amity
Identity Crisis!
Formally: Kay_Reads
So as you can clearly tell, I’m having a sort of “identity crisis..” When I originally started this blog, I was so eager to write my book reviews that I just picked the most uncreative name I could think of. I was never a fan of “Kay_Reads,” it didn’t speak to me, it didn’t stand out… it was just something to use for the time being. I read everywhere that changing your identity was a bad idea, blah blah blah. But the only thing I had to change with every platform I was using were the user names! I didn’t lose any of my wonderful followers, I didn’t have to ask anyone to ‘like’ this one, follow this new page, and the best part of all, I didn’t have to spend several hours customizing and reposting everything 😀
So I apologize for any confusion, but the new name is here and it is here to stay!
So with that, I re-welcome you to the not-so-new:
TheNerdyBookmark
Thank you for your understanding & Happy Reading!
Divergent Series Wrap Up
Series Description:
Divergent: One choice can transform you. This debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed “perfect society.”
Insurgent: One choice can destroy you. This story continues the dystopian thrill ride. As war surges in the factions all around her, Tris attempts to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Allegiant: The explosive conclusion to the Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers.
Four: A Divergent Collection: A companion volume to the Divergent series, told from the perspective of Tobias. The four pieces included—”The Transfer,” “The Initiate,” “The Son,” and “The Traitor”—plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers a fascinating glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the Divergent trilogy.
My Rating: 5/5
Some might argue that Four: A Divergent Collection should not be included in the series. Do you need to read it? Absolutely not. But if you’re a fan of Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant than I must urge you to grab this companion novel. To me, it IS apart of the series – it gives you insight on some scenes throughout the trilogy that will may you go, “ahhh – that’s why he did that!”
This series is a series that will stay on my bookshelf probably forever. If you’re a fan of The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner series, there’s no doubt in my mind that you won’t enjoy what Veronica Roth has to offer. And it’s set in Chicago gaiz, greatest city everrr 😛 (Yes, I’m biased). You will be taken on an emotional roller coaster, you will experience heart pounding action, you get romance, you get breathtaking scenery. Everything you could want in a YA/Dystopian novel, you get that and more. I personally hope we get to read more of Veronica Roth in the future :] Thank you for taking me on an incredible adventure, Mrs. Roth!
Here are my links to each separate review:
Thanks for reading! :]
2015 October Wrap Up
Total Books = 7
Average Rating = 4
Overall, a great month for reading! 😀
1.) City of Words by Steven J. Carroll – 3.5/5
2.) Allegiant by Veronica Roth – 5/5
3.) Four by Veronica Roth – 4/5
4.) The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin – 4/5
5.) Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – 5/5
6.) Breed by Chase Novak – 3/5
7.) Far Far Away by Tom McNeal – 3.5/5
How many books did you get through this colorful month?
2015 October Bookhaul
Welcome to my October 2015 Bookhaul! Wooo! I think I have to put on the brakes after this one though cause in the last 2 months I’ve acquired 52 books that I gotta get through… eash. Plus with Thanksgiving around the corner (which my husband and I host for our military family) and then Christmasssss, oye!
On to the books! I’ll have a list below of each book pictured, where I got them, paperback or hardcover, special editions and how much my total purchase at each place was! If you have any more questions – or comments – about this months haul, please feel free to leave/ask them below 😀 Happy reading!
Total Books: 24
Total Amount Spent: $72
Barnes & Noble – $14
1.) The Host by Stephenie Meyer; paperback
2.) Fiend by Peter Stenson; hardcover
3.) Beautiful Chaos, Bk. 3 (Caster Chronicles/Beautiful Creatures Series) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl; paperback
The Book Exchange – $22
1.) The Sea of Monsters, Bk. 2 (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) by Rick Riordan; paperback
2.) Reckless, Bk. 1 (Mirrorworld) by Cornelia Funke; hardcover
3.) Redwall, Bk. 1 (Redwall) by Brian Jacques; paperback
4.) The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling; hardcover
5.) Deep Blue Bk. 1 (Waterfire Saga) by Jennifer Donnelly; hardcover
6.) Asylum, Bk. 1 (Asylum) by Madeleine Roux; paperback
Half Price Book Store – $7
1.) The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates; paperback
2.) Stoneheart, Bk. 1 (Stoneheart Trilogy) by Charlie Fletcher; paperback
3.) The Awakening, Bk. 2 (Darkest Powers) by Kelley Armstrong; hardcover
4.) The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Bk. 3.5 (Twilight) by Stephenie Meyer; hardcover
BookOutlet – $30
1.) Dreamspinner, Bk. 7 (Nine Kingdoms) by Lynn Kurland; paperback
2.) House of Secrets, Bk. 1 (House of Secrets) by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini; hardcover
3.) Battle of the Beasts, Bk. 2 (House of Secrets) by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini; hardcover
4.) Eve & Adam, Bk. 1 (Eve & Adam) by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate; paperback
5.) The Calling, Bk. 1 (Endgame) by James Frey & Nils Johnson-Shelton; hardcover
6.) Storybound, Bk. 1 (Storybound) by Marissa Burt; paperback
7.) Dream A Little Dream, Bk. 1 (The Silver Trilogy) by Kerstin Gier; hardcover
8.) Crank, Bk. 1 (Crank) by Ellen Hopkins, paperback
9.) Glass, Bk. 2 (Crank) by Ellen Hopkins, paperback
10.) Quintessence by David Walton; paperback
Giveaway Books – FREE
1.) Haze, Bk. 2 (The Rephaim) by Paula Weston; paperback
ARCs – FREE (I get these from work)
6 Romance Novels – these won’t be included in the total. I get these from work but I do not keep them, instead, I pass them on to my momma to read because she loves romance novels – and I do not… *shudder*
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!
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.files.wordpress.com/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!
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!
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Book Description:
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . .
. . .or it might destroy her.
My Rating: 6/5… 10/5…
Oh my goodness this book is UH-MAZING!! I flew through this thing, I could not put it down! I nabbed the 2nd book right away, Insurgent. Divergent leaves you on edge throughout. Every chapter leaves you wanting to know what happens next. The main character Tris is so inspiring and just really makes me want to get out there and conquer some fears of mine. And Four…. oh Four ❤ Even though I’m married, it’s okay to have a fictional boyfriend, right? This book has great character development, I’m not sure there’s a character in here that I wasn’t excited to hear about and see where their story goes. I swear Veronica Roth could make side books on anyone in this story. I’d buy every single one. And as far as movie/book comparison goes: SEE THE MOVIE! What a great book-to-screen adaptation! They really didn’t leave out too much. They manipulated a few scenes for the film (one in particular being the zip line scene) which I surprisingly enjoyed the film rendition way better… they definitely made it more thrilling and more “dauntless.” (Will post a link when I write the movie-to-book review). I could talk about this book all day, definitely pick it up if you haven’t!
