Reading Wishlist: May 2015

 May 5

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: YA Fantasy

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Genre: YA Fantasy

The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass

Genre: YA Fantasy

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Genre: YA Contemporary

The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in the Trees to Understanding the Cosmos by Leonard Mlodinow

Genre: Non Fiction

A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson

Genre: Literary Fiction

May 12

The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh

Genre: YA Fantasy

The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks by Sam Maggs

Genre: Non Fiction

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

Genre: Mystery

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Genre: YA Fantasy/Graphic Novel

May 19

Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Genre: YA Fantasy

Lion Heart (Scarlet #3) by A.C. Gaughen

Genre: YA Fantasy

Hold Me Like a Breath (Once Upon a Crime Family #1) by Tiffany Schmidt

Genre: YA Mystery

Dangerous Deception (Dangerous Creatures #2) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Genre: YA Fantasy

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Genre: YA Fantasy

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia 

Genre: YA Contemporary

May 26

P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2) by Jenny Han

Genre: YA Contemporary

The Notorious Pagan Jones by Nina Berry


Genre: YA Historical

Review: Half Wild (Half Bad #2) by Sally Green

  

Synopsis: Kept in a cage for two years by the Council of White Witches, Nathan was trained to kill his father, the most violent and feared of Black Witches. Now Nathan has escaped, and he dreams of a quiet life of freedom with Annalise, the girl he loves - but Annalise is a prisoner, wasting away in a death-like sleep. Nathan's friend Gabriel is missing, likely dead, and although Nathan has found his unique magical Gift, he can't control it. The Council's Hunters are on his trail, so he is always on the run. Nathan's only hope of survival is to join with new friends and old enemies in an alliance to bring down the Council, and they want Nathan's help: they, too, want Nathan to be a killer. Maybe that's the only way out. Maybe that's just who he is now.

 I've been anticipating this sequel ever since I finished Half Bad. And while I enjoyed this book for the most part, it was not without its problems. 

First off, it takes a while for the book to get going. Nothing much happens in the first hundred pages or so and a lot of it is mostly recapping events from the first book. Things start to pick up a little after that but this installment didn't grip me completely until the last fifty pages or so. 

Also, I was extremely irritated with Nathan throughout the book and it's mostly to do with the book's love triangle. As the reader, it is completely obvious who Nathan is supposed to be with but he struggles with choosing between the two of them and keeps choosing the wrong one. To be fair, I think Sally Green did this on purpose, so (hopefully) when Nathan realizes who he really loves in the next book, it will be more rewarding. However, it was just so irritating to see him with the wrong person that I skimmed through a lot of the love scenes between the two of them. 

However, the one kissing scene between Nathan and the right person was so scorchingly hot, I reread it about five times. 

Another thing about this book is that it is very plot driven. There isn't a lot of description of either settings or characters so sometimes the story felt a little flat to me. For example, the secondary characters were so one-dimensional, that it was almost impossible to distinguish one from the other. Or they would be introduced so suddenly that I would forget about them, then they would be mentioned a few pages later and I would think 'Who the hell are they?'

Because of this, it was hard to care about the characters and what happens to them. This became evident at the climax of the book. While I did think it was a good ending, I thought it could have been so much more emotionally impactful if I was more attached to the characters. And it all happens so fast, there's no room for the reader to linger over any emotional devastation. There was one scene in particular that I thought should have been drawn out but it was over so quickly that it was like 'Wait! Go back!' 

I know this seems like a negative review, but I do really like this series and I'm curious to see what happens in the last book. And I'm stoked for the movie adaptation.

Reading Wishlist: April 2015

 April 7

None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio


Genre: YA Contemporary
What It's About: A teenage girl discovers she was born intersex and is struggling to come to terms with her diagnosis when it becomes known to the entire school.
Why It's On My Wishlist: This sounds like the Young Adult version of Middlesex - a novel that I love.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli


Genre: YA Contemporary
What It's About: Simon, a closeted gay teen, is blackmailed by class clown Martin into playing wingman - or Martin will reveal his secret to the entire school.
Why It's On My Wishlist: This is one of the most anticipated YA novels coming out (no pun intended) this month. It sounds like it will be a funny, insightful read. And because #weneeddiversebooks.

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre


Genre: YA Contemporary
What It's About: Perfectionist Sage Czinski and Shane Cavendish are on opposite ends of the social spectrum and neither of them are looking to fall in love - but life has other plans for them.
Why It's On My Wishlist: I'm a sucker for opposites-attract romances.

Empire of Night (Age of Legends #2) by Kelley Armstrong


Genre: YA Fantasy
What It's About: This is the sequel to Sea of Shadows, published last year.
Why It's On My Wishlist: Because I have Sea of Shadows - but haven't read it yet. But even if I didn't own the first book, I would still want this one. That cover is beautiful!

Lumberjanes, Vol. 1 by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, and Brooke Allen


Genre: YA Fantasy/Graphic Novel
What It's About: Five best friends are spending the summer at Lumberjanes scout camp but instead of canoeing or doing arts and crafts, their battling supernatural creatures.
Why It's On My Wishlist: See above.

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat


Genre: Historical M/M Romance
What It's About: Damen, rightful heir to the throne, is sent as a slave to an enemy nation when his half brother seizes power. His new master is manipulative, deadly...and dangerously handsome.
Why It's On My Wishlist: I love gay historical romances and this one sounds so freakin' hot.

Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science - and the World by Rachel Swaby


Genre: Non Fiction
What It's About: The title is pretty self-explanatory.
Why It's On My Wishlist: Science has always fascinated me and I love learning about the people behind the big scientific breakthroughs - particularly if those people have been overlooked in the field before because of their gender.

The Grace of Kings (The Dandelion Dynasty #1) by Ken Liu


Genre: Fantasy
What It's About: Charming thief Kuni Garu and stern noble Mata Zyndu form an unlikely friendship despite being polar opposites. To their mutual dismay, they find themselves on opposing sides of a brewing conflict when the emperor is overthrown.
Why It's On My Wishlist: I just find the premise so intriguing. I have to find out what happens. It sounds like this is the start to an epic series.

Miss Mayhem (Rebel Belle #2) by Rachel Hawkins


Genre: YA Fantasy
What It's About: This is the sequel to Rebel Belle, published last year.
Why It's On My Wishlist: To be perfectly honest, I don't know a lot about this series - but I do love that pretty cover.

Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant


Genre: Fantasy
What It's About: When the Imagine Network commissioned a documentary on mermaids, to be filmed from the cruise ship Atargatis, they expected what they had always received before: an assortment of eyewitness reports that proved nothing, some footage that proved even less, and the kind of ratings that only came with peddling imaginary creatures to the masses. They didn't expect actual mermaids. They certainly didn't expect mermaids with teeth.

April 14

All the Rage by Courtney Summers


Genre: YA Contemporary
What It's About: When Romy is assaulted by the sheriff's son Kellan Turner, no one believes her. But when she finds out about his other victims she is determined to expose him.
Why It's On My Wishlist: With rape becoming an epidemic on college campuses, this book is, unfortunately, a timely reflection of rape culture and the effects it has on victims.

The Dream Lover: A Novel of George Sand


Genre: Historical Fiction
What It's About: The author George Sand, her famous lovers, and her scandalous life in 19th century paris.
Why It's On My Wishlist: I love historical fiction about famous artists.

Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination by J.K. Rowling


Genre: Non Fiction
What It's About: This is a commencement speech J.K. Rowling gave back in 2008 at Harvard University.
Why It's On My Wishlist: Anything by J.K. Rowling automatically goes on my TBR list.

North Korea Confidential: Private Markets, Fashion Trends, Prison Camps, Dissenters and Defectors by Daniel Tudor & James Pearson


Genre: Non Fiction
What It's About: A deep look inside what life is like in the secretive state of North Korea.
Why It's On My Wishlist: Ever since I read The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson, I have been fascinated by the real-life dystopia that is North Korea.

The Intimate Bond: How Animals Shaped Human History by Brian Fagan


Genre: Non Fiction

A Crown for Cold Silver by Alex Marshall


Genre: Fantasy
What It's About: Twenty years ago, Cobalt Zosia led her five villainous captains and mercenary army into battle, wrestling monsters and toppling an empire. Now, her peaceful life has been shattered by the slaughter of her entire village. Seeking vengeance, Zosia heads into battle once more.
Why It's On My Wishlist: I didn't know I wanted to read a book like this until I heard about this one. The more female warriors in fantasy ficiton, the better.

Beautiful Secret (Beautiful Bastard #4) by Christina Lauren


Genre: Romance

The Prom Goer's Interstellar Excursion


Genre: Young Adult Science Ficiton
What It's About: Bennett watches helplessly as his prom date gets abducted by aliens. Determined to rescue her, he hitches a ride into outer space with a band of extraterrestrial musicians.
Why It's On My Wishlist: The description of this book reminds me of one of my favorite books, Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Dream a Little Dream (The Silver Trilogy #1) by Kerstin Gier


Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

April 21

Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby


Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
What It's About: When Quinn Sullivan meets the recipient of her boyfriend's donated heart, the two form an unexpected connection.

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2) by Anne Blankman


Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Infamy: The Shocking Story of the Japanese American Internment in World War II by Richard Reeves


Genre: Non Fiction - History

April 28

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir


Genre: YA Fantasy
What It's About: An epic fantasy about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom, set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world.
Why It's On My Wishlist: This has got to be one of the most highly-anticipated YA debuts of 2015. I cannot wait to read it.

The Girl at Midnight (The Girl at Midnight #1) by Melissa Grey


Genre: YA  Fantasy
What It's About: Beneath the city of New York, live a race of magical people called the Avicen. Echo, a runaway pickpocket, is the only human who knows about them and soon she is caught up in an ancient war.
Why It's On My Wishlist: This book is already being compared to Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone.

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley 


Genre: YA Fantasy
What It's About: Aza discovers the world in the clouds above Earth, a place called Magonia.It is the first time she has felt she belongs somewhere. But when war begins to brew, Aza must decide where her true loyalties lie.
Why It's On My Wishlist: The summary on Goodreads describes this as a cross between The Fault in Our Stars and Stardust. 

Rook by Sharon Cameron


Genre: YA Science Fiction

Rogue (Talon #2) by Julie Kagawa


Genre: YA Fantasy
What It's About: The sequel to last year's dragon fantasy, Talon.
Why It's On My Wishlist: Dragons!

Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger


Genre: YA Contemporary
What It's About: A companion to The Duff.

Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own by Kate Bolick


Genre: Non Fiction/Memoir
What It's About: Bolick looks at the pleasures and possibilities of remaining single.
Why It's On My Wishlist: I always love reading books that examine and challenge societal norms. Since childhood, girls are conditioned to believe that happiness is attained through marriage and children. I want to read more books that challenge that convention.

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough


Genre: YA Historical Fiction
What It's About: For centuries, Love and Death have chosen their players. They have set the rules, rolled the dice, and kept close, ready to influence, angling for supremacy. And Death has always won. Always. Could there ever be one time, one place, one pair whose love could truly tip the balance?

Review: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

 

Synopsis: Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she's a girl who doesn't believe in second chances...a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom's diner and obsessing over what might have been.

    So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life...and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She's got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who's been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done. It's time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she's willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last...

I'm  just going to come right out and say it: I loved this book so much. It's got everything I'm looking for in a contemporary YA: awesome characters, witty writing, with an inspirational (but not cheesy) life lesson to tie things together.

I love Hudson, the main character. She's wonderfully realistic that I expected her to leap off the page and into my living room at any moment. She's at times insecure, bold, funny, serious, caring, neglectful...you know, like a real person is. It always bugs me when a character is so one-note, so devoid of personality. Thankfully, Sarah Ockler has mastered the art of creating fun, diverse, realistic characters that you just want to be friends with. 

And I just have to gush about Sarah Ockler's writing: I found myself laughing out loud at the genuinely funny dialogue, nodding along to a certain relateable paragraph and generally just finding myself immersed in the story. Sarah Ockler is a fantastic writer. I can't say much more except gush, gush, gush, gush, gush. 

I also love how this book teaches people that it's never too late to pursue your dreams - and also that it's okay for your dreams to change.

I cannot recommend this book enough. My one complaint: the description of the cupcakes throughout the book are so vivid and mouth-watering that all I want to do now is eat cupcakes.

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

  

Synopsis: It's been three years since the devastating accident...three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever. Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is a rising star at Juilliard and Adam is a bona fide rock star, complete with tabloid headlines and a celebrity girlfriend. Then chance brings them together again, for one night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and to each other. 

In this sequel to If I Stay, we get to witness the aftermath of Mia's tragic accident and how it affected her relationship with Adam.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book was told from Adam's perspective. I can't say for sure if this was the reason I enjoyed Where She Went just a little bit better than If I Stay. I find Adam to be a really intriguing character and it was cool to see things from his perspective. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for redemptive love stories. 

The characters showed definite growth from the last book. It was interesting to see how both Adam and Mia had changed - and not always for the better. 

I did have the same issue with this book as I did with If I Stay: I felt like I never fully connected with the characters. But ultimately, this is a sweet story about rekindled love and second chances and who can resist that? 

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

 

Synopsis: Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, adoring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. Then, in an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the only decision she has left - the most important decision she'll ever make. Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting, and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, dying, loving.

If I Stay has undeniably become one of those modern YA classics like The Fault in Our Stars and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. And why shouldn't it? It deals with incredibly difficult issues: losing loved ones, fear of the future, and impossible choices. 

I did admire the way Gayle Forman told Mia's story by alternating between Mia's present and her past. It was really interesting getting to know the characters bit by bit, each new revelation having some influence on Mia's choices.

I also liked the relationships between characters: the playful one Mia has with her family and the flawed-but-romantic one she has with Adam. I thought Mia's and Adam's relationship was so realistic. It's clear that they're not a perfect couple and they have their issues just like in real-life relationships. And I think that made the tender moments between them all the more romantic.

One thing I did have an issue with: I had trouble connecting with the characters. For some reason, they never really became fully formed in my mind. But overall, I did enjoy this book and yes, I did cry at the end.

Book Review: The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

 

Synopsis: Harper Curtis is a killer who stepped out of the past. Kirby Mizrachi is the girl who was never meant to have a future. 

     Kirby is the last shining girl, one of the bright young women burning with potential whose lives Harper is destined to snuff out after he stumbles on a House in Depression-era Chicago that opens onto other times. At the urging of the House, Harper inserts himself into the lives of the shining girls, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He's the ultimate hunter, vanishing into another time after each murder, untraceable - until one of his victims survives. 

     Determined to bring her would-be killer to justice, Kirby joins the Chicago-Sun Times to work with the ex-homicide reporter Dan Velasquez, who covered her case. Soon Kirby finds herself closing in on the impossible truth...

I loved this book so much it has now become one of my Favourite Books of All Time. It's gripping, masterful, hypnotic, disturbing...you can stop me before I run out off superlatives. A top-rate thriller mashed with sci-fi elements that feel so natural I found myself thinking 'Well of course, there's a house that allows Harper to travel through time. How else is he going to go on his killing spree?'

The book switches perspectives between characters and bounces back and forth in time. It has the potential to be confusing, but if you pay attention, it's actually quite easy to keep the timelines straight. And it fuels the sense of dread and despair that permeates the story. This book is dark and, at times, hard to read. The violence is graphic but not gratuitous. In an interview, Beukes talked about how we are all so desensitized to violence that we don't connect with victims so she wanted to really rub the reader's face in it so that the brutality of the murders does shock us out of complacency. This book is a big 'Fuck you' to a society that glamorizes violence and a media that sexualizes the murder of women.  

All of Harper's victims are so well-realized and diverse. They are women who challenge convention and have a spark, a fire inside of them - and that is why they shine and why Harper feels he has to kill them. No concrete explanation is given as to why Harper has to kill them - my theory is that he feels weak and impotent and is jealous of women who have a sense of their own power. And so he takes that power away from them. He doesn't just take their lives, he steals their potential. And that is what makes this book not just a thriller, but a tragedy. The victims in this book are not just pretty corpses - their stories are told from their own perspectives so the reader gets a sense of who these women are - they're struggles, their fears, their passions. And then Harper shows up and I feel so sad and also really pissed off. Just another small-minded man threatened by a woman's power that he has to take it away from them in the most permanent way possible.

Despite the heaviness throughout the book, I feel like it does have a satisfying ending that wraps everything up perfectly. I highly, highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of Stephen King or Gillian Flynn. And kick-ass female authors writing kick-ass female characters.