2014 Challenge #1: Rewind Challenge

It's that time of year again - time for me to finally sign up for the reading challenges I plan to participate in next year. So first off, we've got the 2014 Rewind Challenge hosted by Coffee Bean Bookshelf. This is a new one for me, and I'm excited! There aren't many rules to this challenge (which you can see here), and there aren't even any levels - you decide your own reading goal, which is actually tricky in itself. In 2013, I read 30 book as part of the Off the Shelf Reading Challenge, and I'd love to be able to aim for 30 again. But, with my 3rd year of uni just around the corner, and the possibility that I may need to get a job in the not-too-distant future, I'm not entirely sure that's achievable. So, my official goal will be 20 books, but since there are so many books on my TBR pile that I want to read, I'm listing 32 books that I just can't wait to read any longer - so the aim is to read 20 of the 32 books listed below - although I do hope I can surpass that!

1. Vortex by Julie Cross {review}
2. Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
3. Awaken by Meg Cabot {review}
4. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell {review} 
5. Looking for Alaska by John Green {review coming soon}
6. Diva by Jillian Larkin {review}
7. Eve by Anna Carey {review coming soon}
8. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
9. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare {review}
10. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
11. Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
12. Pivot Point by Kasie West {review}
13. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
14. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
15. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 
16. All Our Yesterdays by Christin Terrill
17. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
18. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 
19. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline {review}
20. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken {review}
21. World After by Susan Ee
22. Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier {review coming soon}
23. Icons by Margaret Stohl
24. Pawn by Aimee Carter
25. Feed by Mira Grant
26. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
27. The Maze Runner by James Dashner {review}
28. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
29. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead {review}
30. The Program by Suzanne Young
31. Reboot by Amy Tintera {review coming soon} 
32. Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs 

Book Review: The Lucky Ones (Bright Young Things #3) by Anna Godbersen

The Lucky Ones (Bright Young Things #3) by Anna Godbersen
Release Date: 27th November 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 373
Rating: 3.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"In 1929, the Bright Young Things escape Manhattan's heat for the lush lawns and sparkling bays of White Cove, looking for leisure, love, and luck.

New York City's latest It Girl, Cordelia Grey, is flying high with celebrity pilot Max Darby. But Max is a private person with a reputation to uphold—and a secret to hide. A public romance with a bootlegger's daughter could cost him more than just his good name. . . .

Aspiring triple threat Letty Larkspur has finally gotten her big break, but will her talent—and special bond with the married silver-screen star Valentine O'Dell—make her a target in the cutthroat world of Hollywood? Perhaps the ingenue knows how to play the leading lady after all.

Newly married to her longtime sweetheart, socialite Astrid Donal finds herself spending more time with one of her husband's henchmen than with him. With so many secrets between man and wife, is the honeymoon already coming to an end?As summer reaches its hottest peak, these sun-kissed girls will find out if their luck can last . . . or if dark surprises are on the horizon."

Review:

I began this book remembering very few details of each girls storyline, and as a result, I at times found this book interesting, and at other times, I just didn't know what was going on. Partly that's my fault for not  skimming the previous book or looking up the main plot points in the preceding novels before I began reading, but I also think its a reflection on how I found this series overall - not really that enthralling.

For example, this series has featured three narrators who we change between quite frequently - Cordelia, Astrid and Letty. I could remember Cordelia's story, because it was by far the most interesting, so I always knew what was going on with her. With Astrid, I couldn't remember everything at the beginning, but it did come back to me as I read. And with Letty, I honestly couldn't remember anything about her storyline...not one thing. As a result I didn't enjoy Letty's story so much because I just couldn't remember its beginning. 

Whilst I didn't necessarily find the plot and characters all that interesting, I can't help but love the setting. Set in the 1920's, with the prohibition and the illegal speakeasy's, the glamorous lifestyle and the gansters - I can't help but enjoy the frivolous lifestyle, with that hint of danger ever so present. Overall, a fair ending to a series that I wasn't really that enthralled with. Should you read it? I probably wouldn't - if you'd like to read something by this author, I'd go with The Luxe series instead, it's much, much better. 

Wishlist Wednesday (27)

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted at Pen to Paper

This week I'm wishing for...


Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 

Summary from Goodreads:

"It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. 

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them. 

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. 

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle. 

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. 

A world at stake. 
A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready?"

Why I'm Wishing for It:
Do I even need to explain why I want this one. I never cease to hear good things about this one. It seems like every couple of weeks this pops up somehow - I see someone raving about it at least once a month. This is just something I need to get my hands on post-Christmas. 

What about you? What are you wishing for this week?

DHB Returns

So, you may or may not have noticed that its been radio silent here for the past month. First there were exams, then I went on holiday for a week, and then I just needed some time to myself when I got back. Now that I've had some time to de-stress and relax, it's finally time to return to the blog! Starting tomorrow I'll be back to regular posting.

Book Review: Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth
Release Date: 23rd October 2013

Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 536
Rating: 3.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love."

Review:
** Spoiler Alert: Read at your own risk**
**Like seriously, SPOILERS**

I don't really know where to start with this one. Because, whilst this was a good wrap up to the series and explained everything well, there were some glaring problems.

Let's start with the characters. The character's are the same character's you still know and love. With the dual perspective split between Tris and Tobias, we get a new insight into Tobias, even if he sounds exactly the same as Tris. There's problem number one - when reading Tobias' chapters, I usually forgot it wasn't Tris, then got super confused and had to refer back to the beginning of the chapter to see that I wasn't actually reading from Tris' perspective. I understand why the dual perspective is there, but I think it could have been done better. Back to the characters - what I appreciate is that Tris stays true to herself, to her character that has been established in the previous books. Roth was very brave to write the ending as she did, and I appreciate the guts it took to go through with that, even though it was obvious that some people would be annoyed. But, honestly, that ending couldn't have gone any other way. Tris is the brave, self sacrificing girl who would die for her loved ones - she would not let her brother Caleb, no matter what he did to her, do to his death - she just wouldn't. So props to Roth for staying true to the characters and writing the ending the way you did. However, I didn't like how Tris' big plan to save everyone was to wipe everyone's memories - Tris is supposed to be the moral compass, I don't see her ever thinking that this is a good idea. 

Moving on, something that obviously needed to be addressed in this novel was all the mysteries surrounding Divergence, and the factions system, and Edith Prior's video at the end of Insurgent. And, we did get those answers, although they were a bit lacklustre. The whole explanation and reasoning made sense, but I think we were all hoping that it was going to be something more, something less obvious maybe? I'm not entirely sure, I just know that when I read the explanation, I was like..Yeah no that makes sense. I wasn't like...OH MY LORD THAT'S WHY!?! Which is kinda how I wanted to be. Also, something else that irked me...we never got a full, detailed explanation as to why Caleb sold Tris out to Jeanine. I was so pumped for a explanation for that, and I read in an article that Roth said we'd be getting some answers, but we actually didn't get anything. I wanted that explained, and considering how long the novel was, a paragraph or two to explain Caleb's actions could have been thrown in (of could have even replaced something else).

Now let's get to the plot and the writing. This is where the most glaring issues were. The timing of this novel wasn't right. We begin quite strong, our little group ventures out beyond the fence, they reach their destination quite quickly, and then we get an info dump. The explanation for pretty much everything (Divergence, the factions set-up, what it's aiming to correct, etc etc) is thrown at us in one big dump, and within the space of a chapter or two. And then, for about 300 pages or so, next to nothing happens. Between the first couple of chapters and the big finale, it's just dead space. There are scenes in there that serve no purpose, and the action that's been present in Divergent and Insurgent is lacking. People are making stupid decisions and doing things that serve no purpose to the main plot. And then, at around the 400 page mark, with Tris' declaration to erase everyone's memories, everything picks up. We get the action, we get some movement, things are happening, and then Tris dies, we slow down a bit, everything gets resolved, and the book is over. And then we have the beautiful epilogue that makes you wonder if it can save the entire book. But it can't, it just can't.

That 300 page dead space could have been condensed to under 100 pages and then the book would have been the perfect length, and the story would be progressing along at pretty much the perfect speed. Considering that Roth has had the book planned since the very beginning, I'm surprised that she wasn't able to completely pull it off. However, it did give me the answers that I wanted, and beginning and ending of the book were strong. So, should you read this? If you've been reading the series, then how could you not give this a go after the ending of Insurgent? If you're wondering whether to start the series, I'm almost tempted to tell you not to, but if you think you can push through some bad writing in the final book, then give it a go. 

Booking by Number's Q&A

In my transversing of the blogosphere recently, I've seen a few people doing this. Jess Hearts Books thought up this great little bookish Q&A about our bookshelves, and I thought I'd give it a go!

The idea is to find a random number generator and enter the number of books you have on your bookshelf Then, for each question, draw a number and find that book on your bookshelf. So without further ado...

Book Number: 26 Book: Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Lousie Rennison
Q1) Have you read this book? If so, what did you think of it?
I don't know If I've said it enough, but I'm a big fan of Louise Rennison's books. This one was the first novel of her's I read, and I couldn't stop laughing through the entire Georgia Nicholson series.

Book Number: 85 Book: Wither by Lauren Destefano 
Q2) Why did you purchase this book? Were you recommended it? Was it a random purpose?
I'd heard a lot about this series via the blogosphere and had it on my wishlist for a while before I decided to buy it with Christmas money one year.

Book Number: 40 Book: Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
Q3) Based on what you know about this book which other book blogger would you recommend it to?
I really enjoy this series, but Deja Dead was a dense start. I guess anyone who enjoys crime novels would enjoy this one.

Book Number: 39 Book: The Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling
Q4) Who's this books bookshelf neighbour?
TDH sits nicely between Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Twilight.

Book Number: 59 b The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Q5) How many books have you read by this book's author?
I don't think it's any surprise that my answer is zero for this one.

Book Number: 20 Book: Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Q6) Do you have any special memories attached to this book?
Sort-of. This is one of the first books I ever read as part of a challenge. I wasn't sure if challenges were something I could stick to when I started (as it turns out, that year I was pretty dismal at reading at all), but I like to think I'm pretty good with them now.

Book Number: 57 Book: Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen
Q7) If this book part of a series? If it is are you up to date with the series?
Yep it is, and nope I'm not, although I do have the final book in the trilogy and plan to read it soon.

Book Number: 71 Book: Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye
Q8) Is this book something you'd typically read or is it out of your comfort zone?
This is something I'd typically read. Maybe not so much now-a-days, since all our characters are mice, but its still a mystery book, and I do enjoy a good mystery or two.

Book Number: 17 Book: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Q9) Have you reviewed this book? If yes then share a link to it.
My fangirling in gifs review 

Book Number: 101 Book: Once by Anna Carey
Q10) Where did you buy this book from?
A little stall in my local shopping centre that was selling books for only $10 (sadly it's gone now)

Book Number: 3 Book: Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes
Q11) Roughly how long have you owned this book for?
Years. I think this may have been given to me as a gift when I was in Year 8, so I would have been 15 - so roughly 5 years.

Book Number: 91 Book: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Q12) Share the first sentence of this book.
"I bear a deep red stain that runs from my left shoulder down to my right hip, a trail left by the herbwitch's poison that my mother used to try to expel me from her womb"
Well, that's definitely not what I thought the opening sentence would be - I really should read this soon!

Book Number: 41 Book: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Q13) What's your opinion on the book's cover?
Ehh. White flower with red highlights. Doesn't really do anything for me. 

Book Number: 63 Book: Splintered by A.G Howard
Q14) In a few sentences, describe this book in your own words.
Pure genius. A completely original and enthralling retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Just...so good!

And that's it! I enjoyed exploring my bookshelf - you should give it a go too!

Wishlist Wednesday (26)

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted at Pen to Paper

I'm late!!! What with the lead up to finals, this week has been hectic. Luckily this was only a day late. 

This week I'm wishing for...


Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Summary from Goodreads:

"St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever."

Why I'm Wishing for It:
I hear so much about this series. I seems that everyone has read this series, and loved it, but I've been on the fence about this series for a while now. I think I want to take the plunge, give it a go. At least borrow it from my library, I don't even have to commit to buying it. But, this is officially near the top of my wishlist. 

What about you? What are you wishing for this week?