Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Wishlist Wednesday #127


*Wishlist Wednesday is where you show a book that has been on your wishlist/TBR list for a while, the meme is hosted by Pen to Paper*


Under Ground by Alice Rachel

Publisher
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Release DateOctober 29, 2015
Pages: 438

The Story:

YA DYSTOPIAN ROMANCE/FORBIDDEN ROMANCE
EDITION containing two additional short stories.
"Under Ground" is not a standalone novel. It is the first book in the series.
"Love is a taboo, a mere fantasy— foreign, unreachable, and dangerous.
Raised in a society where women have no rights, seventeen-year-old Thia Clay holds little hope for a bright future. When her parents sell her into marriage to elite member William Fox, Thia slowly gives in to despair. William is nothing but a cruel, selfish young man with no other interest than to serve his own.
Born illegally and forced to hide from the authorities his entire life, nineteen-year-old Chi Richards is an active member of the Underground—a rebellious group seeking to overthrow the government.
Chi only has one goal—to rescue his parents from the work camp they were forced into.
Meeting Thia was never part of the plan, and neither was falling in love with her.
If caught in their forbidden relationship, Thia and Chi could face a death sentence, and when devastating secrets surface from Chi's past, Thia has to rely on her instincts to make a choice that could save her or destroy her forever."

-via Amazon



Meet the Author

Alice Rachel is the author of the YA Forbidden Romance/ Dystopian Romance Series "Under Ground."

Her time is divided between teaching French, writing, reading, drawing, and spending time with her hubby and guinea pigs. 



Want to see my entire Wishlist? Check it out on Amazon: Books I Dream About


Happy Reading!

Monday, March 27, 2017

New YA Releases : Week of March 27th


Here are some upcoming releases this week. Release dates sources: 
Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc.




Strange the Dreamer by Lani Taylor

100 Hours by Rachel Vincent

Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves


Are any of these on your Bookish Wishlist or Pre-Order cart? Which do you look most forward to?


Happy Reading!
Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Wishlist Wednesday #126


*Wishlist Wednesday is where you show a book that has been on your wishlist/TBR list for a while, the meme is hosted by Pen to Paper*

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Publisher
Bloomsbury USA Childrens 
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Pages: 640

The Story:

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.
As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

-via Amazon



Meet the Author

SARAH J. MAAS is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series - Throne of Glass, Crown of MidnightHeir of FireQueen of Shadows, Empire of Storms - and the series' prequel, The Assassin's Blade; as well as The Throne of Glass Coloring Book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and A Court of Mist and Fury. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog.
www.worldofsarahjmaas.com
facebook.com/throneofglass
Instagram.com/therealsjmaas
@SJMaas



Want to see my entire Wishlist? Check it out on Amazon: Books I Dream About

Happy Reading!

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Review : Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon


*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher
D
elacorte Press 

Release DateSeptember 1, 2015
Pages: 336
Source: Own

The Story:

Risk everything . . . for love.

What if you couldn’t touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun warm your face . . . or kiss the boy next door? In Everything, Everything, Maddy is a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world, and Olly is the boy who moves in next door . . . and becomes the greatest risk she’s ever taken. 

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. 
 
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
 
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.
via Amazon

Rating






One-word Review EVERYTHING

Reading Tune Runnin' (Lose It All) by 
Naughty Boy ft. Beyoncé, Arrow Benjamin


Tag Line:


The greatest risk is not taking one.


Opening Line:


I've read many more books than you.


My Review


Everything, Everything was a Everything!


Funny.


Fresh.

Awkward.

Sad.

Romantic.

Endearing.

And I could not put it down.

The plot centers around Maddy Whittier, an 18-year old girl deathly allergic to the world. Diagnosed with SCID, she has not left her home in nearly all the time she has been alive. Maddy is the proverbial Bubble Girl. She watches a part of it through the windows of her Sun Room and the internet. And, for the most-part, she content and accepting of the life she has. That is, until Olly moves in next door. Funny, charming, kind, he easily snags Maddy's heart and changes her entire world. So much so, Maddy is willing to risk everything, everything to be with olly. To live. 


What I loved most about Everything, Everything was: the authenticity. The story was not all perfectly placed moments. Especially not on the romantic front. The was awkward romantic tension between Maddy and Olly. Their characters were such genuine, and adorable.

"Why do you sleep on the left when you sleep alone?" I ask. I move onto the bed and lie down. He's right. It's breathtakingly uncomfortable.

"Maybe it's anticipation," he says.

"Of what?"

He doesn't answer, so I roll over to peer down at him. He's lying on his back, one arm flung across his eyes.

"Company," he says.

I retract my head, blushing. "You're kind of a hopeless romantic," I say. -- page 219-220

Everything, Everything pacing was perfect. Smooth and to the point. The plot unravel just as it ought to have. I only wish there was more story to read. Yoon's world-building was immersing - I got lost in the story, often catching myself giggling out loud on the train from work. And I loved Yoon's style of writing in Everything, Everything . It was unique and fresh from the styles of writing I usually tend to read in Young Adult literature. There were instant messages between Maddy and Olly. The endearing cartoons. Madeline's Dictionary entries. Emails. 1 sentence spoiler book reviews. Some chapters were 1 paragraph, some even 1 sentence. But in no way did any of this tae away from the story - even if it were not written in the "traditional" sense. It was so artfully done, it added more character to Everything, Everything .

All in all, I utterly adored Everything, Everything and literally recommended to anyone who would listen. Coming from someone who generally does not have a taste for contemporary -- aside from Katie McGarry's work -- if you have not read it and enjoy contemporary you need to read Everything, Everything.

Character Breakdown:


The characters were a fun bunch to get to know. I kind of hope Yoon would make a sequel.


Maddy Whittier  - Smart, kind, bold.


Love is a terrible thing and its loss is even worse.


Love is a terrible thing and I want nothing to do with it. -- page 242

Olly Bright - Funny, charming, protective of his family, loves the color black. And faux dark with sweet edges.

He takes a breath. "In my head I know I've been in love before, but it doesn't feel like it. Being in love with you is better than the first time. It feels like the first time and the last time and the only time all at once." - page 221



Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:

It was such fun going back through Everything, Everything and my favorite quotes, searching for the ones I selected to post here.

"Please, Mom."

"It's better this way. I on't want you to have a broken heart."

"Love can't kill me,"  I say, parroting Carla's words.

"That's not true," she says. "Whoever told you that?" - page 149


~*~

He puts his hand on my bare waist. "You're all the good things wrapped into one good thing." - page 224


Meet the Author:




Nicola Yoon grew up in Jamaica (the island) and Brooklyn (part of Long Island). She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and daughter, both of whom she loves beyond all reason. You can find her at www.NicolaYoon.com and on twitter and tumblr @NicolaYoon

***Check out Nicola Yoon's website for more information about her and Everything, Everything HERE

Happy Reading!


Monday, March 20, 2017

New YA Releases : Week of March 20th


Here are some upcoming releases this week. Release dates sources: 
Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc.




Nemesis by Brendan Reichs

The Hidden Memory of Objects by Danielle Mages Amato

Shadow Run by Adrianne Strickland & Michael Miller

Hellworld by Tom Leveen

Redux by A.L. Davroe


Are any of these on your Bookish Wishlist or Pre-Order cart? Which do you look most forward to?

Happy Reading!
Saturday, March 18, 2017

Bookish Movie Review : Beauty & the Beast


Synopsis: Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a beast (Dan Stevens) in its castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle's enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the beast's hideous exterior, allowing her to recognize the kind heart and soul of the true prince that hides on the inside.

Release date: March 17, 2017 (USA)


Director: Bill Condon


Adapted from: Beauty & the Beast by Disney and 
Beauty and the Beast

by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont

Production company:
Walt Disney Pictures and 
Mandeville Films


Trailer:


Cast:












Belleplayed by Emma Watson












The Beast/Prince Adam, played by Dan Stevens







 Gaston, played by Luke Evans

Mauriceplayed by Kevin Klines

My Review:

Rating






One-word ReviewSpellbinding

If you know me you know I am obsessed with Beauty & the Beast and Hade & Persphone retellings. Not to mention the original Beauty & the Beast. From the moment I saw the teaser for Beauty & the Beast last year, I was hooked.


Movie Day: I bought tickets for my mother and I to see Beauty & the Beast at Alamo Drafthouse. And it was totally worth it. We were waited on hand and foot, fed glorious pizza, and a mouthwatering dessert while watching Beauty & the Beast.


For the most part, the live-action film stuck close to the animated Disney film. With a few surprises that were most appreciated. 


The on-screen chemistry between Belle and the Beast was spunky and magical as ever. Emma sure does has a knack for playing the role of brainy, kindhearted badasses. Never heard of Dan before Beauty & the Beast but he played his beastly role to the T.




The character-actor dynamic was on point. Characters true to their animated natures. The singing was marvelous. Generally I am not much of a musical films but was Beauty & the Beast definitely a grand exception. 


The scene settings were more than I could have ever dream of. Seeing the rolling hills of Belle's provincial village, the imposing cursed castle, the dangerous enchanted forest, was a dream. So authentic. And beautifully rendered.



Serendipity: 

-There is more about the Beast's life before the curse that transformed him, after he refused to be kind to an old woman

-LeFou, Gaston's sidekick, is gay, making him Disney's first-ever LGBTQ character

-There is more of an explanation for the death of Belle's mother, -- who died from the plague when Belle was very young.



All in all, Disney did a beautiful job of translation Beauty & the Beast from animation to a live-action film. If Beauty & the Beast was your favorite Disney film when you were younger or if you are fanatic, such as myself, then you should definitely take a trip to the theater!



Happy Reading!

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