Stacking The Shelves #5: Prodigy by Marie Lu

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted on Tynga's Reviews. Basically you share what books you acquired that week whether it be physical or digital. Info here.

Sadly, this month, I only got one book! I know, I have such a sad life. It's okay though, I probably will never be able to get through the books I already have anyway. I'd get like 4 books in a week and then read at a 1 book per week pace. But anyway, this month, I got Prodigy by Marie Lu. Is it just me, or do you get mixed up with the d and the g too? Probably just me, I always think it's Progidy. *Face palm*.



Ebook/s
Prodigy by Marie Lu | Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Stacking The Shelves #4: ARCs Galore

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted on Tynga's Reviews. Basically you share what books you acquired that week whether it be physical or digital. All info here.

This week, I received 3 unexpected lovelies in the mail. I will be reading and reviewing these as soon as possible. I normally try to get the reviews up on the day the book comes out in Australia but these may be coming a bit earlier since they are already out in most other places. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins. If you like any of these authors, let me know in the comments.

For Review
All The Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry | Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon
It's Raining Men by Milly Johnson | Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon
Killer Queens by Rebecca Chance | Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Feature and Follow Friday #14: Back To School

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
Click here for more info!

Q: Back to School time! Create a reading list for the imaginary English Lit class you'll be teaching this semester.

After a lot of thinking, I thought I'd do an author study kind of thing. If I was teaching an imaginary English Lit class (which by the way, I have no idea about since I live in Australia), I would have to expose them to John Green! His not my all time favourite author but I don't think Nicholas Sparks books would be appropriate for school. Even though John Green explores a lot of scary themes, I still think that his writing is amazing. I still have yet to meet anyone who doesn't like his books. I've read all his books except for The Abundance of Katherines which I really do need to read one day.

Like normal, I love all my followers. I just hope you guys stay loyal. If you like my blog, feel free to follow whichever way is easiest for me. Don't forget to drop your links in the comments so that I can check out your blog too!
Read more to join this blog hop.
Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Sit Tight Sunday #4: Illusion by ZE:A

Sit Tight Sunday is a weekly feature on my blog for me to showcase upcoming music. The original post can be found here.

Genres: Pop, Dance, K-Pop
Released: 9 August 2013
Members: Kevin. Kwanghee. Siwan. Junyoung. Taeheon. Heechul. Minwoo. Hyungsik. Dongjun.
Star Empire Entertainment

ZE:A aren't an extremely popular band and the only member anyone seems to know is Kwanghee. Honestly, I'm not a massive fan of them either but that doesn't mean that I'm not highly anticipating their album. Coming out next month is their new album Illusion. So far, all the teaser photos that have been released have a really cool concept. I'm waiting to see the teaser of their title track of course the album itself. ZE:A have been releasing songs for their subunits and now finally, their coming back with all nine members!

Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Review: Ink by Amanda Sun

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

 
 Ink is Amanda Sun's debut YA, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance novel. I read this for the Debut-A-Thon ages ago and am finally getting to doing a review. I'm pretty sure that I'm the one blogger that is most behind on book reviews. Oh well. I loved Ink! Okay well I didn't love love it but I did enjoy it a lot. I personally had a few problems with it which is why I ended up giving it a 3.5 STARS or 4 STARS on Goodreads. It's quite a different novel. American girl in Japanese world. Read more to see the full review.
Characters:
The characters to me seemed a bit fake. They're personalities weren't delved into. I feel as though to really bring a character to life, you have to have more character development. The main character, Katie, was nice but then again, that's the problem. She wasn't a strong protagonist. Tomo was meant to be the main love interest but you find out almost nothing about his personality. Then there's Jun which I think is the coolest character. As expected, he's the other love interest and he's the only one that has any layers in his personality. At first, Jun and Tomo kind of reminded me of Will and Jem with the bad guy and good guy thing. Even though it's still true, the good guy and the bad guy aren't so black and white.
Pros:
The storyline hooked me in at the beginning. I was quite interested to see what would happen. Then when I found out there were amazing illustrations, I got even more excited. There were lots of funny parts that were relatable and fun. I also really loved the paranormal aspect. If I didn't know that the book was in that genre, it would've been a complete surprise to me. The uniqueness of the concept is really fascinating.The story can totally be an anime or a manga.
Cons:
From there, it kind of goes downhill. Well some may totally hate me for this but I've never really read any manga. The idea of it isn't super appealing to me. After awhile, the book got more and more boring. I had to really force myself to read it which is a bad sign. I was lucky I was reading this during a read-a-thon or I might've taken forever to read it. The romantic factor was probably the worst part. It was what felt the most unrealistic which may be a reason why I feel as though the characters are fake.
Summary:
I think most people would love the setting. If you love anime, mangas or J-dramas, I think you'd really like this story. Though there are a few cliche aspects, the uniqueness of the setting and themes probably outweighs them. I'm not telling you to run out and grab a copy but I do definitely recommend this.

Buy Ink on the Book Depository
Buy Ink on Amazon
Buy Ink on Audible
Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Review-A-Thon: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Please forgive me for this super delayed review. I read this book over a month ago and I'm not doing a review until now. But after all, this is the point of this Review-A-Thon. Beautiful Disaster is right up my alley. Even though I haven't read much in the New Adult genre, the classic and cliche love story portrayed in this book is my type. I've said this before and I'll say it again. I have a complete love/hate relationship with this book. I really didn't know whether I should've given it a  2 STARS or a 5 STARS. In the end I gave it a 3.8 STARS. Or if you want to be all mathematical and round it up, I give it a 4 STARS. Keep reading to see why I loved and loathed it.
Characters:
Well first of all. I absolutely HATED the main character Abby. It's me and this thing where I hate it when girls keep pulling away. I get that that's the whole reason Travis fell in love with her in the first place but sometimes, these girls really got to get a grip. Sure, at first, go ahead and judge them but once they fall in love with you and you fall in love with them, why do you keep pushing them away? Also, I feel like some characters were there just because the story needed more characters. Abby's gay best friend, I don't even remember his name, was such an amazing character but he wasn't delved into. I did however like the subtle character development.
Pros:
Now for some good things. Though I hated how they fell in love, I love what happened once they were together. Bad boy meets good girl stories are the best. I love stories where a guy meets a girl and then they work they're problems out together. You'll see that these are my favourite kind. I loved Jamie McGuire's writing and how the point of view fit the character. Her writing was amazing and there was a lot of foreshadowing which I also enjoyed.
Cons:
Alright so, if this book ended half way through, I swear it would've been the best book ever. I'm not going to spoil anything but unnecessary dramas and problems came back even though they were already solved. I hated this so much. I was so happy for a moment there and then BAM! something bad comes back. I had a full on WTF moment. I really wish this could've ended at the half way mark. If you've read it, you'll know which point in the story I mean.
Summary:
Ultimately, this was a good read if I ignore all the parts where I got super duper annoyed. I really can't wait until I read Walking Disaster which is in Travis's point of view. Maybe then, I'll be able to appreciate the book more. I want to see how the hell Travis fell in love with a girl that made it seem like she hated him.

Buy Beautiful Disaster on the Book Depository
Buy Beautiful Disaster on Amazon
Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Review: Nothing More, Nothing Less by Ashley Dukart

When Brandon finds that his mother committed suicide, he blames himself for her decision. His guilt drives his young life into a downward spiral of drugs, drug dealing, and violent repercussions when his "business partners" don't get what they want. Haunted by the past memories he often relives. His Brothers, who don't always seem to understand him and what he's going through, desperately try to help, but as life becomes further entangled, will Brandon find the escape he so desperately needs before it's too late?

Nothing More, Nothing Less by Ashley Dukart is her debut book. After reading this book, I'm reminded of why I love Young Adult books so much. This book is also considered a New Adult book which is a genre I'm still exploring. Sometimes, the characters are annoying and they take way too long to realise their problems. One reason I loved this book is that I feel the protagonist noticed what he was doing wrong just in time. I gave Ashley Dukart's novel a 4 STARS on Goodreads but if I were to give it a more specific rating I'd give it a 4.4 STARS. It was a fantastic for a debut and self-published book.
Characters:
The main character, Brandon, went through a lot of character development which is always good to see. I feel as though lots of the time, the character development doesn't happen until the very end of the book. In Nothing More, Nothing Less though, the change was steady and perfect. Normally in Young Adult books, the parents are pretty much nonexistent. Though there aren't parents in this books, they definitely play a massive role in the outcome of the story.
Pros:
One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was how it was written. It was short and sweet but definitely really well written. I loved the use of one word sentences like "But." The use of flashback chapters was also very effective. Sometimes the prologue contains what happens years before the setting of the story but I really liked the fact that it was sprung at you in the middle of the book. It was also fast-paced which is always a good thing to see.
Cons:
I can say that there are very few cons in this book. There are some parts that were unnecessarily repeated. I guess that sometimes it's nice to have a recount of what just happens when the story gets confusing. In Nothing More, Nothing Less though, the same idea was repeated twice in the matter of a few sentences. This only happened once or twice though and like I said, a very minor con. The reason I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 was because the story didn't really suck me in. I enjoyed it but there was no one I could really relate to. I know this changes depending on who reads it, but for me, there wasn't a point in the book that made me fall in love with it.
Summary:
For a self-published book it is definitely publisher worthy. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Young Adult or New Adult. It's nice and short, won't take to long, but packs in all the needed details. It really was a wonderful story with a nice ending and moral.

Buy Nothing More, Nothing Less on the Book Depository
Buy Nothing More, Nothing Less on Amazon
Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Feature and Follow Friday #4: Bloggers In Real Life

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
Click here for more info!

Q: What blogger would you most like to meet in real life? Tell us about him or her.

I'd love to meet the The Lonesome Chapter. We've e-mailed back and forth and I'd love to meet her in real life one day even though we live in opposites sides of the world. She's really sweet and nice. Maybe one day, we'll get to meet. It'd be so fun!

If you'd like to follow me, I'd appreciate it no matter how you do. I have a variety of ways to make it easier for everyone. My links can be found in the sidebar and in my header. My NetworkedBlogs needs extra love. I'd really love it if you could leave your links in the comments but also if you could maybe look at my other posts as well. I will always leave comments on your blog as well and not just on your FF post. Thank you everyone!
Read more to join this blog hop.
Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Review: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.
NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg
Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.
HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

This book was completely different to what I normally read. Instead of the usual YA and Romance stuff that I read, I decided to go for something out of my comfort zone. Sharp Objects, beautifully written by Gillian Flynn, is Mystery Thriller. Some go as far as saying that it's a Horror book and I completely understand. Sharp Objects was Gillian Flynn's debut book published in 2006. Her more recent book Gone Girl is more popular. If you read the description, you'll see that it is a pretty twisted book. I gave this book a 4.5 STARS. I have so much to say about this book which is why you have to keep reading, I won't have any spoilers. If you're too lazy to read the whole review though, to sum it up: I recommend it, go and read it, but only if your ready.
Characters & Themes:
Alright, I'll try my best. The characters and the themes played a very huge part in the story to me. The protagonist is a very unique character and all the people she meets are too. I can't say much about them but they are portrayed very cleverly by the author. Nobody is simply black and white. They're not if even black, grey and white. Every single character has so many layers and secrets. The author's innuendo's did help me unravel the mysteries before the protagonist did but even so, there were many things that I found out about the characters that still shocked me. The themes were what really got me into the story. So many different things were explored. To list a few: mental illness, sex, drugs, 'don't judge a book by it's cover', pain, grief and I could go on forever.
Pros:
I'm still trying to really wrap my head around the story. I apologise for this scattered review. I really loved the writing because I felt like Camille was telling the story and not the author. This really brought the story to life and with the use of inclusive language I was very compelled. This book left me holding my breath during most of it. It is a fairly short book, under 300 pages, which seems very little for a mystery book. You'd think that the story wouldn't be in detail but trust me, it is. It's so well thought out and intelligent. There's always something happening that evokes a different kind of emotion. Many parts were jaw dropping, literally.
Cons:
The reasons why this book didn't get a perfect score from me are because I wasn't ready and I hated the ending. I felt like some of the issues were just too much for me at this point in my life. Some things were too gruesome or too twisted and wrong. I'm just glad that I know not to be influenced by anything that happened. This is an Adult Fiction novel and I only suggest reading it if you're ready for very heinous things. And then there's the ending. If you've seen my past reviews, you'll know how I am about endings. They have to be good. The ending just wasn't happy enough for me. Being the optimist that I am, I crave a happily ever after.
Summary:
Sharp Objects was an amazing and absolutely spectacular book. I just wish I would've read it when I was older. I would've been able to appreciate everything a lot more than I do now. I definitely recommend this to more experienced readers. Even if you're a teenager, just make sure you're ready. It was a fantastic murder mystery.

Buy Sharp Objects on the Book Depository
Win this book and more in my current giveaway.
Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

 Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy. 
Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

Clockwork Princess is the final book in the Infernal Devices series/trilogy by Cassandra Clare. As you probably expected here on my blog, this book is a Young Adult and a Romance book. It is also a fantasy book. The series is about Shadowhunters and Downworlders (warlocks, vampires, fairies and werewolves). In this book Tessa and the Shadowhunters must fight against Mortmain and his Infernal Devices to protect the whole race. I gave this book a 4.8 STARS. So what made me take of that 0.2 of a star? Continue reading to see why I absolutely adored this book but also the minor thing that made me bring score down.
Writing:
I don't normally address the writing in it's own paragraph but I just have to express how amazing it is. I love how at the beginning of every paragraph Cassandra Clare starts with a excerpt from a text. The chapter's names are also from poems, plays etc. I think this a really smart way to introduce a new chapter. She also uses flashbacks and going back in time to go deeper into the story. Because the story is set in the late 1800's and early 1900's the language and context is different. I love how Cassandra Clare uses the right speech to fit the time period. Things like "I shan't" really brings the characters to life.
Characters:
I love love loved the characters in this book and the series overall. I love how Cassandra Clare cleverly connects them to the characters in the Mortal Instruments series even though the time periods and settings are completely different. The characters were so strong and unique to themselves. I loved the Lightwood brothers, Sophie, Cecily, Charlotte, Henry, Magnus and the more minor characters Bridget and Cyril. They all had they're unique personalities. I also liked the way the main trio - Tessa, Will and Jem - ended up. Love triangles are hard, especially when you don't know who you're fighting for but the ending of Clockwork Princess was perfect. I won't spoil it but let's just say it was beautiful but sad at the same time.
Pros:
Well obviously, I loved the writing and the characters. I really liked how Cassandra wrapped up the series. If you've read my past reviews, you know that I hate endings that don't tie loose ends, well this one definitely does. The ending was a highlight for me. I also really liked the epilogue. It ended the Infernal Devices but it also gave us a sneak peek for the last book in the Mortal Instruments series. This book evoked so many different emotions.
Cons:
Unfortunately, I couldn't give this book a 5 out of 5 for one minor reason. I couldn't get into the book right from the start. It's really a bummer when this happens. It took me a few chapters to really want to read the book.
Summary:
This book was amazing. If you haven't read any of Cassandra Clare's books, go do it now! I suggest reading both the Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices in the order that they came out. Read them closely so that you can really see the connections between the two. Some say that City of Bones, the first book of the Mortal Instruments is a bit boring and I totally understand but once you get through that one, the rest is amazing. Clockwork Princess definitely deserves it 4.8 STARS. 
Favourite Quotes:
"The good suffer, the evil flourish, and all that is mortal passes away."
"Truth is brighter than the light, Falsehood darker than the night. Revenge is keener than an axe, And love is softer than melting max."
"How could three people who cared for another so much cause one another so much pain?"
"Life is a book, and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read. I would read them together with you, as many as I can, before I die-"

Buy Clockwork Princess on the Book Depository
You can also receive 2 free e-books of your choice out of thousands of options. Just visit BookBuddie by clicking the link.
Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting the blog.