Showing posts with label Lauren Oliver. Show all posts

October 07, 2017

Stacking The Shelves [#70]/Sunday Post [#1]/Mailbox Monday [#1]

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality as a way to share all the books we got during the week!


The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. Its a weekly post to showcase what books you got, recap the week, and talk about what will be coming up this week on the blog!

Mailbox Monday is hosted on its own site. It is there to show off the books acquired during the week!

So over the past 2 years, since the last time I did a StS, I've acquired a fair amount of books. I'm not going to post everything, but I'll post a fair chunk so everyone can see what I've got and am working on reading! 


Bought/Gifts Part 1/3:

  • Sweet Temptation (Sweet #4) by Wendy Higgins (Goodreads)
  • Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell (Goodreads)
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads)
  • A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads)
  • Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads)
  • Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads)
  • Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads)
  • Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas (Signed Copy) (Goodreads)
A lot of Sarah J. Maas. Lol. I know a lot of people love her books so I've been collecting them to read. 

Bought/ Gifts Part 2/3:
  • Blood Ravens: The Dawn of War Omnibus (Warhammer 40k) by C.S. Goto (Goodreads)
  • The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads)
  • Carve The Mark (Carve The Mark #1) by Veronica Roth (Goodreads)
  • Strange The Dreamer (Strange The Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor (Goodreads)
  • The Rose Society (The Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu (Goodreads)
  • The Midnight Star (The Young Elites #3) by Marie Lu (Goodreads)
  • Soldier (Talon #3) by Julie Kagawa (Goodreads)
  • Replica (Replica #1) by Lauren Oliver (Goodreads)
Bought/Gifts Part 3/3:
  • Until The Beginning (After The End #2) by Amy Plum (Goodreads)
  • Starbreak (Starglass #2) by Phoebe North (Goodreads)
  • Sever (The Chemical Garden #3) by Lauren DeStefano (Goodreads/Review)
  • The Shadow Cabinet (Shades of London #3) by Maureen Johnson (Goodreads)
  • Raging Star (Dustlands #3) by Moira Young (Goodreads)
  • Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare (Goodreads)
  • Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga #1) by Colleen Houck (Goodreads)
  • Tiger's Quest (The Tiger Saga #2) by Colleen Houck (Goodreads)

Weekly Recap:

Upcoming:
So I had 2 books I had read but never reviewed in 2015/2016 that I had wanted to review. So I'll be rereading them so I can finally finish my reviews and post them! YAY!

Review of Fuse (Pure #2) by Julianna Baggott
Review of The Lives We Lost (Fallen World #2) by Megan Crewe
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March 29, 2013

Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Requiem (Delirium #3)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: March 5, 2013
Pages: 391
Source: Hardcover/Own

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.


Review: Overall, I enjoyed the book. I want to start of talking about the action. I really loved how the action continuously picked up the further you got into the book. It started out with small fights with regulators to regulators mass murdering entire towns of resistance/invalids. I didn't exactly like that so many resistance/invalids were being murdered, but just the step up in the action made the book more interesting in terms of fighting. I also loved how the Resistance stepped up in fighting back! They came up with some great plans! Granted one of them was messed up by one of their allies ending up working for the other side, but it was still a great plan none the less. And dont even get me started on the huge plan they had schemed up and did at the end. That... That was huge! I didnt see the ending scene with the Resistance going down exactly like that but it was still huge nonetheless!

Ok, so the alternating POV's. I liked it, but I didn't love it exactly. I liked seeing what was going on both in the Resistance with Lena and then back in Portland with Hana being cured, but I really felt like half of the time Hana's POV was boring. I mean there were many interesting chapters, but there were still many boring ones as well. Lena's POV on the other hand always seemed interesting. Whether it was a fight with Regulators, fighting about where the group should go, someone new showing up or leaving, someone dying. There was just always something going on. I enjoyed Lena's POV a lot more than Hana's. 

Hana. In the few chapters I didn't find boring in her POV there were many things I was curious about. Like she went and found Grace (Lena's Cousin) and brought her food. I would think someone that the cure work fully wouldn't do that. So I questioned whether the cure fully worked on Hana. Also, I do have to say I was very curious, like Hana about what happened to Cassie (Fred's former wife). So whenever she was brought up I was very attentive to what was going on. I have to say, right from the beginning I was skeptical about Hana's Fiance Fred. I just felt like there was something seriously unstable about him and that he was hiding something. I was proved right too. Long story short, was never a fan of Fred in this book! I was so proud of Hana finding Cassie and finding out what Fred was capable of. And I'm happy with what she did at the end of the book leaving the house with Fred still in it knowing what was gonna happen. I definitely don't think Hana's cure worked fully.

Lena. Man, she dealt with so much. Alex showed back up but said he didn't love her anymore. That really hurt Lena. She tried to get over it, but you could tell whenever she talked about him or even looked at him that it was killing her not being with him. I mean she had Julian, but even Lena said it outright herself. She'd never love him the way she loves Alex. And you could tell that was true. Though I was happy that Julian was there for her when she was dealing with all that pain. With the way Alex kept treating her she needed someone to just be there for her. But I was also proud of Lena for stepping up when she needed to in the Resistance. Though the Resistance did give her some complications with her life. It brought her mom back into her life, which she wasnt exactly happy about at first. I mean after really getting to talk to her mom and spend time with her she was happy about it but it really upset her at first. I was kinda confused about the ending for Lena though....

The ending in general made me mad. It just cut off so abruptly! I mean Hana left Fred in the house where something bad was gonna happen. Alex tells Lena he still loves her and that he'll never run away again but thats the end. We dont find out what happens to any of them, if Alex and Lena get back together or exactly what happens as a whole with them taking down the walls. There is just so much left unfinished and I was really disappointed in the ending. I was gonna give the books 5 stars but after that ending I cant. I just cant. 

4 Stars!
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March 23, 2013

Stacking The Shelves [#47]

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews as a way to share all the books we got during the week!

Bought:
Library:
Weekly Recap:
Reviews: 

Memes & Other Posts:
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March 17, 2013

Stacking The Shelves [#46]

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews as a way to share all the books we got during the week!

Tucson Festival of Books:
Bought:
Library:
Weekly Recap:
Giveaway:

Memes & Other Posts:
Tucson Festival of Books Recap
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December 19, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday [#69]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Ebook Short Story Version!

Annabel (Delirium #0.5)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Expected Publication: December 26, 2012

Lena's mother, Annabel, has always been a mystery—a ghost in Lena's past. Until now.

Discover her secrets in Lauren Oliver's brilliant original digital story set in the world of New York Times bestsellers Delirium and Pandemonium.

Lena Halloway's mother, Annabel, supposedly committed suicide when Lena was only six years old. That's the lie that Lena grew up believing, but the truth is very different. As a rebellious teenager, Annabel ran away from home and straight into the man she knew she was destined to marry. The world was different then—the regulations not as stringent, the cure only a decade old. Fast forward to the present, and Annabel is consigned to a dirty prison cell, where she nurtures her hope of escape and scratches one word over and over into the walls: Love.

But Annabel, like Lena, is a fighter. Through chapters that alternate between her past and present, Annabel reveals the story behind her failed cures, her marriage, the births of her children, her imprisonment, and, ultimately, her daring escape.

A Dance With Darkness (Angelfire #0.5)
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Expected Publication: January 2, 2013

There were shadows in this alley that no light touched, and where there was no light, anything could hide.

At the end of the fourteenth century, angelic reapers struggle to defend London against a legion of the demonic who have their sights set on claiming human souls and ancient relics for a dark purpose. Madeleine, a young but powerful warrior, is duty-bound to fight the demonic, and she lives for this pursuit above all else. Then, on a routine night of tracking, she is ambushed by a cadre of reapers and, though she defeats them all, she is left wounded and at the mercy of their lord, the notorious Bastian.

Madeleine is astonished when Bastian lets her live. She goes deeper into the world of the demonic and is shocked to meet him again-this powerful reaper whose touch makes her restless and gives her a thrill unlike anything else. When they fall into a dangerous clandestine affair, her head and her heart must wage their war: can their love overcome his demonic nature? Will her dance with darkness burn her or bring Bastian into the light?

With scorching romance and fantastic action, this original novella is a prequel to Courtney Allison Moulton's gripping and epic Angelfire series.

Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story
Author: Ally Carter
Expected Publication: January 22, 2013

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

I am really excited for all three of these! Especially Double Crossed! A story with characters from both Hesit Society and Gallagher Girls!!! Definitely want to read that!!! :D
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July 11, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday [#46]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Requiem (Delirium #3)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Expected Publication: March 5, 2013

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. Of Pandemonium, ALA Booklist noted that “like all successful second volumes, this expands the world and ups the stakes, setting us up for the big finale.”

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

Look! It has a synopsis! EEPPPPPP! I am beyond excited for this!!!! I loved Delirium, and Pandemonium even more than the first and after the ending in Pandemonium... I just need this like ASAP!!! Why does March have to be so far away?!? And I'm really excited that it's gonna be from both Lena & Hana's POVS! :D

What are you waiting on this week?

Also, I have some giveaways going on! Make sure to check them out! Links are on the sidebar! (Some of them are international!)
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June 29, 2012

More Cover Reveals (So Many Lately)

No blurb yet. I haven't read this series but I own the first one and I really wanna get to it soon. I love this cover. Out of the three covers I love this one the best. I love the blue so much on this! I think it looks fantastic! A Touch Menacing's expected publication is March 5, 2013!

AHHHHH!!!!! I'm like seriously beyond excited for Requiem. I love love loved Delirium & Pandemonium and after the way Pandemonium ended I need this like ASAP!!! I need Lena to end up with Alex! I will be so unhappy (and there will be lots of book throwing) if she doesn't. And I really need to see whats gonna happen in general! EEEPPPP! Lol. Requiem's expected publication is also March 5, 2013!

 No blurb yet. I do like this cover. I think it goes well with Partials. I havent read Partials yet but I know a few of you have and liked it so I'll have to get on that soon. Fragments expected publication is February 26, 2013!

What are your thoughts on the covers? Let me know in the comments!
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March 08, 2012

Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium (Delirium #2)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: February 28, 2012
Pages: 375
Source: Hardcover/Own 

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

Review: *Mostly spoiler free (there is things that may give you idea of what happens)* AHHHHHHHH!!!! No seriously, that's what I was doing for like an hour after I finished the book! This book was freaking amazing!!!! There was always something to keep you wanting to read more! The sequel to Delirium couldn't get any better than this! First thing I loved about this book was the "then" and "now." I really loved reading what happened right after she escaped into the Wilds and what was happening right then! I couldn't put the book down! I really liked Raven! She is one badass chick! Lol. She is a great leader and made another strong female character, and I really liked seeing that. I loved how Raven had a way of doing things and how there was always someway to help. I also thought the way they were able to get messages from the outside was interesting. Feeding the birds in the city and leaving paint so that they'd get it on them and that signaled a certain message. That's a very good idea and I really liked how it was used (though when the birds had red paint on them I was freaking out man!). Lol. I also liked how when they went undercover in the cities that Raven, Tack and Lena stayed together. Though I don't completely approve of what Raven and Tack planned involving Lena. But it had a good outcome nonetheless.

So much happened to Lena in Pandemonium! She couldn't catch a break anywhere! I mean first she has to deal with losing Alex when she escaped and he didn't, and while she was dealing with that she was also trying to regain her strength from the days in the Wilds all alone! That sucks like massively! I was very proud of her trying so hard to strengthen herself and become a real member of the group. I loved the moments when she actually felt like she belonged there. I felt for her though because even though she was still feeling the loss of Alex she then had to help Raven through some losses, and those affected Lena as well. And then, when they are undercover in the city Raven and Tack throw Lena into another situation that she has to get out of and UGH! Lena just never got a break and it sucked seeing her have to endure so much (though she's a very strong girl and she handled most of those situations very well.) I was very happy that Lena was able to get through to Julian when they were being held hostage and that in the end she was able to save him. And that Raven and Tack even came to the rescue to help after what they put Lena through. I was losing faith in Raven and Tack after learning about what they did but it was restored at the end when they helped Lena out! And OMG!!! Lena's MOM!!!! And ALEX!!!!!!! AHHHH!!!! The ending was beyond freaking amazing!!!! I cant believe her mom was there helping her and OMG!!! ALEX!!!! YAY YAY YAY!!!! I think that describes my excitement about the end! Lol.

You have to read this if you liked Delirium!!! You will LOVE IT!!!! :D

5 Stars!
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March 06, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Covers Of 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. It was created due to their love of lists.

This weeks topic is:
Top Ten Covers Of 2012

1. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare - What Mortal Instruments fan doesnt love this cover??? Its beautiful! It's my have one of the series yet!

2. Hidden by Sophie Jordan - I love love love this cover!!! Its perfect! It will definitely look good with the other covers in this series and I just love how this one is darker than the rest!

3. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows - I just love how beautiful this is! I love the colors on it and its even prettier in person!

4. Insurgent by Veronica Roth - I really really love how the covers to both Divergent and Insurgent have the city back drop and then one of the faction symbols on it! They just look so amazing!

5. Masque Of The Red Death by Bethany Griffin - I just love the dark colors on this! I've read the actually Edgar Allen Poe story of the same name and I feel the darker colors fit the story. :)

6. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver - I loved this cover ever since I saw it! I love like the flowers around her face and everything (and orange is my fave color) so that makes me like it even more! And its even more beautiful in person!

7. Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan - I love this cover like TEN TIMES more than I loved Glows cover! I feel like this one is way more beautiful and I loved Glow so I definitely think this cover will go well with Glow on the shelf!

8. Once by Anna Carey - I don't know what it is about this cover but I love it more than Eves! I think its the darker background (if you havent noticed I really like covers with darker backgrounds!) but I just love it!

9. Arise by Tara Hudson - This cover is beyond beautiful! And it goes along so well with the cover to Hereafter! And what do you know! Its another darker cover. hahaha

10. Timepiece by Myra McEntire - This cover it so beautiful! Another thats like 10 times prettier than the first (though i do love Hourglasses cover too). The cover also goes well with Hourglass!

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March 06, 2012

Teaser Tuesday [#30]

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

1. "In the beginning, there is fire. Fire in my legs and lungs; fire tearing through every nerve and cell in my body."

2. "That's how I am born again, in pain: I emerge from the suffocating heat and darkness. I force my way through a black, wet space of strange noises and smells."

pg. 4 of "Pandemonium" by Lauren Oliver
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March 03, 2012

In My Mailbox [#30]

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where we share new books we bought, received, won etc.

Bought:
Library:

NetGalley: (So you can put covers to the books I mentioned I made a pic for you guys)
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Macmillian and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt! Especially Macmillian, you guys seriously made my week when I saw you guys approved me for all 4 titles I requested! Lol.

Kindle:
So I forgot to mention this in the video and I also forgot to mention it last week. I had preordered the free copy of Evernight on Amazon (the one that comes with Extras) and I completely forgot about it downloading to my Kindle until I saw it on other peoples IMM's last week! Lol.

Whats in your mailbox?!?!?
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January 30, 2012

Teaser Tuesday [#25]

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

1. "Popularity's a weird thing. You can't really define it, and it's not cool to talk about it, but you know it when you see it."

2. "Like a lazy eye, or porn."

pg. 17 of "Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver
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January 28, 2012

In My Mailbox [#25]

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where we share new books we bought, received, won etc.

Library Haul Part I:

Library Haul Part II:
    Whats in your mailbox?
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