Hallowed (Unearthly #2) - Cynthia Hand [Review]

This review contains spoilers.

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed

Author: Cynthia Hand

Publisher:  HarperTeen

Series: Unearthly #2

Release Date: January 17th 2012

Pages: 403

Rating: ★★★★☆

Synopsis:

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

A Monthly Round Up: MAY

A Monthly Round Up is a meme hosted at Feed Me Books Now!!!. The purpose of this meme is to sum up the month's blogging in one post. In the post you can mention the books you read that month, things that happened in the bookish world and blogs you discovered/read that month. :)

Books read & reviewed this month

1. Fire by Kristin Cashore
2. The Elite by Kiera Cass
3. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
4. Wither & Fever by Lauren DeStefano
5. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
6. Unravel Me by Tehereh Mafi
7. Requiem by Lauren Oliver
8. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
9. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

From the books I read this month I really loved The 5th Wave, Unravel Me, Fire and Wither (City of Bones was a re-read). I gave those 4 stars or more. 

The Elite, Fever, Eragon and Requiem were quite disappointing, these books got 2 or less stars.

May was my first month of book blogging. It has been so much fun so far, everyone has been very nice and I have learned a lot about blogging and writing reviews in a short time. 

I hope there are still many months of blogging to come!

Happy June!

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. It's a chance for book bloggers to connect and share the book love.

This week's question:

What is your favorite series that you've finished all the books (more than 3 books) to? 

I guess I am not being very original here, but my answer is, and shall always be Harry Potter. I read the first book when I was twelve and since then I have lost count how many times I have (re-)read the series. I can't begin to describe the reasons why I love this series; the story, the characters, the whole magical world J.K. Rowling built around the story...

[Classic Love] Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

This post features a favourite classic novel of mine.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Summary:

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

So begins Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues. Renowned literary critic and historian George Saintsbury in 1894 declared it the "most perfect, the most characteristic, the most eminently quintessential of its author's works," and Eudora Welty in the twntieth century described it as "irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be."


Why I love this book...

Pride and Prejudice is still a big influence on modern day books even 200 years after it was published. The plot of this book is now a commonly used story: the girl meets the handsome, close-to-arrogant boy who later turns out to be sympathatic and they fall in love.

The characters in this novel are very realistic, I think everyone can identify themselves with someone in this book; honest Elizabeth, caring Jane, outgoing Lydia..
The book is beautifully written and it will suck you in from the very first page.

I can recommend this book to everyone, even if you usually do not read classic novels. Pride and Prejudice has everything a love story should have, from awkward encounters to unexpected love declarations.

Fire (Graceling Realm #2) - Kristin Cashore [Review]

This review contains spoilers.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Title: Fire
Author: Kristin Cashore
Publisher:  Dial Books
Series: Graceling Realm #2
Release Date: October 5th 2009
Pages: 461
Rating: ★★★★☆

Synopsis:

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.
This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she had the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.
Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City, The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom. 
If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.

Book Recommendations

Just finished a great YA book (series) and you don't know what to read next? Here are some suggestions.

If you liked The Hunger Games (Dystopian), you'll love:

Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

Uglies Series by Scott Westerfield

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi

Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner

Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness

If you liked The Vampire Academy (Vampires), you'll love: 

Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead

Blood of Eden Series by Julie Kagawa

Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris

The Vampire Diaries Series by L.J. Smith

If you liked Fallen (Angels), you'll love: 

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Hush, Hush Series by Becca Fitzpatrick

Unearthly Series by Cynthia Hand

If you liked The Mortal Instruments (Fantasy), you'll love: 

The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare

Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan

The Caster Chronicles Series by Kami Garcia

Starcrossed Series by Josephine Angelini

The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin

Graceling Realm Series by Kristin Cashore

I hope you liked these suggestions. If you have recommendations yourself post them in the comments.
For more information on the books, check my Goodreads.

Wither + Fever (The Chemical Garden #1 and #2) - Lauren DeStefano [Review]

This review contains spoilers.

The Chemical Garden Series:

Wither (#1) + Fever (#2) by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Wither

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Series: The Chemical Garden #1

Release Date: March 22nd 2011

Pages: 358

Rating: ★★★★☆

Title: Fever

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Series: The Chemical Garden #2

Release Date: February 21st 2012

Pages: 341

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Top Ten Tuesday & Teaser Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Each week they will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers over at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join.

This week you can choose your own Top Ten. I went for: Top Ten YA Book Series.

My Top Ten YA Book Series

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
3. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
4. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
5. The Vampire Academy by Rachelle Mead
6. Bloodlines by Rachelle Mead
7. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
8. Divergent by Veronica Roth
9. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
10. The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Should Be Reading. 
Anyone can play along by doing the following. Grab your current read open to a random page and share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

My Teaser:

“Great! He has indigestion, so let's torture him with cake.” 

- Fire by Kristin Cashore

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly event to show what we are reading for the week hosted at Book Journey, Post the books completed last week, the books you're currently reading, and the books you are planning to read this week.

Finished last week

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey 

Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver 

Destroy Me (Shatter Me #1.5) by Tahereh Mafi

The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass 

Currently Reading

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Planning to read

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey [Review]

This review contains spoilers.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Title: The 5th Wave

Author: Rick Yancey
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Series: The Fifth Wave #1
Release Date: May 7th 2013
Pages: 457
Rating: ★★★★☆

Synopsis of the Book:

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

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