Kim Reads.

Feature & Follow Friday #9

2012-07-28T11:55:00.000+12:00

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by ParaJunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Follow Friday question this week:
Q: Summer Reading. What was your favorite book that you were REQUIRED to read when you were in school?

Tomorrow When The War Began by James Marsden in Year 11 (I think that might be 10th grade...?)! I read it in two days and ended up reading the rest of the series (: I think everyone in my class actually went onto the next book in the series, even though some of them weren't even into reading.

I know I haven't been posting much lately, but so much has been going on. July - August is probably going to be the busiest time of the year... for my social life.... hahah. But I'm reading when I can and I hope to have a review of Wither up next week (:

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? #5

2012-07-23T21:10:00.000+12:00

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is a meme hosted by Book Journey where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

What read last week:

I finished Wither! And I really liked it. I gave it a 4/5 stars (: I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series :P

What I plan to read next:

I am currently reading the second book in the Fifty Shades trilogy, simply because I read the first few chapters from a friend and decided I might as well finish it. Briar Rose is a book I'm reading for school -__-. I really hate reading books for school (even though this one is short). hahah. We do get some good books sometimes but it takes me so long to get started!

What I plan to read next:
Well, I have no idea what I want to read next. It depends on what I feel like when it comes around to it. And let's be honest, I never stick to the books I say I'm going to read next. hahah.

Feature & Follow Friday #8

2012-07-21T10:42:00.005+12:00

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by ParaJunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Follow Friday question this week:
Q: Christmas in July! Someone gives you a gift card for two books (whatever that costs). What two books will you buy?

This is a hard one! I've decided to go for a book released this year and a book that is a bit pricier (:

Revived and Grimm's Complete Fairytale in Leather Binding (:

EDIT: hahahah. I just noticed it's 'Christmas in July. Woops! I changed one of my picks...

GIVEAWAY: Vacation Reads Hop!

2012-07-19T17:00:00.000+12:00

This giveaway hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Rex Robot Reviews.

This is an international giveaway! The winner will get to choose from the following books:

+ The book will be shipped from TBD so please ensure that they ship to your country.
+ You must be a follower to enter this giveaway. Extra entries are available.
+ The winner will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond.
+ The winner will get to choose any ONE of the books shown above.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

2012-07-18T23:21:00.000+12:00

Title: The Unwritten Rule

Author: Elizabeth Scott

Release Date: March 16th 2010

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Links: GoodReads / The Book Depository
NZ Retailers: Paper Plus / Whitcoulls

Snyopsis (from GoodReads)

Sarah and Brianna have always been friends, and it's always gone like this: guys talk to Sarah in order to get closer to Brianna. So even though Sarah met Ryan first, she's not surprised that he ends up with Brianna (even though Sarah has a massive crush on him).

The three of them hang out, and Sarah and Ryan's friendship grows until one night an innocent exchange between them leads to a moment that makes Sarah realize that Ryan might be interested in her after all. But if there's one unwritten rule, it's this: you don't mess around with a friend's boyfriend.

So Sarah tries to resist temptation. But with the three of them thrown together more and more, tension builds between Sarah and Ryan, and when they find themselves alone together at one point, they realize they just can't fight how they feel anymore....

My Thoughts

This story has a very simple story-line. Sarah likes her best friend's boyfriend. As you read more of the story it is very clear that... Sarah likes her best friend's boyfriend. What I'm saying here, is that this story is super basic. Sarah has had a crush on a boy named Ryan for years but before anything manages to happen between them, Ryan becomes the boyfriend of Sarah's best friend Briana. In the beginning I sympathize with Sarah. She seems like a real nice girl and I really want everything to work out for her. What her and Ryan has is nice. Through flash backs we get to see a lot about how Ryan and Sarah's relationship developed, how Ryan and Briana's relationship came together and also how Sarah and Briana became friends. This helped me to get to know the characters a bit better and it made me feel like I had known the characters for much longer than I really had, which made the story more enjoyable to follow. As the story goes on though it becomes obvious that all it's really going to be about is how much Sarah wants Ryan and how she cannot have him! Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend and 'you don't kiss your best friends boyfriend'. This is pretty much the basis of most of the story. You see Sarah struggling with her feelings for Ryan. Deciding that she doesn't want anything with him because he's with Briana, and then changing her mind again. This is pretty much all that happens... and then there are some small events leading to the ending. When we come to the ending, I am fine with the outcome. I just have one major problem that makes me want to punch one of the characters in the gut... *MINI SPOILER - Skim ahead if you don't want to know* There is one part where Briana is simply being a complete ~~bitc~~ cow and saying horrible things to Sarah. It was sort of like the author was like, Hmmm okay now let's make everyone hate Briana! Anyways, despite all this... Sarah feels bad about making Briana angry! She misses her! She feels bad and goes to Brianna to apologize and ask her forgiveness and I though, WH-WHAT?? She says all that stuff about you and you act like you're the only big bad guy?? *shakes head* But that's just the way Sarah is... *SPOILER END*

The protagonist, Sarah, who is quite likable and relatable at first has one major flaw... she is a complete push-over! Sorry if I'm being harsh, but I don't know if the author realized how much off a pansy she made Sarah appear to be. I totally understand that Briana 'saved' Sarah from a girl she was friends with when they were younger, but that is no reason for her to continuously accept crap from Briana. Her 'friend' is constantly telling her what to do, putting her down, making her do things she doesn't want and she just accepts it! She never ever stands up for herself and it's so frustrating to read it happening over and over again. Then there is Briana the 'best friend'. I'm a bit confused about what the author was trying to do with her character. She is annoying in many ways, yet there are times when the author talks her up and tries to make her look like a good person. I know she has issues with her family, but she's really is not a nice person. Apart from being a mean person and bad friend in general, something that annoys me about Briana also is how she can never be alone with Ryan. Whenever her or Ryan had plans, Sarah gets dragged along... I understand she needs to be there for us to follow what's going on but I wish the author had found a less obnoxious way to do it. As for Ryan, there's not much to say about him. Even though we don't learn a lot about him, he is somewhat likable... Oh except for when he's being stupid and tries to kiss Sarah at his girlfriend's house, when she is in the next room and will probably come walking in soon. Oh and also when him and Sarah always talk about their relationship when Briana is around and only about 10 meters away... The only characters in this book who are completely likable are Sarah's parents. They're just good people (:

So I pretty much just told you guys the cast are annoying as heck. For once though, it sort of adds to the story. I suppose it gives all the characters a personality in a way and with so much lacking in the story, the annoying characters give you something to be passionate about. hahah. I think this is a book I would have enjoyed when I was younger. I think the characters are supposed to be around my age but the way they act sort of put me off. While the story is pretty basic, the author did a pretty good job writing a book with such little to write about. I mean, it wasn't slow at all so that's always a plus! It isn't a bad book, but I definitely expected more. It sounded interesting when I read the synopsis little did I know, it was just that. I would recommend this book if you're bored and looking for something to pass time. While I may be wrong (as I know a few older people who enjoyed this), I think this book would be more enjoyable for slightly younger audiences. My sister really wants to read it so once she's done I'll let you guys know what she thinks!

3 Stars!

Stacking The Shelves #8

2012-07-14T23:17:00.001+12:00

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's review where we showcase our new books for the week.

BOUGHT

Watch Me (aka Reality Chick) by Lauren Barnholdt
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Beach Blondes by Katherine Applegate

Feed by M.T. Anderson
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Ya know how I'm supposed to be slowing down on the book buying? Yeah... as you can see I am not doing so well. Apart from Divergent, these were all either $5 or $2 though (and that's in NZD too!) so it's not like I spent a whole lot on them! hahah. The sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go was also there for $5 but I put it back last minute and I sort of regret it now "/ To any New Zealand readers, go to Whitcoulls for cheap books (;

Oh and as you can see I got Divergent... again. I already have a copy but the website I ordered it from accidentally sent me a second copy! Once again it's damaged but what can I do... at least it was free. haha. I'm actually glad to have a second copy now because that means I have a copy to lend after I recommend it to everyone :D

What did you get this week?

Feature & Follow Friday #7

2012-07-13T21:07:00.000+12:00

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by ParaJunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Follow Friday question this week:
Q: Q: What drove you to start book blogging in the first place?

I've always been someone who has had an interest in the blogging community. The first time I started it was in the design community. I had a good run there for a couple of years and ended up with quite a lot of loyal followers. The thing was, I was really young when I started that and so were a lot of my fellow bloggers, and over time people moved on and it just got lonely. I closed it down and just started posting designs on websites live LiveJournal and design forums instead. And now... I barely do it anymore and I really wish I hadn't stopped because even though I was younger back then... I was SO much better. Anyways... I tried so many times to find new blogging communities. I gave the whole personal blog thing a try but I don't know, I think I started on the wrong side of the web and didn't find people who I could relate with and make it worth while. I gave beauty a try but found that even though I do like makeup and fashion... I wasn't truly passionate about it. I came across a fitness and health community on tumblr (which I am actually apart of now), but until I am happier with my lifestyle and body, I can't make it what I'd like it to be... yet...

[Skip to this if you don't like reading my ramble... hahah]
Then one day... I found a series called The Hunger Games... I read it, fell in love with it and went on a search for as many books that were thought to be similar. That's when I stumbled across the book blogging community. This is when I got back into reading. I found a whole lot of books that I wanted to read and I loved some and hated some. I found myself giving verbal reviews of the books to so many real life people but frankly, no one cared... it was easy to find people to talk about TV shows or movies with, but I wanted people who I could talk about books with! Then I remembered the book blogging community I had come across... and I guess that's where it all started :D

Waiting On Wednesday #8: Pods by Michelle Pickett

2012-07-11T11:17:00.000+12:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it’s in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it’s a balm for the broken soul.

After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That’s the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.

Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.

June 4th 2013

I hate to admit this, but from the cover alone I wouldn't have chosen to read the synopsis -__-. Thankfully I've been seeing this book around quite a lot and read the synopsis and I actually think it sounds pretty awesome! I wouldn't mind another zombie book (: hahah.

Stacking The Shelves #7

2012-07-08T20:48:00.000+12:00

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's review where we showcase our new books for the week.

BOUGHT
Die For Me by Amy Plum
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

I got two books at the beginning of this week! I've been slowing down my book buying as I have so many books on my TBR pile. I think I'm doing alright so far. Hahah. I can't wait to read Die For Me as I've heard such good things about it. My first opinions on it were really bad though as I read two horrible reviews for it and I put it on my mental 'Don't Read' list. Later on all the reviews I saw for it were really good so I put it on my 'Must Read' list and I actually think I might really enjoy it now (: I also got Fifty Shades of Grey which I've actually already finished reading.

What did you get this week?

Short Review: Fifty Shades of Grey (Adult Fiction)

2012-07-07T20:40:00.000+12:00

Title: Fifty Shades Of Grey

Author: E.L. James

Release Date: May 26th 2011

Publisher: Vintage

Links: GoodReads / The Book Depository
NZ Retailers: Paper Plus / Whitcoulls

Snyopsis (from GoodReads)

When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever

My Thoughts (Shortened)

As some of you may know, I jumped on the bandwagon last week and got myself a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey. As it isn't YA Fiction, I'm not going to do a full review on it but I thought I'd just give a quick summary of my thoughts on it!

First thing I would like to say about it is people make it seem far worse than it really is. Taking from what others have said about it, I went in expecting it to have highly descriptive and disturbing the sex scenes. Considering it's an erotic fiction, I wouldn't expect any less. The type of sex may not be ideal, but hey, I went into this book knowing what it was going to be about so I shouldn't be complaining.

I also hear a lot about how people find Christian Grey's tastes and behavior quite disturbing... which I totally agree with. The author didn't try to write the reader's ideal version of a man. He's supposed to be a crazy obsessive control freak with freaky sexual desires! This is what makes the book. There would be no story to tell if he wasn't like this. This might sound weird if you haven't read the book, but these characteristics of him is also what helps you to connect with him. Not the fact that he's an obsessive control freak with weird desires, but because you get to really appreciate the way he is towards Anastasia as it is quite unlike him. His 'new' behavior is really what made me enjoy the book as much as I did. Their relationship isn't healthy or ideal, but for something that's fictional, I enjoyed it.

Something that really bothered me about this book is that it only takes place over a couple of weeks (the majority of it, over one week). I didn't actually realize this until Anastasia thinks back to her first date with Christian 'one week ago' and that sort of ruined the book for me. It just seemed far too soon for their relationship to have developed that much and for everything to have happened! Anastasia is head over heels for this guy and decides she is in love with him after one week of mostly just having sex "/ I sure hope I've read it all wrong. If the author had only just left out the sentence of Ana thinking back 'one week ago' I could have at least pretended they had known each other for longer and it may have received a higher rating from me...

Overall, I actually liked the book enough to go onto the next one. Not because of the writing (the characters 'murmur' a lot) or the sex scenes, but because I want to see what happens next in Christian and Anastasia's relationship and find out a bit more about Mr. Grey's past. If you think BDSM is going to bother you, take into consideration that the scenes in this book aren't as bad as you might think. The author doesn't try to make Christian's tastes seem 'normal' and even Anastasia has a hard time coming to terms with it. I can't really say that I would recommend this book to anyone in particular because honestly, it all comes down to your singular tastes! This book has a 3 star rating from me!

Feature & Follow Friday #6

2012-07-06T17:01:00.001+12:00

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by ParaJunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Follow Friday question this week:
Q: Jumping Genres: Ever pick up a book from a genre you usually don't like and LOVE it? Tell us about it and why you picked it up in the first place.

Before I really got back into reading I was more of a contemporary / romance sort of girl, though I also enjoyed vampire type books. Back then Sci-Fi, Dystopia, Fantasy didn't interest me at all! The first book I read around those genres was The Hunger Games which I absolutely loved, then went on to read the rest of the series. At this point I had found my love for Dystopian books. I then went on to read Poison Study (even though it didn't interest me much at all) and found that I really enjoyed that book too! Now I had an appreciation for the whole fantasy genre. It's funny thinking about it now. Three genres that I used to have no interest for are now my top go-to genres. haha.

Waiting On Wednesday (#7): Taken by Erin Bowman

2012-07-04T17:00:00.000+12:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends...and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Expected publication: April 16th 2013 by HarperTeen

This one definitely sounds interesting to me so I am looking forward to it for sure! Sucks that it's release date is not until next year though! >.< What are you waiting on this Wednesday? (:

Review: Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

2012-07-03T15:24:00.001+12:00

Title: Cryer's Cross
Other Titles: The Missing

Author: Lisa McMann

Release Date: February 8th 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Links: GoodReads / The Book Depository
NZ Retailers: Paper Plus / Whitcoulls

Snyopsis (from GoodReads)

Kendall loves her life in small town Cryer¹s Cross, Montana, but she also longs for something more. She knows the chances of going to school in New York are small, but she's not the type to give up easily. Even though it will mean leaving Nico, the world's sweetest boyfriend, behind.

But when Cryer's Cross is rocked by unspeakable tragedy, Kendall shoves her dreams aside and focuses on just one goal: help find her missing friends. Even if it means spending time with the one boy she shouldn't get close to... the one boy who makes her question everything she feels for Nico.

Determined to help and to stay true to the boy she's always loved, Kendall keeps up the search--and stumbles upon some frightening local history. She knows she can't stop digging, but Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried....

My Thoughts

This is going to be one of my shorter reviews. I held off reviewing it for a bit too long so it's a bit harder to review it in depth. If I ever re-read this book I will make sure I come back to write a better one.

This story is written in third-person narrative which I am not really a big fan of as I find it harder to connect with characters. I did get used to it though and despite feeling 'disconnected' at first, the story engrossed me and I flipped through the pages with ease. During the first few chapters I found the dialogue a bit unrealistic and over the top at times. That really stuck out for me, but don't worry! It becomes more natural as the story goes on. Something I surprisingly liked about this story is the mystery about it. All you really know for a while is that a girl in this small town has gone missing and for a time you could be somewhat convinced that it's simply a kidnapping. Though none of the characters say anything about it otherwise, the way the author tells the story gives you an inkling that there is definitely more to it. This is what made the book such a page-turner for me. Unlike most books I've read, the reason I wanted to keep reading this book was not because of the events that were happening. It was more because of the build up of the story. Something was coming, slowly and steadily and props to the author for gripping my attention through all of this. The ending was so-so for me. The reasoning for it was not satisfactory enough and I would have liked for it to be a bit more... complex, I suppose. I honestly wouldn't have minded reading a few extra chapters for the author to have added a bit more to to it. It was a bit rushed but it wasn't a bad ending.

The protagonist of this story is Kendall, who has OCD. I actually really liked her character and I think her OCD added to it. I was surprised though as she was not quite as obsessive as I had expected, but I don't know much about OCD so who am I to say anything about that? This trait definitely makes her character more interesting, though I wish the author hadn't relied on it so much to be the basis of the story (I'm speaking about the ending really...). Another character we come to know quite well in the story is Jacian. A new boy who recently moved into town and is having trouble adjusting to change. He was quite stand-offish at first but of course, he warms up to Kendall after a while. There was not much character development in Jacian and as a love interest, it was quite disappointing. He just went from stand-offish to nice a bit too soon with no real incentive. Aside from that I had no real issues with the characters. They were all quite likable which I'm happy about (:

So for a wrap up of my thoughts? I enjoyed the book. It was fast-paced and the author did a good job of building the suspense. The characters were likable though a few supporting characters could have used some more development. The ending was a bit too simple for me and I would have liked some more complexity. With that being said, it wasn't too much of a let down and I would definitely not say it made the book any less worthy of your time. This mysterious and dark story is definitely worth a read!

4 Stars!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? #4

2012-07-02T20:52:00.000+12:00

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is a meme hosted by Book Journey where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

What I am currently reading:

I've been 'reading' The Unwritten Rule for a while now. I only started it because it was the only book I had with me at the time. It's a real short book so I don't know why it's taking me SO long to read! I wouldn't say it's a bad book but from what I can remember, the characters are a bit stupid and annoying. I also finally jumped on the bandwagon and got a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey. Tbh, I think I'll finish this book before The Unwritten Rule because so far I don't find it as bad as some people make it out to be... lol.

What I plan to read next:

I have so many unread books on my book shelf I really don't know what to read next! Now that the holidays are here I'm really excited to get reading but I don't know where to start. Shiver has been on my shelf for AGES and Wither has been recommended so many times so I've decided it must be one of these two next. What book would you suggest I read next out of these two? :D

Feature & Follow Friday #5

2012-06-29T20:09:00.000+12:00

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by ParaJunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Follow Friday question this week:
Q: Birthday Wishes -- Blow out the candles and imagine what character could pop out of your cake...who is it and what book are they from?

I haven't actually read any of The Vampire Diaries books so this might be cheating because I'm basing this off of the TV series. I'd love to have any one of the Salvatore brothers pop out of my cake (: lol. I wouldn't mind Four from Divergent either :P

What character would you choose?

By the way, as you may have noticed my posts have been quite slow for the past two weeks. Good news, school is over and things should be getting back to normal :D I pulled a lot of all nighters working on our song / dance & creating things for it and we came second by HALF a point. We actually had a point deducted for something really small and it's so frustrating knowing we could have been first! haha. Everyone loved our performance though and I'm happy about that. Some other stuff afterwards went on (... I swear the teacher in charge of overall house points is out to get my house... we're last overall out of five houses even though we always place second or first!) and created major stress so I'm happy to get back to reading and relaxing!

Stacking The Shelves #6

2012-06-24T21:09:00.001+12:00

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's review where we showcase our new books for the week.

BOUGHT

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

I only got two books this week! Amazing, right! I'm trying really hard to cut back on my book buying, especially because I definitely don't read anywhere near fast enough to be buying 8 books a week. I've heard some pretty good things about these two books, especially The Immortal Rules. They were both on special for about $7 each (in hardcover!) so I couldn't pass them up :D

What did you get this week?

Feature & Follow Friday #4

2012-06-22T13:30:00.000+12:00

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by ParaJunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Follow Friday question this week:
Q: If you could "unread" a book, which one would it be? Is it because you want to start over and experience it again for the first time? Or because it was THAT bad?

I haven't read as many books as everyone else to have a really good answer. I definitely wouldn't mind unreading The Hunger Games though as I enjoyed reading that book so much! I do plan on re-reading it sometime soon but the first time is always best (: I've noticed that a lot of people are saying The Harry Potter series but I'm either lucky, or weird because I haven't finished it yet... hahah...

I sort of wish I could un-read the last few books in The House of Night series. The first few were alright but it's definitely gotten a bit boring and is hard to read for me. In the latest books I actually find myself skimming over some parts. It's been dragged out too long, characters have gotten annoying, story has gotten boring. With that being said though, I'll probably finish the series anyway just because I might as well find out the end story if I've stuck around for this long "/

What books have you chosen? (:

Waiting on Wednesday (#6): The Darkest Minds

2012-06-20T19:39:00.000+12:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have been cursed with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby has spent nearly half her life desperately trying to hide the fact that she’s outwitted the camp’s sorting system—that she isn’t powerless, or safe. She’s one of the dangerous ones… and everyone knows what happens to them.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of teens who escaped their own camp, pursued along the way by terrifying bounty hunters. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close to him. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Before the end, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

August 7th 2012 by Roaring Brook Press

I saw this and thought, MUST READ! Simple as that (: What are you waiting on this Wedensday?

Expect slower posts for the next two weeks...

2012-06-19T19:53:00.000+12:00

I just want to give you guys a heads up that my posts will be a bit slower for the next two weeks. Two more weeks until Winter Break and I've got so much stuff I need to finish up at school. As a House Captain at my school I also have our songfest and dancefest coming up next week and we're trying to throw in as much lunch + after school rehearsals as possible. We only get two weeks! :O This is our last chance to get in the lead with house points though so we're going all out. I'm singing and dancing like I've never done before (it is scary teaching other people to do something I can't even do... haha). I'm still going to be writing reviews for books I have finished for this time but I'm just not too sure when they will go up. I'm excited to get all this school stuff out of the way though because when the holidays are here, I will have more time for books <3 haha.

I will still be posting a few times a week but just incase I go missing for a bit I wanted to leave an explanation. Hope you guys are having a fabulous week (:

Stacking The Shelves #5

2012-06-17T00:15:00.000+12:00

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's review where we showcase our new books for the week.

BOUGHT

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Slated by Teri Terry
City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

I'm so excited about every single one of the books I got this week! I've heard so much good things about them all :D What did you get this week? (:

On My Wishlist #4

2012-06-16T18:50:00.000+12:00

This is a weekly event, originally created by Book Chick City and now hosted at Cosy Up Book Reviews, where we showcase the books which are currently top of our wishlists. Old, new or yet to be released titles are all welcome.

The Zombie Survival Guide
by Max Brooks

The Zombie Survival Guide is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now. Fully illustrated and exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.

Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack

1. Organize before they rise!
2. They feel no fear, why should you?
3. Use your head: cut off theirs.
4. Blades don’t need reloading.
5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.
6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
9. No place is safe, only safer.
10. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on.

Don’t be carefree and foolish with your most precious asset—life. This book is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now without your even knowing it. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection through trusted, proven tips for safeguarding yourself and your loved ones against the living dead. It is a book that can save your life.

I've gone for something a little bit different this week as you can see (: Man I have been wanting this book for the longest time! A few years now. I just think it'll be a fun book to have. I really don't know why I haven't purchased it yet but I think will finally do it sometime soon.

What's on your wishlist?

Waiting on Wednesday (#5): Auracle by Gina Rosati

2012-06-13T20:28:00.000+12:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

Sixteen year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.

When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.

August 7th 2012 by Roaring Brook Press

I really like the cover first of all, and it just sounds like my type of read! As soon as I came across this book I had to add this to my to-read list. Dystopian books have been my main area of interest lately but if I were to sway away from that, I would so chose more books like this. What are you waiting on this Wednesday? (:

Review: Trance by Linda Gerber

2012-06-12T16:57:00.000+12:00

Title: Trance

Author: Linda Gerber

Release Date: October 14th 2010

Publisher: Speak

Links: GoodReads / The Book Depository
NZ Retailers: Paper Plus / Whitcoulls

Snyopsis (from GoodReads)

Ashlyn Greenfield has always known when bad things are going to happen. Each time that familiar tingling at the back of her neck begins, she knows what's to come a trance. She's pulled in, blindsided, an unwilling witness to a horrible upcoming event. But she's never been able to stop it, not even when the vision was of her mother's fatal car accident. When soulful Jake enters Ashlyn's life, she begins having trances about another car accident. And as her trances escalate, one thing becomes clear: it's up to her to save Jake from near-certain death.

My Thoughts

I wasn't originally planning on reviewing this book just because I don't have a whole lot to say about it, but I thought I could just do a quick one basically summarizing my thoughts on it.

The story was reasonably fast-paced and didn't take me too long to read. It begun after the car accident, with the protagonist, Ashlyn trying to get her life back together. The whole story was pretty basic. It didn't pull me in or have me on the edge of my seat but I simply wanted to know what would happen. The story was a little repetitive at times so I began to worry that a lot of things would go unanswered. Fortunately, this wasn't the case (for the most part). Through flash backs we learn a bit more about Ashlyn's situation and the things that happened prior to the car accident. In terms of the answers which create the background to the story, I was satisfied. As for the rest, not so much. Considering we already know what the trance is about from the very first page (it tells us so in the synopsis), I was expecting more revelation than, "Oh! Jake is going to be killed in a car crash! I need to save him!" then the last few chapters is Ashlyn trying to save Jake. I was hoping to at least find out more about Ashlyn's trances such as why she has them and things like that. There was much more to the story that could have been told. With that being said, the author did a good job of telling a story where I already knew what was happening as she managed to keep my interest through out the whole story.

The characters were so-so for me. There weren't really any descriptions on the appearances of the characters which would have made it a bit easier to imagine them, but that didn't bother me a whole lot. The most likable characters in the story were Gina, Ashlyn's co-worker who's personality stands out the most in this book; and Jake, the 'cute' guy who works across from Ashlyn and is the guy of her trances whom the author obviously put the most effort into making likable. Michelle, Ashlyn's best friend was your typical teenage girl who is also very caring and protective of her friend. There was nothing special about Ashlyn apart from the fact that she's telling the story and having the trances. I don't remember much about her personality. The characters aren't exactly characters I will remember for a long time simply because like the story, they were somewhat basic.

This was a fast-paced and easy read. It's a pretty basic story and could have used a little more development overall. I was about to purchase this book but decided to borrow it from the library first which I'm actually glad I did. It's worth a read, worth a borrow. I wouldn't go out and buy it until I've read it first and made an opinion on it. I probably won't remember this story much as time goes on, but it's a quick read and I wouldn't say it is a waste of time.

3 Stars!
I liked it. Not enough to buy, but it's worth the read.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? #3

2012-06-11T20:15:00.000+12:00

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is a meme hosted by Book Journey where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

What I read last week:

The first book I read last week was Trance by Linda Gerber (a review will be coming soon for this). It was alright for me. I liked it enough to rate it a three stars. The second book I read was Divergent which definitely lived up to the hype (: I really enjoyed it and read it in two days (probably would have been faster if I didn't have school). A family friend was around just when I finished it though and asked if they could borrow it and I hesitantly agreed... "/ I'm expecting it to come back dog-eared and tattered because I don't think they listened to me when I told them multiple times to look after it... and I only got it last week! lol

What I plan to read next:

I've started reading Cryer's Cross right now as I'm trying to get in one library book a week so I can return them by the due date. After Cryer's Cross I hope to start The Maze Runner, as I've heard amazing things about this series. That could change though by the time I get around to it. I have so many books I want to read it all just depends on what I feel like at the time.

On My Wishlist #3

2012-06-10T11:32:00.000+12:00

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . . Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into placeand out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to makebetween honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

I've heard some really great things about this series. It wasn't that high on my to-read list though until I read a review by MissBookReview, so I definitely intend on picking this up really soon.

What's on your wishlist?