Reading Slumps Suck

I have been in a reading slump since the beginning of the year and I cannot seem to shake it. It's not like I've been trying to read boring books. I just can't seem to sit down and read a book for long enough to finish it. I get restless half way through the book and want to start something new. There hasn't been a book to truly catch my attention this year...until now. I have always loved fairy tales so when I saw this book I just HAD to have it. And I cannot wait to dive in! Maybe this will finally be the book that breaks me out of my reading slump.

Monday Reads: My TBR pile on my bookshelf

Here are the top 10 books on my bookshelf that I'm itching to read. Because I collect books faster than I read them, I have a big pile of books that I have yet to read.

 Dearly Beloved by Lia Habel

 Wither by Lauren DeStefano

 Sever by Lauren DeStefano

 Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

 Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

 The Evolution of Mara Dyer

 Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

 Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Evernight by Claudia Gray

Monday Reads: The Siren

After reading Jackson Pearce's fairytale retellings, I have been searching for other fairytale retellings to quench my thirst until Jackson releases her next installment. This week I picked up The Siren by Kiera Cass. Having loved her book The Selection, I have high hopes for this one. The Siren is a retelling of The Little Mermaid and so far has been quite an intriguing read. I can already see how she has left elements of the old fairytale in tact as well as adding her own twists and turns. I am not very far into the book but so far am enjoying it very much.

The Siren by Kiera Cass

Synopsis: "You must never do anything that might expose our secret. This means that, in general, you cannot form close bonds with humans. You can speak to us, and you can always commune with the Ocean, but you are deadly to humans. You are, essentially, a weapon. A very beautiful weapon. I won't lie to you, it can be a lonely existence, but once you are done, you get to live. All you have to give, for now, is obedience and time. . ."The same speech has been given hundreds of times to hundreds of beautiful girls who enter the sisterhood of sirens. Kahlen has lived by these rules for years now, patiently waiting for the life she can call her own. But when Akinli, a human, enters her world, she can't bring herself to live by the rules anymore. Suddenly the life she's been waiting for doesn't seem nearly as important as the one she's living now.

Monday Reads: A new series I am excited to start

After a really really long reading slump, I am finally getting back into the swing of things. I am almost done City of Glass, which I feel I started ages ago. But I am finally picking up the pace and have a ton of books waiting for me that I can't wait to read.

I discovered this series while looking through some of my recommendations on goodreads. I must admit that the title wasn't something I was drawn to at first. But after reading the synopsis, this series was placed on my "to be read" pile.

 The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Synopsis: Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him -- something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

 The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

Synopsis: Reaching the end of their flight in THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, while Todd faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive?

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Synopsis: As a world-ending war surges around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people. Ruthless human leaders prepare to defend their factions at all costs, even as a convoy of new settlers approaches. And as the ceaseless Noise lays all thoughts bare, the projected will of the few threatens to overwhelm the desperate desire of the many. The consequences of each action, each word, are unspeakably vast: To follow a tyrant or a terrorist? To save the life of the one you love most, or thousands of strangers? To believe in redemption, or assume it is lost? Becoming adults amid the turmoil, Todd and Viola question all they have known, racing through horror and outrage toward a shocking finale.

Fall Releases

I know I have been sporadically blogging in the past few months. Now that I am settled back at school with my classes, I plan to get back on track with my weekly schedule of posts.

There are so many amazing books coming out this fall! I have been trying to pick them up as they are release..some in hard copy and some on my kobo. I will admit that I have been in another reading slump. I have fallen very behind on my reading challenge for the year. Even though I enjoy the books I am reading, I am not as quick to pick up books when I get home or when I have some down time. I have been distracted by other things especially my new access to the American Netflix. I am catching up on so many of my favourite shows. But with so many great books coming out, I am slowly getting back into reading mode. So far I have only read Fathomless and I loved it. Look for a review on my Monday Reads post.

 September 4th: Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

September 18th: Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

September 25th: Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel

 September 25th: Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio

 October 2nd: Destroy Me by Taheri Mafi

November 13th: Reached by Ally Condie

I am so excited for this release

Tomorrow Fathomless comes out. I have been anxiously awaiting the third installment in Jackson Pearce's fairytale retellings and am especially excited that this is a retelling of The Little Mermaid (my personal favourite of all the Disney movies). I will be picking this up tomorrow!

Synopsis: Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

Cinder (a review)

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

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

Review: I don't really know where to begin with this review. I heard such great things about this book but was never compelled to by it when I'd see it in the bookstore. And then I found copies on the bargain table for $4.99 and decided to give it a shot.

I've been big on fairy tale retellings since I read Sisters Red and Sweetly by Jackson Pearce and Beastly by Alex Flinn. Even though I knew the older versions of those stories, the author managed to keep me engaged and guessing with different twists added to the story. Although Cinder has quite a big twist: she is a cyborg, there were no interesting elements to the plot that kept me wanting to read. I put the book down many times and struggled to pick it up again. I had some instances where I would try to guess what would happen. Even though I was on the right track, I felt that it was all anti-climactic. I will pick up part two, which is due next February only because we are left on a cliff hanger at the end of this book. I am hoping that the second book packs the punch that this one did not have.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (a review)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith

Synopsis: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

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


Review: Wow! I absolutely loved loved loved this book!! I read reviews about this book a few months ago, and although I was intrigued, I was worried that it would just be another cute story with no real substance. For a story spanning only 24 hours, it really had depth. I related to Hadley and her feelings on so many situations that were brought up in this short story. Oliver was swoon worthy and I fell for him the second he appeared in the story. This is definitely a sweet well thought out story that does not disappoint!


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Selection (a review)

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Synopsis: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined. 

Review: When I first saw this book, I told myself that I would never pick it up. Neither the cover nor the synopsis caught my attention. I then saw some great reviews about this book on both Goodreads and YouTube and decided to give this book another shot. I am definitely happy I did. The best way to describe this book is that it is The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor, although there seems to be more elements of the latter present. I compare it to The Hunger Games for a few reasons. The main character, America, reminds me a lot of Katniss. Her younger sister also reminds me of the relationship Katniss and her younger sister had. Like in The Hunger Games, where people live in districts, in this book people live according to caste. Their jobs and homes are all based on which caste they fall into (1 being royalty and 8 being poorest). America is also thrown into a competition where only one will be winner at the end. This is where the similarities to The Hunger Games ends. 

The story is centered around the competition between thirty-five girls to win the heart of Prince Maxon. Unlike The Bachelor, America goes into this competition knowing that she does not want to win the Prince's heart. She agrees to compete because it will mean helping her family out back home. America is fiesty, speaks her own mind and is the most original out of all the contestants. She enters the competition with a broken heart, having just been dumped by her boyfriend back home and wants nothing to do with romance. But she does begin to develop a friendship with the prince. You find yourself rooting for her to fall in love with the prince as their friendship begins to grow. And then the book ends abruptly. I did not expect it to end so suddenly with so many unanswered questions. I loved this story and hate the fact that I have to wait until next year to find out what happens.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

What I am reading this week

I am happy to say that I have been keeping up with my summer reading list. Perhaps this is because I have been picking smaller lists. My next books to be read this month are:

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Synopsis: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined. 

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Synopsis: In the violent country of Ludania, the language you speak determines what class you are, and there are harsh punishments if you forget your place—looking a member of a higher class in the eye can result in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina (Charlie for short) can understand all languages, a dangerous ability she’s been hiding her whole life. Her only place of release is the drug-filled underground club scene, where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. There, she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy who speaks a language she’s never heard, and her secret is almost exposed. Through a series of violent upheavals, it becomes clear that Charlie herself is the key to forcing out the oppressive power structure of her kingdom….

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Synopsis: Some race to win. Others race to survive.

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith

Synopsis: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

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

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Synopsis: Survival. Of the fittest.

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream Pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of  the  program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild?  And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?  

Revived (a review)

Revived by Cat Patrick

Synopsis: As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.
A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency's true goals, she realizes she's at the center of something much larger -- and more sinister -- than she ever imagined.

Review: I went into this book thinking that it was a dystopian. Maybe I have been reading too many dystopian books and now expect most of the YA books I read to be dystopian.

I would describe this book as a contemporary with a sci-fi twist. I really enjoyed it. It was very quick paced and hard to put down. It makes you wonder what life would be like if there really was a drug that could bring people back from the dead. You get to know and love Daisy and feel everything she goes to through the novel. From confusion, to loss, to love, to betrayal, Daisy comes to an understanding of this Revive program and the implications it has. Although this book is not a heavy read, it has layers and is deeper than the synopsis makes it out to be.

Patrick has a lovely way of writing that truly allows you to experience everything the characters are going through in this novel. A definite must read!


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

More Frequent Book Posts

It's finally summer holidays for me. Part of me feels like this school year was super long and another part of me feels as though I only started teaching yesterday. I will miss my students so much (especially those graduating), but am definitely looking forward to two months of down time. Since I am off for these next two months, I thought that I would focus more on posts about books. This means that I won't be sticking to my regular themed posts. I am so behind on my book challenge (I am 11 books behind). So I am taking these two months to do some major reading catch up.
Today I finished my first read of July:

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Synopsis: Don't close your eyes. Except when the truth is too dark to bear.
Clarity
"Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like
stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a
certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to
help solve the case -- but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk.
Then Clare's brother -- who has supernatural gifts of his own -- becomes
the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with
Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture
into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer.
But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Review: I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Last year I read a book The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June, which is about three sisters who each have special psychic powers. I really really had a hard time finishing that book even though it was a pretty short read. So when I read the synopsis of Clarity, I was immediately reminded of that book. I was worried that I would not enjoy it, that it would take me forever to read and that I would have once again wasted my money on a book I did not enjoy.
I was hooked from the first page and had a hard time putting it down. This book is quick paced and fun to read. It lacks some depth in terms of character development but it is definitely an enjoyable and quick summer read. I thought I had the murderer figured out early on but there was a twist that I did not expect. I love when I am proven wrong in these mystery type books.
I am starting the second book in the series Perception and am really looking forward to seeing what happens next in the lives of Clare (Clarity), her family and friends.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you?

Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in
school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden
visions from the past.
Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.

But then someone starts playing with her head... and heart. Messages
and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could
they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or
from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her
back?
One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery,
and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town
has suddenly disappeared. Clare needs to see her way to the
truth—before it's much too late.

Next on my list to be read this week:

Revived by Cat Patrick

Synopsis:
As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.
A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can
bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has
been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary
risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a
new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy
begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she
discovers the agency's true goals, she realizes she's at the center of
something much larger -- and more sinister -- than she ever imagined.


Look for reviews of Perception and Revived later this week!

 

**all synopsis from Amazon.com

Thursday: Things I like this week - Book Haul

Today I made a stop at Chapters on my way home and picked up some books. I have been reading ebooks for the past little while and was missing holding real books. Chapters was having their buy 3 get 1 free sale so I could not resist! They also had a ton great bargain books!

 Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

I have started reading Cassandra Clare's first series the Mortal Instruments (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls) and have loved the books I have read so far. I heard that this series is even better than that one (if that is even possible). I found Clockwork Angel for $4 so I picked up both today. I am excited to read this prequel series!

 Jeneration X by Jen Lancaster

I absolutely adore Jen Lancaster. Her books always make me laugh out loud. She is funny and witty and not afraid to say what's on her mind. I have loved her other memoirs and I am sure this one will not disappoint.

 Finding Monsieur Right by Muriel Zagha

This is one of my all time favourite girly books. I have it as an ebook but have been wanting a hard copy. I found this one for $4 on the bargain table and picked it up right away. I cannot wait to read this one again.

 The Book of (even more) Awesome by Neil Pasricha

The first one was great. So many of the items on his list were ones that made me say "oh ya! I love that too!" This is a fun book to read randomly when you need a pick me up.

 Fever by Lauren DeStefano

This is the second book in the Chemical Garden Trilogy. I have the first book Wither but have not read it yet but have heard so many great things about this series that I had to pick it up.

A Love Story in 781 Chapters by Aneva Stout

I read this book once while sitting in Chapters. It's short and very cute. This was for $2 on the bargain table and I had to pick it up!

Monday Reads: Jessica Rules the Dark Side

This week I am reading the sequel to Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. Unfortunately I haven't had a lot of time to read in the last week because I've been traveling so it has been taking me a while to get through this book. I am not enjoying it as much as the first book but I am only half way through so that may change.

Synopsis: It’s one thing to find out you’re a vampire princess. It’s a whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own. Determined to clear her husband’s name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that with no blood to drink, Lucius’s time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is—and whom she can trust—before it’s too late?

Monday Reads: Insurgent (review)

I just finished reading Insurgent by Veronica Roth. All I can say is WOW! Usually in a series I find that the second book tends to be a bit slower paced than the first but this one was action packed from the very first page and never slowed down. I was barely able to put it down. This book brought out so many emotions. I was angry, frustrated, relieved, happy, sad...It was a roller coaster ride of emotions from beginning to end. The book starts off from where the first book ended. There is no time lapse between the two books. This also means that Roth does not take any time to recap what happened in the first book. So it is best to read Divergent again before starting this one if you`re having trouble remembering any of the details. I re-read Divergent and then jumped straight into Insurgent. I cannot wait until the third and final installment of this series. We are left with a big cliffhanger at the end of the book and now I am anxiously waiting to see what happens next. Oh how I wish that I didn`t have to wait for the next book.

Monday Reads: Book Two in the Mortal Instruments Series

This week I am reading City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare. This is the second book in the Mortal Instruments series. I am about half way and am having mixed feelings about this book. Not sure what I think of the whole brother sister revelation and relationship.





Synopsis: Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go—especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil—and also her father.
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings—and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

Monday Reads: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Here's what I am reading this week.

Synopsis: The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction

Monday Reads: The Complex

I discovered this author through Twitter (my new obsession) and had to download her book. This is what I am reading this week. Super excited to finish it. Look for a review soon.





The Complex by Cathy E. Zaragoza

Synopsis: Helena Linx is dying. Isolated and quarantined for over a decade, sixteen-year-old Helena lives in a virtual utopia run by a council of doctors bent on saving the world from a fatal and almost incurable disease. The pandemic has been contained, but she and hundreds of others are still waiting to be cured. Helena dreams of returning to the outside world and leaving behind the heavily regulated world of the Eyam Complex, a place where everything runs according to plan…until one fateful morning.

Things begin to change in the complex. And after everything dear to Helena—her father, her brother, and her boyfriend— is taken away, she finally gets what she wants.

But life on the outside isn’t what Helena expected. Never in her wildest dreams did Helena think that she’d leave Eyam only to become so desperate to get back in.

Some new books

Today I went to Chapters and picked up a couple of new books. I did have many many books that I wanted to buy but I narrowed it down to two for today. Looking forward to reading these.

 The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

I know this is an older book but I loved I've Got Your Number so much that I am now going back and reading some of her older works. This one looks funny and girl and will be a great fun quick read.

Synopsis: Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership. Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer—and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the #@%# ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope—and finds love—is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake. But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I have heard such great things about this book. I've been wanting to pick it up for a while now. Today I found it on the table that said "If you loved the Hunger Games you will love...." and I knew I had to pick it up. This is next on my list of books to read.

Synopsis: The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Monday Reads: a review + a new book

Review: Sophie Kinsella's I've Got Your Number

I finished this book a few days ago. So so so good!! I haven't read a good girly book in a while. This one was great because it often made me laugh out loud. I'm not a big fan of sappy romance books and I like my girly books to be funny and quirky (à la Bridget Jones). This definitely makes its way into my top ten funny girly books. Definitely pick this one up of you're looking for a fun and quick read. I am hoping to read Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep a Secret soon.




City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

This is the book I am currently reading. It seems as though I am one f the last people to start this series. I found that it started off slowly but I a, about had way through and the story is getting quite interesting. I am looking forward to finishing it up and reading the others in the series.

Synopsis: When 15-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing, not even a smear of blood, to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within 24 hours, Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance when her mother disappears, and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary "mundanes" like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know.

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride they will never want to end.