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Thursday, March 20, 2014

Book Review: BloodLines Books 1-4

Book Review Time, and yes this is another series that I love it and cannot wait to finish but unfortunately next book is not out until July, I can't believe it. 

Bloodlines, is a spin off series from Vampire Academy Series, and when I started reading the first book, Bloodlines, I wasn't that sure I was going to like these books.  I liked the first book, I didn't Love it, but it as okay, it did have some of the same characters from Vampire Academy and let's face it, if you read the Vampire Academy series you know you cannot ever get enough of Adrian.  Ah, I love Adrian. But, let's recap a little, Bloodlines follows Sydney, the Alchemist, when she gets recruited to protect Jill after she got attacked at Court.  Eddie and Adrian come along to help protect Jill.  There isn't much happening on the first book, but it gives the whole background of why Jill, Adrian and Eddie need to be hidden.

Second book of the series is: The Golden Lily, in the 2nd book we get to know Sydney a lot more.  I love how she changed so much in a book.  She goes from been the Alchemist to starting to get close to the vampires and starts using magic and most importantly she starts to question the Alchemists work.  I love this girl more and more.  And Adrian, on the first book we get to seen him some broken from his breakup with Rose, but this book we get to see that he is moving on and getting closer to Sydney and having feelings for her and Sydney is feeling the same way even though she denies herself.

3rd Book, The Indigo Spell, well, well...what can I say, so much happened in this book.  Lots of Magic, lots of breaking rules and lots of romance.  Sydney is pulled in every direction there is, she helps her witch teacher looking for a dangerous witch that sucks the life out of young  witches and get stronger.  She is also helping an Alchemist rebel, Marcus, by getting information that compromises the Alchemist.  She is also starts to realize how much is loves Adrian and she realizes that she doesn't mind breaking more Alchemist rules, specially if it's for love.

4th Book, The Fiery Heart.  Oh my god, I loved this book so much, the end was fabulous, well it's killing me now until the next book in out, but I really think it was well ended, an amazing cliffhanger.  In this book Sydney and Adrian are dating behind everybody's back, they cannot afford anyone finding out about that, specially the Alchemists.  Sydney's sister, Zoe is sent to help her out, but while she is there is feels left behind a lot of the times as Sydney's is always running around doing magic errands, or helping Marcus or just sneaking around to meet with Adrian.  Sydney thinks everything is going great for once, she made the potion for the tattoo that breaks the link with the Alchemists, no one suspects of her and Adrian, well do they?  I can't give more out, so if you want to know read it, you will not regret.

Ah, have I said how much I can't wait for the next book?  I CANNOT WAIT.  The series did start a little slow but after the 2nd book you really will love it.  So do I recommend it?  Absolutely.

Enjoy your reading...

XOXO,

Nelia

Friday, March 14, 2014

Book Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass

Today's book review is The Elite by Kiera Cass, the second book on The Selection Trilogy and so far my favorite.


On the 2nd book the Selection is down to 6 girls and America is really starting to think that she is having some feelings for Maxon, that is when Aspen is not around and make her feel things that she didn't think it would be possible again. She is confused but she is trying hard to figure out what she wants.

We also get to see more of the rebels, America almost gets kidnapped when the rebels attack the palace again.  She takes an interest on the rebels, as to what they want exactly and she shares her views with Maxon.

The families of the Elite get to visit the palace and get to enjoy a Halloween party, America loves the whole idea.  And on Halloween night she really thinks that she can be with Maxon forever, that is until...

The most terrible thing happens when Marlee gets caught with one of the guards.  All the girls are dressed in black and brought outside to watch the punishment for such a thing.  Marlee is America's best friend and when she sees Marlee get caned with 15 strikes she can't take looking at it without doing anything and she starts to protest and calls Maxon to stop it, but he never moves, the guards eventually remove America from the scene.  She doesn't forgive Maxon for allowing that to happen.  And because of that she throws herself at Aspen, he is safe, he is someone she can trust and she doesn't just that, meeting with him whenever they can, stealing kisses from one another.

Maxon does confess to America what happened with Marlee and even allows the girls to talk again. (Don't want to give to much spoilers here)

The girls in the Selection are learning a lot of new things, history, how to throw parties and America starts to get interested on that.  She learns and learns and learns and when the girls are asked to present a report during live TV on something that think should change and why.  America finally finds a subject that will throw everybody off and when she presents, things for her don't look so well, so much as she almost gets kicked out of the Selection.  (You need to read for all the little details :)

I loved this book so much, I couldn't put it down, I was done reading in a day and a half.  And now I cannot wait for the third book to come out, I really think the release date needs to move up SOON.

XOXO,

Nelia

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Book Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

I just finished reading The Selection and The Elite, the first 2 books of The Selection Trilogy and I cannot wait until May for the 3rd Book, The One.

I wanted to the book reviews on a series once I have completed all the series but because there is a big gap between now and May I decided to do the reviews now.  On this post I'll be reviewing the first book, The Selection.

Let's start with book one, THE SELECTION



 
 
Book one starts with our main character, America explaining about our country and the selection and the castes.  The country is Illea and is divided into 7 castes.  America belongs to caste 5, where artist and singers live.  They have to get work on that area, they can only pick a job that corresponds to their caste.

America also talks about how there are rebels that attack the palace because they hate Illea. 

The Selection is like "The Bachelor", the prince of Illea, is at the age where he is ready to find his wife, his princess, the country's system says that 35 girls are picked from every caste for a chance to win the prince's heart.  All the girls get to live in the palace for an unlimited time until the prince decides who he has fallen in love with and marries that girl.

America is really not interested in the Selection, she is secretly in love and dating a boy from caste Six, his name is Aspen.  However her mother convinces her to just fill out the paperwork and submit it together with her picture.  America doesn't think that she would get picked, she doesn't think there is nothing special about her and she only agreed because her mother made the promise that she could start keeping some of her earned money to herself, which for her means that she can save money to marry Aspen.  America and Aspen meets after curfew in her childhood tree house in her backyard.  One night during one of their meetings, Aspen gets so upset with America that he breaks up with America.  She is devastated.

America gets another surprised when her name gets picked for the Selection.  She goes thinking that he may actually be good to get away from everything, especially Aspen.

When America gets to the palace she is so surprised with how everything is, how the girls are excited about this competition.  She decides that she should make some friends while she is here.  She meets Prince Maxon during her first night there, she feels trapped and while trying to get outside she is stopped by guards and Maxon comes to the rescue, allowing America to go outside and get fresh air.  They start having a connection there (that's my opinion) but America can only think of Maxon as a friend.

They started talking and America confess to Maxon the reason she is there, most importantly how much she loves their food.  She tells Maxon that she can help him deciding which girls he should give a chance and their relationship starts from there.  They share their first kiss in this book.

The book also gives you an overview of the other girls, the friendship of America and another girl, Marlee and also the rebels.

Oops, I think I may have gone a little overboard with this review.  I do recommend this book so much, if you like Young Adult, Dystopian books with a little romance in it, then you'll enjoy it.

That's it for the first book review.  I'll be posting the 2nd book, The Elite review still this week...

XOXO

Nelia

Saturday, March 8, 2014

100 Books Challenge For 2014

Let me start by saying: I LOVE BOOKS.

So this year I going to do the 100 book challenge, below is my list, it doesn't have the 100 Titles, I'm working on it, but I'm pretty sure there will be great books coming out this year to add to this list.
I have started this challenge and I'm really loving it.

I did the list by author and then the books name:

Veronica Roth
Divergent Trilogy- READ...Cannot wait for the movie in a couple weeks

Richelle Mead
Vampire Academy Series (6 books) READ
Bloodlines Series (5 books) READ 4 of them, 5th one is coming out this July and I cannot wait for it and yes I have re ordered on Amazon and when it comes out it will be waiting for me on my Kindle.

Bill Hiatt
Living with Your Past Selves (Bought)

Bella Forrest
Shad of Vampire Series (5 books) bought the 1st one-A Shad of Vampire

Kiera Cass
Selection Trilogy- Bought 1st one (The Selection) and just started reading today, looking good

Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series (5 books) bought 1st one
The Heroes of Olympus Series (4 books)

Kerstin Gier
The Ruby Red Trilogy

Lydia Kang
Control

Tahereh Mafi
Shatter Me Trilogy

Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles Trilogy

Lauren Oliver
Delirium Trilogy

Veronica Rossi
Under the Never Sky Trilogy

Anna Carey
Eve Trilogy

Kristin Cashore
Graceling Trilogy

Alexandra Bracken
The Darkest Minds Trilogy

Marie Lu
Legend Trilogy

Cassandra Clare
The Infernal Devices Trilogy
The Mortal Instruments Series (5 books) Bought 1st book

Lois Lowry
The Giver Series (4 books)

Lauren DeStefano
The Chemical Garden Trilogy

Ally Condie
The Matched Trilogy

Kami Garcia
Beautiful Creatures Series (4 books) Bought 1st book

That's it for my list right now, I'll be adding more and will do a updated list once I find out the other books.  If you noticed I really like Young Adult, dystopian books.

I'll do a review of some of the books too, but probably once I have completed the series.

What other books should I read?

XOXO,

Nelia