Under the cover, between the lines.....

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 01:36:00 +0000

I made a P4A video!

And it would mean the world if you checked it out :)

It would help tons if you watched it, and clicked on the little like button and voted. Be an angel :*

Thanking you

Loads of love from Raven and Beez

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 15:46:00 +0000

Raven: Narnians in Hogwarts

I had read the lion, the witch and the wardrobe about a year ago so naturally I didn't remember half the story when I decided to read the whole series for once and for all in the right order.

While re-reading this book, I came across this one part which made me think that maybe I'm turning into one of those English teachers who dwell too much on the colour of a curtain in the book...

This was the paragraph (it's in the first chapter) that got me thinking:

"It's an owl," said Peter. "This is going to be a wonderful place for birds. I shall go to bed now. I say, let's go and explore tomorrow. You might find anything in a place like this. Did you see those mountains as we came along? And the woods? There might be eagles. There might be stags. There'll be hawks."
"Badgers!" said Lucy.
"Foxes!" said Edmund.
"Rabbits!" said Susan.

I think it's pretty clear what I'm hinting at but I want to give a huge lecture on it anyway.
As you just read, the animals Peter mentions are animals that are mostly identified with honor, royalty and independence, clearly hinting that that is how Peter's personality is.

The same goes with the other characters.

Badgers are said to be loyal, honest and truthful creatures and we know that Lucy is exactly that way.

Edmund mentions foxes, cunning creatures who will do whatever they can to get whatever they want.

Susan says rabbits. Now, at first I thought she said rabbits cause they are very pretty and cute creatures so maybe it was her physical characteristics that was being referred to but that would be unfair as the other characters respective animals described their personalities.

So I did a little googling and found out that rabbits are identified as creatures that provide comfort, abundance (of love?), nurture and fertility. (I also ended up watching bunny videos for about an hour because of this)

This also got me thinking that maybe I could classify them into Hogwarts houses.

Peter obviously belongs in Gryffindor, Susan in Hufflepuff, Edmund in Slytherin and Susan in Ravenclaw (I had doubts about her being in Ravenclaw, I thought she also might be Hufflepuff but she is the only one that provides most of the smart suggestions)

So there it is, my little weird and random post about how I'm going to start tutoring people in literature.

Lots of love and rabbits,
Raven~

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 13:46:00 +0000

~Books we're psyched to read in 2016

We are not ones to make plans for the new year.

New year, new you - that's the kind of crap we don't engage ourselves in. We are more of a when-the-epiphany-comes type of people.

But-but, another year means more books and more tbr* piles to go through- and here are the books we're psyched to read in 2016!

*To those who are new to the reading community, it means To Be Read.

~~~Special mentions come first~~~

~The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

Releasing on April 26, 2016

The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. 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.

In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared: "Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close."

Beez: This book is my reason for surviving- I need to read this before I die so I need to be alive for it. Because it's Maggie, I have no doubt it'll be amazawonderful and it'll blow me to bits and end up killing me and if that's the way I have to go, I couldn't be gladder (is that even a word?).

Raven: I agree with Beez. We have been waiting for this book for so long! (The third book was released on October 21, 2014! That is an eternity ago) This is the last and final book in the Raven Cycle series so we want to read it to know how it ends but we also don't want to read it because then it will be the end... you get me?

~Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The sword of summer by Rick Riordan

Released on October 6, 2015

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .

Raven: I can't wait to read more of Rick Riordan. I love Loki... so that's one of the reasons for me being pumped about this Norse Mythology series. I have heard that Magnus is sassier than the sass master a.k.a Percy which is really hard to believe but then again it's Rick Riordan we are talking about here.

Beez: Apart from being a Rick Riordan book, I want to read this book because it's the start of another Rick Riordan story. I loved how the Percy Jackson series started and I remember all those moments where Percy was such a baby and he had no idea what was going on and he was all like pen-is-sword-i-am-halfblood-whut. Need. This. Book.

~Standalones~

1. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Released on September 12, 2000

Toru, a quiet and preternaturally serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Toru begins to adapt to campus life and the loneliness and isolation he faces there, but Naoko finds the pressures and responsibilities of life unbearable. As she retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself reaching out to others and drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman.

A poignant story of one college student's romantic coming-of-age, Norwegian Wood takes us to that distant place of a young man's first, hopeless, and heroic love.

Raven: This will be our first Haruki Murakami book ever. We have heard a lot about this author and after doing some research and asking some of you amazing people (our followers are imaginary) about which book we should begin with to embark on a beautiful Murakami journey, we have been suggested to read Norwegian Wood. I can't wait to watch the movie after reading the book. My hopes on this book are so high that a part of me is afraid that I might dislike his writing or just the book in general. I don't want it to be one of those books that has a lot of hype and fans and you go in wondering how much you are going to love it but then end up being deeply disappointed (looks at tfios and the maze runner).

Beez: It's about time we read Haruki Murakami and Raven says everyone says to read this one first, so that's what we gonna do. I can't wait. I wonder if I'll like it, love it, meh it or hate it. Basically everything Raven said.

2. We all looked up by Tommy Wallach

Released on March 26, 2015

Before the asteroid we let ourselves be defined by labels:
The athlete, the outcast, the slacker, the overachiever.

But then we all looked up and everything changed.

They said it would be here in two months. That gave us two months to leave our labels behind. Two months to become something bigger than what we'd been, something that would last even after the end.

Two months to really live.

Beez: I have high hopes about this book!! I love the premise and even though it's very cliche, it's that type of cliche if it's written well, it could be amazing. And i like the title.

Raven: I don't really know what to expect from this book. Beez is the one who is really excited to read it. All I can say is that the blurb sounds interesting.

3. The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Released on June 1, 1998

The Picture of Dorian Gray was a succès de scandale*. Early readers were shocked by its hints at unspeakable sins and the book was later used as evidence against Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895. Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray sells his soul in exchange for eternal youth and beauty. Under the influence of Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life, where he is able to indulge his desires while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only Dorian's picture bears the traces of his decadence. A knowing account of a secret life and an analysis of the darker side of late Victorian society. The Picture of Dorian Gray offers a disturbing portrait of an individual coming face to face with the reality of his soul.

*Something that gained popularity due to its scandalous nature.

Beez: This is one of my all time favorite books - it has a special place in my heart. I love this book so much since the 4th grade and now I'm not in school anymore(!)- and I have never completed it. Obviously, it's time to change that.

Raven: Of course, we had to add a classic to our list of books for this year. This is the only novel that Oscar Wilde ever published. I have read his short story 'Canterville Ghost' and absolutely loved it. I do realize that this will be very different but I look forward to it nonetheless.

4. The rest of us just live here by Patrick Ness

Released on August 27, 2015

What if you aren’t the Chosen One?

The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions.

Beez: *drumroll* Another YA book with an interesting blurb. I want to read this partly because of my obsession with ordinary people and extraordinary things and partly because of this Epic Reads video . Like Raven, my last Patrick Ness book (also More than this) was a miss but I'm willing to wait after this book to set my opinion in stone on his writing.

Raven: I tried reading 'More Than This' by Patrick Ness and didn't really enjoy the writing style and the plot BUT THIS BOOK SOUNDS SO GOOD! I really hope I like it.

5. 1984 by George Orwell

Released on July 1, 1950

'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.'

Winston Smith works for the Ministry of truth in London, chief city of Airstrip One. Big Brother stares out from every poster, the Thought Police uncover every act of betrayal. When Winston finds love with Julia, he discovers that life does not have to be dull and deadening, and awakens to new possibilities. Despite the police helicopters that hover and circle overhead, Winston and Julia begin to question the Party; they are drawn towards conspiracy. Yet Big Brother will not tolerate dissent - even in the mind. For those with original thoughts they invented Room 101 . . .

Raven: THIS BOOK! I can't wait to read this book. It is so old but so good (at least that's what I think by reading the blurb) These days when people talk about Government Surveillance and how internet privacy has been breached, people often refer to Big Brother from this book. *SUPER EXCITED TO READ IT*

Beez: A dystopian novel written in 1950? Count me in.

~~~Series~~~

1. Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

Released on August 7, 2012

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly.
Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

Beez: This book promises badass-ery and it is for that reason that I must read it.

Raven: This is a book that has been on my tbr for the past year and this year I finally plan to read it. I feel ashamed to say that I haven't even started the series even though it sounds very promising.

2. Cinder - The Lunar Chronicles #1 by Marissa Meyer

Released on January 3, 2012

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Beez: I really like fairy tale retellings and I'm super excited to read this one, especially since I've heard only magical things about it. And it has the added advantage of having sci-fi, which is always a plus, and with the fairy tale, extremely interesting.

Raven: I have heard so many good things about this series. I have never read a fairy tale retelling before so I can't wait to dive in.

3. Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Released on June 7, 2011

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Raven: We have already read Miss Peregrine's home for Peculiar Children but we still included it in the list because we hope to finish the other two books in the series. I absolutely loved the first book.

Beez: The ending of the first book was literally- rowing off in a boat into the horizon. To know further...read the next book. I guess I'll be doing that then.

4. Legend Series by Marie Lu

Released on November 29, 2011

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Beez: You can't name a book Legend and have a minimalist cover and have a name like Marie Lu and not expect me to think badass. And since I love badass stuff, you can't expect me not to read it. And also because Raven has bought the entire series, there is no way I am not reading it. *best friend privileges*

Raven: I bought this whole series at once (something I've never done before) which is why I was worried that I might end up being disappointed. So I cheated a little and read the first page of Legend and thankfully I really like the writing style and it starts off very interestingly. Again, looking forward to reading this too.

5a. The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson

Released on September 16, 2008

Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch—and there's always a catch—is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.

Beez: I'm not going to mention bad ass here because i already have way too many times. But this book sounds very interesting and thriller-like and I really want to read it. Not to mention the fact that the first book is just sitting on my shelf, staring at me....

Raven: I have already read this series but Beez insisted we include this series in the list. I still haven't read Spider's web cause I am very skeptical about it being written by someone else but then I really want more Lisbeth. The last book ended with so many possibilities.

5b. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Released on October 1, 2009

In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with colour once more?
In Brandon Sanderson's intriguing tale of love, loss, despair and hope, a new kind of magic enters the stage - Allomancy, a magic of the metals.

Raven: Brandon Sanderson will be coming to the Emirates Lit Fest this year in March and I NEED to finish this series before meeting him. And I have forced Beez to read it too. (Also the 5th point was divided into a and b because of Beez. She really wanted it to just be 10 in total with only 2 special mentions. Her brain works in mysterious ways.)

Beez: Sometimes (or all the times), you got to do what your best friend a.k.a mother tells you.

---------------------------

This is the list of all the books that we definitely want to read before the end of this year. Honestly, our tbr is the only thing we prepare beforehand, we just wing everything else in life.

Make no mistake, these are NOT the ONLY books we will be reading this year. There are lots of other books that are either going to be released or have been on our tbr for god knows how long. We hope you keep looking forward to our never-ending reviews.

This is Raven and Beez,
signing out~

P.s. If you're ever the interested, we'd like you to know that we are shifting our blog to another plaform but we will keep updating this one too!
www.ravenandbeez.wordpress.com

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Oct 2015 15:01:00 +0000

Raven: ~~The Raven Boys~~

A novel by Maggie Stiefvater

Publication date: September 19th, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 421
Targeted Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Supernatural/Welsh Mythology/Fantasy

Blurb: Blue has spent the majority of her sixteen years being told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. When Blue meets Gansey’s spirit on the corpse road she knows there is only one reason why – either he is her true love or she has killed him.

Determined to find out the truth, Blue becomes involved with the Raven Boys, four boys from the local private school (lead by Gansey) who are on a quest to discover Glendower – a lost ancient Welsh King who is buried somewhere along the Virginia ley line. Whoever finds him will be granted a supernatural favour.

Never before has Blue felt such magic around her. But is Gansey her true love? She can’t imagine a time she would feel like that, and she is adamant not to be the reason for his death. Where will fate lead them?

{Blogger's Note: This book was read last year but I was so lazy and caught up with school that I never came around to writing a review... so here it is.}

I had never heard about this author before or this series but when I came across this book in our school library I just had to read it. The blurb was so exciting and the cover was beautiful! (And as you know I'm a sucker for covers) As soon as I started this book I knew I was in love. So this is me, trying to do justice to this wonderful book.

The story is of a girl named Blue who comes from a clairvoyant family but she herself doesn't have any powers. She can't see the souls of the dead unlike her mother. So when she sees the spirit of a boy named Gansey at the crossroads on St. Marks Eve, Blue is a lot more than just surprised.

"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve, Blue. Either you're his true love...or you killed him."

And hence begins the journey of Blue Sargent into the lives of the four boys from the school Aglionby- Adam Parrish, Richard Gansey, Ronan Lynch and Noah Czerny. They go on a personal quest to uncover the ancient, lost and buried, Welsh King, with the sole knowledge that he is somewhere along the Ley lines and whoever finds him will be granted a favour.

You see how interesting this is?? Because it is absolutely the most beautifully written supernatural/fantasy novel in a long long time. Maggie Stiefvater's style of writing will sweep you away, her way of wording the surroundings will take you on a journey you never even imagined in your wildest dreams and her characters are bigger than life itself. I've never been in love with every character in a book but Maggie (She is my best mate) has made me fall in a deep abyss of torture because I want these characters to be real. I wish it so badly. If I ever find the buried Welsh King, you know what my wish will be.

It is slightly slow-paced in the beginning but the characters and the mystery will keep you going forward.The book builds this beautiful atmosphere that makes you want to be one of the people in the books. Maggie's writing has an adult feel to it. The characters are not silly teenagers, they have this aura of purposefulness around them.

Every character that was introduced in the book felt so real. I don't understand how she does it. It's not just the protagonists that are amazing, it is literally every bloody character. Maggie plays with dark magic... that is the only possible answer to how this book is so fantastic.

And the plot! It's so unique and amazing and so refreshingly new! After all the usual vampires, werewolves, fairies and magicians, Welsh mythology is just a wonderful change of atmosphere. She has explained everything about the ley lines and the Welsh King with just the right amount of mystery.

As a last note, the last line of this book will haunt you forever.


A fabulous unicorn for a fabulous book

Lots of love and mystery,

Raven

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 10:16:00 +0000

Raven: The One Plus One

A novel by Jojo Moyes

Publication date: July 1st, 2014
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Pages: 537 (Paperback)
Target Audience: Adults
Genre: Women's fiction/Comedy/Family

Blurb: One single mum.
With two jobs and two children, Jess Thomas does her best day after day. But it's hard on your own. And sometimes you take risks you shouldn't. Because you have to...

One chaotic family.
Jess' gifted, quirky daughter Tanzie is brilliant with numbers, but without a helping hand she'll never get the chance to shine. And Nicky, Jess' teenage stepson, can't fight the bullies alone. Sometimes Jess feels like they're sinking...

One handsome stranger.
Into their lives comes Ed Nicholls, a man whose life is in chaos, and who is running from a deeply uncertain future. But he has time on his hands. He knows what it's like to be lonely. And he wants to help...

One unexpected love story.

I read this book because I had loved Me Before You and also because Beez recommended it to me. I must say that I loved it. I loved how "normal" and beautiful the characters were. I loved that it made me cry at the end.

At times the plot was very slow paced but the humor always made up for it. In fact, I think I will put up a few excerpts from the book at the end of this review.

About the plot: We have Jess Thomas, a cleaner, bartender and mother of two children and a ridiculously big, slobbery, useless dog called Norman, who I loved. Tanzie, her little daughter is a math genius and Nicky on the other hand, is constantly bullied by the neighboring Fishers. He has lost all joy at such a young age and only finds comfort in gaming.

It all started when Tanzie, the little math genius was given a scholarship to go to a prestigious school. Despite getting an almost 90% scholarship, the registration fee, uniform and transport cost a huge fortune which Jess cannot afford. Her useless husband who lives with his mother and always makes excuses about why he isn't working is obviously of no help.

When Tanzie's math teacher tells Jess about a math quiz in Scotland that is offering a grand cash prize for the winner, Jess is ecstatic. Finally, there is a chance that her little Tanzie might still make it into that school.
Meanwhile, Jess and her friend are cleaning rich people's houses and they come across a rude rich guy named Ed Nicholls who is already in some deep shit due to insider trading.

One night, Jess finally decides to haul her kids and the dog in their fake Rolls Royce and drive to Scotland. Note: The car isn't insured, Jess hasn't driven in ages, Norman farts a lot and Nicky does pot. They were made to pull over by the police and 'rude-rich-guy' who just happened to drive by helped them out. All Ed Nicholls did was drop them off at home but he found himself wrapped up in the drama between Jess and Tanzie where Tanzie refused to get out of the car because she really wanted to go to that school. And that is how Ed Nicholls ended up driving this crazy family all the way to Scotland in his Audi at 40 miles per hour cause obviously Tanzie starts puking if they go faster.

As you can see this book is bloody amazing! I loved every bit of it. There was not even one part that I can complain about. Not one... except that it was slow paced at times but like I said the humor made up for it. I was surprised with the amount of incidents that happened in this book but with a family like this it's completely possible.

"I don't understand how our family can basically do the right thing and yet always end up in the crap."

I could connect with Jess, a mother, even though I'm just an 18 year old idiot. I just felt her problems and I could sympathize with her. I loved all of the characters because I could connect with them and I am including the dog here. It's a fantastic read. The romance that develops between Jess and Ed is so beautiful.

I'll warn you that it does have a LOT of rom-com cliches but I haven't read cliches in a loooong time and so this felt nice.

I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for some craziness and some sweet romance and a sad but beautiful ending.

Now for the excerpts that I promised:

'Are we staying here?' Tanzie said, rubbing at her eyes and looking around.

'Mr Nicholls is. We're going to stay in the car. It will be an adventure!' Jess said.

There was a brief silence.

'Yay.' said Nicky.

*********

I realized something when Dad sat down and told me it was good to see me and his eyes got all moist: my dad might be an arse, but he's my arse, and he's the only arse I've got.

*********

Lots of love and pasta,

Raven

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 06:53:00 +0000

Raven: Rooms

A novel by Lauren Oliver

Publication date: September 23rd, 2014
Publisher: Ecco

Pages: 320

Targeted Audience: Adult
Genre: Paranormal/Mystery/Contemporary Fiction

Blurb: Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance.

But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a light bulb.

The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic results.

I went into this book without reading any reviews; I hadn’t even read the blurb. All I knew was that it had ghosts.

I was right of course. This book does have ghosts, two of them, Alice and Sandra. Alice is the oldest and Sandra is not so much (Sandra is the one with the dirty mouth). Needless to say they both have secrets they haven’t shared with each other.

The beginning of the book was a little hard for me to wrap my mind around. It starts off with the death of Richard Walker, husband of Catherine Walker and father of a teenage son, Trenton and a single mother, Minna. He left a will behind stating that the house would go to Trenton and certain amount of fortunes to both his wife and his daughter, but there also seems to be a third person who inherited his fortune. I thought the book would elaborate more on this third person but it didn't! This other person just seemed to me like a useless new character that was bought in just to torture the thought process of the dead mans wife.

Trenton had the role of any other teenager in an adult novel- whining. I just wanted to smack him sometimes. Minna was a sl*t who just had repressed feelings inside of her because she was never truly loved. Maybe she should have taken down the "I just met you and so let's sleep together because I don't give a cr*p about my little daughter who is just downstairs". I hated all the characters! I HATE THEM ALL SO MUCH.

This book introduces the ghosts and the Walker family and so many other characters at such a fast pace that I couldn't even remember the name of the characters until I finished the book.

Also, with so many POV's to keep a track of I couldn't connect with any of the characters. I felt zero emotions towards them, except one of the ghosts, Susan. Her constant cursing and joking around was a nice distraction from the not so nice writing of the book.

I don't know if it's just me or if someone else out there feels the same as me, but I dislike Lauren Oliver's writing. I had read Before I fall and it was a nice book and that's it. Just a nice book that I don't really want displayed on my shelf and wouldn't bother reading it again, ever.

After that I tried reading the Pandemonium series.

Keyword: Tried.

I gave up on the first book after reading two lines. I just cannot handle her style of writing. It bounces off of me. The words register in my head but they just remain as words, they refuse to transform into my personal movie.

However, I had picked up this book hoping I would fall in love with the ghosts (I was looking for a scary read) but it disappointed me because it was not even close to scary. It did not even creep me out. I've read a few reviews that say that this book made them feel watched in their own houses as the ghosts live and breathe in every part of the house, but I just felt ---'meh'.

So over all I rate this book with two Raven feathers and take a vow never to read any other Lauren Oliver YA or Adult books ever again. However, I'm really looking forward to reading her middle grade fiction books because they sound amazing and the cover looks awesome. For anyone who doesn't know, I'm a sucker for covers and recently I've been wanting to read some serious middle grade fiction. Don't ask me why.

Lots of love and pasta,

Raven

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 13:06:00 +0000

Raven: The Book Thief

A novel by Markus Zusak

Publication date: September 1st, 2005
Publisher: Knopf

Pages: 550

Targeted Audience: Young Adult

Summary: It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

I finished it.

And I was just looking at the news where this Nepali survived after 80 hours of being trapped and another guy who survived even after the tower collapsed and everyone else died. (Referring to the terrible earthquake in Nepal)

And I can't help but imagine Death going around and collecting their souls and leaving some behind, whispering that it's not their time. Not yet.

And I just can't handle this!

The last few chapters were so good, I had to go to the washroom and read it, cause I was sobbing so hard and I didn't want anyone to see me crying like a little baby over something that I could never explain to them. I can never make anyone feel the things I felt by summarizing it. It would feel like an insult to the emotions that this book evokes.

I had to stop reading multiple times because I couldn't see anything through my tears. There were times where I stopped, kept my glasses on the book and just sobbed like a baby. I was crying so hard like I had lost someone who was so dear to me and I truly had.

I was a big mess.

I was laughing at how absurd the idea is of crying over mere words but I was also crying at how devastating these words can be.

Anybody who just read this review needs to know that I am NOT going to talk about the plot here at all cause I can't and don't want to bring back the memories. It will only make me cry more and like I said, summarizing is just not going to cut it.

But I swear to you, this book is worth it. It is worth all the tears and laughter and joy and sadness and anger and hate and just about every other emotion you can possibly feel.

I have never read a book with words that are so powerful.

People... Just read it, you won't regret a thing. I promise.

A fabulous Unicorn for a fabulous book

Lots of love and pasta,

Raven

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Raven:The Transfer

A novel by Veronica Roth

Publication date: September 3, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Pages: 55

Targeted Audience: Young Adult (And adults)

Summary: Fans of the Divergent series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth will be captivated by "Four: The Transfer," the first of four stories, each between fifty and seventy-five pages long, set in the world of Divergent and told from Tobias's perspective.

In "The Transfer," readers witness Tobias's aptitude test, Choosing Day, and the moment he is given the infamous nickname "Four."

In this book Veronica Roth has thrown us into Tobias’ past. It starts with his aptitude test, where he chooses each option purposely so that it would land him only in Abnegation and not in more than one faction. We see how much Marcus has really terrified Tobias. The injuries he inflicted on him, his cunning chameleon nature, and his extremism of applying abnegation rules over Tobias by torturing him. Finally we see what made him choose Dauntless and how he molded right into the faction.

It was a beautiful book that made me respect his character and the choices that he made throughout the series.

I wished I had read this book earlier, at least before The Allegiant. I really felt the fear Tobias felt in the presence of his father. His terrible past was more real to me after reading it in ‘The Transfer’.

In the entire Divergent series all I read was, Tobias/Four was abused by Marcus – his dad. It was never really described so I never felt much for him, hence (Spoiler ahead if you haven’t read Insurgent) when he beat his dad I was pissed at him cause I thought no matter how much he says he was abused, Marcus was still his father! (Or maybe I was just thinking that way because I have been raised in a culture where respecting elders had been instilled in my bones)

However, by the end of this book I was almost screaming in my mind, telling Tobias to leave his terrible father, to leave Abnegation and to live his bloody life!

(Spoiler ahead for those who haven’t read Allegiant)

Now I feel absolutely terrible about not having loved Tobias before. I mean he had a terrible father, his mother had abandoned him and then got back years later and at the end of ‘The Allegiant’ he even lost Tris. I have never before fallen in love with a character after finishing the book series. I wish I could just get into the book and hug Tobias at the end of Allegiant. He’s been through so much.

I highly recommend people to read this book after ‘The Divergent’. Because in the first book you will be introduced into the world of factions and you will learn a little about Four’s past, so when you read ‘The Transfer’ you will realize what he really went through and get a better understanding of the character in the rest of the books. Plus this book is really short; you’ll finish it in less than thirty minutes I believe if you are a fast reader.

I give it four out of five stars and hope your pasta is always cheesy.

Lots of love,

Raven.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 13:20:00 +0000

Beez: Landline

Rainbow Rowell

beautiful alternate cover by http://laurenbaldoart.tumblr.com/

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leaving the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

Neal.

Neal, Neal, Neal.

Have you ever experienced something so in comprehensive that the only words you can muster up go something like, "There are simply no words to describe that."?

Or have you ever tried to name or define an object or a concept and discovered that nothing in the dictionary you carry around in your skull matches?

Well, there's a book for that: Landline.

This book.

This.

This book found me wrapped in voiceless bewilderment , unable to find the words to properly express this inexpressible something. Its as if the dimensional plane i was standing on suddenly shifted, just a bit, leaving me disoriented and the world around me changed forever.

Or maybe its simply because Rowell's sentences climbed into my heart and sank their claws in.

I may not be married or have kids or even working but this book touched me and affected me on a MOLECULAR level.
This book felt to me so beautifully breathtaking and the entire time i was reading it,
i was holding my breath, reading every word so carefully and being so emotionally choked up in emotions.
I felt my heart would shatter into a million pieces if more feelings dare attacked me with this book. I was treasuring every word of this book, because every word did something to me.

I can't -i physically cannot- write a review for this book.
I beg you to understand but this is not a book that can be able to be contained by the mere words of a review; this book is a bundle of feelings that you have to live.

Landline is about Georgie and her life while being a mother, a wife, a tv show writer, a sister, a daughter, a best friend and in general a person. It's about falling in love and falling in love again while still being in love.

“You don’t know when you are twenty-three. You don’t know what it really means to crawl into someone else’s life and stay there. You can’t see all the ways you’re going to get tangled, how you’re going to bond skin to skin. How the idea of separating will feel in five years, in ten — in fifteen. When Georgie thought about divorce now, she imagined lying side by side with Neal on two operating tables while a team of doctors tried to unthread their vascular systems”
This is one of the thing that fascinates me about this book, is that its in the future of their story. There's a lot of books about falling in love and blah blah, but it usually ends there. After some many years, is the magic still there?

I am unfortunately unable to tell you anything about the plot or characters or otherwise, because doing so would give something away and there is no way in hell I'd do that(see in my head you're going to read it but if you're not then i dont give the slightlest fuck about you).

A bit of advice: from the first word, read this book with extreme dedication because those words are precious and there is nothing as the joy of reading them the first time with no idea of the wonders yet to come. Take your time and absorb the life and death of this book and its perfect sentences.

Landline is my example of perfection.

And, ultimately, so deeply, satisfyingly happy.

This book is about love, all kinds of it.
And how it makes us who we are.
It tells us this beautiful thing that love is something we place our bets on. When we don't know what the future holds we hold on to it, its what builds us and makes us.
Its what makes us brave and courageous and above all human when we blindly believe in that love.

Also, Neal.
Oh Neal.
Neal made me feel in love.
Neal made my breath catch in my throat.
Neal made my heart feel fluttery and paper thin, he got me floating in the skies..
Neal made me want to trap him in a bottle and look at him all day, because he is SO beautiful, and bearthtakingly so.
I love Neal because Neal... is Neal.
“I love you,” he said. “I love you more than I hate everything else.”

"Because he didn't laugh when he thought something was funny--he laughed when he was happy.”
“Georgie. You cannot be jealous of Dawn--that's like the sun being jealous of a lightbulb.”
Yes, i sobbed while reading this book. It was hardly possible not to because whenever i got through a line, i got thrown off my axis and my breath caught in my throat and i was choked with feels...
This book might not be sad, but it is a FUCKING ball of emotions.

And its about second, third, or even hundreds of chances.

"She didn’t want to hear him tell her how much better off she was without Neal. Georgie wasn’t better off. Even if Neal was right—even if they’d never make it work together, even if they were fundamentally wrong for each other—she still wasn’t better off without him. (Even if your heart is broken and attacking you, you’re still not better off without it.)"

“I’m not asking you to promise me that everything will be perfect,” Neal said. “Just promise me that you’ll try. "

“Do you love me, Georgie?”
“More than anything,” she said. Because she was still telling the truth, damn the torpedoes. “More than everything.”

So in conclusion, Rowell is a fucking goddess and everyone should just worship her.
Her writing is astoundingly wonderful and soulful and so real and heartfelt that i am certain she has the power to make the world cry with their ears with her words.
Nobody could have written this book better than her and i'm (so fucking) glad she did because now i can die peacefully.

This book was a wonderful depiction of how bittersweet love can be, and how important it is to never take that love for granted.

The ending in this book will take you places.

And oh, the refrences!
The wonderful nerdy refrences of the best things ever sprinkled in those paragrapghs!
Just when you thought this book couldn't get any better..
And theres a magic fucking phone. Brilliant!

Just a summary of the above lines:
LANDLINE IS THE BEST FUCKING BOOK IN THE HISTORY OF BEST FUCKING BOOKS.

6/5; this book deserves it

Lots of love and a motherfucking cheese burger,

Beez.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 18:02:00 +0000

Beez: Addition

Toni Jordan

Grace Lisa Vandenburg counts.

The letters in her name (19). The steps she takes every morning to the local café (920); the number of poppy seeds on her slice of orange cake, which dictates the number of bites she’ll take to finish it. Grace counts everything, because numbers hold the world together. And she needs to keep an eye on how they’re doing.

Seamus Joseph O’Reilly (also a 19, with the sexiest hands Grace has ever seen) thinks she might be better off without the counting. If she could hold down a job, say. Or open her kitchen cupboards without conducting an inventory, or make a sandwich containing an unknown number of sprouts.

Grace’s problem is that Seamus doesn’t count.
Her other problem is… He does.

Addition is a fabulous debut novel. Grace is witty, flirtatious and headstrong. She’s not a bit sentimental but even so, she may be about to lose track of the number of ways she can fall in love.

In the past 24 hours that I have spent reading this book, Grace Lisa Vandenburg (19) has taken over my mind. Grace with her ocd, her craziness and obsessions and quirks.

Addition is about Grace, who has a serious case of ocd of numbers and how she falls in love and lives.

In my mind I see Grace with her head busy spinning with all the numbers and those million thoughts of hers, along with Nikola and Seamus with his long and sexy fingers and adorable Larry....

Grace is such an amazing character who is crazy in all dimensions.

What Grace does is counts. She counts everything so her whole world is encompased in those numbers and those numbers give her the sense of safety and security. She counts because she cannot stand not knowing the numbers.

If Grace were here she would know the number of things on my to do list, the mirrors on my pouch, the number of the line I'm currently writing, the number of things currently on my table, the number of books stacked in the pile to my left, the number of leaves on my glass holder, the number of paper planes flying on my skyline sticker etc.....

The reason (I think) Grace counts so much is because she likes to be in control in her own way. In the same way that some people cannot stand having a thing out of order or stand even the thought of the germs on their hands (ocd), Grace can't stand not knowing the numbers.

Her whole life is structured on numbers. A lot of people have this but only a fraction of what Grace has.

I for one cannot stand if the volume of anything is not a multiple of ten. Loads of people have this. I eat nuts in tens and if i add one more I have to eat nine more. If I want to start doing something I wait till the time is a multiple of 5 and if I'm even a little late, I have to wait for another 5 minutes. Sometimes I count the number of steps I take. The other day I was counting the number of people I saw with plaits (I lost count after 30).

Just like me everyone has these tendencies. But suppose I'm late for something and the time isn't a multiple of 5 it doesn't mean I won't start. I'll shut the part of my brain so bothered by it and do my work!

Every time our teacher rubs the board and leaves a spot unclean my head bursts and I try to erase it with my telekinetic powers but I don't have a panic attack or burst into tears!

But not Grace.

If Grace remembers that she doesn't know the number of bristles on her tooth brush she's going to drop everything and count them till she gets it right.

That's just Grace.

In this book, Grace counts so much and does everything in numbers or knows every number that it is exhausting!

This book, sucked me in and I haven't been able to stop reading it since. I'm probably going to reread it.
This one was definitely a book of a kind and a really special one. Not everybody's cup of tea but an amazing whirl wind. Why, i think you should pick it up right now and give it a go!

yes i did like it that much

Lots of love and 5 sour punk,
Beez.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 19:21:00 +0000

Raven:Stay where you are and then leave

A novel by John Boyne

Publication date: September 26, 2013
Publisher: Doubleday Childrens

Pages: 247

Targeted Audience: Young Adult (And adults)

Summary: The day the First World War broke out, Alfie Summerfield's father promised he wouldn't go away to fight - but he broke that promise the following day. Four years later, Alfie doesn't know where his father might be, other than that he's away on a special, secret mission.

Then, while shining shoes at King's Cross Station, Alfie unexpectedly sees his father's name - on a sheaf of papers belonging to a military doctor. Bewildered and confused, Alfie realises his father is in a hospital close by - a hospital treating soldiers with an unusual condition. Alfie is determined to rescue his father from this strange, unnerving place . . .

If you X-rayed me right now, you would see shards of my heart all over my chest. So before beginning this review, WARNING!: YOU WILL BE EMOTIONALLY TRAUMATIZED BY THE HANDS OF A PAPERBACK!

Moving on.

I love history. It's something that surprises people for some reason. I might not know everything about history but I love knowing more about it. There is the appeal of the unknown. So I guess that is one of the reasons why I picked up this book from the library shelves.

I loved this book the moment I read the first line. The story is told through the POV of a 9 year old boy and I believe that it's really difficult to write it cause after you grow up, you mostly don't remember what you knew and what you didn't know when YOU were younger. So it was really cute how he used to interpret certain things and the author has done a great job at it *claps*.

1914- The year the first world war broke out. Alfie Summerfield made his dad promise not to go to the war, but he broke that promise later that day. Georgie Summerfield would go to war and not even his weeping wife could stop him.

Joe Patience- Georgie's best friend, who refuses to go fight a war just because the government wants him to. He is a man who sees no peace through war. And as expected, he is insulted, tortured and left to fend for himself.

Alfie Summerfield- Who goes to school only on days when they teach his favorite subjects and the other days he earns money by polishing shoes in Kings Cross Station.

Four years have passed and talks of the war finally ending have begun, yet Alfie's mother refuses to tell him why his father hasn't returned. She says he is working on a secret mission. But Alfie knows this to not be true. And one day as he was polishing shoes in the station he saw his fathers name on his customers file.

Apparently his father wasn't on a secret mission. He was in a hospital.

Then why had his mother lied to him? Whatever the reason, now Alfie has only one thing on his mind. And that is to rescue his father.

If you actually think about it, it's pretty obvious what kind of a hospital his father is in. But I was so indulged in the happenings of the book that I didn't realize it until the author told me (as in, until I read it).

As I said, this book is written from a child's point of view so the emotions that older people feel isn't something that a kid completely understands. So when Alfie talks about a particular thing or a situation and if you are really paying attention, those things will make you laugh or break your heart. Because it's been said the way he sees it. There is no sarcasm, no running around the bush. The happy or sad facts are just thrown on your face and it hurts guys, it hurts worse than an author describing the characters distress. The author has used such simple yet solid words that dig a hole in your heart forever. And I loved it.

Every page made me cry or laugh. I mean, it was terrible! No book has ever affected me like this. I am not lying when I say that the left side of the book made me laugh and the immediate right side made me cry. I AM NOT LYING! Or exaggerating. It literally happened. I don't like people seeing me cry. So when I cry over characters I just keep my eyes closed or look up for a second or two and I'm done. But it wasn't like that. In this case, before I could turn away the tears were already rolling down. And usually I read on my way to school, on the bus! You can just imagine the number of people looking at me cry.

Now time for a little rant.

I knew I would fall in love with Joe Patience. I just knew it. The way he was described as, since the beginning, just caught my attention and I knew I would fall for that heartbreaking bastard! He rebelled the government and his views were so similar to mine. I just... GODDAMMIT! Does everyone love a good rebel or is it just me??

This guy here, plays a clarinet (though I think the saxophone is sexier, I still like the clarinet), is a reader (his house is stacked with books, why wouldn't I want to marry him??), And he is just bloody awesome.

I cried for him. I mean I cried just for him, the character only. Not the plot or what was happening. Just for him. After the end of chapter 10, I just closed the book, lay my head down and cried *insert loads of tissue usage*

To be honest, I don't know what it really was that made me love him so much. But whatever it was, I just wanted to get inside the book, knock on his door, hug him as soon as he opened his door and then give him a red rose saying that he was the bravest man ever and that he shouldn't let himself down just because certain stupid women think that only men who do go to war deserve them. He is a hero to me.

You guys probably want me to shut up so I'm going to talk about the rest of the things that I want to mention.

I really love how Alfie believes that it's absolutely normal for a girl to be president even though his own mother laughs at him. I'm kind of a feminist (to say I'm truly feminist would be wrong).

The description of the hospital and all the troubles of those patients will make any grown person cry. I also marveled at how Alfie was able to get in and out of the hospital so easily. He is one smart boy.

Most people talk about how honorable they felt when they fought for their country, but this book shows you the invisible scars that war leaves on people. And I think that is what people need to understand. Just because a person's face isn't readable does not mean he/she doesn't feel any emotion or in this case, just because you don't visibly see the harm of the war does not mean it's not there.

I have noted down certain quotes from the book. I haven't been able to find this book on any bookstores but I'm planning on ordering it online because I really need to have it with me. It may not be the same as it was the first time but I still feel those emotions in me when I see it.

"It's a big wide world, isn't it? said Georgie. "Do you think they all hate each other on other planets too?" (I had to stifle a cry at this part)

"Of course I was afraid. What kind of fool wouldn't be afraid, going over to some foreign country to dig out trenches and to kill as many strangers as you could before some stranger could kill you? Only a lunatic wouldn't be afraid. But it wasn't fear that kept me from going, Alfie. It wasn't because I knew I'd be injured or killed. It was the opposite of that. It was the fact that I didn't want to kill anyone." (OH MY JOOOOOE! *cries Niagara falls and incinerates into the sun with pain*)

He'd done it for the best reason in the world. For love. *Ambulance needed*

The ending of this book left me scarred with happiness... if that makes any sense. I would recommend this to everyone and anyone. Maybe you all won't feel the same emotions that I felt. But still do read it, it's worth it.

I'm very stingy when it comes to rating books. But this one gets a five without a moments hesitance.

Don't you love these Raven feathers? (thanks to Beez for helping me pick them... not literally. I meant choosing)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 11:48:00 +0000

Beez: How to fall in love

Cecelia Ahern

She has just two weeks. Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life.

Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Halfpenny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump. Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him she can show him that life is worth living before then.

Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she’s made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life.

But has she done enough to change his mind for good? And is that all that’s starting to happen?

[Lets go bananas, bananas..]

I've just finished this book and I'm laughing a little crazily.

This is also a proof of the fact that I'm crazy because i have my exams and yet I'm reading books and writing reviews and laughing like a person gone bat shit crazy.

That I am.

So what do i say about this book?

Meh, meh, nyeah.

That's exactly how i feel about this book.

I'm like in a rant mode now so be prepared.

When i started this book i quite liked it. Christine, the protagonist is the wacky lady who's just seen a guy shoot himself in his head and then changed her life coz watching a guy kill yourself in front of you is a life changing experience (no sarcasm there, hones.).

And then she meets Adam. Uhh, who's about to just from the H'appeny Bridge. So Christine sees this as her chance to undo her mistake with the previous guy (the one i mentioned above, the one who shot himself in the head). And so she begs him to please give her chance till his birthday (2 weeks later) to make him want to live again.

Now this might sound a little more than cracked (it does to me to), but Cecelia Ahern has the Stephenie Meyer effect and it doesn't feel so ridiculous when reading the book. In fact the first part is quite fun actually. Basically Christine just keeps doing these crazy thing and you wonder whats wrong with her, but you admit you've fallen prey for Adam's cheeckbones, so you don't do much and go along.

And for bonus there are a lot of funny parts including one in which Christine dips her chin in cake icing and so gets a dripping Gandalf beard (i might be exaggerating).

There are so many things wrong with this book. But did i mention the Stephenie Meyer effect?

So in the end most of it is okay.

It makes you life and enjoy the insanities of living in a make believe world.

Basically a rom com.

That's what this book is. A total rom com.

I was enjoying this book until the point.

The the point I'm referring to is when she so pathetically dramatically tells Simon (the guy who shot himself in the head), that she is 'in love with Adam'.

GET OUT.

Why do i have a problem with this, you might ask?

After all it was obvious they'd fall in love and she was in love with him, i agree.

BUT DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE A PART OF HER TELLING THAT TO A DEAD- ALMOST DEAD- GUY AND THEN COMPLETELY TRANSFORM HER INTO THAT BLONDE PATHETIC HOPELESS LADY FROM A ROM COM??

JUST. NO.

There was so much i thought was wrong after that. I guess i just can't wrap my head around the fact that somebody can be so hopeless and pathetic and stupid and send the novel into free fall.

After that i didn't like the book much and everything was so predictable and i felt like personally throttling Christine for being the above mentioned.

As side notes, i really enjoyed Christine's crazy family but i did not like the Detective and his daughter story part or Amelia's story.

I also didn't like her ex husbands part all that much but at times it was comical, but why the fuck did she marry him?

Its like before the guy who shot himself in the head, this Christine didn't know how to think.

Sad life really.

And then after that she becomes Miss WhackHead but that's the part i like best after. Then after that comes, you know, the dreadfully awful stage of pathetic blonde from rom com.

After the incident, i felt the book lost a lot of direction and structure and became unreadable at certain levels. Ask Raven, I've droned on enough.

But see in the end i did not hate this book. The ending is soo cliche rom com that i could have told you that would happen before reading it. But it wasn't bad. Like compared to the free fall. And it was really sweet and it fit perfectly. So i gracefully forgave Christine for becoming the pathetic person she had become and wished her well on having her lovey dovey love story.

So i guess the bad part is from after the incident to after they do it.

I'm literally telling you everything but i needn't even do that but i wouldn't really recommend reading it.

Just someone make into a really funny and cute and whacky film and I'll watch it.

No i did not hate this book, i just didn't love it, sorry Cecelia Ahern.

There are some books of Cece i love but others no so much. This would go into the latter. If you want to read more Cece then read P. S. I love you (really soo good and magical), The time of my life (crazy yet completely fun), A place called here(ditto),The gift(i can't explain why but i really liked it).

So if ye want to read a rom com with its fair share of sweetness and if you can handle people falling pathetically in love and if you like guys named Adam with cheeckbones(if you dont, get out.), then totes read it.

(it honestly is not as bad as i made it sound)

3 stars :(

Lots of love and cupcakes,

Beez.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 May 2014 18:45:00 +0000

Raven: Fangirl

A novel by Rainbow Rowell

Publication Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: St, Martin's Press
Pages: 445
Targeted Audience: All Fangirls (new and old)

Summary: From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.
A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Alright.
I am ready for this.
Let's begin.
So... I-uh...I really... I just... Damn man! I am not ready! And I don't think I ever will be. Recently I have read so many beautiful books like 'Me Before You', 'Between the Lines', Addition', 'Pivot Point', 'The distance between us', and many many others but this book... This book is on a whole new level.

Now I am going to be honest with you here. Beez was the one who suggested that we should read this book since we have been fangirling over Sherlock, Doctor Who, Supernatural and Loki for a pretty long time. (Not that long actually. Just a few months)

So we start reading this book and it doesn't speak out to us. I mean, when you start reading a good book, the first page itself grips you in its tentacles and pulls you in but this book did not do that. We read like twenty or so pages and gave up on it. But then we read a few reviews by other people on this book and almost everyone loved it and so we decided to start off again and we kept reading and kept reading and kept reading...

For me, I was entranced by the book as soon as Reagan started talking to Cath. Her character was just so vibrant and hilarious. I have a bus mate who is exactly like her so I always kept imagining Reagan as that girl and now whenever I see her (My bus mate) I can't stop snickering! Reagan is a very intimidating person. Usually I don't get along with people who intimidate me but she and Cath got along so well that I couldn't help loving her.

Oops! Before we get into characters, the blurb.
So Cath and Wren are twins. They have an awesome Geek dad and their mom left them when they were kids. Wren decides to go to college in Lincoln which is pretty far away from Omaha and Cath is forced to go as well.
Wren and Cath love each other (I mean they are twins! They grew up together) but Wren wants to have her own identity and so she does everything from cutting her hair to getting a different roommate in college. However, Cath doesn't want to let go of her sister. She does not like change. All she wants to do is sit in her room, put her glasses on and write Simon Snow fan-fiction and give Simon and Baz (The two main characters in the Simon Snow books) THE best ending ever.

Simon Snow: It's just like how Harry Potter is to us.

Cath has a huge number of people who follow her fan-fiction and since she just loves writing she chooses 'fiction writing' as one of her subjects in college. And now she gets to learn from an awesome fiction writer called Professor Piper who thinks fan-fiction is plagiarism.

The problem: Cath can't let go of Simon and Baz. She is losing her sister but gaining an awesome guy in the process. And as you can see, there is more 'change' than she can handle.

Now lets continue with the characters.

Cath/Cather as we know, is a not so ordinary girl who has an ear fetish. Yeah... that pretty much sums it up. Hahaha! Not really, I am just kidding. It's just that Cath is so human that I can't describe her in a few words. She is a lot of things-funny, awkward, serious, nerdy, geeky, reluctant to trust people, indecisive, caring, etc. She is more human than any character I have ever read about. I just feel like I can relate to her. In fact, all the book worms who go around fangirling can relate to her. She is just so 'us' and I love that about her.

Wren on the other hand was a complete arse in the whole book! Specially when she made fun of Simon and Baz, I was really pissed then. But by the end I fell in love with her too. She is back with Cath, writing fan-fiction with her, fangirling over Simon and Baz and just plain having fun.

Levi is just... Levi. He kind of resembles Tom Hiddleston in his views on being kind to everyone. He has a never-ending supply of smiles, a widows peak which reminds me of Matt Smith and Chris Hemsworth, and a very funny sense of humor. He isn't like the guys you read in every freaking god damn book! He isn't hot, he isn't 6 foot, he isn't muscular and well built, in short-I love him! He is a normal guy. He feels so real that when someone reminds you that he is just a character it's like a huge slap to your face. To be honest, I think Rainbow Rowell wrote Fangirl because she knew that people who would read it would fangirl over it and she was right.

Levi is not someone you would fall for on first sight. He has got so many layers to him. As Cath gets to know him more she falls for him harder and harder and so did I. He is such a sweet guy. Very very very few authors write guy characters who are sweet and not arrogant. Who try to win over a girl by being sweet to her instead of being a complete jerk. I could go on about him forever.

I want to marry a guy like him. And that is final. I ain't having no other kind.
Also the fact that he loves it when Cath reads books to him is just so 'sawoon' worthy.

Honestly, I never knew how the ending would turn out to be. Maybe it's because I never thought of the ending. I just kept reading. Never even bothered to look at the page numbers and before I knew it I was on the last page! I never cry over happy endings but this was one book in which I did. I just had soo many emotions going through my heart. And uh... we fangirled over the book. And I think that once you are sucked into the fandom, gay ships are very very common. Now I am reading another book in which I am convinced that one of them is gay or has a huge crush over the other guy. Yeah... being in a fandom has that effect on you.

P.S: There is a tumblr page called Carry On (Since that is the name of the book Cath was writing-Carry On, Simon) where you can read more excerpts from the Simon Snow books! And loads of fan art! It is awesome! Click here---> http://magicath.tumblr.com/ (Oh and Magicath is Caths fanfiction-writer name)

Lots of Love & Pasta,
Raven

Before we wrap up:

(Reagan) “I feel sorry for you, and I'm going to be your friend."
"I don't want to be your friend," Cath said as sternly as she could. "I like that we're not friends." "Me, too. I'm sorry you ruined it by being so pathetic.”

Now you know why we like her so much.

(A conversation between Levi and Cath)
“What's the plan?' she asked.
He grinned. 'My plan is to do things that make you want to hang out with me again tomorrow. What's your plan?'
'I'm going to try not to make an ass of myself.'
He grinned. 'So we're all set.”

Notice how he is grinning the whole time?

(Another conversation between Levi and Cath)
Cath: I still can't believe you work in Starbucks.
Levi: What's wrong with Starbucks?
Cath: It's just such a huge, faceless corporation.
Levi: So far they have let me keep my face.

How can you not love his humor??

Five stars and more!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 May 2014 15:03:00 +0000

Beez: Bridge to Terabithia

Katherine Paterson

Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone.

That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.

This story.

We've all seen the movie. We all love the movie. We've all cried over it. But what about the book?

Yeah, the books the same.

This book is a trip back to our childhood where we all lived in our worlds, had our issues and saw the world differently. Its about the simple things of our childhood and how we were so new to this world and loved stories and had wild imaginations running around.

In this book, we live in Jess's mind and meet our favourite exotic Leslie and then go to the kingdom of Terabithia were two children are the king and queen of their fantasies. Jess might be a eleven year old boy who lives a life a world apart from ours but my inner child was immediately friends with him. Jess is a different sort of boy. He has some darn determination and a damn good heart. That is probably another amazing thing about this book, it lacks any malice and contempt people grow to have.

This book is definitely a childhood classic but well its a recommended read for all ages.

The author has created the characters so well and the story is quite beautifully written and you know, 'its an out of book feeling".

Another best thing about this book is Leslie's colourful imagination. She fascinates us the way she fascinates Jess. And then there's her awesome family.

Also Maybelle.

She is seriously the cutest!

In general, the part I love the most about the story is the end.

*spoiler alert*

No I'm not happy that the author killed Leslie off, but then she this probably was her only way to have her chance to have tea with Satan for whatever reason.

And that's not my favourite part of the story.

My favourite part is the part after Leslie's death, the part where Jess graciously kills us with his sweetness and cuteness and crowns Maybelle as the queen of Terabithia.

Because what could be a more wonderful moment than that?

Its one of those moments when your heart blooms with happiness and your choking with emotions and your smiling inside out because damn this boy is good. And because apart from being so cute and just lost a best friend, he's the sweetest guy and the best brother you could possibly ever have! Again, too much emotion.

I guess, now you should go and read this book?

You probably should.

Will break your heart but worth it.

(And now you know what to do if you ever want to have tea with Satan ;))

Raven: "WHY YOU SO CUTE JOSHY????"

Lots of love and watermelon,

Beez.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Apr 2014 13:34:00 +0000

Raven : Doctor Who The Price of Paradise

Colin Brake

Aaaah! David Tennant & Billie Piper

Laylora - the Paradise Planet. A world of breath-taking beauty, where peace-loving aboriginals live in harmony with their environment. Or do they? The Doctor and Rose arrive to find that the once-perfect eco-system is showing signs of failing. The paradise planet has become a death trap as terrifying creatures from ancient legends appear and stalk the land... Is there a connection between the human explorers who have crash-landed and the savage monsters? What secret lies at the heart of the natives' ancient ceremonies? And what price might one human have to pay to save the only home he has ever known? When a planet itself becomes sick, can there be a cure?
The Doctor and Rose find themselves in a race against time to find out...

This was my first Doctor Who book and to be honest, this book was kind of average compared to other sci-fi books that I have read. I expected a lot from the book since I love Doctor Who (New whovians here!) But it wasn't horrible, it got interesting after a few chapters.

So, this time the TARDIS takes the Doctor and his companion, Rose to a beautiful planet named Laylora, or paradise planet as the human explorers call it. But the paradise planet seems to be in peril. It's been showing signs of falling such as landslides, earthquakes, etc which is very unlike Laylora according to the natives. But these signs worsen when Laylora gives birth to her protectors - The Witiku (I like the sound of it). The Witiku are savage monsters whose main purpose is to destroy everything that threatens Laylora.

And now it's up to the Doctor and his companion to save the day and protect the human explorers and the natives from the Witiku but also figure out how to save the paradise planet from falling.

Now like I said I didn't like this book that much but it had a great green message. If you actually think about it Laylora kind of represents our planet Earth. Earth too was beautiful once but we humans have ruined it and like Laylora, the natural disasters are increasing in number (And soon there shall be an apocalypse!)

On the other hand I thought that Laylora had serious adapting issues. You could compare it to some people, who cannot handle a shift in their routine and will throw fits if their schedule is changed in any tiny way. These kind of people really need to learn to adapt. I mean, come on! I like having proper schedules too but change is good!

Anyway, back to the review. I didn't like how the Doctor and Rose were rarely together in the book. I also think that the writing was not that good since I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. However, I liked how the different story lines fused into one by the end of the story. So I would give it a 3.5 even though I want to give it more since I love DW. In the meantime I will keep a lookout for more DW books.

Lots of Love & Pasta,

Raven

Beez doesn't like Macaroons... Bad Beez!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Apr 2014 13:33:00 +0000

Sowie Note

So i figured we probably owed you an apology and explanation.

And yes we do have one but we agree we are not justified.

Life has been a lot of crazy.

We just fully realized that probably taking science as our stream was probably- is -a mistake.

But now we have no choice but to live with it.

And in vetween of school, exams, fangirling (our new job) and TV shows to watch, we did slouch.

But not now, now we are back on the track and are going to keep these endless reviews flowing ~~even tho we're going down the road to our imminent death~~.

We are truly sorry.

Please forgive us.
(insert Benedict's puppy dog eyes)

For extra added measure:

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 09:41:00 +0000

Beez: The perks of being a wallflower

Stephen Chbosky

Charlie is a freshman.

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

Note before reading this:

Do not read this review if u haven't read it and plan to. This is not a review. This is basically a collection of my lots of thought on this book and Charlie and everything so basically its the whole story.

lets talk about charlie.

he is a wallflower (later i realized that anyone could see that from the title)

this story, is a story from Charlie's eyes. (mindblock)

Charlie is a lot of things. Hes a wallflower because he thinks about everything but isn't in it much. He's like the guy on the sidelines who observes and analyzes. But there is a lot of depth to him. His brain is just a jumble of thought and a lot of things jumbled up together. So basically he's just this normal typical guy you usually don't notice. That being said, let me remind you that guys like Charlie simply do not exist in this real (and cruel world) -just the sad truth.

And so in this book while charlie tells us his story, we have this total stay in in his brain and just be. So yeah, there are many down sides to Charlie's character like how he sometimes restricts himself from all the things he could be. He is incredibly talented and he doesn't know it. When Bill tells him just how brilliant he is, he just humbly says thank you because he's confused coz he doesnt see that brilliance in him, he just sees himself as him.

One thing i absolutely loved about Charlie is how he observes people. He doesnt see their bad points or do the sherlock type analysing, he just simply takes notes of the small things. You realize that when he gives gifts to all those people. They didn't get him anything but he got them stuff that they very much liked and they were surprised because they really didn't think he knew them so well or noticed them. And another great point about Charlie is he is very good hearted.

It paricularly showed when Sam and Craig break up. And when his sister gets hit. And a lot of other situations. He doesn't think if himself. He just wants everybody to be happy. When Sam and Craig break up, he spends a lot of paragraphs telling us how the whole thing went but we do not see a single sentence of maybe he is kind of happy that theres a chance of him and Sam again.

Though quite lot of that is because Charlie doesn't think he stands a chance wih Sam but also because he cares aboyt her first, then likes her. So he is not at all happy that they broke up. But over here we have a negative point too.

Charlie doesnt think he is a is a possible chance for Sam. That is kind of disheartening but then u realize that Chrile doesn't quite consider himself. The wallflower thing. But while a wallflower might be someone who is on the sidelines and thnks things through, Charlie doesn't think much about himself.

When i read Openly straight, Rafe thinks quite a lot of what he thinks others might think about him. But then in the end times he comes to this understanddng that people dont think much about him, instead like he himself they think about themselves.

So our Charlie over here doesn't really think about him.

He doesn't think that people think about him maybe the way he thinks about them. He has clearly written that he is surprised when he finds out that they thought about him too. This is quite the reason why Charlie doesnt participate. Because he just doesn't consider himself. I find this i several places like when his sister gets a abortion he doesn't utter a word what he thinks about it. No question nor anything. And when Charlie tells us abouut his various family holidays you can clearly see Charlie is invisible, as in he is there and people know it but he doesnt participate because he doesnt hold himself there. I hope u r getting me. This is a huge part of Charlie's character because despite his brillaintness this stops him. Now Charlie's two best friends Patrick and Sam, slowly start seeing him because he starts getting more open with them and then he does start considerig himself a bit more, but not all people are like that are they?

We see how Charlie is with those kind of people in Mary Elizabeth part of this book.

When Charlie was with Mary Elizabet, i didn't feel like he truly connected with her. He felt that too. But i think that is mostly his fault. When Mary Elizabeth chatters off incandescently about things she doesnt want Charlie to participate and but in and say something but Charlie just doesnt. Yes he acts as an incredible listener so ME continues talking. But when Charlie feels suffocated by that he doesn't tell it to er. And if Charlie had probably tried more to be a person to ME than a ear things could have gone a lot lot better. He just doesn't think hes the one to have an opinion. Of course like normal person he does have opinions but he doesnt always share them and nor does he think its his place to have them. So when ME really wants him to say something and when he disagrees she does want him to argue Charlie simply doesn't. And then he doesn't tell her that he's feeling suffocated and she never knows.

So to Charlie he is nobody.

So i guess since this is technically a review i should include a bit of the book in it. In simple words this book is all about Charlie's story. So i dont know how to write a summary on this one. Basically yeah its Charlies story and he tells us about his freshman year at school and the different stuff that happens to him and all about other people and in that way we get to know charlie. I particularly liked Charlie. He's a sweet guy who is brilliantly brilliant. And that mind of his thinks deep stuff.

Also i completely forgot to mention an important act. Charlie cries a lot. At a lot if times. He doesnt bawl. He is just rather sensitive and an emotional wreck. Also he is absolutely not afraid or shy to cry being a boy and a teen himself. There are so many parts where he's written he has cried. From a person who cries very less, this is a mixture of both good and bad according to me. While crying is like a good way and all to express yourself, Charlie does cry a bit too much. But we all love him for it.

So this just says about how he makes 2 best friends called Patrick or Nothing and Sam who he is infatuated with. And then how he simply tags along and does so many things with them and their friends and then gets his first kiss and a girlfriend and then very self destructively wrecks his life and then wallows while going through a lot of mixed feelings and reading a lot of good books and just silently brilliant beng himself and coping and dash dash. Then after some more things happening with different turns for some characters, we see Charlie still stay the same while every body is doing something. And then we see in the end Charlie doesn't really have any enemies because all he wants is for people to be happy and have a great life (he make no secret if it: e once called a teleshopper for some exercise equipment and told her that he didnt want anything but just wanted to wish her a good day). I think its all a mixture of that that makes us finally love and adore Charlie.

But let me just tell you in bold that there is no Charlie in this world.

So i really want to talk about this.

Patrick. Patrick is a really huge part if Charlies life. I think he is a more bigger part than Sam. Now i mainly want to talk about Brad. Brad is the guy who sleeps with Patrick but is in the closet and doesn't want anybody to know. So at first i didnt like him. i didnt like how Patrick dedicated so much time to him and he still didnt do him justice. Like, i loved Patrick and i felt like Brad was using him. But then theres a turning point. Over here i think people go into two groups- one who sympathize with Patrick and one who hate him. I'm the sympathizing one.

While i dint particularly like him, i felt like after all he s just a child of repressed bringing up and no freedom to be himself. Thats because when his father discovers them in bed he beats poor Brad up and if u really see it from Brads view he dint really have a choice and i felt sorry for him. Sure you can tell him to be brave and take a stand but till we walk a mile in the persons shoes we really cant dictate them. Its his choice.

Now i think a normal person would still get a dislike for Brad after the faggot comment and tho i definitely didnt like it, i was expecting it (seen the movie) didnt really think much of it. I just got a feeling that even if Brad didnt really want to be that person, he didnt really have any say in it. Then i didnt really like Brad that much when i saw Patrick suffering and i did kinda want to punch him(yay charlie!)

But in the end, at graduation Charlie is happy for Brad too. Which just makes you wonder what planet Charlie is from.

So one of my favorite parts of this book is obviously the "We are infinite part". I have Charlie's last letter as per the movie and i am obsessed with it. I can tell you every word right now. And that line

"Änd in that moment, i swear we are infinite.""

that line is like the key to my heart. I love that line. And that scene. And when Charlie sees all of that.

Its just beautiful.

Love this book.

Definitely gonna read it again.

No doubt it. 6/5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 14:07:00 +0000

Raven: ~~City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4)~~

A novel by Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: April 5th, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 424
Targeted Audience: Young Adult

Summary: The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her—his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

The stakes are higher than ever in the #1 New York Times bestselling fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments series.

Now before I begin. I never planned on reading this book. I was done after City of Glass but then Beez told me that this book has a very shocking ending and so I read.

I don't know why there are soo many people who absolutely hate this book. I mean yes of course you have the usual hot shot, the "Simon", the girl who is helpless and is used as leverage throughout the whole series but besides that I think there is a good plot. Honestly I do.

*If you haven't read the last book then don't read further*

After the death of Valentine in City of Glass and the missing body of Sebastian I was sure that in this book, by some freak of nature, Sebastian will return... but something absolutely unexpected happened. That was one thing I liked in this book.

The second thing I really liked was Simon being stuck between Maia and Isabelle. Ha! Those times I felt so sorry for Simon.

Simon went through a character development I think. He has more knowledge about the Downworlders and we get to see The Mark of Cain in action.

Plus he does something that was uncontrollable but terrible nonetheless.

Now keep everything aside and let us talk about... Alec and Magnus!! Damn! I ship them so hard! I love the Malec parts the most. Alecs jealousy and Magnus trying to make it up to him *squeling* I know I have lost it but eh! Whatever. I guess you could say that I read the Mortal Instruments to have more of them.

I was disappointed that Jocelyn and Lukes marriage wasn't given much of an importance.

I loved the villian... mostly because... well I cant exactly tell why. Go figure it out yourself.

And that's basically everything. There are a few new characters introduced. We get to meet Simons band and meet Maias past.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I have heard that she will be starting another series with the same shadow hunter theme after the release of City of Lost Souls and I never want to read that series because I do not like it when authors stretch a series. It is one reason why I never read Vampire Diaries (Well, I read only the first book and saw the first 3 episodes of season 1... that's all)

But of course if J.K.R decides to write more Harry Potter then WOOHOO!

Lots of Love & Pasta,

Raven

Because this is the max I will give it.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 20:03:00 +0000

Raven: ~~The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus #4)~~

An incredible novel by Rick Riordan

Publication Date: October 8th, 2013
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Pages: 597
Targeted Audience: People who want to get their heart broken by major feels

Summary: At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

*High-pitched squeal* THIS BOOK! Oh good lord! This book is the bomb! I mean when I saw it, I squealed so hard. I was fangirling alongside reading it. It's almost a 600 page book and on a general basis it should have taken me at least two weeks to finish it but I finished it in 3 days. THAT'S HOW HYPER I WAS!

Okay okay enough of the fangirling. I can't really write a review as such cause there are sooo many things happening in this book. But basically it is all character development.

We get to see so many different angles to every character! There is a new layer unfolding as we turn every page. Percy and Annabeth's journey in Tartarus was just wow! I mean it was described in such a good way that it actually gave me the chills. And there were loads of Percabeth moments! <3 I just love them both together. Plus all those enemies they faced. Wow just wow...

Bob was the cutest and the most adorable character in this book. He made me cry at the end.

Piper went through a major development. When she was charm-speaking Khione I was literally at the edge of my seat biting my finger off in anxiety. *Slow-applause*

Hazels new power is hella awesome! I loved it. She and Frank are meant to be! I ship them! Oh and Franks development was just *insert dropped jaw* He just... argh! He just went commando! I love him! I loved him before and I still love him. I love that line he says "Pain was unimportant. Failure was unthinkable." It's engraved in my memory.

Leo also under went such a HUGE character development! It's like he has a purpose now. I am so glad that Rick Riordan finally got him together with a great girl... well not really together but yeah... I SHIP CALEO!!

NICO: His confession... assdfgfhja! I just can't take it! I was so torn when he confessed. I felt like my heart was ripped out. I stopped reading and screamed into my pillow. That's how big his confession was. It was like... OUT OF THE FREAKING BLUE! And I absolutely loved it! Would not have it any other way.

Jason... well he didn't change much.

But overall, I loved it. There is such a different tone to this whole book. I mean there is humor of course but there is this underlying tragic tone. All the characters have a kind of sadness in them that you only get after losing someone. Gosh! I can't wait for the last book! I can't imagine how it will all end. I mean it's Rick Riordan! You can never predict what he does.

Must read!

Lots of Love & Pasta,

Raven

Four & a half stars!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 19:31:00 +0000

Beez: Love, Stargirl

Jerry Spinelli

LOVE, STARGIRL picks up a year after Stargirl ends and reveals the new life of the beloved character who moved away so suddenly at the end of Stargirl. The novel takes the form of "the world's longest letter," in diary form, going from date to date through a little more than a year's time. In her writing, Stargirl mixes memories of her bittersweet time in Mica, Arizona, with involvements with new people in her life.

In Love, Stargirl, we hear the voice of Stargirl herself as she reflects on time, life, Leo, and - of course - love.

There are some books that when you're reading it something magical happens and when you smile, every part of your body has got a buzzes with happiness. When there's a sad part, you become low for the rest of the day. This is that book. This is that book that creates a world for you above your head. This is that book that leaves you completely satisfied and amazed. This is one of the best book I've ever read (i repeat this line many times in this review).

In the first book Stargirl Caraway enchanted me. In this book, well she continued to do the same. I fell in love with every part of her as i read on.

I was fascinated by Stargirl in the prequel, and this book made me further fascinated. She is truly beautiful. She has the hugest heart. She has a place for everybody in her heart.Nobody is insignificant. She sees something in everybody. Also she isn't proud or arrogant or stuck up. She treats everybody as equal. She believes they are like her. She sees people not only at the surface, but deeper and sometimes better than one sees them-self.

This book is from Stargirl's POV. And while in the prequel we were all wonders at who this creature might be,in this book we meet her a a fellow human, a teenager even. Definitely a more special kind and better person than the better lot of us, but a real human who has bad days, who mopes for her ex and deals with real life. It makes us connect with her so much more.

Apart from being all about Stargirl, this book has many other wonderful characters who seem so real. This book is every one's story. From the man who lives in the past to the woman who is afraid of living and everyone in between.

Dootsie is my one of my favorite character. She is just so cute. I love how that huge head of her sees everything in a completely new light and how she is so vibrant and colorful and adorable. It is impossible not smile in every part of the book she is in.

Till now you probably have figured that i am incapable to write a proper review for this book. Mostly its because I'm so smitten with it that i can't move ahead of the fact that this book is beyond amazing!

After i read this book i had the Stargirl girl spell on me, when i just looked out ad smiled so stupidly but i was also so darn devastated that this book was over and i felt so sad and my heart felt like it was going to burst.The ending of this book is magical and beautiful and that feeling is just blows you away.

This beautiful story is about the life of Stargirl after she moves and leaves Leo. Stargirl is heart broken and does her fair share of moping and fights her demons.She meets new and amazing people and goes around spreading the Stargirl magic around her. She discovers the place she now lives in and finds enchanted places. She goes back to being home schooled by her mom. She takes up new projects and completely fascinates us by her uniqueness. With some of the best and amazingly thoughtful quotes this book is one of a kind.

Its taken the place of my current favorite book.

Truthfully, this book touched me deeply. There is so much truth and realness in this book and its written amazingly. There are parts in this book that will make you smile through tears. In this big bad world, there are people like Stargirl that make it worth living, restores our faith in humanity. Its the small things. Its when somebody in the world notices you, Stargirl does that. Not without hardship. Stargirl has her own life and heart break too, but she has time for the world too.

This world desperately needs Stargirl.

Everybody needs Stargirl.

This being said, this is one of the best books i've every read and i'm going to recommend it to every person out there. If this book fails to touch you and enrapture you with its wonderfulness, there is something seriously wrong with you. You should also know that if you read this book, and don't like it, I don't like you.

Normally for such an amazing book, I'd rant on and on that you have to read it. But this book is different and special and if my review touched you at all, then you shall read it and love it.

“She laughed when there was no joke. She danced when there was no music.

She had no friends, yet she was the friendliest person in school.

In her answers in class, she often spoke of sea horses and stars, but she did not know what a football was...

She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew.”

Love,

Beez.

P.S. I love you Jerry Spinelli for writing such a story.

Read this after you've read the book. Sad but true.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 17:17:00 +0000

Raven: City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3)

A novel by Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: 24th March, 2009

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 541

Targeted Audience: Young Adult

Summary: To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?
Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of the New York Times bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

Clary needs to revive her mother from whatever spell she's under and to do so she needs to find the Warlock-Ragnor Fell. The Warlock resides in Alicante (The City of Glass) and Clary decides to go there with the Lightwood family and Jace through a portal, and that's where things go terribly wrong.

Instead of Clary, Simon ends up in Alicante and Simon being a Downworlder and all. Yeah, he was not so welcome.

Clary, however, does find her way to the city of glass and meets Sebastian. Something about him sounds warning alarms all over her head. There is something definitely dark about him but he seems so sweet. Clary is confused. Not to mention that her relationship with Jace is bordering between weird and cliche. That's my opinion on it. To be honest, I find Alec and Magnus' relationship waaay better than Clary and Jace's. (There is little treat for all the Alec and Magnus lovers in this book)

Jace and Clary find out more about their past, some good and some bad secrets bob up to the surface.

Valentine has declared war over Alicante. He with his Demon army plans to control all of the Shadowhunters and obviously destroy all Downworlders. Shadowhunters don't stand a chance against Valentines army but maybe if they join hands with the Downworlders, they might just win. But will they?

Valentine is so ruthless and wicked in this book, that I have fallen in love with his iniquitous ways (Call me psych, but it's true) He just seems like a royal arse who just flaunts his evilness. I love it.

Valentines true aim from the first book has been to acquire the three mortal instruments. After having already gotten The Mortal Cup and The Mortal Sword, all he needs now is The Mortal Mirror.

So this is the whole plot of the book without any spoilers (Yes, yes you can bow to me now)

I have mixed feelings about this book. Sure it had some great moments but way too many cheesy lines for me to digest. Many so-called-suspense had obvious outcomes and I didn't like the way the characters reacted to some of the situations. For example, Isabelle just goes through a huge emotional instability after attending a funeral and what makes her feel better? Intimacy. I had felt absolutely disgusted at this point.

But yes, everything has been finally explained in this book. NO cliffhangers and it had one of the best climax scenes. I am looking forward to the next book in the series (City of Fallen Angels) I would give this book 3.75 stars (It loses it's stars for the oh-so-cheesy scenes and not-so-suspenseful suspenses)

Lots of love and Pasta

Raven

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 Jan 2014 14:52:00 +0000

Beez: Stargirl

Jerry Spinelli

From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, hallways hum “Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. Until they are not. Leo urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her - normal.

Stargirl.

This is a book about a girl named Stargirl.

If i had to choose one word to describe Stargirl it would be magical.

Stargirl Caraway is magical.

She is fascinating, different, unique, mesmerizing and beautiful.

She waltz in like a breeze of fresh air and leaves them speechless.

She has a totally different way of looking at the world around her. She is completely fascinating.

She completely captured my heart as she did Leo.

There is a boy, Leo. From the first day Stargirl comes he is too mesmerized like all of the others. He has never seen anyone as her, no one so vibrant and fascinating.

Every next thing she does makes him more and more hooked to her.

Every day he waits for her and wonders what she will do that day. Like everyone else he is intrigued.


Further more, the things she does not only stuns him but also creates questions in his mind and enraptures him. He wonders and is puzzled. He is also terrified of her. He wonders what is she. He tries to identify or give her some sort of word, but with Stargirl that never works out.

I loved this book.

In fact I'm going to be reading it again and note down all the amazing lines even though there might be quite a lot.

Its such a shame there are hardly any Stargirl's left in this world. This world needs Stargirl.

I applaud Jerry Spinelli. He has written this book artfully. And this type of book takes courage to write.

I feel like i shouldn't give u a summary of this book. I feel that every person should experience it without any pre thoughts or something. Also every stage fascinates you and if i tell u what fun will it be? Discovering Stargirl and her antics are so much fun and adds such a lightness and wonder to this book. I felt every part of this book was good. It was quite real. And as for leo, though i felt he was useless i don't quite blame him. We might think we would have choosen otherwise but it makes us wonder what is really important. Would we be brave enough to choose Stargirl?

This is not a love story or anything dramatically teenager. Its about being yourself.

Stargirl is plain magic, the way she enraptures the people and stuns them, not caring even a little what they think.

Finding out Stargirl through Leo's eyes was brilliant. The way this story progresses is brilliant. This is a unique book.i think everyone should read it.

No one is as brave as Stargirl. It takes real courage to be her.

I don't believe anyone cant like this book. This is not like other books, its a different and special book.

As for the ending, i have to say this is one of the best books worth that sort of an ending. It might not be amazing but its wonderful in its own sense.

Stargirl might be gone, but she is forever.

Now toodles cause i gotta go read the sequel.

Lots of love and strawberry-banana smoothie
Beez.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 15:05:00 +0000

Raven + Beez - Me before You by Jojo Moyes

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

I know its terribly cliche to begin a review with a sobbing picture or rants about sobbing but....

My heart is bleeding!

This book is beautifully devastating.

Sometimes I feel like killing the author Jojo Moyes for doing this to me.

This is one book that I could read a million times but still feel torn and heart broken.

In fact I think I should stop writing this review now because no matter what I write I can never do this book any justice.

This is one of those books that just pulls you in, slowly mesmerizing you, making you break into smiles every few seconds and makes you grow such a bond with the characters you didn't think possible!

The story: Lou is a 20 something girl who is satisfied with her life. She does not really yearn to live fully and crazily. While Will would kill to be able to just have the option and the choice of doing so much with his life.

As it happens Lou begins working for will!

And in all that time, Lou learns how to live, how to be full spirited while trying to remind a man that life is worth living. With several twists and heart wrenching scenes in this book, Jojo Moyes completely makes you fall in love with Will, the arse, and Lou the girl with the striped legs.

Their journey in this been written in this astoundingly real way and not made it feel like make believe. There are no magical coincidences and there is a lot of sarcasm and normalness.

There are various truths and understandings along the journeys and some terrible and truths and then finally those twists that twist your heart. This book tells us to live a little bolder and never settle for less because it may be taken away from you any time. This book also tells that sometimes things don't go like you think they will and that change and taking risks are very frightening but very needed as well. Out there is a world waiting for you to open it and take all what you want from it.

This story was written in an amazing way with the perfect plot to connect with you. When this book surprises you, it feels like those times when you feel as if life has slapped you on the face and it stings. Perfect in every way.

As for the ending, I don't know if I would have changed the ending. Probably not. As much as I want what happened not to have happened, the ending was perfect and made me sob my lungs out. This is actually my second time reading this book. I STILL CANT GET OVER IT.

What makes this book even more amazing are those little moments. In Alicia's wedding the dance between will and Lou, the storm night in Mauritius, Lou's birthday party, the various concerts they attend, the foreign films will makes Lou watch.

This is a beautiful book and I suggest every one that read it once in your life even the guys out there. I mean it, there's soo much more to this book than falling in love. There's the bitter truth and all that.
On an ending note I should probably warn you that this book gives out dangerous emotions and guarantees outbursts and depression periods. Totally worth it though!

Lots of love & chocolate marshmallow pizza
Beez.

As usual, this is just another one of the books that Beez forced me to read and I'm glad she did. This isn't your typical romance novel, even though the beginning may fool you into thinking so. I don't really know what genre to put it in since it has almost everything except for supernatural and fantasy stuff.

Me before You was released last year and everyone knows that Twilight was all the rage at the time. This book went unnoticed among almost everyone. Why? Because the publishing market was craving for more vamps and werewolves. But thank the lord that this book was published. If such a book remained as a draft then it would be a crime. A crime towards all the people who cherish a beautiful, heart-touching book.

The story might sound confusing but I think that's what makes this book something you can relate to. Since life is one huge pile of schist.

Louisa was a really happy and satisfied woman. She had the best job, a hot/rich boyfriend, a small house with her bedroom (or closet) being the smallest, financial problems, a younger sister, Katrina who is always smarter than her, an old grandfather who is just a burden... okay so maybe I should cut off the "Happy" part about her life.

And I should probably mention that unlike any other "normal" individual she has no desire what so ever to explore the world around her, to gain fame or whatever. She just wants to work since she loses her great job at a tea shop. She wants to support her family again because she was the only one who was working.

After going through the options of working at a chicken fast food restaurant and working as a stripper she finally decides to try for the job of taking care of a quadriplegic, even though she was afraid that she would have to wipe butts.

She ends up getting the job and all she has to do is keep Will happy. Easy right? Wrong.

Will has lived every moment of his life to the fullest until his accident. He doesn't regret anything he ever did but he was a man who wanted to live more and here comes along a woman who is actually satisfied with her boring, imperfect life and is responsible for giving him a reason to live.

On one hand, Lou is helping Will see a whole new perspective of life through his wheelchair and on the other hand, Will is trying his best to make Lou attain something in life. In a way you could say that while Will is bound to his chair physically, Lou is bound to her fear of unfamiliarity which restrains both of them from gaining more than what they actually can.

Also it's funny how two people see things in a completely different perspective. While I thought that Will was more like a gentleman, Beez considered him more of an arse (a good arse of course)

I just love how funny the whole book is. The sarcasm and the extent to which we can relate to almost everything that happens in the book is just wonderful. It's like a bonus to the awesome plot of the story. I can't imagine anyone not liking this book. The immaturity of Lou is hilarious and the sibling rivalry is expressed perfectly.

There is no part that I can mention in particular because there are many tiny and special moments that I cherished. Like Beez said, it's those little moments that make this book amazing. Another thing that separates this book from all the other ones out there is the "This is life not fiction" feel of it. Half of the time I expected Will to get up from his wheely and hold Lou tight but of course nothing like that happens in real life.

Now about the ending, I wouldn't want it to change no matter what. Even though I laid the book aside and cried my eyes out into the pillow, I still wouldn't want the ending to change. It's just another specialty of this book. It's got one of the most perfect ending in the history of perfect fiction endings.

Usually, no matter how much I love fangirling about a book, I won't read it again unless required but this book... I won't mind opening this book on any cold, rainy day with hot chocolate and tissues. In fact if anyone asks me for a good book I will smack their face with this one and force them to read it. Yes, it is THAT good.

I would gladly rate it a 5.

Lots of love & Pasta,

Raven

Here's a few of our favourite quotes:

‘I just . . . want to be a man who has been to a concert with a girl in a red dress. Just for a few minutes more.’
"It has been, the best six months of my entire life."

"Funnily enough, Clark, mine too."
“I will never, ever regret the things I've done. Because most days, all you have are places in your memory that you can go to.”

“... if you're going to wear a dress like that you need to wear it with confidence. You need to fill it out mentally as well as physically.”
“There are normal hours, and then there are invalid hours, where time stalls and slips, where life---real life---seems to exist at one remove.”
“It's complicated.'

'So's quantitative easing. But I still get that it means printing money.”
“How could you live each day knowing that you were simply whiling away the days until your own death?”

Yeah! Cinco!!

And here is our Dream Cast for this beautiful book!

Hugh Dancy as Will, Zooey Deschanel as Louisa, Ginifer gooodwin as Treena, Eric winters as Patrick, Hayden Christensen as Nathan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 18:24:00 +0000

Beez: The power of six (Lorien Legacies#2)

Pittacus Lore

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.

Number Two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya.

They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

This book is the sequel to I am number four, which i ever read. I have seen the movie which is awesome with Alex Pettyfer (swoon). I tried to read the first k but i nver found a proper ebook and it started out boring. As i the plot was good but the writing wasn't great. I liked the movie wayy better.

This book was quite better. I felt thouruly engrossed and thriller especially because of the action parts. I fell more in love with Six and Nine. Fur kida irritated me i this one. I also liked Sam. Cntrary to what people say that he is a waste of space, i feelthat smeone like him is definately eeded.

What i quite liked about this bok waa the styleof writing. I liked how he switched between the view points of Marina and John.

Lets review:

Now that the school has blow up John, Sam ad Number Six are on the run from the mogdorians and the FBI. While on the other part of the world, we see Marina, Number Seven who is desperately trying to find out her identity no thanks to her cepan. John and company face a few problems, blow up a few planes, train with six which always result in them being beaten by six and keep searching for something.

Marina is trying to find out about the rest of the garde while trying to wake her cepan and tell her more.

There are super fun fights and exciting parts in this book. I for one, don't like the romance between Six and Four. I liked Sara and even though after this book less so, i want Sam with Six.

I felt the characters in this book were being especially stupid and careless. Just like in Switched, there is so much they can do, yet they don't. And more of my anger is directed at four. He's some sort of leader but he doesn't deserve to be one and he makes such stupid decisions. I was really pissed at him.

Though i sympathized with Marina i felt that she could have doe soo much more earlier. Also i completely disliked her cepan who is a a bag of useless bones. Also i don't quite understand that how so suddenly she just changes her mind in the end of the book ad starts finally heliong Marina. I mean, hello she was there all your life, what were u doing then??

Lets discuss the terrible love triangle here- Four, Six and Sara.

Really? Soo stupid.

If the author wanted to make two garde fall in love, then why on earth did he introduce Sara in there first book. And if John loves Sara, why is he falling for Six? Who Sam his bff like btw.

This was one of the most terrible triangles ever and i hated John when he liked Six but after the Sara incident my thoughts had become more to 'i'll allow it'.

But really, why??

I ship Sam and Six all the way.

Best part in this book-

the fighting.

Honestly, it was cool. With all those super powers, especially Nine's, i was enjoying.

BAM BAM POW!!

Thats all for this review.

I'll say this i liked this book very much until i read this review and all its flaws suddenly came to me. Honestly this review is amazing and soo good. A definite read even if haven't read the book or plan to.

Status of the garde members:

Number Four: John – Resistant to fire, telekinesis, lumen (Cepan: Henri – dead) (Lara and Liren – Four’s parents)
Number Five: ???
Number Six: Maren Elizabeth – Invisibility, telekinesis, change weather (Cepan: Karatrina – dead)
Number Seven: Marina – Breathe under water, telekinesis, can undo damage inflicted on those who don’t deserve it, heals others and herself, nocturnal vision (Cepan: Adeline – dead)
Number Eight: ???
Number Nine: No Name Yet – Xray vision, antigravity, superior hearing, can transfer powers (Cepan: ??? – captured, assumed dead)
Number Ten: Ella – Can change her age (Cepan: Crayton – alive)

I don't think i can give it more than a 3..
Nice read and all but....

Lots of love and mashed potatoes with sour cream

Beez.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 20:19:00 +0000

Raven: ~~The Demigod Diaries (The Heroes of Olympus)~~

A collection of short stories and games by Rick Riordan

Publication Date: January 1st, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Pages: 242
Targeted Audience: Teenagers who need more of Percabeth

Summary: What dangers do runaway demigods Luke and Thalia face on their way to Camp Half-Blood? Are Percy and Annabeth up to the task of rescuing stolen goods from a fire-breathing giant who doesn't take kindly to intruders? How exactly are Leo, Piper, and Jason supposed to find a runaway table, dodge a band of party-loving Maenads (who just might be a little psychotic), and stave off a massive explosion... all in one hour or less?
With his trademark wit and creativity, Rick Riordan answers these questions and more in three never-before-seen short stories that provide vital back-story to the Heroes of Olympus and Percy Jackson books. Original art, enlightening character interviews and profiles, puzzles, and a quiz add to the fun in this action-packed collection.

*A story from Luke Castellan's point of view, from the days when he adventured with Thalia and Annabeth. Many people have asked me to write an adventure prequel to The Lightning Thief. Here it is!

*A classic first-person Percy Jackson story, the first I've written since The Last Olympian. In this adventure, Annabeth and Percy's date is interrupted by the god Hermes, whose staff has been stolen by a fire-breathing giant. This cannot be good . . .

*A Leo Valdez story, set at Camp Half-Blood. As Leo builds the Argo II, something goes terribly wrong. Now Leo will need the help of Piper and Jason, or the entire camp might be destroyed.

*And, as announced on Rock Center, the anthology includes a debut short story from my son Haley. Since Haley inspired the entire Percy Jackson series, it seemed only right that I asked him to contribute his own original spin on Percy's world for this book. I was amazed at what Haley came up with. His brother Patrick, who's a tough editor, was quick to say, "Dad, his story is better than yours!" Haley ponders the question: "What happened to the demigods who fought with Kronos's army after the battle in Manhattan?" This is the story of one such demigod, and I have to admit, some of Haley's ideas are so good I wish I'd come up with them!

Before dwelling into my rant about the four awesome short stories I'm just going to mention that this book has puzzles, quizzes and images of the characters. Ok, so now the rant.

I almost died when I read the first story of Luke and Thalia and how they fight an unbeatable creatures called Leucrotae. It was so different than his other book plots that I loved it even more. It shows us that Luke had seen how cruel Gods were to their kids. In this, it's Apollo's son Halcyon Green and his horrible curse. It was an insightful back story. And it also shows how they met Annabeth. *looks up into the sky with glittering eyes* She must have been soooo cute! A tiny rebel!

Plus when I began reading the part with loads of Percabeth in it... I hyperventilated to death. THEY WERE ON A DATE!! Finally! In the Heroes of Olympus series we were just told that they were dating but in this book there was a part of their date! AAAAAAH! I read it a few weeks ago and I'm still feeling so excited typing it!

It was so cute how Percy wanted to be the best boyfriend to Annabeth. But since he forgot that it was the one month anniversary of the day they first kissed... yup, he was in trouble. But just then Hermes comes to the rescue! kind of. Hermes lost his staff and he was afraid that he will be ridiculed and mocked for the rest of his life by the other Gods if they found out and so he turns to Percabeth to help. The fight between Percy, Annabeth and the giant Cacus was an awesome but equally hilarious fight.

[Cacus was the one who stole George and Martha, who slither across the staff of Hermes or his caduceus, whatever]

But of course Percy and Annabeth did celebrate their anniversary at the end of the day.

The next story is about Leo's Buford problem while making the spanking hot Argo 2. If you have read Mark of Athena, you would know who Buford is... It's a table that walks and runs. And in this short story Buford ran away cause' Leo cleaned him with Windex. I swear I could not stop laughing when I read this part. This particular short story among all was the most hilarious. Jason, Leo and Piper try finding Buford but end up meeting the Maenads-Dionysus fanclub, who happen to eat the people they party with.

The last story is written by Rick Riordan's son Haley. It's called the Son of Magic and it is the back story of what happened to the ones who fought for Kronos. It's a really sad story. I felt bad for those who fought against the demigods. Specially Alabaster (who is the Son of magic referred to), son of Hecate. I also loved Dr. Claymore. It is how any normal, practical human would behave if exposed to some other worldly stuff but he had enough sense to accept it by the end.

I was truly shocked by the time I finished this short story. It was amazing how his son was able to write like a pro. I guess writing runs in his family genes now. But I hope his son doesn't end up torturing his fans to death with cliffhangers like how Rick Riordan does. That would be horrible.

I guess all writers kids are awesome. Here is Haley Riordan and then there's Jodi Picoult's daughter Samantha Van Leer who wrote "Between the Lines" [Link of the review here ]

So this is all I have to say, I rate this book a five! Isn't it obvious why? A must read for all those Percabeth fans and Leo Valdez Fanclub members!

Lots of Love & Pasta

Raven

Under the cover, between the lines.....

I made a P4A video!

Raven: Narnians in Hogwarts

~The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

Releasing on April 26, 2016

~Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The sword of summer by Rick Riordan

Released on October 6, 2015

~~~Standalones~~~

1. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Released on September 12, 2000

2. We all looked up by Tommy Wallach

Released on March 26, 2015

3. The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Released on June 1, 1998

4. The rest of us just live here by Patrick Ness

Released on August 27, 2015

5. 1984 by George Orwell

Released on July 1, 1950

1. Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

Released on August 7, 2012

2. Cinder - The Lunar Chronicles #1 by Marissa Meyer

Released on January 3, 2012

3. Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Released on June 7, 2011

4. Legend Series by Marie Lu

Released on November 29, 2011

5a. The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson

Released on September 16, 2008

5b. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Released on October 1, 2009

A novel by Maggie Stiefvater

Raven: The One Plus One

A novel by Jojo Moyes

Raven: Rooms

A novel by Lauren Oliver

Raven: The Book Thief

A novel by Markus Zusak

Raven:The Transfer

A novel by Veronica Roth

Beez: Landline

Rainbow Rowell

Beez: Addition

Toni Jordan

Raven:Stay where you are and then leave

A novel by John Boyne

Lots of love and cupcakes, Beez.

Raven: Fangirl

A novel by Rainbow Rowell

Beez: Bridge to Terabithia

Katherine Paterson

Raven : Doctor Who The Price of Paradise

Colin Brake

Sowie Note

A novel by Cassandra Clare

An incredible novel by Rick Riordan

Beez: Love, Stargirl

Jerry Spinelli

Raven: City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3)

A novel by Cassandra Clare

Raven + Beez - Me before You by Jojo Moyes

A collection of short stories and games by Rick Riordan

~Standalones~

Lots of love and cupcakes,

Beez.