Month: October 2015
Happy Halloreads!!
Happy Halloreads gaiz!
Hope your day is super spooky!
I will be spending most of my day working, but has no fear! I shall be surrounded by good people, coffee and books! What more could a girl want?
On a side note – I have some great posts coming up after this beautifully festive weekend so stay tuned!
How are you guys spending this eerie night out? Anyone reading anything creepy?
Four by Veronica Roth
Book Description:
Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader did the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.
Newly christened “Four,” he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.
Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.
My Rating: 4/5
Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this book! It was the perfect remedy for my hangover ending the Divergent series! If you’re like me and REALLLLY enjoyed the series, then definitely get your hands on this book. After finishing Allegiant, I really learned to enjoy reading as Tobias so this was a great way to indulge in his life that much more.
I, personally, enjoy when the author releases more books that tie into the series – IF – it’s done well, and I feel this did just that. Although some people like when series end *ehhhhh*, I really enjoy getting one more book to celebrate it; I enjoy getting one more piece of cake before it’s gone – especially when it’s really good cake like chocolate, and this was my chocolate cake :]
A fun fact when I bought this book: I ordered it off of Amazon because it offered the best price. I also ordered it with a few other things. Anyway, upon receiving the book (which everything was in perfect condition), I noticed the jacket of the book was tucked away a couple pages in. Naturally, I open to that page because I want the jacket to be lying where it’s suppose to be lying and to my surprise, I find my book’s signed by the marvelous Veronica Roth herself 😀 WOOHOO! Of course it said this on the outside of the book as well, but I did not pay attention to that by any means. So unknowingly, I guess I ordered a signed copy! I is so heppy >:]
Now to the book itself: There wasn’t really much I didn’t enjoy. I think you get this book knowing what you’re getting in to so I feel you already have that idea knowing if you’re going to enjoy it or not. I was super stoked to grab it and naturally, I came out of this book super stoked that I nabbed it.
When we read with Tobias on BEFORE he meets Tris, we are introduced to him going through his simulations. I LOVE what they did here because we did not get this in the series. Here it shows Tobias going through his Marcus simulation. In the original series, it’s just regular ol’ Marcus being cruel as usual. But when Tobias first starts using the sims, we learn that Marcus didn’t always look like Marcus. Tobias was so fearful of him that he saw him as the monster that he is. He was Marcus but not Marcus having dark pits for the eyes and the mouth with razor tip fingers. Now that is something to be terrified of! But further in, as Tobias confronts his Marcus sim over and over again, Marcus tends to become more human like as Tobias realizes that Marcus ISN’T a monster, but just his father. His cruel father. So overtime, Marcus loses these holes for eyes, for his mouth.. and eventually becomes. . . Marcus.
Fast forward now the when Tobias has met Tris. There’s a scene in particular that they recall from Divergent where Tris is breaking down somewhat over the fear simulations and Tobias kind of snaps at Tris instead of comforting her. Now to the reader, I felt just as shocked as Tris felt with his reaction – not knowing what Tobias was really intending. And in Four, they clear this up. The reason he responds to Tris in the ways that he does is because Tobias knows more than what we’re led to believe in the series. He knew they were being watched – ACTUALLY being watched! He knew there were cameras, he knows where they are and that they can see and hear anyone whenever they choose to tune in. Because of this, he can’t talk about certain things and because of this, he has to be stern with Tris at times, to protect him. . . to protect her . . . to WARN her. Even if she doesn’t know it or particularly like it.
I really enjoyed these 2 scenes in particular. They brought a sense of “ah-ha!” and were cleverly done. They fit in to the past stories very well which I am so grateful for!
All in all, if you LOVED the Divergent series as much as I did but have NOT grabbed this book, then my question to is: WHY?! What are you waiting for? Go get it now! RIGHT MEOW!
A Couple Days Of Absence. . .
LOOK AT THESE BOOKENDS which of course I don’t intend to use as their purpose. I got these babies on 75% off clearance at my Barnes & Noble (originally: $60 sale price: $15)
So this post has absolutely no purpose except to let you guys know that I will not be posting this week, therefore, I have provided 3 new posts all at once down below for you to enjoy in my absence :] I am leaving today for Chicago to visit family and will be back Friday, so please hang tight!
Until Then,
Happy reading! ❤
Breed by Chase Novak
Book Description:
Alex and Leslie Twisden told each other they would do anything to have children. The price didn’t matter. But the experimental procedure they found had costs they couldn’t foresee.
Adam and Alice Twisden’s lives seem perfectly normal. Except that, every night, without fail, their parents lock them into their rooms.
And the twins know that the sounds they can hear are not just their imagination. They’re real. And they’re getting louder…
My Rating: 3/5
A decent read with a surprising ending. Can’t say that I saw it coming and I was pleasantly surprised. I was actually giggling a bit because it was just 100% not a thought in my mind that that was gonna happen. As I read it I thought, “Well that escalated quickly..” so I couldn’t help but giggle. Nonetheless, strong ending :]
I was also really shocked at how vulgar this book was. Maybe it’s because I read mostly YA/Fantasy novels which would definitely lack some sexual/abusive details. . . I just forgot this world existed so you can imagine my eyeballs popping out of my head at some of these descriptions bahaha!
One thing I really disliked about this book though (which has nothing to do with the story itself so it did not impact my rating) is the fact that there’s NO CHAPTERS! Ehhhhh.. it was always hard to find a good stopping point. I’m the type of reader that’ll finish a chapter before I put a book down for the sake of not stopping smack dab in the middle of a conversation or a thought or whatever it might be. But this book forced me to do so, so the best I could really do was to stop at the end of a page before I flipped to the next. SUCH TRAGEDY!
I was reading this as an “in-between” book as well as a book I was going to take with me when I travel. I was planning on starting it here where I live and was hoping to read it through out my trip while visiting my family, as I wanted a book I wouldn’t mind getting interrupted on or one I wouldn’t mind not being able to pick up the few days I’m away. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I read through this book in 2 days. I leave for my trip tomorrow evening. Whoopsies! I also chose this one particularly to read a “Halloween/October” themed book and did it fit the part! While this was an entertaining, quick read, I don’t think I’ll be picking it up again but I did enjoy it enough to where I would recommend reading it once! So because of that, I might do a giveaway with my copy (which is in mint condition because I’m a book snob) to let someone else enjoy this adventure :]
*FOREWARNING: If you’re sensitive to animal killings like I am, there are a few parts in the book that will make you wince. Chase Novak by no means drags out these scenes. They’re quick and to the point. I would still recommend this read if it interests you, but I would have liked a warning myself 😛
The Ice Dragon by George R. R. Martin
Book Description:
In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire the ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember.
Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold. In her fourth year she touched it, and in her fifth year she rode upon its broad, chilled back for the first time. Then, in her seventh year, on a calm summer day, fiery dragons from the North swooped down upon the peaceful farm that was Adara’s home. And only a winter child—and the ice dragon who loved her—could save her world from utter destruction.
My Rating: 4/5
Beautifully done! There’s not much to say about this short story. The illustrations are gorgeous, the story is lightly impactful. I would have devoured this when I was younger. This is a great fast read for adults as well. I read this to break from my “series” binge before I dive into finishing off another and it was perfect for that. Definitely recommend it to children as well as adults who are either fans of George R. R. Martin (because there are definitely pieces of him in here that you may already know and love) or fans of fantasy!
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Book Description:
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered – fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend to complexities of human nature – and of herself – while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
My Rating: 5/5
I fell in love with him. But I don’t just stay with him by default as if there’s no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me. -pg. 372
#troof
I FINALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HYPE WAS ABOUT WITH THIS ENDING!! It was amazing! It was beautiful, sad, happy, depressing…. it was predictable yet unpredictable. It’s the reason why I went from giving this book a 4.5/5 to a 5/5.
That ending made the whole book worth the read. Not that it wasn’t worth reading, but if you thought Insurgent started out slow then you’re in for a treat – Allegiant’s EVEN SLOWER :D!!! But as with Insurgent, I do not mind a slow read within this series because it is so well written and I am so invested in these characters and their life that just got turned upside down that I want no details left out – and they weren’t!
The interesting thing about this book (ACTUALLY everything’s interesting about this book) is that it’s written in dual perspective. We’re not just getting Tris, but also Tobias. At first, I liked the idea. But then as I was reading, I kept forgetting I was reading under Tobias at times until I was reminded and then I felt like I had to replay everything in my head. I really thought this was going to mess up the book for me. But it didn’t. IF YOU HAD THIS PROBLEM, IT WILL GET BETTER AND YOU WILL READ UNDER BOTH OF THEM WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT, I PROMISE!! And when you get to the end, you’ll see why she wrote it this way. And I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way ❤
Even though I got use to this, I still battle with myself as to whether or not I like it. I do like seeing into Tobias’ mind but I also feel this makes him more vulnerable (as it would with anyone), but I feel like this kind of ruined my image of him in a way. He just didn’t seem as fearless anymore. Even though he had his 4 fears, he still hid behind them fairly well. And when you’re in his head, those fears are exposed. So it’s not that I disliked it I guess, it’s just having to paint another picture of the person I had come to know.
And if there were ever a quote that I could wholeheartedly relate to, it would be this:
Sometimes all I want is to be a few inches taller so the world does not look like a sense collection or torsos. -pg. 452
#supatroof – gaiz, I’m like. . 5’1. . .
There are 2 scenes in this book that really impacted my book rating:
1.) The explosion. That scene was written so incredibly well – I can’t wait to see this scene come to life on the big screen!
2.) Another one that they BETTER IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM TOUCH THIS IN THE MOVIE OR I WILL HUNT DEM DOWN – The VERY ending (for spoiler’s sake, I’m gonna hold back on this review because it’s not worth ruining for someone). HOLY CRAP, HOW BEAUTIFUL WAS THIS IF YOU READ IT?! What a perfect ending to such tragedy. What an honor, ugh, out of everything that led up to this point, THIS IS WHAT MADE ME CRY! But happy tears! The second I closed this book, I had tears in my eyes, the biggest smile on my face and the book resting against my forehead. After what felt like a lifetime, I finally let out a big sigh of “time to move on” and “wow…… what an awesome ending….” and then shouted to my unlistening husband: “ON TO FOUR!!” 😀
I can not wait for this movie! I loved Divergent and Insurgent so much – I just got done watching the Allegiant trailer and I GOTS GOOSEBUMPS GAIZ! I dunno if I’m ready, I mean I’m definitely ready like now, but I dunno if I can handle seeing this ><; !!!
This is the trailer I watched (if you haven’t seen the other movies, it gives a brief summary of them):
So yeah, if you didn’t get it by now – READ THIS BOOK! (I will do a series wrap up in the near future which I will link once published)
Insurgent (Movie Edition) **WARNING: Kind Of Spoiler-y**
Directed by Robert Schwentke
My Rating: 4/5
I’d like to start by saying apart from the book, I enjoyed this movie wholeheartedly and if I did not read books, it would easily get a 5/5! But because I DID read the book and because, well, this is a book blog with book-to-film comparison reviews, I can not give it a 5/5 sadly :[
I feel like with this movie, they changed way too much. The further you get into the movie, the more it strays from the book itself.
We see this in the very beginning of the movie when Tris, Tobias and Peter make it to Amity. One of the scenes added to the movie that was NOT in the book was Peter betraying Tris and Tobias and the Amity compound. When Eric and the rest of the Dauntless traitors show up for an unexpected raid, Peter, Tris and Tobias are caught upstairs with nowhere to go. Once they decide their only option is to climb out of a window to escape, Peter claims he’ll be the lookout for them until he shouts at Eric that they’re all upstairs and he needs to come get them quick (as if he wasn’t a runner himself…??). Can anyone say c-o-w-a-r-d. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy this scene. I really did, that cheeky bastard. I love to hate Peter. BUT it wasn’t in the book!
![Kate Winslet and Shailene Woodley in a scene from the motion picture "The Divergent Series: Insurgent." CREDIT: Andrew Cooper, Lionsgate [Via MerlinFTP Drop]](https://thenerdybookmark.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/tris-box-scene.jpg?w=705&h=461)
They also tweaked the scenes where Tris is getting tested to open to box. In the book, the machine Tris is hooked up to is no where near as intricate or spider like as they painted it in the movie. Again, nothing I disliked, just NOT IN THE BOOK.
Oh and can we talk about Tris and Tobias? Their relationship in this book in particular was confusing. They had only recently met, fell “in love” and were now arguing with each other. Wuuuut?? Das a lil cray and completely unrealistic. But they did not decide to go this route for the movie. Instead, Tris and Tobias seem to be their same happy go lucky selves in a shitty “Imma keel yew” world. Now this is one thing I’m glad they didn’t portray into the movie BECAUSE IT WAS AWKWARD TO READ! They should not have been in that state throughout the book, IMO.
Now I know there was a lot of nonsense written throughout Insurgent that they wouldn’t/couldn’t have the time for, therefore, screenwriters have to condense and make the story make sense, which means, adding new scenes or tweaking for the sake of visual stimulation so I am not going to be too harsh with this one because I was not angry with this movie. At all. It was still a fantastic watch and I would recommend it to both readers and non readers a like! GO SEE THIS MOVIE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY!
Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles #2) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Book Description:
Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena’s family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.
Sometimes life-ending.
Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan’s eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there’s no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town’s tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.
My Rating: 5/5. . . 10/5
HOLY GUACAMOLE!! Whoever read the first book, Beautiful Creatures, and decided against reading this second book missed out! Beautiful Darkness is one of those books that has you going chapter to chapter NEEDING to know what happens next! There were SO many brilliantly shocking moments, after the first few you had to wonder if this was all the book had to offer BUT IT KEEPS SHOCKING! I, personally, adored the first book. I can admit though, it was a little slow to read at times, but none the less, it will always be a favorite of mine. This book isn’t like that. It’s a very fast, exciting read from beginning to end. The first book was all about getting to know Ethan and Lena and their details of their families and Gatlin, etc. This book, the second, is all about where they go from there and what a ride these ladies take us on!
Can I just keyboard scream for a second: WHY AREN’T THEY CONTINUING THIS AS A MOVIE?!?! I wanna see this on film sooooo bad with the same actors, the same director, UGHHH! Pull on my heart strings why don’t you?! :”'[
Let me just point out how much I love Ethan Wate:
Gramma stepped in front of Lena, closed her eyes, and touched a single finger to her granddaughter’s cheek. The moment she touched Lena, everything stopped, and I knew Gramma had used her abilities as an Empath to absorb Lena’s powers temporarily. But she couldn’t absorb Lena’s anger. None of us were strong enough to do that. -pg. 15
Bahahaha, can anyone else relate to this? I know I have my moments XD
Quick background to my personal life: My neighbors just put up a HUGE privacy fence! Our house is tucked back, so our neighbor’s backyard is in our front yard and the fence they put up is way over 6ft. tall. My husband and I call it “The Great Wall of Buhrke” (our last name). Ironically, the day they put this beast of a divider up, I also read this:
“Good fences make good neighbors.” -pg. 125
You could say we’re FANTASTIC neighbors!
Most of the book, I was kind of heartbroken for Ethan. Every time Lena pulled away, she pulled my heart with her, I was all, “LENA, NUUUU!! Stahp being bad!!” I was rooting for her all the way up until the scene where Lena was snuggle-dancing with John Breed, like, dafuq was dat LE-NUH?! But one thing I LOVED that they did: They didn’t turn Ethan into a whiny pansy who’s bitch whipped by a girl. Yes, he was hurt like anyone would be, but instead of moping and running to Lena and begging for an explanation every 2 seconds, he did what a lot of normal people do. He acted out of spite. He chose his anger and acted on it by doing to her what she was doing to him. Now am I agreeing with these actions? Absolutely not, but let’s be honest, a majority of people in the real world would’ve handled this situation the same way Ethan was, so kudos to the writer’s for going down the realistic road instead of the road that would make me roll my eyes and forever loathe Ethan Wate.
And we finally found out who Ethan Wate really is!! Why he’s here, why he’s drawn to Lena, why EVERYTHING!! I was SO excited to read about this! And wait till you find out about Jane, whoa buddy, this part made me “EEEEEE!!” out loud. AND AUNT PRUE! I’m not going to give away WHAT you’ll find out but jeez louise, when you finally think the surprises are over with, another one smacks you in the face on the next page and it finally all comes together in a big “ah-ha!” moment.
Then there’s Ridley. This I was not sure I liked at first. I can’t say why, I don’t want to ruin ANYTHING with this sequel, but notice I said like(d)? Well that’s because of what happens near the end of the book, another “ah-ha!” moment where it’s all explained and for that, I ended up loving the outcome. If there was no wrap up for her, I would’ve hated what they did with Rid. It’s funny how you end up feeling sorry for someone who is so dark and did bad things.
And as if there weren’t already crazy reveals, WAIT TILL YOU GET TO THE END! I squealed, I jumped for joy, I sang, I danced…. well… not really… but I felt so bubbly I might as well have done all of that. It was the best ‘ERMERGERD‘ moment in the entire book.
I just… I have so many words for this book! Beautiful, shocking, thrilling, adventurous, exciting, sorrowful, sad, curious. . .
This book is a fun adventure from the first page to the last. I feel sorry for anyone who hasn’t picked it up. So if you haven’t, DO IT, DO IT MEOW! I can’t wait to see what the third book, Beautiful Chaos has in store for me 😀 I want to read it ASAP but I’m waiting until I get back from traveling for a few days because I want to give this book my FULL attention and I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to read or how many times I’ll be interrupted. That’s how much I want to read the next book. It’s NEEDS my full attention ❤
Insurgent By Veronica Roth
Book Description:
One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
My Rating: 4.5/5
Veronica Roth DOES IT AGAIN! This book was awesomeeee.. (then Ashley, why aren’t you giving it a 5/5 rating??) well, brain, as much as I LOVED this book, it did have quite a few slow moments throughout it. I felt like this wasn’t a book that necessarily started out slow and then got better as it progressed, but more so a book the would be slow and then PEAK and then die down and then PEAK and then die down, etc. Picture a healthy heart monitor. That’s Insurgent for ya. But me personally, I did not mind the slow parts at all. I enjoyed the details of Tris’ relationships be that with Four or Christina or Uriah. I am so into this book, these characters, these settings, that all of those details are like little happy kisses to my heart <3. I just ordered ‘Allegiant’, the third and final book in the Divergent series (*sob*) as well as the companion ‘Four’ (*eeee*) and I CAN NOT WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON THESE!
I feel like because the book was so… bleh as far as the ‘adventure’ goes, it’s kind of hard to talk about, so I’m gonna throw in a quick summary of the book vs. film:
The movie “Insurgent” was absolutely fantastic. It was so action packed, it had you on the edge of your seat the entire time, it was emotional.. I adore it. But I don’t think it followed along with the story as well as Divergent did, BUT THAT’S OKAY!! They did a great job transforming these words into a film that people who have not read the books will understand and enjoy time and time again! As with any book-to-screen, there were things I enjoyed better via film and things I enjoyed better via book.
Example: The relationship with Tris and Four (Tobias) is completely different on film than it is in the book. I think I enjoyed the film’s rendition better only because of the timeline of their relationship (puppy love). But I might also like the book’s version better depending on where it goes in Allegiant.. only time will tell.
For the sake of the review, I’m not going to go over every part, but overall, both are great. Anyone reading the series needs to see the movies as well. So far both are moving to my ‘favorites’ lists :]
Divergent (Movie Edition)
Directed by Neil Burger
My Rating: 6/5
Wonderfully exciting, thrilling ride to the very end! The casting is spot on – the story is almost identical to the book; I can’t imagine anyone who read the book being disappointed with this movie. I’ve watched it several times and it’s just as stimulating as the first time!
If anything, I think the movie tweaked some scenes, brace yourself, for the better *gasp* *ohmahgawdnoshediint*
For example, the breathtaking zip line scene. When I read this part in the book, I didn’t think much of it. I thought it was a neat idea anddd that was about it. When I saw this scene come to life though – whoa man – I got chills. It was not only gorgeous, but I really feel that they made it more “Dauntless.” As you may or may not know, in the book, they glide down without a care in the world but in the movie, they are forced to pull their own brake lever or risk getting SPLAT against the wall at the bottom. I’m not gonna lie, I panicked a bit for Tris when her Dauntless buddies were yelling up at her to remind her to pull the brake. WHAT A SCARY SCENE if you really put yourself in her position! The cinematography in that scene alone was perfectly executed. I especially enjoyed riding down with Tris – thank you for sharing that!
The other scene that I specifically enjoyed better in the movie was the scene where Christina gets punished. Another scene made more “Dauntless” by Eric’s definition than how the book played it out. In the book, Christina climbs over the rail and is told to hang there for 5 minutes. Yes, stressful, yes, nerve wracking as the waves hit her. But having her THROWN over the rail instead of climbing herself by the person who’s punishing her in the first place? BRAVO GUYS! That’s exactly the kind of spicing up this scene needed!
The casting was great, the movie was spectacular. All in all, I was more than pleased and would recommend this movie to anyone who read the book or anyone who didn’t read the books but wants an action packed, thrilling movie with a little bit of romance thrown into the mix!
TheNerdyBookmark 