February 28, 2013

My Momentous Month


Books Read in February 2013
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Everneath by Brodi Ashton (in German)
Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price 
Mind Games by Kiersten White 
Entice by Jessica Shirvington
Speechless by Hannah Harrington
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

I started so well! But then school got in the way again - sucks, but what can you do? Still, this is a nice amount and most important of all - I really worked on my TBR pile this month!

Reviews Posted in February 2013


Is it weird that I actually posted more reviews than I read books? I don't know if this is a good or bad thing...

To Be Read for March 2013
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (sequel Challenge)
Requiem by Lauren Oliver (Sequel Challenge)
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (PR Challenge)
Prophecy by Ellen Oh (DAC Challenge)
How To Save a Life by Sara Zarr (TBR challenge)
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (TBR challenge)
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (PR/Sequel Challenge)

Favorite Book of the Month
Mhm...Cinder, Scarlet, Cinder, Scarlet...Scarlet! It's Scarlet! Definitely I love this book and you should go and read this series because it will change. your. life. 

Favorites in Each Genre
Dystopian: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Paranormal Romance: Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Contemporary: Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price
Steampunk: nooothing!
Historical Fiction: see above :)
Fantasy: Entice by Jessica Shirington

Favorite Cover of the Month

Mind Games (Mind Games, #1)


Favorite Characters of the Month:
Jack from Everneath - a hurtful reminder of the fact that I do not have a boyfriend :)

Favorite setting/world of the Month:
The futuristic world in The Lunar Chronicles - what would I give to see how this world works decades, centuries from now....


February 27, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday



Requiem (Delirium, #3)

Wondering why I didn't put the synopsis here? Well...to tell you guys the truth...although I loved Delirium, I still haven't read Pandemonium. Hopefully I'll get to it this weekend! And then..? Pandemonium, of course! I can't wait! Have you guys read the first two? Did you like them? Or were you even lucky enough to read book three already?

February 26, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday



1) JK Rowling
It's...an obsession. A weird mix of superstitious beliefs and childhood memories of pretending to be Hermione Granger - or maybe the one is the result of the other? Whatever it is, when there's a rumor about a new Rowling book, I'll be the first to research every detail about it.


2) Sarah Dessen
This one is a given. Okay, I might not own all of Dessen's books by now but whenever she publishes a new one (like this year) I get super excited about it and I have to preorder it - her books usually never cease to amaze me. Except for That Summer, maybe.



3) Marissa Meyer
I'm one of the last, I guess, to jump on the Lunar Chronicles train, but now that I have, I don't ever want to leave this world again - Meyer's story is so, so amazing! I don't even know what I'm going to do once I've finished Scarlet...well, buy the novellas, probably :)


4) Meg Cabot
Again, an author I've adored for the longest time. Actually, the only blog I read for years was Meg's and I even read all the posts (all of them!) that I missed before I discovered her blog. I checked most of her books out from the library, though, so that I really need to work on that collection!


5) Holly Smale
This is only hypothetical as I've read no book by Holly Smale but her debut Geek Girl. However, that one left a big impression, so that I'm definitely interested in future works by this author.

6) Katie McGarry
Pushing the Limits...do I need to say anything else? Can't wait for more!

7) Lauren Oliver
So, I do own all of her YA books (not novellas). I've only read one, though (Delirium). Anyway, I'm pretty sure I will love the rest of them,too and I'd buy any new book by her immediately!

8) Gayle Forman
See above. I have only read If I Stay yet, but that one was great!

9) Cassandra Clare
I have to confess...it might also just be the covers. I love all of them, Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices Series. I also have read all of them and liked them, but...they're not my favorite series ever and Clare is not among my favorite authors either, for some (unknown) reason....

10) Kami Garcia/Margeret Stohl
I'm really excited to read books that they did not write together just to see how those turn out. Also, they've both proven already that they're masters in storytelling!

February 25, 2013

Movie Magic

Soo...the Oscars! I've been fascinated by them ever since eighth grade. As the ceremony happens to start at 2:30 AM German time it's always...Kind of a commitment for everyone in the Family to let me watch the Show - but I just have to!
It's not only the red carpet with the Dresses and the celebrity gossip - although that is so interesting, too! I also love to see how These actors - no matter how popular they are now - usually started form pretty much nowhere and I think it's inspiring to see how even in a Business like theirs it is possible to achieve your dreams...if you work hard enough. I know, it sounds cheesy but that's pretty much why I love the Academy Awards. Oh, and the movies, of course.
Although I love sinking into those soft cushion seats in the Theaters with a bag of Popcorn and a coke, I seldomly get the Chance to do so. And if I do, there's always the question of what to see, actually!
This year's Oscars definitely gave me some tips, though. I don't think in those four/five years I've been watching the ceremony I've never been so excited for all the movies that were mentioned - so to celebrate, here are the top three movies I really want to see this year (most of them are coming out later here in Germany so I might even be able to see them on the big Screen)
"Lincoln." 12 Nominations for: Best Picture, Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Tommy Lee Jones), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Sally Field), Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Adapted Screenplay.


ANNA KARENINA- read the book, have to see the movie!"Anna Karenina." 4 Nominations for: Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, Best Production Design.
LINCOLN - I love history and I love movies set in historical Settings, so this could be perfect for me :)
LES MISERABLES - I don't know anything about this. Except it has awesome actors...and the Music...


Les Misérables!

February 24, 2013

My Weekly Favorites

Remember when I was so sleep - deprived (okay, and desperate) that I decided I'd call my new Sunday Feature Youtube Sunday? No? Good. Because that was bad, even for me.
Anyway, I still feel like I should be a more positive person and look back on the week with a smile on my face, so that's why I will present you guys all the random little things (and yes, youtubers, too) that made me happy this week :) (see? Smartie-Smiley)


Ahh, Pinterest. You lovely source of inspiration. Yes, as one of the last people of my generation, I've finally learned to love this new social network heaven. It's great to get ideas about everything! Outfits, recipes, crafts, and books, too!


Itunes! No, actually I've known and loved and lived off of Itunes for the last...five years. What I rediscovered this week, though, is how much I love listening to music. My favorite artists right now? Imagine Dragons, Pink and Taylor Swift. Although the two latter ones don't count because they are my all time favorites and I would have listed them any week.


And the last thing on my list is...Spanish! No, really! Somehow I only realized this week how lucky I am to be learning so many languages in school. My first language is German, I started learning English in third grade, Latin in sixth (does that even count, though?), French in Eighth and Spanish in Tenth grade. And I think it's time to make something out of it. Well...for a start, I decided to follow  a few Spanish book blogs and watch Spanish book reviews on Youtube...not that I'd understand a word they say :D

I'll leave you with that, a happy weekend to everyone!

February 23, 2013

#FridayReads

Happy Friday everyone!
Okay, that's basically a lie as it's already Saturday where I live (and everywhere else, too, I guess), but I didn't have the time to type this earlier.
Soo...#FridayReads - for those who don't know is basically a hashtag on Twitter that was brought over to Youtube by Bunny Cates and I decided to do it on my blog, too.
The weekend might be the best part of the week to catch up on books - for me that's especially true this week. These last days I've been crazy busy with school and stuff and I barely had time to read. I did finish Speechless by Hannah Harington, though. Now I have - kind of -started Scarlet by Marissa Meyer and Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett. If I can, Í want to finish those two this Weekend and maybe start one more book (won't happen).
Also, I've been listening to Markus Zusak's The Book Thief since December - and I only have 30 more minutes left, so I'll probably finish that one, too.

Confessions of an Angry Girl (Confessions, #1)Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, #2)The Book Thief

February 21, 2013

Review: Entice by Jessica Shirvington

Entice
by Jessica Shirvington

Entice (The Violet Eden Chapters, #2)

CONSEQUENCE HAUNTS EVERY CHOICE

Violet Eden is Grigori - part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengence of exiled angels.
Knowing who to trust is key but, when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know: Phoenix's hold over her is more dangerous than ever.
The race to find the one thing that could tilt the balance of power brings them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed.
Enticed (now retitled ENTICE) is the second compelling book in The Violet Eden Chapters.

Paperback, AUS Edition, 413 pages
Published March 29th 2011 by Hachette

A Long Story...Short! 

This series never ceases to surprise me. I read the first book and found it refreshingly...good! And then I waited...a decade - at least that's what it feels like - to continue with book two, Entice, and found that it was incredibly fun and entertaining, as well. The old characters - and especially our lovebirds - go through some trouble again and there are so many new people - all of them interesting and likeable on the first - or second - view. No matter what you usually think of Angel books - you should try this series!

RATING:
3/3 Smarties

Review for You:

I think with this series it's the mixture of everything good that makes them great. The characters are realistic, yes, and some of them really have some chemistry, we get some steamy, but also adorable scenes between different couples that I couldn't get enough of, but that alone wouldn't have done it for me. 
Thankfully, all that relationship chaos got interrupted constantly by saving-the-world emergencies and kick-ass action - for the boys but also for the girls which made me very happy, being the feminist-y kind of girl that I am. Violet is not clinging to the guys to save her - and the guys know there's no need!
As for the plot, it does not seem to end. Seriously! Whenever I felt like I could put the book aside to maybe think of food or homework or sleep or something, there was a new plot twist or fight scene or mystery I wanted to figure out.
What I like about the series, too - something I also mentioned in my review of the first book - is that Steph is not just a random sidekick. If there's something going on, she always comes along or at least has her own important part to play. 
Something that could be criticized is that Violet's "normal" life as a teen does come a little bit short. School and her dad are very easily put in the background, but with that amazing storyline I didn't really care about that anyway. 
All in all, I guess what made this book even better than the last one are all the new characters and settings that the reader is introduced to. It makes the series more special and unique - if book three, Emblaze, is just as good this might turn into one of my new favorite series!

February 20, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday


Emblaze (The Violet Eden Chapters, #3)

SPOILER ALARM!  
This is the third in a series!

Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable. 
Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.
Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too. 
Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.
With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...
END OF SPOILERS!

Why I want this:
I've read the first and second book in this series and both were a lot better than I expected them to be. Now I've come to accept  that there is, in fact, an angel series that I like and I can't wait to read no.3 :D

February 18, 2013

Review: Embrace by Jessica Shirvington


Embrace (The Violet Eden Chapters, #1)


Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.
Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.
A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

Publisher: Hachette Australia
Series? #1
Pages: 382 (Paperback)
Release Date: October 1, 2010

LONG STORY SHORT:

Against all odds I liked this book. It is Paranormal Romance, it has a love triangle, it has the typical girl-plus-supposed to be funny - best friend. It's everything I usually hate turned into something I somehow like...You should believe all those people who said it before and read Embrace - I promise it's going to be worth it.

REVIEW:

Looking back I don't even know what it was that made me fall in love with this book. It wasn't love, either. It was more that feeling when you get sucked into a story and you can't stop turning the pages and then you look up and realise you've made it through the first half of the book.

I do blame the characters, too. Violet did have that rather stereotypical cynical tone to her voice that most PR heroines have but it was not too much. She still seemed unique. And all those martial arts, and the running and boxing she did made her a real believable kick-ass female lead that I could take seriously.

The best friend had some of those stereotypical features, too but like Violet she really got to have her own personality. She wasn't over present, but she had a few occurrences and played a role that actually mattered!

The love interests...oh well...number one - my personal favorite - was SO so cool. Endlessly cool! I wouldn't even have to think to decide which boy I'd want. I didn't really get all the affection for no.2 actually, but he was alright, too. Sometimes it just bothered me how long it took Violet to realize when people were...not quite honest with her.

The story was so believable because it was so close to the real world and Violet's life. The paranormal aspects made sense, they were explained, they didn't just exist.

All in all, this is Paranormal Romance how I think it should be :)

February 16, 2013

Review: Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margeret Stohl

Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles, #4)

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?
Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.
Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect. 
Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.


Hardcover, 451 pages
Published October 23rd 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers




LONG STORY SHORT:


This is the finale to an epic series. Although I expected to see a lot more action and drama in this one than there turned out to be, I still enjoyed the book a lot. It's great to see the best of all of your favorite characters again and to make one more visit to Gatlin and its crazy citizens. If you are a hardcore Caster Chronicles Fan and if you don't get your hopes up way too high, you are very likely to close this book with a satisfied grin on your face and a tear in your eye.

RATING:
3/3 Smarties

REVIEW FOR YOU:

With Beautiful Redemption one of my favorite YA series comes to an end - and it's a good one!
In a lot of ways it reminded me of the end of Highschool Musical or Harry Potter, of that nostalgic feeling. Beautiful Redemption is different from the other books because it doesn't have the strong teenage vibe to it that Beautiful Creatures had, or the introduction to the new magical element, the tunnels, from Beautiful Darkness or the series of events that rained down on us in Beautiful Chaos. It's more like that moment when either the curtain closes and you see each actor smiling, but also almost crying or that HP scene when he's there with his kids, having left his original story behind.
Every single character that fans grew to love and care for from this series has his or her smaller or bigger comeback in BR. There's one important moment, one scene for Link, John, Abraham, Serafine...you name them. Everyone. It's like they all take a bow before leaving the stage for good.
Ethan and Lena both get to tell a part of the story - a first that I think was necessary for the plot but that didn't struck me - and we get introduced to some people whom we've only heard of some times in the earlier books.
All in all, Beautiful Redemption is a good ending to the series because it gives each character the chance to shine for one last time which again helps the reader to remember why he or she loved the series so much. On the downside, the novel definitely lacked pace and appeared pretty predictable at some points.

February 15, 2013

Review: Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margeret Stohl

Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles, # 3)

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What — or who — will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?
For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself — forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.
Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.


Hardcover, 518 pages
Published October 18th 2011 by Little, Brown and Company


LONG STORY SHORT:



Amazing. This book is everything I love about series, epic fantasy novels, YA in general. Everything and more. Maybe my disappointment with Beautiful Darkness triggered how much I enjoyed book three of the Caster Chronicles, but that's only a side factor next to the amazing character development - and chemistry, the action packed plot and the overall atmosphere created in the novel. I can't wait for Beautiful Redemption - also because of that cliffhanger in the end....

REVIEW FOR YOU:

Oh my...whatever I expected when I openend this book for the first time - this was not it. You all could read about my mixed feelings towards Beautiful Darkness, the second book in this series. I complained about whiny characters, slow plot and all those second-book-in-a-series cliches. I swore if Beautiful Chaos didn't turn out much better than that, I'd stop reading after one hundred pages and leave this series  - that started out so amazingly - unfinished.

It did not take those one hundred pages to convince me to fall for the Caster world all over again. It's like a good friend stopping by again. Gatlin - the small southern town that works as the main setting for the series - is crazier than ever - as are its citizens. My stomach hurt from all the laughing I head to do as the authors described the behaviour of small town inhabitants facing the apocalypse. It takes a lot to make me laugh out loud when I'm reading a book - JK Rowling is one of the authors who did accomplish that - so this actually means a lot!
This book wasn't just funny, though. It was also pretty...I don't want to say sad. It's rather tragic. And the characters themselves are pretty helpless and desperate, but at the same time for the reader it's so suspenseful to try and guess how things are going to work out, who is good and who is evil and who plans what...it's a novel full of mystery and magic and ...

...great chemistry. Another element that I think makes a good series an awesome one. I always get that feeling of epicness when the characters not only grow and develop throughout the books, but if the relationships between them and their creators -the authors - deepen aswell. This might be complete nonsense  but I believe that you can feel it when the author(s) really know their characters and let them appear and act as more than just people in a book, but as people in real life. I don't know if this made any sense to you, but in my eyes it did ;)

Before this review is getting a novel as well, one last thing I have to mention: the plot.SO much happens SO fast. Okay, that's everything. See for yourselves!

RATING: one whole bag full of Smarties!!

I'd recommend this book to...
everyone.
Specifically if you...
love a really good series, epic fantasy books, paranormal romance that is brilliantly done

February 14, 2013

Review: Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Geek Girl
by Holly Smale

Geek Girl
Harriet Manners knows a lot of things. She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves. 
As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did. 
And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

Hardcover, 378 pages
Expected publication: February 28th 2013 by HarperCollins


RATING:
3/3 Smarties

A Long Story...Short!

This book is so much more than you might expect. It's everything! It's lovely and funny and witty and sweet and intelligent and socially critical and ...everything you could ask for in a YA contemporary novel. The main character is sympathetic and someone I, at least, could identify with. The plot - although not exactly original - made for an entertaining read and the message of the book got across without the author having to raise their pointing fingers at you - or the fashion industry and media. If you feel the need to laugh your butt of and don't expect a super serious and deeply moving novel - Geek Girl is for you.

Review for You:

I have to say, after having read this book I don't exaxtly consider myself a geek anymore. Harriet Manners, the main character of Geek Girl, just owns this title and I guess I will never steel that crown no matter how many times I swoon over fictional YA characters. This girl's head is going to explode at one point from random facts she picked up somewhere and friendly enough shares with the reader. After a few pages, I was not only on the floor, unable to stop laughing, but also desperately looking for a way to memorize all the facts Harriet throws into her story randomly. And that was just the beginning! 
Geek Girl got better with every chapter. Not only does Holly Smale handle the balance between fun and seriousness, action and slower writing perfectly - she also has that ability to make characters appear real, relationships pure and just display life as it is - for teenagers. This book certainly features some well-known cliches when it comes to the fashion industry later, but especially the problems Harriet has at school are issues many people probably face in their teen years and different from other stories, Harriet doesn't just find the solution after a time or learns to "deal with it". No, she has to work her way through it and it's hard and it hurts and it makes her do things she will later regret but it also shapes her personality.
I talked about the image Smale creates of the fashion industry earlier and I called it cliche. And it kind of was. But then, it also kind of wasn't. Because we didn't just have one big mass of people acting the way you'd expect them to. You know, models starving themselves, or gay assistants or ice cold fahion icons. We had a mix of everything. Even though all the fashion industry characters were sidekicks, they were three dimensional and had personality - another aspect I liked.
Lastly, I have to say that although this book was fun and entertaining and brilliant and thoughtful - you can't completely ignore the resemblance to Hannah Montana and The Devil Wears Prada. It is there, yes, but that's not a bad thing. I, at least, am part of the generation that grew up with Hannah Montana and that nowadays does quite a poor job at denying it, so doesn't it feel a little bit like coming home? That's what I think, anyway.

Review for me:

Favorite Quote:
Arghh...forgot marking them on my Kindle!!!

What I want to remember from this book:
Not to take things so seriously!

When I want to reread the book:
Whenever I feel crappy about myself. Or when I'm in a reading slump. Or when I just really need something to cheer me up :)

February 12, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday




Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality

A hilarious new novel from Elizabeth Eulberg about taking the wall out of the wallflower so she can bloom.
Don't mess with a girl with a Great Personality.
Everybody loves Lexi. She's popular, smart, funny...but she's never been one of those girls, the pretty ones who get all the attention from guys. And on top of that, her seven-year-old sister, Mackenzie, is a terror in a tiara, and part of a pageant scene where she gets praised for her beauty (with the help of fake hair and tons of makeup).Lexi's sick of it. She's sick of being the girl who hears about kisses instead of getting them. She's sick of being ignored by her longtime crush, Logan. She's sick of being taken for granted by her pageant-obsessed mom. And she's sick of having all her family's money wasted on a phony pursuit of perfection.
The time has come for Lexi to step out from the sidelines. Girls without great personalities aren't going to know what hit them. Because Lexi's going to play the beauty game - and she's in it to win it

This book sounds like my kind of contemporary - I'm so sure I'll love it. I just recently read a review on it and the blogger (forgot who it was) really loved it, so I'm even more excited!

Top Ten Tuesday


Top Ten Romances in Books


1) The Harry Potter Romances
And I mean all of them - every single one! Ron and Hermione, Harry and Ginny are the obvious ones, but whom I also love is Lupin and Tonks, James and Lily, Molly and Arthur Weasley, even Cho and Cedric. I think love is one of the main motifs of the series, anyway. The message - that love is stronger than any kind of hate or evil force or power - comes through in every single book, every important twist. Lily's love for her son, in the end, determines the fate of the whole (I know, I know - fictional!!!) wizarding world. Rowling - like no other - shows how love can truly move mountains!

2) Feeling the love...
This is one really important point, I believe. Most of the time, I just take the romance in books as a nessecary side effect in YA. Only when couples really have chemistry, if I feel like they're in front of me and their feelings are real and pure and true, then I start caring for the romance. A great example is Noah and Echo's relationship in Katy McGarry's Pushing the Limits, or Jack and Nicki in Brody Ashton's Everneath.

3) True Friends
Actually, this is probably my favorite kind of love in books, because the two above are so rare. Real friendships, not just main characters with sidekicks are (sadly) not the rule, either, but you do find them. I have only read the first book in the Vampire Academy Series, but I'm already exited to see more of Rose and Lissa who are so incredibly close to and supportive with each other. Also, Clary and Simon in Cassandra Clares Mortal Instruments Series are a great pair and I think Stewart and Jackson from Julie Cross's Tempest series might become friends like that in future installments.

4) Mature Relationships
By which I do not mean the steamy ones (although they do have their advantages,too), but those relationships that develop from the second kind of romance I mentioned. Those characters that are not only deeply in love, but those who are also best friends and who would easily trust the other one with their lives. Noah and Echo are very close to that, I think, but with this one I'm especially thinking Ethan and Lena in Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption.

Some more of my favorite couples:
5) Cinder and Prince Kai from Marissa Meyer's Cinder
6)Roar and Liv from Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky
7) Dash and Lily from Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
8) Kyle and Lindy from Alex Flinn's Beastly
9) Isabel and Simon from The Mortal Instruments
10) Tris and Tobias from Divergent

February 09, 2013

Review: Miles to Go by Miley Cyrus

Miles to Go
 by Miley Cyrus

Miles to Go

""There are multiple sides to all of us."" Who we are and who we might be if we follow our dreams."" 
" -Miley Cyrus" 
""
Three years ago, Miley Cyrus was a virtual unknown. Her life in rural Tennessee was filled with family, friends, school, cheerleading, and the daily tasks of living on a farm. And then came a little show called "Hannah Montana." 
Almost overnight, Miley would rocket to superstardom, becoming a television and singing phenomenon. Quiet days were replaced with sold-out concerts, television appearances, and magazine shoots. But through it all, Miley has remained close to her family and friends and has stayed connected to the Southern roots that made her so strong. 
In Miles to Go, Miley offers an honest, humorous, and often touching story of one girl's coming-of-age--from private moments with her pappy to off-roading with her dad, Billy Ray, to her run-ins with mean girls. Miley talks about suffering through drama and heartbreak and coming out the other end unscathed (relatively). And now for the first time, she will discuss it all--the milestones still left to reach (driver's license! voting!), dreams to live out (travel to Asia! find true love!), and the lessons to be learned (remembernig to enjoy every moment!). 
This is a truly unique look inside the world of one of today's biggest and brightest stars as she tackles looking back and moving forward.


Hardcover, 272 pages
Published March 3rd 2009 by Hyperion

RATING:
2/3 Smarties

 A Long Story...Short!

Admittedly, it is not that hard to meet expectations that are...let's just say...not particularly high. When you hear a teenager - not even allowed to drive a car yet - types the story of his or her life on a computer and that story is the book you find on your nightsstand one day, then you probably don't expect to enjoy said book very much. And I agree, someone who finds Disney child/tween/teen stars boring or ridiculous or immature won't like this book. If you were looking up to the Disney crew in your tween years like I was, you might won't to peak into this. After all, I would not call Miles to Go a fantastic peace of literature, but Miley Cyrus (as far as she has written this herself) makes some really important points and at times it inspired me like only her TV show and songs could back when I was twelve (well...not that far back...)

Review for You:


Miles to Go in my opinion has the same effect and uses the same method that the Hannah Montana TV show and music did - it tells you the story of an ordinary girl, facing the problems most teens simply have to face in this world and turning the whole thing into a fairy tale at the end to make you feel empowered. And that's totally okay with me. As I said I didn't go into this book with high expectations. I simply wanted to read it and see for myself if I would like it.
Surprisingly I liked it even more than I thought I would. It's by far not as deep as some contemporary novels or the anthology Dear Bully, but it does show some aspects of teenage angst and bullying (no matter if the stories told are true) and it gives readers a positive outlook on the future, ways to deal with it and the belief that things get better with time and if you only believe in yourself.
What I want to say is that Miles to Go offers the clear and simple message that everyone out there cannot hear enough: the message of the uniqueness of every human being, of dreaming and working hard and never letting other people take you down.
So in the end it doesn't even matter if the story in the book is told by a famous teen star or by any other person - it is not great, but it is good if you are looking for what the book has to offer.
Or if you're still lisnning to Hannah Montana songs secretly letting your seventh grade memories come back to life...

February 08, 2013

#FridayReads

Hey, everyone!
I know, I know. Those of you who are as OCD as I am are probably having Trouble staying on their chairs, beds or whatever you guys sit on right now, because - yup! - for once I'm breaking my Blogging schedule.
Which is something I really don't like to do as it throws me out of my Routine and order and then I have to rethink everything and...it confuses my brain :)
But on to the actual reason for all the confusion. It's pretty simple, actually...Usually I'd participate in Feature & Follow Friday today, but I did not understand the question for this week.
The possible reasons for this could be...
a) the term "Mardi Grass" is American which is why I don't understand it
b) the term "Mardi Grass" is not American, but as I am pretty much unable to live in any Kind of world apart from fictional ones I've probably never encountered this one...

The fact that I can't participate in F&F is actually quite practical today as I really Need your help this Weekend. I don't have School on ´Monday which means I've got a lot of extra time on my Hands and really want to read...I just don't know what.

I could read the next two books in the Evermore Series by Alyson Noel or the next three installments in the Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead. Or I could read Entice by Jessica Shirvington, The Diviners by Libba Bray or Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver...now - what do you guys think? Which book is best for a Long, nothing-to-do-but-read-snowstorm-weekend? What are you guys reading??? I'd love to know!

Pandemonium (Delirium, #2)The Diviners (The Diviners, #1)Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2)

By the way the title of this post does have a history and is not my Invention. Originally, it was/is a hashtag on Twitter, then Bunny Cates brought it into the Youtube community and now I'm using it for a lack of a better title for this post...please forgive me, leave book suggestions in the comments and have a wonderful Weekend!

(Also, I have no idea why my Computer decided to use capital letters as we do in German - but I can't make it stop!)

February 06, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday


Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, #2)
The Queen's Army (Lunar Chronicles, #1.5)Glitches (Lunar Chronicles, #0.5)

A week ago I didn't really get the hype...now I'm considering gulping down three cups of coffee and staying up all night to finish Cinder, then rush out the house and get Scarlet! So, sooo good!

February 05, 2013

Review: Vortex by Julie Cross

Vortex
by Julie Cross

Vortex (Tempest, #2)

Jackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, after an accidental run in with Holly—the girl he altered history to save—Jackson is once again reminded of what he's lost. And when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents not only find themselves under attack, but Jackson begins to discover that the world around him has changed and someone knows about his erased relationship with Holly, putting both their lives at risk all over again.


Hardcover, 358 pages
Published January 15th 2013 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published January 1st 2013)

Other installments in the series:
Tempest (Tempest, #1)Tomorrow is Today (Tempest, #0.5)

RATING: 
3/3 Smarties


A Long Story...Short!

Tempest was great, much greater than I thought it could be. Vortex was...SO much better. It was amazing! Breathtaking, a 2013 favorite - I'm sure! Everything Cross did right with Tempest got even better with Vortex. And the few things that bothered me in Tempest were improved with Vortex. Which leads us to...? Exactly - the perfect time-travel, action novel.

Review for You:

Let's start with all the things I already loved in Tempest. First, there was the time travel aspect itself. I mean, it's for sure confusing, but I'm pretty sure that will never change because time travel is just a topic that the human mind (well, mine, at least) will probably never fully understand. Also, it's like...impossible, you know?
But the way Julie Cross wrapped the time travel in her book full of Action and Spy and Security Service Stories is - I think - what makes the story so addicting. The best books are always the ones that are so interesting and seem so much better and more interesting than your own life that you just want to jump right between the pages and stay there forever, right? That's what this series does to me.
In Vortex, that Action novel aspect expanded a LOT. I don't want to spoil anything, but Cross really takes it up a notch and makes it so much more...real, if you know what I mean.
The author also has the kind of writing style a story like this needs. It's easy to follow her descriptions and understand the story. She sacrifices poetic phrases, metaphors and that sort of stuff - her novel is plot based and not writing based and I was fine with that. 
If you read my review of Tempest earlier this month you might remember that I was highly unsatisfied with the characters, the realtionships and the development - that completely changed in Vortex. It's like Julie Cross heard my complaints :) The number one aspect I had to critisize has been worked on by introducing amazing, three dimensional, very deep new characters, building on the old sidekicks and actually making them important to the story and also by giving Jackson, the MC, a bit more time to develop emotions...
Finally, there is that cliffhanger. Oh, how it's working its way through my brain...for hours, there was almost nothing else I could think about. It's actually even worse than the one after Tempest...
All in all, there's nothing left to say but - wonderful. Really! There is nothing to complain about with this book!

Review for me:

Favorite Quote:
"...if you give people everything they want, why would they need you anymore?"

What I want to remember from this book:
That what's the past is the past and what's gone is gone. You can never have it back.

When I want to reread this book:
Maybe when the next one comes out.

February 04, 2013

Review: Through the Evernight by Veronica Rossi

Through the Evernight
by Veronika Rossi

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky, #2)

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.
Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?
In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.



Hardcover, 341 pages
Published January 8th 2013 by HarperCollins

Other works by this author:
Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1)Roar and Liv (Under the Never Sky, #0.5)

RATING:
3/3 Smarties

A Long Story...Short!

If you liked Under The Never Sky (which, of course, you did) you will find Through the Evernight freaking amazing! Throughout the whole book, there is no sign or symptom of sequel trouble, just plain joy while following your favorite characters as they go on their dangerous journeys as they try to do what they know has got to be done. I loved Rossi's writing style, her characters, their relationships and development, the plot that made me read all night because I couldn't sleep without knowing the ending of the book anyway, the tears I (okay, almost) cried during some of the toughest moments of the book and the ending that left me craving more...oh my, how I love these books!

Review for You:

Actually, there is not much to say about this book. I already told you guys everything I loved about Through the Evernight above and there was nothing, nothing!, that I didn't love. 
The weird thing about this trilogy is that I had my doubts before I started Under the Never Sky. It just didn't sound like my kind of book and on top of that I find myself being really bored by most dystopians that are coming out these days, so I had my guard up. After I had read and loved the first book, though, the same doubts overwhelmed me every time my gaze struck the sequel sitting on my shelf. I was pretty sure all that enthusiasm over the first book would not come back with the second one - and I was so wrong! If anything, Through the Evernight was even better than Under the Never Sky! As with most good sequels we don't have to go through the whole introduction process,but we can go straight into action. Another good thing about this one was that it started a few months after the first book left off. This doesn't work for every book, I believe, but here it was fine and even made sense, because Aria and Perry have already gone through a bit of character development without the reader following each step they take, if you know what I mean. 
Funny, also, how after the first few pages I was so engaged in the story already that I didn't want to put the book down. Not even for food.
I still don't connect with Aria as much as I wanted to which might be because I feel like I don't know anything about her and because the reader only knows her in extreme situations, away from home, on her own, in danger. All of her actions are quite impulsive and we don't get to know her as the person she usually is. It's different with Perry, I think, because although he has to face challenges, too, he's mostly at home with the people he's more or less known his whole life long and therefore, I understood him and his actions and personality a lot better. 
Roar and Liv where great in this novel, too. Or rather, I loved that they actually had their places in this book. I think I might like them even more than Aria and Perry and wouldn't mind another novella, or book even, about them.
All in all, I can only tell you to read this book as soon as you can and if you haven't started the trilogy I recommend you do so, because it's awesome!

Review for me:

Favorite Quote:
Weird how I loved this book so much, but couldn't find a quote I really, really liked....did you find any?

What I want to remember from this book:
Sacrifice. And the courage all these characters came up with in order to sacrifice, to help the people they love. 

When I want to reread this book:
When Into the Still Blue comes out - I can't wait!

February 02, 2013

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince
by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2)


In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.



Hardcover, Collector's First Edition, 502 pages
Published December 6th 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Other works by this author:
City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments ReaderClockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1)


RATING:
3/3 Smarties


A Long Story ... Short!

After my disappointment with Clockwork Angel, I didn't expect too much from Clockwork Prince...which was a good thing. Character-wise I still had the same problem with this one that I had with the first book in this trilogy: they reminded me too much of The Mortal Instruments characters. Okay, mostly Jace and Will appeared too similar to me. Plot-wise this book had even more to offer, it has a lot of action and seems to never really slow down. Clare revealed a few twists I never thought were possible (or never imagined to happen). Writing - as always with Clare . was brilliant, not poetic, but pretty straight-forward and fluent which makes the book readable and even with the (maybe) intimidating number of pages a quick read.



Review for You:

Clockwork Prince is a fun, adventurous Action, Urban-Fantasy novel that will keep you glued to the pages for hours and hours. It made me laugh and swoon and bight my fingernails due to its suspense (that's a total lie. Thankfully, I never had or understood the habit of biting one's nails).
All the lame character introduction and story and world building was put on hold in this sequel and made room for more plot, more relationship drama, more evil plans and more brilliant enemy-fighting theories! Claire's fluent writing style adds to the addictiveness of this book because you never need to take a break, you can turn page after page and Clare's easy choice of words and lack (but not in a negative way) of poetic descriptions was - as always refreshing and fun to read.
I grew to care for the characters a bit more even though two specific ones drove me crazy and almost made me cry of frustration towards the end because I just knew that what they were doing was wrong but they wouldn't realize until it was much, sooo much too late! 
Also, Clare never fails to surprise me with plot reveals and twists that leave me with my mouth open, gasping in surprise.
Now, a book seldom is without flaws, is it? Because with Clare's plot twists and especially her book endings I have a very big problem every. single. time.
I don't believe them. Absolutely not. It's almost always way too easy. There we are, still sixty pages to go in this total mess, not knowing how to get ourselves out of it again and then Clare slowly reveals the solution and its so easy it doesn't even make sense anymore. Honestly, I'd much rather have a major cliffhanger at the end of the book or an important character dying or anything than to always have these flat, prepackaged solutions handed over the counter. Just, no. I won't accept that.
I was almost going to say that I'm still looking forward to the last book in this trilogy, Clockwork Princess, but then I noticed that's not quite true since we do have a major problem at the end of Book Two and we don't get the solution yet and I'm really hoping Clare is going to find a logical one instead of looking for the easy way out. Oh, and one more thing that makes me fear the next book a bit: I really want it to be the last. DON'T come up with three more, please. It's enough and I guess I'd turn my back on Clare if she did what she already has done with The Mortal Instruments Series. I would, however, really like to read new books by her that are set in completely different worlds. 
Sooo, all in all? A really great sequel. If you love Clare, go read this book. If you've had enough of Shadowhunters you might still want to try Clockwork Prince since I think I would've missed out on something if I hadn't started and continued The Infernal Devices...

Review for me:


Favorite Quote:
"Easy enough to say at seventeen," said Magnus, "with no small amount of coldness. "You are in love and you think that is all there is in the world. But the world is bigger than you, Will, and may have need of you."

What I Learned From This Book:
I wouldn't necessarily say that I learned it from this book, but this is definitely a very important message that can't be repeated often enough: It's important not to judge people before you really got to know them. They might turn out entirely different from the image you had of them.

When I want to reread this book:
Not anytime soon, I guess as Clockwork Princess is coming out this year, I think and my memory is hopefully going to be fresh enough until then.


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