Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Book Haul

Ha! It's been a long, long time since I've done another book haul so I thought why not? In the past few months I've bought a total of 5 books and then of course there were all the books I got for my birthday which you can find on my post about my Birthday haul

The first load of books are books I bought on Amazon! As you might have read in an earlier post, I had a hard time finding out how to buy from Amazon, but found a loophole. Luckily! After my first time buying from Amazon, I ordered other books there as well.

Ceaseless and predestined by Abbi Glines
My first time ordering there I bought Existence by Abbi Glines. I could only find the series up there because it wasn't available anywhere else. I had my eyes on this series for a very, very long time and finally I could read them! After seeing if I was still interested in the series after I read the first book, I ordered the others! Here is the synopsis of the first book, Existence:


Pagan isn't any normal girl, aside from going to school and doing homework she sees things nobody else sees. And she shouldn't be able to see the things she sees:souls. None of the souls give her any attention, and she doesn't give them any attention either. One day, that all changes when one of them starts staring at her and eventually starts talking to her. Trying to ignore him, Pagan can't do anything else but start getting attached to the soul. But he is nowhere near a soul... 

I have to say that my expectations were really high and I was a little disappointed. Nonetheless I decided that I really wanted to read the rest of series and see if it gets any better. I've been waiting to read this series for such a long time so I wasn't ready to give it up! 

REVIEW ON EXISTENCE HERE!

The Struggle by Jennifer L. Armentrout
While I was ordering there I decided that I was going to pre-order 3rd book in the Titan-series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Many of you know by now how much I love Jennifer L. Armentrout and how in love I am with the Titan-series! So of course I pre-ordered this book! 

For everyone who doesn't know what the heck I'm talking about, the Titan-series is a sequel to the Covenant-series by Armentrout. It's a series that gives us a look in Seth's life and my god, do I love it! A short synopsis of the first book in the Titan-series The Return so I don't spoil you guys for book 3...

It's been a year since Seth made a deal with all Gods, getting on his knees and pledging his life to them. Now he's theirs, he gets all sorts of assignments but most are violent and bloody. Apollo now has something else in mind for him. This assignment will be more difficult for Seth because he has to keep his hands to himself. That's kind of difficult for a guy that doesn't understand the word 'restraint'. 

Josie on the other hand doesn't know what's going on. Her mother is sick and she's doing everything to understand how it all works. Hoping to help others and help them understand. That is until her world get's overthrown by the ancient myth. Starting with meeting the golden-eye, mysterious Seth she thinks is kind of attractive. 

Together they get dumped into a story of danger, discovery and even forgiveness and redemption. For Seth this journey will be challenging, for Josie this journey will be discovering. But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all. 

As far as I know this series has 4 books, the 4th coming in March 2018! I can't really say anything bad about this series. It contains everything to write a good book: feelings and action. The author makes sure that there are so many plot twists so every book still has this unique thing they concentrate on while fighting something on a bigger scale that comes to all books in the series. It's just such a big variety in situations that happen it really never gets boring. Then again who gets boring from Seth? Not me. 

This is really one of the series I absolutely recommend but I also recommend reading it after the Covenant-series since you'll spoil yourself if you read Seth's story first. Other than that: PICK THIS SERIES! You won't regret it.

REVIEW ON THE RETURN HERE!
REVIEW ON THE POWER HERE!
REVIEW ON THE STRUGGLE COMING SOON!

Tell me three things by Julie Buxbaum
The last book I bought on Amazon was Tell me three things by Julie Buxbaum. I never heard of this book before or saw it on Goodreads until I watched Jesse on Youtube. He had the book in a haul of his if I'm correct, and it really spoke to me. I just really needed it. 

In comparison to the other books I bought, this is a more realistic one and also one I already read and loved! This book doesn't have anything paranormal but it does have secrecy and really had me excited...

Moving across the country, Jessie has to adjust to a new lifestyle of rich snobs and high expectations. Not feeling like she belongs anywhere, Jessie eats all by herself on the new school, and getting support from her new stepbrother is nothing she needs to wait on. It isn't until an unexpected mail that Jessie understands someone has been watching her very closely. Calling himself SN, he guides Jessie in school situations while keeping his anonymity. She finds herself swooning for him very soon as SN is starting to become bigger part of her life and someone she feels comfortable with and can relate to. But then there's Ethan Marks who made a very good first impression on her... Fighting against the feelings she has, Jessie will have to pick. Before deciding anything she thinks it's time for her and the famous SN to finally meet... 

This. Book. It has so much suspicion I read the first 200 pages in one day! I needed to know who this SN person was and I needed to know it fast. This book is a real page turner because it'll keep giving information about the person and you won't be able to contain yourself! The will to find out who it is, is very strong!

Next to the fact that you want (no, need) to know who this SN person is, you'll really be able to enjoy reading this book because of how Jessie is now growing and trying to adjust to her new lifestyle that also contains bullies. I absolutely loved having this suspicious SN part in the book as well as seeing her handle new things while she's feeling homesick. The main character really was to die for and I absolutely loved reading this book so much. 

The only thing that disappointed me a bit was the fact that I felt it was a bit predictable. And I'm talking about the SN part, reading the first 200 pages of course you built a list of who it might be. However I really knew who it was as well halfway through the book, a little disappointed that it was so predictable but nonetheless I really loved reading this book and enjoyed every feeling in it! 

REVIEW ON TELL ME THREE THINGS COMING SOON!

Hidden by Marianne Curley
At the end of June there's also this big book feast in Ghent. In the previous years on my blog, I talked about this before as well as posted the book hauls from it! This year I went again but I didn't really find a lot of books that I wanted. Some I even had already! I did find a lot of children's books which was a good thing, but for YA and English reads I didn't find a lot.

In fact I only found one book! I was doubting if I should take it but after running around the place once again, my mind kept going back to it! Of course this is an Angel-themed book, I can already guess it which is also why I couldn't leave it behind. Everyone who's been around here for a while knows how much I love books that have angels in them and so I took this beauty with me!

For as long as Ebony can remember, she's been sheltered. Confined to her home in a secluded valley, home-schooled by her protective parents, and limited to a small circle of close friends. It's as if she's being hidden. But something is changing in Ebony. Something that can't be concealed. She's growing more beautiful by the day, she's freakishly strong, and then there's the fact that she's glowing.

On one fateful night, Ebony meets Jordan and she's intensely drawn to him. It's as if something explodes inside of her--something that can be seen from the heavens. Ebony still doesn't know that she's a stolen angel, but now that the heavens have found her, they want her back.


I don't know a lot about the book or author, never read a book by her before. I did find out through Goodreads that it's a series of 3 and yes, maybe I couldn't contain myself to read the synopsis of the second book... and third. Although it's only a 3,46 on Goodreads, I'm having high expectations to find out how much I'll enjoy this book! 

And that concludes my book haul featuring all the books I recently bought! Of all the books I bought I already read two of them and those reviews will be posted online in the next few weeks, so stay tuned...

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

My first poem book | Love & space dust

Something I'm absolutely thrilled about is that I took a book that wasn't YA-themed at all! This book has been on a special place in my heart ever since I came across it and also was very hard to find! However I did just finish it and I have to say... I'm in love! My ever first poem book: Love & Space dust by David Jones!

 "And in the end we are nothing more than love and space dust." Timeless poetry of feeling and emotion, Love & Space Dust carries readers on a journey through love, life and relationships, and then far beyond, into the stars and the far flung galaxies, where all that remains of the feelings we once felt and the lives we once lived is love and space dust.

Even though this is something I can't talk about a lot, I still wanted to post a little review on it because it's really something I feel needs to be read more! In my opinion it's a little bit underrated while it should be read by a lot more people. Especially because it has all these different facets and view on the themes!

As I already announced it's a poem book, and it's also my first ever poem book! The first time I came across poems from this book was on Tumblr. I remember hearting this post with a lot of quotes from it and reading that it was from that book. It wasn't until now, a few years later, that I really felt the need to read this book and all it's hidden secrets written in words and so my journey began...

Because finding this book was not an easy thing!

Eventually I found the book on Amazon, but we can't buy on Amazon so it was a whole disappointment! Until I found a loophole! It made sure I could buy this book and another book that was only available on Amazon! Using giftcards I bought online I eventually got the books in my mailbox! 

Love & Space dust was the book I started reading the same night it arrived. I wanted to take it very slow as this is my first poem book and I just wanted to be sure that I understood and really felt each and every word that was written in it.

And dammit I loved this book! It might seem like a very thin book, but there are so many quotes in it and each word meant something for me and it was a pleasure to try and figure out what the author meant by them. As the synopsis on Goodreads says the poems are each so differently from each other and have a big variety in theme: love, life, relationship, and far beyond about galaxies and stars! Above that each of these themes are being talked about in different perspectives which makes some of them more relatable than others but still... relatable or not each of them is just beautifully written and really touched my soul!

I really recommend this book if you're looking for a read that touches your heart with only a number of words. I also recommend it just because it's so beautiful yet so underrated so if you ever come across from it: pick it up! And see for yourself if you'd enjoy it just as much as I did! David Jones brings a lot of quotes that are each so different and look at a theme in a different perspective which makes sure that there will be a lot of quotes that you can relate to so much! My first poem book was a huge success! I'm already looking forward to reading others in the future and discover the meaning behind the author's words and feeling it right in my heart! 

"We are nothing but //  Space dust // Trying to find // Its way back to // The stars."


Wednesday, July 12, 2017

The Problem with Forever

It took me two months to finish this book and no it was not the book's fault. School has been really asking a lot of attention as I had my internship and then got into my exams so I haven't had a lot of time to read... That's why it also took me two months to finish this one. It's a real pity because this book actually is a page turner full of amazing facets of our lives. I have to say it: Jennifer L. Armentrout, you did it once again! The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Mallory is not a big talker, she never has been. From an early age she learned to be silent and not be heard. That's until she's adopted and out of the hellhole she used to be in. Now ready to take a new step on her path, Mallory goes to a public school where she re-encounters someone from the past. 

From that moment on Mallory wants to fight harder against getting past her past and doesn't want to be stuck with her demons. The person who changed her life is with her once again making her feel strong. And this time around, Mallory hopes he'll stay forever. But sometimes forever is a lie...

This is my first book by Jennifer L. Armentrout that doesn't have any mythical creatures! I know, I'm shocked as well but for some reason I was just really intrigued and before you know it you have the book... it goes as fast as that. Also I was a bit scared that my expectations I had by Jennifer L. Armentrout wouldn't be fulfilled as this is something totally different from what I'm used to but damn... I'm still in love with her books! 


Especially because of the main character Mallory. I'm a sucker for books that have people in them that have a hard time or had a hard past. Mallory is one of those characters which made it very easy for me to get into the book and absolutely fall in love with the character.


Mallory is a very strong character in that way that she comes off very insecure and silent, because she doesn't know any better. Still when it comes to it can really stand up for herself. She's really learned from her past, even though she's still struggling with it and you really see her grow and become the woman she's always destined to be. I absolutely loved to see that happen with this character because you really were there to witness it and to see her grow into a very confident woman.


And it isn't all solved in this book. Mallory has had such a hard past and has been struggling so much with it, I'd find it really weird if it was solved immediately. Jennifer L. Armentrout therefore makes a really good vision of how the past can influence you and how much work it needs to be solved. The growth we see in Mallory is outstanding but she's still very realistic when it comes to her past and her being in it. She's still a work in process and I'm glad that the author made us realize that and stayed so close to that as I feel like that's a realistic thing. Nothing is solved in a few weeks. I really appreciated that as well. 


In general Mallory really is a gentle character who is really open for everyone around her and is prepared to give everyone chances. She's also a very loving and grateful person which made it very easy to relate to and also very pleasant to read. I really don't have any bad things to say to this character. She's realistic, she's well written and she's intriguing, what else do you need?


And then there's Rider. A boy I bet all girls are swooning for. A boy with a big heart. A boy who is just as lost as Mallory. I dammit loved him! He seems like the typical high school boy, very cool and attractive but when we look closer to him he has so many qualities that make him stand out. As always Jennifer L. Armentrout knows how to bring us a character that's still very unique and yet very relatable. 

What was really noticeable with Rider was very selfless. He was always wondering how others were, always noticing things from others and always there with a good piece of advice for others. In the beginning Rider stays a big question mark for us, we barely knew him and how he was handling his life. That also made sure that we really stayed curious to this character as we saw a lot of positive traits developing and see how much he cares about others.

Of course this selflessness and insecurities (which yes he has!) will make sure that he forgets about himself and that's when the reader finally notices the little things that are Rider his imperfections. His selflessness will eventually eat away at himself because he doesn't take care of himself. When we finally notice what's going on with Rider, so do the other characters and they will finally make him realize what's important and that's also the trigger for Rider. From that moment on we see him grow and become a little more self-conscious. It's truly a beautiful thing to see happening and of course will lead to a lot of things...

As for the plot this was a typical story yet still so special. A boy, a girl, they meet and they get along what more do we need? This story alone would be swoon worthy but of course our dear author made sure a lot of other interesting plots will happen.

My first opinion about this story is that it was very realistic. Looking at all other books I read by Jennifer L. Armentrout, which is logical I mean the books only had aliens and gods! However this story just really shows a development of teenage lives and the struggles that come along. A bit of drama, a bit of love and a bit of danger! 

Of course the drama and love will be things were all of us can relate. We all know the mixed feelings and the feelings of love and the author does a very great job with portraying those for us in a normal teenage and school context. What I also really loved about this book was the fact that there is adoption in it and how that plays out with the characters. Reading how that has developed and how much impact it really had on them, especially because of the hard past that's going to be a big influence on the relationship, made this even more interesting.

As for the danger well, this book puts a light onto the fact that some kids get caught in risky business and how that can influence themselves but also the ones around them. This really lead us to the author making this a big deal in the plot and also giving us a very big surprise near the end which sets also something in motion for Rider! I love how all of this was first something separate but at the end started to click together to form a big story that's setting in motion different things. It really made it coherent. And of course this danger also gave a lot more feels and a lot more thrill to the typical lover story. And so the author gives us, once again, an amazing story from beginning to end! 

Another thing and last thing I'd like to remark is that I really loved the vibe of trial and error in this book. Since our main character is starting over with a new family and has had a very tough past where silence was her only weapon, Mallory wants to try and be better and do better. This will lead to a lot of awkward situations but also a lot of situation that we'll feel so proud on. She's really trying it out and if it doesn't work, she tries again. Just as all of us are doing in life, Mallory keeps doing it better every time and I really loved to see that in this story and come back in a lot of situations.


Absolutely waw. And Jennifer L. Armentrout does it once again! This is the first time I've read one of her books that don't contain any mythical characters, but real characters that go through life. And what a life they have. I was absolutely intrigued by every character in this story as it shows so many realities at once that are all unique and influenced by one another. I absolutely loved to be in the head of our main character Mallory as she's trying to figure out what her forever is and what the past means to her. This book is absolutely amazing and yes, contains cuteness all over the place. But the most important thing is the lesson that Jennifer L. Armentrout wrote down for us. I wish this book could go on Forever but this book doesn't last Forever... I'm happy with it though. It's a real page turner with every facet of our lives. Once again, a great book by one of my favorite authors! 

“Forever was something we all took for granted, but the problem with forever was that it really didn't exist.” 

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

We All Looked Up

You guys, the book I'll be reviewing today contains so much hope and has such a good content I actually might faint because of it. This was so unexpected! A book I bet a lot of people would absolutely enjoy: We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach. I am so happy to review this book!

Two months. That's how long everyone on earth has before an asteroid crashes down onto them and kills everyone on it. Two months to do what you always wanted to do now you still can. For some that means loving, for others that means making music, everyone has two months to find their purpose and to fulfill it. Two months of really living. Two months to really feel alive.


This book has amazing characters that undergo such huge changes and that all because of this asteroid! I absolutely loved to see how each of them changes so dramatically because of it and how they'll change. This asteroid influences their life so much and I feel like that's something realistic, if everyone got 2 months to be and do what they really wanted we'd see this changes around us as well. 


This book follows 4 teenagers during these two months and I enjoyed each of them so much. First of all there's Peter. Peter is the good guy, the one that had great grades, is loved by everyone, is popular and so on. Yet Peter never felt like he was living, never thought he had a purpose. These two months Peter is on his way to find out what his purpose is and what would make him truly happy. Readers will really enjoy him because even though he thinks he needs to find a purpose, his gentle character won't change and that made him a very pleasant person. His actions however, will drastically change and I was a fan seeing that! 


Then we have Eliza, who has a connection with Peter. A year before the world was coming to an end, Peter had kissed her. He had a girlfriend! A very mean one. The girlfriend made sure Eliza already changed before the asteroid, in a girl that made guys want her. In a girl that's up for anything. Above that her father is not alright and her mother has left her a few years before. This is a character I was really curious about on how others would act around her. Eliza might act very tough on the outside but her home situation is so different. This character also changes during the last two months, she will chase love while becoming famous by her artwork.


Her artwork was something that defined her even before the asteroid. Eliza loved pictures and now made it purpose to picture everything through her lens as the world is coming to an end. I felt like the author really described each important picture really well which made sure we had a very good vision on it too, and that was something that added to the story and the vibes to my opinion. However I was really into the fact that Eliza started to chase love because it's something she's been holding back for a year now and this is her trying to grab everything left in life. 


Then we have Andy, a character that already had a lot of potential to me from the start! Andy has a very bad home situation and basically lives on his own. Also his friends aren't a very safe situation, Bobo (his best friend) is into bad things and expects Andy to be in those things too. Andy is a people pleaser, he doesn't want to lose his best friend and therefore sticks to whatever it is he needs to do. He also didn't believe in forgiveness. This character undergoes such a huge change and he's actually my favorite in this story. 


Andy begins to understand what forgiveness is and how love feels. Although he had the wrong purpose in the beginning and it took him a while to see he was wrong, this character has so much good in him. His character is really gentle but funny, a lot more smarter than he leads on and so much different from what Bobo wants. I really enjoyed Andy so much because he started to realize what real friends and real love was which made him such a strong character in this book.

Lastly there's Anita, a girl who's life has been all about pleasing her parents. When the end of the world was announced, she finally decided to make her last two months worth living. Anita never got the chance to do what she really loved to do: sing and now this is her last chance. Whatever it was that was holding her back, it isn't worth it. This girl grew so much, from being the hard worker, she became the girl who did what she wanted to do all her life. And she finally starts to realize who she really is and what she really wants which also made this character a very strong one.


Each of these characters bring so much to the story and come together in the karass, as Andy describes it. "A group of people linked in a cosmically significant manner, even when superficial linkages are not evident. Created by Kurt Vonnegut." when this word was introduced I think I screamed because this was absolutely amazing. It brings all these characters together, one way or another, and made sure that the characters are a very strong feature in this book. I absolutely fell for each of them and enjoyed them so much! 


As for the plot, I actually didn't really know what I had to expect with a book like this. I didn't want it to be depressing but I also didn't want everyone to be happy about it. The author made a very nice balance between the two while the world became complete mayhem.


This mayhem sure did add to all the feelings and the vibes that were going on and also made sure that the characters go to explore more and develop more so that's a great thing. But even more this plot was just so much different from what I had expected. It was a lot more action and thrill than I had expected. 


Now the world is coming to an end, people decided it was time to take over, others decided it was time to get together with family and yet other people thought it was a good idea to lock everyone up because others got together to talk about the people who locked people up. It's a complete mess but still very easy to follow, yet another great asset to the plot. I feel like the author really thought the plot through and probably put his finger right onto how the world would look in this kind of situation.


Another thing I really loved was the fact that there'd be this big End of The World Party that brought everyone together for the end. It's just amazing to see how much hope seeps into the story just because of this. The coziness, the love, the feeling like you belong, all these words describe how it felt reading about it and how much it actually feels like the end in this book. The author did such a great thing describing the situations that it also really felt like the end was nearing and I really loved to feel that because that's what it's about!


However, the book also made clear that the end might never come. Scientist weren't sure if it would destroy the world, although it looked like that with a 66.6 percentage. That made sure that the readers would feel really curious towards the end: would it be the end or not? And how would people be if it weren't the end? How would they be if it were really the end? Tommy Wallach also made sure to put different perspectives of the end in the story: people who believe, people who think there's nothing at the end and so on. The reader will really be able to think how he or she would act and what their heart would desire: the end or not?


Lastly I'd really want to point out how much I enjoyed to see the different perspectives from each character as they had their own plot line. Every character backtracked part of the chapter before it so you would know what the character thought after what happened or what he or she was doing before the last part of the chapter before it. All that really came together in a very nice plot with hope written all over it.


Oh, before I forget! The story makes use of songs as Anita's purpose is to sing. The author only gave the titles but after the end of the story I was going on his website and found that he had all the songs and sang all the songs. If you'd be interested in that I'll put a link to it right HERE! And that leaves me to conclude this review...


This book is so different from all the things I've read before and I am absolutely speechless. The content is so deep and the characters undergo such a huge change, and that all because of the circumstances. I absolutely loved the concept behind this book and how it influenced everyone's life. People coming together for the end of the world also made sure that the readers will feel the hope that the author is trying to give us through his words. An absolutely stunning read with amazing raw and tender content, surprising elements, things I didn't expect in this book and absolutely amazing characters. If the end of the world would look like this and it's inevitable, I'd say let it come because I'd like to have a karass of my own. What a book...


"Question: How could you look the end of the world in the face and not go crazy? Answer: You couldn't. The only sane thing to do was seek out enough distraction to numb the terror."