It's a Book Life

October 3, 2013

Review: When the World Was Flat (and we were in love) by: Ingrid Jonach

When the World Was Flat (and we were in love) by: Ingrid Jonach (Sept. 2013)
312 pages
Genre: YA/Sci-Fi
Source: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review.
Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon
**This review may contain some small spoilers.

Goodreads Summary: Looking back, I wonder if I had an inkling that my life was about to go from ordinary to extraordinary.

When sixteen-year-old Lillie Hart meets the gorgeous and mysterious Tom Windsor-Smith for the first time, it’s like fireworks — for her, anyway. Tom looks as if he would be more interested in watching paint dry; as if he is bored by her and by her small Nebraskan town in general.

But as Lillie begins to break down the walls of his seemingly impenetrable exterior, she starts to suspect that he holds the answers to her reoccurring nightmares and to the impossible memories which keep bubbling to the surface of her mind — memories of the two of them, together and in love.

When she at last learns the truth about their connection, Lillie discovers that Tom has been hiding an earth-shattering secret; a secret that is bigger — and much more terrifying and beautiful — than the both of them. She also discovers that once you finally understand that the world is round, there is no way to make it flat again.

An epic and deeply original sci-fi romance, taking inspiration from Albert Einstein’s theories and the world-bending wonder of true love itself.

My Review

When the World Was Flat (and we were in love) was an okay book, but it could have been amazing.

Jonach took on the challenge of writing about parallel dimensions and scientific theories and sadly didn’t quit make it out on the other side unscathed. I would have enjoyed this book more if it focused more on the science side of things and less on the semi insta-love crap. I know I should have gathered from the title that this would be more of a romance than a sci-fi book, but I wouldn’t even call it a great romance book and there sure wasn’t enough sci-fi in it to satisfy me. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this book but I was just hoping for more.

The beginning of the novel reminded me a little bit of Twilight and way too much of the Fallen series by Lauren Kate, which I really didn’t like. Although it started off kind of slow it really started to pick up and slowly I began to appreciate the story more and more, until I got to the ending of course. The ending didn’t seem right and didn’t really fit. I can say that there is a great secret reveal in the book that was handled excellently. The last half of the book was better than the first half by far, but I’m really getting tired of books that take so long to captivate me.

The characters were okay, nothing too outstanding but at least they did seem realistic. Lillie was kind of rude and her friends were stereotypes but they were okay. Tom is frustrating and not really all that unique of a character, he is just typical and reminds me a lot of Edward (Twilight) and Daniel (Fallen). Lillie did grow on me and so did the other characters, but they still were not legendary. There was also a a good amount of slut shaming which was aggravating and not needed.

Overall, When the World Was Flat (and we were in love) wasn't the best well written novel and could have been a lot better, but I did still like it. I do love how it is a stand-alone because we just don’t get a lot of those in young adult books, too bad it wasn’t fantastic.

This is one that I recommend you borrow from a friend, get from the library, or buy cheap on your reader, it isn’t one I would go out and buy at full price because it just wasn’t that good. Also, I just want you to know that because I enjoyed the reveal and other small things so much in this novel I may have given it a slightly higher rating than maybe I should have, it was just hard to decide on a rating.

**I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

1 comments

September 30, 2013

Review: Crown of Midnight by: Sarah J. Maas (2013)

Crown of Midnight by: Sarah J. Maas (2013)

420 pages

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Source: I purchased this book for my e-reader.

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old
assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

My Review

*Trying to steady my breathing and stop fangirling for two seconds so I can write this review.

Crown of Midnight was everything I was hoping it would be after just recently finishing Throne of Glass. I fell right back into Celaena's world, it was like I had never left. I do however want you to tread cautiously, you won’t put this down once you start and you may even forget to eat and sleep. Crown of Midnight won’t disappoint, if anything it will make you love this series even more. I sound pretty coherent as I write this which is surprising considering I totally was freaking out while reading this entire book, especially when it comes to a certain swoon worthy man, and now I will take a deep breath and continue on.

I still stand by the fact that Celaena is one of the best, if not the best, kick ass heroine I have ever encountered in a young adult novel. Crown of Midnight gave me the chance to explore more of Celaena and the other characters in the novel making me feel even closer to them than before. I love her independence and her love of food among other things. I love her strength and her heart. I got to witness and see another side of Celaena and even when she would be a little frustrating I was still understanding to her situation. Relationships grow and simmer among every single character in this book from romantic relationships to family and friendships.

Crown of Midnight was also non-stop awesome. There is an amazing fight scene that I want to re-read. There are moments of shocking reveals that will have your mouth hanging open. There was the biggest heart wrenching scene that had me crushed and despretly trying to read faster to see what would happen next. I love the way Maas writes and how vivid every single scene is, making it even easier to completely forget about the real world while reading. I will warn you that the ending will have you very impatiently waiting for the next book, but I’m sure you probably expect that going in.

Crown of Midnight won’t take you long to read and I guarantee you will love it if you liked Throne of Glass. Seriously, if you haven’t read these books yet you should because you are missing out. I’m not even a huge fan of fantasy but I was captivated none the less. Now go read Crown of Midnight!

Check out my review of the first book Throne of Glass!

6 comments

September 29, 2013

Top Bookish News of The Past Week

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness.

Click away and enjoy your Sunday!

ARTICLES

E.L. James, author of the Fifty Shades trilogy, has apparently made wine to go along with her books. Okay then. You have to check out the wine website, not to purchase the wine so much as to laugh.

Stephen King has written a sequel to The Shinning. This article talks all about it. Will you be reading it?

Are you a fan of The Wizard of Oz? Then you don't want to miss this! There will be three digital novellas series published titled Dorothy Must Die. It sounds very interesting.

You have to take a second to look at these mug shots of literary characters in honor of banned books week!

Epic Reads continues to be awesome with their instructions on how to make your own Use In Case Of Feels Tissue Box.

BLOG POSTS

Writer of Wrings discusses how amazing a slow burn romance is, way better than insta-love if you ask me. She also includes links to her friends post on the topic. Check these out!

If I were you, I would take a second to look at Parajunkee's funny post The Ten Benefits of Plagiarizing Your Next Novel.

PHOTOS

2 comments

September 23, 2013

Review: Wavecrossed by: Andrea Colt

Wavecrossed by: Andrea Colt (2013)

200ish e-book pages

Genre: YA/Paranormal

Source: I received a free copy of this book from the author for my honest review. Thanks Andrea!

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: A young-adult paranormal novel about selkies, tasers, kissing and secrets.

To Cassandra Kelleher, trust is a dirty word.

A teenage selkie who grew up on land, all she wants is to free her family from the man who stole their sealskins long ago. With her twin brother Brennan losing hope and her window of opportunity disappearing like the beach at high tide, she’ll try anything.

Before long, however, Cassandra can’t tell whether her biggest threat is the man holding her family captive, a classmate who’s discovered her secret, or her own paranoia. Battling broken friendships and alarming romantic entanglements, Cassandra finds that trust could be the key to winning her family’s freedom … or losing her own.

My Review

The synopsis of Wavecrossed may put you off from reading it simply because it is a book about selkies (I've never run across one before), but don’t be afraid of something you don’t know, selkies are pretty cool and Wavecrossed will delight you. I enjoyed every second of my time while reading Wavecrossed. I’ve never read a book about selkies, but I’m really glad I got over my fear of the unknown and embraced this wonderful new mythology. Sure some of it was a little weird at first, but it grew on me, and this story is one worth discovering. It’s full of laughs, cuteness, uniqueness, and mysteriousness.

The plot (just in general) and its pacing is magnificent. There are no huge info dumps, everything you need to know about selkies and the main character Cassandra’s family history are handled nicely. Another great quirk, there is a good amount of interesting surprises and it’s a short and fast paced read. I also really enjoyed the fact that teenage romance isn't the main focus and was handled pretty well making Wavecrossed a nice change from the norm. I was only bothered a tiny bit by two little things. There is some corniness throughout the novel with the abundance of nautical terms, but for the most part it works. The only thing that bothered me a little about that was the fake curse words. There was a tiny plot hole that irked me, but it was quickly pushed out of my mind and easily written off as me over analyzing. Therefore the impressiveness of Wavecrossed outweighs the two tiny hiccups I came across.

All of the characters are interesting and I cared about them, which is a big selling point for me. Cassandra is overly paranoid but it makes sense, plus she is charming and actually reminds me of a real teenager, besides the fact that she is a selkie of course. Her brother has more common sense and is just as likable. I love the brother-sister interactions in
Wavecrossed and the interesting family dynamics. There are also a lot of minor characters that are just as good as the main characters. Oh and the evil man that is holding her family captive is a great villain, he is actually complex and I love that.

I recommend that you read this one. It will be worth your time and it’s very unique. If you have yet to discover the interesting lives of selkies then you should give Wavecrossed a chance. This would be even more fun to read on the beach and since the summer is almost over you should read it sooner rather than later. Plus, there is going to be a sequel that I can’t wait to get my hands on!

**I received a free copy of this book from the author for my honest review. Thanks Andrea!

6 comments

September 22, 2013

Top Bookish News of The Past Week

ARTICLES

Did you know that these authors' works were initially rejected?! I'm really glad they ended up getting published.

You have to take a second to read this hilarious but creepy list of young adult books that will screw up your life. This list of course includes The Hunger Games, but it also includes The Babysitters Club.

The 20 Stages of Reading is a unique comic that shouldn't be missed.

I know we have all seen book marketing and even take part in it, but I've never seen anything like this unique $5 book marketing website before!

BLOG POSTS

Do you ever feel pressured or worried about reading a book that has been recommended to you? Check out Read My Breath Away's blog post about this topic that I'm sure everyone has encountered.

Goodreads has tightened their review guidelines! I've seen a few people who think this is great and ones that think it's not. Here is Bookish Treasure's opinion. What is yours? In brief, I really don't think the guidelines are that bad and may actually help with some of the drama going on lately. But I also believe in the right to say whatever you want. The shelf names being a problem is what really bothers me with the guidelines that I don't necessarily agree with, but I can understand why they wouldn't allow a book review that doesn't have anything to do with the book and is not actually a book review but just bashing the author not being allowed. I do think people should be notified if any of their reviews/shelves are being deleted. From what I gather from the guidelines goodreads is focusing on both readers and authors and trying to prevent bashing from occurring, but if you are writing a book review you can rate as negative or as positive as you want on the actual book. In the end everyone has their own opinion on this subject matter and I respect whatever it is.

PHOTO

P.S. Don't forget it's banned books week!! I want this shirt!

3 comments

September 19, 2013

Review: Conjured by: Sarah Beth Durst

Conjured by: Sarah Beth Durst (2013)

368 pages

Genre: YA/Supernatural

Source: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name—but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access—and there is nothing they won’t say—or do—to her to get her to remember.

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things—things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed—and she’s lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her—but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.

My Review

Magic, memory loss, witness protection, and a super cute guy is pretty much everything I could want in a book. Too bad this book was such a disaster that it didn't even matter that it had all those things in it. Conjured just wasn't my cup of tea, others may enjoy it, but in no way was it for me.

The beginning of this book was incredibly slow and painfully dull for me. But since it was a review book I powered through, and low and behold it got magical. (Don’t get your hopes up; it was only magical very briefly and for a few instances.) Some of the magic scenes described in this book were breathtaking. There were also a lot of fun scenes in the public library where Eve is working. Who doesn't love when a book semi-takes place in a library? On the other hand, these two things were literally the only good parts about this book. Everything else from the boring beginning to the very lame/unbelievable ending made this one of the most unmagical books I have ever read.

Every aspect of this book that is mentioned in the synopsis is very poorly executed. The characters were undeniably forgettable. Eve doesn’t know herself and is suffering from memory loss, I thought this would be really interesting and was eagerly waiting for her to recall her memories, but the times when she does were not fulfilling. Also, Eve’s “aunt” is so ridiculous and rude that I can’t stand her. Not to mention the world building that didn't really exist. I didn’t get enough information about the witness protection program that I would have liked, heck I didn’t get enough information about the magical elements in this book too, (and other things that I can't mention because they would ruin the plot) really I couldn't get lost in the world because I had no idea what type of world it really was. As the story progresses the plot gets weirder and weirder, but at least it actually starts to go somewhere after the very dull beginning. Then when we get to the big reveal... it was way too strange for my taste and was a huge let down. I wanted to stop reading it immediately. The only reason I kept going was because I only had like 30 pages left.

I guess it is safe to say that I won’t be reading this book again and probably won’t read any more books by this author. I encourage you to pass on Conjured. The synopsis sounds amazing, but was just really misleading.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

6 comments

September 17, 2013

TTT #12: Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish.

Half of my list includes books that I really want to read that are being released this fall and the other half are older ones that I have yet to read. I have decided not to include any books that I have to read for review because that just didn't seem as fun. Instead I focused on the kind of books I love to read when the weather gets a little chilly. Each book cover is linked up to their goodreads page.

Top Five New Books I Plan To Read This Fall