment if interested? :)

Seventhly

I’m seeing the midnight screening of The Hunger Games!!! EEEP I’m excited, and I’ll be done midterms by then!!! I’m pretty stoked about the movie, though I wish they’d stop comparing it to Twilight. That makes me gag.

Eighthly

HAVE YOU SEEN THE LATEST AVENGERS TRAILER?!?!?!?!?!

I think I’ve rewatched that 5 times. I CAN’T WAIT. And no, I haven’t read the comics and such, but I’m just stoked to watch a movie that looks friggin AWESOME. (youtube link)

Ninthly

I find this tumblr very pleasing on the eyes. And if that’s not enough, read the tags. They’re hysterical (brought to you by the awesome Yahong). #he's luscious when he's intense, ya'll

Tenthly

What's the best movie you've seen recently? I need a movie to fall in love with.

Elevnthly

I'm contemplating the future of this blog. I find that sometimes I try and sit down and write something reasonably intelligent or thought-provoking and it just turns into a pile of dung. Yeah that's right, dung. I've read an absurdly little number of books this year, yet I don't find myself wanting to jump into a few that have been sitting on my shelf. I don't find that I'm dying to read Pandemonium or whichever shiny new release that's been out, which makes me question my commitment to sparkle motion. Or whatever.
**

That's all, my lovelies, and as always, thanks for reading. I like how these posts always start out book related then end up on different tangents.

-audrey.

BR: Fever (VLOG!)

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:01:00 +0000

This is a vlog review of Fever by Lauren DeStefano. My written review can be found HERE (on goodreads).

(I obviously had a brain fart and didn't upload this before XD)

If you don't want to watch the whole thing, just skip to 4:20 where I do the sum-up and rating-giving! :) I hope you enjoyed the vlog review, Fever was released today!

Vlogging in February! a bookish tag

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:48:00 +0000

I originally saw this on The Readables (it's hosted by Sonya)! Clickie the links!

So this second vlog of February (hope you're enjoying this so far) is kind of a fun one, not as discussion-y but oh well. Just a tag in which I answer bookish questions I know you're dying to ask (not). I hope you enjoy!

Questions:

1. What genre of books do you prefer?
2. What are some of the must-have books in your library?
3. What is the most expensive book on your shelf?
4. What book do you covet the most?
5. How much do you spend on books?
6. What do you think about the current trend in YA books?
7. What series do you wish had more books?
8. What are your go-to books in your library?
9. What book is currently in your bag?
10. What is the most prized book in your collection?
11. What are some non-fiction books on your shelf?
12. Favorite authors? (name up to 3)
13. Favorite bookstore?

If YOU want to answer ANY of them, just leave it in comments, I'd love to know! If you watched the video, thanks!! And of course, as always, if you have any vlog topic suggestions, I'd love to hear them as well :)

Vlogging in February! on rereading

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 06:53:00 +0000

Hey guys, I decided to do a thing in which I vlog instead of post in the month of February (or for the last 10 days or so...) because I can't seem to get myself to write stuff. Thus, here is the first "Vlogging in February" video! And yes, it's all book related funtimes. And I'm totally not offended if you don't have time to watch this or whatever :)

Also check out: TotallyBooksessed

to the Storytellers:

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:07:00 +0000

I just finished The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and it was one of those books I know I'll have a difficult time reviewing. I was completely enchanted (although there are a few factors preventing a full out gush-fest), especially by the prose-- which I found positively magical. I really did, and it will always be the thing that I'll remember most clearly about this wonderfully imaginative book.

Here's a quote that struck me as I was reading.. it's truth. Everything-- the importance, the listener, the magic in words.. I thought you guys would like it.

“I tell stories,” he says. It is the most truthful answer he has.

“You tell stories?” the man asks, the piquing of his interest almost palpable.

“Stories, tales, bardic chronicles,” Widget says. “Whatever you care to call them. The things we were discussing earlier that are more complicated than they used to be. I take pieces of the past that I see and I combine them into narratives. It’s not that important, and this isn’t why I’m here—”

“It is important,” the man in the grey suit interrupts. “Someone needs to tell those tales. When the battles are fought and won and lost, when the pirates find their treasures and the dragons eat their foes for breakfast with a nice cup of Lapsang souchong, someone needs to tell their bits of overlapping narrative. There’s magic in that. It’s in the listener, and for each and every ear it will be different, and it will affect them in ways they can never predict. From the mundane to the profound. You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone’s soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift…. There are many kinds of magic, after all”

Fever winner + #namethatbook Answers!

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:45:00 +0000

Firstly, a HUGE apology for taking so long to tally results and get this post up!! School has started up again and I've been crazy busy, but that's no excuse :(

Without further ado, the winner of an ARC of Fever by Lauren DeStefano is...

Samantha R.!

Congrats!! I will email you shortly!

And thank you ALL for playing, I got a great response and would love to do it again soon. And of course, you must be dying to know the answers :p Here they are, how did you do?

BOOK #1: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

BOOK #2: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn (hehe snarl!)

BOOK #3: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

BOOK #4: Plain Kate by Erin Bow (Taggle!!!)

BOOK #5: Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard (love this book!)
(hint: author initials are KH)

BOOK #6: Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

BOOK #7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (infinite hearts)

BOOK #8: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (and Siobhan Dowd)

BOOK #9: A Little Wanting Song / Chasing Charlie Duskin by Cath Crowley

BOOK #10: North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley (this book is awesome, folks)

thanks again to everyone who entered! I hope you had fun!

some YA contemporary mini-Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:27:00 +0000

**I'll announce the winner + answer for my Fever contest soon! I'm sorry for taking so long!**

It’s become quite a troubling idea for me that I’m both procrastinating writing book reviews AND working. I mean, when has it become some sort of chore to write reviews? It makes me sad thinking about it, but as I stare at this brick of a textbook I’m supposed to read 100 pages in, I find myself turning back to my blog... And writing these little reviews for books I don't think I'm going to get around to fully reviewing.

Freefall by Mindi Scott (8/10)
~goodreads

Honestly, while I really liked it when I was reading it, this book is unfortunately forgettable. It’s for those quick engaging reads that keeps you in the story for the moment, but thinking back.. there’s not much I want to say about it. The characters, writing, and plot are all well done, and I greatly enjoyed reading it, I just don’t find it the most memorable of the bunch.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (8.4/10)
~goodreads

You have no idea how much I wanted to read this book, Anna and the French Kiss is one of my fave contemps of 2011, and I had equally high expectations for this sequel… which really proved to be my downfall. I think I expected too much and I couldn’t help comparing Lola to Anna (both person-wise and book-wise) and because of that, Lola and the Boy Next Door was.. all right. It had everything I could want though, the perfect formula for a quirky yet lovely story—interesting protagonist, the cutest boy ever, awesome parents, some angst—yet it wasn’t as awesome as I wanted (I know, I’m a demanding twat or something). I felt some of Lola's quirks were forced and I never fell head-over-heels for Cricket, despite him being so obviously charming (the pants!). So yes, this book is lovely and fantastic but ultimately, I couldn’t stop the Anna comparison and I enjoyed Anna a whole lot more, but Lola is worthy of the praises it’s been getting.

Saving June by Hannah Harrington (9/10)
~goodreads

I’ve been dying and lusting after this book for ages but it took me a while to finally buying a copy and reading it. It was what everybody said it would be—and here is where I would usually add “and more” for added effect—but not this time. It was frankly, what I was expecting (with some VERY high expectations, mind you) with heartwrenching scenes and beautiful quotes and boy I would definitely not mind road-tripping with. Harper’s a gorgeously drawn out character, as was her development through the book. Secondary characters were wonderfully done as well, but I think I wasn’t as blown away as I wanted to be. It was one of those books where I wanted to totally rave about it and declare my love for, but after letting those feelings simmer a little, I think I can just give this book a huge-ass shoutout but it’s not exactly my absolute favourite.
A “do not read in public” warning should be attached as well, I think I looked silly on the plane with my teary eyes and sniffles…

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (9.4/10)
~goodreads

I went out and bought it the day it was released and finished it shortly after. I was originally intending on writing a flat-out gush review with all my thoughts (I still might because I have a lot..) but for now, here’s the quick ‘review’ I wrote immediately after finishing on goodreads:

It's so much more than a book about cancer kids. It's about more than love and death and the Something that awaits, it's more than Amsterdam and An Imperial Affliction and the idea of sacrifice and nobility, the idea of heroism and the universe, the smallest quirk and the grandest, most metaphorical gesture. You've really outdone yourself here, John Green.

BR: Prized

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:48:00 +0000

by Caragh M. O'Brien
Birthmarked trilogy; book II

It has been a while since I read Birthmarked, and I think that it was the lengthy break that made me hesitant to read the sequel. I didn't remember any of the plot details too well either, which I was concerned about.

Summary (goodreads)

Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole?

**
My Expectations: I remember hugely loving Birthmarked but since my memory was foggy, I was worried Prized would disappoint :/ Also, I've been reading mixed reviews.
Delivery: YESSS it was awesome!!
Put-down-ability: 2.5/10
**

I feel like whenever I give a 9 rating, it feels half-assed. At least an 8.9 is reaching for that precious 9, and the 9.1 is a stand-out from the rest of the plain 9’s, but that’s just it… 9’s are plain. But that doesn’t mean they’re bad, because bad is the farthest form of an adjective I’d give for Prized.

My Thoughts

Guys, Prized is fantastic. Almost as fantastic as Birthmarked (which was unfairly fantastic) and if you haven’t read this series yet, get your lazy arses off the computer and reserve it at the library or something, because I’m smacking myself in the head for waiting so long to getting around to reading this.

The big difference between this sequel and its predecessor is that there feels like a lack of action that I was accustomed to and fell in love with in the first book. It feels like a second-in-a-trilogy* with some astounding character development, and I really, truly mean astounding.

Gaia Stone. Ms. O’Brien, I truly applaud you for creating such a fantastic character and developing her so flipping well. Gaia is real, and she’s flawed and consistent and she grows so much through the book. There’s a specific part where she questions if she can trade who she is as a person, to trade pretty much her sense of self, for Leon. And it’s an in-your-face type of question that she tackles head-on and that choice really exposes who she is.

Her stubborn defiance towards the Matrarc as her freedom is stripped from her isn’t just a childish streak; it pretty much exactly pinpoints who she is. She’s loyal almost to a fault, and won’t break her own beliefs even when freedom is as close as a simple lie. Well.. at first… things get pretty interesting.

To say she’s faultless is just so far from the truth, because there is a scene between her and another character where the other person just rips into her and I see exactly where he’s coming from, because it’s true. Gaia tries so hard to do the right thing and sometimes it’ll come back and hit her in the face but the fact is, she tries. She’s a do-er. She’s curious and she wants to know more instead of settling into the passive role that had potential for happiness. And that’s really why I fell so hard for her character and this book, because I recognized all these small things that made her a dynamic, changing, and growing character.

I thought I’d mention here that there is a love square. SQUARE. I’m serious, and I thought I would end up being extremely exasperated, and I’m glad I didn’t. While I thought one of the tips of the square was kind of unnecessary, I didn’t hate it at all, which is such a bonus (though let’s face it, only one of those boys really stood a chance and any other result would be blasphemous).

Rating in HP Terms: Exceeds Expectations
Recommended for: All YA dystopian fans! :)
Acknowledgements: I forget.. I don't have my copy with me :(

9/10 – because it was just awesome. In addition to the character growth I raved about, the plot is tight and kept me more than engaged. I loved exploring the new world that O’Brien had created because it made me think and question this sort of gender role reversal. There was a mystery (yay!) and another code (yay!) and yes, a very swoony kiss, so this girl here is happy.

*which means the final book better be an adrenaline-filled book of kick-assery.

source: netgalley/publisher
author website