Top Ten Tuesday - Favourite Book Characters

I can already feel myself getting annoyed with my laptop, so this will be brief. I am sorry Top Ten Tuesday is being written at 10:26 hopefully next week I will not be revising physics and French, **fingers crossed.**

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This weeks theme is; My favourite Characters.  (In no particular order,)

1. Margo Roth Spiegelman from Paper Towns - I loved Margo because she was so exciting and interesting to read about. I loved how mysterious she was and how much Quentin adored her from afar. She was inspiring and full of life but also left you guessing, somebody you would want to spend a lot of time with. I loved reading about her.

2. Elise from Dangerous Girls - I was stuck on whether to choose Anna or Elise (You may just see Anna pop up on this list). I chose Elise because she was the one that got killed by her best friend and I thought "poor Elise". I  envied the way she was so carefree and laid-back but always there for Anna throughout her mothers illness, she was also so compassionate. However we cannot forget how she did sleep with Tate, but there is bad in all of us right?

3. Daemon Black from The Lux Series - Imagine the hottest guy you know and times him by one thousand, you have Daemon Black. If his name does not make you melt then his personality sure as hell will. He rocks this whole mean thing towards Katie, but really he loves her and is willing to do anything to protect her.

4. June from Lengend - June is a prodigy, she is so breathtakingly smart it is impossible to dislike her. She starts the book hating Day but by the end of book three she is willing to give up her own happiness for Day. She is such a strong individual, I loved reading about her.

5. Oliver from Dangerous Boys - Oliver's character is so dark and thrilling you couldn't help but feel enticed by his motives and what defines him, he is breathtaking and is willing to do anything. He has no limits and lives like the world is his. Chloe was inspired by this and reading Dangerous Boys I believed in him as well.

6. Cady from We were liars - I loved reading about her, her thought track was amazing to read through. She was just a really likeable character, very easy to enjoy reading about. I loved reading about her accident and how she dealt with it,she was a very strong character and a delight to read about.


7. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games - Katniss is my idol, wish I could shoot an arrow like her, I wish I could appear fearless like her, I wish I could lie like her, I wish I could braid my hair like her, I wish I be selfless like her. I wish I was her, minus all of the Hunger Games stuff (of course I still want Peeta, I mean who wouldn't?)

8. Patch Cipriano from Hush Hush - Patch Cipriano is swoon worthy. Every single thing that comes out of his mouth is calculated, he is very mysterious and alluring, reading about Patch is so vivid and real, when you are snapped back into reality it is a huge disappointment.

9. Cath from Fangirl - I only picked Cath because she can stay up super late, I only get this impression because not once in that book does it ever mention she is tired and she stays up until like 12.

10. Leila from Lets get Lost - I really liked Leila because she made an impact on each of these peoples lives and I like reading about people being adventurous and mysterious and exciting.


I AM SO TIRED MY EYELIDS ARE DROPPING OFF
love you all
-my blog is better than your vlog
-ellie

Top Ten Tuesday - All Time Favourite Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

For this week's TTT, I have decided to spin it and do all time favourite book series as I am so tempted to put Dangerous Girls AGAIN for the forty-whatth time?

(I know we haven't really been posting as much but our lovely teachers have decided to load us with tests and tests during the oncoming week, not to forget that they also give us 800 word essays two times in a row, *ahem*.)

10. You know what? I cannot freaking be bothered to fill number 10. (I did this from 1 up and I wrote the ending before I came to 10.) 10 can be anything you want. It's probably Gallagher Girls or The Infernal Devices but it is now 20:35 and I have stuff to do. (But don't let my sleep deprived tone stop you from reading the rest. Please, carry on reading and ignore my one off rudeness.)

9. Under The Never Sky: Under the Never Sky, Through the Ever Night, Into the Still Blue - Such a handful to type and link. I got introduced to this series by a friend and I wasn't so keen on it at first, but oh my, once you really get into it, it is so hard to stop.

8. Vampire Academy: Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound, Last Sacrifice - 6 books, wow. This is the latest series that I've read I think and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it even after having many complaints about the last few books.

7. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, City of Heavenly Fire - Jesus Christ, 6 books again! This is #7 partly because it took 6 books - 3000 pages for Clary and Jace to do the great deed. It's also because 6 books is an awfully big number for a series.

6. Trylle: Switched, Torn, Ascend - A trilogy about trolls...Trolls that look like human if that makes sense? These books were definitely something different and I loved this series and all the characters, especially Loki.

5. Divergent: Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant - The dystopian world was such an intriguing one to read about, and the anticipation of the final book almost killed me.

4. The Hunger Games: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay,  - I know for most people, THG will be #1 but I guess for me, I read it after the majority of people so I didn't feel as connected to the series as everyone else did. I also didn't like Peeta that much - Katniss outshone him in like everything. However, I am majorly excited to watch Mockingjay Part I though which comes out in 2 months time!!

3. Legend: Legend, Prodigy, Champion - I have so much love for Legend, and so much admiration for June and Day. They are the most kick-ass pair ever. June would put Katniss to shame and Day would probably have a close fight with Tobias.

2. Lux: Obsidian, Onyx, Opal, Origin, Opposition - I wouldn't have found this series without Ellie, and I'm still not sure if it's really number 2, I think it's number 1 but I can't let Hush, Hush go. This series was just outstanding all the way throughout. The ideas, plots, characters, romances, relationships, everything.

1. Hush, Hush: Hush, Hush, Crescendo, Silence, Finale - This was my all time favourite series for five years straight, however when I re-read it (which I shouldn't have done), it wasn't the great series I made it out to be in my head. Nora and Patch's relationship was exciting and swoon worthy, but quite...flat. It was still an incredible read, nonetheless.

I haven't added pictures to make this post all nice looking because I have no time. Literally. My lights have already been turned off (boarding school bedtime) and I'm not even meant to be on my laptop and I'm meant to have turned my lamp off 25 minutes ago and I'm meant to add a shit load of commas in this paragraph and I'm not meant to swear on a blog post and I'm meant to have already brushed my teeth and I'm meant to get at least 8 hours worth of sleep which I never do and my room mate isn't meant to be up either and  I'm meant to be sleeping soundly and and and and

Good Night.

-C E L I N E

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The Manifesto on How to be Interesting - Holly Bourne

Title: The Manifesto on How to be Interesting

Author: Holly Bourne

Format: Paperback 

Release Date: August 1st 2014

Genre: YA, Contemporary. 

Stars out of ten: ☆☆☆☆

Apparently I'm boring. A nobody. But that's all about to change. Because I am starting a project. Here. Now. For myself. And if you want to come along for the ride then you're very welcome.

Bree is a loser, a wannabe author who hides behind words. Most of the time she hates her life, her school, her never-there parents. So she writes.

But when she’s told she needs to start living a life worth writing about, The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting is born. Six steps on how to be interesting. Six steps that will see her infiltrate the popular set, fall in love with someone forbidden and make the biggest mistake of her life.

From the bestselling author of Soulmates comes a fearlessly frank take on school, cliques and crushes

The Manifesto on how to be interesting was far from interesting. 

That sounds super harsh, but it is needed.

I found myself thinking that the storyline was a lot alike Mean Girls, but this girl wanted to become interesting, she didn't mind becoming popular along with it. 

Like Cady in mean girls Bree starts out a nerd, somebody who is unrecognisable to the popular kids in their school, until they get noticed by somebody.

Cady was noticed by Regina George in the cafeteria, whereas Bree who was  noticed by a teacher who had previously read her work and thought her writing was dull. She used to lock herself away from society, in order to fix this he told her to experience new things, this started off 'the manifesto on how to be interesting.' 

Bree goes home after finding out that her favourite teacher (who she likes more than she should) thinks she is dull, so she spends the weekend 'reinventing' herself. 

After meeting up with Holdo and getting very drunk, she has an epiphany to create a blog called 'The Manifesto on how to be interesting.'

By Monday she looks like a totally new person and acts like a new person too, she is determined to write her discoveries of the popular kids on the blog. By doing this, she thinks that more book publishing companies will be intrigued by her writing. 

This book, unfortunately was very predictable. Bree becomes best friends with the most popular girl, steals her boyfriend has sex with him (I know!) and then something very bad happens, but its all okay because her father forces her to go back to school, and everything is sorted out...just like that. 

I wouldn't recommend this to anybody unless they do not get bored easily, like student - teacher relationships and drama. I had great expectations for this book, but it didn't live up to it. I have had to look in the dictionary wso many times whilst writing this post searching for synonyms of disappointment; sadness, let down, regret, dismay, sorrow, washout. 

My blog is better than your vlog

-Ellie

p.s: I am sooooo busy! Sorry, love you all! 

Blood Promise - Richelle Mead (#4 - Vampire Academy)

“I know how devastated you must be to miss me, but leave a message, and I'll try to ease your agony.”  -Adrian Ivashkov

Title: Blood Promise

Author: Richelle Mead

Genres: YA, fantasy

Rate: ☆☆☆☆

Rose Hathaway's life will never be the same. 

The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters ... Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa—her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess—or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved? 

Now, with everything at stake—and worlds away from St. Vladimir's and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend—can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love?

I have been rendered speechless by Blood Promise. My screaming, squealing, shouting and sobbing has finally come to an end, along with this book. This book was undoubtedly going to be about Rose and Dimitri and I wasn't too excited for it, but I was prepared. Or I thought I was. Nothing could've prepared me for this book, and by the end of it my voice was hoarse. I also lost a whole night's worth of sleep over it because my mind was still racing about the book. 

I wasn't too keen on Lissa and Rose being apart as Rose is halfway across the world from the life she left behind and you may not think that we'll see much of St. Vladimir, but thanks to Rose and Lissa's special bond, we see plenty and oh boy does it build up to be more than anyone could've ever predicted. Lissa is nearly going off the rails, needing Rose now more than ever, and drinking and partying with Avery isn't helping. However, the 'bond' was a poor asset and a complete cheat. 

The first two-thirds of the book was excruciatingly, wanting-to-pull-my-hair-out slow, and a palpable page filler. There are unseen/unread memories of Rose and Dimitri, her on the road with her new Alchemist buddy, a potential threat maybe in the name of Abe, and her wasting time at the Belikov's house. We also meet another bonded pair, Oksana and Mark, and discover a few new things about spirit magic as well. There's a completely different set of characters, and what their true purpose is, I don't know. But gradually, the pace picked up.

She finds who she's looking for (which is Dimitri, and may I add that he was a whole lot more interesting in this book than all the previous books combined) and things get more and more intense and exciting. and then you're sitting on the edge of your chair, anticipating for what is to come and then
----
It ends.

Just when you think everything's over, Mead throws in some crazy ass, jaw-dropping cliffhanger that makes reading all that eye rolling, face palming, hair pulling stuff totally worth it.

It was a DRAG for the first half, although some of the content was actually pretty interesting, and THEN the second half is where the good stuff happens. Applause to Mead again, but only for the second half, and definitely for the ending.

-C E L I N E 

Top Ten Tuesday - Favourite Book Covers

Hi guys! Ellie is back with another Top Ten Tuesday, as you guys know this feature is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 
This weeks theme is: 

Favourite book covers!
(not in any particular order)





1. Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi - As you know I was in love with this book when I read it, I think one of the things that made me buy this book was the cover. It was intriguing and beautiful and still makes me want to scream!

2. Dead Jealous by Sharon Jones - Currently (kind of not) reading, I really like this cover its interesting and creepy, giving a rather dark feel to the upcoming story. I actually bought this with Celine (do you remember C?!)


3. The Uncoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - This cover makes me swoon and want to scream, I mean how mysterious is this cover?

4. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas - I think this book is in my top ten because of how the story reflects on to the cover, as well as how edgy and sharp it is.

5. Alienated by Melissa Landers - I bought this book solely because I am the biggest fan ever of this book cover. It is one of my favourites and  ARGHHH!

6. Zombies Vs Unicorns by Various Authors - This is another book I bought solely because its soooo beautiful, I love it. I saw the cover on book tube and fell in love with it.

7. The Selection by Kiera Cass - This cover amazes me, its just so beautiful and the dress is so lovely as well, I want it!


8. Wither (Chemical Garden trilogy) by Lauren Destefano - I love this cover because 1. The model is be-u-at-iful 2. It adds
the dystopian theme to the cover.

9. The Vault of the Dreamers by Caragh O'Brien - You may recognise this cover from my recent; September New Releases, and I am hypnotised by this awesome cover.

10. Me, Earl and the Dying girl by Jesse Andrews - This is on my to read list. One thing I really like about this cover is that it will stand out, because of the vibrant colours.

                         



Well I hoped you enjoyed Top Ten Tuesday this week!
Sorry for the lack of posts, I blame it on "the pressures of schooling in 2014".

MY BLOG IS BETTER THAN YOUR VLOG

ELLIE

Searching For Sky - Jillian Carter

Title: Searching For Sky
Author: Jillian Cantor
Genre: Young adult
Rate: ☆☆☆

River means everything to Sky. They have lived alone together on Island for as long as they can remember. The two of them hunt for food, wash in Falls and curl up together in Shelter. Their life is simple and safe. Until River sees a boat . . . 

Across Ocean is California, a place where nothing makes sense to Sky. She is separated from River and taken to live with a grandmother she doesn’t know. Lost and heartbroken, Sky searches for him so they can return to Island, only to find out that their paradise wasn’t as perfect as she thought, and everything she’s ever known and loved may have been a lie.

This is definitely something different. Jillian Cantor has created a reverse-dystopia book which may or may not have out so well. I'm  ambivalent about Searching For Sky, it wasn't a terrible book but it wasn't a great one either. The pacing is slow, the storyline is meh, it's unrealistic and truth be told, I found Sky pretty irritating. 

We are taken on a journey through Sky's point of view of seeing the world as we know it for the very first time and learning the truth about the island that was her home. The aspect of her learning about why she ended up on 'Island' was interesting at the least, but it was presented very weakly. The author could've played around with it a bit which could've made the book ten times better.

Having spent all her life on an island, she doesn't know what things like a light, a door or a car is. Her confusion and reaction to these things are understandable. But Christ, she's so damn annoying. I don't know what it is, really but many times I just wanted her grandmother to leave her on the street and see how she would like that. I failed to connect with her.

Then there's River who after persuading her to go to California, just dumps her to deal with everything by herself. He was the main love interest but there weren't any sparks flying. I could see why they felt so connected to each other but the romance was flat and dull.

I wouldn't particularly recommend this book but some people will like it. For me, it was different and it intrigued me but it was extremely dull with the most exciting part happening in the last few chapters but even then, I felt like what happened in the last few chapters was an attempt at a shocking twist - it was a good turn but not shocking nor really necessary.

-C E L I N E

New Releases - SEPTEMBER 2014

I totally forgot all about New Releases until maths today, as you all know Celine did New Releases for August, so thanks C! September is a the start of the new school year, so that automatically means my reading and blogging will deteriorate, unfortunately but you'll all be pleased to know that I will be trying to fit blogging in as frequently as I can. 

I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

I really want to read this book, I love the storyline and the idea of having a twin is the coolest thing ever. I would love to read this book and find out why they became apart, if you don't already know I love reading about broken people and would love to see how the characters develop as well as the storyline. This is a must read for me!

THE VAULT OF DREAMERS

The Forge School is the most prestigious arts school in the country. The secret to its success:  every moment of the students' lives is televised as part of the insanely popular Forge Show, and the students' schedule includes twelve hours of induced sleep meant to enhance creativity. But when first year student Rosie Sinclair skips her sleeping pill, she discovers there is something off about Forge. In fact, she suspects that there are sinister things going on deep below the reaches of the cameras in the school. What's worse is, she starts to notice that the edges of her consciousness do not feel quite right. And soon, she unearths the ghastly secret that the Forge School is hiding—and what it truly means to dream there.

This sounds enticing and interesting and I judging by the blurb I would love to read this book. It reminds me of the Hunger Games without the gore, which is always a good thing. I would love to read this book and feel myself delve deeper into the storyline and uncover this secret that The Forge is hiding. Did I mention, the cover is beautiful!

THE IRON TRIAL 

From two bestselling superstars, a dazzling and magical middle-grade collaboration centering on the students of the Magisterium, an academy for those with a propensity toward magic. In this first book, a new student comes to the Magisterium against his will -- is it because he is destined to be a powerful magician, or is the truth more twisted than that? It's a journey that will thrill you, surprise you, and make you wonder about the clear-cut distinction usually made between good and evil

This book sounds exciting! I have heard so much about it, and I am very excited to get my hands on a copy. The collaboration is unreal, I mean Holly Black, whose books I haven't read but she was one of the people involved in Unicorns vs Zombies (she was team Unicorn of course) and Cassandra Clare who I have read The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments series. I am very excited to see how this book is written, and how the world is created. 

FALLING INTO PLACE

On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road. 

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher. 

This book sounds like a darker version of the teen contemporary novels that many of us have read, I am so intrigued that I may have to go and order it. I actually saw this book on my Facebook because I follow Epic reads, they has 50 books you have to read and this was on it but I didn't look into it. However now? Amy Zhang you have my full attention and maybe my money too.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed Septembers new releases, I certainly did and I think we have a strong list here!

MY BLOG IS BETTER THAN YOUR VLOG

ELLIE  

Top Ten Tuesday - Most Intimidating Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Here on Hooked on Books we have decided to join the group and start posting our Top Tens.



I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to pick the most intimidating books within an hour. I usually have this done a few days earlier so all I have to do is schedule for it to be published on a Tuesday, but I've been lazy this week... Here goes.

10. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - I've studied Frankenstein in English but I'm reluctant to read the complete book.
9. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson- I love suspenseful and crime-related books, but I have to admit, this book is very daunting. I've seen the trailer of the movie and it looks very, very dark.
8. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin - Apparently it's complex and well, I've seen it on TV; it's not the most happiest of shows.
7. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri - My Italian isn't great, but...hell?

6. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - Deemed one of the greatest novels of the 19th century, this 1488 page long book about the struggles of an ex-convict definitely makes it on my list.
5. Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler himself - I'm not planning on reading this book for a while but I'm very hesitant to read it. I'm worried about where my sanity will be after I read this. I mean, do I really want to read a book about the most evil of villains who killed 918982376235628737202388273 people?!
4. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - It sounds and looks pretty creepy, and Christie is a good writer I hear so she'll make this book feel real and it'll double the creep factor.

3. It by Stephen King - The cover is BLOOD-CURDLING. I reallllyyyyy want to read it though, I just have to get over how alarming the cover is. King is maybe one of the best authors in this century so his ability to write chilling books is hauntingly brilliant.
2. Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case by Chris Crowe - Getting away with murder?! I've watched way too many crime shows that I now am weirdly fascinated yet still terrified of things like this.
1. 1984 by George Orwell - It has over a million ratings on Goodreads & it's I quote, 'so powerful that it's completely convincing from start to finish'.

That's your second Top Ten Tuesday of the week since Ellie forgot last week's -_-. Enjoy.

-C E L I N E

Shadow Kiss - Richelle Mead (#3 - Vampire Academy)

"Don't worry, little dhampir. You might be surrounded by clouds, but you'll always be like sunshine to me."

Title: Shadow Kiss

Author: Richelle Mead

Genres: YA, fantasy

Rate: ☆☆☆☆☆

It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all... might be seeing ghosts.

As Rose questions her sanity, new complications arise. Lissa has begun experimenting with her magic once more, their enemy Victor Dashkov might be set free, and Rose's forbidden relationship with Dimitri is starting to heat up again. But when a deadly threat no one saw coming changes their entire world, Rose must put her own life on the line - and choose between the two people she loves most.

W O W O W O W. I thought Frostbite was good, but Shadow Kiss takes it to a whole other level.

I cannot begin to explain how gripping and exhilarating this book was. It wasn't only the plot that made me squeal like a three-year-old, but the characters and their relationships as well, and the enthralling events and pretty much everything else. The mix of politics, action, romance, flirtatiousness, and thrills were the perfect balance.

Rose will always be Rose, but she is developing a lot as a character and as she is getting older and on the verge of being an actual guardian, she's being more responsible, listening and obeying to the instructions that she's been given, and applying her knowledge and abilities best where they are needed. But, she is keeping SO MUCH from Lissa which is infuriating as Lissa tells her everything. Backing that up, this is the book that Lissa finally knows about her feelings towards Dimitri. BOOK 3. arghhh.

To those of you who are eagerly awaiting more Rose and Dimitri moments, your wait will finally be over! But, I can't find what so many  people are swooning over; I find Dimitri's character absolutely bland and uninteresting. Sure, he may be hot and strong but, then what?

I love Adrian. I think Adrian and Rose have better chemistry than Rose and Dimitri but I know their soulmates, and destined to be, and blah, blah, blah. Some moments, we see that he is quite the opposite of his reputation - he's kind, and caring but nevertheless, outgoing, funny, and eccentric. We also get to see more of Christian and those who weren't particularly fond of him before, they might sway in favour of him after reading Shadow Kiss. There are plenty of moments with Christian and Rose working together, kicking ass, and humouring the readers.

There's a humongous cliffhanger, and by humongous, I mean fricking HUMONGOUS. But, Adrian...;)

-C E L I N E