The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

This book is all over Tumblr (you can follow me if you want!). It's really everywhere. I've seen so many aesthetics and edits that I had to see what it was all about. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. 

The Raven Cycle is an urban fantasy series that follows a group of friends who are trying to find the sleeping Welsh king Owen Glendower. The Raven Boys are Gansey, Adam, Ronan and Noah. They live in a small town in Virginia and they are trying to follow the ley lines, the lines that connect magical places, in hopes of finding Glendower. Even though it started as Gansey's quest, each one of the boys has their own reason for wanting to find the sleeping king. They are kind of in a rut with their quest, but when they meet Blue, a girl who comes from an all psychics family, things take a turn.

I really loved this book. My love for these characters was instant. They are all so colorful and interesting, and the relationships they have with each other are so complex. The genius of this novel rests on such intricate character relationships.

Maggie Stiefvater's writing is superb. It reflects the theme of the book, it's magical and atmospheric. I really enjoyed her writing style, it was actually refreshing.

The plot is very slow. It develops slowly, and you can see that the resolution of an essentially simple plot won't come until the last book. It seems almost stretched out. But this is a very character driven story. It's not action packed, but the characters and their chemistry make up for it all. I personally didn't care for the plot. It wasn't uninteresting by any means, it's clever and unusual, but honestly I just wanted to read the interaction between these characters. They are so fleshed out, and you really care about them and their destinies. 

I am currently reading The Dream Thieves and it's even better! So I definitely recommend this series if you're looking for amazing characters and writing.

Rating:✯✯✯✯ 

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

I have read Gone Girl a while ago and I just adored that book. I thought it was really clever and shocking, with an amazing story and on top of all that - ingenious writing.

Naturally, I decided to pick another one of her novels, and I ended up choosing - Dark Places.

This is a story about Libby Day, whose family (mother and two sisters) was killed back when she was seven years old. Her own testimony put her brother, Ben, behind bars. After 24 years, Libby is sort of mindlessly wandering through life and just basically living off of the money she got from donations. After she starts running out, she starts meeting with this sort of weird "club", composed of people who are fascinated with murder mysteries. They sort of get her questioning everything that happened throughout that night.

I really, really enjoyed this book. Flynn's writing is so atmospheric and eerie, and you are transported into this story, instantly, from the first page, It's gripping and holds your attention throughout. You just want to keep reading, and you don't want to put the book down until you know what is going on. The story is told both from the present day perspective in which we see how Libby is dealing with everything, but also we see the events of the night of the murders. And that day, back in 1985, we see from the perspective of her older brother Ben and her mother Patty. This is a very clever way to tell this story. Because both (or all three) perspectives lead to the culmination and "the reveal". They all sort of intertwine together and it just works perfectly.

Gillian Flynn has a very strong sense of the human nature. She is able to write such flawed characters. I think that this book doesn't really have any really likeable characters. But Flynn is still able to make you feel interested in these characters and care for their destinies. And even if you don't you still want to know what happens.

The only down side to the book was that for me, personally, the "mystery solution" got kind of, sort of obvious about half way into the book. But that didn't ruin the book for me. I still think it was pretty brilliant.

Definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a thriller mystery and above anything, to anyone who enjoys really good writing.

Rating: ✯✯✯✯ 

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

This was a total impulse buy from me. I have seen this book go around ages before, but I didn't really look into it much, and there were a lot of mixed reviews, so I haven't given it much thought.

But recently, I saw it on Book Depository and there was this edition that was really cheap so I bought it. And a couple of days ago I picked it up.

And it was amazing. Truly great. I had no idea what this book was about. And if you decide to read it, I suggest you do the same and just dive into it head on, without any information about its plot. I feel that this book has a much stronger impact like that. 

However, this will be a spoilery review. So maybe don't read this anymore if you're planning on reading this. (And I strongly advise that you do!)

I found this book to be rather intelligent. I think it was meticulously thought out and executed. The big thing about this book, the major spoiler - this book is about a girl who was a part of a family that decide to bring up a chimpanzee. Now, back in the day when behaviourism was so big, there were a lot of experiments like this. Chimpanzees were brought into human families, and they were raised as human children, mostly for looking into how this would affect their language and communication. One such experiment was the one which was done with a chimpanzee called Nim. (There's a movie about it, that's really good and sincerely kind of ridiculous.)

Fowler starts from this, and builds on it. This is a story told from the perspective of Rosemary Cooke, whose parents were psychologists and who decided to take a chimp into there home and raise it as their own. Fowler doesn't tell us this until about 100 pages into the book. Which was really smart. Rosemary describes to us Fern, her absent sister, who was taken one day from their home under, to us unknown, circumstances. So the whole time you're thinking that Fern is in fact human. And what this manages to do is to make you see what Fern was to Rosemary and to her whole family. She really thought of her as a sister. 

The whole book is really beautifully written. It follows many different chronological story lines, it's all over the place. But the thing is... it works. Perfectly and seamlessly. 

Rosemary isn't necessarily a character you can relate to. I believe the whole experience wasn't good for her. As you might expect. But you feel for her. You really do. I think Fowler manages to make you feel appalled by the situation and at the same time really understanding of it.

I can understand the mixed reviews of this book. The topic is really controversial and not for everybody. But I personally think it was really masterfully done and unbelievably fascinating. I am studying psychology, so my fascination with this book might stem from it. But I personally believe that the psychological undertones of this book go way beyond its experiment and reveal deep truths about family and human nature.

This book is at its core - a story about a family. And a really great one at that.

I really do recommend this one, especially if psychology even remotely interests you. If you do end up reading it, please let me know how you feel about it!

Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Okay, I'm back!

So, I haven't posted in a long time, but I'm getting back into the swing of things. I have a lot more time on my hands, and I just really want to start posting reviews and stuff here again!

Top 5 Wednesday: Best Character Arcs/Development

Okay, so another Wednesday is upon us, so it's time for another Top 5 Wednesday!

As I've mentioned in the previous post, this series was created by Lainey (check out her Goodreads page). There is a group on Goodreads, which anyone can join and begin participating. Also, here is a list of all people who are a part of this series.

Alright, this week's topic is Best Character Arcs/Development, and I had trouble composing this list, I just couldn't think of 5 at the top of my head, but here it goes:

5. Leo from the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

I think Leo is an amazing character, funny and sarcastic and such a smart-ass and I love him. But also, I love how his character develops, how he comes to terms with his demons and becomes so confident and determined.

4. Percy from the Heroes of Olympus and Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

I think these books are generally great when it comes to character arcs, but Percy is the obvious one. He drastically changes from the first book, he becomes such a strong character, but also more realistic and observant and aware of the world he lives in and how it works. Especially after spending time in Tartarus. I guess it's game changing to spend time down there. Go figure.

3. Tris from the Divergent series by Veronica Roth

Tris grows so much as a character. She begins as this girl who is scared, and doesn't know who she is, and becomes this character who is confident, and doesn't even need to define herself, because she is who she is. No need for labels. And by the end of Allegiant, she is determined and brave and capable of making hard choices. 

2.Ari from Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

I think character arcs are more difficult in stand alone novels, since there isn't much space for it. Still, Ari is an amazing character. He starts out being this angry kid, mad at his mom, dad, brother and mostly himself. He doesn't know who he is or what he is doing. But by the end of the book, he kind of overcomes his demons and comes to terms with his true self.

1. Clary from the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

Clary is one of my favorite female characters. I usually tend to dislike female youngish characters in series, but I really like her. She grows so much, becomes strong and independent and comes to terms with her powers, stops being afraid of them and embraces them. I think her development through the books is massive and really well written.

Top 5 Wednesday: Friend Groups You Want To Be Part Of

Okay, so another Wednesday is upon us, so it's time for another Top 5 Wednesday!

As I've mentioned in the previous post, this series was created by Lainey (check out her Goodreads page). There is a group on Goodreads, which anyone can join and begin participating. Also, here is a list of all people who are a part of this series.

Alright, this week's topic is Friend Groups You Want to be Part Of, so here it goes:

5. Harry, Ron and Hermione from the Harry Potter Series

This one is really obvious, so I am putting it at the bottom, but honestly, who doesn't want to be a wizard and who doesn't want to hang out with these three? That's right, no one.

4.Charlie, Sam, Patrick etc. from the Perks of Being a Wallflower

Again, some of my favorite characters who I would adore being friends with.

3.Marauders from the Harry Potter series

Roaming the school grounds with these four would be epic. Also, the prequel about them NEEDS to happen.

2.Seven Demigods from the Heroes of Olympus series

Every one of them is awesome, and they are all great friends, but the motivation behind this one is obviously Leo. Because he is amazing.

1. Auden and her friends from Along For the Ride

I love Sarah Dessen's books, and I haven't seen many people talk about this one, but it's one of my absolute favorite books ever. There' s just something about small town dynamics that does it for me, and I fall for the characters and the story every time.

Top 5 Wednesday: Futuristic Books

Okay, so another Wednesday is upon us, so it's time for another Top 5 Wednesday!

As I've mentioned in the previous post, this series was created by Lainey (check out her Goodreads page). There is a group on Goodreads, which anyone can join and begin participating. Also, here is a list of all people who are a part of this series.

So this week's topic is Futuristic books, and let's get right into it, shall we?

5. 1984 by George Orwell

This is actually one of the first futuristic book I've read and I loved it. I felt eerie everytime I read this book and I just think it has really strong writing, which sucks you in and makes you think

4. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

This was one of my favorite books of 2014, so that goes to show that I loved it. After reading The Hunger Games and Divergent I had a lot of trouble finding a futuristic/dystopian book that I loved as much, and I've tried many well-loved books and just disliked them. Until I read this one, and fell in love with it. The story is fast paced, griping, exciting and unpredictable. And the characters were awesome.

3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Again, a book I read a long time ago and it was flipping amazing. It was funny and witty and insightful. I just loved the characters, the setting, the whole concept was just spot on.

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth

I am kind of chucking all three books together, and cheating a bit, but I want to point out the story, not necessarily a particular book. I loved how Divergent started out to be one thing and kind of progressed through out the series, and just threw away everything that was believed in at the start. I loved the characters, the story, the writing, but what really did it for me was the whole progression of the plot line.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

First dystopian YA book that I read and my favorite of the bunch. Great concept of a futuristic world, vividly depicted and so well written and imagined. The characters were amazing, the plot was great, and even though I really didn't like Mockingjay, it still was way better than some other dystopian books I read. So yeah, amazing.

Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Anti-Heroes

So, I saw this series on Youtube and I loved it so much that I really wanted to include it in my blog. As far as I know, anyone can join, so if anyone wants to they are free to join the Goodreads group.

This was created by Lainey I believe over at gingerreadslainey, so you can check her channel out if you wish. Also, here is a complete list of people participating in this series.

I hope that it's okay that I am doing a blog post even though most people seem to be doing a Youtube video.

Let's get on with the list:

5. Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling

I just love Draco. He isn't the main character obviously but I still feel like he is someone who struggles with what is the right thing to do, and is someone who portrays who an upbringing can sort of define and destroy you. He just screams anti-hero to me.

4. Dustfinger from the Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke

One of my favorite characters ever. He is just so morally gray, always struggling and he's just trying to do what's best for him and to somehow get by. Really adore him.

3.Meursault from The Stranger by Albert Camus

I love this book to pieces. I think Camus did an amazing job in representing a man faced with the absurd of life, and Mersault is the anti-hero we can all completely relate to.

2. Artemis Fowl from the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer

One of the funniest and most entertaining books ever. Artemis Fowl is a 12 year old evil genius and a criminal mastermind, and honestly what's not to love about that?

1. Amy Elliot Dunne from Gone Girl by Gilian Flynn

One of the greates female anti-heroes that ever was. I just love to hate her.

There you have it, favorite anti-heroes! I really like this kind of post so I am looking forward to future Top 5 posts.

***I have no idea why this didn't go up yesterday, but since I already wrote it, I am posting it a day later

Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

I actually love Zoe's videos and I have been watching them for quite some time. When she announced she was writing a book, I was intrigued by it. All of the other people with book deals on Youtube were writing non fiction books, and Zoe's was to be a novel, fiction that is. So I became quite excited to read it. So I got it as a present, and when I started it I really wanted to like. I truly did. But, unfortunately, that wasn't the case. 

The writing was a bit shaky, and unconsistent at times. It screamed "unexpirienced writing". At least for me. The dialogue was really awkward at times. 

But, all in all, the writing itself wasn't all that bad. 

The problem is the whole thing is so cliché. From the characters to the plot. It is so predictable. Annoyingly so. I just couldn't deal with it at times. The gay best friend who has an impecable sense of fashion? The snarky bitchy girl best friend? The mysterious boy with touseled hair and a guitar? My eyes almost popped out of my head from rolling. 

Of course, the grand problem is the instant love between Penny and Noah. They've known each other for 2 hours and already, Penny declared their pieces were slotting in together. He was her soulmate after just a day together. And she is fifteen. Fifteen! I get how a girl can get excited about a boy, but it was so blown out of proportions. And unrealistic. Some teenage girl will read that and she will think this is how it's supposed to happen. I was so put off by that. It was too much. 

The book had it's bright moments. I thought Noah's sister was cute, and I liked the whole "inciting incident" thing a lot. That would've been an awesome quote if they hadn't known each other for about 4 hours when they said it. 

In the end the book fell short for me. I am very sad to be giving it a 2/5 stars (Goodreads), but it is what it is. 

My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Winter Romances

When I first saw this book I was really intrigued to read it, because the stories were written by some amazing authors. And then I saw this edition of the book. It has pretty pink pages. That is basically why I had to have it. Still I really enjoyed reading it, and it's just so beautiful.

Alright, the ratings are as follows:

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell - 5/5

Amazing, as always. In my eyes, Rainbow Rowell can do no wrong. I loved how this was a short story, but Rainbow found a way to make the romance work through years, and make it believable, as she does in all her books. This is definitely my favorite story out of all. 

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link 1/5

I actually manged to finish this one! But it was ridiculous to me, completely. It kept getting worse. The characters had no depth whatsover. They were just there. Really didn't like it one bit.

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Peña 4.5/5

I have never heard of this author before but I really liked this one. I would love a full story with these characters and I will check out more of the author's work.

Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han 3/5

It was okayish, but it was flat, and I just kept thinking Elf. I was kind of disappointed, because I heard great things about Jenny Han's books, but this was just... okay. And again, Elf.

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown 5/5

Loved this one, it was sooo cute. I loved how the romance wasn't pushed even though it happened in a few hours span. It was believable. Which surprised me. Really great.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan 4/5

This one was really good, but it had a sort of melancholic/sad feel to it. And I was kind of bummed after reading for some reason. But nevertheless, I loved the writing.

Krampuslauf by Holly Black 2/5

It was fine at first, but the whole time I was dreading the twist, and when it happened I just hated it. It was so obvious to me, but I kept thinking maybe it won't happen. But unfortuantely it did. And it was bad.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman 5/5

This one was so good, I loved it. Haven't read anything by Gayle Forman yet, but this was great.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire 3.5/5 

Liked it a lot, but I kind of lost interest towards the end a bit, it seemed rushed, and flat. It was still good.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White 5/5

Another author I haven't heard of before, and another story I absolutely loved. It was quirky and fun and still sort of deep. Checking more out definitely.

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter 3/5 

It was nice, but the plot was stretched too far for me, especially the ending. It was so unrealistic and it put me off a bit.

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 1/5

I couldn't finish it. I was so over it by the third page. 

So all in all, it's a 3.5 rating, buuut I feel that because there were only 3 disappointing stories, and I enjoyed the rest, 4 stars seems more adequate.

Best Books of 2014!

I would say that this year has been a rather successful one when it comes to reading. Unfortunately, I opened a Goodreads account mid 2014, so I am not completely sure how many books I have read or which books I have read for that matter. I am just not that organized. Still, I do have a rough sense of the books and it will be more than enough for my Best Books of 2014.

(If I did a full review for the book, there will be a link to it, so you can check it out.)

14. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

A great classic, really enjoyed it, it became one of my favorite books ever.

13.  Landline by Rainbow Rowell
I was hesitant to read it but I ended up loving it. It was so emotional and breathtaking. Adore it.

12. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

I really like reading about mental illness. It's something that intrigues me and I am studying it, so it's always interesting to me. This was really good, loved the characters and the story.

11. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
A really fun and beautiful roadtrip story, with good music, which is always nice.

10. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Really late to the party, but I loved it, and finally a dystopian book that didn't disappoint.

9. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
This took me by surprise, because I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. But it was just amazing with superb writing.

8. Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Such a unique and special writing style, amazing point of view, amazing setting. Just really, really great.

7. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Again, such a unique writing style. Really beautiful and sort of poetic.

6. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
I have never cried so much. I couldn't sleep. The ending was just so perfect. I am actually still recovering even though I read it more than 6 months ago.

5. Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Yes it had some problems, but in my eyes Rick Riordan can do no wrong and I loved this book, especially Nico's point of view, it was amazing and I am so sad that it's over.

4. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
The best title that ever was. Read it in one sitting, it was beautiful and remarkable and important and I adore it forever.

3. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
I was so excited for this book, and it lived up to my expectations. It was brilliant. Cassandra Clare can do finales justice. I am in love with the Mortal Instruments series, and this was a proper ending to the amazing series.

2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This is such a page turner, a gripping story that just sucks you in. The characters are so diverse and morally gray, and the story is so twisted. It's basically amazing.

And finally...

1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
I couldn't resist putting this to the top. Because honestly, I have never connected more to a character than I connected with Cath. She spoke to me. I loved the love story. I loved the writing. I loved the characters. I love Rainbow Rowell, she is pure genius.

The Mortal Instruments Series VS The Infernal Devices Series

VS

I've been thinking about doing some different styled posts, rather than just writing reviews, so I came up with the idea of kind of comparing these two series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.

These books were written by Cassandra Clare and they are both set in the same universe, the world of the Shadowhunters. 

The Mortal Instruments has six books in total: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire.  

This is a urban fantasy young adult series and this is basically a series that everyone has read and/or heard about so I don't think that I have to go into the plot. It is based around Shadowhunters, who are basically half human-half angel warriors who protect the world from demons. I love this series. I think the world is really amazing and intriguing and I love the way it was built. Every book adds on to the main premise of it, and you are always discovering new things, but they are nicely interwoven into the already existing story. I adore the characters in this book, everyone of them. I usually don't get along with main characters that are youngish girls, they tend to annoy me at one point or the other, but I really like Clary. She is a strong character. Maybe not so much at first, but she has great character development and really develops more and more with each book, and kind of ends up being really great. I love every single character in this book. I really do. Jace, Izzy, Alec... I feel like her characters are complex in a way and I just enjoy them so much. They change so much through the series and grow with it, which is great. And Magnus Bane is one of the greatest characters ever, obviously. I love the plot here. It has twists, and it's gripping and these books were definite page turners for me. I read them so quickly and I couldn't get enough. Especially City of Glass and City of Heavenly Fire, which were my favorite. This turned into one of my favorite series ever and I can't wait for the next installments. 

With that being said, I picked up the prequel series, which is set in the Victorian era and deal with the lives of the ancestors of the characters from The Mortal Instruments series. 

The Infernal Devices series consists of three books: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess. I was hesitant to pick this up, because I am not a big fan of books taking place in that era, but still everyone was saying how they actually prefer The Infernal Devices so I had to see for myself. Now, when I read the first two books, I was not impressed at all. It wasn't bad by any means, it could never be, but to me it could never have been compared to The Mortal Instruments. The thing is I don't like Tessa very much. I don't hate her, but I am not the biggest fan. But I love all the other characters so so much. I may even dare to say that I prefer them to the MI characters. Maybe. I don't know. But, I do love them. Will and Jem are amazing and have an amazing relationship which is so beautiful that it's painful. I adore them honestly, both in their own way. But for me, the plot in these books was underwhelming for me. I don't think it's very thought through, and I don't know, it seemed stretched somehow, and I just didn't find it exciting. I was not really into it that much. But, after reading Clockwork Princess and bawling my eyes out for three hours and not sleeping throughout the night, I was inclined to say that I loved the books. I think the ending of Clockwork Princess was one of the saddest and most beautifully written endings that I have ever read. Honestly, that was the best part of the whole series. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I just loved it a lot.

With all that being said, I would give The Mortal Instruments series kind of an edge, because I just didn't enjoy the plot in The Infernal Devices. But I do love the characters in both series and the world and the writing really sits well with me. 

More Than This by Patrick Ness

This is my first encounter with one of Patrick Ness' books and I really enjoyed it, hence I will be picking up The Knife of Never Letting Go next. 

This book is about a boy, who actually drowns and dies. But, he wakes up in a house in which he lived in as a child in England (which is strange, because he lived in America now), kind of battered and bruised, but somehow alive. 

That is basically all you need to know about it, and all I knew going into it. And I think that is the best way to read this book, and just let it unfold on itself, which will be surprising and unexpected. 

I really liked this book. It was more than it seemed to be at first. To me, it felt almost layered. As the book went one, it got deeper and deeper, uncovering more and more of its so-called layers. This seems as though it's one thing, but then kind of changes and reveals something unexpected. Throughout the story, you never know what is real and what is actually going on. You are left guessing and kind of choosing for yourself, because there are different options, so to speak.  I really liked that, I generally enjoy that kind of setting. This book was very thought provoking and when I finished it, I ended up thinking about it for days. It kind of lingered with me. 

With all that being said, it took me ages to finish this book. I can't even remember when I started it. I just took me a lot of time to get into it, and when I finally did I found it a bit slow. For me, this meant that at times, I felt completely detached from it. So that kind of ruined the experience for me and I even thought of putting down. I ended up sticking through it, because I did in fact like it, but it just took a lot of effort to finish it. 

Anyways, this was all in all, a really good book, and I gave it 4/5 stars on Goodreads. Definitely recommend this one if you like slow, thought-provoking books.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

As I've mentioned in a previous post, after reading Eleanor and Park, I wanted to read every single thing Rainbow Rowell had ever written. But then I saw that her other YA novel was called Fangirl, and I just really, really hate that word. (I did a blog post on Fangirl, you can check it out, so I won't ramble on about that whole thing again. But spoiler alert: I LOVED the book.) Anyways, as I've also mentioned, when I heard about Landline, I thought I probably couldn't relate to the characters, given the fact they are in a struggling marriage, and I am... well, nineteen. I am here to point out that I was utterly wrong. 

Landline was brilliant. Truly. I don't know why I ever doubted I would like this book since it was in fact written by Rainbow Rowell. No other writer has that effect on me. But she writes so inexplicably magical, that I am left speechless. I have to put down her books mid-sentence, just because I can't deal with all the feelings. Her characters are so undeniably realistic. They are real people. They are written in a way that no matter what, you can relate because they feel so genuine. I always feel this after reading a Rainbow Rowell book. I am a puddle on the floor, just trying to get over the fact that the book is over and just trying to sort out how is it possible to even feel so much for a book. This doesn't happen to me with books. I am not that person. But somehow, Rainbow Rowell takes all that is magical in this world, and puts it into words. And you just melt. 

I loved this story. I loved every single character in the book. Georgie and Neal's relationship was just brilliant. I loved them as a couple. I loved their kids. I loved how everything was right and wrong at the same time, all the time. I loved the fact that there was this almost SciFi aspect to the story, but it didn't felt misplaced. It was perfectly interwoven into this story, so seamlessly and almost casually.

Obviously, this book got a 5/5 stars on Goodreads (You can add me if you want to, that would be great). And if you are reluctant to read this, as I was at one time, just don't be. It's as every bit as magical as her other books.

***Also the Cath and Levi update thingy?!?! I was over the moon with it. It wasn't a big deal, but somehow it was. Cath and Levi are my favorite characters ever so I really enjoyed that bit. 

Franny and Zooey by J.D.Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye is one of my favorite books of all time. (I did a review for it!) I love it so much. I think that everyone who read it and loved it, felt inclined to read Franny and Zooey too. I didn't have high expectations for it. I didn't expect to like it as much as the Catcher in the Rye. Still, this book left me feeling really weird and unable to decide whether I like it or not. 

I cannot even give a synopsis because there is no plot here. It's a story about finding yourself and coming to terms with how the world is and who it works. And maybe also dealing with the ghosts of your siblings, dead or alive. Yeah, it seems weird. But that's how I see it. 

Zooey is very similar to Holden. That kind of personality echoes through all the male characters in the book, more or less. So, that indicates that this was in fact written by Salinger. But the writing itself, didn't seem like it was him. Or to put it better, the style of the writing had no similarities to the Catcher at all. I don't think I could've guessed that it was Salinger based on the writing alone. I didn't expect that. 

I really liked the book at the beginning. It starts out with Franny and kind of describes the challenges and troubles she's facing. And it seemed to me that I was really going to love this book. But than that whole "plot" line cuts. The whole perspective shifts in time and moves to her family house and her brother, Zooey. And this wasn't done seamlessly. It was very weird and awkward. That's the only way to describe it. 

Also, there were a lot of religious motives in the book. It kept revolving around them and I just didn't particularly enjoy it. It wasn't something I liked and I wanted to read. 

I liked this book at times a lot. Zooey's conversations with his moms and Franny were really nicely written and at those points I really loved the book and the writing and the characters. But then, it would shift again to those religious things and I was a bit put off. It seemed odd in a way.

I ended up giving this book 3/5 stars on Goodreads just because I felt really bizarre after I finished it. I don't think I would necessarily recommend this book, but I think that a lot of people would probably enjoy it. In fact, there are a lot of great reviews for it. Somehow, it just wasn't my cup of tea. 

Legend by Marie Lu

I really enjoy dystopian books, and this one was everywhere. So it was only natural for me to pick it up. I can't say I loved it. It was fun, but there were some things that I really disliked, so they affected the way I feel about this book.

Legend is a story about two very different people, with different lives and backgrounds. One of them is a boy called Day, who is an outlaw basically. There is a test that everyone must take at a certain age, and it predetermines what they are gonna do, and whether or not they would be allowed to continue to live their lives as planned. And Day failed that test. So he ran away and started doing things against the Republic, which is the "evil government" in this book. And he became the most wanted criminal.

On the other side, we have June, who is the only person in the Republic who got a maximum on that test. So she got to go to the best college in the Republic and to prepare to be a military agent of the Republic.

But their paths cross when June's brother is killed, and Day is the number one suspect. So she has to go undercover to catch him.

This was a fun book. Just a fairly entertaining read. It was nicely paced and flowed really smoothly. But I had a couple of problems with it which led to me liking the book a lot less. First of all, the story is told from both Day's and June's perspectives. And they alter. But, they seem like the exact same person. Their narrative voices are very similar. They are both perceptive, cocky and determined. At one point one of them even says they are like one person. Which I hated. It was so unnecessary and made their whole relationship really corny and stereotypical to me. That was the second problem. I didn't care for their relationship at all. It had no feelings in it. It was flat and underwhelming. And really predictable. 

Still, this was a fun and intriguing read. I was entertained by the whole dystopian aspect of the book and I am looking forward to see how it develops and what does it all mean. This was very similar to other dystopian books, which was fine, but I am still waiting to like a dystopian book as much as I liked the Hunger games or even Divergent. And this wasn't the one. Sure, it was fun enough, but for me it wasn't anything special and I wasn't blown away with it.
So I gave this book 3/5 stars on Goodreads. If you're into dystopia, you will probably enjoy it, so you can give it a go.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

These kinds of books aren't really something I usually read. I think I only read one more book that's in the historical fiction genre. So I decided to branch out, and I came across this book. It had such high praises and I was really excited to read it. It really does live up to the expectations.

Now, this book tells the story of two characters. One of them is a blind girl, Marie-Laure, who lives in Paris with her father. He is a locksmith in the Museum of Natural History, so Marie-Laure spends her days exploring the different parts of the Museum. 

The second one is a boy called Werner, who is an orphan, and he lives in a small town Zollverein, in Germany. He and his sister are fascinated by radios. Werner gets really good with them actually, and can repair and build them. The story follows these two different people, and their different destinies during the Second World War. And what the writer does, he slowly intertwines and connects these two people, in many different ways. 

I loved this book. It was amazing. It was even more than I expected. The writing is really beautiful. It's one of those books, where you really got to read every sentence and let it sink in. It's all there for a reason and you really have to get into the right mindset to read.

The only problem I had with it sometimes is that it's really, really slow paced. That's not something that I am used to in books, so at times that really put me off. I needed a lot more time to read this than I usually do, so that was something that annoyed me a bit. But not too much.

I really liked that the chapters were short. They are mostly three or four pages long. And for some reason, I really enjoy that. And they alternate between Marie-Laure's and Werner's point of view. So you're always switching between them and you see them at the same point in time. Which is great. Also the story jumps between the different years of the war, so you kind of see where they are at the end, but then you also see how they got there. And that's done exquisitely. It connects so perfectly and the whole premise of it really works.

I loved all the characters in this book. They were really nicely built in a way. Throughout the book, they change and they grow and it was really great. There is a variety of characters and they are all sharp and really interesting.

In conclusion, I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads. I would totally recommend it to anyone. Even if you are not into the genre, just bare with it and by the end you will, hopefully, love it like I did. 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Well, that was a hell of a ride. From start to finish. I didn't expect this book to be so good. I picked it up because it was getting a lot of buzz. The movie came out and I really wanted to see it, so I wanted to read the book before seeing it. I really actually enjoy these kinds of books, the psychological thrillers/mysteries. I just rarely pick them up for some reason. 

So the plot of this book revolves around a married couple, Nick and Amy Dunne. On the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy disappears. Under suspicious circumstances. That's about as far as I can go with the plot because I don't want to give anything away. The thing I feel I can point out is that we get both of their perspectives, of their marriage and their life together. Which was pretty messed up. Their marriage was awful. And they aren't perfect. I think flawed is also an understatement. But, yeah, they aren't really likable characters, which was actually great. It's a psychological novel so the whole time you're reading, you are in their heads. And it was amazing writing. I was so involved with the story and the characters. I was on the edge the whole time. At some points, I was actually left sitting there, with my mouth wide open, not believing what I was reading. I had to reread some parts just to really let them sink in. I am so excited to read the other books from the author, because I loved the style of the writing. And I love how the story was conceptualized. It was really just great. You're not going to feel good after you finish this book. But you're still going to love it. 

So, I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads and I would recommend it to everyone. As a matter of fact, I already started to.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

This book was really, really good. So glad I ended picking it up and I was so excited when I started reading it. It didn't disappoint!
So the jist of the book: Amy's dad had recently died and she has been having quite a rough time. To top it all off, her mother decides that it's time for them to move across the country. Amy is supposed to drive their car from California to Connecticut. But since her father's accident, Amy doesn't really drive anymore. So her mother arranges for Roger, an old childhood friend of Amy's, to drive her there and she plans out the whole trip to them. But it turns out that that trip is kind of boring, so Amy and Roger decide to take the more "scenic" route and end up taking quite a detour.
I really thought this book was great. It felt authentic and real. Amy's voice and narration were quite consistent throughout the book. Her and Roger's relationship seemed quite genuine. At first they were quite awkward around each other, and they didn't know what to talk about, but as the trip went on. they got used to each other and were kind of able to read each other's body language, even though they didn't necessarily talk too much. It was gradual, and so it felt real and honest.
They were both quite likable characters and I thought the whole character building, like learning about them, was really nicely written.
Now, what sets this book apart, for me at least, is that there are pictures and receipts and doodles all over this book. Amy's mother gets her a sort of travel scrapbook, so we have excerpts from in the book. This added so much to the story. I've always loved roadtrips, even just the idea of them excites me. So seeing pictures from their stops, or receipts from diners really made me get into the story and be there. There were also playlists that they made for the trip, and each one was named differently, according to what they were experiencing at that moment. And the music was actually good and when you listen to it, you kind of get the mood of each one which then correlates to the specific part of the book. And to me that was amazing and it was what ultimately made me love this book.
I also felt like Amy and Roger's relationship wasn't blown out of proportions. It started out awkwardly and slowly they got used to each other and became friends. And even though they liked each other, like romantically, it wasn't made to be this huge epic love story. It felt possible and real, not like they were instant lovers. I really liked the way it ended. They kind of said "Okay, yes, we like each other, we like how things are, but we don't necessarily know where we're headed".  And that was great because that's how it is in life. You meet someone and you like them and you see where it's going in time. And also, we got a receipt from a diner which is dated to after the ending, so we know that they end up together. So I really appreciated not having that huge, epic love story after just five days they spent together.
All in all, this is the perfect feel good book. It's a sparkly, fluffy, warm and fuzzy read. But it's not just that. It made me really want to go on a roadtrip. I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads  and if you're looking for a quick read that's gonna make you feel good, this book is perfect for it.

*There's a playlist I found on 8tracks which has some of the songs from the book, and it's really good so I thought I'd put it in:
http://8tracks.com/padfootandprongs/amy-roger-s-epic-detour-1

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door is the second book in the companion series Anna and the French Kiss. Lola is a somewhat quirky 17 year old, who doesn't wear the same outfit twice and loves to dress up in costumes. She has a boyfriend, Max, who is 5 years older than her, and plays in a band. And even though Lola thinks she is very much in love with him, things start to change when the boy she used to like moves back to the house next door.

I think my feelings for Anna and the French Kiss pretty also apply here. This is the same story basically, only reversed. Now, the girl has a boyfriend and she can't gather the courage to breakup with him, even though it's pretty obvious that she like Cricket, her neighbor. So once again, the story is quite generic and predictable, and again, Lola and Cricket dance around each other, have a lot of awkward moments, but somehow Lola doubts her feelings. I feel that the whole premise of the first book is the same. 

Lola can be pretty annoying sometimes. She can be childish and overly-dramatic, but I prefer her to Anna, because Anna really pushes my buttons for some reason. Also, Lola's whole quirkiness was a bit too much at times, it seemed pushed and came off as trying-too-hard.

Then Cricket. Oh boy, Cricket. I loooved Cricket. He really made me like this book so much more than I would if he wasn't in it. He is this cute, tall, geeky, smart and sometimes a little bit awkward boy. So yes, I did like him, even though he didn't really seem quite real, honestly.

Also, I felt the whole thing with Max was so obvious, as in how it will end. I mean, it's constantly stressed that he is this older, tattooed, jealous person, who hates Lola's friends and who always gets mad at her. And it's quite predictable how that relationship will end. 

Again, this book is quite stereotypical, like the first one, but again, it's CUTE. It's as every bit cute and fluffy as Anna, or even more (CRICKET). So once again, I have fallen under the spell of teenage drama and so called true love. But it's okay because I enjoyed it. And it made me feel nice and fuzzy when I read it. This book won't change the world, I know, but that's fine because it's...guess what? Frickin' cute.