Ramblings and Stuff

I don't know what I'm doing. I haven't been updating much because busy with school and other stuff. Who knew blogging could be this hard? I don't know what I'm doing. I'm always on my book blog on tumblr and updating there always.

I am currently reading nothing. I have no books to read, well there is Pandemonium but I haven't read Delirium yet. 

Well, I actually started writing, again but I don't know where the story is going but I keep writing what's on my head and hopefully it will be a great story in the end!

-Grace

Book Review: Before I Fall

Format: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 470
Publishing Date: March 2nd 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reader Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Read: Mar 18 to Mar 25, 2012 (reread)
Purchased: National Bookstore

Before I Fall
by Lauren Oliver


Synopsis:

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death--and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Review:

Just because you think someone's perfect doesn't mean they are. Just because you see them smile all the time doesn't mean they're happy. Just because someone says he/she is a freak doesn't mean they are. Just because they did bad things at some point in their life doesn't mean they're bad people. 


If  you think you can't be fixed, you're wrong because it's not too late. It's never too late to change because for some of us there is always a tomorrow but you'll never know. Think about it.


This was actually a reread (well not exactly). I first read this back in October '11 or earlier, I can't remember. I never really finished it because I think I started a series of books then just left it. But when I heard Lauren Oliver was coming here, I decided to pick it up again and bought my own copy because back then I didn't have my own copy.


When I first read this, I didn't really got the point of the story maybe because I was just reading it when I was suppose to be reading it with understanding. I didn't really expect that I will fall in love with this book. I mean, the story is just beautiful and has so many powerful messages to young people out there (including me) who are struggling to somehow deal with life and problems. I'm amazed by how many powerful messages Lauren Oliver has put in this book. She perfectly speaks in this teen voice that makes you believe the characters are real, and you can relate to the story even if it's different from your story. Everything she says really burns in your heard it's as if like she's talking to you, to your soul, your heart, everything and it scared me sometimes but in a really good way. This book made me think of the things I did in the past and the things that had  happened to me and made me realize that I'm not the only one struggling. 


I also fell in love with the characters. At first I hated Sam like I really hated her that I actually never wanted to finish it but in the last chapters you'll love her, you'll admire her so much you almost don't want the story to end, and I think what she did at the end was one of the bravest and most admirable thing a person can do and it was beautiful and at the same time heart-braking. You will also be frustrated about how you feel about the other characters but in the end you'll understand and end up loving some of them and maybe disliking some of them.


If you have read this book before and didn't like it, read it again but this time, read it with an open heart and an open mind then you'll understand.

Rating: ★★★★★ out of 5 stars

Book Cover Remake

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Once upon a two hours ago, I was bored and I just started making this. I really don't know how I managed to even do this since I'm not really that great with photoshop. Photoshop and I obviously have a love and hate relationship!

I might show it to Lauren Oliver if I'm able to meet her tomorrow. Hope she likes it!!!

I used Kaya Scodelario as Lena. I love her!!! She has blue eyes so I had to color it brown.

The quality of the photo is quite low cause I had to enlarge it.

The fonts I used are Times New Roman(Author), Microsoft Himalaya(title and quote), and Segoe Script(amor deliria nervosa).

I haven't finish DELIRIUM yet because I'm rereading BEFORE I FALL.

FYI: compelledbybooks is my book blog on tumblr.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Books On My Spring To-Be-Read List
meme created by The Broke and the Bookish
*some are new releases

1. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Just got this one the other day. So excited to read Pandemonium since I'm almost finish with Delirium. And getting it signed by Lauren Oliver so exciting yes!


2. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
*screams* Ugh I just want to read this book right now since I loved Unearthly so much. *deep sigh* some of my friends have already given me spoilers but I don't think that will get in the way of me liking this one. 

3. Hush by Jacqueline Sauvageau
Good student/teacher relationship novels are really hard to find so when I found this one on goodreads I was like HELLSYEAH!!! This was suppose to be my number 1 but I don't when I'll be able to have this book on my shelf since I have to order it from the U.S.. This also has been on my tbr list for a long time. The story intrigues me very very much. I'm a sucker for a really sad ending since that what people have been saying about this book. I must have the read the sample chapters on AMAZON like thrice already.

4. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
The synopsis got me the moment I read it. I really like it when I know books will take me to a different place so I immediately hit to-read. And I like saying "Wanderlove"


5. City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare
I've been dying to start this series since I loved The Infernal Devices series so much. I don't think I need to say more why I would like to read this. I'm quite sorry cause I keep passing on this one when I'm at the bookstore when I'm buying books even though I want to read it.

6. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
 The plot of this book is quite interesting. I thought I was going to wait til October when the paperback international edition comes out but I have found a bookstore that has a paperback version of this book so YAY! and Tahereh Mafi is so nice on twitter!!!


7. Divergent by Veronica Roth
I have wanted to read this book so bad but it is always sold out in bookstores. *deep sigh* and Insurgent comes out on May 1st so I really need to read this book.

8. Insurgent by Veronica Roth *May 1, 2012*
I don't think I need to explain yeah~


9.The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
The whole language thing just got me. I was kinda bummed when I went to the bookstore and found out that I have to order it. But while looking through this bookstore's site, I saw this book is on sale on one of their bookstore so I was really glad cause it will cost more if I order it.


and last but not the least *drum rolls*

10. The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead *June 12, 2012*


Warning: A lot of fangirling will occur.


Need I say more? ashkhljhdkjhasjdhkasd so the cliffhanger in Bloodlines killed me: "Dimitri Belikov has arrived" *screaming and flailing* I AM JUST SO EXCITED TO READ THIS ONE OKAY UGH I WANT TO READ IT NOW!!!!! Shipping Adrian/Sydney so HARD. And Eddie/Jill shipper right here!!! Eddie just became one of my fave when I found out that he liked Jill. Forget about Team Adrian or Team Dimitri, I'm shifting to Team Eddie!!! JUNE 12 COME FASTER!!!

The Selection by Keira Cass as a TV show?

I've read so many mixed reviews of The Selection by Kiera Cass and most of them are negative reviews. From reviews from my favorite book bloggers I can perfectly understand why they didn't like this book. So now I'm thinking, why is this book being made into a tv show? 


I guess, maybe the story of this book is better as a tv show than in a novel so the CW picked it up for a tv show. I can't really say but hopefully it's like that or CW is just stupid and likes wasting lots of money. I heard the CW passed on making Unearthly as a tv show. I think it was a little stupid since there's a bigger chance for it to be really successful if it had the perfect writer, cast, etc. And Unearthly already has a solid fandom so it's already sure that some people will watch it but with The Selection they're going to have a hard time making it successful.


The Selection Cast (I haven't read the book so I can't really say if they are perfect):


*looks into imdb* OH MY GOD! *sees William Moseley's name* SCREAMS!


William Moseley as Aspen Leger - I have always loved him as an actor so I'm glad he's actually doing something other than Narnia. (totally going to give this show a chance)


Ethan Peck as Prince Maxon - also a fan but most of the tv shows he has been in always got cancelled so yeah not a good sign. He is gorgeous and he looks like a prince so I guess he's good.


and last but not the least


Aimee Teegarden as America Singer - I have only seen her acting in Disney's Prom and I can say she's a fairly good actress. Not really a fan. I do think she's beautiful and all that.


Honestly I would totally check this tv show out and give it a chance. If I liked the TV show I might give the book a chance.


Best wishes to CW, the cast, and Kiera Cass!!! Hopefully this turns out well so I can have a new tv show to fangirl over.

Book Review: Unearthly

Format: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 439
Publishing Date: November 1st 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reader Level: Young Adult
Genre: Angels, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Series: Unearthly #1
Read: Jan 31 to Feb 03, 2012

Unearthly

by Cynthia Hand aka "the author that will make you scream at every page"

Synopsis:

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a "purpose," something she was put on this Earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Review:

*Screams* (yeah I want to start of this review with screaming)

This book was recommended to me by my friend Georgina (who also runs compelledbybooks with me). You can view her review here! Thanks to her I actually dared to pick up this book and  I will be forever thankful that she recommended it to me, and I think Richelle Mead also has something to do with me reading this book. I love Richelle Mead and when I found out that she liked this book I didn't give a second thought when I bought it. (I think it's already obvious I really like this book)

When I first found out that this was about angels I didn't really want to pick it up because the other angel novels I know have really effed up stories so I never really read angel novels. But  Unearthly was a total surprise cause I thought it was one of those "fallen angel" stories but it was not! Cynthia Hand just basically made a more interesting and greater story about angels!

I totally love the kind of angels in this book cause they weren't fallen and that they have this greater "purpose" to do something good in our world so I really liked that. Oh the "glory" and the fact that they can change the form of their wings is really awesome. I wish I could have "glory"! I love love love the way Hand described the characters when they are in their angel form or when they have their wings out.

I totally love our female protagonist Clara! She's very sarcastic but not in the whole cocky way but in a very smart way. She felt real to me cause I felt like she was just this normal teenager even though she's part angel. I mean, I can relate to her in a way. And she was never annoying in any way. Hey, sometimes I find other female characters in novels annoying in some parts but Clara is very lovable. 

I can't choose between Christian and Tucker cause I feel like Clara isn't really sure who she wants to be with so I'm not also sure who I want. Both of them are really great in their own special way which makes it harder to choose. Christian is this gentle guy, very mysterious and somehow a romantic, I guess *giggles*. While Tucker is this very playful kind of guy,  he teases Clara a lot. I guess you can say he's very old-fashioned when it came to liking girls??? You know, the "I-act-like-I-hate-you-and-enjoy-annoying you-but-the-truth-is-I-really-like-you" act that guys do, that's old-fashioned right? I also love the other secondary characters like Clara's mom, and Clara's friends Angela and Wendy.

Okay back to Unearthly, I really enjoyed reading this book because it felt laid back and easy to read. For me, it was like watching a tv show and if you know me, you would know that when I watch tv shows I like screaming when something unexpected happens With Unearthly there was a lot of unexpected happenings that I was screaming and freaking out at every chapter. I mean the big surprise at the ending was like BAM!!! like I was screaming, hyperventilating, and freaking out for a whole minute that I actually had to pull myself together to be able to finish it. That was actually the first time that a book made me feel that way so I guess you can understand why I love this book so much. This book also knows how to break my heart. Reading this book is like riding a spinning roller coaster of emotions (yes, spinning roller coaster).

Unearthly just made me add Cynthia Hand as one of my favorite YA authors!!!

I seriously cannot wait to read Hallowed!!! HALLOWED I NEED YOU KNOW!!!


Rating: ★★★★★ out of 5 stars

Book Review: The Daughter Of Smoke and Bone

Format: Paperback (International Edition)

Number Of Pages: 418

Publishing Date: September 27th 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Reader Level: Young Adult

Genre: Angels, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Series: The Daughter Of Smoke & Bone #1
Read: March 03 to 05, 2012

Daughter Of Smoke and Bone

by Laini Taylor

Synopsis:
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Review:

Beautiful cover, right? Yeah, I love books with beautiful covers.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone had a fresh kind of story to it. The whole mystery surrounding Karou was the thing that actually pulled me into reading it and why Akiva, the swoon-worthy angel was intensely drawn to her.

As the story progress you'll be filled on the mystery behind Karou and her past life. She'll also be drawn to Akiva and as she spends time with him, she finds herself falling for him even though she has known him as an enemy of her and her family's kind. But as Karou unravels the mystery surrounding who she is, it threatens to destroy what she has and had with Akiva.

Laini Taylor has actually managed to surprise me cause from the prologue "Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well." I thought this was one of those angel-falls-in-love-with-a-devil but it was not. Taylor has completely made an original story from that concept. It really isn't because if it was I wouldn't finish reading this book. The way Taylor made some of the characters was really amazing and how she described them was very beautiful even if some of them were a mix of different creatures that make them look devil-ish. I also love Taylor's wicked sense of humor and her very swoon worthy moments in which I obviously swooned (really hard).

This book also has its flaws, too. Oh, like how it lack emotion sometimes. There was some parts that were so dull like I couldn't feel anything from it. I also think that Taylor could have made some parts of the book more exciting and thrilling because it was bit boring at times. I'm now wondering how Taylor would make the second book more interesting than this one since I feel like she gave away too much at the end of this book, but then again I don't really know the full story of the series so I can't really say that, can't I? But because of that I truly don't know what's going to happen on the second book which again give it's this mysteriousness.

I can't really say that I was that much in love and compelled by the story, but overall, I did like this book and would still recommend it to you guys to check it out. I am still continuing the series and I just hope the second book is better. And the fact that I'm practically in love with Akiva makes me want to continue it (The dude is hot, okay? no, not hot cause hot is an understatement but heavenly gorgeous?? that's not even a word but yeah!).

Rating: ★★★.5 out of 5 stars