Me Before You - Extended Movie Trailer

Oh my actual goodness - a few days ago an extended version of the original trailer was released... tear jerking to say the least. I will be crying a flood actually watching it!! Check it out - set to be released June 3 (USA)

Popular Book Releases of March 2016

So if you've run out of books to read - or are like me and buy a plethora of books even though there are still so many unread on your bookshelf... then look no further and find some books that were newly released in the month of March. Some highly anticipated books -- but please note this is only a small handful of the books released in March!

Lady Midnight
Author: Cassandra Clare
Release date: March 8, 2016
Tags: YA, Science Fiction and Fantasy
Relevant books: Previous series such as The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices and Shadaowhunters Academy. 

The Shadowhunters of Los Angeles star in the first novel in Cassandra Clare’s newest series, The Dark Artifices, a sequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. Lady Midnight is a Shadowhunters novel.

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series.

Rebel of the Sands
Author: Alwyn Hamilton
Release date: March 8, 2016
Tags: YA, Fantasy
Relevant books: N/A

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from. 

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

The Serpent King
Author: Jeff Zentner 
Release date: March 8, 2016
Tags: YA, Fantasy, Young Adult, Contemporary
Relevant books: N/A

Dill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole life—at home, as the only son of a Pentecostal minister who urges him to handle poisonous rattlesnakes, and at school, where he faces down bullies who target him for his father’s extreme faith and very public fall from grace.

He and his fellow outcast friends must try to make it through their senior year of high school without letting the small-town culture destroy their creative spirits and sense of self. Graduation will lead to new beginnings for Lydia, whose edgy fashion blog is her ticket out of their rural Tennessee town. And Travis is content where he is thanks to his obsession with an epic book series and the fangirl turning his reality into real-life fantasy.

Their diverging paths could mean the end of their friendship. But not before Dill confronts his dark legacy to attempt to find a way into the light of a future worth living.

The Moth and the Flame (A Novella)
Author: Renee Adieh 
Release date: March 22 2016
Tags: YA, Fantasy, Young Adult, Contemporary, Science Fiction
Relevant books: The Wrath and the Dawn (book one)

It started as playful, if barbed, banter before rising to a fateful wager with a most notorious rake—the Captain of the Guard, Jalal al-Khoury—who may have finally met his match in a lovely, if haughty, handmaiden, Despina. But she, too, seems to have met her match in the handsome Jalal. What begins as a tempestuous battle of will and wit in short order becomes a passionate affair spurred on by tragedy of the worst kind





The Winner's Kiss
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Release date: March 29 2016
Tags: YA, Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction
Relevant books: The Winner's Curse (book one), The Winner's Crime (book two)

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out Amazon here to pick up your own copies of these books!

Obsidian - A Book Review

OBSIDIAN (LUX SERIES BOOK 1)
- Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
- Publication date: 8 May 2012
- Tags: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young-aduilt 

OBSIDIAN is one of the first books I read from JL Armentrout, who quickly became one of my favorite authors. Her writing style is absolutely wonderful, and her humor is very fresh which is an aspect I love from all of her stories. This book I recently re-read, because I was in a bit of a reading slump - and when that happens my TBR starts to feel like a massive weight on my shoulders. One of the best ways to get out of that slump? To read a book you know you love, one that will re-establish your love for reading and get you back in the mood. That's what OBSIDIAN has recently done for me. So I thought I'd grace it with a well-deserved book review, since I hadn't started this blog when I first read it. 

OBSIDIAN was also one of my first sci-fi alien stories I had ever read. I wasn't so big on aliens, and have since read and watched many alien themed stories and TV shows, purely because of this book. Thanks JLA!! This story follows a teenage girl by the name of Katy, who is a normal girl, moving to a small town with her mother a few years after the death of her father. A way to get away, start fresh. One of the things that immediately drew me to Katy's character was her passion for one thing - books! She blogged and she even vlogged about the books she read, and reviewed them online. The way her delight and excitement was described when she received book mail was so accurate that I fell in love with her almost immediately. Katy from OBSIDIAN, is one of the reason I first started blogging about books, or wanting to be doing something along those lines. So thanks again, JLA - you seem to be shaping who I am! 

What starts Katy's story is her meeting of the strangers next door, starting off the with the incredibly sexy and incredibly annoying and rude Daemon Black. He is quite vicious when is comes to Katy, and she has no idea why, which only escalates when she commences a friendship with his twin sister Dee Black. Katy can tell that there are some massive secrets that his family is keeping from not only her, but the entire town and world. Then one night, something happens - Katy is almost smooshed into the ground by a truck, but it stops inches from her face... frozen by the alien next door, saving her life. Now that she is privy to the secret, Daemon's animosity somewhat grows, but it is clear it grows along with his affection for Katy. Now, if you enjoyed Jace from The Mortal Instruments with his general snarkiness, just wait until you meet Daemon. What's more, is that Katy rivals his snarkiness and gives back what is given. She holds her own, which I really enjoy! 

An interesting aspect that I very much enjoyed from this book, was the effect that alien "magic" has on humans. When Daemon stopped the truck to save Katy's life, his magic left a mark on her, which fades over time. The mark is described as an aura of light around Katy, which only the Luxen (alien race) can see, along with (unfortunately), the Arum - who are the Luxen's enemy alien race. The Arum can track this aura of light to the human and attempt to torture them to locate the Luxen to kill them, and steal their light. This puts Katy in a real amount of danger, and it is up to Daemon to protect her - much to Katy's dismay. This makes this novel absolutely chock full of action and wit, and is just a stunning read altogether. I could probably read this over and over and still swoon over Daemon every time. Yup, even when I'm 50. 

FAVORITE QUOTE 

Daemon's loyalty, underneath his mask of indifference and snark, is unwavering and it's one of the great things about reading this book. This is further explored in the novel that was recently released, Oblivian, which is OBSIDIAN, but told from Daemon's point of view instead of Katy's. 








MY RATING 

4.5/5 - I pretty much never give out a 5 star rating, so this basically means this books is so close to perfect it ain't even funny. Would I recommend this books to others? Heck to the yes I would.

OTHER BOOKS

These are the re-vamped covers of the Lux Series. Lux Beginnings encapsulates book 1 and 2 Obsidian and Onyx. Lux Consequences is Book 3 and 4, Opal and Origin, Opposition is book 5.


DESCRIPTION (as at Amazon.com)

Starting over sucks.When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.And then he opened his mouth.Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.The hot alien living next door marks me.You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.If I don't kill him first, that is.

Pick up your own copy here

Popular Book Releases of February 2016

Alright, don't you say it cause I will... CHLOE IT'S THE END OF MARCH! Yeah I know, and I'm playing catch up. Unacceptable. But here we go anyway, here is a list of very much anticipated book releases that occurred in Feb this year, and shortly to come will be a list of the March release, so you don't miss out on the great books this year! (this will only be featuring a handful of the books released in February).


Starflight
Author: Melissa Landers
Release date: February 2, 2016
Tags: YA, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Teen
Relevant books: N/A

Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he's been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe...


Stars Above
Author: Marissa Meyer
Release date: February 2, 2016
Tags: YA, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Teen
Relevant books: The Lunar Chronicles (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Winter, and a novella Fairest)

The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….
The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.
Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.
The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.
After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.
The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess
The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.
Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century...


Glass Sword
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Release date: February 9, 2016
Tags: YA, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Teen
Relevant books: Red Queen (book one)

 Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. 

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. 

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. 

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

The Power

Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Release date: February 23, 2016
Tags: YA, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Teen
Relevant books: The Return (Book One), also this is a Spin-off series to a previously set Covenant Series, where Seth was a side character. 

With any great change, there is always strife, and the Covenant University has become the frontline between pure-bloods who want the Breed Order reinstated and the half-bloods who want the right to control their own destinies.

Fate has other plans.

 The violence is escalating and war between the races seems inevitable, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Hyperion may be out of commission, but Josie and Seth know they have only earned a reprieve.  Seth must get Josie fully prepared, which means controlling her newfound abilities, and they need to find the other demigods before the Titans do.

But the gods are sensing a greater threat. 

Only one thing is more dangerous than a bunch of starved Titans, and that’s an out-of-control Apollyon. The aether in Josie is drawing Seth in deeper, and when lust mixes with love and gives way to power, he knows being close to her is not only dangerous to her, but to everyone around them, but letting her go requires a level of selflessness that just isn’t Seth’s style.

The paths taken in the past are becoming the roads of the future.

Just as chaos breaks out, familiar faces from the past return, complicating the already strained bond between Josie and Seth, and when the danger from the Titans erupts with devastating consequences, the dark allure of power calls to Seth again, but this time Josie might not be able to pull him back.

 And when the struggle between power and love becomes the deadliest battleground, there may be no salvation.

A Gathering of Shadows

Author: V.E Schwab 
Release date: February 23, 2016
Tags: YA, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Teen
Relevant books: A Darker Shade of Magic (Book one)

Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games—an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries—a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again—meaning that another London must fall.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So that's all folks! Hope you've been successful in finding your next read. If not, why not mosey around Amazon? (Which is where these descriptions came from xD)

The Mortal Instruments - A Series Review

The Mortal Instruments (TMI)

Books in series:
- City of Bones
- City of Ashes
- City of Glass
- City of Fallen Angels 
- City of Lost Souls
- City of Heavenly Fire
Author: Cassandra Clare 
Dates of Publication: From March 27, 2007 onwards, last book in TMI series was published on May 27, 2014. However there are many other books in this world, featured in different spin-off series. 
Tags: YA, science fiction and fantasy, teens

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS is a series of books that I started reading as a teenager. At 17 years of age, diving into a world like this that Cassandra Clare brought to us, was akin to diving into other favorite childhood reads - such as Harry Potter. The characters, as they were set at roughly my own age, were very relatable to me and therefore I looked forward to each and every installment so I could follow these characters through this incredible journey.

True to my word - I always give an honest opinion about what I think of stories. When I first read City of Bones, I blew through it in a very short period of time, and was loving it... until I reached the end. I won't add spoilers, however most people would know to what I refer when I first and foremost threw my book down and shouted "WHAT! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME CASSIE?!? WHYYY!?" Buuut... I still picked up a copy of City of Ashes, and I sort of slogged my way through this one. It still had it's interesting story and characters, which I enjoyed - but there was such an undertone of awkwardness and (ickiness) that I just didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did the first book. Then came the godsend - City of Glass. What a miracle this book was! It was such an amazing story, with a very relieving end to a few plots which were very heart-warming. The success as a set of stories (in my eyes) grew from City of Glass, and only got better through the rest of the series up until its finale in City of Heavenly Fire - which was epic.

SO... to back track a tiny tad - I will give you a few details about this series if you've never read them. However this post is more for the already present fandom, so I can share my thoughts (given I actually only FINALLY read City of Heavenly fire a few months ago to be ready for Lady Midnight - but more on that later), and allow others to share theirs. Because, I mean really... if you haven't read or heard of the Shadowhunter world, that is just odd, and clearly you've been avoiding most popular reading holes. OR you're like a lot of others and think it's too old of a series to get into now, the fandoms too big and I'm too behind. BS! You can always marathon a stunning series like this and get straight onto that band wagon - trust me - it's worth it. It's a fantastical world with many great characters that will stay with you forever.

Oh right... about the book. The TMI series is set in New York City, largely following a 16 year old teenager by the name of Clarissa (Clary) Fray. She is normal human being, up until the point where she discovers she... well, isn't. She stumbles upon a race of people who are called shadowhunters, half human, half angel who are sworn to protect humans (mundanes) from the shadow world i,e evil icky slimy demons that roam the cities reaping havoc. It is after this that she learns she has a most interesting heritage that she had grown up being magically modified to forget by her own mother - who is now missing. Clary joins with the group of New York shadowhunters, sullen and closeted Alec who is the brother of feisty and beautiful Isabelle, and the snarky and sexy god-like warrior Jace - all with her best friend and mundane Simon. Clary is determine to find her mother and will stop at nothing until she figures out how to save her, and how to get all of her memories back and discover the true nature of her past.

Also City of Bones was made into a film - which I've reviewed here ... it was alriiiight. It has also been made into a show call Shadowhunters, which I'm honestly not liking at all. Sorry if you like it - I wholeheartedly want it to be successful and have high hopes they'll find their feet and become great, but the differences are too much and I don't enjoy it right now.

FAVORITE CHARACTER 

Easy - Simon. He's the best friend anyone could ever ask for, he's always straight up, loyal, funny and he's also cute as a button.

FAVORITE SHIP

Also easy - Sizzy (Simon and Isabelle).

FAVORITE QUOTE

Now that's too hard, as I'm reviewing SIX books here, but if I had to pick one it'd be: "To love is to destroy, and to be loved is the one to be destroyed" - only because this transformation of mindsets and past experiences is mind-blowing.

MY RATING

4/5 stars - it's a great world, and I would highly recommend it to others.

DESCRIPTION: (as at Amazon.com)

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

OTHER BOOKS IN THIS WORLD: 

The infernal devices (set in the past prior to the TMI series)
- Clockwork Angel
- Clockwork Prince
- Clockwork Princess

The Dark Artifices
- Lady Midnight

Stand-alone
- Bane Chronicles

Shadowhunters Academy

Pick up your own copy of the first book, City of Bones here

Me Before You - A Book Review

ME BEFORE YOU
- Author: Jojo Moyes 
- Publication date: 30 July, 2013
- Tags: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance 

ME BEFORE YOU was an astoundingly, heart-stopping, heart-warming and heart-breaking novel. You come across so many romance novels in the contemporary genre these days, but there are so few that touch your heart quite like this one.

Now I was brought into this world because I'm always combing the internet for good reads through the various forms of social media. A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon the trailer for the upcoming release of the the ME BEFORE YOU film, that is set to come out in June of this year. As a result of what seemed to be an amazing story, as well as amazing casting (HELLO - it's Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin!), I found myself in my car and heading for the local bookstore, so I could read the book before the film came out. Mind you, I had months to do that, and I bought and consumed within days.

Now that I have told the story of how I came across it, I'll tell you what I thought about the story --- it was a stunning story. Literally stunning. I was stunned when I turned the final page and put it down. Like I flipped the last cover over, set it down in front me and sat cross-legged and stared at the wall for full minutes. Am I alone in this?

The story is set in England and told about 90% from the point of view of Louisa (Lou) Clark, a quirky young-adult who has recently lost her job, which is a problem in her household as she lives with her grandfather, parents, sister and her nephew. Money is hard to come by, so her family somewhat relies on her wages to keep afloat. With this pressure, Lou feels obligated to find employment as quickly as possible, to help provide for her family. At the job center, she stumbles across a job opening as a carer for a quadriplegic man, and after some hesitation, applies for the position. I won't pretend like this is a spoiler, cause you obviously know she would get the job, as there would be no story if she didn't - so yeah, she gets it, and the story truly begins.

The young man she is set to care of, Will Traynor, was in a dreadful accident, which left him paralyzed from his upper chest down - a quadriplegic. Meaning he has no use of his lower limbs, torso and has very limited use of his upper limbs. Lou is 'hired' to basically keep Will company, and keep him out of trouble. What I found super hilarious when starting this book, was Will's manner toward not only Lou, but everyone - he is a sarcastic and narcissistic asshole. Mind my language.

The story is truly so wonderful mainly because it makes you think, really think, about the struggles that people go through every day, and it helps your appreciate that and what you have in your life. The struggles, hardship, and depression that encapsulates Will as a character is heart-breaking to say the least while reading about it, and it was truly a gem of a book. Lou makes it her mission throughout this story, to show Will that life still has meaning, and that just because something so life-altering has happened to him, that his life isn't over. That there is still many opportunities for him, and that he can still be happy.

The transition that Will has as his relationship develops with Lou has to be the most amazing part of this book, because I ship them so hard. To the very end, I ship them. I won't say much more, because if want to read this book, you need to go in only knowing the basics, and read it from a fresh perspective, but keep your tissues handy - because it gets real.

FAVORITE QUOTE

"I thought, briefly, that I would never feel as intensely connected to another human being, as I did in that moment" - #tears

MY RATING 

- 4/5 - it was a beautiful story. There were only a few things I wish could have been done differently. I would certainly recommend this book to others.

WATCH THE TRAILER (release date US June 3, 2016)




DESCRIPTION (as at Amazon.com)

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Pick up your own copy here

The Kiss of Deception - A Book Review

THE KISS OF DECEPTION
- Author: Mary E. Pearson
- Publication date: July 8, 2014
- Tags: YA, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Dystopian

THE KISS OF DECEPTION, I read this book back in 2015 while I was away on holiday, and I absolutely gobbled it up. The story was very unique, and there were plot twists galore -- the kind that has you set down the book for a solid 5 minutes and reevaluate your entire life... you know those kinds?

For starters, I'll tell you about Lia, the main protagonist of this story. I think Lia is the exact type of protagonist that I love to read about, and this is for many reasons. In this book, you get to know that Lia is just a good person through and through. Sometimes with YA characters, you get the good and bad traits, and they tend to (hopefully) overcome those bad traits / decisions at the cessation of the novel. In THE KISS OF DECEPTION, I think the only selfish decision Lia ever makes is the one at the very beginning of the story.

So Lia is the Princess of the Morrighan Kingdom, and as a means to an end, she is offered for marriage to a Prince she has never met, for the sole purpose of forming an alliance between their kingdoms. In the first chapter, the inner turmoil is clear at the prospect of marrying a man she doesn't know, and ultimately giving her life away. So we soon see she had plotted to flee her kingdom on the day of her wedding, with her best friend and then settles in a small, humble village where she starts to make a new life for herself. Now this is the greatest thing about Lia -- she has grown up as a wealthy, learned, doted upon Princess, and now she has put herself into this situation where no one knows who she is, what her true title is, and she becomes a tavern matron. And ya know what? She freaking loves it. She works hard, is grateful to be where she is, and doesn't complain an inch for what she gave up. She's my freaking idol.

Now - the other more interesting plot in this book is the fact that she is not as inconspicuous as she would like to believe. Lia happens across two strangers in the small fishing village she settles in - and these two strangers happen to know exactly who she is. One is an assassin, set upon Princess Lia to kill her and destroy any chance of her marrying the aforementioned prince to form the alliance. The other is the Prince himself, scorned and wondering why his bride never showed on his wedding day, he follows Lia to the small town and settles in himself, pretending to be someone he isn't, in order to better understand the woman who left him standing at the alter. Intriguing, yes?

Not only do we see the story unfold from Lia's POV, but we also have alternating chapters of the Assassin and the Prince, so we not only understand their motivations for tracking the Princess down, but we also get to see Lia through each of their eyes, which is super interesting, and one of my favorite aspects of this book.

And my oh my. The plot twist? Just you wait.

FAVORITE QUOTE

.... And I'm sure that it did. *SWOON*










MY RATING

- THE KISS OF DECEPTION is a solid 4.5/5 stars. I adored this book. I rarely give out 5/5, so 4.5 is AMAZING. Would I recommend this book? YESSSSSS.

DESCRIPTION (as at Amazon.com)

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia's life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight―but she doesn't―and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom―to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive―and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets―even as she finds herself falling in love.

Pick up your own copy here

January Wrap-Up 2016

THE BOOKS I READ IN JANUARY 2016 

My insta wrap up shot: (@infinitybooks)

Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey

Confess - Colleen Hoover

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - JK Rowling (via audiobook)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - JK Rowling (via audiobook)


I tend to read 4-5 books per month, this month was a little slow for me, as I actually only read 3, since the Harry Potter novels were read via audiobook while I've been travelling (which I do a lot of for my job). I have a very ambitious TBR for the month of February, which will be posted shortly. But by golly... there are a LOT of books I want to read. It's a little overwhelming!

FAVORITE BOOK IN JANUARY

The 5th Wave was such a crazy amazing book. I really sincerely enjoyed reading this book and all the different dynamic characters that it beheld. I was entranced by the story and I quickly added The Infinite Sea (the 5th Wave, book 2) to my February To Be Read pile. See my book review here








FAVORITE JANUARY COVER

This cover is just absolutely gorgeous, specifically because of the books content as well. I'm ashamed to admit it took me a few looks to see the face in the artwork at the ESS of CONFESS. But hey, when I did see it, I relished in the beauty of it. Better late than never, amiright?








WHAT I DIDN'T MANAGE TO READ

I have been waiting and waiting to read these books for a while, ever since I read Throne of Glass last year. I stupidly purchased Heir of Fire, some reason thinking this was the second book, before I realized oh, wait a minute, it's the third DOI! So I waited another few weeks for this baby to arrive on my doorstep from Amazon. I've had for a week or so now, but had other books I was reading, so it's the first book I'm bumping from my January TBR straight to my February TBR!






DENT IN MY TBR SHELF

3/52 (Harry Potter were re-reads....)
Current books TBR: 49 (inclusive of January book haul - to be revealed!)