Feature & Follow Friday! (2)

This site prefers GFC follows because I'm new here and I found this way the easiest.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO blogs, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. This meme helps bloggers gain new followers and friends. The hosts of this meme feature one blogger every week. 

Here are the general rules to Follow Friday:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts and any one else you want to follow on the list

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers

3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.

4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments

5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can

6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers

7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!

8. If your new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

So, if you're a blog and you want new followers/friends, hop on!

QUESTION for this week:

Change the Plot. If you could, what book would you change the ending or a plot thread? Go ahead and do it...change it. 

 **WARNING: Spoilers may appear**

If I could change the plot of a certain book, it would be the last book of the Maze Runner Trilogy. Don't get me wrong but I loved the series. I loved the last book too! The only thing that I despised is the fact that Teresa died, and Thomas and Brenda became the new couple. It was clearly stated in the first book that Teresa and Thomas have chemistry but then James Dashner decided that the chemistry they felt was void. So yeah, bye bye Teresa.

If I had a chance to change its plot, the last book would go like this: They all battled Wicked. Newt wouldn't die. Teresa wouldn't die. All good people went to the safe place. Brenda will get a new love life. And they lived happily ever after! 

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. This meme spotlights your most anticipated releases. 

This week's most awaited book is:

 Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
Publication: April 1st, 2014
Publisher: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux (BYR)

Summary (from Goodreads):

 It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

REVIEW: This is What Happy Looks Like

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Author Information: Twitter | Goodreads 
Publisher: Headline
Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads):

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Smith's recent Chick Lit has a cute and fluffy plot. It is about two random strangers who coincidentally communicated with each other through email. In their random conversations, both of them started to feel something. And when they finally meet, it seems that they can't be together because of fame and family.

Ellie O'Neill is a mundane girl from Maine who likes to stay on the sidelines. She loves poetry and works at at an ice cream shop so that she could pay for college. Graham Larkin is a world renowned superstar. He lives in a big mansion with his pet pig named Wilbur. They found peace and comfort when talking with one another. They are not your ordinary star-crossed lovers.

If I were asked why I loved this book, my answer would be: I loved this book because everything in it was properly explained. I loved how Graham and Ellie met and I loved how the book felt so realistic when in fact, this literary work is fiction. The issues and conflicts of the book were properly resolved and you'd really want more!  

I also loved the characters. Graham is such a loveable and thoughtful guy. He's not your stereotypical superstar who loves it when the world notices him. In fact, he despises attention. And Ellie! She is just so cute! She kind of reminds me of Merida from Disney's Brave because she's a smart, courageous and beautiful redhead. 

All in all, this book was amazing! I'm very impressed with Jennifer's writing skills in this book because I wasn't impressed with one of her past novels. I heard that she's going to publish another book this year! I'm so excited! 

 COVER RATING:

 PLOT AND STORY FLOW RATING:

Sayings for Saturday (1)

Sayings for Saturday is a weekly activity wherein I post my top 5 favorite quotes and sayings taken from different books, authors, articles, songs, speeches, et cetera. These quotes serve as an inspiration or just for the entertainment of the readers. 

1. “Wishes are false. Hope is true. Hope makes its own magic.”
       ― Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke & Bone 

2.  “Thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real.”
      ― Michelle Hodkin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
3. "Imagination is more inmportant than knowledge."
      ― Albert Einstein

4.  “Hope is a pocket of possibility. I'm holding it in my hand.”
     ― Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me

5. “I suppose a fire that burns that bright is not meant to last.”
    ― Veronica Roth, Allegiant'

Feature & Follow Friday! (1)

This site prefers GFC follows because I'm new here and I found this way the easiest.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO blogs, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. This meme helps bloggers gain new followers and friends. The hosts of this meme feature one blogger every week. 

Here are the general rules to Follow Friday:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts and any one else you want to follow on the list

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers

3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.

4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments

5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can

6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers

7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!

8. If your new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

So, if you're a blog and you want new followers/friends, hop on!

QUESTION for this week:

What was the last book that made you cry?

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

 

As far as I can remember, Allegiant by Veronica Roth was the last books that made me cry. If you have read this book already, I know that you too, cried. Maybe because of joy or maybe because of pain. My weeping was caused by the latter. 

REVIEW: Awake at Dawn

 Awake at Dawn (Shadow Falls #2) by C.C. Hunter

Author Information: Website | Goodreads 
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads):

From the moment Kylie Galen arrived at Shadow Falls Camp, she’s had one burning question: What am I? Surrounded by vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, fairies and witches, Kylie longs to figure out her own supernatural identity…and what her burgeoning powers mean. And now she’ll need them more than ever, because she’s being haunted by a new spirit who insists that someone Kylie knows—and loves—will die before the end of the summer. If only she only knew who she was supposed to save. And how…But giving Kylie the most trouble is her aching heart. Gorgeous werewolf Lucas left camp with another girl, but he’s still visiting Kylie in her dreams. And Derek, a sexy half Fae who’s always been there for her when she needed him, is pushing to get more serious—and growing impatient, especially when Lucas returns. Kylie knows she needs to decide between the boys, and it’s tearing her up inside.

Yet romance will have to wait, because something from the dark side of the supernatural world is hiding in Shadow Falls. It’s about to threaten everything she holds dear…and bring her closer to her destiny.

My decision of not giving up on the series is an absolute no regret. Hunter's second book of Shadow Falls is definitely better than the first book.

“What you are doesn't matter. Because what you are isn't going to change who you are.”

What I liked about this book is the fact that it focuses more on Kylie's identity than Kylie's love interests. It is stated somewhat in the beginning of the book that a friend of Kylie is in danger and she is the only one who could help that certain friend. Instead of whining and bickering about her current state of delirium and worry, she faced her problem and fought it. Kylie really evolved as a supernatural. Despite the fact that she is quite an annoying typical teen, her actions toward the people who are dear to her can really make you smile. She is a reliable friend, albeit dramatic one. Kylie finally accepted what she is and what she wants. The fact that this statement is true made me want to read the next book in the series as soon as possible.  

Another stand out in this book are the secondary characters. Holiday, Burnett, Della, Miranda and Perry are just too amazing to be ignored. They are the people who make you forget what the negative sides of the book are. They, too, are characters that are reliable in terms of protecting your back and providing a ready ear. The unity and determination of the characters to help one another is great! I'd want friends like them!

The issue of the love triangle of the first book is what bugged me because it was overly dramatic. To be honest, I'm actually more interested in Holiday and Burnett's love-hate relationship than Kylie, Lucas, and Derek's love triangle. The lack of action in this book is another downfall. There's less thrill and suspense that happened in this book than the first book but I still enjoyed it!

Awake the Dawn is absolutely better than Born at Midnight in most aspects. I'm proud to say that my annoyance while reading the first book is perished due to my admiration of the second book.  I can't wait to read and write a review on Taken at Dusk. 

COVER RATING:

 

PLOT AND STORY FLOW RATING:

REVIEW: Born at Midnight

Born at Midnight (Shadowfalls #1) by C.C. Hunter

Author Information: Website | Goodreads 
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads):

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Honestly, I don't know how to write a review about this book because I don't exactly know how I feel about the plot and everything.

I read this book in bed, thinking that maybe this book can steal a few hours of my sleep. And yes, it did steal some of my sleeping time -- not hours, but an hour to be exact. After reading chapter 1, I instantly knew that this book won't make me satisfied, but it seems that my mind keeps on wanting more. And so I stopped reading for that night and went to bed.

Halfway through the story, I am pissed. I am pissed at Kylie Galen. She's such a whiny little teen! I mean, she's kind of a martyr for me. And for me, being a martyr is not that admiring. During that time, I instantly made a little motto of the book: "Shadow Falls: A camp full of naughty supernatural teens. Enter if you dare". I'm sorry if I'm being a little negative but I really do think that this book is about Kylie being a crybaby all throughout camp.

I didn't get where the story was heading and that kind of made me want to stop reading it. But I didn't. I didn't because I saw huge potential in this book (which is good!). On with the positive comments. Even if I hated Kylie, I still loved a few of the characters, like Della, Miranda and Perry. They are awesome friends and perhaps they are the reason why I often laugh or smile when reading this book. I see a big space of improvement in the next books that's why I am not giving up on this yet. So yes, I am determined to finish the series because of the potential. And Della. 

COVER RATING:  

 

 PLOT AND STORY FLOW RATING:

REVIEW: Starters

Starters by Lissa Price 

Author Information: Website | Goodreads
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads): 

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined.

After finishing this book, two words directly popped into my mind. "Peculiar & Great". 

The very reason I read this book is because of the cover. I actually hate covers with close-up faces on them but this was an exception. If it were to be put in a bookstore along with hundred of other books, I'd probably pick this book up first because of the beautiful cover. 

Callie is not your ordinary heroine. She isn't annoying (Thank you, Price!), unlike other female main characters out there. She's smart, brave and witty when it comes to handling situations and she sets her priorities first I really adore her and I could probably say that she's one of my favorite female characters of all time. And Blake. He is the epitome of genetic perfection. Blake will really make the fangirls squeal and scream like a lovesick puppy.

The summary didn't quite catch me like the cover did. My first thoughts while reading the summary is that this book is not going to stand out. Well, the plot proved me wrong. Throughout the book, I was amazed with the series of events that took place. I kept on asking myself where this story would end up because believe me, this book is unpredictable.While reading Starters, you can actually feel all the emotions throughout the story. At first you'll feel pity for Callie, and then you'll be outraged by Prime Destinations, and the next thing you'll know, you'll be smiling like an idiot because of the romance. 

What I didn't like about this book is the lack of character description. To be honest, I had a hard time visualizing some of the characters because some features were not fully described. Another hate in this book is in one of the plot twists. *sigh*

All in all, this book is amazing. I found more pros than cons, which is great! The second book is out and I can't wait to read it! I'll definitely keep in touch with the series.

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