Showing posts with label Recommendations. Show all posts

Cassandra Clare did it again!

Posted by Sandra on Sunday, March 10, 2013. Filed under: , , , ,
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Title: Clockwork Angel
Series: The Infernal Devices
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 476
Published: 2010
Read In: March, 2013
Rating: 5/5

This was certainly worth the wait... I've had this book on my bookshelf since 2011. And I just read it yesterday. I read so many reviews where people were desperate for the sequel, and how it wasn't gonna be out until another year. So I decided to read Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince a few days before Clockwork Princess was published. And since CP will be out in 9 days, I thought it was about time. I read this book in 13 hours. That being said....

BY THE ANGEL

Cassie Clare is definitely a master in making me happy. And mad too. I absolutely loved this story. It was incredibly original, and very entertaining. One of the many reasons I've been a fan of Clare's work is because she always manage to describe everything so carefully, yet simply, and I can see it all vividly in my head. She transported me to victorian England, and I really made up a whole movie about the story in my mind.

Another thing I loved about the story, were the characters and their names. Everyone has a really lovely name. Very classy and also very british. Let's start with my favorite.

William Herondale... sigh Doesn't he sound like a prince? Well, for me, he does. He was by far my favorite character in the whole book. Not only because he was described as an extremely attractive guy and the fact that he is british (well maybe) but there was something about him, that really got me. He was very strong but also vulnerable. He has a dark past and some secrets he doesn't share, he feels alone in the world. Of course he is kind of a douche, he's a Herondale... But I believe that there's a good reason why. Also I think that the reason why he treats Tessa like he does has to do with something important. Can't wait to read about it in Clockwork Prince. With complexity, darkness, looks, vulnerability, big heart, bad ass attitude, the way he quoted poetry, his soul and blue eyes, he stole my heart. Team Will

 Now, Tessa Gray, our lead character. At the beginning I didn't quite love her, because she didn't like London and she hated chocolate... 

“Will looked horrified. "What kind of monster could possibly hate chocolate?”

I know Will, I know... Like how could I ever relate to someone like that? But hey, I was wrong. She was a sweet heart, so brave, so clever and so, so, so sweet. I liked her power and her incredibly big heart. I look forward to reading more about her, and I hope that she doesn't get her heart broken, because she has already suffered too much. I love Tess.

Jem... James Carstairs... Hmmm. Although I didn't LOVE Jem, I did like him. He was a complete gentleman, so lovely, and he had a very sad past. I think that he holds back so many things, because no one can ever be so nice to everyone, and so calm, but besides that, I really really liked him. He was very sweet to Tessa and he was also wise. I just hope he doesn't dies in the next books, I hope they find a cure.
Jesamine Lovelace was very funny, I felt truly bad for her, because she is miserable. She lives a life she hates and despite her shallowness and cold attitude she was great. Charlotte also had a sad past and that made her a though woman, she really was bad ass... And Henry, well, he reminded me of Arthur Weasley, which means that I totally loved him.

The love triangle wasn't practically clear here, since Tessa only has strong feelings towards Will, so I guess that there's more to come. Both guys are handsome, sweet in their own way, and they both had a tragic past. The difference is how each one chose to handle it, and how to live with it. 

As in The Mortal Instruments, there were several things that reminded me of Harry Potter. Like the rune they used to spy/listen to the enclave, reminded me of the Weasley's extendable ears; when Tessa changes into Lady Belcourt to uncover De Quincey, it kind of felt like when Ron, Harry and Hermione drank polyjuice potion to change into Ministry workers, and Henry, who was very similar to Mr. Weasley. 
This book was better than TMI, I reckon. The setting was stunning, London in the 1880's. A remarkable work of Clare, her plot was original and kept me hanging on with every single word she wrote. I wish I lived there and I wish I had that library, oh my.

 Spoiler
I found very obvious who the Magister was, Mortmain had something that made me suspect, plus his name sounded like Valentine's last name... It made sense to me... But that I never ever imagined that plot twist at the last chapters... Tessa's brother was evil :( He was Mortmains servant, and everyone believed in him... Poor Tessa. 

End of Spoiler

Honestly, I was very excited for this book, but I never expected it to hit me like it did. 

My favorite quotes were:

 “One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” 

and

 “Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry.”

An intriguing and romantic story, with amusing characters that never gets boring. This is now one of my favorites, and I'm starting Clockwork Prince ASAP.

YA Perfection!

Posted by Sandra on Thursday, January 24, 2013. Filed under: , , , , ,
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Title: Across The Universe
Series: Across The Universe
Author: Beth Revis
Pages: 398
Published: 2011
Read In: January, 2013
Rating: 5/5

This book is pure YA perfection. Woah, I'm still blown away... That ending!!!

Let me start by saying that "Across The Universe" was a surprise for me. I had this book on my possession since early 2012 but I didn't wanted to read it until the second and third book were out, because I heard it was that good. Now, I finally read it, and I never ever expected this.

The story was full of mystery, intrigue, secrets and doubts, it was all about the secrets in Godspeed (the ship). The setting was so original and unique, that I had the time of my life visualizing it in my head. At the beginning I wasn't too thrilled about the whole spaceship thing, but then I fell in love with the whole concept. It's definitely something different from what I've read. Everything was creative and well described. Some things I found a bit predictable and some others REALLY took me by surprise, so it was very interesting to read it. 

The story is narrated from two pov's. Amy's and Elder's. And it worked wonderfully. 

Elder was an incredibly real character, he was very well written, while I read from his pov I could totally ask myself the same questions and think what he was thinking. He was a good person, but sometimes he had his "doubts" like everyone else does, and still he always did the right thing... Well, almost always. There was something poetic about him and the way he saw the world around him, and how he saw Amy. He wasn't conceited like Eldest, and he had dreams and a big heart. I never got bored while reading from his pov. He was lovely, sweet and brave. A true leader. And that shocker at the end (you must read it, I will not spoil it for you) made him more real to me, because he was flawed, of course, but still he was great.

Wish I could say the same thing about Amy... At the very beginning I found her quite annoying and not very smart. This changed through the story, but I wasn't entirely connected to her by the end of the book. She was clever and kinda cute, but not my favorite character. I think she was very mature for her age, which I liked very much, because I didn't hate the way he managed everything that happened to her... And it was a lot. She wasn't as eloquent, romantic and fun as Elder, but she was a strong female character, and you don't find those often in YA. So I did liked her.

Harley was one of my favourite characters of the book. Such complexity expressed through art... My kind of guy. So I really want Harley to know, that he was the star for me.

The romance was cute. It wasn't cheesy nor annoying, but I wish there was more of it. Elder has strong feelings for her, and she's still confused because she misses Jason but I think that we'll read more about their love in the sequel, which I'm starting ASAP!

Some quotes gave me the chills and other just made me sigh.

“Power isn’t control at all — power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own.”

“And in her smile I see something more beautiful than the stars.”

Thrilling, interesting, creative and mind-blowing, "Across The Universe" is a MUST read. PLUS: Take a look at that cover and try to resist...

WOW... Sweet Evil

Posted by Sandra on Monday, January 14, 2013. Filed under: , , , ,
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Title: Sweet Evil 
Series: The Sweet Trilogy, #1
Author: Wendy Higgins
Pages: 453
Published: 2012
Read In: 2013
Rating: 5/5

WOAHHHH... Feelings out of control!!

Sweet Evil is one of the best YA books I've ever read. So original, well written, with an amazing plot, great characters, and so relatable even though it's paranormal. I read this in less than 24 hours. 

The story was incredible. I never read the synopsis of this book before I read it, I was caught by that beautiful cover, so I never did expect angels. This was a refreshing approach to this heavenly creatures. The fact that there were dukes of sins and bad habits was a surprise, a good one. And the fact that their sons were a group of individuals called nephs with "obligations" and jobs. Their job is to be a bad influence for human beings, to corrupt them, and to never get attached to them. In this story, "conscience" or that little voice in our heads turns out to be angels and devils whispering things into our ears to influence on us. Wow. 

Anna was so amazing, it's been a long time since I could relate this much to a fictional character. She is smart, too innocent for me but really cute and nice, a bit insecure about herself, she is brave, kind and she believes that everyone deserve happiness. Personally, I think she was so brave when it came to decision making... Sometimes I did think "what are you doing", but I guess that's normal, she was such a delight to read about. 

Kaidan Oh Kaidan, my sweet, sexy Kai. I'm breathless. No words can explain how I loved this character. I know, I know... He's a bit of a jerk sometimes, but if you read the extra stories( Sweet Evil Extra 1 and Sweet Evil Extra 2 ) from his POV you could see why he acts like that, it like his nature. He's described as absolutely breathtaking, drop dead gorgeous, with great hair and body, an smoking hot musician who also happens to be british (that was the cherry this perfect cake). He had a though life. Even when he is rich, super attractive, a sex god and a musician, he feels empty, he has a void that, according to him, no one would ever be able to fill.. Until he met Anna. In his past, so many girls tried to change him, to make him fall in love, but he never did care about those things, until Anna came to the picture. 

The development of the characters was great, I loved reading about Kaidan, about Anna and about their torrid romance. He finally got to know what love was like, and their neph rules intervene, so basically Anna and Kai love each other, but can't be together, unless they want to die. Heartbreaking. The moments they shared were full of magic, mystery, love and lust, this was definitely my cup of tea.

The other characters were so cool, I really liked everyone. Jay was the sweetest guy, so real and understanding, he was amazing, you could see that he cared about Anna and that he had real emotions. Patti was also so sweet; too permissive to be a protective mom, but she was actually nice. Anna's dad was also a surprise, he has a genuinely good heart, and he loves Anna. The nephs were a shocker too, Marna was the best, I would love to be her friend, Ginger and Blake were really cool and Kopano, well he was nice but I didn't like him being in the picture... 

I loved absolutely everything about this book expect this: 

- Not enough Kaiden. Ha! There were some pages where I really missed him. I need more Kaiden in my life. 

- It wasn't long enough. I wish this book was eternal, because I couldn't put it down, it was so addicting, so good, so perfect. I'm seriously looking forward to "Sweet Peril". 

So this is me, watching a new obsession blooming. "Sweet Evil" has become one of my favourite books ever. I have read it twice in 4 days, and I'm sure I will read it again soon. Kaiden is now one of my favourite fictional character crush, and Wendy Higgins one of my favourite authors. 

It was a romantic, intriguing, sexy and thrilling reading, full of emotions, feelings and excitement. Stop whatever you're doing and go read this!

Recommendation

Posted by Sandra on Monday, January 7, 2013. Filed under: , ,
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If you are looking for a light, amazing, fun book to start your year with, and you're into cute, very well written romances, you should definitely check Stephanie Perkins' "Anna and the French Kiss".

When I read this book I had no expectations at all... And after I finished, I re-read it like 3 more times. All I can say is that it is one of my favourite books and you should give it a chance to make you as happy as it made me. 

My review of this book is soon to come, but I completely recommend it to you!

A pleasant surprise...

Posted by Sandra on Saturday, January 5, 2013. Filed under: , , , ,
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Title: Warm Bodies
Series: Warm Bodies, #1
Author: Isaac Marion
Pages: 240
Published: 2010
Read In: 2011
Rating: 4.5/5
Hi guys, I'm pretty sure you've all read some mix reviews about Warm Bodies and, if you are looking forward to the movie you're probably asking yourself: Is this worth reading?

Let me tell you it is. I can't believe how much I liked Warm Bodies 


Most of the times I don't really care about bad reviews given to books I wanna read because I believe that we all have different judgement when it comes to literature. And so many people said this book was terrible, that the idea of zombie romance was stupid and that it would be a waste of time; so I wasn't sure if I should give it a go... But a little voice in my head said "Come on, sometimes you like books other people hate, or viceversa, so why not?"


Thank you little voice in my head. Thank you

Warm Bodies was a provoking, interesting, very entertaining, romantic and meaningful story for me. WOW, I never saw this coming. I was a bit skeptical too about this zombie romance thing, I thought it would be a bit Twilight-esque, so color me surprised when I was proven wrong.

This is "R's" story. R is a zombie and he can't remember anything about his human life nor how he was converted. He lives in an airport with hundreds of zombies and his zombie friend M. But he's different from all his other undead fellows... He thinks a lot, actually he over-thinks. One day, he's hungry and he goes to the city to find some food and he kills Perry Kelvin, so for an instant, while he is eating his brain, R watches vividly fragments of Perry's life, and he recognizes the girl in front of them as Julie, Perry's girlfriend, and he felt human, and developed some interesting feelings for Julie. So he takes her with him to the airport and start a weird (not as upsetting as i expected), amazing friendship, that later becomes pure love. 

There's not too much action (which I was expecting), but there's a great story line... The ending wasn't strictly "the end", it was more of "to be continued", which I liked very much. I do not know if there's going to be a second book, or if this was it, but it was a great read.

R was an amazing character, you can't help but loving him. He has so many life philosophies, he likes Frank Sinatra, he wants to be "more", reading from his POV was very interesting and refreshing. Julie was great too, I think she was very well written, she felt real. Her "dark past" made her who she is right now, she's complex, fun and a dreamer. I really liked both of them. As for their romance, I can only say:Awwwwww So sweet. Actually it was one of the sweetest I've ever read. So heartwarming, and romantic, without being to cheesy and annoying... 

"Her eyes were classic novels and poetry" 
Trés romantique.

This wasn't a love story, actually it was a story about love. It teaches how to love yourself, how to love the ones around you and the world you live in. This book has a powerful message. What is humanity? What makes us human? Are we "living" just because we are "alive"? There were many life metaphors that I liked, and it made me think a lot about how we expect the world to be a nice place instead of doing something to achieve it. 

A new insight to a zombie's mind, hilarity, romanticism, impotence for not being able to express yourself, hopeful and it makes you think, it really makes you think. Unexpectedly fun, romantic and overwhelming, with a message for all of us to understand and accept, Warm Bodies definitely became one of my favourite books. 

I also found this movie fact, which I think it's pretty cool: The film is based loosely on "Romeo and Juliet". "R" = "Romeo"; "Julie" = "Juliet; "Perry" = "Paris"; "M/Marcus" = "Mercutio"; "Nora" = Juliet's "Nurse" (the character of Nora is also a nurse).

Best Seller Material

Posted by Sandra on Thursday, April 5, 2012. Filed under: , , , ,
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Title: Fifty Shades Of Grey
Series: Fifty Shades, #1
Author: E.L. James
Pages: 385
Published: 2011
Read In: 2011
Rating: 3.5/5

My my my, "Fifty Shades of Grey" was a very interesting reading, and I can bet all of Christian's millions that this book is going to be HUGE. British author, E.L. James is the one to blame for our latest obsession. This book has received so many mixed reviews, and we really don't care about its poor writing style, this is a very entertaining story and we enjoyed reading it... Sometimes that's all it takes.

This book started as a fan fiction of Twilight. Yes, Twilight. E.L. James darkest fantasies are all over this story, and SHH don't tell anyone but we like it better than Twilight. 

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.


Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you,     possess you, and stay with you forever. 

So what can we say about FSOG?? That it was a nice, sexy reading and we recommend it ONLY if you are open minded and if you enjoy reading erotica. This book might have some content that goes against some people beliefs so it's all up to each reader.

The Fault In... John Green???

Posted by Sandra on Tuesday, April 3, 2012. Filed under: , , , , ,
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Title: The Fault In Our Stars
Author: John Green
Pages: 313
Published: 2012
Read In: 2012
Rating: 5/5

Oh John Green, what have you done to me? 

 There's something about The Fault In Our Stars that got everyone either hyping about it or wondering why the hype. I belong to the first group of people. When I bought this I was expecting something very different, more childish perhaps, but when I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I loved it for several reasons:

1. Hazel and Augustus are not entirely realistic, I can't resist teenagers that think in such a complex way and have very mature points of view about everything; although I know why they are like that, they have bigger problems than the average teenagers, but still, I'd love to meet people like them. 

 2. Love story is not the main subject of this story. I'm a hopeless romantic, and I can't never resist a love story, but 99% of the times, I get bored when the love life of the main characters is the center of the whole story. This story was about trying to overcome a letal disease, achieving goals, trying to make dreams come true, but most important, LIVING. 

 3. Augustus Waters. Oh my. This boy was too much for me to read. He is close to perfection, and I'm not talking about looks. I mean, he's flawed, like we all are; but he's got a big soul and aura that made him become one of my favourite characters ever. I think he might be an improved male version of me. 

 4. They exchanged books. I think this is one of the most romantic ways of showing someone that you care about them. Lending them your books, talking about them, discussing how you liked it or why you hated it; it just brings you closer to someone. 

 5. Peter Van Houten. REAL ass character. Not living in a fairytale, he lives trying to suppress the pain of losing someone you love due to cancer. Not all characters must be lovable in a book. I can't tell if John Green wrote Peter with the intention of being hated or being understood. I understood him. 

 6. The sex scene. No explanation needed. 

 7. Quotes. This book is full of relatable quotes that make you think. Seriously. My favorite? "That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt" 

 8. The ending. Just no. All my emotions met while reading the last chapters of this book. I was a mess, i literally was curled up, weeping and wishing I had never read this. It's just how I dealt with so many things going on with my life, but still, It made me think and cry my heart out. 

 So, it's understandable and respectable if you didn't like this book, or any book that's causing so much hype among your fellow readers, because we all handle every story differently. One thing is true: This is one of my favorite books and I recommend it to every single person in the world. This was an amazing, full of emotions reading. It's amazingness its unbelievable, if you haven't read it yet I don't know what are you waiting for. 

A terrifying future: Starters

Posted by Sandra on Monday, April 2, 2012. Filed under: , , , ,
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Title: Starters
Series: Starters And Enders, #1
Author: Lissa Price
Pages: 352
Published: 2012
Read In: 2012
Rating: 5/5

Hi guys, I found this book by mistake on my kindle back in March, and I’m so glad I did! I fell in love with it. The plot is great and original, in my opinion is a bit scary but Lissa Price developed the story in an incredible way. It's a MUST read, it will thrill you and take you to a place you never thought you’d go, expect the unexpected, I guarantee you won’t put the book down. This book have romance, adventure, mystery, action and a lot of surprises! The sequel “Enders” is expected for 2013.

Here’s what Starters is about:


Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie’s only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie’s head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator’s grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations’ plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined… 

Wow, I had high expectations about this book, so i thought I'd get disappointed.. But no. I loved it. It's a YA book in all its splendor; and the best thing is that the romance in this book is not the main subject. I can say that I look forward to reading the sequel. 

First of all Callie is a nice character, not the I'm-so-annoying-main-character we've all read about. Second, Michael is handsome, sweet and he is her best friend (Never saw it coming right?) and third, Blake is the super-smoking-millionaire-sweet guy. At the beginning, this love triangle was kind of what all love triangles are all about in YA books, but wait!!! Lissa Price decides to give us an unexpected twist, so this love triangle is way more intriguing, complicated and sexy. YES, just what the story needed. 

And the ending of the story was such a cliffhanger.. I mean, she's standing between two guys that have feelings for her and she doesn't know what to do, and suddenly she hears a super familiar voice in her head.. WOW. And then... The END. Oh Lissa why?

The main plot is really amazing, in my opinion. I read the book in less than a day, i couldn't put it down. I actually think this could happen in the future, so it was a bit terrifying. 

Still, this story was just what I needed, I already read it in spanish and english, Starters earned a special place on my bookshelf. 

This book won a special place in my bookshelf, I have had the pleasure to interact with Lissa Price via Twitter, and she didn't just wrote an amazing book; she's also lovely.

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