Teaser Tuesday

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, a weekly feature hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, in which you open the book you're currently reading to a random page and share 2 sentences without spoilers, along with the author and title of the book. 

Today's Teaser Tuesday is from 

"I'm so ready for this night to be over.  Not that it matters. Some parts of it have been stitched into my soul."

-pg. 177 

Control 

Lydia Kang

Hope you keep reading 
Grace

Stacking the Shelves Sunday

Welcome to Stacking the Shelves, a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which you show which books you have gotten this week in either physical or electronic format.  And if you didn't get any books, then you can either not post or post gloating about how you have about ten times as much control as me.

This week (and time I have been offline) I have gotten:

The Bane Chronicles 

By Cassandra Clare

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer 

By Michelle Hodkin

Talon 

By Julie Kagawa

(SO GORGEOUS) 

The Hobbit 

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

By J.R.R. Tolkien

(Mass Market Paperback)

The Eternal Ones

By Kirsten Milller

Twilight 

By Stephenie Meyer

Crescendo 

By Becca Fitzpatrick

Cinder 

By Marissa Meyer

Crash into You

By Katie McGarry

The Rithmatist

By Brandon Sanderson

Hope you keep reading!

Grace

The Book Life Tag

I think we all fantasise to live in a different world, from time to time. To have a different family, different friends. To have another job or to go to a different school. Well here is our chance to choose our very own book life !! 


We got nominated by Gloria The Violinist! Thank you I got right on this. Click the link to check out her wonderfully amazing blog!


Who would be your Father?

Hand Hubermann from The Book Thief!

Hans Hubermann in general seems like a very caring and loving person. I would love to have his basement full of words and listen to his acordian.

Who would be your Mother?

Natalie Prior from Divergent

I really like Tris's mom from the beginning. As the story went on I found myself loving her even more. She was brave, smart, and caring. It seems that she really cared for her daughter too.

Who would be your sister?

Cath from Fangirl.

Me and Cath had a lot in common with each other. We both worry our butts off about family and are extreme fangirls. I would think I would ship Baz and Simon too. 

Who would be your brother?

St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss.

It is very hard not to love St. Clair. It's just impossible. I never saw him as a guy who I would date, but I did see him as a good friend. He would be so hilarious! So much better than my bratty real brother.

Who would be your pet?

Chairman Meow

I am a crazy cat lady. Chairman Meow seems like a pretty awesome cat to own being owned by Magnus. 

Where would you live?

Shadowhunter World

The Shadowhunter world was built beautifully by Cassandra Clare. It has ever possible living detail in it.  I would love to be a shadowhunter and live in an institute. 

Where would you go to school? 

Vampire Academy


Now I would learn all my subjects but magic and fighting as well. With some pretty awesome students and drop dead gorgeous instructors, who wouldn't want to go here.

What would be your fictional job?

Shadowhunter

I wish my choices for a career in the real world were this easy to pick.


Who would be your best friend?

Alec Lightwood 

I loved Alec from the beginning of the series all the way to the end. I would date him but he ended up being gay.  I really loved all his sass in COHF.

Who would be your significant other?

I would like Day from Legend to be my cousin. Day and the Legend crew hold a special place in my heart and I was sad to leave them out of this list. 

On the Fence by Kasie West

On the Fence
By Kasie West
Published: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
296 pages
5 stars

For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high. 

I loved this book.  So.  Much.  Kasie West writes the best friends romance so beautifully.  This book is impossible to put down, and many people, myself included, have had to stay up until the wee hours of the morning in order to finish it.  Luckily, it's only just under 300 pages, so it doesn't take too long, but it's only been two and a half months since I read it and I'm already dying for a reread.  

I loved the family dynamics in this book.  I've always adored the overprotective older brother character, like all of Rachel's brothers in Crash Into You, and this book comes complete with three older brothers, and one honorary older brother.  There were realistic punishments for breaking the rules, and the characters had reasonable restrictions, so no absentee parents here.

The romance is slow and sweet and awkward, and it bubbles up over the course of the book.  It's about the main character realizing that even though she loves her love interest as a member of her family, she also loves him in a romantic way, even though they never actually use the word 'love'.

Yet another thing that I loved was that the main character realized that she didn't have to change her personality to get a guy to like her.  She can like sports, and play sports, and get all rough and tough with the guys, and that's okay, and there are guys that will like her like that.  I think that's a really important lesson for girls, especially teenagers, that you don't have to change yourself for anyone.

Overall, the one of the best contemporaries I've read in ages.  I would recommend this to anyone that's craving something that they're going to get hooked on fast, and aren't going to be let go, even after the book is finished.  It's the perfect book to get out of a reading slump, and it's definitely on par with the likes of Stephanie Perkins.

Thanks for reading!  Have you read this book?  What did you think?  What's your favorite contemporary (or list if, like me, you can't choose just one)?

Amber

Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Fire with Fire
By Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Published: August 13, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
517 pages
Book 2 in the Burn for Burn trilogy
4 stars

When sweet revenge turns sour… Book two of a trilogy fromNew York Times bestselling author Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.

Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance.

Not even close.

For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.

And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn.

It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn...

These books are so easy to devour.  No, they're not the best books I've ever read, and no, the ideas aren't amazingly unique, and yes, the writing is kind of simplistic, but I can fly through them, they're addicting, and they're full of insane plot twists.  

All three girls have really distinct voices, which makes it very easy to distinguish one point of view from another.

Now, I don't want to say anything further, because I read these books for the plot twists, and even though I'm not a huge fan of the weird, unexplained supernatural aspects, they're still pretty great.  Just know that the ending is absolutely explosive, and you won't be able to stop yourself from gaping.  And if you thought Fire with Fire was intense, just wait til you read Ashes to Ashes.

Thanks for reading!  Have you read this series?  What do you think?

Amber

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After
By Stephanie Perkins
Published: August 14, 2014
Publisher: Dutton
352 Pages
5 stars

Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last? 

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart. 

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

I have to say that this is my favorite of the Stephanie Perkins book.  It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made my heart sing with joy at the same time as it broke it.  I loved Josh in Anna, and the one reference to Isla in Anna made me so excited when I was anticipating this books release for forever.  

*Beware of minor spoilers*

I know that a lot of people don't like this book, which doesn't make any sense to me because I thought it was fantabulous.  I think that I could relate to the problem causing their relationship issues the most.  The idea of not being good enough/not deserving the person that you love breaks my heart, and I think that it's something that everyone questions at one time or another, whether it's romantic or platonic love.  I know that I have.  Also, since both Anna and Lola had pretty high self esteems, I thought it was really interesting to see Perkins explore a character with a low self esteem, because that is something that so many teenager suffer with, and it isn't addressed nearly enough.  I also loved that Isla and Josh were together so early on in the book.  In all her other books, the characters took their sweet old time in getting together, sometimes even waiting until the very. last. page.  *cough, cough, Isla, cough, cough*

Overall, another wonderful Perkins book that didn't disappoint in the least.  I'd recommend this to absolutely anyone.

Thanks for reading!  Have you read this book?  Are you a Perkins fan?

Amber

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Uninvited 
By Sophie Jordan
Published: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
384 pages
4.5 stars

The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann. 

When I first heard about the concept of this book ages ago, I was so intrigued.  As a total science nerd, a killing gene fascinated me.  And then I saw the cover, and OMG HER HAIR IS DNA!

I really loved that Davy wasn't a super badass chick, because in reality, not everyone is like that, and it's nice to see privileged people get knocked off their pedestal.  Not to say that Davy is obnoxious or anything, because she's totally not, even if her (ex)friends are.  At the beginning, she judges people for having HTC, but then is shocked when someone judges her.  It's an inner journey, though, and she does grow a ton from the beginning to the end of the book.  

Absolutely, the most wonderful part of this book was the writing.  Sophie Jordan has this magical writing that sucks you in and doesn't let you go until the very last page.  I would say that her writing is only slightly below Jennifer L. Armentrout's on my scale, and we all know how much I love her.  And of course, this isn't really a surprise, because JLA and Sophie are close friends.  

The 'love interest' was wonderful.  Let me say that I use the term love interest very loosely in this situation, because their romance is barely developing at the end of this book.  However, he was the broody, closed-off personality type, but he wasn't a douche-bag, and he was really respectful of Davy, which I really appreciated.  As a side note, I find that all of Sophie Jordan's love interests are really respectful toward their significant other, which is rare, especially in NA, which are the only other books of hers that I have read.  They are like, the role model for how guys should be.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read.  There were definitely a few things that could be improved upon, but I am highly anticipating the sequel.  I would recommend it for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Richelle Mead, as well as anyone that enjoys dystopian/sci-fi.

So, have you read this book?  Do you think that there are too many dystopian books now?

Thanks for reading!
Amber

LIEBSTER AWARD

We got nominated by three very lovely ladies for the Liebster Award, which recognizes new up and coming blogs in the community.  

Rules

1.) Link & Thank the blogger who nominated you
2.) Answer the 11 questions your nominator gives you
3.) Tag 11 other bloggers who have 200 or less followers
4.) Ask the 11 bloggers you nominated 11 questions and let them know you nominated them!

Thanks to Anne from Anne Books, Brittany from Space Between the Spines, and Gloria from Gloria the Violinist, who run some of our favorite blogs.  Be sure to check them out.

Answers to Anne's Questions

1. Did you ever haven't finished a book? Why?

A: Yes, I absolutely have.  I am a strong believer in not forcing myself to read books that I don't want to.  That's just asking for a reading slump in my opinion!

G: Yeah, because it wasn't very interesting, and I had spilt water on it, so the ink on the last pages was smeared and I couldn't even read it.

2. If you must burn one book you own, which would it be and why?

A: I'm going to have to go with Dreamland by Sarah Dessen, because I hated that book, and I hated the messages that it sent, so frankly, I would have no qualms about burning it.

G: I guess I would burn Andrea Cremer's The Inventor's Secret, because the book was horrid, and the characters were really dry, so I think that they would burn well (pun intended).

3. What is your favorite series/trilogy of all time and why?

A: The Infernal Devices all the way on this one.  Best.  Series.  Ever.

G: I'm going to go for The Mortal Instruments on this one, because it's everything that I love in a book wrapped up into one series.

4. If you could kill one author and wouldn't go in jail for it, who would you kill and why?

A: Can I just kill like, a horrible person?

G: I don't even know, what is this question

5. In which language do you mostly read?

A&G: English

6. Have you got a list with books you wanna buy? If so, how many books do you have on it?

A&G: The list is never-ending.

7. Do you take note (while or after reading) or do you just write down your thoughts while writing a review?

A: Sometimes I'll mark passages that I like, but for the most part I just gather all my thoughts after reading it.

G: Not at all.

8. Which year (school or college) are you in?

A&G: We're keeping our age on the DL.

9. What was the most horrible book you had to read at school?

A: House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer.  Worst.  Book.  Ever.

G: Watson's Go To Burmingham.  It was about a car ride.  Seriously.

10. If you could just bring three books to your new apartement, which three would you bring and why?

A: Probably the whole TID series, but I don't know.  This is hard.

G: City of Heavenly Fire, Fangirl, and Champion

11. How many books do you have in total?

A: 432

G: 91 

Now for Gloria's questions:

1. If there was one book that you could turn into a movie, which one would it be ?

A&G: Legend.  No question about it.

2. If you could meet one character from a book, who would it be ?

A: Will.  Herondale.  Are you really surprised?

G: Alec Lightwood.  I want to talk to him about Malec.

3. If you had to go live on an abandoned island, and you could take one author with you that would write books for you, who would you take ?

A: I'm going with Stephanie Perkins, because she is the sweetest, most bubbly person I have ever met.  Plus, I could read a Stephanie Perkins book every day.

G: Cassandra Clare, because I love her writing, and since she writes all these violent books, she probably knows a few survival skills.  

4. If you could become one book character, who would it be ?

A: Tessa Gray, because...Will.  

G: June Iparis, because I can kick butt and come home to Day every night

5. What is your favourite fictional world ?

A&G: We're both gonna go with the Shadowhunter world on this one.  It's so beautifully created, and wonderful that it's great.  Plus Will and Jace.

6. Where do you like reading the most ?

A: My bed

G: My beanbag.

7. What language(s) do you read in ?

A&G: English.  That's all we're fluent in.

8. How many hours a week do you spend reading ?

A:7-35 on average.

G:It depends on what my schedule is like.  

9. Do your parents ever tell you that you read to much ?

A: Yes, and I don't go outside enough.

G:Yes, I don't see the problem.

10. ebook, paperback or hardback ?

A&G: Hardback.

 
11. What do you prefer to read on other blogs ? Reviews, challenges, tags,... ?

A&G: Reviews.

Last but not least Brittany!

1.) If you could date one character from a book, who would it be and why?

A: Will Herondale, because he is perfection and we are already married.

G: Day, because he is amazing, brave, pure, strong, ect.

2.) You're stranded on a desert island and you are only given three books for entertainment. What are they?

A: Probably the whole TID series, but I don't know.  This is hard.

G: City of Heavenly Fire, Fangirl, and Champion

3.) What is your favorite movie adaptation of a book?

A: TFIOS. THE FEELS!

G: Divergent, I cried so much because of Allegiant.

4.) What was your favorite children's book?

A: Secrets of my Hollywood Life Series.

G: Anything written by Dr. Seuss. I still love them now. 

5.) What is one genre that you don't usually read but have enjoyed in the past?

A&G:Historical fiction.

6.) What is your favorite classic book?

A: Animal Farm or Jane Erye. They are both amazing.

G: Outsiders.

7.) If you could have one book that releases within the next year early, which would it be?

A: The Retribution of Mara Dyer. It keeps being pushed.

G: I don't know. Talon by Julie Kagawa.  

8.) What was one book series that left you disappointed?

A: Requiem.

G: Inventor's Secret. 

9.) What's you're favorite "lesser known" author?

A: Cassie Mae

G: I have not read any lesser known authors because I read slow and Amber keeps recommending books by well known authors. 
 
10.) What's a book that you love, but no one else really knows about?

A: Third Degree by Julie Cross

G: I don't think I have any

11.) I'm going to do something a little different: instead of one more question, I'll ask those tagged to choose at least three of the blogs I've tagged earlier and follow and leave ONE comment on each. (My blog can be included, but you're not required to choose it.) Spread the blogging love! <3 span="">



Here are our questions.

1. If you were any antagonist in any of your favorite books, who you you be? 
2. If you were stranded on a desert island what character would you want to be with? 
3. What percentage of your bookshelf is hardcover, paperback, and ebook?
4. If you had to eat a character who would you eat?
5. If you had to dress up any male character like Alice in Wonderland, who would it be? (The Disney version)
6. How many book boyfriends do you have? Be honest we don't judge.   
7. If you could have any book character as your slave who would it be?
8. If you could have any significant item from any book what would it be?
9. What is your favorite book related pick up line?
10.Which author do you think is best at world building? J.R Tolkin and J.K. Rowling are not allowed. 
11. What is that one book quote you quote all the time?  

Thanks for reading and thanks to Gloria, Brittany, and Anne for nominating us!  Sorry it took so long to get around to doing it.

Amber and Grace