New Design!!!

If you guys haven't already noticed, I have a new design! I am soooooo happy, words can't even explain it. I would like to say a big thank you to Em who owns the blog The Graphicness because she did an amazing job of creating my Header and Blog Button. She did exactly what I asked for and more and it just looks amazing...!!! If you guys need to re-design your blog, she is definitely the person to go to. Can I just ask that if anyone has my old blog button on their blog that could you please change it.

So what do you guys think? Yay or nay? 

These are some of the emotions I'm feeling right now!

I think you get the gist...

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

-Goodreads description -
Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn’t happened yet.

Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture – being kept apart, overhearing each other’s anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There’s no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It’s from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that’s about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future . . .

*I received this review copy from Bloomsbury Publishing in exchange for an honest review*

As a major Doctor Who fan, All Our Yesterdays was a perfect action packed book. I didn't go into this book with any expectations as I hadn't read many reviews for it. But I was nicely surprised and am thankful that I asked for it. Before I get into my review, can I just say that the cover is awesome. That was one of the main selling points to me, as well as it being a Science Fiction novel. I don’t say this very often but All Our Yesterdays is a creative title and I love it.

The first thing I noticed was the unique story-line. Science Fiction is always associated with aliens and I think this is a misconception as it involves futuristic themes and time travel as well. All Our Yesterdays had everything I was looking for in a good Sci Fi novel. It was intense, suspenseful and action-packed. I give a big congratulations to the author for creating such a well thought out story-line. Not only did it work well, I didn’t find it confusing at all. I don’t know whether this is because I watch a lot of Doctor Who therefore leaving me experienced with time travel but I think there needs to be an explanation of what a paradox is and what it does for those who are new to this genre.

This novel was well paced but so much happens in it, it feels really fast. Usually I don’t like it when books change perspectives between characters but the author was so skilled she was able to pull it off. While reading this book I kept thinking that this would be a great movie that I would definitely go watch. It was intense, suspenseful and just all round great! The writing was perfect and I don't have anything negative to say about it. The characters were likeable and each held there own uniqueness, it felt like I knew them myself. This book isn't predictable and the ending...left me in shock. This novel kept me turning pages for hours and I couldn't put it down.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think everyone should read it. Even if you're not a major Science Fiction fan, you should still read it! I am waiting for another book by Cristin Terrill as I think she is a very talented author and I'm sure she has a long way to go. This book is now a new favourite of mine and I seriously recommend it. To end this, I just wanted to say a big thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. Well I can say this book didn't disappoint.

The Mortal Instruments - City of Bones {movie review}

Ok if you have not watched this movie and you are a City of Bones fan. YOU MUST GO AND WATCH IT!!! I think the movie was a pretty good book to move adaptation. It wasn't perfect but it worked well as a movie. I'm going to try and write this review without any spoilers for those of you haven't' watched it yet. It was very fast paced compared to the book and I just felt like the sequence between each scene was quick. I think the dialogue for me was quite weird as it felt like they didn't explain the 'Shadow World' enough. I'm glad I'd read the book first otherwise I would have been a little confused.

The action scenes were the best. Clary wasn't as annoying like she was in the books, and Isabelle was just plain badass and boy did she brandish that whip!  I was a bit hesitant about Jace when I first saw the trailer and I was sure I would hate him but he pulled it off well. He didn't have the whole cockiness but he did have those good one liners. To be honest I felt like we didn't see much of Alec. I swear there was only like 3 scenes where he actually talked. I just think there was a lot of issues but it was just so amazingly done you don't focus too much on it. The triangle to me was bland and I just thought the chemistry between Clary and Jace was bland as well. Valentine wasn't what I pictured to look like and Magnus Bane's character didn't have the sassiness like he does in the book.

One scene I really liked was with the silent brothers. That was really well done! And I think my favourite action scene was in the Vampire Lair and Jace has that little line saying "Have a little faith." I just thought it was awesome and you see a lot of badass shadowhunter fighting.Also I felt like a lot of things was how I imagined it! I love it when your vision is sort of the same as the movie. The institute was exactly how I imagined it to look like.

Overall I just loved it and the minor issues didn't really matter to me overall. If you don't focus on the comparison between the book and the movie too much then you'll really enjoy it. I really want to see it again because it was that amazing!
If it's out of ten stars I would give it 7/10.

Stacking The Shelves 24/08/13

Hey guys, it's been a while since I've done a Stacking The Shelves post which is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. I've gotten quite a few books and I just have no idea what to read in what order! So I'm in a dilemma. I've been in a bit of a reading slump this month with only reading 3 books and a novella.

Borrowed: 

City of Ashes by none other than Cassandra Clare - I'm very excited to continue on with The Mortal Instruments series. Also after finishing the movie the excitement has kicked in full force. 

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa - I'm not really sure what to expect of this book as there has been so many mixed reviews, so I don't really have any expectations for it. 

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - I am so excited to read this as I am a major Science Fiction fan. There has been so much hype surrounding it so I can't wait to read this. 

Of Triton by Anna Banks - I am also really excited to read this book because of the cliffy at the end of Of Poseidon . I also heard that it's better than the first one and I love it when the series just get's better and better. It's annoying when the sequel disappoints.

For Review:

 All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terril - I received this from the publishers Bloomsbury and I am currently up to chapter 3 and it's amazing. I think if I didn't have prior knowledge to time travel (ahem Doctor Who) I wouldn't understand it. But anyways, full review will be as soon as I finish it when should be soon.

So do you see my dilemma here? I have so many good books to choose out of and I have no idea what I'm going to read next! Could anyone give me any suggestions. T
Thanks for reading my post, please leave a comment to tell me what you think.

The Originals

By Cat Patrick 

- Goodreads Description -

17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

Review - No Spoilers

I don't really know what to think of this book even though I've read it. You'd think I would know as its a yes or no answer. Did you, or did you not like the book? Well this book has me so confused as I have so many mixed feelings about it. I'm really sorry if this review doesn't turn out very straight forward. The cover is obviously very pretty but I prefer the other one that America got as it's way cooler. I feel like because it got so many good reviews that I should like it but I just found that it almost became a chore to read it.

I'll start with the good things, the character development was pretty good but there weren't actually that many characters in the story. It was a very unique plot-line which I loved because I've never read a story like this. After I hop you read my last post, What makes a good...?, and you'll know that I wrote a post about what makes a good protagonist. Well I found that in this story Lizzie was a very likeable character and I think she was a very good protagonist. Also, another thing about this book is that it's a quick read and it only took me like 2 days to read it.

The things that really annoyed me was that it's insta-love. From reading my other reviews, you would know I don't like it as I don't think it's realistic. I think this was a major factor that made me not want to read it as I just wanted to roll my eyes every time. I'm not saying the love interest wasn't likeable, I just don't like the fact that it was insta-love. Sometimes I found the storyline a little slow and boring so I had to struggle through it and it felt more like I was reading this for school.

I really hope my review doesn't make you not want to read as it was a good book, but it just wasn't for me. I think it's because I've been reading other amazing books that are worthy for 5 stars that this just lowered the standards of this book and I know it's unfair to compare book but...I just didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked to. But then again, I think all these feelings make it a good book as it makes me really think about it. Thank you for reading my review and I'm sorry if it was a little unclear.

In the end I give it 3.5 stars!

Two Diva's Bookish Discussion - What makes a good...?

Hi we're Francoise and Sunny and we have known each other since our nappy days. We're constantly having rants and raves about the latest books and bookish news.This is a fortnightly discussion that you can find on both of our blogs, so please make sure to stop by both blogs as our written content is different, although on the same topic. Our posts are not intended to offend anyone or anything but this is just our opinions and we would love it if you would share your thoughts in the comments below. This is a new feature we decided to add and the purpose is not only for you to get to know more about us but for you to be able to join in and have fun.

Protagonist: 

Point	Reason
Likable	This is the obvious reason to any good character because you’re not going to be able to sit through a whole book if the main character just gets on your nerves.
Relatable	If the protagonist isn't relatable you don’t get that strong connection throughout the book and I always find it can make it sort of lacking.
Strong	I love it when the main character is strong and he/she doesn't have to rely too much on other characters. Obviously they have to have some flaws otherwise it is not realistic and as they say, nobody’s perfect.
Smart	Now I don’t mean the protagonist has to be a genius but sometimes characters just lack common sense and I'm just left questioning the characters IQ. And I hate it when a character is actually quite smart but they end up doing stupid things and rush into things without considering the situation that they are in. I also hate it when they’re easily fooled and they take everybody’s word to heart.
Vulnerability	I think every character has to have some vulnerability otherwise again it can become unrealistic.
Originality	I love it when we get a new, cool and quirky character that is like no other. It makes it interesting and you don’t ever compare it to another story.
Character Development	This is important for any character not just the protagonist. This makes a good story and no one likes any story flat.

Antagonist (villain):

Point	Reason
Back-story	This is really important for a villain as you need to know why they’re a villain. For example: Troubled childhood. It gives the readers a reason behind their character. The villain also has to have a good motive or it just feels like no point to the story.
Smart	I absolutely love it when the antagonist is super smart and they’re always one step ahead. Every time you think they've won the villain always has another trick up his/her sleeve. And I love it when it is so clever that you’re more in awe than hatred for that person.
Not who you expect	I love those stories where you don’t know who to trust and you’re in the same boat as the protagonist. It makes it all the more real and that turn of event when there is a massive reveal you can’t help but gasp out loud. Also it makes it less predictable and makes the story more enjoyable.
A well thought out punishment	I don’t know about you but I love it when the punishment is well thought out and it definitely does it justice. I don’t like it when it’s a quick and easy death because then it just feels like the villain got the easy way out.

So what do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Just say so in the comments. Make sure to go check out Sunny's blog because although we're posting on the same topic, they're completely different. 

Thank you for reading. 

ACID

By Emma Pass

- Goodreads Description -

2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.

Review - No Spoilers 

ACID is Emma Pass's début novel and boy was it a good read. I absolutely loved every thing about this book and there is little to complain about. The cover is awesome and it really shows our main character's personality - Jenna - well. During school while I was reading it, so many people kept coming up to me and asking what I was reading so I had a great time convincing people to read it.

I couldn't tell what the genre for this book was so I'm just going to say Science Fiction/Dystopia so if you like those two genres then you'll love this book. Also if you like a good fast paced, action novel then this is definitely the book for you. The only issue I had was that the characters were a little flat and I would of liked to have more character development for a few characters. One thing I did like was that Romance wasn't a huge part of the story. The author kept it reasonable and realistic. 

The concept and story-line were quite interesting. They're not completely unique but the story still held individuality to it. I really liked the layout of the book because throughout the book it would have these reports by ACID which was really fun to read. It was like reading a newspaper and it made the story even more real and made it feel like it had it's own history.

The protagonist, Jenna was an awesome character. She was badass and she knows how to defend herself. In know way is she weak but sometimes she can rush into situations without thinking. I loved her personality and she was such a 'tell-it-how-it-is' sort of person who takes no sh*t for anyone. She was definitely a strong heroine and all I can really say is, Katniss you better watch out.

It's a well paced novel but so much happens that it feels really fast. The plot twists left my mind reeling and I couldn't put the book down. It's a really quick read which you would enjoy on the weekend of holidays and it's only about 400 pages. Overall I really loved it, and I think you should definitely go and read it. You'll love the world that Emma Pass so creatively built up and you'll finish it in no time.

I give it:

For those of you who have read it, did anyone imagine the komm to look like this?

The Book Shop Scandal

This isn't the actual book store

Today I went to a bookshop near the beach and I am outraged by what they were doing there. They were selling second hand books for the price of a new book. In fact they were $3 more expensive. It doesn't sound like much but it's still crazy! Now I don't have a problem with second hand books but they're meant to be cheaper than the original price. I feel sorry for anyone who isn't a major book addict like me because they wouldn't know that they're being ripped off. Sometimes people can be so cruel. It's just the fact that they like to scam people so easily that makes me so mad.

Music

Now I know most of you looked at the title and thought...what the hell? This is a book blog...well you're right, this is a post started by Erin from Eternal Books and this post is sort of like a tag where any blogger can join in. But don't worry, this actually has something to do with books!

I don't know about you guys but I can definitely read and listen to music at the same time. I've heard that sometimes people can't because it gets a bit too distracting which can happen to me sometimes when I'm thinking about too many things at once. Depending on the book...I try to match the mood of the book to the sort of music I listen to. But for some reason my laptop has like a mind of it's own and it just changes songs at the most perfect times. It's really strange but awesome.

For Example:

• I just finished a book and the music turned to Shots by LMFO which is the perfect party song. 
• I also like listening to metal (aka: Linkin Park) for any sort of action moments
• Obviously if it's a really sad scene, I listen to sad music. 

Sometimes I create playlists which I usually listen to while reading a book. I try to listen to songs I've heard lots of times because then it's easier to tune out. I don't know why but if it's a new song I've only heard a couple of times, I spend too much time dancing and singing to the song. Another reason why I listen to old music is because I just don't like the music now days...too repetitive and I just feel like the talent has run out. (Not trying to offend any artists) 

If you were to ask me who my favourite artist or genre was. I couldn't answer you as there are sooo many songs that I love. I love most genre's ranging from R&B, metal, K-pop, pop, hip-hop and rap. (I know, a crazy mix)  

Book Covers!

Hey guys, this is sort of another discussion post. Before I really get into this I would like to ask. As the readers do you enjoy reading discussion posts or do you prefer the actual reviews? Anyways, this post is inspired by one of my favourite book vloggers Cassidy Tucker. This is a topic I have seen a lot on blogs and it is a topic that I always talk about with friends. So this post is basically to show what appeals or annoys me in book covers:

Factors that create a good design
Point	Reason
Colours	I really like it when a series has a matching colour scheme. This makes it easier to spot the book when you’re looking for it in a book shop or library.
Simplicity	Sometimes I think when a book cover is very simple it looks better. When a cover has so many things jumbled into it, it just looks messy and unorganised. I like it when a cover has cool graphics but when it just becomes too much…I’m not going to give it any attention whatsoever.
Fonts	Cool and pretty fonts always catch my attention. BUT the font has to go with the cover.
Uniqueness	I was horrified when I saw a cover that had the same image to the one on The Goddess Test. I know that authors don’t actually get much say with what happens with their covers but honestly if I was the author I would make sure everything is perfect and to my liking. I also like it when a cover has individuality to it and it’s not something you’ve really seen before. I also like it when it holds a certain mystery to it because it immediately makes me curious.
Factors that make a bad cover
Point	Reason
Covers that have nothing to do with the plot	I think this is self-explanatory. Why on earth would you put something on the cover which has nothing to do with the plot-line. It doesn’t do the book justice and it’s misleading for the readers.
People	I hate it when I see close-ups of girl’s faces, couples kissing or a guy with no shirt. It’s just awkward…especially when you’re reading in public. Also, girls in elegant dresses are just becoming way too common. And it’s incredibly weird if the main girl doesn’t wear a dress in the book.
Australian Book Covers	Ok if you’re from America you have no problem but for some messed up reason, Australia gets different covers. This is highly annoying as they’re usually worse than the ones in the US. I don’t understand…why can’t every country get the same cover! Why use extra effort to create another one.

So these are my thoughts on covers. Do you agree or disagree? Did a miss anything? If so please drop a comment!

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) + Destroy Me

By Tahereh Mafi 

- Goodreads -

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Review:

May contain spoilers for those of you who have not read Shatter Me

I have no idea where to begin. Unravel Me just ripped my heart out and ripped it into a million pieces. This novel just evoked so many emotions out of me I just can't even think clearly so I am very sorry if this review doesn't make any sense. If you have not already guessed, Unravel Me is the second instalment to the series Shatter Me which is now one of my favourite Dystopian books. 

After finishing this novel, I think I just sat and stared at my laptop screen (because I had to read it on PDF coz I couldn't wait for the library) for about 5 minutes. I think this gif best describes me at the moment:

If you ever read this Tahereh Mafi, why...? Why would you do this to us readers? This book was amazing, I loved Shatter Me and I loved this one even more. This is one of the rare occasion where I think the sequel was better than the first book. In Shatter Me the characters sometimes seemed bland and the character development wasn't all that great. But in this one, we learn so much more about the characters. As you can tell from my post title, I read Destroy Me which is a short novella which is written in Warner's point of view. We get so much more of his character and I just think he such a misunderstood character. Adam is pale comparison to Warner and for once I switched teams in a love triangle. 

I'm now officially Team Warner. I hate how Warner makes me feel. I'm so confused. This is the one time I can't decide between the two male love interests. This is the one book where a love triangle is just so right and makes so much sense. I am just as indecisive as Juliette is and it just makes the story so much more special because you feel like Juliette herself. She's note being some dumb girl who can't make a choice but in this case it makes sense. Juliette grew as a character and so did Warner. I'm hoping the next novella will be written in Adam's perspective so I get more of a feel of his character as I just feel like I lost the connection between him and Juliette.  

We also get a growth in the secondary characters. We get more of Kenji's funny character and we also learn a bit more of Castle. I liked this a lot because I hate it when some characters get forgotten and you're left wondering what on earth happened to the them. I like how Kenji was a major role in this novel as he was always one to snap Juliette back to reality because sometimes she gets caught up in her own little world and she can be quite selfish at times. But Kenji is always there with the cold hard truth which everyoen needs as the situation involving The Reestablishment becomes more intense.  

The writing in this series isn't suited for everyone as it is very...poetic. You have to get used to it and give it a chance. It definitely makes this series very unique which is what I love about it. The way Tahereh Mafi portrays Juliettes thoughts is magical. When I first heard of Destroy Me I was reluctant to read it as I don't like it when an author changes perspective. But on this occasion the thought process and writing style is completely different so I didn't get confused. I really suggest you read this short novella, as you get more of an idea of Warner's character.   

I'm sorry for this review as it was all over the place. It wasn't very well structured but I have so many conflicted emotions at the moment. I keep telling myself to love hate Warner but I just can't need to get my bearings around this whole situation. The plot twists...the characters...the everything was perfect. Thank you for reading my review and I strongly suggest that you read this wonderful series as you won't regret it. I also suggest you read the novella as all that's happening makes a little more sense. It's also strange seeing Juliette in someone else eyes.  

Favourite Quote: 

"The Truth," he says, "is a painful reminder of why I prefer to live among the lies."

I rate this amazing book:

10 Things Book Lovers Can't Live Without

Hey guys! Today is just a little post I thought of while walking to school. As you can see it's 10 Things Book Lovers Can't Live Without.

In no particular order:

1. Obviously the first one would be books! Well duh...that's why we're called book lovers! 
2. Bookshelf - Where are you going to put all your beloved books? Sometimes you have to stack 'em but you don't want to ruin them. 
3. Bookmarks - This isn't essential but if you bought a book especially, you're not going to want to doggy ear your books. You want to keep them in good condition. But if your using a library book...meh
4. Goodreads- I'm sorry but Goodreads is such a massive help to all us book lovers. How would you organise your TBR list? How would you write reviews if you're not a blogger? I think I couldn't live without this wonderful website. 
5. Bloggers - I'm not being bias at all but even if I wasn't a blogger, I find reading other blogs are really helpful because I know which books to look out for.
6. Library/Book Stores - Well this is obvious...where would we get our books? Online? Then we'd have to wait like a week +
7. Money - How are we meant to buy these books...?
8. Holidays and weekends - I think even if you weren't a book lover...you need a break from school. I think I literally would die if I had school 7 days a week with absolutely no break. How weird would it be, Fridays and Saturdays would no longer be special. Personally I think we should have 3 day weekends and 4 days of school. That seems fair right?
9. Fellow Fans -  I just love talking to other fans and just being part of the 'fandom' community I guess you could call it. 
10. Birthdays/Christmas - I think this one is self-explanatory 

Thanks for reading my short post that I just thought of.

July Monthly Round-up

July has been a pretty good month and I am glad I was able to get out of the reading slump I suffered in June. I reached the goal of 7 books and started the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge which was a lot of fun.
The books I read were:

1. The Pledge by Kimberly Derting. 
2. Slated by Teri Terry  
3. Insurgent by Veronica Roth 
4. The Elite by Kiera Cass 
5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 
6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare 
7. Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield

All these books I enjoyed so much and I didn't waste a minute on them. Also I had a Two Diva's Discussion post which got a lot of feedback. It was a post on eBooks vs Real books, you should go check it out if you have not already read it. 

My goal for August is to again read 7 books maybe even stretch it to 8 but I doubt I will as school is only really letting me read a book a week. Also I was wondering if you readers would like to suggest something I should take part in, like for example a tag of some sort. Or maybe you even have an idea for a tag that you want to suggest to me. 

Thank you for reading my blog