Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Top 10 Tuesdays


This weeks Top Ten Tuseday's is about the top ten books that you've been dying to re-read but keep putting down in favor of new books. 


This was one of my favorite books in middle school and I've been dying to re-read since forever. Also I need to remember how my love for Adam gone over to Warner. ◘-◘


Oh my gosh, this was the first contemporary book I've ever read and its my favorite contemporary book ever. The writing, the characters... everything about this book was so beautiful. Terra is one of the most realist girl's you would ever encounter in the book universe in my opinion. There's a reason why this book has so many rave reviews and its not because its cover. Once you step foot into this book, there is no out. So you better get ready with a box of tissues if you guys decide to read this, cause this is one emotional ride.


I am ashamed to say that even though I loved this book, once I picked up the next book I dropped it immediately. I just couldn't handle the multiple p.o.v's, but I think I am now so thats why I think I might want to re-read this first then try the next book in the series. 


This was yet another middle school favorite of mine, and I want to see if the sparks are still there when if I re-read it again. 



At the dawn of my book loving life, this was one of the books that started my love of books. I have re-read this book so many times, and I would re-read it again anytime because of how amazingly written it was.



Fallen, albeit cliche was one of my favorite series growing up. I'm embarrassed to admit this but I after reading this, I was so obsessed with angels, demons, and reincarnations. That was years ago, but its the reason why every time I see a book involving angels and demons I jump at it. And like the shy, embarrassed girl I was then I had also crossed out the word sexy that was written on the top. It was one of those tiny reviews that authors always have on their books and to be honest back then I would've got red every time I saw what I considered "inappropriate words".. >////<


Somehow I never did finish this series, but I'm pretty sure I did read the first two books. I also remember I was on Puck's team though. :P I remember that Puck was her best friend and one of the first guy character that I ever had a crush on. This was a great book series that I never really finished so what better way is it to start from the beginning to refresh your mind about it?

This book brings back so many memories. I mean the new generation of kids might not know this classic but this book was what made me love the fantasy world. I would definitely love to re-read this book when I have time.  

9. Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

This was yet another book series that I never finished, and I have no idea why. Because from what I remember this book series was one of my favorites. 


I saw this book a while back and I had a sense of deja vu when I read the summary and I felt like I've read it before. I told myself I would check out this book, but to this day I haven't at all. So that's why I put it on this list so I would remember xD 

Until then, Cindy :)

Monday, January 25, 2016

2 Mini Reviews



Title: Graceling
By: Kristin Cashore
Published: October 1, 2008

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...

Honestly at first I was really intimidated when I first picked up this book because of all the hype. Like I mean the book seriously didn't disappoint me, but that doesn't mean I completely loved Graceling. Because I have to say while reading it there were too many times I was tempted to put down the book and quit reading it. I felt the book just really dragged on and on about the details especially when I was mid-way through the book, and it was really slow paced. 


This book was something I really really wanted to love. The summary was intriguing, the characters and especially Katsa sounded amazing, I mean Katsa is a bad-ass girl who's an assassin and she sounded similar to Celaena from TOG so I thought that would automatically mean that I would also love this book but it didn't. -sighs- Another thing I didn't really enjoy was the romance. It felt like it was insta-love, and while I'm okay with it most times, I didn't like it in this book at all. Po and Katsa's love just didn't seem realistic to me. :| Plus the ending of the book when (SPOILER: Katsa faced off against Leck, and when they went back to find Po felt like it was rushed.)

I felt so bad at times for Giddon. Though he wasn't a main character, he was there in the beginning and honestly I thought he could've played a much bigger part in the book. I feel for him because what Katsa did was really harsh. (SPOILER: She just left him after he practically proclaimed his love for her and said he wanted to marry her.

So to those who have this on their TBR list, don't feel discouraged about this book. Even though I didn't like it, it doesn't mean you guys won't. This book has as many bad factors as it does good, it just depends on the person if they choose to like this or not. And unfortunately Graceling just didn't work out for me. Though I will be reading the next two books in the series. 


Title: Illusion
By: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Published: April 1, 2014

You just might get it.

Nick Gautier is tired of his destiny. He doesn’t want to be the son of a demon who’s fated to end the world. Nor does he want to see another demon or other preternatural creature who wants to kill or enslave him. He just wants to be normal and have normal problems like everyone else.

But normality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When he gets sucked into an alternate reality where his mother has married his mentor and his Atlantean god best friend has become a human geek, he begins to understand that no life is free of pain, and that every person has a specific place in the universe… Even the son of a hated demon.

Most of all, he sees that his powers aren’t the curse he thought they were, and that the world needs a champion, especially one its enemies can’t imagine rising up to defend the ones he should destroy.

Old enemies and new friends square off for a major battle that will either restore Nick to his real world, or end him forever.

Gosh after the last book I was pumped up to read this since it left on a cliffhanger!! D: And it was so worth waiting for it because when I finally got my hands on this book and read it, IT WAS SO AMAZING AND HILARIOUS!! ♥♥♥♥  This alternate world was what you would call interesting. The summary was point on "Normality isn't all it's cracked up to be". I mean Ash is 5 ft tall? Simi dress' modestly, Caleb is a dork, Bubba's a father, and worst of all Nick has blond hair?! *Alert, Alert This isn't an Illusion at all, this is "his" normal life isn't it? Well it is, in an ALTERNATIVE universe. 

“Life is never simple. It's messy, complicated, and at times debilitating.” 

Nick wakes up one normal morning and he learns suddenly that nothing is as normal as it seems. He has no power. He's utterly normal, with no drop of malachi blood in his system at all. And he doesn't know why. Its  like the universe is conspiring against him, or worse its trying to tell him that this is what his life will be for now on. Looking boths ways trying to determine if his friends in his universe are still in friends in this universe or if they would be his foes. But he works it out with Ash or should I say Ash senior? I was honestly a bit confused about that. I mean there was the 5ft Ash, and then there was our usual "I-will-kill-you-if-you-look-at-me-the-wrong-way-Ash". At first I thought it was his twin brother, I think he was called 'Styxx', but it wasn't. And surprising he also gets out of this wacky world with the help of someone unexpected; his father.. O_O



Like whoa, when I got to that part I had to re-read it several times. His father; Adarian Malachai. The man who not only tried to kill Nick once, but several times?  Hates, I mean hates Nick for being the center of Cherise's affections, who she cherishes above all else. He helped Nick out willingly? Uh, well that was so unexpected I would've never thought of it. But he did the impossible, he helped out Nick out of love for Cherise, because he promised that he would never want to make her cry or get hurt. He solely was the catalyst that made the prophecy come true. The moment he freed Nick from Noir's grasp, Adarian in my opinion totally redeemed himself. He was a true father at that moment, and for once I respected him.  

“No destiny is set by any birth. no matter how lowly or how high. All creatures have the right and ability to choose who and what they become...
Be it good or evil.”

Out of all the outrageous things this book has popped out, Kody's secret was probably the most bizarre and heartbreaking one of them all. I mean anybody would cringe, if they knew the reason behind why Nekoda is a ghost, and how it all connects back to Nick. Nick has just gotten the hold of controlling his powers, and though that is a great thing to achieve, it also means going down a more dangerous path. The harsh brutality of being a malachai, is that one can never harm there creator hence "Braith, Azura, and Noir", and that as they continue to grow more powerful it'll only attract more and more powerful beings to them. Its already bad enough that now Nick has been marked by Noir and Azura, cause now that he's marked it means that from now on they could potentially locate where Nick is at, if they ever escape from their prison.  

The thing I find so addicting about the Chronicles of Nick is Sherrilyn herself. Her writing is so beautiful and her prose is spot on. -Ahem- Sorry Cassandra, but I think somebody is definitely aiming for your top spot as my favorite writer. I mean even though I'm reading the Chronicles of Nick, there is still the whole world of the Dark Hunter Universe I haven't even explored in. Sherrilyn has to be some sort of robot to produce so many amazing books, cause its pretty impressive seeing the amount of books she has written, published, and planned already. Okay now here are some bonus quotes from TCN (The Chronicles of Nick) that I didn't get to incorporate into my blog post before, that will prove how her writing is definitely worth falling in love with.  

“They, like you, were born to walk the line of shadows. One foot in the light and one in the dark. A few are scared enough of both that they stay in the middle and never pick a side. Others are strong enough to choose the light and stay firmly planted there, even while the darkness tries to claim them. And others are too weak or blind to fight the lure of the darkness. It overwhelms them with false promises and before they know what's happened it owns them.” 

“Over, under, around, or through, there’s always a way. You don’t give up and you never give in. They can scar your body and take your freedom, but only you can surrender your heart and soul. Nothing is worth compromising yourself for. Stand fast and stand true. Always.”

“Hear me Isis as I pray.
See her pain and take it all away.
Let the heaven's light shine bright from above.
And wrap her in your most benevolent love. 
Let no evil touch this child.
Protect and hold her all the while. 
Save her from the darkness, ills and fevers of all kind. 
Heal her wounds by your most sacred design. 
There is nothing more earnest I can say.
Except please accept my humble heart as I pray.”

“We do it for those tiny moments when the world opens up and we're no longer alone. Those moments when we realize that we aren't the center of the universe, but to one single person, we're their entire existence. We are what they live for and we matter to them more than anything. No matter how hard we get knocked down, we stand back up, and we face the darkness that's inside us and we raise our fist at it and tell it, not today. You won't have me yet. I won't let you take that last bit of my soul.” 

“Nick moved over to Amanda, who seemed to be the safest bet in this family of homicidal loons. Amanda glanced at him over her shoulder. “For the record, if they attack, I’m throwing you at them and running for the door.” “Gee, thanks.” She shrugged. “How you think I’ve survived so long in this family?” 

Until then, Cindy :)

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Top 10 books I've recently added to my TBR


Hey guys, first thing I gotta say wow I cannot believe I've had my blog for so long now. It gives me a really happy feeling and a dash of anxiety to know that it's been this long!! Is this how a lot of you guys felt when you first started blogging? Because its a nice feeling. xD So anyways here's my Top 10 Tuesday post! :)

1. Maze Runner by James Dashner



If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

2. The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice #1) by John Flanagan


They have always scared him in the past — the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied.... 

3. Talon by Julie Kagawa 


Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons. 

4. Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway


Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.

She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.

He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

5. Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken


Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. 

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her. 

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

6. The Elite by Kiera Cass


The Selection began with thirty-five girls.
Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away. 

7. The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead


Big and sweeping, spanning the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court. 

Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies capable of arranging powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.

When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together, they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide’s deception. Complications soon arise—first, as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and later, when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.

But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands. . . .

8. Loki's Wolves by K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr


In Viking times, Norse myths predicted the end of the world, an event called Ragnarok, that only the gods can stop. When this apocalypse happens, the gods must battle the monsters--wolves the size of the sun, serpents that span the seabeds, all bent on destroying the world.

The gods died a long time ago.

Matt Thorsen knows every Norse myth, saga, and god as if it was family history--because it is family history. Most people in the modern-day town of Blackwell, South Dakota, in fact, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt's classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke.

However, knowing the legends and completely believing them are two different things. When the rune readers reveal that Ragnarok is coming and kids--led by Matt--will stand in for the gods in the final battle, he can hardly believe it. Matt, Laurie, and Fen's lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team to prevent the end of the world.

9. Scarlet by Marrisa Meyer


Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive. 

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

10. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson


Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one. 

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will. 

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

Until then, Cindy x)

Thursday, January 7, 2016

2016 Books to Anticipate


Title: Invision
By: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Publish: April 5, 2016

One boy . . .
Many demons.

Think there’s a lot of pressure on your shoulders? Nick Gautier was born to bring about the end of the world . . . it’s not easy being the heir of a demon overlord.

But Nick is determined to thwart his destiny and get into a good college. To be more than his genetics and prophecy foretell. No one is ever going to tell this stubborn Cajun who and what he really is. Or how to live his life.

Not even the Fates of the Universe. But now that he and his team of ancient gods and demons have claimed the Eye of Ananke and he sees the missteps of the future, he has to battle the demons within that are far deadlier and more treacherous than any he’s battled before. All the while his arch nemesis is back and determined to reclaim his place as the harbinger for Armageddon. Even if it means killing Nick and barbecuing everyone he loves to do so. 


Title: Teen Frankenstein
By: Chandler Baker
Publish: January 12, 2016

High school meets classic horror in this groundbreaking new series.

It was a dark and stormy night when Tor Frankenstein accidentally hit someone with her car. And killed him. But all is not lost--Tor, being the scientific genius she is, brings him back to life...

Thus begins a twisty, turn-y take on a familiar tale, set in the town of Hollow Pines, Texas, where high school is truly horrifying.


Title: Siren
By: Kiera Cass
Publish: January 26, 2015

A girl with a secret.
The boy of her dreams.
An Ocean between them.

Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again.

Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude...until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of.

Falling in love with a human breaks the Ocean’s rules. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.


Title: Burning Glass
By: Katherine Purdie
Publish: March 1, 2016

Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. One mistake, one small failure, will cost her own life and the lives of the few people left in the world who still trust her.

But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, her feelings easily usurped, and she sometimes can’t decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.

As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray.


Title: Lady Midnight
By: Cassandra Clare
Publish: March 8, 2016

Los Angeles. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.

Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.

The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. 


Title: Truthwitch
By: Susan Dennard
Publish: January 5, 2016

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Okay so these are the books I'm looking forward to reading this year! What about you guys? Are any of these books on your list or have you read any of them yet? 

Until then, Cindy :)