Feature and Follow #25

This weekly meme is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee 

This week's question:

Who is your favorite villain from a book?

This might sound like a strange answer, but I'm going to have to go with Machina from Julie Kagawa's The Iron Fey series. I say "strange" because he's a villain.... but not. In the first book, yeah, he is definitely the evil guy, but later on in the series, you learn about his past, his motives, and you realize that he's not necessarily the one dimensional bad guy you thought. I liked that even though he was the "villain," he had layers.

But if you want to talk pure evil villains, my pick is Dolores Umbridge. Good gosh that woman is hands down the evilest character in the entire HP series! 

Cover reveal: The Retribution of Mara Dyer

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

 October 22, 2013

Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

(via Shelf Life)

That cover.

Can I just-

It's. So. Beautiful.

Guyssssss I'm so excited!!!!!

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Publication date: February 1, 1999
Publisher: Pocket Books

Rating: 5 stars

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Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. 

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. 

But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

"I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with someone even if they could have. I need to know these people exist."

Dear friend,

To be honest, I have written and rewritten this review more times than I care to count. It was unbelievably hard to find the right words to write a review because this book left me utterly speechless. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age story that wasn't clichéd or hackneyed. Charlie, the main character, is a unique introvert who still manages to be very relatable. I loved this book, but the word love does not seem big enough to convey how much this book impacted me. No matter what I say, it feels inadequate in describing just how powerful this book actually was. But seeing as this is a book review blog, I suppose I should endeavor to try.

People think that the most powerful books are those that grip you from the very first page, the ones that make you feel like you're on a fast-paced roller coaster but, in fact, this is not true. The most powerful books are those you fall in love with unwittingly. Each word is like a stitch, slowly weaving itself into your heart until the story and its characters become a part of you.

I finished this book in one night which, believe me, was not my intention as I ended up going to sleep around 4 a.m.... and I wanted to go to sleep sooner, really I did! But Charlie's story had me enraptured, not because it was extremely exciting or action-packed but because I had fallen in love with this wallflower who loves books as much as I do and always gives gifts without expecting anything in return. Charlie became a real person for me and I had to keep reading to see if he was going to be alright.

The writing in this book is beautiful. It was not needlessly verbose or full of symbols and metaphors, it was honest and poignant. Charlie had a very distinct voice, naive at times but also observant and startlingly wise, which made him a very endearing character to me. His whole journey of self-discovery was filled with moments of sadness and humor and a ton of quotable quotes.

This may sound silly, but a part of me holds on to this belief that Charlie is a real person who exists somewhere out there in the real world. Who wrote these amazingly sincere letters. Who really touched me with his words. Like I said, it's a somewhat silly notion, but that's how compelling this book was. So, to fellow bookworms out there, I hope I've convinced you to read this book. And to Charlie, thank you.

Love always,
Joie

2012 End of Year Book Survey

Hosted by Jamie over at The Perpetual Page Turner

1. Best book you've read in 2012?

Contemporary: Saving June by Hannah Harrington and My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Sci-Fi: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Paranormal/Supernatural: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, and The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Fantasy: Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta and Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Classic: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love but didn't?
The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa--I really loved The Iron Fey series but ended up with mixed feelings about this spin-off. I will still read the next book though, in hopes that the series will be redeemed because Kagawa is a fantastic writer.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012
Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John. This book brought me to tears (in a good way!) and I did not expecting to experience such an emotional response while reading this.

4. Book you recommended most to people in 2012?
Probably Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan because I LOVED that book.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?
The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta OH MY GOD. I honestly cannot gush enough about these books.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?
This might be surprising, but my answer is John Green! I read my first book by him this year and fell in love with his writing. And his youtube channel.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky-- I usually try to avoid books that are out of my comfort zone so I'm going to pick a school-mandated book. I found this surprisingly good and ended up really liking the characters.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?
Either Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta or The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. I sacrificed so much sleep to finish these books!

9. Book you read in 2012 that you are most likely to re-read next year?
Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred--I am just in love with this story! There's just a timeless feel to it so I know I'm going to be re-reading this one multiple times next year.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce. This may sound weird, but I just love how creepy this looks! Definitely a show-stopper to be displayed on my bookshelf.

11. Most memorable character in 2012?
Oh dear, THERE ARE SO MANY! I'll go with Gansey and Ronan from Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys because I just think they're both such unique characters and I cannot get them out of my head!

12. Most beautifully written book in 2012?
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. There are so many unforgettable and quote-worthy passages in this book! One of my favorites is, "My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations."

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?
Let's rephrase this into "Books that turned me into an emotional wreck," shall we?
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (primarily because of Will Herondale)

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen--what can I say? I've never been much for classics but holy sweetness this book was just amazing. Will definitely be hunting down more Austen to read.

15. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2012?
Oh. My. Goodness. Seriously?

"She will fight for light, and he for dark,
Battling through the ages for love's sweet spark.
Wherever two souls adore truly,you will find them, lo,
The brave Juliet and the wicked Romeo."
-Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

"We live and breathe words...It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them. Reading your words, what you wrote, and how you were lonely sometimes and afraid, but always brave; the way you saw the world, its colors and textures and sounds, I felt--I felt the way you thought, hoped, felt, dreamt. I felt I was dreaming and thinking and feeling with you. I dreamed what you dreamed, wanted what you wanted--and then I realized that truly I just wanted you."
-Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

"My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations."
-The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

"I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only Earth we'll have, and I am in love with you."
-The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

"Gansey had once told Adam that he was afraid most people didn't know how to handle Ronan. What he meant by this was that he was worried that one day someone would fall on Ronan and cut themselves."
-The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater


16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2012?

Shortest: Cajun Night Before Christmas by Howard Jacobs (48 pages)

Longest: Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta (596 pages)

17. Book that had s scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to somebody about it? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin left me with my jaw dropped all the way to the ground because THAT ENDING. THAT FREAKING ENDING. I don't- I can't even- Just- UGHHHHHH.

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan-- the ending of this book simultaneously made me want to curl up and sob and throw the book across the room. In the end, I did neither. I just stared at the last page utterly dumbfounded and SO frustrated.

18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2012 (romantic, friendship, etc.)

Favorite sibling relationship: between Mara and Daniel in Michelle Hodkin's Mara Dyer trilogy

Favorite friendship: between Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah in Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys

Favorite romantic relationship: Will and Tessa from Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Prince

19. Favorite book you read in 2012 from an author you read previously:
Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles by the fabulous Melina Marchetta. I just drool over everything this woman writes, I kid you not.

20. Best book you read that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from someone else:
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout-- I normally wouldn't pick up an alien book, but all the glowing reviews convinced me. And I'm so glad I did pick it up because it is awesomesauce.

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2012

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2012?
Ahhh! I have so many!
Cuddlebuggery Book Blog- these writers are full of snark and their reviews are hilarious to read.
Vivaciously, Vivian- she always has the most beautifully-written reviews!
Rainy Day Reads- I don't know how she does it so fast, but Christine always has a lot of great reviews of super awesome, up-and-coming books. I swear my TBR list has increased ten-fold because of her recommendations!

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012?
Probably my review of Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta because I had a lot of fun incorporating gifs into the review.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?
Hmmm. Haven't had many discussions on my blog this year. Must remedy in 2013. One discussion that does come to mind is this post I did on oh so popular love triangle and got to hear about other people's opinions on the subject.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on someone else's blog?
Oh gosh, I'm awful at keeping track of those....
I really love all of the Musing Musers posts from Cuddlebuggery Book Blog and (not sure if this counts) but I think this Sarah Rees Brennan's Q&A was also very interesting to read.

5. Best event you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
~Le sigh. If only I lived in a city big enough to have author signings and events. As it is, I'll say my favorite event is the weekly My Book Boyfriend meme because I have a weakness when it comes to swoon-worthy book boys.


6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?
Probably the reveal of Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare on July 10. It's not only exciting because I was just dying to see the cover, but because it turned into a twitter phenomenon with hundreds of thousands of fans tweeting #ClockworkPrincess to get the cover revealed! You can read about the madness here.

7. Most popular post this year on your blog? (whether it be by comments or by views)
I think that would be my blogoversary post.

8. Post you wish got a little more love?
Probably one of my posts, such as my review of Fateful by Claudia Gray, which was my very first review so I don't think many people know about it.

9. Best bookish discovery?
At a local library sale, I found a signed copy of Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover by Ally Carter. For $1!!!!!! That was a good shopping trip.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals you had set for yourself at the beginning of the year?
My goal was to read 100 books this year, but I'm a couple books shy of the mark (darn you, college apps!) and I highly doubt I'll make it by the end of the year. Oh well, there's always next year!

Looking ahead

1. One book you didn't get to in 2012 but will be your number 1 priority in 2013?
Ooh, I actually have a few for this....
-Easy byTammara Webber
-The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
-A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

2. Book you are most anticipating in 2013?
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare- which I think we're all eagerly awaiting, and
Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

3. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging in 2013?
Keep on reading and blogging! :)
Maybe even take up booktubing and uploading some video reviews!
And make my personality shine in my blog. I'm still in search of "my review voice" which is a little all over the place right now, but hopefully I'll find it in 2013.

Merry Christmas!

My book Christmas tree featuring Darth Vader as the star topper 

Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday full of great food, amazing friends and family, and, of course, fantastic books!

Review: His Black Wings

Title: His Black Wings
Author: Astrid Yrigollen
Publication date: November 2012

Claren Maidstone has been forced to flee her childhood home after the death of her parents and a vicious assault from a sadistic young man who intends to marry her. Claren changes her identity and finds employment as an assistant to the handsome Fredrick Lowood, a generous yet mysterious benefactor. However, she soon finds out his generosity comes at a price. Fredrick wishes for Claren to befriend his disfigured son who resides in seclusion at their estate, Westwind.

Fredrick Lowood knows what the history books do not teach, that the Grand Council built this new world of peace and beauty on hidden blood and greed. He has plotted for years to bring down the family that enslaved his own people. Suddenly, he has the last living heir in his grasp.

Etrigan Lowood rejects the world that forces him to hide. He is powerful, plagued with a terrible dark beauty: WINGS. It is these wings that carry him out only at night to watch the unwanted intruder in his home. A creature of refined instinct yet little social grace, he is strangely captivated by Claren but knows nothing of how her family’s dark past is intertwined with his own . Through their blossoming friendship, Etrigan realizes he still retains his human heart and yearns for Claren’s love.

Kurten Wandsworth is the only son of the Mayor of St.Marhen. Kurten lives his life fueled by cruelty and lust. Whatever he wants he takes and he wants Claren to be his wife even it if kills her. Scarred by Claren he hunts her down mercilessly until he can set a trap which she will never be able to escape from.

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His Black Wings is definitely one of the most creative retellings I've ever read. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales, and when I was offered the chance to read this book, I jumped at it!

Astrid Yrigollen has done a fantastic job weaving the elements of the classic fairy tale in a steampunk, futuristic Victorian setting. Sounds a bit strange, I know, but somehow Yrigollen makes it work. The actual story takes place in the future, but the mannerisms and dress of the characters are all reminiscent of the Victorian era. In short, Yrigollen has created a world that is completely unique and interesting.

I will say that the progression of this story was a little... fractured. There is constant switching of POVs between Claren's first person view and the omniscient narration of scenes between Etrigan and his father. Oh, and then there's a rather abrupt switch to Kurten's POV for a chapter. I feel like the flow of the story could have been better, especially when the world-building was finally explained; for 2/3 of the book, I had been full of questions on the origin of the Victorian steampunk world and, rather abruptly, the plot is just paused as the background info is thrust at you. It was nice to learn about the backstory, but the problem was that I felt bombarded by information. It was a lot to absorb in a short amount of time and could have been integrated into the story better.

There is a great cast of characters in this book, all of them bringing something different to the story. Claren was a good protagonist who was very brave and selfless. She came across as a Mary Sue at times, but considering the fact that she represents Belle, I cut her some slack. And then we have Etrigan. Ah Etrigan, I have such mixed feelings about you. On the one hand, I didn't like how possessive and, at time, rude he was. But on the other hand, he was the Beast, so this characterization was pretty spot-on. By the end of the novel, though, I did end up liking him. And I liked him and Claren together.

Something that I really loved about this book was how interesting the secondary characters were. They all had a distinct personality that kept the story interesting. From the hilarious rivalry between Horace and Dekker to the dark nature of Kurten Wandsworth, I was enraptured and entertained. I might even go so far as to say that the secondary characters were my favorites!

On a side note, I found it a bit hard to really connect with the characters. Personally, I really like being able to connect with characters, to get inside their heads; it makes the reading experience more enjoyable. With His Black Wings, even when I was reading from Claren's first person POV, I felt rather detached, as if I were seeing the story unfold from afar as opposed to being in the middle of the action. I think this is really a personal preference, though. I'm sure some people prefer this style of narration since it's similar to reading a fairy tale.

So....
Rating: 4 stars*

All in all: Despite my little critiques in the review, I really did enjoy this book! It's a really cool and unique twist on the Beauty and the Beast story. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys retellings, or fairy tales in general. Or Victorian-era books. Or just someone who's looking for something new and refreshing in a world where so many ideas are overused.

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

Top Ten Books I Read in 2012

Hosted over at the Broke and Bookish

2012 was a good year. And by that I mean I read some seriously fantastic novels! In no particular order, they are:

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I cannot believe I put this book off until now to read because it is fantastic! Must hunt down some more Austen to read soon.....

2. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
I am in love. Is it weird that I want to marry this book because I love it so much? Because I do. I needed the sequel like yesterday.

3. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
This book is, hands down, my best summer read of 2012. I loved it so much I couldn't stop rereading it when I was done!

4. Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred
To say that I loved this book would be a huge understatement. This book had literally everything I've ever wanted in one story and I only wish it could have gone on forever!

5. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
This was my first book by the infamous Maria V. Snyder, and after reading it, I totally get why everyone is in love with her writing! Her story is a perfect blend of fabulous characters, great plot, action, and a bit of romance.

6. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
This book crept up on me. I read it and liked it, but the more I thought about it, the more I fell in love with Stiefvater's beautiful prose and fantastically complex characters! I. Need. That. Sequel.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer

7. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I'm pretty sure just about everyone's read this book so you probably know why this just had to be on my list. This was my very first John Green book and I am absolutely in love with his writing!

8. Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
I never knew a book could gut me the way this book did. This book gave me so. Many. Feelings. I cried, I laughed, I cried some more, and then I experienced some serious angst when this book ended before I was ready to let it go.

9. Saving June by Hannah Harrington
Honestly I am just flabbergasted that this was Harrington's debut novel. Because it was absolutely amazing! It was beautiful and heartbreaking and full of snark (which I love)

10. A tie between Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare and The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Guyyysss, it was so hard to choose between these two! One the one hand, there was Will Herondale and all the heartbreak that CP put me through.... on the other hand, there was sheer suspense of Evolution, not to mention Noah and Mara.
So they both made the list.  ;p