Maji Bookshelf

Marking the end of summer with Someone Else's Summer by Rachel Bateman

2017-08-25T16:30:00.002-04:00

Someone Else's Summer by Rachel Bateman

Random House Canada, released on May 9th of 2017

For fans of road trips and contemporary novels

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Anna's always idolized her older sister, Storm. So when Storm dies in a tragic car accident on the night of her high school graduation, Anna is completely lost and her family is torn apart. That is, until she finds Storm's summer bucket list and decides to honor her sister by having the best summer ever—which includes taking an epic road trip to the coast from her sleepy Iowa town. Setting out to do everything on Storm's list along with her sisters best friend Cameron—the boy next door—who knew that Storm's dream summer would eventually lead to Anna's own self-discovery?

This was the perfect summer book I was looking for this summer. I sometimes go through phases where I just need a good contemporary that's heartfelt, emotional and has a great slow burning romance. This is exactly that. Someone Else's Life reminded me a lot of Amy and Roger's Epic Detour but it stood on its own.

The main character, Anna was very level headed. She was likeable and someone I would want as a friend. Granted, she was going through a heartbreak because she just lost her sister. Her love for her sister was so powerful, it made me teary eyed just thinking about their lost sisterhood and friendship. I love it when a writer is able to make me connect so much with the characters and Bateman did that. I loved the road trip and it was not boring at all (trust me, I've read some pretty boring road trip books out there). The person keeping her company was her sister's best friend, Cameron. I liked that the romance wasn't from the get go. This was about Anna and Storm, not Anna and Cameron. This was a self healing and discovery book and in the process if love came along, that's totally fine... which it did. It was a slow burn but once they realized their feelings, it got intense quick haha. Definitely a well written romance and book overall. I will be keeping my eyes out for any new books by Rachel, she made me cry for her characters so she's automatically on my "To check out" list from now on.

Blog Tour [Review + Giveaway]: Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali

2017-06-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! It's been a little quiet here on the blog this month, but I'm happy to be back with a review and a giveaway of a book I read this year, and immensely enjoyed. I met S. K. Ali (and the team at Simon and Schuster Canada) a few months ago and had the opportunity to hear her talk about the premise of the book and her motivations behind writing it. I read the whole book in one sitting on the bus back home, and now I get to share it with all of you!

Title: Saints and Misfits
Author: S. K. Ali
Publisher: Salaam Reads/Simon and Schuster CA
Publication Date: June 13, 2017
Genre(s): Contemporary
Source: ARC from publisher
Pages: 352
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Saints and Misfits is an unforgettable debut novel that feels like a modern day My So-Called Life…starring a Muslim teen.

How much can you tell about a person just by looking at them?

Janna Yusuf knows a lot of people can’t figure out what to make of her…an Arab Indian-American hijabi teenager who is a Flannery O’Connor obsessed book nerd, aspiring photographer, and sometime graphic novelist is not exactly easy to put into a box.

And Janna suddenly finds herself caring what people think. Or at least what a certain boy named Jeremy thinks. Not that she would ever date him—Muslim girls don’t date. Or they shouldn’t date. Or won’t? Janna is still working all this out.

While her heart might be leading her in one direction, her mind is spinning in others. She is trying to decide what kind of person she wants to be, and what it means to be a saint, a misfit, or a monster. Except she knows a monster…one who happens to be parading around as a saint…Will she be the one to call him out on it? What will people in her tightknit Muslim community think of her then?

Reading Saints and Misfits was a very unique experience for me. Most of my favourite books have characters that I identify with in some way or the other. Over the years, however, I had come to accept that there are parts of my identity I simply will not see in books. I identified with the individuality and spirit of those characters, but not their household routines, not their religious practices, not with the communities that they were part of. I had normalized this experience to such an extent for myself, that it was a struggle to work up the indignation at reading book after book with whitewashed characters, with maybe one person of colour thrown in for comic relief. On the rare occasion that books did feature a Muslim character, it felt off, half-heartedly researched and poorly executed. In some ways, it almost a relief to go back to books with no Muslims, because I’d rather my religion be represented correctly than awkwardly thrown in for diversity.

Something I wish I could tell authors who write Muslim characters unsuccessfully is that Islam is not a collection of rituals. It is a way of life. And to capture that in a book, you have to understand and respect it, not just research and describe it. For this reason, I avoided books featuring Muslim characters written by non-Muslims. Islam is a central part of my identity, and I simply did not want to take the risk of reading a book where it is misrepresented.

Saints and Misfits fixed all of that, and that’s why I think it’s such an important book for both practicing Muslims, and non-Muslims who want to understand Islam. Islam is not just a small part of Janna’s life. It is something that shapes her personality, guides her decisions, and determines her actions. This was something that I identified with a lot. It almost made me self-conscious, reading a book like this. It felt like someone recognized a part of my life that had been overlooked for so long, and shone a spotlight on it. And at first, it felt disorienting. And then, it felt really, really good. I’m incredibly grateful to this book for giving me this experience — one that I’d given up hope of having.

There were some of the book that left me feeling disengaged. I would attribute those to present tense-first person writing style, and the secondary characters (Farooq, Fiza and others) which I felt were a little under developed. However, I really liked the contrast in Sausun’s and Janna’s personalities. Sausun reacts to some key plot elements in a very different way from Janna, and I think it’s important to realize that both reactions are valid. Strength manifests in everyone in different ways. We are not all supposed to be fierce, strong, visceral and combative, as long as we all are respectful.

It wasn’t just the big things—the hijab, the prayers five times a day, the trips to the mosque or the avoidance of alcohol. It was the little things—Janna fussing over the folds of her hijab, the community around a mosque in a neighbourhood, dealing with people who say you’re missing out when they find out you don’t drink alcohol, dealing with people who are indifferent or uninformed about your lifestyle, buying halal marshmallows (I related to that so hard), and having non-Muslim friends that respect your culture. It was those things that made me think, there I am.

The folks at S&S Canada have arranged a giveaway of a signed, finished copy of Saints and Misfits. Enter below to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mini Reviews: The Dark Days Club and The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman

2017-05-15T11:00:00.000-04:00

Title: The Dark Days Club
Author: Alison Goodman
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Publication Date: January 26, 2016
Genre(s): Paranormal, Fantasy
Source: Library
Pages: 482
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London, April 1812. On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

This book was initially hard to get into. It chafed me to read about how antiquated the norms in the 1800s were. I was so not here for Helen obeying her uncle and brother, her aunt obeying her husband and the general lack of freedom that women had, not to mention how casually people assumed and said that women couldn’t think or act as well as men. NOPE. These practices were all very normal to Helen, and although she wished things were different, she blamed herself for thinking that way and actively tried to squash such ~rebellious thoughts. While I understood that, I couldn’t really relate or sympathize (which makes me sound like a jerk). The way she addressed and thought of Carlston using his title “Lord” brought a level of formality to their interaction that made it incredibly hard for me to ship them or even care about Carlston. Also Selburn was an unfortunate Nice Guy character and I hated him with every bit of my soul. Finally, I had no clue what purpose Margaret or Hammond served and I wish their backstories were explored a little more thoroughly.

But otherwise! I really liked the book. Goodman’s style of writing super worked for me. The book moves really slowly but I was hooked early and fast, and it’s been really hard for me to find a book like that. All my recent five star reads have been quick, fast paced books. While Helen annoyed me a little throughout the book, it was evident that her character was developing bit by bit. The paranormal side of the book is quite simple, which I was okay with. The book is mostly character (specifically Helen’s character) and relationship driven, and the plot has more to do with Helen coming to terms with her identity and new role than it does with Reclaiming. This book was all about setting the stage for book two--getting Helen into the mindset of a Reclaimer, getting Darby to support and help Helen throughout, introducing Helen to the Carlston’s world, and introducing the two of them to one another. Character change is pretty glacial (sometimes to the point of frustration, tbh) in this book, but it in the end, I felt satisfied because it wasn't rushed.

Title: The Dark Days Pact
Author: Alison Goodman
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Publication Date: January 31st, 2017
Genre(s): Paranormal, Fantasy
Source: Library
Pages: 496
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June 1812. Just weeks after her catastrophic coming-out ball, Lady Helen Wrexhall—now disowned by her uncle—is a full member of the demon-hunting Dark Days Club. Her mentor, Lord Carlston, has arranged for Helen to spend the summer season in Brighton so that he can train her new Reclaimer powers. However, the long-term effects of Carlston’s Reclaimer work have taken hold, and his sanity is beginning to slip. At the same time, Carlston’s Dark Days Club colleague and nemesis will stop at nothing to bring Helen over to his side—and the Duke of Selburn is determined to marry her. The stakes are even higher for Helen as she struggles to become the warrior that everyone expects her to be.

The Dark Days Club was the book in which Goodman moved all the pieces into place for the roller coaster that was The Dark Days Pact. Book #1 left me thirsty for some actual Reclaimer-Deceiver action and yay, I got it! The one thing that continued to bring my investment in the book down was how flat the secondary characters were. I was supposed to ship Quinn and Darby I think, which lol wut. Selburn clearly exists to complete this weird quadrilateral that has been set up which I’m fine with because watching Helen put him in his place is joy. The whole point of Lady Margaret was to pit her against Helen for Carlston’s affections and show how Helen was soo much more level headed than her. I literally cannot think of anything else that Margaret did besides fawn over Carlston and disapprove of Helen, smh.

Everything in The Dark Days Pact is amplified--the intricacy of the plot, the speed of character development, the thrill in the action scenes. Reading about Helen navigating them while coming to terms with the fact that she has to lead and has to take on roles she never thought she’d have to AND deal with these weird tingly feelings whenever she looks at Carlston was such a delight. Again, in this book, the intricacy of the plot has more to do with people and character dynamics than Deceiver stuff. Goodman didn’t really delve into what Deceivers are, or their history and I didn’t really care because I was too busy enjoying Hammond and Helen and Carlston.

Goodman does slow, natural character development really well. Helen comes from a society where women defer to men for every major life decision, and she broke out of that mindset very slowly and uncertainly which was a very refreshing take on the “yer a wizard harry” trope (if that isn’t an official trope, I’m making it one). She trains and plans and tries her best, and the plot never works out conveniently for her. She fails some times and succeeds some other times. Yay reality!

Speaking of Helen and Carlston, they don’t interact a lot during the book, but when they do, it makes Helen and Carlston and ME go fluttery. I am going to come collecting for way more alone time than they got, come book 3. THERE IS A GENDERBENDING KISS SCENE WHICH LEGIT UNDID ME. The ending was one, long, bloody, action-packed ordeal (that I actually had to read several times because so much was happening) and the whole fiasco was nicely rounded off with the most gut-wrenching of cliffhangers.

Because, you know, JUSTICE.

Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

2017-05-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Publication Date: May 2nd 2017
Genre(s): High fantasy, young adult
Source: Bought
Pages: 699
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Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.
As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

This book is the textbook definition of a hot mess. This book is what you get when you try to bake a cake and pie together and you get is a mess that’s sort of well done in some places, raw in some others, and honestly you don’t even know what the middle is, other than a hot sticky mess, but oh well it’s chocolate goo so why not eat it. In plain english, this book might be long, but it drags in places it shouldn’t, and glosses over parts that shouldn’t.

Look, I’ve made it pretty clear in my past reviews that I think that SJM peaked with Heir of Fire. It took me a couple of books after that, but in ACOMAF, I made my peace with the fact that her books were not going to hit me hard in the feels ever again. So I’m not exactly surprised at how I found ACOWAR. In many ways, I feel like ACOTAR as a series is wasted potential, but somehow, it ends up being very readable, so I keep reading, and I keep reviewing, so here we are?

I don’t think these books are bad by any means. What they are, and what ACOWAR especially is, is lazy.

Whether you agree with me depends on what you want out of her books. Do you want a sole focus on character dynamics and romance scenes? Then this book is probably for you. I, for one, enjoyed Nesta’s arc in this book, as well as Azriel’s and Mor’s. Nesta’s and Cassian’s dynamic was so on point because it taught me something new about these characters that felt organic and natural. THAT, kids, is what we call character development. I’ve simply given up on Rhys because he is the definition of predictable and boring. He went from this mysterious what-is-his-deal person in book 1 to this 1000% fluffy bunny who can do no wrong ever. I can’t even call it lack of character development because there is literally no character to work with here here. But overall, I’m not complaining. If I read this book for a reason, it was to see where these characters were going and what they were going to do.

What I wanted, however, was world building and a non-boring plot, and this book most certainly did not deliver. It’s been three books and I literally know nothing about the cultures of any of the seven courts. And no, don’t point out that the book contained descriptions of their palaces and clothes and food and whatnot. That's what we call telling, not showing. The courts are at war against Hybern during pretty much the whole book and we don’t see the effects of war anywhere except during glossed over discussions. Cassian is the general of the Illyrian legions but do we get to see how he commands his armies? Nope. Do we get to see how Azriel operates his network of spies? Nope. Do we get to see how Mor operates and runs Velaris? Nope. Do we get to see Amren actually displaying how powerful and and skilled she is at battle? Nope. Do we get scenes of Rhys when he meets with his governors, addresses his armies as they prepare for battle? Nope. (I mean, why do that when we can read about him going down on Feyre, right)? Do we get the perspective of civilians during the war? Nope.

See what I mean by this book being lazy? And that’s just the characters that have already been established in the first two books. The newer characters? Don’t even ask me what Jurian was doing because he wasn’t on their side and then he was and then he...wasn’t? We got nothing, nothing about his motivations, his character, his personal side of the story. Every time I tried to understand plot, my brain felt it was being poked with a thousand needles so like a normal person, I just stopped trying and went with it.

I don’t even know what to say about the complete shitshow that that ending was. It was like throwing a pot of tropes at the wall and checking to see what stuck. One second there’s a magic mirror, and a Weaver and a Carver and some other creatures who weren’t even spared an explanation in this book (did I mention there were 700 whole pages in this book btw), and the next second we’re confronted with actual characters: Miriam, Drakon, Vassa, Feyre’s dad who barely had ten lines of dialogue before they’re done. Talk about the mother of all deux ex machinas.

I'm on a roll here, so I think it’s worth talking about Sarah J Maas’ prose as well, which I’ve usually had praise for, even if I didn’t like her books. But it’s getting super repetitive and hyperbolic. No matter the severity of, say, an offensive remark thrown at Feyre (which btw is every other chapter), Rhys will respond with maximum righteous stone cold anger and night fury and whatever and I was just SO bored. It’s actually astounding and annoying all at once how little incidents occur all the time and the characters’ response to them remains the exact name. Besides that, the responses are even worded the same way. DEAR? GOD?

And finally, the romance. I’m not making this up, I actually fell asleep while reading about Feyre and Rhys ~making love. That’s how god awfully boring they’ve become. They were at their most interesting when Feyre, as High Lady, acted with the authority and surety of any other High Lord and gave no shits about anyone who had a problem with it, and when Rhys supported and encouraged her. But their relationship underwent zero changes over the course of the whole book. Chapter after chapter, I was fed scenes where they loved each other (quite vigorously, I might add), caressed each other, bantered with each other, and engaged in PDA that was so intense that all the grown adults in the room had to avert their eyes. There is zero struggle in their relationship. No arguments, no growth, nothing. It’s just glowing sex from start to finish.

Did I mention this book was 700 pages long?

(I’m just going to very casually pretend that Amren and Varian never happened because LOL WTF?? As for Elain and Lucien, they are a Titanic-level unship. That’s all.)

I’d like to end with the three things that royally pissed me off the most. More than usual, I mean.

The first is Rhys dying-but-not-really. Listen, I would like to kill this trope with the fucking Cauldron. I’m so mad that this happened, and that he was brought back to life so easily and nonsensically. We are given literally zero explanation as to how he came back to life unless you count MAGIC KERNELS OF LIGHT.

The second is everything Amren-related. I’d grown really fond of Amren in ACOMAF, and while I saw her as part of the ~squad, I respected that she was different from them and had her own goals. I definitely expected her to just do her own thing, even if that meant leaving the group. I really, really hoped that her arc would end in her going home, and the squad helping her get there. But nooope, instead we get High Fae Amren! Gah.

The third is Tamlin. Everything, just everything about him. 90% of the time, I had literally no idea where Tamlin was at, what he was thinking, what his motivations were. That wouldn’t be such a problem, if he wasn’t so freaking integral to the plot. A huge part of ACOMAF was about Feyre dealing with the way Tamlin treated her and nowhere in this gargantuan book is there a follow up to that arc. Like, it just stopped being a problem and went away? There were SO many opportunities for Feyre to face Tamlin (as High Lady), call him out on his behaviour, for a real conversation about what happened, and they were all missed.

I’m a little mad at myself for even reading the whole book, but at the end of the day, it’s about readability, and this book has it and I sure as hell did enjoy myself.

I'm officially back + Book Haul

2017-04-07T20:02:00.002-04:00

So happy to be back!

Review: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

2016-10-05T11:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Crooked Kingdom
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Publication Date: September 27th, 2016
Genre(s): Young Adult, High Fantasy
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 561
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Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.

This review has very mild spoilers.

With Crooked Kingdom, I somehow experienced the full spectrum of human emotion and loved every wretched second of it. I don't want to analyze this book, I just want to talk about how perfect it is. This book is perfect in every way that I can think of. It's a book me that makes me stop thinking about what's happening and makes me live the story. I was so disappointed with Ruin and Rising that I feared that Crooked Kingdom would finish the way Ruin and Rising did, like a spluttering flame that someone stomps out.

But in Crooked Kingdom, Bardugo has woven some otherwordly magic, a plot that is relentless and seamless, prose that makes you want to stop and go over every word you read so you don't miss anything, a world that is detailed, diverse, and multicultural, so real and believable that I only want to see more of it, and a band of characters that are vibrant, complex, flawed and brought me to my knees.

While the plot of the book is a lot of fun, super gritty with all the fighting and badassery and perfect in every way I can think of, (the loudest of shoutouts to Inej and Nina, literally the bravest characters I know), the real winner here was the characterization. It seriously blows my mind how Bardugo packs so much character detail and backstory in two books involving SIX characters and multiple POVs. I ended the book completely in love with all of them. Like I said in my review of Crooked Kingdom, there are three, three glorious ships and STUFF happened in all of them.

Wylan and Jesper are quite literally the CUTEST. Jesper's dad showing up was a surprising...surprise (wow I really how know I review a book) and I loved watching him interact with Jesper and Wylan and support them. How often do you see supportive parental figures in a high fantasy seriously? Wylan was so freaking relatable. An underdog, but a quiet, loyal, hardcore Hufflepuff who always came through for Jesper and supported him exactly in the way that he needed to be supported. I also liked how we get to learn a lot of Jesper's and Wylan's childhoods and about Zemeni culture. Like I said, not only do all the characters have detailed character arcs in the book, there is a lot of backstory involved as well. Obligatory HOW-did-you-accomplish-this-Bardugo-HOW.

A lot of people didn't warm to Matthias as well, but his arc was very important to me. Matthias was
all about reconsidering his Fjerdan ways and culture and trying to reconcile them with what he was
experiencing in Ketterdam and his feelings for Nina, and watching him overcome his prejudice and
reading the resolution of his arc absolutely destroyed me. In a very Froi-like manner, I loved how
he started off as resolutely believing what he had learnt about the Grisha from the Fjerdans and how
he learnt to unlearn all of that. To me, his arc meant that those people can change and learn and are absolutely worth saving and rooting for.

I don't....know how to talk about Inej and Kaz without melting into NOTHINGNESS. Inej Ghafa is made of some otherworldly magic and grit and bravery. I am in awe, I have no words, and I feel like anything I say about her will not do her justice. I have quite literally never read any character like her, made of quiet courage and will one hundred percent. Her family is present in her mind all the time, and she both longs to see them and wonders what they would think of the person she is now. Both Inej and Kaz have been affected by Ketterdam, Inej because of the time she spent indentured to Tante Heleen and Kaz, because of how he was scammed by Rollins, and the way they deal with that pain is in sharp contrast. They are definitely the most fleshed out and well developed of the gang, fighting to recover from their past and they deal with it in very different ways. Where Inej is quiet, fierce hope, Kaz is relentless and fixated on his goal of destroying Rollins and afraid of what lies after.

I really wanted this book to have more kissing. But I'm even happier that Bardugo refused to indulge me. This book is a shining example of how an author really, really listens to her characters lets them find their own way to each other. It would have been super unrealistic for Kaz to overcome his apprehensions of starting a real physical relationship in such a short span of time, or for Kaz and Inej to spend the book dwelling on each other for ages since they were literally running and fighting and scheming for their lives every other chapter. Yes, there was progress, and I'm very happy that the book ended in the hopeful way that it did, without resolving in either of them kissing because I would not have bought that.

IN CONCLUSION, I could talk about every page and chapter of this book for hours. The prose is so quotable, the world is so intricate and the character development is off the charts. There is so much I know I haven't talked about. This review is a very inadequate description of my feelings. My heart is SO full. Of awe, of wonder. I can't believe that books like this exist, books with worlds and cultures and characters that make me feel so, so damn much. Bardugo is a genius and that is fact. I can't wait to see what comes up next.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapeña - Another mystery thriller

2016-10-01T12:55:00.002-04:00

Title: The Couple Next Door

Author: Shari Lapena

Publisher: Random House Canada

Publication date: August 23, 2016

Genre(s): Adult Mystery/thriller

Source: Publisher

Pages: 320

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How well do you know the couple next door? Or your husband? Or even—yourself?

People are capable of almost anything. . .
Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all—a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years.

The Couple Next Door starts off with a harmless get together between neighbours. However, the next thing we know, Anne and Marco's baby is kidnapped. The spotlight is put on the parents and their suspicious behaviour and past.. this leaves the readers confused and not being able to trust the narration.. my favourite thing when it comes to mystery novels: unreliable narrators.

As the novel continued, the couple's not so perfect life and selves started to unravel.. I had my suspicions on who the kidnapper was and I was right... I feel when I guess the criminal too soon.. it gets boring to me.. especially when the reason behind the kidnapping was a bit.... anti climatic? however the author did have another twist in the end.. but I personally thought it was a bit too.... unrealistic? it just seemed the more I read.. the more the author seemed to through twist after twist at us just so no reader would have really predicted the ending? it seemed like that to me and that is why I would have rated the first half of the book 4 stars.. but the second half was really not satisfactory.

I must say I really liked the addition of the detective's POV.. it brought outside insight into the situation, especially when we couldn't trust the narrators and wanted another opinion to this mystery. I have to say, I had some expectations from this book especially when I was a quarter of the way in.. and they weren't met, but it was still an overall enjoyable read, just not up to part with some other mystery novels I have read recently.

Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

2016-09-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Title: The Unexpected Everything
Author: Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2016
Genre(s): Young Adult
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 519
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Andie had it all planned out.
When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).
But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.

Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected.
And where’s the fun in that?

Having previously read most of (truth be told, all except for one) Morgan Matson book, I knew I had to pick this one up when I saw it laying on my sister's table. I can happily say I'm a big fan of Matson's books, and they have successfully never failed to disappoint me. Its summer, and I think it was perfect for me to pick a book for this season. Andie, the main character of this book, was an interesting character who we could inevitably see grow and develop from the start to the end of the story. To start with, her summer was going to be a great experience for her as she got the chance to intern at the place she's always wanted. She has a group of friends that any person could wish for, and her love relationship seems to be relaxed with no strings attached. Everything is exactly as how Andie wants it to be, and she's happy with the direction her life is taking.

Here's the twist, something happens that results in Andie's so called perfect plans to be changed. The story grows from here on. Andie has to adjust to the current situation, and tries to make the best of it. Personally for me, the story was interesting, chill, but not so much a page turner. At some point I felt like a few parts were prolonged unnecessarily, and it would have been better off reduced. The middle of the book was the slowest for me, but I was glad it started to pick up its pace again with more drama and unexpected events towards the end of the book.

Overall, I wouldn't say this was my favourite Morgan Matson book by far. I don't think it was very memorable. Just a book that was enjoyable during the time, and then to be forgotten later on. If you're looking for a chill book to read on a summer day, I would recommend The Unexpected Everything.

Review: Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas

2016-09-16T13:42:00.000-04:00

Title: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: September 6th, 2016

Genre(s): High fantasy, Young Adult

Source: Bought

Pages: 693

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The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

It's been nine days since Empire of Storms came out and eight days since I tore through that 700 page monstrosity and finished it in one sitting. My instinct was to rate this book five stars. When I finished, my heart was so, so full. Full of love for these characters and where this story has taken them. But I've more or less calmed down now to be a little more objective than I was then.

There are many more POVs in Empire of Storms (though one is quite notably absent), and I think at this point of the war against Perrington, it's incredibly important. Early on, in EoS, it is established that Aelin cannot do this on her own, that she needs allies. EoS is all about securing those allies, moving them into place like pieces on a chessboard, for the final showdown.

I love how Sarah's books have a wealth of female characters, all strong in their diverse way. Lysandra, Elide and Manon, in particular, were three characters that got a lot more page time than in previous book and I loved every last second of it.

Hands down, my favourite part of the book was Manon and her development. In Heir of Fire, she was someone who gave zero shits about anyone but her Thirteen. Watching her retain her integrity and ferocity, while still change and set herself apart from the witches in EoS was amazing. I need more Celaena and Manon scenes now until the end of time. There were scenes between Manon and Aelin that I had been waiting for ever since I knew Manon and I am SO glad Sarah delivered.

Lysandraaaaaaaa. My heart hurt for her so much. All her love for her squad shows in the way she is the first to fight for them, never questioning, never asking for praise. It's so hard for her to say the words, to openly express affection for her friends or a certain Fae who MAY OR MAY NOT be in stupid love with her, but her actions scream her feelings out loud. There is a scene involving a sea dragon that had me D E A D. There is no one more loyal to Aelin (except possibly Rowan) than Lysandra and I love her heart, her soul, her fire for how unequivocal her love is.

Elide played a more central role this book. Elide is set apart from the other books in that she is very....human, and doesn't have the physical strength that the others do? Aelin is Fae, Manon is a witch, Lysandra is a shapeshifter. But Elide comes from a history of being caged and crippled, and her strength is very much self-driven. And without spoiling anything CAN I JUST SAY SHE HAS A SHIP THAT IS QUITE POSSIBLY MY FAVOURITE SHIP OF THE SERIES. Just. Omg. I am a sucker for hate-to-love, but I also have an incredibly high bar for it; it's really hard to do well in my opinion, but this ship hit all the right buttons and checked all the boxes off when it comes to a hate-to-love that you can't help but desperately root for with all your rutting heart.

Need. Fanart. Now. Please. I am not the artistic one in the fandom I just read the books and scream over ~scenes~.

SO MANY FEELINGS YOU PEOPLE.

This book had an abundance of the Fae males: Lorcan, Rowan, and a couple of others whose names I will not reveal because spoilers. Rowan, in particular came into his own. I liked that he had more of his own role in the book. I don't particularly think he's a stunning character, sorry. I enjoyed the inclusion of the new Fae in the plot. Like I said, this book is very much about characters figuring out allegiances, and there were defnitely some warm squad moments. Don't you love it when a group of people with different agendas are THROWN together and along the way and over journeys they fight for each other and become a FAMILY and SQUAD and

I need a moment.

But this is sort of where my objective book-blogger-reviewing brain will talk about things I didn't like. I'm reaaaaal sick of the hot-muscular-testosterone-fuelled-possessive-territorial Fae trope. It is not appealing, especially when Fae after Fae is like that. It is antiquated and yuck and pls no. Yeah, there were some personality differences between the Fae characters, but they were definitely the least fleshed out characters of the book. In this vein, I am slowly beginning to get a little queasy when it comes to SJM romance. She does the build up very well (see: Elide x Lorcan), but when it comes down to it, the sex is all fire and ash and magic and what not, and just....happening and I don't get why because um, why are they so horny when they're fighting for their lives?? There was also a Manon romance that I seriously questioned. Wtf you do not have to pair each and every main character in a book with someone. There were definitely parts of the book had that me rolling my eyes. I've noticed this shift in SJM's romance writing style post-Heir of Fire (around when she published ACOTAR).

I also think the complete exclusion of Chaol from the book was a mistake. I'm sure he'll return in the final installment, but the absence of his story was very glaring, and probably my biggest problem with the book. He isn't my favourite character by a long shot, but phasing him out was not natural and I'm sort of baffled at how he's barely mentioned in the book.

And finally, the ending of the book was one complete cliché. Yes, Aelin was the "lock", WHAT a surprise. Actually, it was a surprise, because I can't believe that this stereotype is being milked even now. Ruin and Rising, anyone? I am so over this unoriginal shit. -1 star for you.

My love for this book was very character based. The actions that they took, their motivations, the way the book ended had me on the edge of my seat because I was terrified for these people that had come together in the strangest of ways, that were willing to do whatever it took to make it out alive. But there were some pretty questionable plot decisions being made and I cannot believe that I am saying this, but the romance was my least favourite part of the book, overall. Le sigh.

Still. I cannot believe I have to wait a whole year for the next book.

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

2016-09-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: September 18th, 2012
Genre(s): Paranormal
Source: Bought
Pages: 408
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Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

The Raven Boys brought with it a ton of hype, and many, many expectations. I bought my copy several years ago and have made more many attempts to start and finish it than I care to admit. I’ve seen so many people love it, analyze it, re-read it and wait for its sequels that many years ago, I made up my mind to also do that and join the movement.

I have never wanted to love a book as much as I have wanted to love The Raven Boys.

Reviews of the book warned me that this book would be slow and dreamy. I think I have never been ready for a book that was slow and dreamy. If I wanted slow, I'd go for a fantasy. If I wanted dreamy, I'd go for a contemporary. The Raven Boys is something else altogether, something I have quite yet not been able to identify with or understand, and recognize and get used to the flow of, hence all my failed attempts at finishing the book. If I had to pick a genre, it veered a little too close to magical realism for me, a genre I intensely dislike.

But here we are. I have completed the book, and it only took me a couple of days. Admittedly, not a one-sit read, but this is someone who thought she’d never get past chapter five.

Stiefvater’s prose is stunning. She is cemented up there with Zusak, with Austen and Montgomery and Orwell as one of my favourite writers. I had an inkling of this, since I follow her on Tumblr, and even the answers to the questions she gets are a delight to read. She has a way with words, a way of spinning up a careful, gentle, atmosphere where you just know that you are on the brink of something wonderful and beautiful. That’s how I felt the whole time I read the book. That’s what kept me going. The dialogue got very frustrating at points though, when I felt like characters were being deliberately mysterious for plot reasons. I dearly hope this won’t continue.

Henrietta, where our characters live, doesn’t seem to exist in our time, or anytime. It is home to Blue, the protagonist, and the titular Raven Boys. Gansey. Ronan. Adam. Noah. I fell in love with the boys almost immediately--Ronan and Adam especially. I wish Ronan had been explored in greater detail (though I am told that the sequel does precisely this which makes me happy). Adam’s and Gansey’s dynamic is, I suppose the main relationship that is focussed on. Gansey’s hero complex sort of annoyed me occasionally, as did Noah’s weirdness (though that is explained later). My largest struggle was understanding why Gansey wanted to find Glendower. We are given a weak explanation eventually, but that did not satisfy me. This was problematic, because, well, that’s largely what the book is about. I did not get why he was no invested in Glendower, nor why all the other boys were okay with putting their lives on hold for this quest.

Blue is deliberately quirky and refreshingly honest. I enjoyed how sensible and indignant she was and her dynamic with Adam and Gansey was very interesting. I vaguely know where this is headed because furtive Tumblr spoilers but I’m definitely looking forward to watching them continue to interact in the sequel. She has spiky hair and a spiky personality and I simply want to follow her into any book.

The Raven Boys is very much a character driven novel. There is a slow, sluggish plot and beautiful, atmospheric writing . But undoubtedly the focus of this novel, the characters are complex and layered and wondrous and you just know, by reading this book, that there is so much left to explore in every relationship. That we are just getting started.

Review: These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

2016-08-31T12:00:00.000-04:00

Title: These Vicious Masks
Author: Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publication Date: February 9th, 2016
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Source: Library
Pages: 298
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England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.

I enjoyed this book very much. Evelyn's voice instantly won me over. She was quick, witty and had zero patience for the frivolities of the society her mother relentlessly forced on to her--which, yeah isn't the most indicative of the time period but who even cares, sign me up for fearless ladies in 19th century.

What I liked about These Vicious Masks was more the genre and general plot of the book than what actually happened. Paranormal historical fiction is a trend I definitely want more from. I didn't care enough for Rose. I couldn't connect to her enough at the start of the book, and then she's whisked away and I spent the better part of the book really struggling to feel anything more than bored, forced concern for her. I'm getting super tired of the angelic can-do-no-wrong sister who is set out to be rescued. Bleh.

(I've only just realized that even when I actually enjoy a book, any review I write inevitably starts off with me griping about all the things I disliked. Oh well.)

Evelyn was my favourite character of the book, closely followed by Camille (can we PLEASE have more of her in Book #2?). It's not just that she was witty, snappy and paid no heed to the dreadfully leery Mrs. Kent, but was incredibly kind and compassionate and never lost sight of what she set out to do. AND the way she banters around with Nicholas omg. This book is banter done quick, witty, and full of infuriatingly perfect sexual tension. Banter done right, in other ways. There is a love triangle, a very obvious one, and I actually didn't mind one bit. I didn't quite take to Kent as much as I did Nicholas, but I'm SO glad there's no obvious winner where one of the love interests is a boring flake. I'm team Sebastian all the way though because THAT ALCOVE KISS AND THAT FOREHEAD KISS ASDF

The weakest part of the book for me were the dreams Evelyn just happened to have so that the plot can move forward. Cheap plot devices feel pretty insulting to me because I feel like I'm supposed to go with it, when actually um NO? I will not roll with this dream that Evelyn had from some governess that we didn't even know existed until now. This is cheating. I want complexity and intricacy and more of a STORY than oh hello reader meet my governess who *info dump*

The plot moves along quickly and wonderfully, and I was pleased to see how action packed it was. I was actually so invested in the action that I didn't get annoyed by the stuff I talked about until I actually thought about it right now. The ending was SO good--I never thought the authors would go there but holy shit.

Definitely looking forward to book two, but the plot wasn't memorable enough (until the end), so whether I read it depends on what I remember.

Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

2016-08-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Six of Crows
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Publication Date: September 29th, 2015
Genre(s): Fantasy, Young Adult
Source: bought
Pages: 465
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Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

When I think of how long I waited to read the absolute gem that was Six of Crows, I want to go back
in time and rattle my poor, misguided self.

I had major reservations for the first leg of this duology. Although I loved Shadow and Bone and
Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising left me frustrated and disappointed that a trilogy with so much
potential had an anticlimactic and poor ending. In Six of Crows, Bardugo has outdone herself in every way possible. This book blows Siege and Storm (my favourite book of the Grisha trilogy) of the water. It ups the game in every way--its prose, worldbuilding, plot and the characters. I finished the book exhilarated, excited and wanting more. I cannot wait to follow these characters into Crooked Kingdom.

I’m glad Bardugo reached beyond Ravka and delved into Fjerda and Kersch. I simply loved how the
cultural differences between the Ravkans, Fjerdans, Kerch and Shu were explored. These, along with
the corruption that Ketterdam thrives on, the social and racial injustices that pervade the societies that the characters live in are what drove the plot forward. The book is written in third person with alternating POVs, which is my favourite but also incredibly hard to get right, especially if you have six main POVs and a couple of other ones.

The beginning of the book was a little slow and felt jarring. I actually tried to read the book and gave up around five times over the past year because I couldn’t get past the first chapter. Bardugo’s books don’t start easy and gently, the reader is pretty much dumped into the thick of things and the details are quietly, gently explained or left up for us to infer, and as much as I struggle with it, I came to love it. Once the whole cast was introduced though, I couldn’t. stop. reading.

The book features a crew of six--a raggedy, desperate, worn out, reckless, BEAUTIFUL crew of six, each with their own motives and agenda, each with their own wealth of a backstory that I couldn’t help but root for with all my pounding heart. They’re spies and thieves, sharp shooters and hunters, people that like to see things go boom, apologize for nothing, and willing to do what it takes to survive. I love how their history affected their arc and how eventually I could learn to find shreds of humanity in them. The centre of the book was HEIST a la Ocean’s Eleven jam packed with action, suspense, thrill, TWISTS AND TURNS and surprise revelations and delightful BANTER that made my heart jump to my throat and sink to my stomach and pound and perform all sorts of acrobatics as I watched and prayed and hoped that they’d make it out alive.

Six of Crows would be nothing without the writing and style of storytelling. Every other chapter, something goes wrong, a hidden secret is revealed and there I was left gasping and reeling and actually walking around my apartment trying to gather the nerve to just read ahead. The writing was so, so beautiful. I distinctly remember some scenes when everything was happening so fast, yet Bardugo slowed everything down to a point when I was just staring wide eyed, wondering at what just happened and what would happen next.

ON TO THE SHIPS. THE SHIPS. THERE ARE SO MANY SHIPS. It is such shippy shippy delight, this whole book it. There are THREE ships (and then a couple of actual ships) and each one was sheer perfection. I loved how realistic and honest they were. I often feel like shippy events occur at the cost of plot action, or worse, to drive the plot forward and that leaves me with a bad aftertaste. It is hard to balance an action packed plot such as this one with moments that flesh out the feelings that characters have for each other, but it was done very masterfully and naturally.

Brb watching Ocean’s Eleven and preordering Crooked Kingdom and marvelling over the gritty, dark, intricate, beautiful mess that Six of Crows was.

Burn by Paula Weston - End of an epic paranormal series

2016-06-13T17:55:00.000-04:00

Title: Burn (The Rephaim, #4)

Author: Paula Weston

Publisher: Random House Canada

Publication date: March 8th, 2016

Genre(s): YA/NA, Fantasy/Paranormal

Source: Publisher

Pages: 448

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Suddenly, Gaby remembers everything.

For a year she believed she was a backpacker chilling out in Pandanus Beach. Working at the library. Getting over the accident that killed her twin brother. Then Rafa came to find her and Gaby discovered her true identity as Gabe: one of the Rephaim. Over a hundred years old. Half angel, half human, all demon-smiting badass—and hopelessly attracted to the infuriating Rafa.

Now she knows who faked her memories, and how—and why it’s all hurtling towards a massive showdown between the forces of heaven and hell. More importantly, she remembers why she’s spent the last ten years wanting to seriously hurt Rafa.

The build up to this final book was amazing. If I could have binge read this series, I would have. This is coming from someone who rarely likes to binge read. Shimmer left off at the worst possible cliffhanger. The main protagonist, Gaby, finally remembers. All her lost memory comes back and we see how this has affected her but we don't know what are those memories. Then BAM, the book ends. So to say I was impatient to get Burn is an understatement. The beginning of Burn takes us down memory lane, we go back to when all the Rephaim were still together and Gaby was friends with Rafa and had her brother by her side. However things go very wrong (or good? depends on how you see it) and then Gaby is separated from her brother, and her relationship with Rafa got dramatically severed. Gaby finally remembers what caused this rift, the reason she went ten years without speaking to her brother.

I loved the buildup, the reveal, the trip down memory lane.. but what I was slightly dissatisfied with is what that big reveal was... it felt a bit anti climatic in the sense that I didn't understand how it could have such a severe effect on everyone. However, bypassing my dissatisfaction, I loved the past chapters, and I grew to understand the old Gaby as well as appreciate Gaby's character. The big showdown with the angels was interesting, but it happened all the way at the end of the book that I felt I wasn't as invested anymore. Granted, the whole book and character relationship and friendship dynamic was very likeable, I just didn't enjoy the showdown as much. However, Paula Weston really knows how to hook the readers and even if I wasn't as excited, I needed to find out what happened and how everything will be resolved. I have to say, I am going to miss Gabe, the Rephaim world, and Rafa. It was a fantastic four book series that I will be recommended to any person interested in a paranormal book series.

Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

2016-05-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2016
Genre(s): New Adult, High Fantasy, Retelling
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 640
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Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Fair warning, this review has all the spoilers because I tried super hard to write one without discussing SPOILER and SPOILER and how SPOILER DID SPOILER and…you can see how that turned out.

I'm so conflicted and tumultous. It’s been three days since I finished ACOMAF but I realised today my chaotic, weird feelings about this book aren’t dying anytime soon. WHAT WAS THAT BOOK EVEN. I am feeling WAY too many things right now and I want to explore each one of them in greater detail.

I gave ACOTAR 4 stars when I first read it, 3 stars when I wrote my review, and it sagged very much in my opinion even after that. At the time I started ACOMAF, I fully expected to hate it as much as I hated ACOTAR and only read on because I thought Sarah would surprise me...which she did.

In ACOTAR, Tamlin was an asshole. The minute he denied Feyre her cake, I had my defenses up. But his spinelessness in the last third of the book was really what sealed the deal for me, and I wondered how any of what Tamlin did could even remotely be construed as romantic. Some part of me wonders if Sarah J Maas allowed this Feyre-Tamlin mess to go on for as long as it did to fully allow the readers to appreciate (in retrospect) what a tangled, tragic, abusive mess that was. Some twisted parts of me revels in the way Tamlin wasn’t painted as Bad Guy Number 1 from the beginning. Hell, he was the hero in this BatB retelling, what could he ever do wrong. But as Maas continued to distance herself from the fairy tale that loosely inspired ACOTAR in ACOMAF, it became very apparent that Tamlin was anything but Feyre’s saviour.

There are very obvious parallels to Feyre’s relationship with Rhysand, who thank god gets wayyy more face time than Tamlin. I am not going to lie, Sarah J Maas does unresolved tension and banter like no one else and I’d be flat out lying if that wasn’t a huge reason why I kept reading because I had to see that tension resolved goddammit. But now that I’ve, um calmed down, I’m just going to say it: the romance wasn’t….ideal. I appreciate Maas fleshing out Tamlin's assholery and effectively showing his possessive alpha male territorial crap for what it was exactly. It was a nuanced, subtle thing, and I love that so much of the book was devoted to exploring that. I even concede that there needed to be this level of emphasis on romance for this to be fully realized. There are so many Rhys/Tamlin parallels and many painful scenes where Feyre realizes how broken her relationship with Tamlin was, that drives this concept completely home, and I'm very glad that a book about Fae, the genre oft used to romanticize obviously pretty unbalanced and/or borderline abusive relationships depicts this.

BUT. The Rhys/Feyre romance was still not ideal. Not telling Feyre about her bond, SO NOT COOL BRO. Making her read stuff like "Rhys is the best lover you've ever had" or "Rhysand is the most delightful High Lord" was creepy and not even remotely funny let alone romantic to me. Besides this, there was some freaky S Meyer shit going down there which I was 100% not on board with? Why is “mating” a thing? Why is the idea of one perfect mate touted again and again in fae stories? Elain becoming fae and then Lucien proclaiming her to be his mate? Whyyyyyy? I am so upset that is a thing that happened and will likely be a large plot point in book 3, we need to stop romanticizing this crap like 10 years ago? Also we get it, Rhys and Feyre are madly in love but why does the stupid mating bond have to make them compulsively bang each other? Why this trope didn't just die with Breaking Dawn is beyond me. Dont? You? Realize? That 324 sex scenes? Makes it get real old? Real fast?

I know it sounds like I hated a lot of the book, but honestly I’m surprised the book didn’t explode in my hands, so chock-full of clichés that it was. Pointless secrets used as plot devices, convenient “festivals” for the mushy conversations and almost-make out scenes, weird monster names, this book literally had it all.

The pacing of this book was pretty meh too. This book should have been two books. We were robbed of so much action and intrigue and mystery solving for character development (which I'm not saying isn't important), but the book was a LOT of conversations and recovery and backstory-telling and then like ONE page of action, rinse, repeat. As much as I enjoyed the character development, thr half baked action seriously affected my liking of the book. A lot of the actiony parts were either too "easy" or rushed and details were left out and that made me very grumpy. I’d have loved to see how Az dealt with the mortal queens, I’d have liked some more struggle with the mortal queens or the Bone Carver, I’d have liked to watch Amren work with the book. I’m all for books that are more about character growth than action (Heir of Fire), but if you’re going to do the action, I need it whole-assed, not half-assed.

But okay, okay, okay, I didn’t hate the book, really. I did enjoy myself for some parts of it. Sarah J Maas does world building, prose, and banter like literally no one else that I know and watching her expand her universe beyond the Spring Court into Velaris, Adriatia, and the Summer Court was so much fun. The world in ACOMAF becomes much more layered and complex and the backstory that she dedicated, especially to the secondary characters was incredibly layered and rich in detail.

That squad kept me together through this book and I will be you anything, Maas wrote those scenes to scenes of Bellamy and co. in the rover, ha. Morrigan is possibly my favorite character of the book. We get to see more of Nesta! Prickly, steely, strong, wonderful Nesta will have a decidedly larger role to play in book 3 and I’m suppper excited to watch her come into her own. Amren is like….Manon’s soul sister. There is no other way to put it. She is cold and vicious, but there’s a lot of sorrow in her actions and character that I bet Maas is keeping from us for good reason. Secondary characters, best characters, basically. I suppose I should also mention Rhys. I was very surprised with the turn his character took this book. I knew he was probably intended as Feyre’s love interest but his internal growth and change was a lot of fun to watch. I wish this book was written in third person though, because I feel like I really only know him through Feyre’s eyes. I hope we get a Rhys POV next book.

The book ended with the biggest of cliffhangers and everything was a mess including us, as Sarah dropped the mic and walked away and I’m just wondering what I will do without my Illyrian warriors and Nesta until freaking 2017. If you hated ACOTAR or dnf’d it (and then read this sort of spoilery review, ha), I definitely encourage you to power through that crap to ACOMAF.

I cannot wait to see how my squad kills it in book 3.

Review: Dear Thing by Julie Cohen

2016-05-14T17:45:00.000-04:00

Title: Dear Thing

Author: Julie Cohen

Publisher: Raincoast Canada

Publication date: March 29, 2016

Genre(s): Adult contemporary

Source: Publisher

Pages: 432

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After years of watching her best friends Ben and Claire try for a baby, Romily has offered to give them the one thing that they want most.

Romily expects it will be easy to be a surrogate. She's already a single mother, and she has no desire for any more children. But Romily isn't prepared for the overwhelming feelings that have taken hold of her and which threaten to ruin her friendship with Ben and Claire-and even destroy their marriage.

Now there are three friends, two mothers and only one baby, and an impossible decision to make...

Dear Thing was a recipe for drama and I was very excited to start reading it. My only concern was that there would be cheating involved which is something I can't stomach in my books but I needn't have worried. Romily and Ben have been best friends for years.. Ben is married to Claire while Romily has a seven year old kid, and is in love with Ben. Yikes indeed. What's even more messy is that Romily offered to be the surrogate for the couple because Claire can't get pregnant. Recipe for drama? check.

The general story sounded very interesting however the execution was a bit lacking for me. The story dragged on and it felt that the story could be congested in 200 pages or so. I felt several times the plot was dragging and I would skim through paragraphs of descriptions on repeated thought processes. However the plot was very heartfelt, and it really showed the struggle of both Claire, who viewed herself as a failure for not being able to get pregnant, and Romily, who seems to get into this surrogacy for all the wrong reasons. I feel the slow developing friendship between both women was very important and gave us insight on how each viewed the other and also the prejudices accompanying that judgement and how they were able to finally understand each other.

This is definitely not a romance book. It is more about relationships.. between friends, strangers, long lost fathers, misunderstood people, mothers, and daughters. I liked that all the characters were flawed and also they also tried their best to become better versions of themselves. Humans are messy, and this book shows us that in a very realistic way (even if the suggestion of surrogacy by Romily was highly unrealistic). I would recommend it to adult fiction fans who like a little drama and realistic plot lines in their stories.

Review: Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

2016-04-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Eligible

Author: Curtis Littenfeld

Publisher: Random House Canada

Publication date: April 19, 2016

Genre(s): Adult contemporary

Source: Publisher

Pages: 512

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This version of the Bennet family—and Mr. Darcy—is one that you have and haven’t met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help—and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray.

Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and Paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master’s degree and barely leaves her room, except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won’t discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane’s fortieth birthday fast approaches.

Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip’s friend neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming. . . . And yet, first impressions can be deceiving. Wonderfully tender and hilariously funny, Eligible both honors and updates Austen’s beloved tale. Tackling gender, class, courtship, and family, Sittenfeld reaffirms herself as one of the most dazzling authors writing today.

I was very excited to read Eligible because I love anything Pride & Prejudice related. Knowing that this is a retelling, one that is anticipated by many of my reader friends, had me pick it up as soon as I received it in the mail. I have to say that I was hooked immediately, however, this is a 500+ page book... and halfway through the book... the momentum seemed to have fizzled? so while I truly loved the first half of the book, the second half somewhat disappointed.

What I liked about Eligible is that the author tried to make this story as much hers as it is Jane Austen's. I have abandoned many P&P retellings because it seemed just that... the story being retold.. with not much personal input from the author. However, Curtis was able to do that. For one, Liz and Jane are both 38 and 40 years old. Many times I would try to remember which part of this plot it is in relation to the original, which showed me how the author owned this retelling.

Unfortunately halfway through the novel... I felt I was back to reading a parody of P&P... I felt (personally) that the author lost sight and tried to make it as unique as possible to the point that some scenes felt contrived? or made to be too different from the original to the point that the decisions and paths made didn't make much sense.. however the author has to follow the direction of the original work. A very thin space is between being too much like a P&P retelling, and being too different to not make it look like one. Some decisions some characters made were not in character but they had to be made to stick to the storyline. It was a tad disappointing.

I liked Liz however she was very easily pushed around by her family. She paid for things, listened to her annoying mother complain even though it is her mother's fault they are in that exact situation.. let her younger sisters talk crap about her to her face..... that was very grating on my nerves. However I got she was trying to be the mature one here. Lastly, the romance... I wasn't a fan of? it wasn't developed well... seemed out of the blue how they both liked each other... I was waiting for that signature P&P tension between Liz and Darcy but I didn't see it.

I know I had complaints about the book.. but I truly did enjoy it. If I had to rate it, I would give the first half 4 stars while the second half 2 stars. I would recommend it to fans of P&P retellings if any that i've said doesn't bother you too much.. I know it didn't bother me all that much since I was able to finish the book by the end.

Three Scoops of Summer: The Last Boy and Girl in the World's author, Siobhan Vivian, guest post

2016-04-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

Yes, summer is finally here! (at least in some parts of the world), and with it comes the Three Scoops of Summer blog tour hosted by Simon & Schuster Canada! In this tour, many canadian bloggers will be bringing you author written pieces, reviews, and fun posts for: The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian, The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson, and The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder!

Today, the tour will kick off with a written piece by Siobhan Vivian, the author of The Last Boy and Girl in the World here at Maji Bookshelf!

Title: The Last Boy and Girl in the World

Author: Siobhan Vivian

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada

Publication date: April 26, 2016

Genre(s): YA (Contemporary)

Pages: 432

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What if your town was sliding underwater and everyone was ordered to pack up and leave? How would you and your friends spend your last days together?

While the adults plan for the future, box up their possessions, and find new places to live, Keeley Hewitt and her friends decide to go out with a bang. There are parties in abandoned houses. Canoe races down Main Street. The goal is to make the most of every minute they still have together.

And for Keeley, that means taking one last shot at the boy she’s loved forever.

There’s a weird sort of bravery that comes from knowing there’s nothing left to lose. You might do things you normally wouldn’t. Or say things you shouldn’t. The reward almost always outweighs the risk. Almost.

It’s the end of Aberdeen, but the beginning of Keeley’s first love story. It just might not turn out the way she thought. Because it’s not always clear what’s worth fighting for and what you should let become a memory.

The Top 5 Things Siobhan Would Do If Her City Were Sinking

Here’s what I’d do if Pittsburgh were about to disappear under water, like the town of Aberdeen in my new book, THE LAST BOY AND GIRL IN THE WORLD.

A DAY OF LAST MEALS

I’d have to hit up my favorite restaurants for the last time. First stop would be iced coffee and a doughnut from the best local coffee shop, Tazza D’oro. For lunch, I’d chow down on a veggie burger (with grilled pineapple, avocado and jalapenos) from Burgatory. For dinner, I’d get thai fried chicken from Noodlehead. And dessert would have to be homemade ice cream from Millie’s.

TAKE A MILLION PHOTOS

I’d probably max out my phone memory snapping pics. When it comes to documenting a place, I don’t think you should worry about getting the perfect staged picture. It’s quantity over quality. Like, I don’t want to just remember the house I live in. I want to remember all the houses on the block, plus the way the stop sign is a little bit dented from someone shooting a BB gun.

FIND YOUR OWN ARCHELOGICAL RELICS

Photos aside, I’d want some sort of tangible memorabilia to take with me. Something that, long after Pittsburgh was gone, would prove that it was once was a thriving city. Maybe a street sign? Or a beautiful map?

HAVE AN ADVENTURE

If Pittsburgh were flooded, I’m sure I’d want to do something super crazy. Maybe I’d explore an empty building or museum. Or take a canoe and paddle it somewhere surreal, like the middle of a football field.

SAY GOODBYE

There’s nothing worse than getting robbed of the chance to tell someone how you really feel about them before they’re gone. I have a few friends in Pittsburgh mean the world to me, and I’d want to make sure they knew it before they left. It’s the perfect setting for a heart-on-your-sleeve, no-holding-back, here’s-everything-I-never-told-you conversation.

The inverse of that, of course, is coming clean about someone you don’t like. I have a neighbor who is a horrible, horrible man. I have to play polite with him, since we live next door to each other. But! If Pittsburgh were suddenly being evacuated, I would definitely go knock on his door and tell him exactly what I think about him!

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Review: OCDaniel by Wesley King

2016-04-16T11:00:00.000-04:00

Title: OCDaniel
Author: Wesley King
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: April 12th, 2016
Genre(s): Mental health, Middle grade, Childrens, Contemporary
Source: Publisher
Pages: 304
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From the author of Incredible Space Raiders from Space! comes a brand-new coming-of-age story about a boy whose life revolves around hiding his obsessive compulsive disorder—until he gets a mysterious note that changes everything.

Daniel is the back-up punter for the Erie Hills Elephants. Which really means he’s the water boy. He spends football practice perfectly arranging water cups—and hoping no one notices. Actually, he spends most of his time hoping no one notices his strange habits—he calls them Zaps: avoiding writing the number four, for example, or flipping a light switch on and off dozens of times over. He hopes no one notices that he’s crazy, especially his best friend Max, and Raya, the prettiest girl in school. His life gets weirder when another girl at school, who is unkindly nicknamed Psycho Sara, notices him for the first time. She doesn’t just notice him: she seems to peer through him.

Then Daniel gets a note: “I need your help,” it says, signed, Fellow Star child—whatever that means. And suddenly Daniel, a total no one at school, is swept up in a mystery that might change everything for him.

With great voice and grand adventure, this book is about feeling different and finding those who understand.

This is a book about OCD.

I want to establish this, because although the plot of the book had many other things going on with it, that is what the focus of the book was for me, and what I learnt about this condition was my primary takeaway.

I think the beauty of the book lay in how Daniel’s condition was woven into his life along with the problems and experiences that come with the middle school life. Will his best friend remain his best friend in high school? Will the prettiest girl in his class fall for him? Will his father be proud of him for his effort in the football team? Will he be angry if he quits? I say “woven”, because I was able to point out how his experiences were significantly altered by his OCD. That’s what I loved about the book--his OCD was a very real, very significant aspect of his life that wasn’t portrayed as insulated from the rest of his experiences.

I have, of course, heard the stories and experiences of people with OCD. But this book made me feel on an entirely new level, the desperation and fright, the helplessness and and compulsiveness that is associated with this disorder. My heart broke for Daniel’s confusion at his behaviour and the way he struggled to make sense of it. He soon develops a strong camaraderie with the resident crazy of his school, Sara, who seems to be the only person that is comfortable with his OCD.

When he realizes that Sara is just as normal as him, he is understandably jarred. Here was someone what everyone proclaimed weird and crazy, but all he saw was her strength and understanding, and how normal she turned out to be. That was a huge step in his character growth, because it taught him that people with mental health conditions are no different than those without. They are people, and they deserve as much love, care, and attention as the next person. They are not broken. They are not crazy. This acceptance was what eventually led to him coming to terms with his own OCD.

A lot of this book involves Daniel silently suffering alone with this disorder, initially because he doesn’t understand it, eventually because he’s ashamed of it, and later, because he feels like no one will understand. Daniel’s inability to understand it was because his parents or teachers never made him aware that such disorders exist. The shame he felt because of his disorder was because he wasn’t aware that other people have had similar experiences, and that he wasn’t alone. His feeling that no one would understand was because mental health was never discussed mental health openly and freely in his social circles. OCDaniel made me realize me all that, and more.

Middle grade needs more books like this. I’d love for this to be required reading for middle school kids. Kids learn about conditions like this too late, if at all. I highly recommend this book for an enlightening, touching, and eye-opening read about a young boy’s confusion, shame, denial, and eventual acceptance about his mental health.

Review: Regrets Only by M. J. Pullen

2016-04-13T13:48:00.002-04:00

Title: Regrets Only

Author: M. J. Pullen

Publisher: Raincoast Canada

Publication date: March 1, 2016

Genre(s): Adult contemporary

Source: Publisher

Pages: 336

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At thirty-three, Suzanne Hamilton has no regrets. A successful event planner with a swanky condo in a hot Atlanta neighborhood, she’s got a close group of friends and a list of men a mile long who would happily bend over backwards to win her heart. Plus, she’s just landed the event that will take her career to the next level.

Then a freak accident changes everything. Humiliated, with her career in tatters, Suzanne’s lost her business not to mention her self-respect. She’s managed, however, to retain the surprising support of her newest celebrity client: the sexy country music star, Dylan Burke. Against her better judgment, but without any better offers, Suzanne agrees to plan a wedding for one of the Burke sisters. But when she comes to realize her freak accident was anything but, her catalog of past relationships turns into a list of suspects and Suzanne must question everything—her career, her friendships, and most acutely, her own dating rules.

As it turns out she might have quite a bit to regret after all.

I picked up Regrets Only when I needed a quick fun contemporary read, which is what I got. The story enters around an event planner, Suzanne, who was planning a big event for country star Dylan Burke. Unfortunately during the event, something goes very wrong and Suzanne's reputation as an event planner goes down the drain. Not only that, but it seems like someone is out to get Suzanne. Dylan comes to the rescue (for her career) and asks her to plan his sister's wedding, which she accepts.

Obviously sparks fly for Suzanne and Dylan.. however he is seven years younger... and Suzanne has commitment issues (to say the least). There's also the whole mystery behind who was out to get Suzanne. Unfortunately I felt the mystery was slightly unnecessary because it was underdeveloped and to be honest obstructed the flow of the story more than it gave it interest. Maybe because I read too many mystery novels. So take this mystery plot with a grain of salt. Suzanne and Dylan's relationship as somewhat messy.. but I mean, it is one of the times where it had reason to be messy. I really liked Suzanne and Dylan's friendship, and I wished it was developed more before jumping into the romance, but it was still enjoyable.

If you want to pick up a contemporary to get you out of a reading slump, or one you can read through quickly, then this is the one for you. Even if it isn't 100% memorable, at the time I was reading it, I was interested enough to sit and read for long stretches of time. This is a feat for me especially since I have only read 8 books in 2016 so far.

March book haul - Too many to count

2016-04-03T11:25:00.002-04:00

Another month, another book haul! this time sponsored by some amazing friends. I met up with a couple of friends the past two months and we did some book exchanging.. but I seem to have gotten a lot more books than I anticipated! Thank you to Lynn and Brittany!! <3 you guys are awesome. The only review books in this haul are Salt to the Sea and Shimmer so thank you Penguin Random House for sending them my way! I am a huge Ruta Sepetys fan ever since I read Out of the Easy <3

Lots of adult fiction titles here that I am super excited for, especiallyPaullina Simons' The Bronze Horseman

I have been meaning to read Erased by Jennifer Rush because I really enjoyed Altered and now I can finally do that! I have read Control as a review book years ago and fell in love so I am glad I have a copy now. The next books on my reading list are Panic by Lauren Oliver, Erased by Jennifer Rush, and Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

I am a big fan of Paula Weston's The Rephaim series so I jumped on it when I got Shimmer and read it. It was fantastic <3 I can't wait to pick up Salt to the Sea as well as The Program because I need to read a good dystopian

Several books I was interested in but wasn't sure if I would like. When I went to the Simon & Schuster preview, everyone was raving over The Scorpion Rules so now I am even more excited to read it. I am also very interested in reading No Love Allowed because it looks like a very cute contemporary