Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Books I Want to Re-read


I've been hitting my head in a wall trying to think what I should write about in my next post. Most anticipated books of April 2016 is coming up in a few days time but I'm in this period where I have nothing to read (sad times indeed) so I've been looking through books I love, thinking which should I re-read (?) when it hit me (!): Should I make a post about it maybe?
Sounded like a fun idea, so here we go. 


Oh, and, before we start: *This post is spoiler free to all the books I'll be mentioning*




The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

If you've read a few of my posts so far, you probably already know of my undying love for Cassandra Clare's books.
Funny story: when I first read City of Bones, I abandoned this book and hadn't picked it up until 2 years later. But that was because I... Ah... freaked out about something. It was actually after reading Clockwork Angel that I went right back to the mortal instruments, picked it up again and didn't stop reading until the very last book.
I read the mortal instruments when 5 of the books were already out. I think I've re-read the first three books 4-5 times. But I haven't re-read any of the books in a while now.
Oh, how much I love this series!
Sorry, I got distracted. Well, maybe not... the point of this post is to fangirl all about these books, no? ;)
If you are reading this post and haven't read the mortal instruments yet... I highly-highly-highly recommend you to read it. If you love a good fantasy world, romance that will get your heart to beat in dread yet swoon repeatedly, sarcasm that will make you laugh and some epic times thrown into the mix... then you should definitely read it.
I know some people feel either way about the mortal instruments. Some love it and some hate it. You can't know which one you are unless you try (:
If you find yourself not liking the mortal instruments, you should still try the infernal devices. I know some people who didn't like the mortal instruments at all yet absolutely LOVED the infernal devices. For me, I loved them both equally.
Those two series are intertwined but you can read them separately with no problem (you will understand everything perfectly even if you don't read them both, I assure you). If you do want to read them together then I recommend reading them in this order: City of bones, City of ashes, city of glass, Clockwork angel, City of fallen angels, Clockwork prince, City of lost souls, Clockwork princess, City of heavenly fire.
I'm pretty sure most people of the world read these books though so I have no idea how helpful (if at all) this was.
Oh, well.



Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

My favourite Colleen hoover book.
I read contemporaries from time to time but they usually don't blow me away. I enjoy them but not as much as I enjoy a good fantasy book.
This one though... this one blew me away with how amazing it was.
I love Coleen's way or writing, of telling a story, of bombing you out of nowhere with plot twists that leave you speechless. She has that way of getting you attached to those characters in just one book.
It takes skills to tell such a complex, deep, yet extremely entertaining story that combines both laughter and sadness and that will make you fall for it instantly. Not to mention all the artistic and unique aspects she adds to her stories. She somehow manages so come out with yet another idea for a beautiful masterpiece.
Maybe someday is the lightest of her books, and that's actually why I love it best.
Confess, Hopeless, November 9, Ugly love... they all had that sad\tragic aspect to them that was thrown at as out of nowhere in the middle of the book (she's prone to a HEA, so not to worry). While I think it's amazing how Colleen weaves her stories always and always catch me off guard... Some of the sad\tragic aspects are just too dark for me to deal with. And it's ironically because I got so attached to the story and characters that I feel that way.
Maybe Someday is the book that shows us what Collen's books would look like without that dark aspect. and I found I loved it much more that way. For me, it's just too hard to keep reading the other books when that 'dark' aspect arrives.
I love the seriousness and darkness and complexity in books but with colleen's books it simply doesn't work for me (not in a bad way just in my way).
Maybe Someday is so very good. It's complex yet beautiful. Light yet serious. And the music... oh my goodness, the music. it's the first book I've ever read to literally weave the music into the story.
Music and books are my two greatest passions. together it was just brilliant.
I've re-read this book 4 times and I already want to re-read it for the 5th time.
If you want to get on board the Colleen Hoover train, I recommend you start with Maybe someday or the Never-never trilogy. 



Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and
Jay Kristoff

so... I went to check out on google other words for the word 'unique'. I came up with: different, rare, uncommon.
Huh.
None of them feels quite right.
How would I describe Illuminae? exceptional, distinctive, unique, extraordinary, special, strange (everything that's unique and special is also strange in some way. The good kind of strange), something else, unlike anything else.
That's more like it.
My only mistake with reading Illuminae is reading it on my kindle. Not going to happen again.
This book is told through E-mail, messages, interviews, documents, chats and surveillance footage. intrigued? so was I.
The truth is, it's even better than it sounds.
Don't let the way this story is told\the confusion in the beginning of what's going on to put you off.
Kady is the best kick-ass, sassy and tough character I've read in a while. I LOVE her. And Ezra? funny, amazing, endlessly swoon-Worthy.
This whole book is swoon-worthy. Seriously.
Just don't make the mistake of reading it on your kindle\e-reader like I did. It's not horrible but it's not comfortable either (because of the way it's written).
I haven't re-read Illuminae yet but I'm planning to (once I order the physical copy). The next book in the trilogy (series? not sure yet) is only coming out in October 18, 2016. When the blurb came out and Jay Kristoff's FAQ in the reviews section in goodreads... I had no idea how I was going to make it to October 18. How do you wait such a long time for a book you're dying for? *freaking out here! 7... more... months...*
Any reader would tell you it's one of the greatest questions in the universe, still
unanswered. 



The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Ahh, The Vampire Academy.
Remember that story about me switching from reading in my native language to reading in English? Well, so the book that marked that transition is actually Shadow kiss (the third book in the vampire academy). It was after finishing Frost Bite with that OMG WHAT JUST HAPPENED! ending. How could you expect from someone to wait *a year* for the next book to come out after *that* ending, when the original book is already out? you can't.
So I owe my thanks to that insane ending that made me the reader I am today.
The vampire academy is the best vampire story I ever read. Richelle found a way to take the vampirism aspect that has been done over and over again, to a new level.
I loved the dynamics of Vampires in the series but the best part? Rose and Dimitry *swoon*. Rose's like Jace. No, seriously, Imagine Jace just in a female version. That's Rose. She's awesome, hilarious, sarcastic, kick-ass to the end and loyal to the people she loves.
And Dimitry? Their relationship development is just oh so good!
I've also read part of the bloodlines series by Richelle and really enjoyed it. The vampire academy series is by far the best series I've read by Richelle. 



Percy Jackson And The Olympians &
 Heroes Of Olympus
 by Rick Riordan 

I've been reading for as long as I can remember, but what really got me into being a reader and not just someone who occasionally read books is the Percy Jackson series.
I still remember the first time I read Percy Jackson. From the very first page - and I do mean, the first page - I was a goner for this series.
I know many people say they grew up with Harry Potter. If so, I grew up with Percy Jackson.
I read the first book when I was 12 (Just like Percy was 12 in the first book) and read the last book last year (when I was 17), just like Percy.
So yes... I basically grew up with Percy Jackson. It'll forever be an important and favourite book series of mine.
I know some people are cautious picking up this series because Percy is 12 in the first book and they don't know if they can relate to a book told by a 12-year-old anymore. I'll go out and say it: Percy is not your ordinary 12-year-old. in fact, you might even forget he's even 12-year old with all the monsters, action, humor, awesomeness, gods and adventures this book has.
And anyway, in each book Percy is a year older.
This is a series I not only re-read many times before but also will definitely re-read again.
Cassandra Clare and Rick Riordan are at the very-very top of favorite authors of all times. Granted, I was rather disappointed with their latest books (Lady Midnight and The Sword of summer) but every now and then it's bound to happen. I'm sticking with them forever.
I used to call Cassandra Clare the Queen of my favourite books and Rick Riordan the King of my favourite books (:
How awesome would it be if they'll write a book together? 



The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

Another amazing series by Rick Riordan. Fun, magical, adventurous, laughing non-stop and enjoying every minute... just like Rick does best.
I love-love-love the brother-sister dynamics, the romance, the writing style and, well... everything.
I'll be re-reading it again for sure.
If you haven't read anything by Rick Riordan yet and don't know how to start or are just overwhelmed by the number of books in the Percy Jackson series (not that it's overwhelming once you start), you can start here, with the Kane Chronicles. It'll be a great introduction to Rick's style. 



Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I found myself relating to Cath so much that I was wondering if my college experience was going to be like that - terrifying yet worth it in the end.
Like Cath I'm the shy, anxious of new situations type. The 'real' me is the one I feel, the one you see when I write. Writing is my way of showing the world who I really am.
Back to the book: I enjoyed Cath's journey and romance so much. It was so very cute and heartwarming.
Even the dynamics between Cath and her sister reminded me of the dynamics between me and my sister (although we're not twins).
The romance only picks up about halfway through the book but it's okay because once it does, it's so fun! Levi & Cath are funny and great together.
Is it weird though that I was even more invested in Simon Snow in this book and the bits we saw from his story?
Fantasy being my favorite genre, I don't think it's weird. It makes sense, actually.
I was
ecstatic when Carry On was announced! A fictional book that was presented in another fictional book that I loved? Simon Snow? and Rainbow's first fantasy book? count me in. I even wrote a review about Carry On on goodreads (here: Carry On) but that's another story.
Fangirl was a great read. I already re-read it once before Carry On came out and I'm sure I'll be re-reading it again when I'm in the right mood.
If you're looking for a fun contemporary book or just want to read something by Rainbow Rowell because you've hear a lot about her, you should read Fangirl (: 



The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy

Another Rick with another fantastic book.
Other then their names and the fantastic-ness of their books, they truly have nothing in common. Yet I loved both of their books extremely so.
The 5th wave is one hell of a unique story. Cassie's chapters were my favourites. I always couldn't wait to get back to her.
And Evan... Oh Evan *LOL* sorry, I just remembered his creepiness. It was hilarious. Their relationship is not Ideal but it doesn't change how much I root for them.
I loved their moments together... it was the best.
Rick's writing style is so unique and captivating. I loved the second book (the infinite sea) less but I loved it nonetheless. The first book is by far the best. I've already re-read it 2 times. And I'm so-so-so excited to The last star (the third book) that's coming out in May!



The Hunger Games by
 Suzanne Collins

I feel like everybody in the universe have read this book or at least seen the movies. Or at the very least heard about it.
I was on the Hunger Games train right there with everyone else.
The first book is the best and It's the one I've been re-reading many times before.
The first book? Amazing! Applause! That was a great read!
The second book? Less as good but still liked it.
The third book? Ah... what just happened? *blink-blink*. I don't know what was that but I don't particularly like it.
So yeah... I haven't re-read the hunger games in a very long time now. I'm not sure I will because I feel like my excitement for it has become less and less over the years but I've read the first book so many times that I feel it's worth mentioning in this post.
If you really-truly don't know about the hunger games (which I highly doubt but still)... the best course of action will be reading the first book and see where is leads you.  



Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

It's... genius.
No, really, the MC is a genius. As in, Sherlock Holmes level of genius. If you, like me, love the awesomeness and brilliance of Sherlock Holmes and doctor who, then you should definitely try this series out.
It just gets better and better. Books 4 and 5 being the best in the series.
Stop after book 5 or 6 though. Because after that... the series starts to go to hell. Things are being so weird I started to doubt the same author has been writing it.
so yes, you should stop after book 5, maybe 6.
Back to the actual book: Artemis Fowl, in the beginning of the series, is 12-year-old. But just like I said about Percy Jackson, he's not your regular 12 years old. Even more so with him being a criminal master mind genius.
It doesn't have romance and It's not the usual kind of book I pick up but it does have strong friendships and I'm not sorry for reading this series. it was truly amazing. I loved every minute of it and I'll definitely be reading it again soon.



Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

I've seen some people that really hated this series.
Granted, Nora (the protagonist) can make you want to choke her sometimes *laughing* but I still liked this series. Rather a lot. The second book is the most annoying of them all, but the others are really quite good and I enjoyed them very much.
This series is about angels, nephilim, danger, and one girl who finds herself in the middle of it all thanks to a fallen angel named Patch. It's a romance story that isn't insta-love or love-triangle like. The interaction between Nora and Patch in the first book were so fun, creepy and dreadful.
In the second book even I wanted to kill Nora, but I still found it worth the read. 



The Game by Eve Silver

This trilogy has one of the best captivating writing styles I've read. And when I say captivating what I mean is: I hardly took any breaks reading these books. I was so engrossed in the story I physically couldn't put the book aside.
It's a great trilogy! Fast paced, extremely entertaining, amazing romance, MC you can't help yourself but love and the writing style just won't let you go.
I'll definitely be re-reading these books again someday! 


Fever by Karen Marrie Moning

I was hooked from the very first page of the very first book.
Hooked and addicted, because let me tell you: this series is addicting. You just won't be able to stop reading. I loved-loved-loved this series. Just thinking about it made me all giddy and excited.
Mac, the MC, is one of my favorite protagonists of all times. she's fantastic, amazing. Her character development throughout the books will make you so proud of her, of how far she's come.
The plot and story are not ones I've read before, the romance is so tense (!) and the characters, the world... well, just wow. you should really read these books. ASAP.
The series is still on-going but the first 5 books conclude the story and are just AMAZING (sorry, had to say it again). The other books are a continuation I have yet to read.
Read it (: 

Well then. And I think this concludes the 'book I'll definitely re-read' post.
I had great time writing it. I hope you'll have great time reading it as well (:
I just have to say: this is not a list of my favorite books. Granted, all of these books are favorites of mine c(onsidering I want to read them again) but I have many (many) more books in my favorite list that I love as much as these books. Just because I won't be re-reading them doesn't mean I don't love them. It's just means they are not the re-read material type for me.  
I'm sure there will me many more books I'll want to add to this list in the future.

See you in my next post! 


"I don't trust you," Simon said, grasping Basil's forearm.                                    "Well, I don't trust you," Basil spat at him. Actually spat at him, bits of wet landing on Simon's cheeks.                                                                               "Why do you need to trust me?" Simon asked. "I'm the one hanging off a cliff!"    -- Fangirl (Simon & Baz)



Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Yellow Brick War by Danielle Page - Book Review


Important: The beginning of the review is spoiler free but after the *Full review (with spoilers)* sign I'm going to talk about everything that happened in the book, so... You've been warned (: 

                                                         
Yellow Brick War by Danielle Page
My rating: 4 stars


I was so sure it was going to be the last book, even when I started reading it, but after the ending (and after checking on goodreads) there definitely is going to be at least one more book (Yay!). 

This book was addictive. The whole trilogy (or, actually, series) was. I couldn't stop reading it. I read it in one day (!). The writing style is so engaging and fast-paced, you just fly through this book.
Amy is one kickass-sarcastic-awesome protagonist. She has her flaws (and you want to shake her at times) but who doesn't? It's the kind of flaws you're not bothered by because they are real. They make sense. Amy is truly amazing in her own right. 

What I love about Danielle books is how she constantly changes and plays with our prospective of good and evil. There are never clear lines between the two. Evil can turn good and good can turn evil. And what is someone who, for good reasons, does evil things? 

It's written in a light and fun way (which I love) but there are also deep meanings in this series (which I also love).
         


*Full review (with spoilers)*



This was it. Yet again, I was on my own, and the future of everything was in my hands. I sighed and started walking. 

I was literary 2 pages in when I was smacked with plot twists and surprises everywhere!
I was lightly starting the book... I was just turning to page 3 when I was like: What? Really? No. Wow. Wait. Why? Whoa. What's happening here?

Nox was straight out of Central casting: Tortured revolutionary dreamboat --- Are you the girl who'll finally capture his wounded heart?  

Nox joining the Wicked witches as the fourth witch!
With the whole 'Amy going dark' thing that was going on in book 2, I was so sure it was going to be Amy who joins them! I never thought, I didn't expect it to be Nox! It was a shock. I felt as shocked as Amy at that moment.
Not to mention the whole 'it's forbidden for the Quadrant to have a normal life or be in love, so yeah, Amy, sorry, but you and Nox can't be together'. 

knew Gert wasn't dead! I don't know why but I never believed she was dead for good.
I had that theory that maybe the witches faked her death as part of their plan to make Amy kill Dorothy.
Well, I wasn't right about that but she is alive. And I'm glad she is. She's my favorite wicked witch out of the three.

So much happened in this book and there are so many problems they have to face - old ones and new ones alike - that I don't even know if it can all be solved in one book. Maybe a very long one book. 

Is Dorothy dead? Last time we saw of her she was... *shudders* she looked pretty much dead to me. I mean, her eye had melted. *shudders again*. But we can't know for sure. Even if she's alive though, I'm not sure how much harm she can cause in her current condition.
Right now it seems Amy switched from 'Dorothy must die' to 'the Nome king must die'.

Dusting was still looking at me like -- well, like I'd vanished and then reappeared out of thin air. But the fact that it wasn't physically possible to vanish and reappear out of thin air was working in my favor. Whatever explanation he was coming up with for what he'd just seen, It definitely wasn't "some kind of really scary mind-stabbing supernatural entity just walked out of the walls, made Amy briefly invisible in order to drop a bunch of vague sinister hints, and then disappeared."  

Dustin and Madison have officially joined team Amy! If you have told me in the first book that I would genuinely appreciate and liked Madison, I would have laughed and said "no way".
Many characters we didn't think we could like or trust did a complete turn in this book: Madison, Dustin, Amy's mom, Mombi...
I can't WAIT to see Madison in Oz. Thar girl is as tough as Amy, I can say that for sure. I'm really starting to like her... and Dusting too. He may not look like much at first glance but he's actually very loyal and a genuinely good person. 

"You know what?" he said. "Never mind the order. I'm falling in love with you, too." 

Amy & Nox: I was so glad to get more Amy and Nox time in this book. In the first two books they were constantly separated and pulled apart. But in this one they were finally (kind of) together. United. On the same side. Not giving up on each other, no matter what. I loved that. I loved how loyal they are to each other.

"Because if you give up -- then what is there left to live for?"  

Throughout the book there was that constant threat in my mind of Amy turning dark, letting magic consume her, becoming Dorothy...
But she fought it. And Nox was on her side (+Lureline's magic boots), reminding her who she is. She'll never be Dorothy, I know that now.
She made the right choice, choosing not to kill Dorothy. It might not seem like that to Lulu or the wicked witched but she really did made the right choice. 

Queendom. Huh, I like the sound of that. You never really think about it but why always 'kingdom'? If a queen is ruling, is should definitely be queendom. 

Glinda and Glamora: Who will win? Is Glamora truly gone? Because right now it seems Glinda is winning... 

And what about Mombi? Is she dead? I didn't particularly like her most of the times but she was a little different in this book. She seems more... human. There is still a high chance she's not dead. I mean, Gert said it's very hard to kill a witch.

Will Amy ever return home? Will she and Nox find a way to be together? How will they defeat the Nome king? Is Dorothy really dead? What will happen to Madison, Dustin and her mom? Where will the Yellow Brick Road lead them? Will Amy be able to fight Oz's dark magic? What will Amy and Nox choose: Oz or the other place?
I don't know-I don't know-I don't know...
I want the next book ASAP!
In the meantime... the first book in a different series by the author (a snow white retelling!), is coming out September 27, 2016.
So there is that (:



"It's not magic that makes you who you are. It's the choices that you make."
-- Dorothy Must Die 









Monday, March 14, 2016

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare - Book Review



*Important: In every review there will be a small section about my non-spoilers thoughts and feelings of the book and my recommendation of the book (for those who haven't read it yet) and then I start the full review. Unless you want to spoiler yourself about everything that went down in the book, don't continue to the full review. I'll be sure to mark when the full review starts. 


                                                           
Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Publication date: March 8, 2016
My rating: 4 stars



Just finished Lady Midnight.
And it dawned on me: do I have to wait a year for another Cassandra book?
After two years of waiting for Lady Midnight?
This is a cruel, cruel thing.
But I don't regret reading it right when it came out. It was worth it. Maybe not as worth it as I wanted but still worth it.
My only problem with the book is that it was too slow paced most of the times. Not boring (of course not!) but much more slow-paced than I'm used from Cassandra. And there are no Herondales as main characters this time around so there is much less humor and awesomeness than we're used to as well.
But I still loved it. I could never hate a Cassandra book. I can be disappointed but never not like it.
Plus, 4 stars are one hell of a high score in my book. It really does mean I loved this book. I wanted desperately to absolutely love it but for the time being I'm satisfied with just loving it.
Don't let any of it discourage you from reading it! Cassandra is a master of weaving a story. All of her characters are so unique and different. you never know where the story is going until everything clicks together. If you've read both the Infernal devices and the mortal instruments, you know what I'm talking about.
It's just the first book in a much more complex story. And from what i gathered, the dark artifices trilogy and the last hours trilogy are going to intertwine. which is going to be EPIC, I'm sure. 

Do you need to read the mortal instruments and the infernal devices before Lady Midnight?
My answer would be yes. Otherwise you'll miss all the mind blowing connections between Lady Midnight and those two series. And believe me, there are quite a few of those.
I would also recommend reading Tales from shadowhunter academy. There is something there that connects with something in Lady Midnight and it was just... WOW.
You don't have to, but you'll get the full amaziness of what I'm talking about if you do.
The mortal instruments (aka TMI) and the infernal devices (aka TID) are two of the best series I've read in... ever since I've been reading books. You will not regret reading them. I promise you.

*Full review (with spoilers)*


Where to begin?
I honestly don't know.
Everything I just read is jumbled up inside my head in no particular order.
Okay... *taking a deep breath*. Here we go: 

About 200 pages into the book things started to pick up. It was still slow paced at times but things started to get intense.
Mark came back and it was so heartwarming seeing him trying to reconnect with his family.
It took me a while to connect with the characters. It never happened to me in a Cassandra Clare's book before (I always almost immediately have a click with her characters), but in this book it took longer. I still don't fully feel it but it's getting closer. And by the end of the book i cared about all the characters much more deeply.

My first BTA (aka by the angel) moment was when Cristina saw Mark and Kieran outside (right after they came back from the whole 'Julian almost dying' ordeal) - kissing! basically making out. That was so unexpected I couldn't do anything but whisper-yell "OMG!" repeatedly for a few minutes.
surprisingly, I found myself I found myself liking Kieran. Yes, what he did, telling on Mark to the wild hunt and bringing the whipping punishment (which was such an emotional scene) on Julian and Emma was horrible. I can understand why Mark cannot forgive him - he hurt his family, after all. But Kieran, despite being a full blood feary (and a prince, no less), really-truly loves Mark. What he did wasn't out of cruelty but out of jealousy that came from love. It doesn't look like Mark feel the same as Kieran, though. And after he basically told Kieran he won't be seeing him again... still, I hope we'll see Kieran again (!). I don't feel like this is - whatever this is - over between them.


My second BTA moment was the whole Kit being a descendant from the lost Herondale line we heard of in tales of shadowhunter academy (!). I didn't think much when we saw from Kit's POV. But it's Cassandra Clare - I should have known better then to take it for what it seemed to be.
We have another Herondale! And I can't wait to get to know him better. It would be amazing to see him and Jace meeting face to face for the first time. Will we see him start to train as a shadowhunter in the next book? (he seemed to hate them at the moment). Maybe Clary can help him... they have a lot in common. After all, Clary, too, only found out she's a shadowhunter when she was 15 and right after her mother was kidnapped.
Another Herondale in the next book - squee! I'm ecstatic! 


So, basically, Julian is in love with Emma and Emma is in love with Julian. Cristina and Diego were together ever since they were children and Cristina still has deep feelings for Diego, but she also seems to like Mark a little more than just a friend. Diego loves her and will do anything for her. Mark and Kieran were sort of together but they basically broke up and Mark seems to have feelings for Cristina, while Kieran basically declared he will always love Mark. Emma, it a desperate attempt to make Julian hate her (so they won't invoke the parabatai curse, which is already invoked, actually), asks Mark to be her fake sort of boyfriend (knowing it's the only way to make Julian completely mad). Mark agrees and even suggests they don't have to pretend (probably because he just saw Cristina and Diego together and is acting impulsively).
What a mess.
I understand why Emma did it, I do. She knew Julian would never give up, especially if she told him the truth. But I hate the whole lying and making the other person hate you on purpose 'for their own good' thing. 


Let's talk about "perfect Diego". LOL. It was so funny how they made so much fun of him. And I actually liked Diego. I know... I never expected to like someone that's called "perfect Diego" He does seem to be good at everything he does but he's not as horrible as i thought he would be when Cristina talked about him. 

My heart breaks for Julian having to be a father figure to all of those children. All the pain, hardship and burden that he goes through... but his love for them is so strong I could practically feel it searing at me through the pages. He loves them so much it hurts.

The ending... major things happened in the ending: 

1. Kit is actually Christopher Herondale! I have a feeling, from the little we saw of him, that I'm going to love him. And I can't wait to see how he and Ty are going to get along. It looks like it's going to be so much fun! 

2. The parabatai curse: I knew something must be going on when Emma healed Julian from an impossible wound and then when her courage rune acted like no courage rune should but... I didn't think there would be a curse.
It seems sometimes the clave does have good reasons for their laws. Which is even more surprising.
What's going to happen? Will they find a way to severe the unbreakable parabatai bond? or maybe control that magic and not let it consume them? 


3. It was so funny and sweet how, throughout the book, there were mentions of Clary and Jace's adventures and how they are 'the greatest shadowhunters of their generation'. And at the very end of the book we got one hell of a treat! A short chapter from Clary's POV! Isabelle and Simon are getting married! Magnus and Alec adopted another child (a shadowhunter child)! And Jace proposed to Clary!
The only strange thing is that Clary didn't give an answer yet (granted, they were interrupted by Magnus who claimed he's seen their ancestors in worse situations, which we know he had (!)) and that she seemed to be dreading it (?).
I hope we'll get to see more about this in the next book of TDA. 


4. Emma and Mark: nope... just nope. I do not ship them together. And it's obvious they don't see themselves together as well. But they are going to "pretend" which might get them closer together and I don't want that.

Speaking of ships... who do I ship?
Julian and Emma (they are obviously forever and ever). Like I said before, I still don't feel as emotionally attached to them as I felt to Clary and Jace and Tessa and Will (and Jem). But it's obvious they're meant to be.
Cristina and Diego: Yeah, I know some of you probably ship Mark and Cristina but as of right now i just don't feel them as a ship. And i knew from the moment Diego showed up that I like him. Ah... I know, I might have fallen for his "perfect Diego" thing. sorry, but I like him - can't help it. 


Malcolm fade: Oh, Malcolm... why? I wasn't as shocked about it as other things in this book but I didn't practically see it coming either. The biggest question is: is Malcolm dead? Annabelle Blackthorn has awoken (which we have no idea if it's a good thing or a bad thing yet. Will she try to take revenge like Malcolm or will she be on the blackthorns side?). It looks like Malcolm is dead (his magic vanished) but then again... it also looked like Sebastian was dead at the end of city of glass.
Cassandra Clare sure does make her villains with the kind of cause you can't help but feel sympathy for them. Or even understand it.   


It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.


I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea:
But we loved with a love that was more than love--
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me. 


And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulcher
In this kingdom by the sea. 


The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me--
Yes!--that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of a cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. 


But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we--
Of many far wiser than we--
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:


For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling--my darling--my life and my bride,
In her sepulcher there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.


It was my favorite poem when we read it in school. Still is. I'm not the poetry type but i found myself drawn to this one,
It's creepy and sad and beautiful. It's haunting.
I was amazed how beautifully Cassandra  matched it to her story.
Like when I read it a few years ago, I can't get it out of my head now. I love it. 


My favorite-funny moments in Lady Midnight:

'The clave was the shadowhunter government. In Kit's experience, they didn't like anything'.
Truer words have never been said about the clave. Ah... the clave. I can't recall anything they did like. Ever. Sometimes they scare me more than the demons do. I'm especially scared of them now if-when they'll find out about Arthur's condition and Emma & Julian.


"That's not the spirit of the law, Emma. Remember? The law is hard but it is the law."
"I thought it was 'the law is annoying, but it is also flexible'"
Oh, Emma! You totally got it.
The motto of 'the law is hard but it is the law' annoys me every time I hear it. I understand there should be laws... laws are important to keep the peace and order but the clave tends to go too far with it. 'do what you are told and don't ask questions?'. *rolling my eyes*. Yeah, right, like that's going to work on shadowhunters. It's not in the shadowhunters blood to do it - just look at Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Alec, Tessa, Will, Jem... and now Emma and Julian.
Shadowhunters will always do what they think is right and protect their family at all cost by the end of the day.
A bad law is no law. Some laws need to be changed.
Nice one, blackthorns! 


"This is my domain. You've got your own hopeless humans in New York."
"Once of those hopeless humans is the father of my child," Magnus pointed out.
 Magnus had not ever been pregnant, though that would have been interesting, Emma though. He and Alec Lightwood had an adopted warlock child, named Max, who was a scintillating shade of navy blue,
"And," Magnus added, "the rest of them have saved the world, at least once."
Malcolm gestured toward Julian and Emma. "I have hoped for these."


And if there were two things he believed were limitless, it was love and imagination.
(Julian).


"You drive too fast," said Mark.
Emma snorted and checked the strap on Cortana where it fastened across her chest. "You sound like Julian."
"It brought me joy," Mark said, moving to stand beside her. "It was as if I flew with the hunt again, and tasted the blood of the sky."
"Okay, you sound like Julian on drugs," Emma muttered.


"I wish you'd quit going to the shadow market," Julian muttered. "It's dangerous there-"
"Oh, NO," Emma said. "Not danger, Mr. I-Just-Almost-Bled-Out-in-My-Car." 


Livvy held up a hand. "In Emma's defense, Cameron's annoying, but he's hot." Julian gave her a look. "I mean, if you like guys who look like a redheaded captain America, which I... don't?"
"Captain America id definitely the most handsome avenger," said Cristina. "But I like the hulk. I would like to heal his broken hurt."
"We're Nephilim," said Julian. "We're not even supposed to know about the avengers. Besides," he added, "Iron man is obviously the best-looking."
Oh, LOL! They got me there!
It was so interesting how much they know about modernity - phones, computers, movies... In TMI it basically seemed like Jace, Isabelle and Alec grew up in a different planet with how much they knew nothing about the mundane world. In TDA it's part of their lives (even though the clave wouldn't like that).


Once, the GPS had only spoken in a heavy German accent for weeks. Julian had decided it was possessed.

"Jesus Christ!" sterling shouted. "where's you learn to drive?"
"Nobody asked you for commentary!" Emma yelled back as they hurtled into the moving traffic. Luckily it was late and the lanes were mostly empty.
"I don't want to die on the pacific coast highway!" sterling wailed.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Emma's voice dripped acid. "Is there a different highway you'd like to die on? BECAUSE WE CAN ARRANGE THAT." 


"You're a centurion," Ty said. "You have vows."
"vows of friendship and love are stronger," said Diego.
Drusilla looked at him with cartoon hearts in her eyes. "That's beautiful."
Mark rolled his eyes. He was clearly not a member of the perfect Diego appreciation society.


Emma who had also been twelve, had not been shy about letting the world know she thought Jace was the handsomest and most amazing person who had ever graced the planet with his presence. 
- also applied to Will Herondale! 

"well, either you've been out fighting the forces of evil or you've come from a much wilder party than we have," Jace said. "Hello, there, blackthorns."
The moment Julian saw Jace coming down the stairs I knew the first thing coming out of Jace's mouth was going to be something funny. Not surprising, considering most of what comes out of his mouth his something like that. Oh, Jace *swoon*.


"No one is ever the villain of their own story."
(Cristina).
In Cassandra's books the villains never think they're villains, they think they are right... which makes it all the more real.


Lady Midnight was a great book. It wasn't as amazing as TMI and TID (for me). there were some really amazing moments but it wasn't all pure awesomeness (as I felt TMI and TID were).
The reason for the missing star is the slow-paced aspect and that it took me a while to get into those characters (maybe because it was slow-paced). I was already into this world since TMI... it was the characters I had difficulty getting into.
But other than that I really enjoyed Lady Midnight and I'm already freaking out that Lord of shadows is coming out in May 2017! How will I survive?
There is also the last hours trilogy which is going to be intertwined with the dark artifices so... maybe - I'm hoping - we'll get the first book of the last hours (chain of gold) before Lord of shadows? Please let it be so. 

Casandra is and always will be one of my most favorite authors of all times. 



Heroes aren't always the ones who win. They are the ones who lose, sometimes. But they keep fighting, they keep coming back. They don't give up. That's what makes them heroes  
-- Clary Fairchild. 



Saturday, March 5, 2016

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You can also contact me directly through email at zoeykaly@gmail.com, through a DM on Twitter, or through a message on Goodreads :) 

Most anticipated books of March 2016


Welcome to my first most anticipated books page! 

How does it work?
basically, every month I tell you about all the books I'm highly anticipating\intrigued with that are coming out that month, and you can tell me and everyone else in the comments what books you are highly anticipating and we shall discuss all about them together when they come out. 


Let's start, then.

   

                                                       Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
                                                            Coming out March 8, 2016. 

I've been waiting for this book for 2 years now.
To say I'm excited for this book is an underestimate.
Heck, this is probably my most anticipated book of the year.
Ever since my pre-order of Lady Midnight was dispatched a few days ago, I've been smiling like a crazy person! Seriously.
I love TMI and TID so much. words cannot express how much I love everything Cassandra has ever written.
Those character, that world, the writing style...
For everyone who haven't read the mortal instruments and the infernal devices... well, go read it! (:      


   

Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige
coming out March 15, 2016.

The third installment in the Dorothy Must Die trilogy.

Dorothy Must Die took me by surprise.
I didn't expect much starting this book. what I got was am amazing world (based on the familiar world we all know and love: Oz), even more amazing characters and a kickass-sarcastic protagonist that doesn't give up.
This trilogy is written in a fun fast-paced way. The writing and plot will suck you right in. This book takes Dorothy to a whole new level.
What you think you know about Dorothy is going to turn upside down. good and evil has switched sides and none of them is what it seems.
This is not the Oz you know. It's a dark Oz, a twisted Oz.
Oz is crumbling and Dorothy is responsible.
Enters Amy Gumm, the other girl from Kansas.
Her mission?
To kill Dorothy.


March might not have that many anticipated books for me but those two books are more than I can ask for. I want to read them so bad! 


I'd love to know what's yours most anticipated books. Feel free to tell me in the comments.     


"There is always a story between once upon a time and happily ever after." 


      

Review Policy


I am open to book review requests.

For requests and questions or anything else, you can contact me at: zoeykaly@gmail.com

I am accepting ARCs, finished copies and e-copies.

Once I read a book (it usually takes me somewhere between a few days to a week from the time I start reading it), I post a review almost immediately (on the same day or a day or two afterwards), when my thoughts and feelings about the book are still fresh in my mind. 

The review will be first posted here (on my blog) and later on Goodreads, Amazon, and other platforms (such as Edelweiss).    

Genres I review:


  • YA/Adult Fantasy 
  • YA/Adult Science Fiction  
  • YA/Adult Romance (includes erotica) 
  • YA/Adult Historical Fiction
  • YA/Adult Dystopia 

Genres I don't usually review:
  • Horror (although there are exceptions)
  • Biographies 

How I review and rate:

My reviews are always 100% honest, no matter how\when\where I get the books from. Whether I buy it and whether I receive it, I will always write my true feelings and thoughts regarding the story.

If I dislike a book, I will point out, clearly and respectfully, of my reasons.
If I did not finish a book because I could not get into it/do not like it, I will not post a DNF review nor will I rate it, since I feel it's unfair to do so with a book I did not finish. 

All my reviews include: title and author of the book, picture of the book, release date, link to the Goodreads page of the book, and my rating (1-5 stars). 

My star rating (based on Goodreads star rating system)


 5 stars: It was amazing! Mind Blowing! 

 4 stars: I really liked this book\I loved it!

 3 stars: I liked it/enjoyed it!  

 2 stars: I couldn't get into it/had my issues with it                              
 1 stars: I did not like\enjoy this book 

If I receive a book for review I will be sure to mention at the beginning of the review: "I received this book from ___ in exchange for an honest review."

For requests and questions or anything else, you can contact me at: zoeykaly@gmail.com  

Introductions and such


Do you ever get that feeling, when you're reading an amazing book or watching a mind-blowing episode on a show you love, and you have so much to say about it, so many feelings boiling up inside, and you just want to talk about it with someone, anyone, to fangirl and rave all about? 

But then you look around and there's no one in sight.
I didn't want to feel so alone anymore, to read and write with no one to share.
So I opened a blog. And now here we are. 


Hi everyone, I'm Zoey :)
Welcome to Magiverse


Who am I


  • Fantasy lover
  • Reader
  • Writer
  • Fangirl 
  • Shipper 
  • Music obsessed
  • Anime, TV shows, movies, Kdramas watcher 
  • Quotes enthusiast 
  • Anxiety, Social Anxiety, OCD, Panic Disorder of a mess 
  • Languages Admirer (I speak Hebrew - Native Language, English - Chosen Language, Japanese - Beloved Language) 
  • Biology interest 


Make A Great Imagination Come to life (:  

"We live and breath words... It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I could be honest with them."    
– Cassandra Clare, clockwork princess.