Review: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Kami Garcia/Unbreakable

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia
Genre: Paranormal
Published by: Little, Brown
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★.5

After reading the sequel, Unmarked, I realised I hadn’t written a review for Unbreakable, the first in The Legion trilogy. Unmarked brought the plot flooding back, which I think is a really successful element of a second book, but bare with me if this review is a little sparse…it has been over a year since I read this! Still, it’s worth mentioning what a fun and fast paced beginning of a series it was, and it deserves credit that Unmarked doesn’t match.

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Review: Resist by Sarah Crossan

resistResist by Sarah Crossan
Genre: Dystopian, Sci-Fi
Published by: Bloomsbury
Pages: 360
Format: Paperback
Series: Breathe (#1)
Rating: ★★★★

Luckily, I didn’t have to find out what happened next in the sequel to Breathe, because my local library has had the second book in stock for ages and finally I got to pick it up! I really loved the first book and was super excited to see how the series would conclude. I can happily say that I liked the ending and to a certain extent, wish there had been more!

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Review: Soundless by Richelle Mead

24751478Soundless by Richelle Mead
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Published by: Razorbill
Pages: 264
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★

Soundless 
has received a lot of mixed reviews, mostly because people were surprised that it’s a fantasy novel and yet it’s only 260-something pages. At first I was hesitant to pick it up, because I have similar tastes to those that said they didn’t enjoy it, but when I found Soundless in my local library, I couldn’t resist. From this I’ve leaned that we shouldn’t be surprised just because one book doesn’t fit our conventions of the genre, because, for me, Soundless was refreshing and completely beautiful! I LOVED IT!

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The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

softwbaWe were nominated for this award by the wonderful Kellie at Book Delights! I love the format of her reviews, and she always has excellent quotations (go and look at her review of The Heir, oh my goodness, it’s perfect.) Thank you so much for the nomination, Kellie! Now, on to the questions!

Rules:
1. Answer a set of ten questions from the person who nominated you.
2. Nominate ten other bloggers and give them a set of ten questions.

Nominations!
Stefanie @YourDaughtersBookshelf
Michelle @Book Adventures
Jess @The Mud and Stars Book Blog
Dani @The Book Vault
Sarah @Stacks of Sarah
Meghan @Meghan’s Blog
Tori @Stori Time
Bea @abookwithbea

Kellie’s Questions

  1. Which genre of books do you read from the most and why?
    Maddie: Looking at my Goodreads page, I seem to have read a lot of contemporaries, but that’s just because I’m a sucker for romance. But, my favourite type of books are fairy-tale related in some way!
    Bee: I read a lot of contemporaries too, and although I love fantasy-historical-magical adventures, I seem to give out high star-ratings more easily for contemporaries.
  2. Do you like “happily ever afters” in books?
    Maddie: Seeing as I adore fairy-tales, they’re pretty hard to avoid! I’m a huge fan of when things all work out in the end, as long as my ships are sailing, I’m happy.
    Bee: I don’t mind unhappy endings so long as they’re not ambiguous!
  3. If you had a $50 USD book shop coupon, what books would you buy?
    Maddie: I’d probably re-buy my favourite books in hardcover since they’re so much more expensive…or I’d chuck all my money at Alice Oseman’s next book, Radio Silence, buying five copies to share what I think will be the best book of 2016!
    Bee: I’d buy a bunch of the books I’ve read from the library this year and loved, so I could have them in my own collection. For example, the Cahill Witch Chronicles! I’d also pre-order, like, ALL the things!
  4. Which book character (that is an animal) is your favourite?
    Maddie: I don’t often come across animal characters in books, but I did like Rainbow the hippocampus in Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters.
    Bee: I honestly can’t think of any animals! I guess, Buckbeak from HP 💕
  5. What are your thoughts on the tenth book that sits on your book shelf?
    Maddie: My top shelf is full to the brim with Rick Riordan books. The tenth would be The Last Olympian, and gosh, was that amazing.
  6. Would you rather read a book in a language you don’t understand, or a book you absolutely detest?
    Maddie: I’m pretty good at reading books I don’t enjoy, so probably that one. I don’t purposefully torture myself, but how do you know you hate a book until you read it?
    Bee: Can I buy a translated copy too? If so, that one!
  7. What song best pairs up with the book you are currently reading?
    Maddie: I’m currently re-reading Cress by Marissa Meyer and seeing as I don’t listen to a lot of music, my options are limited to mostly Taylor Swift. But, I’m going to go with the obvious and say the Tangled soundtrack, to really get those Rapunzel vibes going!
    Bee: I’m currently reading Soundless by Richelle Mead, so it would be too ironic to make a playlist for it!
  8. Do you like it when the main character of a book has a love interest who is obviously endgame?
    Maddie: Sometimes I think it’s a bit pointless if the love story is obvious. I like a little tension or push and shove between the characters, because insta-love is normally boring and reads extremely fake. But, if the characters are meant for each other, like Cinder and Kai, I have no problem whatsoever, as long as my little babies are happy.
    Bee: Now, there’s ‘obviously The One’ and insta-love, as long as those two things are separate, then I’m okay with it! I think it’s pretty obvious in most YA if there’s one main guy and one main girl that they’ll get together by the end, but it’s the journey they take to get there that interests me most.
  9. Which book character would you like to go to Disneyland Resorts with?
    Maddie: America from The Selection. I think it would be super fun to compare her princess life with the Disney ladies!
    Bee: Chelsea from Wings because we’d have a whale of a time in the Disney Fairies section!
  10. Which book character is your favourite anti-hero?
    Maddie: Ooh, I don’t normally go for the bad guy. As much as I see the appeal of Draco Malfoy, I’ve always been more of a Neville Longbottom girl, myself.
    Bee: Sebastian from TMI.Our Questions!
    1. What is your most anticipated book of 2016?
    2. If you could swap lives with any book character, who would it be?
    3. What’s your opinion of the 12th book on your shelf?
    4. What book would you recommend to a new reader?
    5. Do you have a favourite genre of book?
    6. What was your least favourite book of the year and why?
    7. Which book do you wish was turned into a movie/TV show?
    8. What’s your favourite thing about blogging?
    9. Which author(s) do you really want to meet?
    10. Do you have any bookish goals you want to complete in 2016?

Duology Recommendations!

This year has definitely been the year that we discovered duologies. They’re perfect! The trilogy has been done to death, and usually they follow the same pattern: the first one is the best, the second one takes a dip and depending, the third is either a nose dive to disappointment or a jump to satisfaction. With a duology, there’s less chance of what we like to call ‘Second Book Syndrome’.

So, which ones are well worth reading?

Fearsome Dreamer and The Illusionists by Laure Eve

Not only do you get a beautiful set of covers, these two books are absolutely phenomenal. For only two books, it feels like you’re reading seven because of the different point of view and locations explored throughout. The world is extremely well built, the characters are so varied, your bound to love at least one of them, (Rue and White, forever ♡) and the story…boy, I can’t even describe it. Imagine Under the Never Sky mixed with The Chronicles of Prydain and you’re pretty much there.

Pivot Point and Split Second by Kasie West

These books are perfect if you love the paranormal and contemporary genres. Addie has the power to see outcomes of a choice. Should she live with her Mum or her Dad, and what consequences will that have on her love life, her best friend, and the secret mind-power society she lives in? You get to read the two outcomes, both action packed and loveable, and be shocked and thrilled by what Addie chooses. The second book adds her best friend, Laila’s perspective to the mix, and deals with the aftermath of Addie’s choice. Seriously, could not recommend enough!

The Perfectionists and The Good Girls by Sara Shepard

Love Pretty Little Liars? This is practically the same thing, but in two books instead of sixteen! Perfect! These are about how six girls are affected by the murder of the high school’s most popular guy, Nolan Hotchkiss. Each girl is suspected in a slightly different way, and deals with a lot of personal drama amongst a murder inquiry. Are the girls really as perfect and good as they appear? And who’s going down for a murder they may or may not have committed?
Packed with the same drama and plot twists as PLL, this is a fast paced duology bound to leave you with an open jaw on the final page.

Vivian Versus the Apocalypse and Vivian Versus America by Katie Coyle

This duology takes a completely different turn to the other recommendations. About a girl called Vivian and her best friend Harp, trying to survive the aftermath of a religious cult takeover, stealing family members and bringing about the second coming. If it sounds intense, that’s because it is! But, despite the manic plot, the relationship between the girls

Breathe and Resist by Sarah Crossan

If you hate to see trilogies suffer from second book syndrome then the Breathe duology is perfect for you! It’s a fast-paced dystopian where the amount of oxygen you’re allowed is controlled by the Pod Leaders. The books are told from four different PoVs throughout the series so you get to see every part of the world, both Inside and Out, rebel and victim! If you liked the Under The Never Sky trilogy then this should definitely make your TBR!

Reboot and Rebel by Amy Tintera

After death humans can reboot, but the longer it takes the less human they are when they return. It took Wren Connolly 178 minutes to reboot, making her one of the toughest girls around. In the facility where the reboots live, Wren trains the newbies where she meets 22 Callum. This duology has something for everyone, romance, conspiracy, and a ton of action that will have you on the edge of your seat!

Review: Asking For It by Louise O’Neill

Asking-for-It-by-Louise-ONeill1Asking For It by Louise O’Neill
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Quercus
Pages: 341
Format: Library Book
Rating: ★★★★

After reading Only Ever Yours and not really understanding the message behind the piece, I thought I’d try Louise O’Neill’s latest book, Asking For It, with a very clear message about sexual consent and abuse. I knew from just looking at the book that it was going to be difficult to read, but I’m so pleased I did. Here’s why… Continue reading “Review: Asking For It by Louise O’Neill”

Review: Breathe by Sarah Crossan

breatheBreathe by Sarah Crossan
Genre:
Dystopian, Romance, Sci-Fi
Published by: Bloomsbury
Pages: 373
Format: Paperback
Series: Resist (#2)
Rating: ★★★.5

I’ll admit it here and now, this was a bit of a cover buy. After reading Under the Never Sky and eventually really liking it, I thought I would give this series a try, since it seemed pretty similar! In a world where there are no longer any trees, your oxygen is controlled by Breathe and unless you’re Privileges, you lead a very restricted life. Quinn is Privileged and Bea is not, but they’re not about to let their caste dictate their friendships, together they leave the Pod and get caught up in RATS, the rebellion that wants to expose Breathe and forge a new world where everyone has the right to breathe.

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Read-A-Thons!

There are so many amazing read-a-thons happening at the end of the year to try and help you reach your GoodReads challenge, so we thought we would compile a list of the read-a-thons we plan on partaking in over the next month! There are a bunch of different challenges to make the events more fun, so hopefully we’ll be able to complete the challenges and read as many books as possible!

#CRAMATHON

The first read-a-thon is the #Cramathon! It’s hosted by WhittyNovels over on YT, but is open for booktubers and bloggers alike! You can watch the video announcement to find out more about it, if you haven’t already, but it’s running from the 19th to the 21st.

Challenges:
1. read an audiobook or ebook
M: Where You’ll Find Me by Natasha Friend
B: The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden
2. read a bind-up
The Selection Short Stories by Kiera Cass
3. finish a series/read the last book of a series
M: Resist by Sarah Crossan
B: Into The After Light by Alexandra Bracken
4. read a book under 200 pages
We’re going to double up and us The Selection Short Stories for this too!
5. Finish a book you DNF’ed
M: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
B: Tithe by Holly Black
6. Read a graphic novel
We haven’t got any manga or graphic novels on our shelves we haven’t read yet!
7. Read 5 books total

#HolidayBookTubeAThon

Next is the #HolidayBookTubeAThon, part of the BookTube-A-Thon, one of the biggest read-a-thons ever! It’s hosted by the lovely Ariel Bisset, and Maddie and I were twitter hosts for the summer BTAT, so of course we’ll be joining in with the Christmas edition!
This read-a-thon happens between the 27th-29th December, and so far no challenges have been announced, so it’s just a chance to read the books you got over the holiday period!

#TBRtakedown

The final read-a-thon, and it’s hosted by LeaningLights on YT, you can find the video announcement here! The TBRtakedown happens from January 4th-11th, so you can get on top of your TBR at the very beginning of the year!

Challenges
1. Read a book from your most recent book haul.
M: The Next Together by Lauren James
B: Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger
2. Read a book on your TBR Shelf that’s been there for over a year (or longest).
M: Panic by Lauren Oliver
B: Fearsome Dreamer by Laure Eve
3. Read a book outside your comfort zone! (Genre, content, etc).
M: The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melissa Salisbury
B: Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten
4. Read a first book in a series
M & B: Across the Universe by Beth Revis
5. Complete a series/Read a sequel in a series
This one may change, so we’ll leave it blank for now!
6. Read a FIRE color book (Fire colours such as shades of red, pink, purple, lilac, burgundy.) Lucky Colors for 2016
This one depends too!
7. Read a non-novel item: poem, verse, novella, short story, etc.
Any of the Alice Osman short stories!

Review: Paper Towns by John Green

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Paper Towns by John Green
Genre: 
Contemporary, Road Trip, Mystery
Published by: Bloomsbury
Pages: 305
Format: Paperback: (I own two!)
Rating: ★★★★

I’ve been looking at my shelf of favourite books lately and thought, wait a second, some of these books I’ve only read once! This was the case with Paper Towns. But, an important factor of defining a favourite book is whether it will stand the test of time. Would you want to read it, again and again? Well, I found out… Continue reading “Review: Paper Towns by John Green”

Review: Enders by Lissa Price

13412377Enders by Lissa Price
Genre: Sci-Fi, Dsytopia
Published by: Delcorte Press
Pages: 288
Format: e-book
Rating: ★★
Series: Starters (#1)

I have to say that I was slightly confused upon starting Enders since it’s been such a long time since I read Starters. I couldn’t quite remember who the main character was outside of her enhanced body and how was the evil again? Why is this Old Man’s voice in her head? This book didn’t do a great job of quickly summarising the first book, but eventually I found my way back.

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