Feature & Follow Friday (4)

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:

How have your reading habits changed in the past few years? Did you get interested in a new genre? Do you read more? Less? Why do you think your habits changed, if they did.

Before, my only interests were books by Rick Riordan like the Percy Jackson series, Kane Chronicles, & Heroes of Olympus. And then I was influenced by my friends to read other books. I started reading the books that they read. I started a Goodreads account and I found more books to read. I learned about the genres and I got interested in YA and Fantasy books. I read a lot of books in one week and I slept late because of reading. I recently became a fan of some Contemporary books. I think my reading habits changed because of my friends and technology. Because of my friends, I read the books that they read because I wanted to keep up on what I was missing. Because of the internet, I found out blogs that made me want to read the books that they have read.

REVIEW: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

  Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Author Information: Website | Goodreads 
Publisher: HarperCollins
Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads):

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

If you want a book with a sappy, fluffy and cheesy love story, well then, this book is not for you.

Tiger Lily is a riveting and exhilarating book that took away my numb emotions and turned them into feelings that are both ecstatic and painful. The plot is not your mundane contemporary and fantasy romance.

Tiger Lily is about a girl whose name is also the title of the book. She is an introvert who does everything that she wants with cleverness and strength. It is about how she handles her life in Neverland with her family, and also, Peter Pan. It is not just about Tiger Lily, but also about Tinkerbell. The book could change your perspective of the Disney story from happiness to sadness.

What I liked about this book is the interpretation and theme. It shows how love could change everything in just a mere speck of time. The book could give you a lot of messages that are really helpful for young folks. It shows how the beliefs of other people could wreck how society thinks. It could tell how some people have secrets hidden behind their curtain and how that person struggles between his/her two worlds. I see a lot of hidden messages within the sentences, paragraphs and chapters held by this book. If my interpretation is false, well then, I guess I’ll still hold on to what I believe. I also loved how this book could make you feel a lot of raw emotions. I was laughing at first, then crying, then smiling like an idiot, and moaning of pain.

For an introvert-ish teen like me, I am absolutely amazed with this book. If you want to read a worthwhile book, read Tiger Lily and prepare for the feels.

COVER RATING:

 

PLOT AND STORY FLOW RATING:

REVIEW: Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter

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

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

Summary (from Goodreads):

Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers.  Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean.  But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together.  Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.

The third installment of Hunter's Shadow Falls Series is another brilliant and fantastic read! This is honestly the best book in the series ... so far.

The plot is not mainly focused on the main character - which is great since the first and second book of the series was mainly about Kylie. In this book, I actually got a taste of Della and Miranda's relationship and guess what? I am satisfied. The romance and love triangles are still present in the book but actually, for the first time, I'm not annoyed and disgusted. I can't believe I am saying this but I am hoping for more love in the next book. The adventures and conflicts were also great! The twists and turns were not vague and the story flow was nice and steady in a good way. Throughout the book, I was mad, happy, surprised and jumpy. Most of the scenes and moments in this book made me feel a lot of emotions.

The weird thing is, I can't help but feel one negativity for this book. The plot is always repeating. Another ghost came into Kylie's life. Another ghost. I get the fact that there a lot of ghosts out there but I think Hunter needs to realize that another conflict (not a problematic ghost, maybe?) is essential because if you actually keep repeating the conflict and problem in the series, you wont' actually enjoy it. That is all.

The positives beat the negatives. Yay! All in all, this book was a blast! I can't wait to read the next installment, Whispers at Moonrise, soon. I hope the next book could surprise me. 

COVER RATING:

 

PLOT AND STORY FLOW RATING:

Sayings for Saturday (3)

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. “Sometimes I think that maybe we are just stories. Like we may as well just be words on a page, because we're only what we've done and what we are going to do.”
― Jodi Lynn Anderson, Tiger Lily

2. "“It's not the changes that will break your heart; it's that tug of familiarity.”
― Jennifer E. Smith, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
3. “We all have the potential to do terrible things. But we also have the potential to overcome our mistakes.”
― Veronica Rossi, Into the Still Blue
4. “Sometimes the best way to find out what you’re supposed to do is by doing the thing you’re not supposed to do.”
― Gayle Forman, Just One Day
5.  “If you dare nothing, then when the day is over, nothing is all you will have gained.”
― Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book

Feature & Follow Friday! (3)

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:

Recommend some of your favorite back-list books – books that are at least a few years old (I’m thinking 5-10 years old rather than classics)

Here are some of my favorite back-list books and series. I ahve a lot more but I'm planning to put just three. So here they are:

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

Summary from Goodreads:

Welcome to the magical underworld of Venice, Italy. Here, hidden canals and crumbling rooftops shelter runaways and children with incredible secrets....

After escaping from their cruel aunt and uncle, orphans Prosper and Bo meet a mysterious boy who calls himself the "Thief Lord." Clever and charming, the Thief Lord leads a band of street children who enjoy making mischief. But the Thief Lord also has a dark secret. And suddenly Proper and Bo find themselves on a fantastical journey to a forgotten place. What they discover there will change the course of their destiny.

This book was published in 2002 but I read it sometime in July 2010. I fell inlove with this book because everything is just magical. The characters are all united and clever! This book is for middle-grade readers but even if you are a teen or and adult, you won't get bored! 

Harry Potter (#1-7) by J.K. Rowling

Summary from Goodreads:
The exciting tales of Harry Potter, the young wizard-in-training, have taken the world by storm, and fans just can't get enough of the magical world of Hogwarts and beyond.

Each book that composes the Harry Potter series is perfection. If you dare defy and disagree with me, I will enter your house along with a billion other random people, carrying torches, ready to slay. Nah, I'm just kidding. I love Harry Potter, don't you?

Tell Me Your Dreams by Sidney Sheldon

Summary from Goodreads:

Computer whiz Ashley Patterson is convinced she is being stalked. Coworker Toni Prescott has a penchant for Internet dating and little time for anyone else. And Alette Peters prefers quiet weekends in the arms of a beefcake artist. They know virtually nothing about each other--until the three women are linked by a murder investigation that will lead to one of the most bizarre trials of the century.

This book. I love this book. 5 stars, hiyaaaaa *insert fist pump here*. What I liked about this book is the whole book. EHEM. This is the epitome of written perfection. This book can really test your brain without making you cuckoo. This book is "kinda" for adults because of violence but damn, even if you're a kid, READ THIS BOOK. It can blow your mind. Bam!
 Okay. I still have a lot of feels about this book. Okay. Okay. Okay...
I love you, Sidney Sheldon. Rest in Peace.

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

 

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:

  Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
Publication: April 1st, 2014
Publisher: Harpercollins

Summary (from Goodreads):

 I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened?
Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage.
Then and only then—Dorothy must die!

REVIEW: Panic

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Author Information: Website| Goodreads 
Publisher: Harpercollins
Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads):

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Lauren Oliver never ceases to amaze me.

Every book she publishes is very peculiar and subjective in terms of the depth of the plot. I have very mixed emotions about this book and I'm having a hard time writing a review about this because I can't seem to contemplate whether I adore or despise the book. Maybe even both! But I'm not so sure.

What I didn't like in Panic:

1. I am not that much of a fan of covers with actual human faces on it. I could've liked the cover but the fact that a book by Lauren Oliver has the same concepts of covers from her past novels (Delirium series and Before I Fall) is really annoying since she's done it before. Try something new in the cover, perhaps?

2. The narration is another issue in this book. While reading this book, I realized that a lot of characters are significant. But the narration are point of views of two of the significant characters. If most of the characters are significant, Oliver should have had the book in a third person point of view.

3.  Vague endings really leave me hanging. This book is a stand-alone and if you don't want your readers to let you publish a sequel to this book, then the author must give a clear ending, not a vague and confusing one.

What I liked in Panic:

1. This book is definitely unique. The plot mixed and clashed a lot of genres without messing it up.

2. Damn thrilling! I really thought this was another Hunger Games cliche. But I was wrong. An absolute page turner!

3. If you read the book, you could clearly see that the plot was intelligently written. You'll be having a hard time classifying this book in a single genre because every genre is possible for this book!

4. The writing is perfect. Whenever Lauren Oliver writes, the words that come out are like poetry. Everything fits so perfectly that you forget the plot and focus on the writing.

 COVER RATING:

 PLOT AND STORY FLOW RATING:

Sayings for Saturday (2)

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. “Great spirits have always encountered violent oppositions from mediocre minds.”
       ― Albert Einstein

2. "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
    ― Benjamin Franklin
3. "To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when nobody else will."
   ― Sugar Ray Robinson
4. “We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
  ― Anaïs Nin
5.  “Happiness is but a mere episode in the general drama of pain.”
  ― Thomas Hardy