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Monday, February 29, 2016

February 2016 Wrap Up

Can you believe it's the end of February?  Yeah, me either, but that also means next month is March and that means SPRING!!!! Warmer weather, flowers will start to bloom...AH I can't wait.

But anyway, let's get back to today's post and to the list of books I read in February...let's go???

February 2015 Wrap Up

1. November 9 by Colleen Hoover: 4 stars


So, I really enjoyed reading this book until I got to the twist and I just wasn't sure I how felt about it and I'm still not sure.  I will talk about it more on my review.  But am I the only one?  But I still love the love story and the writing, of course.

2. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton: 4 stars


Okay, my son was reading this for his 7th grade English class and I just had to read this.  And it was just as good and middle school and I got to help on his English problem without a problem because I had just finished reading.  And it only took me like 3 hours to read the whole book. lol

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: 5 stars



OMG, WHY didn't I read this book earlier?  It was just seating on my bookshelf for years, it was amazing, I laughed, I cried and did I said that I cried?  Yeah, AMAZING, if you haven't read, just do it.

4. Salem's Fury by Aaron Galvin: 5 stars


Aaron Galving was just too kind and sent me his 2nd and 3rd book on his Salem's Vengeance Trilogy and I had promised myself that this month I was going to just this book and I did read this one and it was SOOO good, better than the first one and it is rare for that too happen.  His books are raw and if you want a book where romance is not the top priority but family and your community is, then this is the book for you.

5. Salem's Legacy by Aaron Galvin: 4 stars


And like I said, I was only going to read Salem's Fury but that one ended leaving you craving for more so I had to pick this one up.  This one wasn't as amazing as the second one but it still was pretty damn good and this trilogy was just amazing and if you are craving a good book about a twist on witch craft, these are the books for you.

6. Eve by Anna Carey: 5 stars


This is another trilogy that I have had in my bookshelf forever so it was time to start reading and I loved the first book and cannot wait to continue with it next month.

7. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: 5 stars


Alright, I watched the trailer for the movie and I knew I had to pick up the book and read it before the movie was out and OMG, my heart is still broken and has all these feelings.  It was a really great and amazing book.

8. Saga Volume 1 by Brian k. Vaugham: 5 stars


I have heard nothing but great things about Saga and while I was at Barnes and Nobles a couple weekends ago, I just picked up Volume 1 and this past weekend I needed a quick read and picked it up and Holly Molly...the hype?  It is all true, not for kids at all, but if you are of age you need to pick it up, it is amazing and now I need to get the remaining of the Volumes.

9. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: 3 stars



I started reading this one Friday night and I picked this one because it has been compared to Gone Girl and even though I don't read Thrillers a lot I LOVED Gone Girl and I needed something different from what I usual read.  I'm a little over half way through the book and I will be done with it tonight and it isn't definitely what I thought it would be and I'm a little disappointed.  I will get more of it on my review but I'm going to give 3 stars unless the book really changes on the last half. Anyways...

February was a really great reading month for me, 9 books total and I loved most of them. 

What books did you read this month?  And which books do you recommend?

XOXO,

Nelia

Friday, February 26, 2016

Weekend Reads: A Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

And we are back on Friday, this week has been a weird week, that's for sure.  I felt like it dragged forever and now that it's Friday?  I feel like it went pretty quick, weird lol

I'm not sure what I'm doing this weekend, but I'm starting this book today and I want to finish it this weekend for sure, so here is my Weekend Read:

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins


I don't read that many thrillers and suspense books, but I did enjoy Gone Girl A LOT and this book is compared to it a bunch of times and there is a movie coming out this year so of course I need to read the book before I watch the movie.  Have you read this book?  What did you think?  And if you didn't, don't worry about it because I will have a review for it :)

Have a great weekend!!!

XOXO,


Thursday, February 25, 2016

Book Review: Half Bad by Sally Green

It's time for another Book Review my friends...and today we are going to talk about witches lol; let's do this?

Half Bad by Sally Green


Nathan is sixteen years old and he lives in a cage; beaten, shackled and trained to kill.  In England there are two types of witches that live among humans, there are the good white witches and then there are the black witches.  Nathan is an abomination, he is half white and half black and it wouldn't be too bad, but his half black is the worst, because is father the black witch is the most wanted, terrifying and violent witch ever, Marcus.

Growing up, Nathan is always treated a little different, the white witches have their eyes on him the whole time and they bring him in to test him to see how much black witch he is and then one day they just take him away from his grandmother's care and cage him.  He lives most of the rest of his childhood inside a cage where he is beaten and trained to kill by a white witch.

Nathan's only hope of survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus and receive the three gifts that will bring him the magical powers that every witch needs to become a true witch-before it's too late.  But how can Nathan find his father when he doesn't know who to trust?  Can he trust his family?  Or the girl that he thought he once loved?

This book was so different from anything that I've read in a while, I'm not going to lie, it took me a little bit of a time to get to it as the first half of the book was a little slow as it was world building and character building too.  But on the second half?  Oh, the book really picked up and that's when things started to really get interesting and I really started to enjoy the book.

I don't want to give too much away, because it really is best to go into this book really blind and even though it may be a little boring at first, be patient and wait until you get to the second half of it and you will not regret it.  The second book is already out and I think the third is coming out this year, so I need to get on the roll and read the second one soon.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars and yes I recommend it, especially if you like supernatural and witches, you will really enjoy this one.

XOXO,

Nelia

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Book Review: Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Welcome back to another Book Review Tuesday :) and today I'm bringing you a book by one of my favorite authors, 2015 was a year that I read pretty much all of her books and fell in love with her writing style.  Who is this author?  Colleen Hoover, and I'm pretty sure I am not alone here, right?  Who is a Colleen Hoover fan?

Anyways, let's get back to the review and talk about maybe my second favorite book of hers:

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover


Sydney is 22 years old and she is life is pretty good.  She is in college, has a steady job, has a boyfriend and her best friend is her roommate, what else could she ask for?  Well, she definitely didn't ask for Tori, her best friend, to be cheating with her boyfriend Hunter, that's for sure and in that fraction of a second, Sydney's life just came crumbling down.  And the worst is she is forced to move out.

Before Sydney found out about all that cheating, she had caught the attention of her mysterious and hot neighbor, Ridge.  There is just something about him and the way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony that gets to her, but she never knew how to explain.  But when Sydney is forced to move out of her apartment because of Tori and Hunter, she finds herself lost with nowhere to go and Ridge comes to rescue her.  He decides to get her and bring her to his apartment, where is rooms with two other people.  At first Sydney refuses but when she realizes she has nowhere else to go she accepts his offer and goes even if it is temporary.

One thing that started temporary became so much more, when Sydney moves in with Ridge and his friend and other roommate, her life will never be the same again.  Be prepared to be told a story about friendship, love, betrayal and romance and everything in between too.  When I started this book I had no clue what I was getting myself into, I had heard lots of great things about it but...OH MAN it was a roller coaster that's for sure.  One twist after another and not knowing where it was going to end up?  It drove me crazy at times and made me cry like a baby at other times.  But that's what Colleen Hoover books does to you, right?

I gave this book 5 out 5 stars, it was amazing, the writing, the story, the characthers, all of it.  When I was done I wanted more, that's how much I loved this book.  If you haven't read this book I totally recommend, so what are you waiting for, go and read it!!!

XOXO,

Nelia

Monday, February 15, 2016

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Happy Thursday and happy book review day.  This book, it took me a long time to read it and I have no clue why.  When I was reading it I loved it and it just felt good to be back to that world again; okay let's stop babbling and start the review.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare



Clare is back and wishing her life was normal but how can it be when her own mother is in a coma which was magically induced, and let's not forget that she just found out that she is is a demon-slaying Shadowhunter and can see Downworlders.  She wishes to leave all this crazy world behind her and spend more time with her best friend Simon, but that isn't going to be possible, why?  Her new found brother Jace, who is one of the best Shadowhunters is one of the reasons, but the main reason is the only chance to help her mother is to find the rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, the evil and insane one and let's not forget, who is also her father.

Things are getting weirder in New York City, Downworlder children are getting murdered and soon they realize that Valentine is possibly the one behind the killings, but what is he trying to do?  Do make matters worse, the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen and the Cave has sent the Inquisitor to investigate.  And who does she starts to blame right away?  Jace.  But Jace doesn't make things better for himself when he is willing to betray everything and everyone in order to help his father, Valentine.

In this second book of the Mortal Instruments we get introduced to the Downworlders and their worlds and it was amazing, at first I didn't think I want to know about the fairies and their world but once they got introduced I wanted to learn more and more.  It was the same for the other Downworlders, the vampires or the werewolves; each of them was explained extremely well and left you wanting to know more.  I guess that's just the way Cassandra Clare writes, she just leaves you craving for more.

Don't think there wasn't any action in the book, there was plenty and it left you in the edge of your seat for sure.  I also loved how Cassandra spent more time on each character, we got to spend more time with Simon and to understand and love him more, the same for Magnus and Jace and all the others; you just got a little bit of everyone in this book.

I gave 4 out of 5 stars, I really enjoyed and it left me craving for more as it should because there are more books, right?  Who is your favorite character?

XOXO,

Nelia

Book Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sarah Rash

This week has been hell, I can't wait for it to be over and done with it!  But anyway, let's get to better things and stop worrying about the negativity things, right?  Let's talk about books, yeah that always brings me to a better mood.  Today's post is a book review and one that I'm wicked excited about it, why?  Because I'm loving this series; let me get to review, right?  Right...

Snow Like Ashes by Sarah Rash


Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and all its citizens enslaved.  They were enslaved to another Kingdom leaving them without magic or monarch.  The Winterians' only hope or survival or freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape and who have been waiting to steal back their Winter's magic and rebuild their Kingdom again.

Meira is one of the survivors, she was orphaned as an infant during Winter's defeat and has been training to be a warrior ever since.  She has been secretly in love with her best friend and Winter's future king, and she would do anything to help rise Winter again.  One day the scouts find out where the location of half of the ancient locket that can restore their magic and Meira been Meira, decides to go after it herself-only to find herself in a world of evil magic and politics.  But the worst is when Meira finds out that her destiny is not what she thought it would be and she is more power and powerless and ever.

This book will give you action, magic, friendship and love all in one.  It was non stop and it kept me engaged from the first chapter and when I was done reading I was ready for the next book.  I couldn't believe how much it was given in one book, that's for sure.  You find out what happened to Winter, to exactly what let to it's destruction and how the survivors escaped.  Then it brings you to the present time and how the survivors are living and going from one place to another and how they plan their attacks.  How they try to find the locket that gives the magic to their Kingdom and their citizens.  And it just takes off from then, we see these survivors fighting day to day, giving everything they have left to conquer back their kingdom.  It is pretty amazing to say the least.  The books just evolves from there...I can't give you much what happens in detail or it will ruin and spoil the book for you and it's just best going in blind and fall in love with it.  But I can tell you to be prepared and expect everything, lots and lots of things happen in this book, every time you thing that will be it more events happens and it grabs your attention even more.

Well, what else can I say about this book without giving too much away?  How about that I gave 5 out of 5 stars?  Go and read it if you haven't yet and you will not regret it, especially if you love action and a strong female character.  Snow Like Ashes will leave you craving for more once you are done.

XOXO,

Nelia

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Book Review: Doon by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon

It's Book Review Tuesday and today's book is fun and romantic and everything in between.  I'm just going to jump right in because it's about time that I do this review:

Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon


Veronica's life is pretty much going down hill and when her best friend invites her to go spend the summer in Scotland she only has to think once and then agrees to leave her very complicated life behind for a few months. 

Veronica thinks that she is going crazy, right before she left the states she thought she saw a kilted boy and now he is popping up everywhere in Alloway; but is she really going crazy or is there something else.  One day Veronica and Mackenna find a strange set of rings and a very strange letter left from Mackenna's great Aunt Gracie.  Because of those rings the girls find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation; a land named Doon. 

Doon, seems just like a real life fairy tale, complete with princes however Doon has a dark underbelly as well.  One of the princes' has eyes only for Mackenna and for the first time in her life; Mackenna is more confused than ever, she is the opposite of Veronica, she has a life planned out of Doon; could she leave everything behind and stay there with her real life prince?  Or should she just go back to her real life and leave her prince behind?  It will be the hardest decision of her life?

The other prince is the boy of Veronica's dreams and she gets to find out why she has been having those dreams for days now, but things are not working out as they should be and she isn't sure why.  Doon could be what she has been longing for, will she get to have what she wants?

Veronica ends up almost breaking Doon's enchantment by mistake and finding herself and Mackenna trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.  Can both same Doon and their people?

Well, for that you will have to read Doon.  But I can tell you that you will get the answers for all those questions and more!!! And not be disappointed, this book was romantic and cheesy at times but that's the kind of book that sometimes you need in your life; especially when you are feeling down and nothing is working right, do you know what I mean?  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars, there are somethings that needed solving, but that's what the other books are for, right?  I already own book 2 and 3, I just need to read them.  Totally recommend this book, perfect to read this time of the year-Valentine's Day is right around the corner, right?

That will do it for this review, have you read Doon?

XOXO,

Nelia

Monday, February 8, 2016

February 2016 TBR

It's Monday and it's snowing again and I'm wicked behind on my February TBR post so...let's jump right in and look at what is on my reading list this month.

First up:

November 9 by Colleen Hoover


And I've already read this book and I can't wait to do a review on this book, my feelings were all over with this book.

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton


Another book that I've already read, I'm doing pretty good this month...so far, let's keep our fingers crossed.  This is a oldie and I'll keep my opinion for my review.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


Ah, this book has been on my TBR for ever, but I'm happy to report that I'm currently reading so it be coming off for good.  And I'm really enjoying it, so much that I was up at 4 am and when I couldn't fall back asleep I was reading it.

Eve by Anna Carey


I really want to read this series, I owe it for a long time and it's time to read it.


That's all I have on my TBR for February, once I'm done with Eve I will continue with the series, so if I finish it early in February I will pick up book 2 or even book 3 in that series, but we will see.

What are your plans for February, what books are you reading?

XOXO,

Nelia





Friday, February 5, 2016

Weekend Reads: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Happy Friday, it's snowing today!  We were having a very mild Winter and I was pretty happy with it to tell you the truth; but this is New England and I cannot complain about snowing in February, right?  And I'm looking out the window now and it kind of looks pretty, really pretty. :)

Okay, here is what is on my TBR for this weekend:

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton


I'm almost done with this one, I should be done with it tonight and then I will be reading...

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


FINALLY!!!  I know, right?  It is about time and I'm going to leave it at that.

What are you currently reading?  What's the weather like where you are?

XOXO,

Nelia

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Book Review, Book Review baby!!! And today we are going to talk about Royals and blood and silver and magic and well, if you have read the title of the blog post you already know which book, right?  Okay, then let's get to it...

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard



Mare Barrow is seventeen years old and she is poor girl from the Stilts and that makes here a Red girl.  What's a Red girl?  She has red blood and people with red blood are poor people because they don't possess magic powers and therefore they are slaves and workers and for Mare looks like life will never change.  That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace, the place with the people that she hates the most.  The Silvers?  They are the people that have silver blood and that have magic powers, so they have all the power of the world and think they can do whatever they want with the Reds. 

However, things take a turn, when surrounded with Silvers Mare finds out that dispite having Red blood she possesses a deadly power of her own.  One that can destroy the balance of the power.

Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silver's hide her in plain view, declairing her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. 

While in the Silver Palace, Mare finds out about the Red Guard, a resistant group that want to bring down the Silver regime.  Despite knowing that one misstep could lead to her death she decides to work with the Red Guard but soon she starts to find out a lot more about this world of betrayal and lies.  It's not only Reds against Silvers, there are Silvers and against Silvers, prince against prince and Mare's heart is against itself it seems...

SOOO good this book.  The more you read the more you want to read, I just couldn't stop thinking about this book when I wasn't reading it.  Mare was amazing, the world building was good, I wanted more and hopefully we will get it in the next book, which I can't wait to come out.

4 out of 5 stars for sure and I totally recommend reading it if you haven't yet, specially with the second book coming you soon.


XOXO,

Nelia

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Book Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Book Review Tuesday time...today's book was a hard topic to read about it; which is probably why it was on the Banned Books List, I read this book during Banned Books Week and I'm so glad I got to read it.  More books like this should be out there, true that it's a hard topic but it happens and we need to voice things like this.  I'm not going to spoil the book as per all my book reviews but if you have read it you know what it is about and the one big lesson this book teaches is: Never Judge People without know what is going on First.

On to the review:

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson


Melinda Sordino attended an end of the summer party but she busted it, how?  By calling the cops and because of that, all her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from afar. 

She doesn't care, or at least that is what she says, and the safest place she finds is inside her own head, she has stopped talking to people, even her own parents.  She just wants to be left alone, because she thinks that is the safest place, be alone, but it's not safe.  There is something that happened at the end of the summer party, something she is trying not to think about, something that she is trying to forget completely by not thinking about.  If she let someone think that something was wrong with her, she would have to let them in and then she would have to speak the truth.  But she isn't ready, maybe she will never be ready OR maybe she will be if someone will care enough to notice that she needs help, or care enough to to help her.

I knew this book was banned but I wasn't sure what it was about and when I started to read and then found out what it was about, I was mad and sad.  Not because what the book was about, but because there are probably so many girls like Melinda out there and we don't even realize it and I just wish that people will read and share this story, even if it is fiction, we just never know if it can save a life or more than one life.

4 out 5 stars-I wanted more, I wanted an after, I wanted to know that Melinda is okay and living a wonderful life many years after.

XOXO,

Nelia

Monday, February 1, 2016

January 2016 Wrap Up

Can you believe that the first month of 2016 is over?  2016 don't start to fly away like the last two years of my life, okay?  Alright, now that we got that out of the way, let's get to today's post.

It's wrap up time, this month I didn't read a ton of books but I don't think it was too bad; and I blame Netflix and Gilmore Girls, at least I'm on the last Season and it will be over soon, right?  Let's take a look at the books I read this month:

1. This Girl by Colleen Hoover: 3 Stars


This is the final book in the Slammed trilogy and I really don't think there was a need for this book, I was reading and waiting for something new to happen and not much new really happened.  I was disappointed.  Oh well...


2.  The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey: 4 Stars


I finally finished this book and I was alright, I enjoyed and the last half of the book really picked it up.  Review will come up soon.


3.  Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch: 4 Stars


Second book in the Snow like Ashes is it series or trilogy?  Not sure, but anyway, I really enjoyed this book.  I loved the world in these books and Meira is pretty amazing.  Not going to give to much out, but I will be doing a review soon of this.  Can't wait for the third book to come out later this year.


4. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare: 5 Stars


I really enjoy these TMI books, but they are pretty big and take up a lot of my TBR and the reason I don't get to read a lot of books.  But I have finally started and finished reading City of Glass and OMG, SOOO good.  Can't wait to read the next one.

5. Paper Towns by John Green: 5 Stars


I read this book in one day, I have been fighting this cold that turned into bronchitis all week last week and Saturday and Sunday were the first time that I felt like reading and guess what? I finished reading City of Glass and started and finished reading Paper Towns.  I really enjoyed reading this book, it was fast paced and I never got bored once reading, totally recommend it.

And that's it for my January wrap up; what books did you read last month? 

XOXO,

Nelia