Book Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han
Genre: Contemporary
Published: 2014. Simon & Schuster
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Lara Jean writes one letter to every boy she falls in love with. She keeps them safe in a hat box that her mother, who passed away when Lara Jean was young, gave her. When the letters are accidentally mailed to the boys, Lara Jean must do some damage control. Through this fiasco, Lara Jean learns more about herself than she thought possible.

This book was a delight; I smile every time I think about it. This is the first book by Jenny Han that I've ever read, but now I want to read all of her books. I love the way she writes - it just feels so real and relatable.

I felt like I identified with Lara Jean quite a bit, at least personality-wise. She's pretty quiet, and she prefers to spend time at home doing her own thing over going out and partying. Lara Jean, a high school junior, is the middle child in her family: Margot is a freshman in college and Kitty (Katherine) is in third grade.

I don't have any sisters, but this book made me wish I did. I love the girls' relationship and how they interacted with each other. It seemed like they got do a lot of fun things together. I was jealous. The family dynamic is part of the reason I liked this book so much. Lara Jean's family isn't perfect, but whose is?

I don't know. J Law doesn't know.

I really don't want to give anything else about the story away; it's got some surprises! I loved nearly all of the characters, which is super strange for me. The story flew by so quickly that I stretched out my reading, which was difficult for me; I just didn't want it to end. To All the Boys I've Loved Before has definitely become one of my favorite contemporary books. I seriously can't wait for the sequel! I would recommend this book if you like Stephanie Perkins, Colleen Hoover, or if you're looking for a fun, fluffy, romantic read.

Book Review: The False Prince

Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2012, Scholastic
Rating: 4/5 Stars

The False Prince is the first book in the Ascendance trilogy. In a country on the verge of civil war, a nobleman named Conner decides that it is his duty to save the kingdom. Conner recruits several orphans to serve in his plan to present one to the court as the long-lost (and presumed-dead) prince. Sage, one of the orphans that Conner acquires, is wary of the plan. He distrusts Conner greatly, but he knows that he must be chosen to play the part of the prince or else he will be killed. Everyone has their own agenda, and no one can be trusted. Secrets, lies, and deceit ensue.

This book was a fun time. It felt a bit Game of Thrones-ish, just a lot more kid-friendly. It's classified as a middle-grade book, but don't let that deter you - it doesn't feel young or immature at all.
The story is narrated by Sage. Sage very quickly goes from a thieving orphan to a prince-in-training at Conner's luxurious estate. I really enjoyed Sage's narration and personality, but not so much the other boys, Roden and Tobias. They were just alright.

Conner is probably one of my most-hated book characters ever. But I also liked him. It's complicated. He's just so terribly infuriating, but he was written so well! Props to Jennifer A. Nielsen. He made for a great antagonist.

My favorite characters were Sage and Mott. Sage was snarky and mischievous, which I always appreciate in a character. Mott was just such a cool guy, and I grew to like him more and more as the book went on. Imogen, unfortunately, doesn't make this list. She was so BLAH.

The plot builds very slowly and then BAM everything happens really fast at the end. This made the ending feel kind of rushed but also exciting, if that makes sense. This book is the first in a trilogy, so I'm guessing that everything is just set up for the next book.

I enjoyed this book a bunch, and I will definitely read the other two in the trilogy! I would recommend this to fans of A Song of Ice and Fire or to anyone who likes books about political intrigue in a fantasy setting.

Scootin' along to the next book!

Top Ten Tuesday: Book-Related Problems

I wanted to start doing this weekly feature last week, but I wasn't too keen on the topic. I can definitely come up with some stuff for this one, though! I'm posting this on Monday night because I will be busy all day tomorrow, and I want to make sure this gets posted! This is a list of the top ten book-related problems that I have. Of course, these aren't serious issues, just minor annoyances. Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish. Let's get down to business (to defeat the Huns?)!

1. Space - I've officially run out of space for my books, which is a problem, because I want more books. Things are gonna have to get stacked in some really weird ways pretty soon. I really hate doing this, though, because then I can't see all the spines. I just need an in-home library.

2. Ugly covers - I hate looking at books with ugly covers. I admit it, I'm super judgmental. I judge books by their covers, and I like it. This doesn't mean that I'll pass up a book just because it has an ugly cover, but I'm prone to form certain opinions based on how a book looks. Ugly covers typically include some kind of close up on weird-looking person, usually a girl. Also, the colors are probably unpleasant. Some notable ugly covers: the Vampire Academy/Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead, the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman, The Host by Stephenie Meyer, Mind Games/Perfect Lies by Kiersten White, Vicious by V.E. Schwab, and pretty much all of Alex Flinn's books (the people-on-the-cover versions).

3. Cover changes - This is the main reason why I like to wait until a series is complete until I buy it. I especially can't stand when the change is for the worse. For example, the Across the Universe series by Beth Revis. Just...why?

4. Mismatched formats - On top of matching covers, I also like to have my books match in format. A series needs to be all in hardcover or all in paperback. For longer series, I like to buy them in paperback to save a little money.

5. Waiting for releases - This means two things for me. The first is waiting for the next book in a series. Like I said before, I usually wait until the entire series is out because I hate waiting. If I read a new release and it's in a series, it's often quite a while until the next installment is out. This frustrates me. The second meaning is waiting for a book to come out in paperback. This only applies if it's in a series and I've been collecting it in paperback. It's usually about a year or so after the initial release date when the book comes out in paperback. That's a long, sad amount of time to wait for a book.

6. Different heights - This is kind of like mismatched formats/covers. Occasionally, I come across books in series where one is a different height than the others. Rage ensues. What? How does this happen? Same publisher, same edition, so why is it a different height? Can someone explain please!?

7. Sheer numbers - There are just so many books in the world. There are so many books that I want to read, so many that I want to own. If I could just win the lottery, then I could have all the books.

8. Indecisiveness - This goes along with the insane amount of books I want. Say, for example, that I want to buy three books. Okay, great, right? NO. I have over 200 books on my Amazon wishlist. How am I supposed to pick three out of that? It takes me hours to decide. Seriously, it does.

9. Hype - Hype can be a great thing - it means that a lot of people are really enjoying a book - but it can also be harmful. I fall prey to hype constantly. When I first discovered book videos on YouTube, my purchases were influenced by which books were the most talked about. Hype can either introduce you to a book you'll love or set you up for complete disappointment. There have been several times where I've thought I might have liked a book better if I hadn't heard all the hype; I had high expectations. Having no expectations for a book might be better than having insanely high ones.

10. Dusting - This may sound silly, but I like to keep my books in the best condition possible, and that means dusting fairly regularly. And I have a lot of books to dust. I just want them to be clean! No one wants dusty books, right?

Favorite Book Covers

I appreciate a beautiful book cover, and there are so many out there that catch my attention. Some of these books will be ones I have read and some will be ones I have yet to read. Or, possibly, I don't ever want to read them, I just want to look at them.

The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh

I read this book so long ago, maybe when I was a freshman in high school. I picked it up because the colors really drew me in, but it's about Greek mythology, which I love!

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

This was a cover buy, but the plot is definitely something I'm interested in. This is a book you just have to see up close and in person. The cover of the sequel is amazing, too.

Talon by Julie Kagawa

This cover is just so rich-looking. It's a bit textured as well. So fancy.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

SO PRETTY. I think the twinkly stars really do it for me.

Dangerous by Shannon Hale

This book is really shiny in person. It's so dang eye-catching.

Sisters Red & Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

 These two are tied because they're done in the same style. I picked up these books because of the awesome covers, but I ended up loving the stories anyway. I'm just sad that there was a cover change for the other two books in this companion series.

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

This book is just gorgeous. I think I have a thing for stars.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Green is my favorite color, and I love the soft gradient along with the simple typeface.

Taken by Erin Bowman

I haven't planned on reading this book, but I may someday. Again, I like the gradient and the color combo.

No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale

I have no interest in this book, but I really like the sweater-like cover and the purple/blue combo.

The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder

I have no idea what this book is about. I've seen it around before, and I always stop to admire the cover. The soft colors and the ribbon of the title are so pretty!

Book Review: Before I Fall

Author: Lauren Oliver
Genre: Contemporary
Published: 2010, HarperCollins
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Sam Kingston is one of the most popular girls at her high school. She and her three best friends are in charge and everyone knows it. February 12th, Cupid Day, is one of the most exciting days for popular girls like Sam: people send each other roses, and the number of roses someone gets says a lot about their popularity. Things go wrong that night, though, when Sam dies in a car accident after leaving a party. Somehow, she still wakes up the next day - or, what she thinks is the next day. Sam Kingston lives the last day of her life seven times, allowing her to see how powerful her choices can be.

I did not expect to like this book so much. I've read Lauren Oliver's Delirium trilogy and enjoyed it, but for some reason, I had my doubts about Before I Fall. I was floored by this book; it really surprised me.

Surprise!

I got major Mean Girls vibes from this book. I love that movie, but it's a lot more lighthearted than Before I Fall. Sam and her friends are a lot like the Plastics - they love to torment people that they deem "lesser" than they are; anyone who doesn't live up to their standards is a possible victim.

They do some pretty nasty things. The reader gets to be inside Sam's head, seeing all her rationalizations for being a crappy person. Oliver does a great job at developing all these less-than-nice characters, though. The girls have distinct stories, quirks, and personalities. That's something I appreciated about this book. There isn't too much for me to say about Before I Fall, though; it has to be experienced first-hand. There's some great character development with Sam and some really touching scenes that had me tearing up. Before I Fall honestly made me rethink how I view the world and how much my actions affect the people in my life.

Book Haul

I found myself somehow owning more books recently, so I thought I'd put 'em all together for my first haul. These are all from Book Outlet and Barnes & Noble. Enjoy!

The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen

This is the third book in the Ascendance trilogy. The first two are The False Prince and The Runaway King.

Cress by Marissa Meyer

This is the third book in the Lunar Chronicles. The first two are Cinder and Scarlet.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

This is the third book in the Raven Cycle. The first two are The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves.

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

This is the third book in the Darkest Minds trilogy. The first two are The Darkest Minds and Never Fade.

The Devil and His Boy by Anthony Horowitz

This is another one my boyfriend challenged me to read. I already love Anthony Horowitz, anyway.

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

It'll be hard for me to wait until summertime to read this!

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

This book is about a grasshopper plague. It sounds so weird; I just couldn't resist.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Another book for the summer. It's so pretty in real life.

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Same deal as before.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I've heard great things about this book. Also, I think it's going to be a movie.

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

This is the first book in the Arcana Chronicles. I've been hearing a lot of hype about this series lately, so I wanted to check it out.

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

This is the second book in the Arcana Chronicles.

Of Triton by Anna Banks

This is the second book in the Syrena Legacy. The first book is Of Poseidon and the third book is Of Neptune.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

I love Rainbow Rowell. Obviously I'm excited for this book.

Book Review: Rebel Belle

Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal
Published: 2014, Putnam Juvenile
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Rebel Belle's heroine, Harper Price, is the epitome of the Southern belle. She is involved in everything she can possibly be in, and she practically runs her classy private school. Harper is poised to win Homecoming Queen when something bizarre happens: the school janitor transfers strange powers to Harper without explanation, then promptly dies from a sword wound in the girls' bathroom. Harper soon discovers that she is a Paladin, charged with the protection of the one person she despises most. Her meticulously scheduled world is turned upside down as she struggles to figure out her new-found abilities and her role as a protector.

Rebel Belle was an insanely quick read for me. It was fast-paced and funny; I giggled several times while reading it.

This book was a lot of fun, but it didn't stand out as anything special to me. There wasn't anything especially unique about it. That being said, I did enjoy it.

Hawkins' writing is pretty straightforward, which gave the book a bit of a middle-grade feel. That's fine if it's a middle-grade book, but Rebel Belle is not. I like a good middle-grade book now and then, but for something that's technically young adult, Rebel Belle felt kind of young. Not a deal breaker for me, just an observation.

The plot moved very quickly, leaving me constantly turning pages to get to the next event.The characters were decent, although David stood out to me more than Harper did. The supporting characters felt bland and a lot like stock characters, though. This is the first book in a series, so I'm expecting some more character development as the series progresses.

I'd recommend Rebel Belle if you're looking for a fast-paced, fun, and quick read. It won't make you think too hard; it's just pure entertainment. I will continue reading the rest of the series as it's released.

Book Review: Water for Elephants

Author: Sara Gruen
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: 2006, Algonquin Books
Rating: 2/5 Stars

Water for Elephants is set during the Great Depression. The story is told from the memories of the elderly Jacob Jankowski, who recalls his days of working for the traveling circus, the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Jacob is engulfed in the glamorous atmosphere of the circus, but not everything is as spectacular is it claims to be. He finds himself falling in love with a very off-limits woman and landing himself in some trouble.

Wow. Okay. I don't even know where to start. I didn't even know how to properly summarize this book because there's so much going on. I really, really wanted to like this. Honestly. But I didn't, I had so many problems with this book. I feel like I'm being a bit too generous giving it 2 stars.

This book made me feel like this.

It had so much potential. It really did. It just ended up falling flat. Gruen picked an interesting time period to write about, but it was severely lacking. I found myself forgetting that it was the 1930s until something obvious happened - like the raid in a Chicago night club. For me, it was impossible to become engrossed in the story.

The story itself was not was I was expecting; I thought this book was mainly a romance kind of historical fiction. It wasn't. The romance didn't start developing until at least halfway through the book. Even then, it didn't feel developed at all. It wasn't at all believable to me. There was no chemistry. It didn't help that Marlena was one of the most basic, flat, boring characters I've ever read. Zero personality.

Marlena.

The other characters were more interesting. However, I occasionally thought that Gruen used them to try to teach her readers how to behave toward other groups of people. It's a nice sentiment, don't get me wrong, but it caused the characters to feel less realistic.

My favorite part of the whole book was Rosie, the elephant.

The narration bugged me, the plot bugged me, the characters bugged me, and the ending bugged me. I don't feel like I can honestly recommend this book to anyone. I know that it's pretty popular and has high ratings, but it just wasn't for me. I would say if you're okay with being mislead by the blurbs and the summary on the back of the book, then go ahead and read it.

Top 15 Books I Want to Read in 2015

I have an absolutely outrageous amount of unread books in my possession. I would love to read ALL of them this year, but combined with new releases, it would be impossible. These are just my priorities at the moment (in no particular order). This list will contain some series, so it's not exactly 15 individual books. You'll just have to...

1. The Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead

I read all of the Vampire Academy books back in high school and loved them. I own the first four books of Bloodlines, and the sixth and final book is being published this year. Time for a marathon.

2. The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

I love fantasy, so of course I want to read one of the most-hyped young adult fantasy series. I believe this is going to be a six-book series, and I own the first two books; they'll probably make it onto my March TBR.

3. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Finally! A single book! I love Stephanie Perkins' other books, and I've heard wonderful things about Isla.

4. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

This has just been sitting around for forever. I need to read it!

5. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Another super-hyped series. Fairy tale retellings are some of my favorite books to read, and I've heard nothing but good things about this series. I own the first two, and the fourth and final book is being released at the end of the year. 

6. The Darkest Minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken

I own the first two. It kinda sounds like X-Men, so I'm intrigued. Also, the reviews have been pretty great.

7. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is a book that has made many "Favorites" lists. My boyfriend recommended it to me as well, which is saying something because he never reads.

8. We Were Liars by E. Lockheart

I know absolutely nothing about this book. And that's why I want to read it. Everyone is so secretive about it, and I'm really interested!

9. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

I enjoyed Fangirl and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, so I want to read the rest of her books.

10. The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

Like I said earlier, I love fantasy. And Sanderson is supposed to be the king. So, I obviously need to read this series. Just look at those beautiful UK edition covers...

11. The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

I'm a long-time fan of Chima's. Her Seven Realms series is one of my favorite book series of all time. This is the fourth and final book. I don't want it to end, though!

12. The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

I recently finished all the Percy Jackson books, despite having started that series back in middle school. I love Greek mythology and how Riordan weaves it into his stories. I can't wait to get to this series.

13. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

I read Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Matson when it was first released and loved it. There's been a lot of positive talk about this book, and it seems like a great read for the summer.

14. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Besides fantasy, sci-fi is my favorite genre. And this book has aliens. It's being turned into a movie, which is pretty cool, too.

15. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

I read Schwab's Vicious last month and it blew my mind; I want to read all of her books.This one has time travel and magic and it sounds crazy good.