Books – Page 3 – Zakiya N. Jamal

Book Review: Plague

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

*This book is part of my Dystopia Book Challenge*

Synopsis from Amazon:

It’s been eight months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. They’ve survived hunger. They’ve survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building in Plague, Michael Grant’s fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Gone series.

A highly contagious fatal illness is spreading at an alarming rate, while sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they’ll escape—or even survive—life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

Just when I think these books can’t get any crazier or darker they do. After reading this and then Insurgent I had to take a break from dystopias. Too depressing.

Even so, I did enjoy this book. It brought me down because it was so nerve racking and crazy but it was overall well written.

In the fourth installment of the Gone series the FAYZ kids are struggling to keep it together. Between the Brittney/Drake monster breaking loose, a plague hitting kids left and right that Lana can’t heal, and new bugs that are very difficult to kill these kids are being attacked on all sides.

In Lies Sam lost it but this time it was Astrid who completely crumbles and with good reason. She has a lot on her plate. Even after walking away from the council people still look at her as the Genius. Also, her boyfriend really wants to have sex but it goes against her morals. And she has to take care of her autistic brother who has these crazy powers and is also getting sick. Of course, she’s going to be stressed.

This book really broke my heart and I felt for these kids. I wanted to just reach into the book and save them. Plus sometimes they would genuinely have happy moments and then everything would just come crashing back down again and they’d be crushed and then I was crushed. I was on an emotional roller coaster throughout the whole novel.

Despite it’s gloomy parts this book still had the comic and loving moments that have been in all the other novels and that’s what made this book enjoyable for me. Even with all the bad these kids were going through they still found it in themselves to laugh, have fun, and love.

So far this was the darkest book in the series and I can’t even begin to imagine what’s going to happen next or how this is all going to end. I just hope my favorites (Astrid, Sam, Dekka, and Diana) make it all the way to the end of the FAYZ. If it does end that is.

Favorite Line:

“Yeah. A feeling. Like the whole point of my life from the alleys in Bangkok to the yachts and private island to coming here like a crazy person trying to fly a helicopter like all of it from birth to here point A to point Z was all some big cosmic trick to get me to meet you.”

Stars: 3 out of 5. This book was a little too dark for my taste. It was greatly written but I need to read something a little more up lifting.

Borrow or Buy: Borrow. I didn’t love this one as much as I’ve loved some of the others.

Other Reviews:

The Book Smugglers

Teen Reads

Cuddlebuggery

Book Review: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

Posted on July 15, 2014August 25, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

Synopsis from Amazon:

A modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice based on the Emmy Award-winning phenomenon, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

There is a great deal that goes into making a video blog. Lizzie Bennet should know, having become a YouTube sensation over the course of her year-long video diary project. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries chronicled Lizzie’s life as a twenty-four-year-old grad student, struggling under a mountain of student loans and living at home with her two sisters—beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. What may have started as her grad student thesis grew into so much more, as the videos came to inform and reflect her life and that of her sisters. When rich, handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck-up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets—and for Lizzie’s viewers. Suddenly Lizzie—who always considered herself a fairly normal young woman—was a public figure. But not everything happened on-screen. Luckily for us, Lizzie kept a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet provides more character introspection as only a book can, with revelatory details about the Bennet household, including Lizzie’s special relationship with her father, untold stories from Netherfield, Lizzie’s thoughts and fears about life after grad school and becoming an instant web celebrity.

Written by Bernie Su, the series’ executive producer, co-creator, head writer, and director, along with Kate Rorick, the novelist, TV writer, and consulting producer on the series, the novel features a journal-entry format and design, complementing the existing web series, while including plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new readers alike. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet expands on the phenomenon that captivated a generation and reimagines the Pride and Prejudice story like it’s never been done before.

I am a big fan of the YouTube series, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, even though I hopped on the bandwagon after the show ended. Even so, that then gave me a 100 videos to watch, which was great for binge watching.

After obsessing over the show and re-watching episodes the creators decided to bless us fans by extending the story further by publishing a novel based on Lizzie’s diary and it’s fantastic. Besides retelling some events we’ve already seen on the show, what was great about the book was all the behind the scenes stuff. From actually reading Darcy’s letter to learning more about Jane and Bing’s relationship there was so much we don’t see on camera.

It was hard to remember that the show wasn’t real and these aren’t real people but characters. It’s just so authentic. Also, I got the audio book, which is read by Ashley Clements who played Lizzie on the show, which made the book even more fun. It was cool hearing her voice again and her doing the voices of the other characters as she would do on the show for costume theater.

In addition to behind the scenes things we also just got more information about other characters. There were a lot of things that didn’t happen on the show that happen in the book and it’s great. Especially some special Darcy and Lizzie moments that were very cute. I suggest getting this book and getting the audio one at that. It’s really the only way this book should be read/listened to. Trust me, it’s worth every penny.

Favorite Line: Truthfully I can’t just pick one plus if I could it’s pretty difficult to do that with an audio book (I should’ve written them down).

Stars: 5 out of 5. From getting to hear Lizzie’s wit again and learning more about the characters this was definitely one of my favorite books this summer. I actually liked Lydia more after reading the book (I found her kind of annoying on the show). Also the pie graphs and charts Lizzie uses to explain things are hilarious.

Borrow or Buy: Buy. Definitely buy. I’ll probably re-listen to this audio book again at some point. Also audio books are great because you can listen to them everywhere (except in bed because you might fall asleep).

Other Reviews

5 Minutes for Mom

Happy Indulgence

Austenprose

Author Guest Post: “Why I Love the Young Adult Genre”

Posted on June 8, 2014June 8, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

“Why I Love the Young Adult Genre”

Guest post by author, Sherry Soule

Today author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! She will be publishing a brand new Upper YA / Sci-Fi Romance series: the “Starlight Saga” with scorching-hot character chemistry, exciting suspense, and epic romance on June 26, 2014.

To help promote this amazing interstellar love story, “LOST IN STARLIGHT,” Sherry is doing this guest post to share the news with fellow bibliophiles.

Hi everybody, I’m author, Sherry Soule—waving from the SF Bay Area. Thanks for letting me visit today, it’s an honor to be a guest here and meet fellow booklovers.

Ever since I was a child, I have recognized that books are a way to travel to other places and have incredible adventures. Even though I am older than the average teen reader, I’ve always loved reading Young Adult books and strongly believe you’re NEVER too old to read them.

One reason that I enjoy reading YA Lit is because most novels in this genre are fast-paced and thrilling. And teenage characters tend to have a more hopeful perspective, which draws me in—plus the fact that I’m really a big kid at heart. I also adore that there are so many books created into a series nowadays, so that you can continue to have additional adventures with your favorite characters.

Could my love of YA Lit be simply because I’m still stuck at age sixteen, just a teenager-at-heart in disguise?

Could be. And like many of you, I’ve read hundreds of YA books and I can actually say that I enjoyed almost all of them. Some I genuinely loved, and these books became like good friends that I didn’t want to part with, so they adorn my bookshelves and wait patiently to be reread again one day. Other novels were simply read and then disregarded with a contented smile.

Although I buy many of my books through Amazon, I am never embarrassed to buy YA novels in bookstores, or carry them around with me. I love the genre and always have and always will.

We all have diverse tastes in literature. Most of you will have various genres that you love to read, and probably some of my favorite books are simply your forgotten reads. That is what makes the world of YA Lit, and reading as a whole, so fascinating. Each one of us will enjoy different types of characters, plots, and, of course, a writer’s voice, the way only they can tell a story.

At its core my new novel, LOST IN STARLIGHT, is basically a love story about two lonely hearts finding each other and how their “forbidden” friendship changes both of their lives. Sure, there is an element of danger regarding this star-crossed romance, but they are both young and reckless. Who isn’t at that age?

And I don’t know about you, but I need some romance in almost every book I read. Even in YA! And if you’re a hopeless romantic at heart, then you’ll enjoy reading my new book.

Thus, LOST IN STARLIGHT is the first book that I’ve ever written that focuses mostly on romance rather than any paranormal baddies trying to kill the heroine or having the plot center around a supernatural mystery to solve. And I think the heroine of my new series, Sloane, is rather unique. To me, she’s not your average “Mary Sue” or flawless heroine. She has some self-esteem issues, but she’s also headstrong and gutsy, with an eccentric fashion sense.

Thank you for letting me chat about my love of young adult literature. I hope you enjoyed this post. Now go feed your mind and read a book! Preferably one of mine. 😀

Please mark your calendars to buy your copy of LOST IN STARLIGHT on June 26^th 2014!

Read the first five chapters for free on wattpad.

VOLUME ONE of the Starlight Saga

High school reporter Sloane Masterson knows she has one helluva story when she witnesses hottie Hayden Lancaster bending forks with his mind.

Like any good journalist, Sloane sets out to uncover the truth, even if it includes a little stalking. When the superhuman feats start to pile up and the undeniable heat rises between them, Hayden has no choice but to reveal his secret: he’s an alien hybrid.

They’re as different as night and day—she’s a curvy, purple-haired, horror junkie and he’s a smoking hot, antisocial, brainiac—yet the intense fascination between them refuses to go away. Even at Hayden’s insistence that dating each other is “off limits” and crazy dangerous, their fiery attraction threatens to go supernova.

Now Sloane’s dealing with creepy government agents, über snobby extraterrestrials, and a psycho alien ex-girlfriend out for revenge. After a crash course on the rules of interstellar dating, Sloane must decide if their star-crossed romance is worth risking her own life.

About Sherry Soule

Sherry Soule lives with her family and one very spoiled black cat in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the bestselling author of the adult novel, “Immortal Eclipse” and the popular YA series: Spellbound. Sherry writes thrilling tales of romance and suspense, often mingled with a dash of the mystical and a splash of trendy fashion. Her love of literature began when she was a young girl and it has continued throughout her life.

Her published novels do not include any graphic sex scenes or explicit violence, nor excessive profanity, so that all of her novels can be read and enjoyed by both teens and adults.

Sherry’s debut novel, “Beautifully Broken” was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance in the 2011 Wizard and Witch/Sorcery category by The Romance Reviews (TRR). Her adult novel, “Immortal Eclipse” is a *TOP PICK* by Night Owl Reviews.

Places you can find Sherry Soule:

Official Blog

Twitter @SherrySoule

Please add LOST IN STARLIGHT to your TBR on Goodreads:

The awesome book cover was designed by the talented, Kristen Thompson-Oh of KCT Designs

Eager to read a sneak peek on your Kindle? FREE every Friday from Amazon

Bookish Ardour’s Dystopia Challenge 2014

Posted on May 20, 2014December 24, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

I’ve never participated in a book challenge before (which is crazy since I read so much). However, I’m really excited to join this one because I read dystopias on a regular basis and it’s probably my favorite genre of fiction.

The idea of the challenge is to read a certain number of books in this category within the year. I’m willing to include books I’ve already read this year so I’ve decided to try for the Contagion level of reading 15 dystopian books this year. Whoa.

Bookish Ardour apparently does this every year and I’m really excited to join in for the first time (even if it is almost half way through the year). I’ll be doing reviews on each book I read and I’ll indicate if it’s book I read as part of the challenge. Below is the list of books I’ve either already read this year or plan to read as part of the challenge. Feel free to join me on this reading adventure.

The List:

1. The One by Kiera Cass

2. Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston

3. Divergent by Veronica Roth

4. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

5. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

6. The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

7. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

8. Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

9. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

10. The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

11. The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

12. Gone by Michael Grant

13. Hunger by Michael Grant

14. Lies by Michael Grant

15. Plague by Michael Grant

Well that’s the list. I feel confident I can do this before the year’s end. It’s go time.

My Summer Reading List

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

Nothing’s better than being able to lay by the beach and catch up on some much over due reading. This summer there are plenty of amazing books coming out that must be read. Additionally there’s a long list of books that have already been released that I can finally get a chance to read. Here’s my list of all the books you should check out this summer if you haven’t already.

New Releases

1. Opposition (A Lux Novel) by Jennifer L. Armentrout – August 5

Anyone that follows my blog on a regular basis knows how obsessed I am with this series. Opposition is the last book of the series and although I’ll be sad to see it all end I’m so excited to know what happens. The wait is driving me crazy. If you haven’t read the previous books in the Lux series I would definitely recommend checking them out. The series focuses on a girl named Katy who just moved to a new town with her mom, after her father’s death from cancer. Their neighbors, the Blacks, are an interesting bunch that includes Daemon, a hot jerk that Katy can’t stand but is regrettably attracted to, and his sister Dee, an eager beaver who really wants to be Katy’s friend. Eventually Katy learns the truth about the Blacks (they’re aliens) and it turns her world upside down. From there drama, mystery, fights, and a lot of romance ensues. The first one isn’t the best but they get better over time. Trust me.

2. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet – June 24

If you have any interest in adaptations this may be one of the coolest things ever. It’s a book adaptation of a YouTube series adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The premise of the novel is a retelling of Austen’s original novel but in the point of view and context of the The Lizzie Bennet Diaries YouTube series. If you’ve never watched this YouTube series I encourage you to check it out. Even if you’ve never read Austen’s novel (finishing it is still on my to do list) you don’t have to read the book to love the show. Does having background knowledge make the show even more entertaining? Certainly. However, if you watched the 2005 movie version with Kiera Knightley you’re basically covered. Either way you should definitely watch the show and then read this book when it comes out because I believe it’s going to be fantastic.

3. Silver Shadows (A Bloodlines Novel) – July 29

It all began with Vampire Academy, which was an excellent series. Then Richelle Mead decided to stick with this awesome fictional world she created and do a spin off series focusing on a human Alchemist, Sydney. To give a little background as an Alchemist Sydney’s job is to ensure that humans don’t learn the truth about vampires and dhampirs (half vampire, half human people). Even though she’s meant to work with them she’s not supposed to like them, recognizing that they are actually abominations. Well it’s a little difficult for Sydney to stay true to her beliefs when she’s forced to live with vampires and dhampirs on a regular basis and learns they’re not as bad as they’re made out to be. In fact, not only can she like them but she can love them too. If you haven’t read any books in this series or the Vampire Academy series you have a lot of catching up to do but it’s totally worth it. Besides, if you read like I do you can finish all the books in no time; they’re that good.

4. Endless (A Shadowlands Novel) – July 22

This is the last book in Kate Brian (aka Kieran Scott’s) awesome trilogy about the afterlife. The trilogy follows Rory Miller and her family who have run away from their hometown to escape a killer who’s after Rory. They end up in Jupiter Landing where things get strange. Or at least they do for Rory. People start to disappear yet no one seems to notice except Rory. Eventually Rory learns the truth about Jupiter Landing and it rocks her to her core. Definitely a must read and of course if you haven’t read the first two you should check them out before this book is released.

Already Released

5. Smoke by Ellen Hopkins

I love Ellen Hopkins. I’ve read all her books, both adult and young adult and they’re great. The best part about her books is that they’re written in poetry style but they come together to tell a whole story. Smoke is the long awaited sequel to her book, Burned, about a Mormon girl who falls in love and risks everything to finally found her own independence away from her father. I’m definitely going to have to reread Burned before I dive into this one but I’m excited to finally have a chance to read it.

6. Divergent by Veronica Roth

When I first heard about this series I was very hesitant to read it because it just sounded like another dystopian trilogy to me and I was just so sick of reading dystopian fiction. However, now that I’ve given it some time and the movie has come out I feel ready to dive into another dystopian world. I’m currently number 159 on the waitlist for the book from my digital library. Here’s to hoping I actually get to read it before the summer is over. Fingers crossed. If you haven’t heard of this book before, it focuses on a young girl named Beatrice (aka Tris) who lives in a world where everyone is placed in a faction: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. Each person has to take a test that will determine their faction, however, for Beatrice she is not placed in a faction but instead is classified as “Divergent”. This goes against the society’s rules thereby putting her in danger. Similar to many other dystopian novels no one is really happy with the way this new world is set up and of course there’s those who are ready and willing to rebel against it. There’s also a lot of romance involved as well. Basically, it’s my kind of book.

7. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

Ever since I read Speak I’ve been obssessed with Laurie Halse Anderson. She has the ability to write about such serious topics that isn’t preachy but instead eye opening. In this novel she focuses on a young girl, Hayley, and her father, Andy, who return to Andy’s hometown so Hayley can attend school. Andy has been suffering from post traumatic stress disorder since his return from Iraq and it has greatly affected him and Hayley. This father-daughter pair tries to find peace by going back to Andy’s roots but one can’t run from their demons forever. I have a feeling this book will break my heart but in the most incredible way.

8. Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Since The Fault in Our Stars there has been this fascination with teens with cancer, mostly because it’s a pretty scary thought to face death at such a young age. In Julie Murphy’s novel Alice is diagnosed with leukemia and in an effort to right all her wrongs and get revenge before she dies she creates a bucket list that she and her best friend fulfill. Regrettably, however, Alice then learns she’s in remission and she’s going to live a bit longer. Now she has to face the consequences of her actions. I’ve never read a book by Murphy before (which makes sense since this is her debut novel) but this book sounds like a heart warming and funny novel that will be good to read by the pool.

9. The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Another author I’ve never read before but am excited to try. This novel focuses on Kestrel, a 17 year old girl, who is the daughter of a general and is at the age when she has to choose whether to join the military or get married. Kestrel has no intention of doing either and instead buys a slave, Arin, who she begins to have feelings for but also has his own secrets. Truthfully, I’m not sure what to expect from this novel. There’s obviously going to be romance but I’m not sure what else. It seems like a dystopian novel but also different. Either way I’m excited to give it a chance and you can download the first five chapters free from Amazon if you want to try it before you buy it.

10. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

I first heard about this novel when I interviewed Kieran Scott a few months ago. When I first read the synopsis it reminded me of Frozen (the book not the movie). Alexandra Bracken’s novel focuses on a girl named Ruby who has extraordinary powers that got her sent away to a government rehabilitation camp when she was a child. Now having escaped she’s on the run with other kids just like her. The groups leader, Liam, begins to fall for Ruby but scared of what getting close to him could mean Ruby is determined to keep a distance. The first in the series I think this will be a great adventure/love story that I will quickly fall in love with.

I’ll definitely be adding to this list of books throughout the summer but for now I believe this is a good start. Happy reading!

Four Awe-Inspiring Authors and One Great Release Party

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

Kieran Scott, one of my favorite authors, celebrated the release of her newest book, Only Everything, at the Hillsdale Public Library tonight. Along with Scott were three of her fellow Young Adult authors, Jen Calonita (Summer State of Mind), Elizabeth Eulberg (Better Off Friends), and Katie Sise (The Boyfriend App).

Elizabeth Eulberg, center, reads an excerpt of her newest novel, Better Off Friends.

Authors (from left to right) Eulberg, Scott, and Sise answer questions from the audience.

Each author read excerpts from their newest releases, and Calonita and Eulberg, along with narration from Scott, acted out the prologue of Only Everything in the most hilarious manner possible. Check out the video below.

Afterwards the floor was open to the audience for questions and everything was fair game including questions about the writing process, the future of our favorite books series, and how getting a book published works.

During the Q&A Scott presented the audience with a great surprise, showing us the second book in the True Love trilogy, Complete Nothing, and the cover for the third book, Something New. Sadly, the cover for the third book is a secret that must be kept therefore I couldn’t take a picture but believe me when I say it’s amazing.

After that awesome reveal we also received some insight on other upcoming novels. For example for those of you that have been anxiously and impatiently waiting for the sequel to The Lonely Hearts Club you will only have to wait a little while longer. The sequel will be released early next year and according Eulberg she’s excited to finally get it out as well. In the mean time she revealed there will be novellas of the series released towards the end of this year that will come in the form of FREE ebooks. Something to definitely look forward to.

Additionally, Scott informed us that the last book in her Shadowlands trilogy will be coming out in July (only two more months!) we will know early on in the novel if Tristan is a good guy or not, thank God. The not knowing is killing me.

Besides all the exclusive book information, it was great to sit and laugh with all these amazing authors that I never thought I’d get to meet in person. They were all so amazing to talk to and I had such a great time.

If you ever get a chance to meet any of these four wonderful ladies I say do it because it’s totally worth it. Also, be sure to check out all of their novels. I left with a long list of books I now need to read and I’m sure you will too.

My signed copy of Eulberg’s Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality

My signed copy of Scott’s Only Everything

Kieran Scott and I at the release of her new book, Only Everything

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly: Binge Reading

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

The best feeling is discovering a book series that already has four or five books out. You don’t have to wait (im)patiently for the next one to come out, you can just grab it from the library or buy it instantly. Though this can be a great thing it also be bad. Really bad. Why, you ask? Because just as quickly as you became obsessed with Scandal you’ve become just as obsessed with the Private series. What’s worse is unlike a TV show, reading takes longer and you can’t really multi-task while you’re reading. Instead you find yourself so wrapped in your book, hours have gone by and you’ve forgotten how to eat, sleep, use the bathroom, and socialize.

In short, you’ve become a hermit.

It’s okay. Take a breather, relax. Binge reading is a fine (and fun) activity. It’s great to find yourself wrapped in a series with these characters you just can’t stop thinking about and always wanting to know what happens next. Reading is fundamental after all and unlike watching TV it won’t kill your brain cells.

It becomes bad, however, when you let your reading take over your whole life. Now you might be thinking, “That would never happen.” Yeah, sure. Here’s some signs that you might be losing it:

You freak out when the library doesn’t have the next book in the series.
You’re willing to buy the next book (or next three) no matter what the cost. “If I don’t check my bank account then it’s not real.”
Friends ask you to hang out but you say no because you JUST GOT TO THE GOOD PART.
You tell yourself you’ll go to sleep at 3 AM but then when 3 AM comes and you’re still in the middle of the chapter so you say, “I’ll just finish the chapter,” but it ended with a cliffhanger. You can’t possibly stop now, you’ll just go to sleep at 4 AM. This cycle continues until suddenly the sun is up.
When you have to eat or go to the bathroom you take the book with you.
Actually you just take the book everywhere.
People try to talk to you but you just say, “Uh huh,” or “Okay,” because really you just want them to be quiet so you can keep reading.
When you’re not reading you have to remind yourself what’s real and what happened in the book. No you do not have super powers and no you’re not in the middle of an all out war with the Capitol. Relax.

If any or all of these apply to you, you might have a problem but that’s okay because let’s be real reading too much is never really a problem right? The book series has to end eventually . . . but then you’ll find another one to read then another then another until you forget what real life is.

Here’s the deal, I love binge reading as much as the next person but just as binge watching TV can be bad for you so can binge reading. For one thing you can actually hurt your eyes by reading so much. For another you’ll start alienating yourself for the sake of a book. Don’t let your favorite character become your best friend. The day a character in a book actually starts talking to you is when you know you need to put the book down.

Rather than binge reading, take a break in between books. I give you permission to stay up however, long it takes to read one book but after you’re done give it a rest. Go for a walk, go see a movie, hang out with friends. Don’t let a fictional world become your whole life. Remember, no matter how good the book is, it’s not real and it’ll still be there when you get back.

Besides why rush a good thing? The sad truth is the series will have to come to an end eventually or worse you’ll actually catch up and find yourself waiting a year for the next one. Why put yourself through that torture? Take your time with the series. Re-read all the good parts. Let it all sink in before you jump right back in. Trust me, it won’t kill you.

Honestly, I know many of you will ignore my advice and keep binge reading anyway. If you do I wish you the best and enjoy the reading.

Sources for photos: Tumblr

Book Review: The Guard

Posted on February 12, 2014February 12, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

This is going to be a short one because this isn’t a full book, it’s a novella. Either way there may be spoilers so beware!

First, if you haven’t read the first two books in The Selection trilogy this novella is going to make no sense to you. Therefore you should stop reading this right now and go read those books and The Prince novella while you’re at it.

If you’re all caught up you know that this trilogy is (sadly) coming to an end and one of the greatest appeals for getting this novella was the sneak peak of the last book in the trilogy, The One.

Before you get to the sneak peak though you have to actually read the story (well you don’t have to but why wouldn’t you?). This short story documented parts of the second book in the trilogy, The Elite, but from Aspen’s point of view. Let me just say from now, I’m team Maxon. That being said I wasn’t too excited to read this, I really just bought it for the sneak peak.

Even so, I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Kiera Cass so far so I figured it would only be fair to give Aspen a chance, and I was glad I did. I loved this short story and it made me like Aspen a little bit more. I’m still team Maxon but now I feel like I wouldn’t be completely angry if she ends up with Aspen. I won’t be happy but I’d accept it.

Anyway, with this novella we get more insight into why Aspen let America sign up for the selection in the first place and that he really does love her which is good. Also, it was interesting to see so much behind the scenes things with the guards that we don’t see with America. For example, we get a peak into the sketchy going ons of the King. Though we still don’t get all the answers about the clear corruption that is happening in the kingdom it does make you hate the King even more.

Also, the Aspen/America love scenes did make my heart swell and I forgot how much I first liked them together. It was also interesting seeing America through Aspen’s eyes. I wish it had gone further so we could see how he felt when he saw America (SPOILERS) show the secret book to the whole kingdom but sadly it ended before that.

Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I did not enjoy it as much as the special sneak peek at the end. I’m not going to say anything because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone and truly nothing major happens but still it’s pretty good. It’s also strange because Kriss and America’s friendship/competition is clear from the beginning of the novel so you know that’s going to be a major part of the book which will be interesting. Also, we can see early on that although America is willing to fight for Maxon’s heart there’s still a (big) part of her that wants Aspen.

Oh, these love triangles. This is why both of these books made my list for books I can’t wait to read this year.

If you haven’t purchased The Guard yet definitely get it soon unless you’re concerned you’ll just become way more anxious for the release of The One, as I am now. If that’s the case then maybe you should wait.

You can purchase The Guard online as an e-book or you can get both The Prince and The Guard novellas as a paper back book. The One comes out on May 6. Pre-order it now!

Stars: 4 out of 5.

Borrow or Buy: Borrow. If you can get this from the library I say borrow it. I enjoyed it and I don’t regret buying it just because I know it would’ve been a long wait from the library and it was cheap. However, I could live without owning it. It was good but it was OMG-amazing.

Book Review: Taste of Darkness

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

Although Maria V. Synder is a NY Times Bestselling Author I don’t think she’s that well know. Amongst my friends that actually read for pleasure many of them are not familiar with Snyder or her works. I, however, am absolutely obsessed.

From the day I received her book, Poison Study, as a gift I was hooked. Synder has this uncanny ability to create these magical worlds filled with war, betrayal, love, lust, death, and life. It’s amazing and this latest and last book in her most recent trilogy, Healers, did not disappoint.

Similar to the second novel in this trilogy the book alternates between telling the story from Avry’s point of view in the first person and Kerrick, Avry’s love interest, point of view shown in the third person. This structuring of the novel worked perfectly since from the start of the novel the two main characters are separated and they often remain that way throughout the novel.

What’s also great about this is unlike the first book we get a view of that very mind that frustrated Avry to no end in the first novel. Now that they are in love it was interesting and amusing to see how both their minds work as they are both stubborn characters who have different views. Even so, it’s evident that they both love each other and will do anything for each other, even trusting that the other will survive when everyone else believes otherwise.

Synder’s talent, however, comes from the fact that although she has created this beautiful love story she doesn’t shy away from the real difficulties that will appear in any relationship. Of course, not every couple is going to be separated because of a war that seems to be never ending but they will experience fights, disappointment, and frustration with each other. Here, Synder creates a couple that is real.

Even so, because these two spend so much time apart Synder doesn’t allow us to get sick of them. Instead, she focuses in on so many other things that I almost created a flow chart to keep track of what was happening. There were so many times in the novel when someone either did die and I was shocked or I thought someone was dead and they somehow survived. Well, not somehow. It was usually magic that saved them.

Though Synder is writing a novel about war and love what makes it even more interesting is that it all exists in this magical world where people have all different kinds of power. We have healers, life magicians, death magicians, air magicians, and a forest mage. Not mention some other surprising powers like one that will just hit you with the cold. These abilities play an interesting role in the novel creating bonds between multiple characters, saving lives, and also making the war that much more complicated.

And Avry’s right in the middle of all it. As a healer, one of the few left, she’s very necessary for battle. Plus, as Avry learns more about her abilities and what she can do she becomes a much wanted resource to many and some go to extraordinary lengths to use her and her information. Lucky for her she’s smart, witty, stubborn, and has her team of boys to back her up.

Synder ended this trilogy with a bang. This novel was amazing with many twists and turns that left me screaming, stressed, and outright concerned for my own well being. Just the kind of feelings I want from a book. Also, I truly enjoy that Synder portrays these headstrong, heroines in all of her novels. Girl power for the win!

If you haven’t tried one of Synder’s books yet definitely give her a try. Trust me once you try one you’ll be hooked. I would suggest starting with the first book in this trilogy however. The first two books are just as good as the last.

Stars: 5 out of 5

Borrow or Buy: Buy! Buy! Buy! Like I said this is definitely one for the bookshelf. I own all the books in this trilogy and it’s definitely worth every penny. I’m probably going to reread the whole trilogy over spring break. Amazing!

Book Review: Blue Bloods

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

I’m not sure how I feel about Melissa De La Cruz. She has this uncanny ability to write books that make you want to keep reading but for me this feeling mostly comes from curiosity, not interest.

I thought this book was okay. There’s a lot of mystery in it that left me wondering what would happening next. However, I also found many of the characters to be irritating.

This book is the first in another series about vampires, which already deterred me a little bit. Of course, Cruz puts her own spin on the vampire idea. In her series, vampires live forever through their blue blood that carries on their many lives. Basically, they are reincarnated over and over again. They still drink blood but the sun doesn’t kill them it only makes some of them itchy if they’re allergic.

The main character, Schulyer, is an outcast at her prestigious high school. Even so she has a hidden beauty and when a senior and one of the most popular guys in school, Jack, notices her and one of her fellow students is found dead things start to change for Schulyer who later finds out she’s a vampire and so are many of her classmates.

Of course, there’s something special about Schulyer, who’s curiosity about who she is and the death of her classmate leads her to a search for the truth about who could be killing vampires who are supposed to be immortal.

Like I said, I kept reading because I was curious. I wanted to know what Schulyer was and who’s killing these kid vamps. Overall, however, I didn’t find the novel to be that great. It didn’t draw me in and I wasn’t obsessively reading it late in the night to find out what happens next.

Even so, I will most likely still read the next one because I want to know what happens next. Who knows, maybe I’ll like the next one better.

Stars: 2 out of 5

Borrow or Buy: Borrow. This is definitely a book I wouldn’t re-read. Unless you need a refresher on what happens when you finally get around to reading the next one. But in that case you could probably just read the summary on Wikipedia.