Review: The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave 
Rick Yancey 
457 page (Hardcover) 
Putman Juvenile
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble
 
Blurb: 

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up. 

Review:

The 5th Wave was even better than I was expecting it to be, and I was expecting a lot. I haven't read a whole lot of alien books in the past, but this one stood out compared to those that I have read. It was well-paced, fresh, and that was one badass alien invasion.

I really enjoyed the sheer amount of thought that must have been put into imagining  the post-invasion world. It was just so well-thought out, with so many details. There were a few things that I probably never would have consider, but that really added to the novel. I loved every detail that Rick Yancey deigned to give us readers, savoring absolutely everything even when it was an awful detail that killed me.

Which brings me to the fact that I would never want to live in this book. Ever. The end of the world wasn't coming. No, it had already come and gone and anyone left was still there because of pure bad luck. But I loved watching the characters fight to live and do what was right in that horrible messed up world. It really gave me something to cheer and hope for.

I also really loved seeing the characters grow throughout the story. Each of them got so much stronger as they kept trying to fight back And some of the twists in the plot had me understanding the hardships the characters were going through At points, I didn't know if I should cheer them on or shout out to warn them that they were being tricked (only to find out I was way off anyways).

So the book was pretty spectacular, aside from the fact that when the point of view switched the first few times, it left me feeling a bit lost. But once I understood what was going on, I saw how necessary the change was. It added to the story rather than detracting from it.

Overall, I give it a hangover level of 5 out of 5.

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Super Six Sunday: Characters We'd Love to Be

Super Six Sunday is an meme hosted by Bewitched Bookworms (one of our favorite blogs) and inspired by "Top Ten Tuesday" from The Broke and Bookish. Today's awesome topic is Characters that We Want to Be. So below is a list of super-cool characters that we'd love be.

Super Six Characters We'd Love to Be

Angie's Picks

1. Fred & George Weasley

I'd absolutely love to be one of these two. They were always having so much fun and loving life, although they were willing to fight and die for a cause too. Both of the twins were very intelligent (even if they didn't always show it) and loved making mischief, which made the books so much more fun than they would have been without them. These were two of my favorites characters throughout the whole Harry Potter series and I'd love to be them.

2. Bonnie McCullough

Bonnie wasn't one of my favorite characters in the Vampire Diaries, but I had so much respect for her. She was just a tiny little redhead, the frailest of the whole crew, but she never backed away from a fight and was always willing to help out her friends. She also had her really cool witch roots that traced all the way back to the Druids, which makes her pretty kickass to me.

Jordyn's Picks

1. Vee Sky

Vee was one of my favorite characters in the Hush, Hush saga. She was fierce in that fun, sarcastic best friend way. The humor that Vee created at the most unnecessary of times was part of the reason why I first loved her, but she also didn't take shit from anyone. I'd be proud to be Vee.

2. Luna Lovegood

I wrote a paper once on how Luna (from Harry Potter) was one of the most inspirational fictional characters I'd ever had the pleasure of reading about, despite the fact that she's not a main character. I still think that's true. I always loved the way that Luna was so innocent but so honest  at the same time. She didn't care what people thought about her, fought with her friends no matter what, and she was very intelligent (even though there was an a lot of crazy in her). I'd love to be Luna.

Michaela's Picks

1. Stella Gunn

Stella was one of my absolute favorites out of Kristen Ashley's Rock Chicks. Rock Chick Reckoning was wonderful. I'd love to be Stella for a lot of reasons. One of my favorite things about her was the fact that she seriously knew how to rock. She could sing and play guitar with passion and had a killer music taste. She stood up for what she believed in, even though it wasn't safe for her. And she also ended up with one of my favorite guys. I'm just saying. I wouldn't mind being her.

2. Sadie Townsend

My second pick is Sadie Townsend from Rock Chick Regret (the seventh book in Kristen Ashley's Rock Chick series). Sadie was different from Stella in a lot of ways, but she was still pretty intense. Sadie faced her fears and didn't break when literally everything in her world was going wrong. She stood up to her family, which I think is always impressive, and she did what she could to make up for things that weren't her fault. She also had a stellar fashion sense. Those are a few of the reasons why I'd like to be her, although I could go on.

Those are our six picks for Super Six Characters We'd Love to Be. We hope you enjoyed them. Let us know which characters you'd love to be if you had the chance and comment below!

Review: The Brightest Kind of Darkness

Brightest Kind of Darkness
P.T. Michelle
357 Kindle Edition
Patrice Michelle
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble

Blurb: 

Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.  

Review: 

I've been waiting to read this book for such a long time, and I'm glad I finally got the chance. I'd heard a lot of good things about it, and I can say that I agree with most of them.

Brightest Kind of Darkness has such an original plot. I haven't read anything like it before. I really enjoyed the whole idea of Nara (love her name, by the way) dreaming her whole day the night before. But it didn't take long before things were changing. We didn't get a complete explanation as to why Nara started losing her dreams, although we did learn what happened to them. I can't wait to read the next book so I can learn more about what was going on. One of my favorite things was the repercussions that Nara caused by changing Fate. It was so logical that there something should happen when someone tries to mess with destiny. And it added a feeling of suspense while I wondered what was going to go wrong next.

I really loved all of the characters in this novel. They were all fresh and unique and I couldn't help but picture myself in Nara's position. And let me say, Nara was an amazing heroine. She tried so hard to help others, even though it could only affect her negatively some of the times. She was a very strong heroine and I loved her for that. Another character I really enjoyed was Nara's aunt Sage. Aunt Sage was that aunt that everybody wants. She was understanding, knew how to bake and make an awesome meal, and was willing to listen to Nara and support her when needed. The other character I feel I need to mention is Ethan. The love interest. Ethan was the perfect compliment to Nara's happiness and lightness, because he was all shadows and mental demons (with an interesting twist). But he wasn't sulky or gloomy. He was just trying to live his life as best as he could, which I loved.

The only complaint I have with this book is that it felt like Nara and Ethan started caring about each other very suddenly, but that might just be me. It didn't really bother me very much though because they progressed slowly and had a few obstacles along the way. There relationship was very sweet and I really liked that they had so much in common.

Overall, I give it a hangover level of 4 out of 5.

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Review: Tilt

Tilt
Ellen Hopkins
608 pages (Hardcover)
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes&Noble

Blurb:

Three teens, three stories—all interconnected through their parents’ family relationships. As the adults pull away, caught up in their own dilemmas, the lives of the teens begin to tilt….

Mikayla, almost eighteen, is over-the-top in love with Dylan, who loves her back jealously. But what happens to that love when Mikayla gets pregnant the summer before their senior year—and decides to keep the baby?

Shane turns sixteen that same summer and falls hard in love with his first boyfriend, Alex, who happens to be HIV positive. Shane has lived for four years with his little sister’s impending death. Can he accept Alex’s love, knowing that his life, too, will be shortened?

Harley is fourteen—a good girl searching for new experiences, especially love from an older boy. She never expects to hurdle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.

Love, in all its forms, has crucial consequences in this standalone novel.

Review:

I've read a lot of Ellen Hopkins in the last few years, making my way through the majority of her works. I've loved most of it, rarely disliking her stories. Anyone who has read one of her books knows that she writes about issues and problems in society, showing darker aspects of life. I fully enjoy them, and Tilt wasn't really any different.

The first book I ever read by Ellen Hopkins was Impulse. I was kind of shocked by the content and how the content was portrayed. It took some adjusting for me, as I wasn't used to or originally a big fan of verse. I also had to adjust to the alternating point of views. Tilt was much like Impulse in those ways, containing verse writing and also multiple view points. But Hopkins is a master at telling stories like this. Her verse is elegant and I'm always very impressed at how well the stories flow. The multiple point-of-views only added to the effect of the story, letting the reader see connections we wouldn't know about otherwise. Because, while technically there are three stories being told, I only view it as one.

Speaking of the story . . . I can't explain how much this one spoke to me. It was all about how one lie can lead to another and how everything we do can affect those around us. It was about how people can change. I really loved reading the stories about Mikayla, Harley, and Shance. It was heartbreaking and inspiring all at once as I watched their lives spiral out of control and they tried to deal with it.

And, of course, the classic Ellen Hopkins ending. She left the story off, telling us what happened, but leaving it kind of open-ended, allowing readers to wonder what happened next. It shows readers that the characters' lives aren't finished yet. And I adored the ending.

Overall, I give it a hangover level of 5 out of 5.

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Cast a Harry Potter Spell

Jasmine from Flip That Page came up with this awesome bookish survey! It's so much fun to answer! And it has a Harry Potter theme! And all three of us here at My Book Hangovers absolutely love Harry Potter!

Cast A Spell

Reparo
fixes damaged objects
A book that needs some serious fixing: Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse was a fun enough read for me, but I would have liked some attitude adjustments in the characters. They didn't seem realistic to me, and that made it so much harder for me to connect with them. I would have enjoyed it so much more if they hadn't been so down on themselves and so ignorant of what they had.

Lumos
creates a narrow beam of light
A book that deserves more attention: The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson was such a great book! It was so easy to get sucked into and to imagine the world around June. But according to Goodreads, there really aren't that many ratings for it. I think more people should give it a try even though it may seem a little daunting (as it did to me before I started it.)

Nox
counters the effects of Lumos
An overhyped book: Okay, so, nobody hate me, because I know this book is very well liked, but I think Delirium (Lauren Oliver) got way too much hype. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy parts of it, but it wasn't all super original to me and I was never very surprised by what came next in it. I wouldn't say it wasn't worth reading, I just don't think it was as amazing as the hype led me to believe it was going to be.

 

Accio
summons an object from a significant distance
A book you’re anticipating: I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS ONE TO COME OUT! Drop Dead Demons by A&E Kirk is my most anticipated book ever. There was a big thing about how the release date has been moved back a few times, but now I have to wait until July of 2014. I'll have been waiting nearly two years by then, and while I understand there were some issues, I really need this book. The first one was absolutely amazing! And the ending was a total cliffhanger!

Alohomora
opens unlocked doors, unless bewitched
A book you want to be more open about: The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I really wish I could be more open about how much I loved this book. I feel like I'd be slaughtered for admitting it though. I thought it was so much better than her Twilight series. The characters were more interesting, the world was so much cooler, and I really loved the plot and the love story. And I think Meyer's writing improved after Twilight.

Expecto Patronum
conjures an incarnation of positive feelings
A book that made you cry, or at least want to: Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly made me cry towards the end. It really hurt to see what happened between Willow and Sebastian, and it hurt knowing why. I personally thought there was nothing wrong with what Willow was doing so when things went down, it was almost hard to keep reading. But the ending was worth it, even if I shed a few tears before I finally got there.

Morsmordre
conjures the Dark Mark
A book you wish to mark as one of your favorites: Tricks by Ellen Hopkins is one of my all-time favorite books ever. I read it twice in the time I had it checked out of the library. Hopkins writes in verse and that's always something I have to adjust to, but I love her writing and the topics she writes about. It's really great everything she does to bring awareness to issues, but she does it by telling the most beautiful stories.

Petrificus Totalus
petrifies victim
A book you wish to keep forever:  I wish I could keep The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Jordyn posted a review of it a while ago, and she absolutely loved it. The writing was fantastic and the imagination she put into that book was gorgeous. I wish I could just keep it next to me for the rest of time and never ever ever put it down.

Protego
shield charm
An intimidating book you keep putting off: I have a huge copy of the Chronicles of Narnia (C.S Lewis) sitting on my bookshelves and I just can't bring myself to read it. It's got so many pages and all of the print is tiny. Every time I try to pick it up, I end up getting distracted. I feel like I need to read it because I received it as a gift, and I also feel like I'd be missing out if I didn't read it, but I just haven't been able to do it yet.

 

Riddikulus
used against a boggart
A book with a deceiving synopsis: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Jordyn read this one a while ago and didn't get what she was expecting at all. She still really loved it though. And I saw some of the pictures in it, which were pretty wicked. But what she described to me and what the synopsis says seem like two very different things.
 

Lacarnum Inflamarae
shoots fireballs
A book you wish to burn out of your mind completely: Torment by Lauren Kate. Gah! I really loved the first book in this series (Fallen), but I felt so letdown by Torment. It was so different from the first book. The characters had changed, and it felt like the book was going in a whole different direction. I wish it would have been more like what I was expecting after the ending of Fallen. As it is, I'd rather just forget about it.

 

Wingardium Leviosa
levitates objects
A book you wish to reread: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart was a seriously wonderful book. It's been such a long time since I've read it though. I wouldn't mind rereading it a few times. It was such a fun and interesting read! I couldn't put it down! But it's hard for me to remember some of the finer points to the plot, so I'll have to read it again. Not that I'll mind one little bit.
 

Avada Kedavra
causes instant death
Worst book EVER: To me, Silas Marner by George Eliot, was the. Worst. Book. Ever. I read it quite a long time ago in an English class, but I remember hating it with a fiery passion. I've never felt that way about another book. And I tried so hard to like it because my Enlgish teacher was so excited about it. But I just couldn't do it. It wasn't my kind of book, and while I've branched out of my normal genres before, this one didn't do it for me at all. I couldn't have possibly disliked it more than I did.

 

 

Spells Cast On You

Stupefy
puts victim in unconscious state
A book with a chapter you couldn’t seem to get over: The last few chapters of With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent were really hard for me to deal with for multiple reasons. The first reason was that the series was ending. The second was that they were heart-wrenchingly painful, but so wonderful at the same damn time. I couldn't stop reading them, but I was crying and upset and happy all at the same time and it was crazy insane how intense those last few chapters were.


Confundo
causes befuddlement or forgetfulness
A book that generally confused you: Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz. It's been a while since I've read it, but I remember feeling confused during parts of it. Not because the writing was confusing or the plot wasn't understandable though. I just felt like the book's direction had changed a lot since the first book. It barely felt like the same series to me.


Crucio
inflicts unbearable pain
A book that was a pain to read: Beautiful Creatures was a really painful read for me. I didn't get into it the way I usually do with books, but someone kept telling me that it got better towards the end. But for me, it really didn't, so it was kind of painful making it all the way through.




Episkey
heals relatively minor injuries
A feel good book that you enjoyed: Heist Society by Ally Carter was a really fun read. It wasn't too difficult or weighted down with details and emotions. It was just a quick, fun little read that I enjoyed immensely. I haven't read the second one yet, but it's on my to-read list, which mean I'll get to it eventually. Whenever I find time to enjoy it. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later, but my to-read list is nearly never-ending.


Expelliarmus
temporarily disarms an opponent
A book with a swoon-worthy character: Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson contained one seriously swoon-worthy character, and that was Tuck. I couldn't get enough of him. I felt bad for Ellie, seeing as how she was majorly attracted to Tuck, who was her older brother's best friend. And of course that wasn't the only complication she had to deal with. But at least Tuck made it better. So much better, especially when they finally got together.


Impedimenta
impedes target’s progress
A book that kept you up all night reading: Alice in Zombieland was the last book that kept me up way too late reading. It was kind of creepy because every time I finished reading about a zombie attack, I could look out my window in the the dark night outside. I kept expecting something to pop up in my window. But I really loved the book. Seriously. If you haven't read it, commence doing so right now at this exact moment.

Silencio
immediate silencing
A book that left you speechless after you read it: Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John was a really epic novel. I loved the main character with a fiery passion. She was an incredible lead and I loved watching her grow throughout the story. I loved how much she really got into music even though she couldn't really hear it most of the time, as she was deaf. But watching her dealing with the band and learning to handle the issues they were having was really wonderful.

 

 

Legilimens
allows you to delve into someone’s mind
A book with well-developed characters: Dead Silence (Kimberly Derting) had really well-developed characters. And I really enjoyed watching as the characters grew more throughout the last book. The main character Violet learned how to stand up for herself even more than she already did and she decided to make her final decision without basing it on fear or other people's wants. I really wish the series hadn't ended.


Levicorpus
a spell that turns you upside down
A book that changed your mind about a character from its prequel: Chosen, the third installment in the House of Night series, really changed my opinions of some characters, if only momentarily. For a little while, I couldn't understand the main character Zoey and the choices she'd made. I couldn't accept them and wasn't happy with them. I also completely lost hope in a few male characters and gained a lot in one female character, but I won't say who in case people are intending to read these but haven't. I was a pretty big part of the plot.


Obliviate
used to hide memories
A book with a story you can’t remember: Kiss Crush Collide was a book that I borrowed from a friend and read quite a long time ago. I was going through my Goodreads before doing this post and I saw it in my "read" file, but I didn't remember reading it. It hasn't been that long since I've read it, as I remember reading it now, but I don't really remember what happened in the story. I just remember likely the story well enough, but not being overly impressed.


Peskipiksi Pesternomi
useless spell
A boring book that had absolutely no effect on you: Wither (Lauren DeStefano) wasn't exactly boring to me, but it didn't hold my attention as well as it should have. I finished it, but I don't remember as many details as I usually remember about the books that I read. I also haven't gone to pick up the second one, like I normally would have by now. So I guess I could say that this book had absolutely no effect on me.


Reducto
breaks through solid objects
A book that convinced you to reconsider a certain genre: Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith were the first books that ever got me into the paranormal genre. Which is a pretty big deal, seeing as how that makes up for most of the books I read nowadays. So it basically introduced me to most of the books that I've read and loved within the last few years. Which I will be forever thankful for, because it led me to a seriously large amount of books.


Rictusempra
tickling spell
A book that made you laugh: Croak was one of the funniest books I've read in a couple years. It made me laugh out loud quite a few times, which doesn't happen very often. But it was one of the most humorous reads I've seen in a long time, although once again, I'm behind when it comes to the rest of the series. Something else I'll have to correct soon. I'm looking forward to the new laughs that I'll have with the next installments.


Sectusempra
offensive spell that violently wounds the target
A book that may have scarred you for life: Impulse, another Ellen Hopkins book, was very scarring to me, but it was a good kind of scarring. I wasn't very aware of the issues discussed in that book the first time I read it. But by the time I was done, I was far more aware of suicidal feelings and how much of a stress they can be on teenagers. I'm so glad I read this when I did and discovered Ellen Hopkins.


Tarantallegra
makes you dance uncontrollably
A series finale that made you feel giddy:  Rock Chick Revolution by Kristen Ashley, the final installment of the Rock Chick series, made me really giddy. I couldn't believe that the series was ending but it also said there were going to be more of them, just in a different series. I can't wait to see what Kristen comes out with next and I really hope it's as good as the rest of the books I've read, although I don't doubt her abilities one little bit, and am eagerly awaiting her next book.



Bombarda Maxima
causes an explosion that breaks through obstacles
A book that made you explode with the feels:  Every Day by David Levithan just killed me when the feels hit me. I could barely deal with it. I got to the ending and I just didn't know what to do. It almost hurt knowing how the main character felt about the girl and what he was willing to do for her. I almost wanted to protest how the ending went down, but at the same time, it really did feel like it that was how it was meant to end. I couldn't have accepted it any other way either.


Finite Incantatem
nullifies other spells
A book you thought you’d dislike, but ended up loving: I thought I'd dislike Memiors of a Geisha, but I ended up really loving the story. My friend kept telling my that I needed to read it and that I would love it just as much as she did. But I wasn't sure because I don't normally read historical fiction, especially not stuff that could almost be real. But I gave it a try, figuring that if she loved it that much it couldn't be all bad. And I'm very glad I did, because it's probably one of my favorite books ever now.

Have you made a Harry Potter survey?

If you have, let us know in the comments below and we'll check it out!



Waiting on Wednesday: The Art of Falling

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It let us spotlight books that haven't been released, but that we can't wait for. This week we've picked The Art of Falling by Kathryn Craft  which is scheduled to be released on January 28th, 2014.

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One wrong step could send her over the edge.

All Penny has ever wanted to do is dance—and when that chance is taken from her, it pushes her to the brink of despair, from which she might never return. When she wakes up after a traumatic fall, bruised and battered but miraculously alive, Penny must confront the memories that have haunted her for years, using her love of movement to pick up the pieces of her shattered life.

Kathryn Craft’s lyrical debut novel is a masterful portrayal of a young woman trying to come to terms with her body and the artistic world that has repeatedly rejected her. The Art of Falling expresses the beauty of movement, the stasis of despair, and the unlimited possibilities that come with a new beginning. 

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We can't wait to read this one for a ton of reason. The cover is gorgeous, first of all. And the story sounds intriguing. Also, our very own Michaela is a very dedicated dancer, so whenever books come along about dancer's going after their dreams and facing hardships comes along, our interests are always piqued.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?
Let us know in the comments below!

Review: The Night Circus

The Night Circus 
Erin Morgenstern 
387pages (Hardcover) 
Doubleday 
Goodreads - Amazon  - Barnes&Noble

Blurb: 
  
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart. 

Review: 

This book was fairly big a while back, but only recently did I realize that my library had a copy and I got it right away. And I'm so glad I did.

There are a few things that I really loved about this book. The first thing, the obvious thing, was the story. I didn't get exactly what I expected when I opened this book. I was expecting s story about two people who were performing with each other, trying to outdo the other with pretty displays of sparks and small illusions. I got so much more. The story was so deep. I didn't realize how many people would be involved, how the circus would actually work, or how much I would support both of the characters. It was heart-wrenching knowing that it couldn't end well, but still hoping it would anyway.

I also enjoyed Erin's writing insanely. Everything seemed so eloquent and the descriptions were beautiful. All I wanted through the whole book was to be able to really experience the circus, in real life. Every single tent, exhibit, or show that was described crept into my brain until I could almost feel it. They were all so real to me, and I could perfectly imagine every one. The descriptions were beautiful, the characters were perfectly written out, and every scene pulled me in.

I don't feel like I can gush a whole lot about this one without giving away details and ruining some of the surprises for readers, so I'll just let it be known that I think everyone should read this book, if only because of how gorgeous the writing was.

I'm giving this book a hangover level of 5 out of 5.

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Nerdy Knowledge #2

A Bookworm? 

We've all been called it: a bookworm. Many of us call ourselves bookworms too. I mean, one of our favorite blogs is called Bewitched Bookworms. But, do we actually know what a bookworm is? Does it mean we read a lot? Is it a bad thing? A good thing? We've wanted to now what exactly this term means, and now we're gonna share it.

Literal Definition: 

Bookworm: A person unusually devoted to reading and study. 

In Other Words: 

A bookworm is someone who spends a lot of time reading and/or studying. In our personal opinion, being called a bookworm isn't a bad thing. We feel that people should be proud that they read more than the average.  

     Shout it out to the world, let people know who you truly are. There's no reason to be ashamed. You never know how many friends you could make by admitting that you are a bookworm. Keep on reading, friends.

Waiting on Wednesday: Adrenaline Rush

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It let us spotlight books that haven't been released, but that we can't wait for. This week I've picked Adrenaline Rush by Cindy M. Hogan, which is scheduled to be released sometime late October (the 20th according to Amazon and the 26th according to Goodreads).

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A madman with a mission is kidnapping groups of thrill-seeking high school seniors across the country, and it’s up to Christy to stop him.

To do so, she must take on a fearless alter ego and infiltrate a group of adrenaline junkies bent on pushing life to the limit. Death-defying stunts are only the beginning: two groups fit the profile, and Christy must discover the real target before it’s too late.

If she chooses the wrong group, more people will disappear. But choosing right puts her as the prime target—with no guarantee that she’ll get out alive.

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I can't wait to read this one! I heard about it a while back and I really loved the cover. I've always enjoyed books about teens doing undercover and government-type jobs too. Those novels keep me entertained and interested. I also really like the idea of the adrenaline junkies, and I'm wondering how that will fit into the storyline.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Let us know in the comments below!

Waiting on Wednesday: Teardrop

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It let us spotlight books that haven't been released, but that we can't wait for. This week I've picked Teardrop by Lauren Kate, which is scheduled to be released on October 22nd, 2013.

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Never, ever cry. . . . Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.

But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined.

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I've read a few books by Lauren Kate, consisting of some of her Fallen series. (Although I'm not all caught up and still need to finish the series.) I really enjoyed the first few books that I read and I love the synopsis for this book. The story idea is so intriguing and it sounds really new and fresh. Also, it comes out the day after my birthday!

So what are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Let us know in the comments below!

Review: The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle 
Jeannette Walls
Paperback 288 pages
Scribner
Goodreads - Amazon  - Barnes&Noble

Blurb:  

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn’t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an “excitement addict.” Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town—and the family—Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents’ betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.


Review: 

Firstly, I probably would have never picked out this book on my own. I was assigned to read Jeannette's memoir for my English class.Secondly, I like this book more than I ever thought I would. It's not only interesting because it's a story, it's interesting because it's Jeannette's life. Her real actual childhood. 

The memoir starts with Jeannette telling readers about how she lives now, then it switches to her childhood, to her first memory. Jeannette's story involves many subject, like alcoholism and neglect. Did she really consider it neglect though? She never tells readers that she does, but that she loves her parents very much. The Walls family moves around a lot but Jeannette and her siblings don't seem to mind.  But settling in one place makes the kids a little uncomfortable. Childhood is never easy, and this book highlights that point.

When I was reading this I couldn't help but think of how I would have reacted if this was how I grew up. Would I have done that same thing as Jeannette or done something differently? Jeannette's story really gives light to what it's like to grow up in poverty and making the best out of everything. I did enjoy this book and I would recommend it to anyone that likes a good read and doesn't mind non-fiction stories. 

Overall, I give The Glass Castle a level 4 hangover. 

Want to purchase the book? Check out the links at the top!

Waiting on Wednesday: Sick

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It let us spotlight books that haven't been released, but that we can't wait for. This week I've picked Sick by Tom Leveen, which is scheduled to be released on October 1st, 2013.

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Breakfast Club meets The Walking Dead as a group of unlikely allies tries to survive a deadly outbreak.

Brian and his friends are not part of the cool crowd. They’re the misfits and the troublemakers—the ones who jump their high school’s fence to skip class regularly. So when a deadly virus breaks out, they’re the only ones with a chance of surviving.

The virus turns Brian’s classmates and teachers into bloodthirsty attackers who don’t die easily. The whole school goes on lockdown, but Brian and his best friend, Chad, are safe (and stuck) in the theater department—far from Brian’s sister, Kenzie, and his ex-girlfriend with a panic attack problem, Laura. Brian and Chad, along with some of the theater kids Brian had never given the time of day before, decide to find the girls and bring them to the safety of the theater. But it won’t be easy, and it will test everything they thought they knew about themselves and their classmates.

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I'm really excited to read this one for a few reasons. The cover really drew me in because I love black and red color schemes. However, the part that really got me interested was the first bit of the blurb. I love both Breakfast Club and The Walking Dead, so I hope this story holds true to what it says, because if it does, I'll probably love it.

What are you waiting on this week?

Let us know in the comments below, or leave a link to your own post.

Review: A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls
Patrick Ness
215 pages (Hardcover)
Walker Books


Blurb:

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.
But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...
This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.

Review:

I wasn't sure what to expect out of this book that had won both the Kate Greenway Medal and the Carnegie Medal, along with many others, but people had been talking about it and a few had recommended it to me, so when I came across a copy, I jumped at the chance to read it. As soon as I picked it up and briefly flipped through the pages, I loved the illustrations. They were dark and chillingly beautiful.

I didn't know how fitting they were until I started reading the story. This was the first book written by Patrick Ness that I've read and I've found that I absolutely love his writing. It was beautiful, and told the story perfectly. I loved the way that Conor's voice was written out and I enjoyed his thought process throughout the story.

I connected with the main character instantly. Conor was going through one of the worst situations I could imagine in life, although I'm sure it's a fairly real one for some people, and I felt so much towards him. He was doing his best to be hopeful about the whole thing and unwilling to even consider the idea of his mother not getting better, which was so realistic to me. I even cried towards the end of the book, which is really rare for me, but I was so upset by it.

However, my favorite character was the monster. I really enjoyed the stories he told Conor and how they paralleled with the people in Conor's real life. The monster was also so lyrical and I loved some of his thoughts. Plus, my whole perspective changed towards it at the end, although I could never truly hate it.

Anyways, I think everyone should go find a copy of this book and read it. But I'll leave a little quote below for those of you who can't do it immediately.

"Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose who knows what havoc they might wreak?" - A Monster Calls, page 51.

I give this book a hangover level of  5 out of 5.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Naturals

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It let us spotlight books that haven't been released, but that we can't wait for. This week I've picked The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, which is scheduled to be released on November 5th, 2013.

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Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.

Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

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I'm really excited for this book to come out. I've read a few books my her that I've really liked and I love the premise of the story. I've always liked stories about kids with special abilities that are working with the government. They always have a cool feel about them. I also like the cover, and I'm wondering if the black box has anything to do with the story.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Tell us in the comments below, or leave a link to your own post!

Super Six Sunday: Book to Movie Adaptations

Super Six Sunday is an meme hosted by Bewitched Bookworms (one of our favorite blogs) and inspired by "Top Ten Tuesday" from The Broke and Bookish. Today's exciting topic is Book to Movie Adaptations. So below is a list of my favorite books that were adapted into movies.

Super Six Book to Movie Adaptations

 

1.  Percy Jackson

 

Percy Jackson is a series of books I grew up with and really love. Initially, I was a little nervous about them being made into movies (as I always am), but I needn't have worried. The two movies that have been made are wonderful, in my opinion. I love the way the story was portrayed and adore all of the special effects. It's always hard to live up to the imagination of the readers with mythical stories like this, but it turned out great.

2. Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of books that I have a lot of respect for. I actually saw the first two movies before I read the books, but then I did read them and I started reading a lot after that. One of my favorite movies out of all of them, although they did keep improving (I think), was the Order of the Phoenix. It was the last book with one of my favorite characters and we got introduced to the most evil villain ever (and I don't mean Voldemort). The movie was a great visual of the book.

3. The Hunger Games

This book was amazing and so was the movie. They displayed parts of the book that I wasn't sure they'd be able to show. It was a really cool adventure and the world of the book was brought to life in the movie. From the poverty of District 12, to the wealth and elaborateness of the Capital, everything was wonderful.

4.  Breaking Dawn

While the Twilight series on the whole wasn't my favorite series out there, I loved the last two movies especially. The second part of Breaking Dawn had the most surprising twist towards the end of the movie. I didn't know what was happening and when I figured it out, I nearly shouted in sheer glee at the genius of the screenwriters. It was that epic.

5. The City of Bones

I loved this book. It is, at the moment, one of my top five favorites. (I don't have an absolute favorite because I can't seem to narrow it done.) Unfortunately, I haven't seen the movie yet. This drives me insane because a few friends of mine got to see it, but I haven't had the time to go to the theater yet. It's the movie I'm most looking forward to seeing right now, and I can't wait to see if it was done well.

6. I Am Number Four

This wasn't my all-time favorite book as some of it confused me a little bit, but I did thoroughly enjoy the movie. It was so action packed and had a little bit of romance thrown in. The special effects were awesome, as they are in all of my favorite movies. And I love Alex Pettyfer. He was perfect for the role and I couldn't have picked a better actor.

Well, those are my Super Six Book to Movie Adaptations.

What are some of your favorite book to movie adaptations?

Tell us in the comments below, or leave a link to your own post!