Best of 2011

I know I'm cutting it real close, making this Best of 2011 post now, but I had to honor this year someway somehow. So I decided to make a short yet meaningful post on the things that I have to be thankful for and to enjoy this year, books obviously. :D

Paranormal Romance (in no particular order)

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

This book has been out for a while now, and I heard about the book one day, and decided to give it a try. It was actually pretty good, so I read the entire series, and it turned out to be one of my favorite books. The drama in this book was non-stop, and the entire trilogy played out really well, actually. The only problem I had was the fourth book, because that felt a little like a prologue to the fifth book, but the first three were definitely awesome.

Dystopian (there are a lot more of these, since I recently found this genre and absolutely love it)

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I heard so many great ratings about this book that I decided to read it, and I had wanted to for such a long time. This book definitely didn't disappoint me. (Also, forgive me that I haven't had many reviews put up. I've read a bunch of books and have about five reviews waiting to be done, so just be patient for a while.) This book wasn't like regular dystopian, in my opinion, and it definitely delivered and was just really well written.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I'm pretty sure everyone agrees with me on this one and that it's definitely an awesome book. When I first picked it up, I was really hesitant because I hadn't heard much about this book. But after I went through the first few chapters, I found that I instantly loved the entire thing. This book was definitely something that I would read again and again. I loved Tris's bravery and how she survived the ranks of the Dauntless.

Matched by Ally Condie

This book was something that I had heard a few things about, but I never actually thought that I was going to read it. But then, I decided to give it a try, to read it, because this cover is actually super-pretty. And it turns out that I was right. This book was really good, and even though it was a tiny bit slow, I still loved everything else about it, including Ky and Xander. (Did you know that Cassia is pronounced Casha? I thought that it was pronounced Cassea, but it turns out I was wrong. Xander is also pronounced Zander, but I've never been good with Xs)

Middle Grade (there are barely any, but I had to do it, because I know some of you out there like Middle Grade. And to be honest? I kind of like it, too.)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

Come on. Tell me that you didn't used to like this series. I know you can't. Because deep down, we all have that immature, childish person inside of us. We all have some type of Greg Heffley in us. I know I do. And this is such a classic for the kids in middle-school. 

Okay, so that's all. I know—short is what I said right? Such an understatement. But I've read a lot of books this year, and only a few stood out to me like these did. And half the books I read I don't even remember. The others were so early in the year or so insignificant that I can't bother to conjure up the pictures in my mind. So, this is my small little list. Only six measly books. Pitiful, for someone who's probably read 100+ books this year, but it is what it is.

Have a great new year, everybody! Oh, and don't you like my new blog design? In the Follow Friday post below this one, I said that I wanted a new blog design, and everybody was encouraging me, and a very kind blogger (thank you, Priscilla TheGreat!) referred me to this website (silversdesigns.blogspot.com) who does free blog designs, and they're really fabulous, so I searched through them and found the one I currently have, which really stood out to me. 

Follow Frday--5

RULES
To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read} 
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers 
• Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts. 
• 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 and that they are now following you. 
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI” 
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers 
• If you’re new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

QUESTION
The New Year is here -- and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?

ANSWER
I want to revise the layout of my blog a little, make it a little organized. I think I'm also going to play around with the designs of my blogs. Who knows? Maybe in the 2012, when you revisit this blog, everything will have changed! I think I want to try that, since I want something new :). I need to vamp up my pages, too. They're currently so extremely boring that I really have to make them better.

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

SUMMARY

At last, Miranda is the life of the party: all she had to do was die. Elevated and adopted by none other than the reigning King of the Mantle of Dracul, Miranda goes from high-school theater wannabe to glamorous royal fiend overnight.

Meanwhile, her reckless and adoring guardian angel, Zachary, demoted to human guise as the princess’s personal assistant, has his work cut out for him trying to save his girl’s soul and plan the Master’s fast-approaching Death Day gala.

In alternating points of view, Miranda and Zachary navigate a cut-throat eternal aristocracy as they play out a dangerous and darkly hilarious love story for the ages.

With diabolical wit, the author of Tantalize revisits a deliciously dark world where vampires vie with angels — and girls just want to have fangs.

REVIEW

Okay. First of all, I heard about this when visiting other people's blogs, and happened to stumble upon this one. I thought it looked pretty cool from what I heard about it, so I got it from my local library. After reading this, I can say that I can agree that I was right. This cover is lacking a little in my opinion, and after all, that's what everyone uses as a guide if they will buy the book. I know I'm being super cliche when I say this, but some people actually do judge a book by it's cover, quite literally. Usually, a pretty book means a good publishing company. And a good publishing company means a good book. So there you have it. My crazy messed up logic wrapped up into one pretty packaged paragraph. :D

Now onto the inside part. One complaint I have about the format, not the content, was that the alternating characters were Miranda and Zachary, which means Cynthia Leitich Smith (I love writing that name!) put the name of the character who was doing the talking and in the first person in that chapter at the top of the page. I don't mean that to be a bad thing, I mean the fact that the author forgot to put the chapter numbers was excruciating because I always use chapter numbers as a guide to where I left off, and if they aren't there, I have to go to the trouble of memorizing the page number. If there was even a chapter title, I would be fine, but it was just a name: Miranda or Zachary, which was at the top of every chapter. I found this extremely annoying.

Now I am onto the content, which is really what everyone wants to know. I think this book was pretty good. I just didn't like the fact that Zachary seemed a little obsessed with Miranda. I really liked everything else, except for the summary on the back of the book. It really confused me, and I almost didn't even read it because whoever wrote the synopsis made it so hard to understand. I read it anyway, and I wasn't too badly disappointed. Just a few things aggravated me to no extent in the end, so this got three snowflakes.

Follow Friday—4

RULES
To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read} 
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers 
• Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts. 
• 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 and that they are now following you. 
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI” 
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers 
• If you’re new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

QUESTION
If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book which book would you choose and why?

ANSWER
I would choose Divergent, because living in the world of the different factions, with the Dauntless, Erudite, Candor, and Abnegation, it would be so fun. I'd be Erudite because I'm a total bookworm and smartypants, and I'd definitely be happy there. I'd totally chicken out in the Dauntless faction, and as much as I want to, I'm not honest most of the time and I try to be modest and generous, but it sometimes slips a few feet away.

Waiting on Wednesday: Until I Die by Amy Plum

Until I Die by Amy Plum

Don't you agree that this cover is beautiful, first of all? There isn't a summary to go along with it, because the cover probably just came out and Amy's still working on the summary part of this book. This is the sequel of the first book, If I Die. I think the first one was tragically good, but a few parts bored me when I went back to read it again. I really only liked the sappier, more dramatic scenes, like the fight scene at the end, and that devastatingly sad scene in the middle. That's all I have for today, but hopefully you'll read If I Die by her first, and then determine if you want Until I Die by Amy Plum. What do you think of the cover? What did you think about the first book, If I Die? What do you think of that cover? (Link) The cover's on the sidebar of Amy's website. Do you think this book will live up to the first one, if you've read it? And, finally, do you think that the first book was good in general?

Teaser Tuesday: Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

I just started reading this book yesterday, and I'm almost done. It's pretty good so far, just to let you all know. Anyways, here's my teaser this week.

My angel descends. He takes my hand in his. "What the hell just happened?"
"I'm the scariest vampire in the world." I reply.

That was near the end, so it's a little more ominous. But enjoy this weeks teaser! And have a good holiday!

—A Booky Wonderlander—

Follow Friday—3

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read} 
(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers 
Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts. 
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 and that they are now following you. 
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI” 
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers 

If you’re new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!


QUESTION

When you've read a book, what do you do with it? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, sell it, swap it..?)

ANSWER
I usually borrow every one of my books from the library, since my money resources are limited. But the books I can't find there and are crazy to read, I'll buy and then keep it.

Die for Me by Amy Plum

 

(Warning: May be spoilery for those who haven't read the book. Proceed with caution)

SUMMARY:
When Kate Mercier’s parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life—and memories—behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate’s guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he’s a revenant—an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

In this incandescent debut, newcomer Amy Plum has created a powerful paranormal mythology with immortal revenants. The Paris setting comes enchantingly alive as a relentless struggle between good and evil takes place in its streets. Rich with romance, atmosphere, and thrills, Die for Me will leave readers breathlessly awaiting its sequel.


REVIEW:
Personally, I have only a few words to say about this book: Die for Me is to die for! The romance between Kate and Vincent is absolutely breathtaking. I was having lots of doubts in the beginning, since I thought Vincent had only fallen for Kate because he'd saved her life. (It's not that dramatic, really, it's more like Vincent prevented Kate from dying by telling her to move out of the way when something came falling down on where she'd been standing.) I still have that tiny doubt, but most of it has vanished, since you can obviously tell that they're in love.


That was one of the reasons this didn't get all five snowflakes, and the other reason is mainly because it was sort of slow. There were a few scenes during the first chapter of two, but then it was like a deadweight dropped onto the plot and dragged it all the way to the end. Since I'm a fan of plain romance, as well, I read the entire thing and found it enjoyable. 


The cover is absolutely beautiful, I have to say. I seriously love it, and the idea of being a revenant is quite ingenious, as well. The only problem was that I felt it didn't really play into the plot all that well. It just seemed like a speed bump in Vincent and Kate's love life. The story was really based on that, and in the end, there was another little tidbit of action that didn't really flow right in my honest opinion. I think she should've just kept it as a romance novel instead of trying to cram the paranormal part in there.


Finally, the romance was awesome, and that's mainly why I liked it so much, but I have to get out my last issue: the exaggerated title and phrase underneath. It says "Would you risk your life for love?" That didn't exactly happen. Sure, Kate tried to fight the bad guy, but everything turned out good, right? Kate got away mostly unscathed, and I was left with a sour taste in my mouth. The phrase is pretty wrong in my opinion, but again, the book is really wonderful and I seriously cried at this one point that was sad for me.

 

Three Snowflakes